Your Daily Reprieve 12.23.25

 

Your Daily Reprieve for Tuesday  December 23, 2025   From Waynesville, NC

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.     -Lily Tomlin     You will not grow if you sit in a beautiful flower garden, but you will grow if you are sick, in pain, experience losses,  and if you do not put your head in the sand, but take the pain and learn to accept it,  not as a curse or punishment but as a gift to you with a very, very specific purpose.      -Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross   In the past, people were born royal.  Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do. ~Gianni Versace   If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. . . you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. ~Mary Pickford     On the tenth day of Christmas…   "Grown-up Christmas List" "No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal all hearts. Everyone would have a friend And right would always win And love would never end. This is my grown-up Christmas list." ~ by David Foster and Linda Thompson Jenner   "As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year." ~David Grayson   "God goes to those who have time to hear him—and so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds." ~Max Lucado

Big Book Quote   The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined.   P17

Daily Share!     AA Speaker of the Day   BEN R. Serenity Improvement Group 10.05.2021   https://bit.ly/3XKpMf1

Celebrate Your Anniversary Here SHOW NEWCOMERS HOW IT WORKS!!   DECEMBER 2025 Miracles     12/1 Beth S. (Conway, NH)…..30 12/1 Arsenia R. (Coral Gables, FL)…..23 12/1 Nina S. (Bradenton, FL)…..18 12/3 Brooks F. …..1 12/3 Walter S. (Jacksonville, FL)…..32 12/3 Cindy S. (Leesburg, FL)…..12 12/3 Lorine M. (Indian Harbour Beach, FL)…..6 12/4 Lisa B. (Trenton, MI)…..30 12/4 John Q. (Rochester, NY)…..44 12/5 David E. (Costa Rica)…..18 12/5 Sophie G. (Punta Gorda, FL)…..13 12/5 Barry L. (Wimauma, FL)…..37 12/6 Wylie H. (Stony Brook, NY) …..10 12/6 Sissy V. (Kingsland, GA)…..14 12/6 Bill M. (Gilboa, NY)…..23 12/6 Jimmie C. (River Falls, WI)…..41 12/7 Tom L. (Moorestown, NJ)…..12 12/7 Chris K. (Davidson, NC)…..2 12/7 Mike B. …..40 12/7 Nan G. (Decent 7th Los Altos/Nantucket)…..29 12/7 Michelle S. (Bluffton, SC)…..5 12/7 Stephen S. (Chang Mai, Thailand)…..36 12/8 Kelli E. (Waynesville, NC)…..2 12/9 Heidi H. (Nantucket, MA)…..4 12/10 Mary J. (Port St. Lucie, FL)…..25 12/10 Kathy R. (Basking Ridge, NJ)…..15 12/10 Paul K. (Nantucket/Anguilla)…..19 12/10 Amanda T. (Vancouver, BC)…..6 12/10 Kim B. (Patrick Space Force Base)…..1 12/10 Peter D. (Dallas, TX)…..5 12/12 Shannon K. (Marshall, NC)…..27 12/12 Rich H. (Hanover, PA)…..42 12/13 Wendell M. (Bothell, WA)…..12 12/13 Tom O’. (Milwaukee, WI)…..19 12/13 Lou H. (Clermont, FL)…..2 12/14 Bob P. (Carolina, RI/Cullman, AL)…..35 12/15 Carrie F. (Selinsgrove, PA)…..21 12/15 John M. (Paros, Greece)…..23 12/15 Steve S. (Garnerville, NY)…..42 12/16 Jim J. (NYC)…..52 12/16 Susie U. (Starkville, MS)…..6 12/16 Jorge B. (Houston, TX)…..5 12/16 Susan G. (Stamford, CT)…..15 12/17 Peter W. …..1 12/18 Chris V. (Royal Oak, MI)…..18 12/18 Jay A. …..21 12/18 Mike H. (Freemont, NH)…..8 12/19 Autumn M. (Jacksonville, FL)…..9 12/20 Lory W. (Winchester, UK)…..25 12/21 Deb S. (North Hampton, NH)…..35 12/21 Oakie O. (Ocean Gate, NJ)…..46 12/21 Scott G. (Waterford, CT)…..9 12/21 Bridget C. (Albany, NY)…..23 12/21 Ty K. (Pelham, NY)…..5 12/22 Dick M. (New York City)…..48 12/22 Bob O. (Stuart, FL)…..31 12/23 Ms. Lee H. (San Francisco, CA)…..35 12/23 Pete G. (Punta Gorda, FL)…..45 12/25 Joe D. (Salem, NH)…..14 12/25 Sharon G. (Palos Heights, IL)…..25 12/25 Eric F. (Kansas City)…..13 12/25 Jeremy B. …..9 12/26 Koko S. (Anderson SC)…..1 12/26 Chick R. (Oak Forest, IL)…..28 12/26 Rick J. (Waynesville, NC)…..8 12/26 Donna V. (Clinton, NJ)…..6 12/27 Neil R. (Queens, NY)…..11 12/28 Julie V. …..12 12/28 Johanna T. (Cobleskill, NY)…..25 12/29 Diana S. …..39 12/30 Rufus W. (Coppell, TX)…..52 12/31 Larry S. (Marietta, GA)…..38   1427 Total Years of Sobriety       Drop a Buck in the Basket? PayPal paypal.me/TomMurphy Venmo @Tom-Murphy-160

12&12   Tradition Two - "For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience." The founder and his friends channel spirituality to newcomers, hire halls, make hospital arrangements, and entreat their wives to brew gallons of coffee. Being on the human side, the founder and his friends may bask a little in glory. They say to one another, "Perhaps it would be a good idea if we continue to keep a firm hand on A.A. in this town. After all, we are experienced. Besides, look at all the good we've done these drunks. They should be grateful!" True, founders and their friends are sometimes wiser and more humble than this. But more often at this stage they are not. p. 133

Twenty-Four Hours                                             A.A. Thought For The Day We have definitely left that dream world behind. It was only a sham. It was a world of our own making and it was not the real world. We are sorry for the past, yes, but we learned a lot from it. We can put it down to experience, as we see it now, because it has given us the knowledge necessary to face the world as it really is. We had to become alcoholics in order to find the A.A. program. We would not have got it any other way. In a way, it was worth it. Do I look at my past as valuable experience? Meditation For The Day Shed peace, not discord, wherever you go. Try to be part of the cure of every situation, not part of the problem. Try to ignore evil, rather than to actively combat it. Always try to build up, never to tear down. Show others by your example that happiness comes from living the right way. The power of your example is greater than the power of what you say. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may try to bring something good into every situation today. I pray that I may be constructive in the way I think and speak and act today.

Daily Thought ^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (     \(AA)/     ) (_ /AA\ _) /AA\ ^*^*^*^*^ Humility "The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.'s Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. Nearly all A.A.'s have found, too, that unless they develop much more of this precious quality than may be required just for sobriety, they still haven't much chance of becoming truly happy. Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency." c.1952 AAWS Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70 Thought to Consider . . . I didn't learn humility with my head. I learned humility with my heart. *~*AACRONYMS*~* T R U S T Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions

DAILY REFLECTIONS   RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE Our Twelfth Step—carrying the message—is the basic service that AA's Fellowship gives; this is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 160   I thank God for those who came before me, those who told me not to forget the Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity and Service. In my home group, the Three Legacies were described on a sign which said: "You take a three-legged stool, try to balance it on only one leg, or two. Our Three Legacies must be kept intact. In Recovery, we get sober together; in Unity, we work together for the good of our Steps and Traditions; and through Service—we give away freely what has been given to us." One of the chief gifts of my life has been to know that I will have no message to give, unless I recover in unity with A.A. principles.

POT LUCK   Keep It Simple   To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you’re overdoing it. –Josh Jenkins   It’s okay to make mistakes. But we shouldn’t live a life of excuses. We shouldn’t slide over our mistakes; we should learn from them.   Excuses keep us part from ourselves and others. People don’t trust us if we won’t admit and accept our mistakes. Relying on excuses dooms us to repeat the same mistakes.   In recovery, we admit and accept our behavior. We do this by continuing to take an inventory of our lives. We do this so we can learn from our mistakes. “Owning” our mistakes helps us grow.   Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me own my mistakes. Thank-you for Step Ten and the growth it holds for me.   Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list my five favorite excuses. I’ll think of the last time I used each of these. What was I trying to avoid.

**NEW** Excellent Resource Blogs, Audio and Video Articles   https://takethe12.org/   *****   "AA Recovery Interviews" Podcast https://aarecoveryinterviews.com   Blog http://todaysreprieve.blogspot.com/     Wee Willie’s Sobriety First Media AA CD’s Literature and tapes https://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst     AA Membership Survey 2022 Alcoholics Anonymous 2022 Membership Survey | Alcoholics Anonymous     Committee Consideration from the 73rd General Service Conference In response to a Committee Consideration from the 73rd General Service Conference regarding any possible future changes to literature written by A.A.’s founders,  that committee agreed it would be beneficial to gather shared experience from the Fellowship regarding this topic. Questionaire   How Should We Treat A.A. Founders' Writings?  https://bit.ly/3uhEPBK       DR. PAUL O. There is More to Quitting Drinking Than Quitting Drinking (Audio Book) Introduction http://bit.ly/1IlFBbp Part I http://bit.ly/1MPV5Za Part II http://bit.ly/1Ksd9eA Part III http://bit.ly/1GQCGGE Part IV http://bit.ly/1Ip0hn8 AA CDs Literature and tapes https://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst       ZOOM MEETINGS   Loose Garment Group https://us02web.zoom.us/j/238977518 Saturday & Sunday….Pot Luck…0900 ID: 238 977 518 PW: 004 394       ARCHIVES     AA World Service Board Meeting Highlights October 2023  https://bit.ly/3GlcOvE       A New Pair of Glasses in PDF (download) is available at: https://bit.ly/4bUr0Js     Bill Schaberg Writing The Big Book Video Readings https://www.youtube.com/@billschaberg8911/videos   BIG BOOK for DUMMIES https://bigbookfordummies.com/       *Angel Force USA www.AngelForceUSA.com   Angel Force USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. OUR MISSION STOP SUISILENCE The avoidance of discussion about suicide Our goal is to raise awareness of the military suicide epidemic.       RICHMOND WALKER & THE TWENTY-FOUR HOUR BOOK Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana) Talk given at the 8th Annual National A.A. Archives Workshop, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sept. 27, 2003 https://www.prestongroup.org/aa_docs/24_hours_a_day.txt       MEDITATIONS http://www.11thstepmeditation.org/   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       MOOJI GUIDED Meditation http://bit.ly/2Ogwe9v     **Podcasts** https://boiledowlaa.org/ https://www.aagrapevine.org/podcast     12 Step Meditations  www.stepmeditation.com   These are 12 meditations, each about 12 minutes long and the content (other than the meditation instructions) are straight from the text of the big book and 12 & 12 (created by Matt H.)     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/   Miscellaneous Sources Living Life Fully http://www.livinglifefully.com/     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/   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/     Prayables http://prayables.org/     Daily Thought http://groups.google.com/group/TransitionsDaily   Speaker Recordings Stories of Recovery - A 12-Step Collection https://storiesofrecovery.org/index.html