12-Step Approach To The Spiritual Exercises Of St. Ignatius

I have been in 12-Step work for almost 28 years, beginning December 13, 1972. I have come to believe that you are either moving away from your addiction or that you are moving toward your addiction. Staying on a plateau for very long is dangerous to maintaining spiritual progress. This book was instrumental in moving me from being stuck in the spiritual mud, so to speak. I had been reading one of the Classics of Western Spirituality books, 'Ignatius of Loyola: The Spiritual Exercises and Selected Works' for about a year - off and on with varying degrees of success. I found that Jim Harbaugh's approach through the 12-Step Methodology to be extremely helpful in putting Ignatius' Exercises in a framework that has been very fruitful in applying the 11th Step to my life. (Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.) During my first lent with Jim's book, I spent a day on each of the 52 exercises. Now, at Jim's suggestion, I am spending a week on each of the 52 exercises and I am finding this way more fruitful. However, at present, I have paused after Exercise 17, The Examen, while I complete another 4th Step. I have put together a set of cards, calling card size, front and back, with the prayer for the week on one side and ideas for meditation from the book on the other. I can email this word document to anyone who wants a copy. My email address is bobballow@juno.com.