Sober living with Jesus

Rent a Sponsor An old one... but still very funny; actually it's a little sad at the same time, since there's people I know that would probably go for this service!

So I just got around to checking out the digital version of the Grapevine magazine.  I have been a subscriber to the audio edition for some time now and the printed edition over the years, as well. After checking it out, I emailed customer service with one important question: can I download the issues to my laptop’s hard drive for offline reading or do I have to view it solely on the Web?  I subscribe to PC World magazine and also get a couple of digital newspapers – in each case I can download them to the machine I wish to read them on for offline use.  One newspaper even allowed me the option of downloading it to my Kindle.  I saw no such choice with the Grapevine and am hoping that’s just a feature I don’t see because I haven’t opted for the actual subscription yet.  I’ll let you know what the answer is when my query is satisfied. By the way, even if the answer turns out to be the “no” I suspect it will be, I will continue to get the audio version of the ...

From the forward to the book Alcoholics Anonymous : To show other alcoholics PRECISELY HOW WE HAVE RECOVERED is the main purpose of this book. I looked up the dictionary definition to the word precisely and found it to mean “indicating exactness…” That doesn’t leave much wiggle room, to be sure! That’s why I love to read the book and follow its directions as closely to the letter as possible. A good way to get to know the book is through regular attendance at a Big Book study meeting. With the profusion of reading material available to me in any given day via my Kindle or some Web site, it’s easy to overlook the Big Book or tell myself that “I’ll get to it later,” when in fact, I often won’t. A great resource for Big Book study is (and I hate to say it, but it’s not an A.A. site) anonpress.org – there you can order their study edition Big Books and also download an electronic version of the book for little to no cost, depending on the edition you prefer.

So often I hear people tell me "I'd love to, but I just don't have the time" or "I wish I could make the time" or "If I have the time..." We've all heard such statements time and time again and they're usually offered as an excuse to decline taking on a commitment. It's certainly not exclusive to 12 step fellowships, I see it in Church and other organizations as well. There always seems to be the few who "have the time" or "make the time" to do what needs to be done. It's interesting that those same people that have no time find enough to critique what everybody else is doing, isn't it? When I was drinking and drugging, I had plenty of time for that, along with work to pay for it and sometimes even other things -if they didn't interfere too badly with my party life. All of a sudden there's no time. Where did it go? I didn't sober up to sit around church basements every night and discuss the ...

Have you done a 4th step yet? survey software

It seems that I never cease to feel the effects of AA's three legacies in my life on a daily basis. I hope and pray that I never do. I have been involved in service work of different sorts for the past decade plus and it has enriched my life in ways I could never put into words. I have learned from the many experiences I've had that I can disagree with others and still love them and feel good about myself; I don't need to take it personally when people feel differently about a topic than I do. I never need to feel alone because I am united within a fellowship of people who struggle as I do with not only their disease, but their humanity as well. It keeps the playing level and I need not regard myself as either better or worse than other member. This attitude spills over into my "everyday life." This unity is vital to the continued existence of the fellowship and, therefore, my very life. A key way to ensure the existence of the fellowship through a never end...

I was born in a town called Norwich, CT in 1958, but basically grew up in a small New England coastal town in the 60's and 70's. I was the youngest son in a typical 3 child middle-class family. I shall offer a little background from my childhood before delving into what turned out to be years of drug abuse and hard drinking that took me to places I never dreamed I'd go. My sister did very well in school (was quick to pick things up and rather brilliant, although I would have never admitted it to her then). My brother, 9 years older than me, was something of a mystery because he was always off with his friends in undisclosed locations (I can't blame him - I doubt I would want my little brother tagging along very often). Of the three of us, he was the most independent and, as it turns out, the most successful in his career and business endeavors. For me, as a young man, I chased the allure of mediocrity - which I thought was easily obtainable and a safe place to be...