She made Advent happen every year no matter how busy we were. My mom somehow found time to retrieve our pottery advent wreath, buy 5 candles and settle all 4 of us around the table for the evening meal. My family is very “Beaver Cleaver” in some respects. We not only ate dinner together…
Thanksgiving Emotional Sobriety Challenge: Win The Moment
Hey! it is exactly one week before Thanksgiving here in the United States. Plus today is exactly 40 days until Christmas, yikes! Ever heard the phrase “Failing to plan is planning to fail?” While we know this holds true for budgeting money, food, time, and work projects what about our emotions? Family gatherings around the…
Step 12: Only the Beginning of Your Journey to Freedom
Pain normally starts most people on the 12 Step Path. There is no light, no perception of the end when we start, only promises from others. At the beginning, it is hard to imagine the 12 Simple Steps will start you on a journey to freedom. Want to talk with others who are choosing a Journey…
Tween Boy Clothes 2018 : Holiday Travel Wear
Tween boy clothes are just caught in the middle. Not a little boy and not the man size of the budding teen. My tween likes it all! Dress up to “soft pants” the track pants that get him to school and back. A fall trip to Europe gave us the chance to look at all…
Sober On Purpose Podcast
Real life for real families. This is crazy right? I mean launching the Sober on Purpose podcast on top of a blog. Nope! Actually, it is perfect. What better way to get to know all of you. I’ll go first. This is us! Jerry, Elijah, Tanya, Wesley; the Joyous Bear family! I think Goldie Locks is the…
What Does Prayer and Meditation Do For Me? AA Step 11
Direct your thoughts and your actions will follow a great phrase for meditation. The elegance of Step Eleven lines us up with true north. A trinitarian grouping of three distinct actions. Prayer and meditation Improved relationship with God Knowing and Doing His will for me Oddly, making sure my husband, kids, and community do the right…
Mother’s Milestone: When Your Baby Turns 13
This is a momentous Mother’s Day, yet another Mother’s Milestone. I am the proud Mom of 2005 model brand new teenager. Although he sometimes gets frustrated with my slowness to absorb his new young “man-ness”, this marvelous change enhances us both. You may have to check back with me in a few years, but I…
How to Continue Daily Serenity/Step 10
Is the goal for your life daily serenity–living in peace with yourself and others. Facing the world with the understanding that failure and mistakes are part of the human experience. How we choose to handle mistakes and failures in our lives develops our character. Does a problem, failure or mistake keep us from behaving with:…
Create a Teen Boy Travel Capsule Wardrobe For Less
Hey, let’s face it, as they get bigger the clothes get more expensive! I don’t even want to talk about the shoes! My focus for our teen boy travel capsule wardrobe was shoes and coats. Wandering around London and Paris in the rain is no fun with soggy feet and chattering teeth. My jeans and…
How To Make An Amends/Tackling Step 9
So far, peeling the onion of your life really only involved you. Striping away the layers of hurt, habits and hang-ups requires dedicated introspection. Making amends stretches our faith and trust in our Higher Power. Up until now, our work is mostly private. Maybe our friends and family have noticed a change in our behavior…
