Living Sober, Completely

In waking up daily , we get on our knees and pray to God. This is a ritual of sort that must take place in order to complete your day. It is for me , that is. I always say about an hour of prayers before the start of the day. You must live sober completly or you will fail. This includes practicing the AA steps daily in my life and attending an AA meeting if needed for that day. What does an AA meeting do for you ? Well there are others there that ask themselves the same question, its the fellowship of others who have recovered or the ones who are wanting to try recovery, because it is the one way that works.

Three Days Grace Concert, Midland, Texas ( Beer Fest)

It's not just going to meetings that will keep one sober, it is interacting with others in the fellowship and seeing how there lives have changed and how your life has changed. It is a good reminder of where you are going and where you came from. Is it needed daily, well for some it is. I got to three meetings a week. I have a schedule of which meetings I go to and which ones I don't. If it has substance and I get something out of it I attend. Living sober completely means action takes place instead of words. You may hear words at a meeting but without action , one is stale. You will find that you grow along spiritual lines that are clean and good for yourself. They will effect your lifestyle and your personality in a positive manner. You will always hear yourself at an AA meeting from others that speak.

There is the real life of going out and practicing the steps of helping other recovering alcoholics which is needed in order to stay sober. It is sometimes hard to get these to call you. I have found this out by handing out my phone number to many newcomers and only to not get one call. The deal is I am avaiable if they need me. That is sometimes all we can do. Make your self able to take a call and let the drinker you are there for them. The rest is up to them. You , however are practicing
the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous when you try to help. That is all that is asked.

I recently went to a rock concert in Midland, Texas and beer was being sold out at this venue and there were a lot of drunks and at the end of the concert there were police officers waiting at the door to make sure one was sober. Thank God I was only drinking 3 dollar bottles of water, as I was not even looked upon these officers. They had a group of about 20 ready to go to jail for public intoxication. What a deal , huh. I was blessed this night , but I had no plans of drinking anyway, if this would of been a few years back , I too would be joining this group.

So good comes from not drinking, even if only for yourself. You are responsible now, and with the number of DWI cases in court in my little town, I do not want to spend one night in jail. This is my insurance, AA, and it should be yours. Have a great day and God Bless. Chris

Chris Raymer and AA Speakers

There are a lot of circuit AA speakers who fly all around the world, helping those that need guidance with the disease of alcoholism. Chris Raymer of Hunt, Texas is one of these guys. He is sometimes called the "One eyed bandit" joyfully so. He is on a mission, and his mission includes all those affected with alcohol in one way or another. When I was in treatment at La Hacienda this man spoke to us everyday. I was in such a daze that I only was able to conceive some of his message. He is very out there and out spoken , he gets his point across. He has the idea that we are not doing enough as a whole in helping the newcomer beat his addiction. He will tell you that AA in some cities will not even crack open a Big Book in their meetings, and he is right. The AA and the group as a whole should use this material , because it works. He has been to so many places and witness too many deaths in his lifetime of sobriety.

Chris R. story is not the typical one. His indeed is different as we all are. He did not recover from this disease this last time at a alcohol and drug treatment facility. He went to an AA meeting in Lewisville, Texas on his last draw with drugs and drinking. He really wanted what these people in AA had, and made the effort. He was taken in by some old timers at the AA club and put to work on the steps immediately. Those who wanted Chris to stay sober knew just what to do to give him a chance in sobriety, because all had failed in what Chris tried. He was willing to do what it took, reluctantly at first, yet building a foundation that he lives by today.

Focusing on the 12th step and helping other alcoholics maintain their sobriety is a passion for this man. It should be the passion of all of us. However, we have fallin short and expect the newcomer to take for his own. This is not how AA was intended and Chris will speak about this. There are some in AA whom disagree with Chris on several issues, and this is true with anyone that has knowledge of his sorroundings. Chris is hyper and full of passion for the recovered AA person and those coming new into the program. Here is a sound clip of one of his recent speaches he has given. You can find these by searching out his name in google.com. Christopher

Chris Raymer Comes To Midland, Texas

Ladies and Gentlemen Chris Raymer is coming to Midland, Texas as per this PDAP flyer sent to me from my sponsor. This sought after speaker is an International AA speaker Guru, who tells it likke it is about the AA program. The strengths of the 12 steps and hopes of millions of people in this program Internationally. I was blessed to hear him at La Hacienda Treatment Center in Hunt , Texas. He has moved on to another South Texas Rehab Facility now, but continues with his ongoing fight against the disease of Alcoholism. He is the founder of the "Issue Man", and has a word or two about sponsoring that will make you love him or not. HE is a character with strength and will be joyfully welcome to this area of West Texas. He is originally from West Texas and for him to make a stop in Midland, Texas is such a pleasure for us all in the area. Please book your plane tickets to MAF for this occasion as you do not want to miss out on this..Christopher Hyer

Writing a Journal to Stay Sober

Personally , I think that if a person keeps a blog or journal, that he or she will develop into a better person. I know this blog serves as my journal and even though you may not agree with what I have to say, it is very important to keep writing for me. I might just tough a nerve out there in cyberland and help someone that has had problems like I have had with staying dober or just wondering what it is like. There are millions of drinkers who drink because of the efeect it does to them. These are the alcoholics in our world. Those who drink for the taste and not the effects are probably not one of us.

There is a stigma about alcoholics in the world , that we are a bunch of bums, that just sit around and somehow stay sober. Well, some of these folks could be right. However , there are many of us who are Doctors , Lawyers, and politicians, including manual labor folks. We are not a glum lot we are many and could be your next door neighbor. When sober, we are usually clean, respectful people in our society that make a difference to our community. AA not be associated with any particular sex, or race and we are one as a group of people. We strive for staying sober on a daily level, and most will not have the urge to drink if only folowing a few simple steps and getting a sponsor. It is that easy, putting it into action seems to be the problem with some folks who cannot or will not give themselves to this simple program.

Back to writing about your day and experiences. It is good to look back and see how far you have come, or if you had a slip to reflect on why you might of decided to start drinking. It will help you be yourself and help with daily communication with other folks. There are days I just don't want to write anything, and those are the days I write a lot. I must have something on my mind that is bothering me, plus when I look back over the past few months I can see growth in myself. This is good to see some type of growth when you feel like you have exhausted all means of your life at times.

Today start a blogger account and help others recover like I have and its been a little bit over 4 years now, and the obsession to drink to feel good has left me. It had to or I would be dead. This is only for me, your situation may be different. I have to stay busy everyday and even if I do not have a job to go to, I still am doing something constructive, or I get bored and the same old feelings come back. That is when action has to take place and this is a learned response now. We take daily inventory of our lives first thing in the morning , trying to get things right with God and pray all throughout the day to stay sober. It is a new way to live and with so many going back to drinking after trying to stop , you must do something different to make it sober in life today....Hope this helps...Christopher

Starting out Your Day Sober

It is a Monday and starting your day out sober is a good thing. No hangover, and fully functional is the best way to feel, even if a bit drowsy from sleep. I have to admit there were too many Monday's where I was hung over and I called in sick to work, I am sure some of you can relate. We don't have to do this anymore, and our employer thinks the world of this or they should. Monday seems to be the starting point for the week for me. All things new and unknown, and I pray first thing in the morning for strength to make it through the day and to let God do his thing with me.

Trees by Chris Hyer 2013

It is ok to ask God for help when you are in a position for his guidance. I am waiting on an answer from a corporation to see if I can be employed by this company. I should know today is what I was told on Friday. It is out of my hands now, and I have to pray about a positive outcome from this employer. What is positive though, to me it would mean employment in an area in which I excell in. However this may not be the route in which God wants me to ta
ke. We will have to see and wait for the outcome from this meeting. I have learned how to let GOd work and to let go of situations which use to baffle me, I have no control over certain aspects of my life. This has made me a better person and a more patient one.

Starting your day sober is a such a great feeling and I hope if you are sober you have learned how to give control over to God in situations that use to baffle you. It really is all you can do. You have to take action and try to make things happen. Faith without works is dead. Once you have exhausted all avenues to make the needed changes in your life, sit back and relax and let God take over. He will guide you the rest of the way in his time, not yours. This is easy to say but hard to learn. I hope you have a good Monday and keep your head up high, and pray your day comes off just as goood as you want it to. Christopher...

Friday and Living Life on Life's Terms

Sometimes it is hard to let go and let God . What this means to me is letting go of the things I cannot change and change the things I can. I have been doing a pretty good job at this actually, and believing that God has the right moves for me. We don't know what is going to happen the next few hours or the next day. We have a conception of what we would like to accomplish at times , but we actually may not even be here the next day. God does not let us know when we are to live or die, nor does he reveal what direction he will take your spirit. It is all up to you to take action and pray that you have done what you think God would have liked you to do.

My Helicopter Chris Hyer 2013

Then there are the miracles that happen almost daily in my life and I am expecting one now, with a job. Today I am to find out if I am hired for this large corporation or not. It is out of my hands and in the control of Gods. I have accepted this and I pray for the outcome to be positive but either way I have no control over the outcome. The manager that wants to hire me, has no control, he had called me yesterday to tell me I am his prime candidate but that some paperwork with another company I use to work for may get in the way. If it does, I cannot be hired, Non-compete clause in a contract is what is holding me up. So this job could go either way. I pray I get this position but if not , then God has lined me up with an alternative, which is nice also.

So to live life on life's terms or God's terms is not new to me, but it is still hard to swallow at times. I am sure you have issues that you wish would come true, and if you pray it will set your mind at ease and you will know a new way of living and a new way of life. It may not be what you wanted, but in the end it is God's way. He is our director in life and he is the one that has taken the obsession of drinking away from most of us who read this. If not , pray for him to and he will, this is true. There are millions of us alcoholics that have to believe in a higher power to overcome ourselves. This has not been an easy task for most of us human beings, but has to be done in life itself.

SO , today is a big day for Chris, and everyday has been a challenge to keep a smile on my face and not think of alternative things that are self-destructive to one's self. It takes belief in God to feel this way and letting go of a situation. God has the final word in all we do. Christopher...