Your Daily Reprieve 12.25 15

Your Daily Reprieve for Friday December 25, 2015 From Stuart, Florida

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

“I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays – let them overtake me unexpectedly – waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: ‘Why, this is Christmas Day!’” ~ David Grayson "But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round...as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely."--Charles Dickens “I know what I really want for Christmas. I want my childhood back. Nobody is going to give me that. I might give at least the memory of it to myself if I try. I know it doesn't make sense, but since when is Christmas about sense, anyway? It is about a child, of long ago and far away, and it is about the child of now. In you and me. Waiting behind the door of or hearts for something wonderful to happen. A child who is impractical, unrealistic, simpleminded and terribly vulnerable to joy.” ~Robert Fulghum At its best, Christmas is a mirror in which we see reflected the very best life can be. Where we see ourselves moved by generosity, inspired by hope, and uplifted by love, not only for ourselves but for the whole evolving universe. --Bruce Sanguin God grant you the light in Christmas which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth...--Wilda English

AA's First Christmas Between noon of Wednesday, December 24, 1952 and midnight of Thursday, January 1st, 1953, some 120,000 members of AA will have seen their dreams of a dry holiday and their hopes of a sane New Year's come safely true. The first Christmas for AA was the depression year of 1935. There were three old timers to mark it ... hardly a dozen newcomers to share it with them. In Akron, Dr. Bob and Bill D. were going on their second six months, four recruits had from four months to two months. In New York, Bill W. had thirteen months since his last drink, seven months since his historic trip to Akron and the start of AA. In Akron, the six gathered with their families at Dr. Bob's. There was no ceremony ... no exchange of presents. The Twelve Steps had not yet been formulated. The Big Book was only a vague stirring that would not even be in manuscript until three more Christmases had been achieved. But there was joy that this most dangerous of times for the alcoholic had arrived ... and twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours was being mastered. "There was thanks," remembers one of the two who survives that first Akron Christmas, "that we had come this far. However, I am certain that there was still considerable fear and trembling ... not fear that this new way would not work, but doubt and uncertainty that we would be able to hold on to it. Bill W. recalls only a quiet day in New York that Yule of 1935 where there were very few involved. Five years later, there was a place in New York for an AA Christmas party ... the first AA clubhouse. And about the 24th Street Club there hangs a real Santa Claus story! Or rather, it is a Saint Nicholas story. Just one hundred years before, in 1840, the building was erected at Number 334 1/2 West 24th Street ... the property of a family named Moore who were large landowners in Manhattan Island's Chelsea section. And driving across the snow-covered lawn, Dr. Clement Clarke Moore began to compose (some say just as his sled runners touched what is now the meeting room of AA's first clubhouse!) his immortal gift to children of all ages ... " 'Twas the night before Christmas." Grapevine, December, 1952

Big Book Quote "Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 20

Daily Share! AA Speaker of the Day CHRIS TURNER Winnipeg MB, Canada 35th Annual Iron Range Get Together 05.06.2005 http://bit.ly/1TPxLOo Wee Willie’s Sobriety First Media AA CD’s Literature and tapes https://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst

Celebrate Your Anniversary Here SHOW HOW IT WORKS!!! If you are celebrating an anniversary this month, please send along the date and any message you would like to share with the other 3000 people on this email list and perhaps as many as 30000 others who have it forwarded. You need to remind me every year! Send your day, your location and number of years to: txm1@comcast.net December 2015 Anniversaries 12/1 Beth S. (N. Conway, NH)…..20 12/1 Bill S. (Ft Collins, CO)…..31 12/2 Nick K. (Stowe, VT)…..15 12/2 Wendy M. (Scottsdale, AZ/Nantucket, MA)…..26 12/3 Jo C. (New Forest, UK)…..11 12/3 Andy H. (Northeast Harbor, ME)…..14 12/3 Debra A. (Stuart, FL)…..33 12/4 Ellen A. (NYC, NY)…..10 12/4  Lisa B. (San Leandro, CA)…..20 12/5 Sean B. (Provincetown, MA)…..5 12/5 Debra L. (NY, NY)…..3 12/5 Matt G. (Colts Neck, NJ)…..7 12/5 Sophie M-G(Larchmont, NY)…..3 12/5 Todd P. ()…..1 12/06 Dan L. (Scituate, MA.)…..32 12/06 Bernie D. (Norwell, MA.)….. 20 12/6 Dave G. (Rockville Center, NY)…..24 12/06 Tommy C. (Duxbury, MA.)….. 12 12/6 Dave B. (Venice, FL)…..24 12/6 Teryl B. (Beverly, MA)…..7 12/6 Donna O. (Grapeview, WA)…..31 12/6 Rob N. (Basking Ridge, NJ)…..22 12/6 Kent F. (Arizona)…..5 12/07 Mary C. (Norwell, MA.)…..7 12/7 Chris S. (Princeton, NJ)…..8 12/7 Melissa M. (Port Lincoln, So. Australia)…..2 12/8 Lynne L. (Portland, OR)…..42 12/8 Jill S. (Parkland, FL)…..8 12/9 Susan V. (NYC, NY)…..2 12/9 Liz W. (NY, NY)…..3 12/10 Mary Beth L. (Florida/California)…..15 12/10 Kathy R. (Basking Ridge, NJ)…..5 12/10 Gypsy Paul K. (Nantucket, MA)…..9 12/12 Mitch B. (Evanston, IL/Long Beach, CA)…..29 12/12 Natalie (Columbus, OH)…..1 12/12 Simon S. (NYC, NY)…..6 12/13 Tom O’ (Milwaukee, WI)…..9 12/13 Oliver E. (Jackson, NJ)…..19 12/13 Trent H. (Corpus Christi, TX)…..12 12/14 Mike the Greek (New Provadance, NJ)…..8 12/14 Linda M. (Methuen, MA)…..3 12/14 Jim B. (Lagrange, NY)…..22 12/14 Christine C. (Methuen, MA)…..1 12/15 Bill M. (Caguas, Puerto Rico)…..30 12/15 John M. (Paros, Greece/Claverack, NY)…..13 12/15 Big Ian L. (London, UK)…..22 12/15 Darren C. (London, UK)…..1 12/16 Jim J. (NYC, NY)…..42 12/18 Linda M. (San Miguel de Allende Mexico)…..30 12/18 Mike M. (San Miguel de Allende Mexico)…..30 12/18 John K. (Palm City, FL)…..3 12/18 Chris V. (Gulf Breeze, FL)…..8 12/19 Kathy S. (Andover, MA)…..35 12/20 Caroline M. (Novato, CA)…..31 12/21 Ann M. (NYC, NY)…..25 12/22 Dick M. (New York City)…..38 12/23 Cathy B. (Princeton, NJ)…..11 12/23 Peter G. (Larchmont, NY)…..35 12/23 Georgie S. (Nantucket, MA)…..8 12/23 Jim C. (NC/Tortola, BVI)…..18 12/23 Lee H. (San Francisco, CA)…..25 12/23 Carole  H. (Corpus Christi, TX)…..9 12/24 Patrick R. (Latham, NY)…..22 12/25 Peter M. (NYC, NY)…..18 12/25 Sharon G. (Chicagoland)…..10 12/25 Lenita N. (Barbados)…..2 12/26 Kate B. (Nantucket, MA)…..13 12/26 Sheila H. (Leesburg, FL)…..24 12/26 Eve F-C (Acton, MA)…..6 12/26 Rob W. (Marlborough, MA)…..2 12/27 Tom B. (NYC, NY)…..13 12/27 Doug K. (Hyde Park, NY)…..8 12/28 Johanna T. (Cobleskill, NY)…..15 12/28 Susan L. (Vero Beach, FL)…..41 12/29 Jim H. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)…..8 12/29 Samsara S. (Golden, CO)…..8 12/31 Tabatha K. (Charlotte, NC)…..3 12/31 Ian M. (Dublin via Oz)…..21 12/31 Jake R. (Murphy, NC)…..40 12/31 Galia P.(Jerusalem)…..8 12/31 Kevin C. (Whitinsville, MA)…..14 1277 Total Years of Sobriety

12&12 Step Eleven - "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." In A.A. we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question. They are matters of knowledge and experience. All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances. p. 104

Twenty Four Hours A.A. Thought For The Day Many alcoholics will be saying today: "This is a good Christmas for me." They will be looking back over the past Christmases which were not like this one. They will be thanking God for their sobriety and their new found life. They will be thinking about how their lives have changed when they came into A.A. They will be thinking that perhaps God let them live through all the hazards of their drinking careers, when they were perhaps often close to death, in order that they may be used by Him in the great work of A.A. Is this a happy Christmas for me? Meditation For The Day The kingdom of heaven is also for the lowly, the sinners, the repentant. "And they presented unto him gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh." Bring your gifts of gold--your money and material possessions. Bring your frankincense--the consecration of your life to a worthy cause. Bring your myrrh--your sympathy and understanding and help. Lay them all at the feet of God and let Him have full use of them. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may be truly thankful on this Christmas day. I pray that I may bring my gifts and lay them on the altar.

Daily Thought ^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~  /) (   \ (AA)/   ) (_   /AA\ _)   /AA\ ^*^*^*^*^ Help *  *  * "If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort." c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 25-6 ^*^*^*^*^ Thought to Consider . . . The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H E L P =  Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience

Daily Reflection AT PEACE WITH LIFE Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities "How can I best serve Thee— Thy will (not mine) be done." ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85 I read this passage each morning, to start off my day, because it is a continual reminder to "practice these principles in all my affairs." When I keep God's will at the forefront of my mind, I am able to do what I should be doing, and that puts me at peace with life, with myself and with God.

Pot Luck Every Christmas I hope for the best but expect the worst. --Adult child group member As bells ring out and carols echo everywhere, we should not be surprised if our spirits take a nosedive. It isn't that we don't understand the meaning of Christmas, or that we reject it, but rather that the idealized version of what Christmas should be has often times been denied us. We may come to resent the fact that all this good cheer seems to be for other people, not us. Our experiences may have had little to do with family togetherness around a glowing fireplace, loving conversation, and delighted laughter. Such scenes feel like an affront if there has been no family closeness, perhaps no gifts, and little or no overt love. Of course it's wrenching when our own experience clashes so painfully with advertised reality! But every day is a chance for new experience. We can choose today to create the good cheer that wasn't created for us. It's too late to change yesterday's disappointment, but, if we choose, we can make this holiday season the one we'll remember. I have made a conscious decision to leave past Christmases in the past. Today, I will begin to plan a celebration. You are reading from the book: Days of Healing, Days of Joy by Earnie Larsen and Carol Larsen Hegarty

34th ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CONVENTION 2016  DUMAGUETE   NEGROS ORIENTAL “Home of the Gentle People"   Friday to Saturday      FEBRUARY 5 – 7, 2016 BETHEL GUESTHOUSE RIZAL BOULEVARD http://aaphilconv2016.weebly.com/

International AA Convention in Costa Rica ***Save The Date*** May 6,7, & 8 2016 Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica Click here to join the Facebook Group For more information Email Jason G or Russell B aaconventioncostrica.com

Speaker Recordings Wee Willie’s Sobriety First Media AA CD’s Literature and tapes https://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst ***** The Lights are On http://xa-speakers.org/ AA Speaker Tapes http://www.aaspeakers.org/AA_Speaker_Tapes Recovery Speakers http://recoveryspeakers.com/

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Resources Great Minds Quotes https://twitter.com/GreatestQuotes BIG BOOK SEARCH ENGINE:  http://www.whytehou se.com/big_ book_search/ Twenty Four Hours a Day Since 1954, Twenty-Four Hours a Day has become a stable force in the recovery of many alcoholics throughout the world. With over nine million copies in print (the original text has been revised),  this "little black book" offers daily thoughts, meditations, and prayers for living a clean and sober life. A spiritual resource with practical applications to fit our daily lives. Copyright 1975 Hazeleden Foundation Tammy’s recovery links http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/ NEW! Twisted Thinking Making Sense Out of Nonsense: Change Happens by Changing Your Perception  by Georgia Hughes amazon.com/author/georgiahughes  AA Photo Archives http://www.rewritables.net/cybriety/aa_photos.htm Heard at A Meeting https://twitter.com/heardinameeting Breast Cancer Site Take a minute and click to provide free mammograms http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/ MEN FIGHTING CANCER TOGETHER America’s largest volunteer men’s cancer support group and advocacy national nonprofit organization. http://malecare.org/ Big Book Quotes http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/BigBookQuotes/ The Universe https://www.facebook.com/scherie.dee Prayables http://prayables.org/ As We See It (AWSI) http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AsWeSeeIt/ Keep It Simple Hazelden Meditations ePrayer http://www.eprayer.com/dailyinspiration.htm Daily Thought http://groups.google.com/group/TransitionsDaily  Speaker Recordings http://storiesofrecovery.org/Workshops.htm Wisdom of the Room http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com

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