Recovery of a Sense of the Sacred: 13 Steps

  1. I AM affirming myself JUST AS I AM
  2. I AM awakening to the Vital Energy in the very process of living and creating
  3. I AM directing Creative Energy out into the world
  4. I AM constructively confronting life’s inequities
  5. I AM overcoming obstacles, real and imaginary, other-imposed and self-imposed
  6. I AM moving beyond the past and embracing the present
  7. I AM compassionately affecting the course of my world
  8. I AM continually taking personal inventory as I strive to respect both myself and others
  9. I AM actively taking responsibility for my spiritual growth, emotional maturity, and physical well-being
  10. I AM forever co-creating, with Creation itself
  11. I AM developing confidence and competence in that which I have to contribute
  12. I AM sharing the Creative Process with others
  13. I AM working toward my own empowerment and the empowerment of others

Footnote to Steptaking

In the event that anyone be offended that these steps lack specific mention of God, let it be known that I have deliberately attempted to leave the terminology open enough so as to be applicable to a variety of spiritual beliefs. Perhaps others might nurture their faith and hope through working these steps. Drawing upon Divine Unconditional Love, and the Abiding Presence of the Truth That Sets Us Free, they may apply to diverse life circumstances and situations, regardless of chosen emphasis, unique to the individual. By the very nature of my being who I am, God is both within and beyond me. What that means to me is that I Am That I Am, and the “Unprovable Original,” or G_D by whatever name you wish to call God, if you wish to call at all, may indeed be, as is implied in the Hebrew writings, a most unspeakable name. Whoever G_D is, the translation of the Divine into our human experience, is to some extent, about the search for a home in the world, which is also what my sexuality is about.

I AM BY NATURE’S DESIGN, INTEGRAL TO THE BALANCE OF NATURE

I am by Nature’s Design, and according to that Design, purpose, entelechy of my being, integral to the Balance of Nature. The bottom line is that throughout nature, there is a certain flexible balance. There are same sex families throughout the animal kingdom, and it doesn’t seem to be contagious. We may likely be a fluctuating minority, but an equally integral part of the diversity and balance of Mother Nature, according to our own DNA, or Divine Nature Authority within.

For me, my sexuality is a part of who I am. And while I believe that ultimately love is no respector of persons, coming home to myself is for me, coming home to she with whom I am most “at home.” Each day I live I become more convinced that my sexuality has relatively little to do with genitalia and everything to do with my brain, as well as my spirituality. More and more I realize it is all about balance — a balance of the whole — the balance of nature, of which we, in our diversity, all are a part.

Copyright Carol Stabel, 1992 KA Productions