Your Daily Reprieve 04.22.20

Your Daily Reprieve for Wednesday April  22, 2020 From Waynesville, NC

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – J. K. Rowling “It is mental slavery to cling to things  that have stopped serving it’s purpose in your life.” – Chinonye J. Chidolue ​“In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” – Deepak Chopra “I’m not so quick to judge others. If I’m critical of you, it’s often because I’m trying to ignore that quality in myself.” ~Grapevine: Renton, Washington, October 1987

Big Book Quote "For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing get well, little charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the wrong track." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 97

Daily Share! AA Speaker of the Day EARL H. Step 12 https://bit.ly/3aT1OEf Wee Willie’s Sobriety First Media AA CD’s Literature and tapes https://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst

Celebrate Your Anniversary Here SHOW NEWCOMERS HOW IT WORKS!! Send your sober date to txm1@comcast.net SOBER DATE YOUR NAME YOUR LOCATION YEARS SOBER 6/10 (mo/day) Bob S Akron, OH 83 It will look like this : 6/10 Bob S. (Akron, OH).....84 APRIL 2020 Miracles 4/1 Jack D. Hampton, NH)…..51 4/1 Kevin B. (Godshill, UK)…..32 4/1 Cary W. (Palm City, FL)…..13 4/1 Valerie A. (Phoenix, AZ)…..2 4/1 Ron F. (Cincinnati, OH)…..43 4/1 Joyce G. (Haverhill, MA)…..32 4/1 Janie C. (Lynbrook, NY)…..30 4/1 Ray D. (Hot Springs, NC/Exeter, NH)…..34 4/1 Brian N. (Diamondhead, MS)…..7 4/1 Sherry G. (Princeton, NJ)…..32 4/2 Justin L. (Waynesville, NC)…..2 4/2 Julian M. (St. Albans, UK)…..2 4/3 Leigh A. ()…..22 4/4 Tim D. (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)…..9 4/4 Bob C. (Akron, OH)…..18 4/5 Mark S. (Southampton, Hants, UK)…..2 4/5 Tim F. (Hobe Sound, FL)…..31 4/6 Eugene R. (Barcelona, Spain)…..6 4/6 Nick E. (East Twickenham, UK)…..21 4/7 Mark V. (Indian Trail NC)…..5 4/7 Thorson R. (Wellington, FL)…..3 4/7 Madeleine M. (Groveland, MA)......37 4/7 Corry P. (New York)…..2 4/7 Walt C. (College Station, TX)…..6 4/7 Jane T. (Vancouver, BC)…..34 4/8 Paul K. (Akron, OH)…..16 4/8 Ashley G. (Miami, FL)…..8 4/8 Maureen K. (New Providence, NJ)…..10 4/9 Travis C. (Eureka, CA)…..1 4/9 Dayton H. (NYC, NY)…..30 4/9 Keith R. (Ixtlahaucan MX)…..1 4/9 Bobby M. (Smithtown, NY)…..5 4/10 Tony K. (Jacksonville, FL)…..3 4/10 Kevin L. (Cherry Hill, NJ)…..37 4/10 Chas T. (Aiken, SC)…..8 4/11 Diane L. (Panama City Beach, FL)…..42 4/11 Diane M. (Waynesville, NC/Jax, FL)…..12 4/11 Jeremy S. (Austin, TX)…..8 4/11 Emily W. (Astoria, NY)…..6 4/11 Jerry W. (Walker, LA)…..47 4/11 Chrissy M. (Succasunna, NJ)…..11 4/12 Kathy McQ. ()…..12 4/12 Kathleen M. (Kentucky)…..32 4/12 Lisa S. (Valley Cottage, NY)…..18 4/14 Barbara B. ()…..1 4/14 Sue B. (Waynesville, NC)…..10 4/15 Erin S. (Wayland/Nantucket MA)…..15 4/15 Kelly McG. (Edison, NJ)…..5 4/15 Larry R. (Westchester, NY)…..41 4/16 Angela S. (Dallas, TX)…..1 4/16 Lindsay P. (Minneapolis, MN)…..4 4/17 Jay M. (Cleveland. OH)…..6 4/17 Cecily T. (New York, NY)…..11 4/17 Vicky M. (Waynesville, NC)…..39 4/17 Frank T. (Rocky Point, NY)…..11 4/17 Vince K. (Palm City, FL)…..38 4/17 Rich W. (Evanston, IL)…..3 4/18 Steve Q. (Kauai, HI)…...12 4/18 Brad G. (St. Louis, MO)…..19 4/18 Liz A. (Westfield, NJ)…..9 4/18 Babs J. (Cannon Beach, OR)…..1 4/19 Joanna J. (Port St. Lucie, FL)…..39 4/19 Lynn H. (Springfield, IL)…..38 4/19 Rex R. (Eureka, CA)…..6 4/21 Tom Mc. (Leesburg, FL)…..50 4/21 Elizabeth W. (The Main Line, PA)…..14 4/22 Becky S. (Knoxville, TN)…..10 4/22 Jeannie C. (Nantucket, MA)…..28 4/22 Jack C. (Conroe, TX)…..1 4/22 Ken D. (Dover Plains, NY)…..2 4/23 Dorothy V. (Placida, FL)…..16 4/23 Tom K. (Tampa FL/Canton, OH)…..25 4/23 Steve W. (Syracuse, NY/Indialantic, FL)…..15 4/24 Larry C. (Davenport, FL)…..30 4/24 Sam F. (New York City)…..2 4/24 Fran D. (Randolph, NJ)…..45 4/25 Mark S. (Port Crane, NY)…..5 4/25 Rourke H. (St Maarten, Dutch West Indies))…..21 4/26 Grainne F. (Dublin/Chaing Mai, Thailand)…..10 4/26 Margi W. ()…..3 4/26 Cliff M. (Newburyport, MA)…..10 4/27 Norma D. (Haverhill, MA).....9 4/27 Kathy C. (Princeton, NJ)…..12 4/27 Maureen (Port Charlotte, FL)…..31 4/27 Nesem G. (Basking Ridge, NJ)…..2 4/28 Brian C. (Davenport, FL)…..22 4/28 Laurie M. (new Jersey)…..35 4/28 Julie T. (Morristown, NJ)…..7 4/28 Bobby S. (South Boston, MA)…..18 4/28 Amanda S. (Newburgh, NY)…..2 4/29 Paul C. (New York/Florida)…..44 4/30 Sandra M. (Airdrie, Scotland)…..31 1599 Total Years of Sobriety

12&12 Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." Our first objective will be the development of self restraint. This carries a top priority rating. When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot. One unkind tirade or one willful snap judgment can ruin our relation with another person for a whole day, or maybe a whole year. Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen. We must avoid quick-tempered criticism and furious, power-driven argument. The same goes for sulking or silent scorn. These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. Our first job is to sidestep the traps. When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think. For we can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic. p. 91

Twenty-Four Hours A.A. Thought For The Day People believe in A.A. when they see it work. An actual demonstration is what convinces them. What they read in books, what they hear people say doesn't always convince them. But when they see a real honest-to-goodness change take place in a person, a change from a drunkard to a sober, useful citizen, that's something they can believe because they can see it. There's really only one thing that proves to me that A.A. works. Have I seen the change in people who come into A.A.? Meditation For The Day Divine control and unquestioning obedience to God are the only conditions necessary for a spiritual life. Divine control means absolute faith and trust in God, a belief that God is the Divine Principle in the universe and that He is the intelligence and the Love that controls the universe. Unquestioning obedience to God means living each day the way you believe God wants you to live, constantly seeking the guidance of God in every situation and being willing to do the right thing at all times. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may always be under Divine Control and always practice unquestioning obedience to God. I pray that I may be always ready to serve Him.

Daily Thought ^*^*^*^*^ (\   ~~   /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) /AA\ ^*^*^*^*^ Virtues "We of A.A. are apt sometimes to brag of the virtues of our fellowship. Let us remember that none of these are earned virtues. We have been forced into them, to begin with, by the cruel lash of John Barleycorn. We have adopted these attitudes, these practices, this structure, not at first because we wished to but because we had to. But today I think we stand willing to conform permanently and gladly to the principles which experience, under the grace of God, has taught us." Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 224 Thought to Consider . . . Unless I accept my virtues, I will be overwhelmed with my faults. *~*AACRONYMS*~* W H O Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness

Daily Reflection NEW SOIL . . . NEW ROOTS Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritual serenity, as I have excellent reason to know, loots of reality, supplanting the neurotic underbrush, will hold fast despite the high winds of the forces which would destroy us, or which we would use to destroy ourselves. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 173 [ came to A.A. green—a seedling quivering with exposed taproots. It was for survival but it was a >beginning. I stretched, developed, twisted, but with he help of others, my spirit eventually burst up from the roots. I was free. I acted, withered, went inside, prayed, acted again, understood anew, as one moment of perception struck. Up from my roots, spirit-arms lengthened into strong, green .hoots: high-springing servants stepping skyward. Here on earth God unconditionally continues the legacy of higher love. My A.A. life put me "on a different footing . . . [my] roots grasped a new soil" (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12).

Pot Luck   Working the Fourth Step           Okay who's kidding who? A “fearless and moral inventory:… Hah! There is nothing fearless about it, at least for me. It Is really more of a case of “feel the fear and do it anyway”. That is the true essence of courage, anyway, I think.                I've spent my whole life trying to prove I was a man — a “real” man — in some way. Drinking was a real part that. women were part of that. Vietnam was a part of that. Sports. Smoking. The clubs. They all played their part. Yet for some reason I never felt whole…. Complete… I didn't fit in my skin.                In looking back at the goofy things I tried and did to prove to myself and others who I was. It's a wonder I didn't kill myself. Then, of course,  there is a lot stuff around trying to prove to Dad that I was really “okay” a man's man: the right job the right wife, the right house and car, all the different accessories necessary to look okay, successful and prosperous. All the while I'm being eaten up inside, and the only thing holding me together is the booze, some dope, some crazy behavior to let off the pressure every once in a while.     When all that caught up with me and I was ready to let go of the booze of all that went with it, there wasn't too much of the “good life left”. My marriage ended in bitterness and resentment. The house and kids are hers. The job became a “burden “and I moved on to greener pastures (funny how then they didn't pay as well or have as much prestige). I had so much pride — and not much else. it really hurt to face that.                Getting involved in the program seemed to be the best move I made. After year and a half or so, it became  apparent that if I was to keep making progress  moving into a new way of living, I’d  have to tackle a Fourth and Fifth step. I didn't want to plateau, but I had a difficult time getting into that “fearless” inventory. I felt a lot of fear.                I’d have to say it was the hardest thing I've ever done: the combination of writing it down, then talking to my sponsor about it. It was also the best thing I've ever done. It really makes a demarcation in my life, before the Fourth and Fifth steps, and after. I felt a lot of fear. I did it anyway. I think anyone who says they don't have fear of the Fourth and Fifth steps are fooling themselves and others. Looking ourselves in the in the eyes may be the toughest thing we've ever done.                But oh! The benefits! To let go of those feelings of shame and remorse and unnamed fears is unbelievable relief. I finally belong. I finally felt like a “real” man. I knew who I was and am and can move forward with that.                So forget “fearless”. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Stephen Beal, Editor, Stepping Stone to Recovery for Men

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/ Recovery Speakers http://recoveryspeakers.com/

COVID-19 LINKS List of Virtual Meetings & Speaker Archives https://www.thetokenshop.com/Online_AA_Meetings On Line Meetings Directory http://aa-intergroup.org/directory.php?utm_source=AVLtoday&utm_campaign=e6058ed738-03.23.2020+AVL&utm_mediu Sybil https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/online-meetings/ Elizabeth Globalspeakersgroup.sxl.cn Hugh http://aa-intergroup.org/directory.php China AA Loners http://chinaaaloners.com/online-meetings/ ARCHIVES *NEW* GUIDED MEDITATION http://bit.ly/2Ogwe9v http://www.bigbookfordummies.com/ An On-Line Study Resource Daily Meditations Group Home http://groups.google.com/group/Your_Daily_Reprieve?hl=en Daily Meditations Archive http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/7AMmeeting/ Blog http://todaysreprieve.blogspot.com/

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AA Membership Survey (2014) http://www.aa.org/pdf/products/p-48_membershipsurvey.pdf 2015 http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/Members/2015-Membership-Survey/Survey-Results-Page-2

Meditation Resources http://www.peterrussell.com/TV/3Min.php ***** Loving Kindness Meditations With Music http://www.excelatlife.com/mp3/direct_download.php?file=lovingkindnessmusic.mp3 Voice only http://www.excelatlife.com/mp3/direct_download.php?file=lovingkindness.mp3 ***** Free Guided Meditations http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

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 https://thebreastcancersite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/bcs/home 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 Daily Thought http://groups.google.com/group/TransitionsDaily Speaker Recordings http://storiesofrecovery.org/Workshops.htm {Under Reconstruction} Wisdom of the Room http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com

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