Your Daily Reprieve 05.24.26

 

Your Daily Reprieve for Sunday May 24, 2026   Waynesville, NC

When you find rare, gorgeous humans along the path of life who not only celebrate your quirks but also validate them with loud cries of "me too!" be sure to treasure them because those weirdos are your tribe. ~Jenny Lawson   A friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.     "The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter." --Anon.     "The power of God will take you out of your own plans and put you into the plan of God." ~Smith Wigglesworth   “Let us not be afraid of unsettling or boring our comrades by talking about our reactions to whatever is bothering us at a given moment; for this is how we learn to live.” ~Saratoga, Calif., August 1985

BIG BOOK QUOTE   I was not too well at the time, and was plagued by waves of self-pity and resentment. This sometimes nearly drove me back to drink, but I soon found that when all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic would save the day.   P15

Daily Share!     AA Speaker of the Day   BARB A Story Firing Line Group 10.21.200   https://bit.ly/492pt5m   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 C. (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 5/21 Frank S. (NY, NY)…..8 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   1348 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." In A.A.'s pioneering time, none but the most desperate cases could swallow and digest this unpalatable truth. Even these "last-gaspers" often had difficulty in realizing how hopeless they actually were. But a few did, and when these laid hold of A.A. principles with all the fervor with which the drowning seize life preservers, they almost invariably got well. That is why the first edition of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous," published when our membership was small, dealt with low-bottom cases only. Many less desperate alcoholics tried A.A., but did not succeed because they could not make the admission of hopelessness. pp. 22-23

Twenty-Four Hours  Thought for the Day In twelfth step work, the second thing is confession. By frankly sharing with prospects, we get them talking about their own experiences. They will open up and confess things to us that they haven't been able to tell other people. And they feel better when this confession has been made. It's a great load off their minds to get these things out into the open. It's the things that are kept hidden that weigh on the mind. They feel a sense of release and freedom when they have opened up their hearts to us. Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them to make a confession? Meditation of the Day I should help others all I can. Every troubled soul that God puts in my path is the one for me to help. As I sincerely try to help, a supply of strength will flow into me from God. My circle of helpfulness will widen more and more. God hands out the spiritual food to me and I pass it on to others. I must never say that I have only enough strength for my own need. The more I give away, the more I will keep. That which I keep to myself, I will lose in the end. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may have a sincere willingness to give. I pray that I may not hold back the strength I have received for myself alone.

Daily Thought ^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ Neighbors Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people in a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of "Love Thy neighbor as thyself." c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-153 Thought to Consider . . . Sobriety is a journey, not a destination. *~*AACRONYMS*~* T E A M Together Everyone Achieves More

DAILY REFLECTIONS   "HAPPY, JOYOUS AND FREE" We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free. We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is vale of tears, though it once was just that for many f us. But it is clear that we made our own misery, rod didn't do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 133   For years I believed in a punishing God and blamed him for my misery. I have learned that I must lay down the "weapons" of self in order to pick up the "tools" of the A.A. program. I do not struggle with he program because it is a gift and I have never struggled when receiving a gift. If I sometimes keep MI struggling, it is because I'm still hanging onto my old ideas and " . . . the results are nil."

POT LUCK     Walk in Dry Places   Letting Go of Resentment___ Releasing the Past     How can we really put an end to festering resentments toward other people?  "Pray for these people," the Old-timers said. "Go out of your way to do something good for them."   This is a big order for most of us, but we are working for a big reward:  Sobriety, peace of mind, and personal progress.     When we pray for others in this manner, we're practicing the noble art of forgiveness. How do we know when it's starting to work?  Lewis B. Smedes, a master teacher of forgiveness, offers this thought: "You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well."     Forgiveness also is supposed to include forgetting the wrong. What we really  forget is the hurt connected with it.  When anything that once evoked pain comes to mind, we're growing spiritually if it no longer has the power to hurt us.     We then discover that we had been letting go our resentments hurt us again and again. We also learn that one effort to forgive is not nearly enough. Forgiveness takes the same amount of practice and emotional power we put into carrying the resentment!     Today will bring enough problems. I don't have either the time or the energy to play the old tapes that cause me pain.  I'll practice praying for those who hurt me, and I'll take it for granted that my HIgher Power is removing my resentments.

**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