AN AA FRIEND was describing what resulted from his being distracted during his boyhood assignment of bellows-pumping for the local church organ. By way of explanation: Bellows-pumping behind the scenes forced air through the pipes of the old pipe organ; without this air, no music was created, no matter how many keys the organist franticallyContinue reading “Is This All There Is ? – Grapevine Article December 1979 By R.T.”
Category Archives: Contributing
Keeping Sobriety First – Grapevine Article January 2015 By Anonymous
In a rehab one night, a desperate young man almost gives up—until he hears a knock on the door. I remember sitting in a rehab in Austin, Texas. I had come in there broken and beaten; the bottle had done a good number on me this time. I had lost my job, my family, myContinue reading “Keeping Sobriety First – Grapevine Article January 2015 By Anonymous”
Letting Go Of Our Old Selves – Daily Reflection June 4th
Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. . . .Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pages 75, 76Continue reading “Letting Go Of Our Old Selves – Daily Reflection June 4th”
Start By Forgiving – As Bill Sees It #151
The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own.Continue reading “Start By Forgiving – As Bill Sees It #151”
Emotional Sobriety, Humility, and Radical Response Ability – Video By Dr. Allen Berger
As many of you know, Dr. Berger is a leader in Emotional Sobriety. His book 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety is featured prominently in the Emotional Sobriety section of the gugogs.org website. He is a Gestalt therapist with over 50 years of sobriety. I found this video very helpful in setting a firm foundationContinue reading “Emotional Sobriety, Humility, and Radical Response Ability – Video By Dr. Allen Berger”
Accepting The Gift Of Now – Each Day A New Beginning April 15th
It seems to me that I have always been waiting for something better – sometimes to see the best I had snatched from me.–Dorothy Reed Mendenhall Gratitude for what is prepares us for the blessings just around the corner. What is so necessary to understand is that our wait for what’s around the corner closesContinue reading “Accepting The Gift Of Now – Each Day A New Beginning April 15th”
What Is Happiness – Grapevine Article January 2017 By Edwin B.
A son’s question on an autumn day reminds a sober dad just how far he’s come This fall, I was raking the lawn and my 22-year-old son, Nico, was bagging leaves for me. At one point, he asked me, “Does raking make you happy?” My initial thought was, Just stuff the leaves in the freakingContinue reading “What Is Happiness – Grapevine Article January 2017 By Edwin B.”
Thousands Of “Founders” – As Bill Sees It #67
While I thank God that I was privileged to be an early member of A.A., I honestly wish that the word ‘founder’ could be eliminated from the A.A. vocabulary. When you get right down to it, everyone who has done any amount of successful Twelfth Step work is bound to be the founder of aContinue reading “Thousands Of “Founders” – As Bill Sees It #67”
Accepting The Hardship Of Anxiety As The Pathway To Peace By Stephen Hayes
I believe this article does a great job of exploring the phrase we hear in the rooms ‘what we resist persists’ specifically in the context of anxiety. The long version of the Serenity Prayer includes the verse “accepting hardship as the pathway to peace’. You can use this article to explore how to apply theContinue reading “Accepting The Hardship Of Anxiety As The Pathway To Peace By Stephen Hayes”
Review The Day – As Bill Sees It #89
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest, or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselvesContinue reading “Review The Day – As Bill Sees It #89”