Your Daily Reprieve 05.20.26

 

Your Daily Reprieve for Wednesday May 20, 2026   Waynesville, NC

Sometimes we fight who we are, struggling against ourselves and our natures. But we must learn to accept who we are and appreciate who we become. We must love ourselves for what and who we are, and believe in our talents. ~Harley King   The good among the great understand that every choice we make adds to the strength or weakness of our spirits—ourselves, or to use an old-fashioned word for the same idea, our souls. That is every human’s life work: to construct an identity bit by bit, to walk a path step by step, to live a life that is worthy of something higher, lighter, more fulfilling, and maybe even everlasting. ~Donald Van de Mark     There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness, and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control. -Leo Buscaglia     The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. -Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

BIG BOOK QUOTE   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   TERRY LAMONT Orlando, FL Three Legacies Group Daytona, FL 02.09.1996   https://bit.ly/4digQom     There are over 30000 thousand speaker recordings here. And they are FREE! https://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst       ZOOM Loose Garment Group https://us02web.zoom.us/j/238977518 Saturday & Sunday 9AM EST ID: 238 977 518 PW: 004 394

Celebrate Your Anniversary Here SHOW NEWCOMERS HOW IT WORKS!!   MAY 2026 Miracles   5/1 Douglas P. (Homestead, FL)…..44 5/1 Rhonda B. (Tucson, AZ)…..25 5/1 Connie L. (Palm Coast, FL)…..11 5/1 Stacey E. (Dothan, AL)…..20 5/1 Bryan E. (NYC)…..12 5/2 Marcia U. (Calabash, NC)…..30 5/4 Rob L. (Carcassonne, FR)…..36 5/5 Ricky Mc. (Tampa, Fl)…..12 5/5 Denny M. (The Villages)…..42 5/6 Cathy S. (Waynesville, NC)…..30 5/6 Jodi S. (Omaha, NE)…..9 5/7 Anthony A. (Mamaroneck, NY)…..30 5/7 Lisa B. (Canada)…..15 5/7 Sallie C. (Peaks Island, ME)…..8 5/8 Anne L. (Kent, UK)…..10 5/8 Mitch M. (Juliet, TN)…..3 5/8 Mickey B. (NYC/Southampton/Hobe Sound)…..38 5/9 Peter D. (NY, NY)…..14 5/10 John H. (Miami, FL)…..44 5/10 Jeffery A. (New Milford, NJ)…..33 5/10 Sue V. (Kittery, ME)…..20 5/12 Theresa S. (Aberystwyth, Wales)…..20 5/12 Susan K. (Cape Cod, MA)…..2 5/12 Greg S. (So. Carolina)…..15 5/13 Kevin C. (Bowling Green, KY)…..4 5/13 Gary V. (Portage, IN) …..40 5/13 Linda K. …..40 5/14 Caitlan D. (Cape Cod, MA)…..10 5/14 Marine Tom S. (Sarasota, FL)…..35 5/14 Nancy K. (Chaska, MN)…..48 5/15 Bill O’D (East Hampton, NY)…..22 5/15 Jana R. (Fernandina Beach, FL)…..13 5/15 Chris W. ( LI NY, Stuart Fl, São Pedro da Aldeia, Rj Brasil)…..37 5/17 David “LivinMyDream”(Elizabethton, TN)…..36 5/17 Alan T. (Sarasota, FL)…..34 5/17 Lisa B. (Punta Gorda, FL)…..15 5/17 John S. (East Hampton, NY)…..25 5/17 Lorie V. (Puerto Vallarta/Ottawa, IL)…..8 5/18 Bekky M. (Alabama)…..7 5/19 Chuck B. (Beachwood, NJ)…..15 5/19 Greg N. …..40 5/20 Steve P. (Old Saybrook, CT)…..1 5/20 Daniel D. (Palm Coast, FL)…..6 5/21 Britta G. (Mendham, NJ)…..38 5/22 Kevin S. (Fernandina Beach, FL)…..7 5/23 Erik A. (Mequon, WI)…..43 5/23 Phyllis C (Galveston, TX)……33 5/23 Diane W. (Asbury Park, NJ)…..3 5/25 Andrew B. (Sylva, NC)…..1 5/26 Monica F. (Los Angeles, CA)…..9 5/26 Lisa F. (Siracusa, Italy)…..22 5/26 Michael W. (North Vancouver)…..11 5/26 Jerry S. (NY, NY)…..44 5/26 Lee T. (Phoenix, NY/Clinton, CT)…..35 5/27 Bobby S, (Kelowna World Traveler)…..22 5/28 Krista D. (Bristol, VT)…..37 5/28 Philippe J. (Montreal, Canada)…..10 5/28 Brendan M. (Nantucket, MA)…..3 5/29 Kathleen S. (Bernardsville, NJ)…..25 5/29 Allen V. (Phoenicia, NY)…..18 5/29 George B. (Westlake, OH)…..13 5/31 Red L. …..48 5/31 Dave P. (Greer, SC)…..12 5/31 Art D. (Mequon, WI)…..42 5/31 Rhoda M. (East Hampton, NY)…..20   1340 Total Years of Sobriety         Drop a Buck in the Basket? PayPal paypal.me/TomMurphy Venmo @Tom-Murphy-160

12&12     Step One - "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable." Who cares to admit complete defeat? Practically no one, of course. Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness. It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us. p. 21

Twenty-Four Hours  A.A. Thought For The Day If we get up in a meeting and tell something about ourselves in order to help the other person, we feel a whole lot better. It's the old law of the more you give the more you get. Witnessing and confession are part of keeping sober. You never know when you may help somebody. Helping others is one of the best ways to stay sober yourself. And the satisfaction you get out of helping a fellow human being is one of the finest experiences you can have. Am I helping others? Meditation For The Day Without God, no real victory is ever won. All the military victories of great conquerors have passed into history. The world might be better off without military conquerors. The real victories are won in the spiritual realm. "He that conquers himself is greater than he who conquers a city." The real victories are victories over sin and temptation, leading to a victorious and abundant life. Therefore, keep a brave and trusting heart. Face all your difficulties in the spirit of conquest. Remember that where God is, there is the true victory. Prayer For The Day I pray that the forces of evil in my life will flee before God's presence. I pray that with God I will win the real victory over myself.

Daily Thought ^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ Acceptance Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives. Bill W., A.A. Grapevine, March 1962 As Bill Sees It, p. 44 Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, pg. 449  4th Edition, pg. 417  Thought to Consider . . . My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance. *~*AACRONYMS*~* A B C Acceptance, Belief, Change

DAILY REFLECTIONS   ONE DAY AT A TIME Above all, take it one day at a time. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 11   Why do I kid myself that I must stay away from a drink for only one day, when I know perfectly well I must never drink again as long as I live? I am not kidding myself because one day at a time is probably the only way I can reach the long-range objective of staying sober. If I determine that I shall never drink again as long as I live, I set myself up. How can I be sure I won't drink when I have no idea what the future may hold? On a day-at-a-time basis, I am confident I can stay away from a drink for one day. So I set out with confidence. At the end of the day, I have the reward of achievement. Achievement feels good and that makes me want more!

POT LUCK     "The key to my serenity today is directly linked to my ability to stay in the moment—to be in the present."   Before sobriety, I was rarely able to stay in the moment and instead spent most of my energy dwelling on other times. I was either thinking about the past and regretting what I did or didn’t do or obsessing about the future and about what will or won’t happen. The past and the future both filled me with anxiety, so I filled the present with as much alcohol as I could. After a while, my present became intolerable as well, and I admitted that my life had become unmanageable. In recovery, I learned the true wisdom in this quote. My sponsor told me that the reason the past and future filled me with anxiety is that, when I go there, I go there alone, without God. God only exists in the present, he said, and that is the only place I can find true peace and serenity. And the way to be content with the present is to work the Steps, clear away the wreckage of our past, and develop an ongoing relationship with our Higher Power. It took a lot of work to achieve recovery in the program, but the result has been life-changing. Through the Twelve Steps, I am able to live in the present and in the presence of my Higher Power. But alcoholism is a tricky disease, and it still tries to lead me into the dark past or an uncertain future. If I go there, I find myself again alone. My solution is to get back to “where my feet are”—to the present. Once I come back to the now, I come back to God, and my ability to be serene returns.

**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