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This is my story as I told it last night at my home group for the first time since getting sober.   God I ask that you go before me tonight and show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love.   It was a dark and stormy night. Just kidding!  I heard long ago that line was the most popular opening line in literature.  So I just had to use it! Seriously though, my sobriety date this time, and hopefully the last time, is September 1, 2017.  For that I am eternally grateful. It was a long and circuitous path to get where

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I am a firm believer in AA and what it can do for a person.  I have been in and out of the rooms of AA for the last 10 years.  I never really wanted to be there or had any intentions of putting in the effort required to accomplish sobriety.  There were times I showed up at meetings after drinking on the way there and times I stopped on the way home afterwards.  Because of that, among many other reasons which I have detailed in other posts, it has taken me 10 years to maintain any sense of sobriety.  As of this writing, I

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I have gotten to where I always take some notes during my daily meetings.  Normally it is just a slogan or saying that catches my attention.  Sometimes it is more than that.  I want to keep them somewhat together so I don’t have to dig back through my journal to find them.  So here they are.  My hope is that someone out there will find a nugget or two that they can use as well. If they didn’t ask the question they didn’t want the answer. How do YOU use your gratitude If I were to be put on trial, would I be convicted of

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We had a really good meeting this morning.  The topic was how to handle the holidays.  The person who brought up the topic has had multiple relapses during this time period.  He has been sober for multiple years now.  Like me, he is always wanting to learn new ways at maintaining his sobriety.  I personally didn’t have much to offer since this is basically my first Christmas season in sobriety.  I believe I am in a good place mentally and spiritually right now.  The Christmas season has never been a huge drinking time for me.  There were a few where that wasn’t the case.  The

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What a great and momentous day for me.  90 days of continuous sobriety.  I picked up my coin at the noon meeting today.  My sponsor was there to give it to me.  Our topic today was just as appropriate.  “Why are the steps suggested?”  I know for me, they are not a suggestion.  They are mandatory and required for me to get and stay sober.  For the last 8 years I did treat them as a suggestion.  Which means I either didn’t do them or if I did, I did them half ass.  And I can tell you first hand, half measures get me nothing

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The following are sage words of wisdom that have caught my attention from meetings over the last week or so.  I will also throw in my thoughts on them. Cannot allow alcoholism to become aa-ism. You must live life on life terms  –  You obviously cannot ignore life.  It is going to come at you regardless of what you do.  You can’t hide at meetings 24/7! My life is different and the terms are different At ease not diseased drinker  –  I am not sure exactly how I feel about this one.  We are diseased, but we are definitely at ease! Serenity is in direct

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I try to find something inspirational every day.  It can come from many different places.  My bible, my wife, my church, TV/Radio and especially my AA meetings.  The last couple of days the topic in my meetings has centered on Step 11, which states: “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.” I am just now starting Step 4 in my journey this time around.  As of today, I have 75 days sober.  Needless to say, I am no where close

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Today’s meeting was very good.  One of my fellow alcoholics, who has about 2 weeks less than I do, asked the room “What Keeps You Sober?”.  I have worried about him.  I have known him for about 2 years.  We attend the same church and have attended an addiction life group together as well.  He went to rehab for 2 months and then had a slip after he got home.  It happens to the best of us!  I did the same thing the first time I went to rehab.  The important thing is that he came back to the group.  We talk on a regular

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Attending meetings is paramount to my sobriety.  There has not been a meeting where I have not gleaned something I can apply to my life.  I hope my sharing has the same impact on others.  That said, yesterday and today are prime examples. Yesterday our topic was based off the Daily Reflections for November 7th, Let Go and Let God.  Being relatively new to sobriety, 68 days as of this second, I still have at times have difficulty letting go and giving things over to my Higher Power.  It was with great relief that I heard from Old Timers that still struggle with that exact