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Minnesota

Brothers and Sisters in Recovery 🙏  Currently, I'm on a vacation/funeral trip in Minnesota, and all I can say is wow. It is absolutely gorgeous here. This morning I sat on the back deck overlooking a beautiful lake in northern Minnesota with a hot cup of coffee in my hand, and I was overcome with gratitude. As I sat there watching the water and taking in God's creation, I couldn't help but reflect on where I used to be and where recovery has brought me. There was a time when I never would have had the opportunity to enjoy a morning like this. Addiction robbed me of the ability to appreciate life's simple gifts. My mind was always somewhere else—chasing, running, worrying, or trying to escape reality. Today, because of recovery, I can be fully present. Recovery has given me the ability to slow down and appreciate things I once overlooked. The warmth of the morning sun. The sound of birds singing. Time spent with family. The peacefulness of nature. The simple blessing of...
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Shaped By Adversity

 Brothers and Sisters in Recovery 🙏


All our virtues are shaped by adversity.


Think about that for a moment. Courage is not developed when life is easy; courage is born when fear stands in front of us and we move forward anyway. Patience is not learned when everything goes our way; it is forged during the long waits, the setbacks, and the moments when progress feels painfully slow. Gratitude is not truly appreciated when we have everything we want; it grows when we remember what it was like to have so much less. Strength is not discovered in comfort; it is revealed when we carry burdens we never thought we could bear.


Recovery is a living example of this truth.


Many of us came into recovery broken, exhausted, scared, angry, or hopeless. We arrived carrying the weight of mistakes, regrets, and consequences that seemed impossible to overcome. Yet it was through those very struggles that we began to discover who we truly are. The challenges we faced did not just test us—they shaped us.


Every craving resisted strengthened our resolve. Every difficult conversation taught us honesty. Every amends made built humility. Every meeting attended despite not wanting to go reinforced our commitment. Every day clean became proof that change was possible.


The adversity that once threatened to destroy us has become the foundation upon which we build our recovery. The pain of yesterday now serves a purpose. It gives us empathy for the newcomer. It allows us to reach a hand out to someone who is suffering. It reminds us that no matter how dark the road becomes, there is always a way forward.


Recovery does not promise a life without problems. What it does provide is something far more valuable: the ability to face life's problems without running from them. We learn to stand firm when storms come. We learn to trust the process even when we cannot see the outcome. We learn that setbacks do not define us and that our past does not determine our future.


Today, if you are struggling, remember that growth often happens in places where comfort cannot survive. The difficulties you face today may very well be shaping the virtues that will carry you through tomorrow. What feels like a burden now may become a blessing later. What feels like a setback may become a lesson. What feels impossible may become your greatest testimony.


Keep showing up. Keep reaching out. Keep believing in the process. Recovery is not about perfection; it is about progress. Every step forward matters, no matter how small. The miracle is not that we move quickly—it is that we keep moving.


One day at a time. Easy does it. Keep coming back. Progress, not perfection. Let go and let God. Stay in the moment. Trust the process. It works if you work it, and you're worth it.


With love and gratitude,


Gary G

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