We Are What We Are

Went to AA and made few more friends tonight. It's always great to make new friends. That is what AA should be about also. People from different backgrounds and battlefields getting together and rejoicing our sober attitudes. This was especially a good meeting tonight involving the Big Book , chapter 3 , and it is humbling to know how many people had something interesting to say. We don't talk about war stories at my group, we talk about how God has helped us live for now. We discuss what it was like fighting evil spirits, yet God must have a thing for people like myself. He must see good in all these people that come to AA, because once you find a group that cares about if you show up or not. Then please keep looking and don't give up.

I got a text about coming from my friend at AA and that makes it worth while to attend. When I was drinking , I only got text as to where is the beer or something to that nature. There is a real fellowship in some of the meetings, then there are the ones where you just have to walk. None of these meetings is perfect, as they are run by us. We are not perfectionist, we are humans that fight the Issue Man inside us. ( Please read further on Issue Man in my blog) . Are we sinners, Yes most humans are, are we forgiven? Sometimes, and other times we are not. We learn how to accept the good and the bad in these meetings and books. It is not an easy program, yet it is easy to let go and be yourself in some of the meetings. When a person lets go of some of the days troubles that used to bother him or her, there is a feeling of relief and serenity that overcomes us.

We did not know how good our lives could be without a bottle of beer and such. A guy said tonight" You know they have these commercials about beer and there are like three good looking girls around this dude, I've not even had this happen when sober"lol Commercialization is a joke in these ads. Drink our beer and have three women. Hell,I can't even hold onto one women. Thats a personal issue.lol

Friday is coming, and another work day is upon us, get through tonight or at least pray to God and go to bed knowing that God will make Friday a good day for you if you pray for it. It does work out, I do not know why. There may be some stumbling blocks at work and life on Friday, but not anymore than what God thinks I can handle , and this goes for anyone who prays about their day. OOps , just lost 50 people from this site cause I said God , Oh well, don't come back if you do not wnat to know the miracles this spiritual God can pr
ovide for you and your family.
Have a great day....

AA Step Study, Just Walk Out

I was in a AA step study room last night and I was fed up with the speaker. He had said things that I do not believe in, and I stayed  for 45 minutes and left. Granted, this may have been rude, but the way the meeting ws going , I thought this guy was out of place. I have a right to make decisions , even when it comes to AA groups and you do also.

There is no reason to sit in a room if it does you no good. I will go back to this group again, but I refuse to listen to crap. You have the right to leave and have the right to not believe in what is being said in certain AA meetings. If it offends you, walk out. That is your God given right to do.

AA was made to help people who cannot recover and those who are recovered. It is a two way street, and with that said , there are some whom only have one hour of sobriety and those with many years. Just because they have years on you does not make it right for them to shove it down your throat. I felt this way last night during a step meeting. This fellow wanted to hear only from the people he knew and had worked step 7 . Well , you can work step seven all the time and not even consciously know it. It does not mean you  do not have a grasp of this step. It matters not how many years or months or even days you have. Steps are written to keep you sober, and if you have worked all the steps in a week , then fine. It is possible, everything in life is possible. You just keep working the steps a lifetime. Especially one. The first step to know that your life has become unmanageable and stop that first drink. We all so this step one everyday, then the new guys come in and start it their first day, hopefully.

There are quite a few that would dis agree with me, and a few that would agree with me. I don't give a damn. I did not consciously work these
steps for three years, but I have done them. I do not have to prove it to anyone but myself. A sponsor is a person whom should help you deal with this issue. Not a sponsor that thinks you should spend a year on step four. Find another sponsor if this is the case , unless you need a year to make amends, I would think we make amends daily to everyone whom we have hurt and dearly love from the beginning of our sobriety. I could be wrong on other people in the program.

Be sure you are with the right sponsor, have three. Go to different meetings when you don't like one. They are all different and should carry the same message, Our spiritual foundation is God and he makes all this possible. There is no right way to work this program, there is a way that AA would like you to think there is. I should say there are people with so much sobriety , that what worked for them is fine, what works for you is even better. Be yourself and make your own decisions, Yes you need to work these steps. In what order, I say what an order....Just take it easy on yourself and move on to another group if you feel like separation or that the God word is not being used enough. 

Monday and "God Grant Me"

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change those things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference"

copy2008@hyerspecialties

Monday's are always hard on me, the start of a work week and the unknown? It;s why I use to drink on Sunday night, and call  in on a Monday morning. I don't do that now, I face the next day with G
od and we get through it. I can't help but be a bit nervous on some days . I work in the computer break/ fix dept. of my company and what may seem easy usually ends up a bit confusing.

I pray to God every night and morning and hit an AA meeting on Sunday night, it was a Step Study night. The step study is not really any different in AA than any other night. We talk about how we are doing spiritually and how progress has happened in our lives. No war stories about what we use to drink or smoke. We do reflect back on how it was when we were using or drinking and how much better life is now that God is in our lives taking control.

Is God taking control over your life today? Ask for him to guide you through the day and you will have a better day. Stay sober today only. Expect the best of today. Its a beautiful sunny day in Midland, Texas. I hope you and God make it a great day, and do not let anyone break your spirit.

Sober and the "God Prayer"

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!”

Photos by christopherhyer.com cpy2013

This prayer is for everyone, alcoholic or not, it covers a wide range of daily living. Is that not all we seek? What a prayer that can cover all angles of life and what one person can accomplish in this prayer.

There are things we have no control over. It could be your husbands drinking, or his Saturday nights out at the casino. You can tell someone you don’t like what they are doing with their lives, but you can’t tell them how to live.

God will undoubtedly give you what you don’t have. Whether it is money, clothes or friendship. If you pray, and sincerely need these items they will come if prayed and asked for it. Be careful what you ask for you might get it.

Have a fantastic time and tell yourself this will be an perfect time for you to help another human being. Pay it forward to another human being, and give of yourself to him or her. Have a blessed day!!

The Real McCoy- Chris Raymer Soberiety Discussed

Chris Raymer got sober in AA, not a treatment center. He lived in Lewisville at the time and attended a meeting there when everything else had failed. In 1982 he sobered up for the last time , hehas been active on the AA speaker circuit ever since this time. He speaks of AA in terms that are realistic. He is a testament to how one can live and die externally and still make it sober. He is a one eyed jack of all trades with AA. He is amusing and excited when he talks. He believes to stay sober you have to help other alcoholics, period. Implement the 12 steps into the system of AA and help others with drug and alcohol problems all over the world is what this man succeed has became. he is from Ingram , Texas and has worked at La Hacienda Treatment Center in Hunt, Texas for well over ten years. every single day he delivers his message.

He explains that AA has changed or needs a change. He worked his steps on the 1st day of staying sober at an AA meeting in Lewisville, Texas. As he said, he was at his last straw when he went back to this AA group in Lewisville, Texas. He had heard the words before in AA , but inside he could not seem to grasp the AA style and there complaining of exterior problems of why these women and men drink.

Inside we hurt, the "Issue Man" is what he came up with after concluding what the issue with AA was. Keep coming back 90 meetings in 90 days or you will lose your sobriety. He does not believe that meetings keep us sober, God keeps us sober! Yes, God and implementation of the 12 steps. He does not believe in the "One day at a time" saying, he missed the whole concept of what AA was about. He did not really, he just modernized the theories that for 40 years have not been working in AA meetings.

Page 155 of the Big Book he exclaims that "Vision for you, and Dr. Bob , what did it mean to be alcoholic? Dr. Bob could not stop because he didn't know what it is to be alcoholic" This is the problem Chris goes on to say. We just don't understand how to be an alcoholic, and scare tactics from war stories about drinking and AA , there is no place for these. What do you do when you have the disease of alcoholism?People are dying to get the message of what they are? Confusion among people with drinking problem is a problem.

The power to stop drinking is God given. How to stop all together, " You just can't go to AA meetings and stop. You must have a spiritual belief. That is the only way. Non- spiritual people can they quit? Chris exclaims, that "The only people that can be sober have to be honest with yourself". Chris goes on to say" Find out if you really are an alcoholic, that is what the first 60 pages of the Big Book is all about"

Here are some statements about drinking and if you are a alcoholic.Physical allergy, the doctors say that the craving only takes place in people who cannot control drinking. If this is you then possibly you are an alcoholic. If you can drink one beer and say that's enough, then stop, your not an alcoholic.Pretty simple.. Then there are some of us that buy a case of beer and drink it all, then Yes, you are an alcoholic.

When your drink lots of beer you start gaining control, if your alcoholic, if your not alcoholic, then you do not drink lots of alcohol. You don't crave the feeling of the doping that alcohol produces in people that drink to much. A genetic disposition is what Chris R. thinks is the problem.

Yes, blame genetics and scientist and doctors are still trying to figure out how to make a cure for the alcoholic. Maybe one day you can drink just one drink and stop and forget about it. Then quite possible not." We drink for the effect it does to us" ease and comfort is why we drink, and we drink too much. Physical craving, and mental obsession. Mental peace is what we strive for as alcoholic. Pg 23 of the big book explains this. The "Just Say No" campaign does not work with the alcoholic. Nancy Reagan had high hopes but does not understand the alcoholic.

Will power , we have lost all power to overcome drinking. We needed a spiritual awakening to happen for us to stop. Praying to God is the only way to end this obsession. What a tall order, but it has been done by millions of drinkers, and is working today. Normal drinkers know when to stop, when they start feeling woozy they say , wait I can't drink anymore. The true heavy drinker wants to feel this woozy feeling and want it ten times more than you would expect. These are true signs of a drinking problem, fairly simple questions to ask ones self.

The real alcoholic, is uncontrollable, can stop for short periods of time. Then go back to heavuy drinking. Its an endless cycle, of stop and start. The controversial part Chris explains is the spiritual aspect to alcoholism.The spiritual malady is controversial because of the message to stay sober involves a belief in God. God is mentioned in the big book by Dr. Bob and all through the big book. God is the "Issue Man" in your soul or body. Therapy will not fix an alcoholic, you will learn about what causes you to drink, but you will go back and drink again.

Can you stop drinking, given sufficient reason?
That will be your answer.

Irritable, discontent, trouble in relationships, unhappiness, no sense of direction, if you have this , you may be alcoholic.AA is about carrying the message of hope, or it should be. AA has sometimes turned into a social outlet for exterior conditions that effect you. The inside of your thoughts can be controlled by working the 12 steps. There is no wrong way to work these steps and do not let someone destroy you or your plan to work the steps. Work with God and he will work with you.

Recover and you will have a different type of life. Action is required to accomplish sobriety. Get rid of the poor me syndrome, it will not work. Stop being a victim, the problem is we don't have enough people to carry this message. We have lost the true meaning of helping other alcoholics. Treatment centers are here to dry you out, then you have to make the decision to make good on how you will continue to stay sober. A dry drunk is one that craves drinking and cannot or will not accept a spiritual belief. True sobriety will take away the disease of wanting that first drink, and responsibility to get this to work.