Singing for Recovery
I sing for recovery retreats nationwide.
It is such a privilege for me to witness the miracles of a program that helps restore
LIFE to the lifeless,
HOPE to the hopeless,
FREEDOM to those in bondage,
SERENITY to the chaotic and
JOY to the depressed.
I feel especially humbled to be used by God at these recovery events. Music has such a way of opening hearts and souls, lifting them up, offering hope and the assurance that God loves us and accepts us just the way we are. While I sing, I see the faces of pain, distrust, guilt, resentment, shame, depression, fear, and insecurity looking back at me. Tears start to flow as the participants begin to feel and trust a little, to accept the love that is offered so freely at these conferences. As the retreat progresses healing begins. Most importantly, I believe these people discover a relationship with God that has been long sought. I am forever indebted to the 12 Steps for helping me find the God of my own understanding.
Let me tell you something about an album I recorded especially for people in twelve step programs of all kinds.
"In My Steps" is a journey through the "Twelve Steps" in musical expression.
I selected twelve songs that reflect my personal experience
in the "Twelve Steps" over the past 21 years.
I will never forget my feelings of powerlessness when I hit bottom.
I felt that everyone, including God, had failed me or given up on me.
To hear a clip of other songs, you can select the song titles that are underlined.
- The experience of my first step was found
"In Heaven's Eyes".
Once I admitted my powerlessness and unmanagability of my life I had a glimmer of hope that I could find my way out of the darkness that shrouded me.
- I began
"Coming Out of the Dark"
in step two, coming to believe that there is One in whom I can trust.
- For step three, the decision to put my life in the care of God is prayerfully expressed in
"Baruch-Hashem-Adonai".
- Now it was time to face all my fears, insecurities and wrongs I had so carefully hidden "within" from myself and others. For me step four was a soulful journey through the
"Forest of Fears".
In facing my fears and taking responsibility for my life, I met the God of my own understanding.
- This God washed me with
"Amazing Grace"
as I took my fifth step.
- I could hardly believe I had come
"So Far"
when I became ready to have God remove all my defects of character in step six.
- I asked, so humbly, for
"Healing"
as I took my seventh step. Now it was time to look squarely at all those I had harmed and be willing to make amends to them.
- I had to believe that God would see me
"Through Every Storm"
I would face as I made my eighth step list.
- To wipe the slate clean in step nine, I wished for every person what I would want for myself. I prayed that
"All the Stars"
would shine down on them, that all their dreams would come true.
- To keep my slate clean in step ten, I wanted to take a
"Long Look"
at my journey to this point, to see where I was going and to look at where I had been. I was ready to seek, through prayer and meditaton, a conscious contact with my God.
- In my eleventh step, I finally knew I was
"In His Presence".
I had come to these steps a basket-case of negative emotions. I was in a "spiritual coma".
My spirit was alive but unconscious. In working the steps I had come a long way. I had cleared away the wreckage of my past. I now had a message to carry. What was the message? The message is that I have had a "spiritual awakening" as a result of working these steps. I am conscious! My spirit is alive and awake!
- In step twelve I am ready for God to
"Touch Through Me"
as I carry the message to those who still suffer."
If you entered this page from another site and there are no links on the left-hand side of this page you can select this link to go to Jan's Home Page with all its links.
Order "In My Steps"
