Posts by donmiddletonp1

The prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi has found itself reprinted on posters, plates, and journals – pretty much everywhere. Spending time with individual lines of this prayer is a long-used pathway to contemplative prayer. Regardless of who actually wrote this piece, it has a great deal of value in the lives of any…

An article I read the other day lamented that the holiday of Thanksgiving has become just another secular excuse to miss work, overeat, and drink beer while binge-watching football. For most in the United States, the days of dedicating time to recounting one’s blessings and expressing gratitude to God for the abundance many of us…

Most AA meetings I’ve ever been to are opened with a group recitation of the Serenity Prayer. Here it is in its short form: God, grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change,courage to change the things I can,and the wisdom to know the difference. The purpose of this new book, “Dissecting the…

Another very common prayer used in the rooms of AA is the Lord’s Prayer. This is most frequently used to close the meeting, with all standing and holding hands. Again, many simply recite the words with little or no thought as to what is being said or simply stand quietly. We tend to think ahead…

In my new book, Dissecting the Prayers and Promises of AA, we do a deep dive into the history of prayer and meditation in Alcoholics Anonymous. Many prayers are used in AA, but unfortunately, many people simply repeat them without thinking about what they are saying or why. The purpose of this new book is…

When filming a movie, the director starts with a complete story in mind, but often the studio trims it to fit their desired time slot. In 1986, “Aliens” was a highly popular movie, earning numerous awards and substantial profits. However, a few years later, the director, James Cameron, re-added 20 minutes of action and character…

Anybody that says “Dunamis Effect” is anti-AA, obviously hasn’t read the book. There must be at least a dozen times where AA is described as a divine gift, and its members a national treasure of wisdom. While Dunamis Effect (formally Him and Them) is designed to be a stand-alone program, throughout the book one is…

Month 4, Step 4 – Courage. Two men decide to ride their bikes across Death Valley which is a remarkable feat of endurance pitting man against some of the harshest conditions mother nature has to offer. The first is young and strong and fills his water bottles to start his trek without telling anyone in…

Addiction can be like a dozen grenades thrown into a home. You never know who or to what extent that collateral damage will be, but can be assured there will be damage. Too often the “grown-ups” get so deeply entrenched in their needs that they forget to pay attention to the littler folks occupying the…

Patrick lived approximately 1500 years ago in an area not known for extensive written history. It is a bit hard to know a great deal about his life, but we do have what some people consider to be his autobiography. There is a lesson in it for us as we try and ignore the fact…