Today, I am grateful for 347 days sober and for my 18 year old daughter. I am grateful that God is restoring for me, years and relationships that I could never get back on my own. I am grateful for the new found depth of emotion that I, in sobriety, now get to experience. I am grateful that I have both the Big Book and the Good Book to guide me on my journey.
I am grateful that I went to a meeting which I secretary last night, in a complete funk, and left that meeting with new hope and a new sponsee. God is good...all the time...and this wonderful fellowship with which he has blessed me, is truly a wonderful family in which to find myself a part.
So, I thank you, who have trudged the road to Happy Destiny before me and made it possible for me to trudge right there alongside you. Thanks to the folks who welcomed me home with open arms after a four year slip. And thanks to the folks that pray for me every day and walk with me every day even when I'm not aware of the fact that you are doing this.
Life is good today.
__________________
"And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone-even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned."
Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 84
An addict is WHAT I am but it does not define all of WHO I am.
you are truly a 'bright spot' on this board and we love hearing stories like you just shared ... nothing better than hearing testimonies that the program works ... thank you for reminding me to work on my 'gratitude' list, I am grateful to you and everyone else here for the inspiration I receive when I come here ...
Pappy
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Frodo, thank you for that very encouraging sentiment! And Pappy, I just want to say that everything I read in your posts makes me want what you have. I have hope today that, if I stay the course, stick around, and ride the wheels of this program until they fall off (or threaten to), then I will have just that. I am so grateful for the power of today. See y'all after I get back from my meeting!
__________________
"And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone-even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned."
Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 84
An addict is WHAT I am but it does not define all of WHO I am.
I just want to say that I agree with Abraham Lincoln (at least I think it was him) when he made the statement that "Everyone is just about as happy as the make up their minds to be." ... so, to expand on that thought, I came into the program with 'defective' thinking ... and as I worked the steps, it became clear to me that this was the perfect way to live life ... it is simple and parallels the teachings of a great man in the 'Good Book' as Dr. Bob called the Bible ... I can find no flaws in living the AA way of life and it has brought me great joy to be a part of the fellowship of AA members all over the world ...
Thank you SolanoG for your kind words ... the program I live and that made me a different person is available to everyone, free of charge ... all it requires is a willingness to believe, and to learn to have faith and hope for today that we be guided to make the right choices ... I live in the today and have come to be grateful for my few short years of sobriety ... I have reached the point that I have no fear of tomorrow because I trust in God's plan for me to the degree that if I am called to the next life, then dying will be a part of that process ...
Like the dog waiting outside a room he's never been in, he senses his Master on the other side of the door ... he bounds through the door unafraid because he knows his Master is there and all will be okay ... with that type feeling, I live in 'peace and serenity' daily ... and try to do my Master's will to teach others that they too can come to know the Master and also have completeness in their lives ... thereby removing all the 'guesswork' on what the future will hold if only they too can learn to believe ...
It's a wonderful place to be when the 'positive' thinking overtakes the old 'negative' thinking ... it's just a shame it took me 55 years to see all this come about, I was too 'hard-headed' to see the evidence of the way things could have been ...
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day, Pappy
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
