Your Daily Reprieve 12.26.25

 

Your Daily Reprieve for Friday December 26, 2025   From Waynesville, NC

Christmas will always be in the hearts of God's children everywhere as they extend a helping hand to a friend in need. . . as they go about reflecting God's goodness in the little quiet and unheralded expressions of a loving heart. . .  as they share the light of the world with those who live in darkness. ~Jane Hillsmen     Christmas, in its final essence, is for grown people who have forgotten what children know.  Christmas is for whoever is old enough to have denied the unquenchable spirit of the human being. ~Margaret Cousins       We savor in small pockets. We grab at the season, but it passes too quickly. December 26 arrives. We stack the trees by the roadside. We pull out our new planners and prepare for the next thing on the calendar. We tell ourselves, "Next year. Next year will be the year we get this season right."  Next year, we will try again.  Hannah Brenchner   "The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying." John C. Maxwell     "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."    -- Raymond Lindquist     The successful person is the individual who forms the habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do.       -Donald Riggs

Big Book Quote   Tell him exactly what happened to you. Stress the spiritual feature freely. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to him. The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power greater than himself and that he live by spiritual principles.   P93

Daily Share!     AA Speaker of the Day   Brian P Serenity Improvement Group 07.24.2021   https://bit.ly/48SpVSL

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 Ed M. (Cinnaminson, NJ)…..17 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)…..20 12/25 Eric F. (Kansas City)…..13 12/25 Jeremy B.(Croton-on-Hudson, NY) …..9 12/25 Josh A. (Homestead, FL)…..41 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 12/27 Char P. (Leesburg, FL)…..4 12/28 Julie V. …..12 12/28 Johanna T. (Cobleskill, NY)…..25 12/28 Pat A. (Michigan)…..30 12/29 Diana S. …..39 12/30 Rufus W. (Coppell, TX)…..52 12/31 Larry S. (Marietta, GA)…..38   1519 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." This brings us straight to the question "Does A.A. have a real leadership?" Most emphatically the answer is "Yes, notwithstanding the apparent lack of it." Let's turn again to the deposed founder and his friends. What becomes of them? As their grief and anxiety wear away, a subtle change begins. Ultimately, they divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and "bleeding deacons." The elder statesman is the one who sees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines patiently awaiting developments. The bleeding deacon is one who is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for reelection to office, and who continues to be consumed with self-pity. A few hemorrhage so badly that - drained of all A.A. spirit and principal - they get drunk. At times the A.A. landscape seems to be littered with bleeding forms. Nearly every oldtimer in our Society has gone through this process in some degree. Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statesmen. They become the real and permanent leadership of A.A. Theirs is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge and humble example that resolve a crisis. When sorely perplexed, the group inevitably turns to them for advice. They become the voice of the group conscience; in fact, these are the true voice of Alcoholics Anonymous. They do not drive by mandate; they lead by example. This is the experience which has led us to the conclusion that our group conscience, well-advised by its elders, will be in the long run wiser than any single leader. pp. 134-135

Twenty-Four Hours                                             A.A. Thought For The Day I am glad to be a part of A.A., of that great fellowship that is spreading over the United States and all over the world. I am only one of the many A.A.'s, but I am one. I am grateful to be living at this time, when I can help A.A. to grow, when it needs me to put my shoulder to the wheel and help keep the movement going. I am glad to be able to be useful, to have a reason for living, a purpose in life. I want to lose my life in this great cause and so find it again. Am I grateful to be an A.A.? Meditation For The Day These meditations can teach us how to relax. We can be of service to other people in a small way at least. And we can be happy while doing it. We should not worry too much about people we cannot help. We can make it a habit to leave the outcome of the things we do to the Higher Power. We can go along through life doing the best we can, but without a feeling of urgency or strain. We can enjoy all the good things and the beauty of life, but at the same time depend deeply on God. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may give my life to this worthwhile cause. I pray that I may enjoy the satisfaction that comes from good work well done.

Daily Thought ^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \ (AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) /AA\ ^*^*^*^*^ Responsibility "I Am Responsible . . . When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible." Declaration of 30th Anniversary International Convention, 1965 Thought to Consider . . . Service is spirituality in action. *~*AACRONYMS*~* H A L T Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired

DAILY REFLECTIONS   ACCEPTING SUCCESS OR FAILURE Furthermore, how shall we come to terms with seeming failure or success? Can we now accept and adjust to either without despair or pride? Can we accept poverty, sickness, loneliness, and bereavement with courage and serenity? Can we steadfastly content ourselves with the humbler, yet sometimes more durable, satisfactions when the brighter, more glittering achievements are denied us? TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 112   After I found A.A. and stopped drinking, it took a while before I understood why the First Step contained two parts: my powerlessness over alcohol, and my life's unmanageability. In the same way, I believed for a long time that, in order to be in tune with the Twelve Steps, it was enough for me "to carry this message to alcoholics." That was rushing things. I was forgetting that there were a total of Twelve Steps and that the Twelfth Step also had more than one part. Eventually I learned that it was necessary for me to "practice these principles" in all areas of my life. In working all the Steps thoroughly, I not only stay sober and help someone else to achieve sobriety, but also I transform my difficulty with living into a joy of living.

POT LUCK   TWELVE TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON SOBER AND JOYOUS   1.  Line up extra AA activities (help on the phones, speak, empty the ashtrays). 2.  Be host to friends, especially newcomers, at home or at a coffee shop. 3.  Keep your AA telephone list with you at all times. 4.  Find out about holiday meetings or celebrations in your local groups. 5.  Skip any drinking occasions you’re nervous about. 6.  If there’s one you can’t skip, take an AA friend–or keep candy handy. 7.  Don’t think you have to stay late (plan an “important date” in advance). 8.  Go to church. Any church. And don’t forget about extra meetings. 9.  Don’t sit around brooding; catch up on reading, museums, walks, letters. 10.       Don’t project about holiday temptations: remember “One day at a time.” 11.       Even if you cannot give material gifts, enjoy the beauty of holiday love. 12.       Carry the message. Give the joy away, and it will be yours to keep.— Adapted from Box 4-5-9     .

**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