The Living Clean Podcast

This week’s episode came together in a way that honestly couldn’t have been planned any better.
Francis and I had the opportunity to be together in person at the Texarkana Area Convention in Texarkana, Arkansas, and that alone made this week different. While we were there, we were both involved in different parts of the convention. We did a History of the Basic Text workshop together, I shared on conscious contact, and Francis was scheduled to be the Sunday morning spiritual speaker on the topic “Creative Action of the Spirit.”
All of the topics for the convention were pulled directly from Living Clean: The Journey Continues, and as we were talking through what we were going to do for this week’s episode, Francis mentioned he was having a hard time figuring out what he wanted to say on his topic.
That’s when the idea hit.
Instead of just recording a normal episode, we decided to take advantage of being surrounded by addicts in recovery from all over and do a live, in-person Living Clean study on the section “Creative Action of the Spirit.” We broke it up into its 12 paragraphs and had members from the convention share on different sections.
What came out of that was something powerful. You’ll hear different perspectives, different experiences, and real-time insight from people who don’t normally sit in the same rooms together.
And then we took it one step further.
At the end of this episode, we included Francis’s full Sunday morning message. So what you’re getting is the process and the result. You get to hear the preparation through the study and then hear how that message came to life.
This one is special.

n this episode of Be The Change, the team presents the Welcoming the Newcomer workshop based on Traditions Three and Five.
Together we explore how the actions of a group shape the atmosphere of recovery and how every member plays a role in creating a space where newcomers feel safe enough to stay.
Through discussion, reflection, and role-play examples, we talk about what it really means to carry the message—not the addict.
This episode reminds us that Tradition Three keeps the door open and Tradition Five keeps the message clear.

n this episode of the Living Clean Podcast, we continue our book study of Living Clean: The Journey Continues, focusing on the final six paragraphs of the “Illness” section in Chapter 4.
Illness can challenge our recovery in ways we never expected. Physical suffering, fear of the future, and difficult choices can test the spiritual principles we rely on every day. In this conversation, we explore how the tools of recovery help us navigate those moments when life becomes uncertain and painful.
We discuss the importance of reaching out—calling a sponsor, leaning on our support group, and turning to the wisdom found in NA literature such as In Times of Illness. These tools help us make decisions we can live with and take the next right action, even in the middle of crisis.
The episode also explores the spiritual tension many of us feel when illness strikes. We talk about bargaining with God, expectations in prayer, and the powerful shift that happens when we move from demanding outcomes to practicing surrender. Recovery teaches us that our Higher Power is not a vending machine, and that acceptance of life on life’s terms often opens the door to gratitude—even when gratitude feels hardest to find.
We also examine the deeply personal nature of health decisions. Recovery does not give us a single model for how to live, and each of us must find our own balance between caring for ourselves and avoiding the self-destructive patterns of our past. Through honest reflection, inventory, and surrender, we learn how to live according to our values rather than our fears.
Ultimately, this section reminds us that recovery is not about perfection. It is about continually returning to the tools of the program, refining our balance between health and illness, action and acceptance, and learning how to live a life that aligns with our beliefs.
Freedom in recovery means something powerful: we get to live life according to our own choosing and design.

Gratitude is one of the spiritual principles that transforms our recovery and changes the way we experience life. In this special episode of the Living Clean Podcast, My Gratitude Speaks, we hear a chorus of voices from members of Narcotics Anonymous sharing what gratitude means to them today.
Inspired in part by the spirit of the Newcomer Montage and the Original Gratitude Exercises, this episode brings together reflections from addicts in recovery who have found a new way to live. Each voice represents a different journey, but the message is the same: recovery has given us more than we ever imagined possible.
Members share about the simple and profound things they are grateful for today—freedom from active addiction, connection with others, the gift of service, the power of the Steps, and the ability to live one day at a time. What emerges is a collective expression of hope and appreciation that reflects the heart of our fellowship.
Gratitude reminds us where we came from, keeps us grounded in the present, and points us toward the future. When we share it, it multiplies.
Sit back and listen as addicts from across the fellowship let their gratitude speak.
Because in Narcotics Anonymous, we don’t recover alone.

n this episode of DM’ing the Pamphlets, Mason from the Living Clean Podcast sits down with Douglas from the Anonymous Podcast to take a deep dive into IP #2 – The Group.
The group is often described as the heart of recovery. It’s where addicts find connection, accountability, and a place where the message of recovery can be carried addict to addict. But what actually makes a group work? What is the purpose of a group beyond just holding meetings? And what responsibility do members have in protecting the unity and integrity of their home group?
Douglas and Mason walk through the pamphlet line by line, discussing the principles behind healthy groups, the importance of participation and service, and how groups function as the foundation of the fellowship. They also explore practical topics like home groups, group conscience, unity, and the role each member plays in keeping the doors open for the next addict who walks in.
Along the way, the conversation blends literature, personal experience, and a bit of real talk about what happens when groups thrive—and when they struggle.
Whether you’re new to recovery or have been around meetings for years, this episode offers insight into why the group matters and how each of us contributes to keeping the message alive.
DM’ing the Pamphlets is a series where we explore recovery literature one pamphlet at a time—breaking it down, discussing its meaning, and connecting it to real recovery.