Showing posts with label Sobriety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sobriety. Show all posts

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Travel and Sobriety

Today is travel day for me. I am headed to Orange County, Ca for work for one week. It is always nice to get  a break from thuis small town of Midland, Texas but I am still a bit unstable about flying and being sober. I don't worry about having to have a drink to fly. I just get caught up with anxiety over the entire trip. It is new every time I leave home, and now I have to leave behind my partner , Abbey. She is my dog.

However, I believe in God and he believes in me and all is going to be allright with this trip. I have a brother in Newport Beach , Ca. and he is picking me up at the airport and we will dine tonight before taking me to my hotel in Huntington Beach, Ca.. It seems over whelming this morning but I have read the bible and I am dressed to fly like a professional . I prefer to look as nice as I can , I am not sure why. In the
years people use to wear a suit and tie when flying by airlines, it was a privilege I guess. These days everyone just wears whatever, and that is fine with me, but I wear a sport coat and slacks , and just feel more comfortable looking nice.

I have been sober for over 5 years now and it just gets better each day. Even today is better than last year at this time when I had to fly to Chicago for work. That was very nervy yet this is also. I am calm , but anxious and this willl pass once I get going in the airports, I am positive. I just keep saying , Happy, Joyous, and free is what I am..I meditate and calm down. I love airplanes and I have seats next to the window like I like it so I have it all  going my way or God's way.

God protects me and guides me everyday and he will today..I have to let go and let God run the show again like I do every day. It is not easy task for a former alcoholic to do. It can be done though if tried. Well its that time to roll back the car and head to the airport, have a great day and God be with us all...Chris

Thursday, September 4, 2014

A Dog in Sobriety

My New Puppy,"Abbey"09/04/2014
Funny thing about being sober and not having a wife is you sometimes can get lonely. I finally have a house now with a large backyard and I decided to get a puppy. Never had my own puppy before, and now I have had her for over one month and she is keen. Great for my company when I need her, which is all the time now. She has grown into knowing what is wrong and right at my house, well she is learning. I get frustrated with her, but I am kind to her and treat her as if she were human. She is my love of life!! I highly recommend you get a puppy if you can while going through this life of sobriety. It can be great to get out of yourself and help a dof and train her into being a fine animal.

It takes patience and sometimes I run short of this. It takes love and I am full of love for my dog. I have to be in California for a week this month and I dread having to take her to the kennel, I love her so much and don't want her to think I just left her. However, I give her up to God and I let life keep on happening and I will be ok as she will.It is a humbling experience to own a dog and make sure she is fed and is kept healthy and trained. Responsibility is the utmost importance with my puppy.I would not of taken care of a dog years ago. This puppy folows me everywhere and is so smart, I am grateful for my girl. Sobriety brings about many different avenues in our lives and this is one of those times where it really pays off in loving one another.

Have a good day and God bless you on your journey as it can get rocky , yet trust in God and your day will be ok. I know this as I live this way every day. Pray for his forgiveness and you will be forgiven. Sins are always there for us to initiate and God willing he will forgive these sins if we ask. Living sober has its benefits and having a puppy is one of them.  

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Higher Power AT Work

Just some Girl...
God has blessed me with an understanding that I am not in control over my life!!He is in control over the way my day will turn out to be. He is with me and I am with him. Sometimes I imagine that God is sitting in the passenger side of my car and I talk to him and he just listens. This is great for me, as I am not alone ever. God is with me when I almost get in an accident and narrowly escape somehow. He is with me all times during the day. Letting go and letting him work inside me can be difficult also. I want to run the show at times, yet I really do not. God is forever arranging where I will be at and why.

Yes , I am sane and this is very true with my life. Any will run on self is not good. I pray in the mornings for God to be with me through the day and night and to make my judgements sane. I pray that all whom believe in God have a great day today. I pray for the world, indeed. I think this is powerful in my life and has lead to me being sober for so long. As I know that God is in control of my thoughts and my ways of dealing with other people. The rude , and the nice people of this world, is handled with care by me. I am a miracle of God and so are you!!

May God be with you today and tonight and ask for his direction in your day. Take a pause during stressful times and ask for his help in dealing with a situation you have no control over. He will help, this is a guarantee. Live this way of life and live sober and you will have a new beginning and a better ending. Have a Blessed Day and come back...Chris

Thursday, July 24, 2014

God This Morning and Sobriety

It is July 24th 2014 and a Thursday where I live. It will be Thursday alll day long. What does God have in store for me today? I started my day as usual with reading the Bible and then the Big Book of AA. I had my coffee and Coke and now I am ready to conquer my day.

This is the usual way I wake up with prayer in the shower and reading when I have time. I always wake up earlier then I need to now for a reason. I am not sure what that reason is? I feel drowsie early in the morning and it's hard to wke my ass out of bed, but once I get going it seems to just flow. I have a schedule I adhere to everyday. When I was drinking I had no schedule.

In the morning when I drank beer the night before I would be trying to think of excuses for not going to work and lost many jobs this way.I have had several jobs and so be it. Now, sober and clear headed these feelings of trying to get out of work do not hit my mind, it is how to get going and get ready for the day..It's a 360 degree way of living for me.

There is an AA meeting at 7 am and I think I will try to hit that sometime, that means waking up even earlier and being ready to be at work on time. So , this is an idea. You see, AA is spiritual and these meetings are spiritual. SO It is like going to church without a bunch of
hypocrites. I know that does not sound correct, but i suppose church is just not for me. The sprirt of God is what I live for on a daily basis, not the Church. The meaning that the church coveys is good I am sure, but the spirituality is not there for me.God is fine with that in my mind, a church is where a group of people get together and worship God , well I do this in AA. So what is the difference, except the Holiness of stained glass windows and an expensive organ that anyone can play in my eyes. I am a musician so I see the organ most churches have and if you hit one note on the thing it sounds magnificent.

There are those of you who do not agree with me and that is fine, this blog is for me not you. I write down how I feel right now this minute and if you care to read than fine. Maybe it will give someone an insight of an recovered alcoholic and how sick he is and has been. I am fine and spirituality wise I am sane and in God's prayer.Have a good Thursday as I am sure I will learn some lessons today as I always do everyday in my new life...God Bless You all...Chris

Friday, July 18, 2014

Sobriety and Growing Stronger Each Day

I grow stronger each and every day of my sobriety. Do you understand what I am saying? I feel like I am growing each day with new challenges and opportunities in my life that I never had to deal with in life. This is truly a blessing in disguise for me. Today is Friday July 18th,2014 and it is 7:26 AM and I have been up since 6 Am. The funny part about this day  is I wake up so damn early and only to read my Big Book and the Bible , so as to start my day off in the right direction. It just feels good. I like feeling good about myself and others. If this is how I must do this , then so be it.I have been doing this for almost five of the last six years and it has meaning in my life.
Christopher Hyer@ Church in Odessa, Texas

Each day I grow stronger with knowledge of people and how they perceive me and how I perceive them. It is knowledge that brings strength to an individual or at least me. I want to know about things I do not already know. In my line of work, the variety of it keeps me interested. I do not do the same thing over and over. I fix MFP printers and Production Copiers for a living and they can be very confusing on how they operate sometimes, and then there are the God times. Where I don't know anything about what I am doing and I push the right switch or pull out paper from a place it should not be and the machine starts working. That is God doing for me what I could not do for myself. Do I pray for this while I am working, your darn right I do.

I pray constantly while I am driving or listening to music, while on my way to a job or just when I feel like I need God into my life right now. I just say prayers in my head while I steer to the next job that God will be with me and imagine him sitting next to me as we are are brothers going to work. Try this and see how it feels, imagine God being with you and your the only one that knows about God watching over your shoulder while driving or working, it's amazing to me how more confident I am when I do this. I am never alone.

God is our creator and we are his children and once you accept this into your life, you will be lost. I use to be called a lost soul by a young lady I met in Austin during my drinking years. I never really understood her, but now I do. I had lost my true self in my illusions of what I was or doing with my life. No place or situation that I changed could get me in touch with myself and my soul. I had grown up  in a Methodist church and feared God more than anything until I became open to him as I am now. Open your heart up to God and see what miracles can happen to you today!! God Bless...

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Still Sober after SIx Years!! How and Why of it?

I have not posted to this blog in a while and I decided to write a little bit in this sobriety blog. I have now over six years of sobriety and I feel just fine. It is something that confuses me when I go to AA and some guy blurts out ,"I have 667 days and 12 hours of sobriety"..Well that  is fine and I am glad he does not think about his sobriety hourly..lol..However, we are all different, and for me it has become a part of my life.I don't think about it much at all, I just don't drink and I go to AA for reasons that I would say is my therapy.

You have to chose the right group for yourself. There are small groups and then there are the large ones. I prefer both, but I mostly go to a small group in Midland, Texas. It's called the 12 step group and there are quality people in my group with long term and short term sobriety. There has been a few I have met that have stayed sober and then one night have died from drinking again. So this disease can strike and kill at anytime you let up on it.

The How and Why of my sobriety is just I have a better life. It is more organized and I have daily rituals I go through in order to stay sober. These include reading the Bible, to reading the Big Book. I always get something out of both books and apply it to my day. It works and I have also started using hypnotism for a calming affect in my life. It is more of meditation than anything, and it works , if you want it to. Just like AA and what they stand for, You have to have an open mind. You have to believe in a higher power and I chose God as I know no other higher power than him.

It is July 2014 today and I feel better than I should. I have a meeting I go to on Thursday night, its called the La Hacienda out care group. It is therapy for me in this group as we go around the table  and discuss how our week went. Each person contributes a little bit of their life story. You really get to make some close friends in this type of atmosphere. Its a small group of about 10 people, and it is a shame because it is a aftercare group for people coming out of treatment from La Hacienda Treatment Center in Hunt , Texas..

There are a lot of drunks in Midland, Texas and I am sure there are where you are from. The oilfield has several rough , and angry workers. They work long hours and make gobs of money and spend it on drugs and booze. Most in the oil field that work on drilling rigs are ex-cons. So , that is not to say they are bad people, just pretty damn rough around the edges, and I am glad I don't work around them. God willing this place will slow down a bit , as there are so many people in this town because of the oil boom we have. Prices are high for housing , if you can find any. The groceries are high and the gas for cars is high. This place will bust someday as it has boomed and dried up many times. Yet those who are not aware of this, will greatly be dissapoited when the boom stops.

Oh well, just checking in on my blog. Be safe and God be with you!!!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

God Got Me Sober Then God Got Me Drunk!!

Welcome to my blog and I will post your email to me as I just did with "God got me sober then God got me drunk"..This was in my blog email, and it struck me good. It either is from a person that is trying to heal through his alcoholism and is failing, or this person really means what he says.

My Oil Painting Christopher Hyer
Let's think about the statement this person sent me.Okay, I thought about it, and this person can say what he wants , this is a free USA and I am damn glad it is for now. He can say anything he pleases and believe in what he says.The "God got me drunk, I just don't buy unless God had a purpose for me to drink myself into a drunk state , so I would lean
how to recover and be a better person ,then I accept this. If this person is spiritual, and believes this he might have a hard time staying sober. I don't know, and really do not care.

This blog is about myself , and not the other alcoholics out there. I write because I like to see how far I have progressed in my disease against alcoholism.Everyday , I have to fight off the demons of doing wrong from right, it seems. I know drinking is not right for me ,so I do not drink. Period. God took this obsession away from me five years ago, and I don't think he intended my life to be a drunk.I used my will to drink not God's will to take the first drink.

I have to work at a funeral home on Thursday and I am dreading every minute I have to be in this place. Why? I don't know, exactly. This is a good reason to drink though, right..Wrong, I have learned to not drink when I have no control over my life, and all has turned out ok. I can find every thing, person, or situation to drink about , but now I chose to not drink it away and face my fears. I do ask from help from God to enter each and every day. I will do the same with this place full of death. However I have to remember that all these dead people in this place I am going to are actually going somewhere better. That is what the bible says, and I try to live up to the bible and it's words. Everlasting life is what we get for choosing to be the best we can in our human world. The spiritual self lives on. So I wonder how many thousands of spirits will run through this place when I work there. I am looking at this situation as a good thing, and that these spirits that are in this place will be willing to accept me...lol...I just hate that I have to go.However this to shall pass, and I live on to my next account.

Any more people want to comment , go right ahead, it gives me a reason to write about how I am feeling about life, today. God Bless You All!!!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Sober in a Alcoholic Society

Staying sober in a alcoholic society is key. There are beer ads and liquor ads that strike at us at all directions. The media is to blame and so are the companies that promote what they sell. They have a right to create a mass of media to sell their products , but to what extent? Your children and mine are affected by the ads that are on Bill boards in your city as well as mine. Every picture shows people having a god time and a bottle of their favorite drink next to them. Is this to assume that if I don't drink your product that I am to be unhappy and boring?

Photos By Christopher Hyer
The society that we live in tolerate alcohol and the alcoholic, that is out of control. You have friends that drink too much , as I have them. Do we tell them, I don't unless they ask. I will be upfront and chose words that are not of an AA nature possibly. We were all there at one point in our lives. Could not put the beer down and when we did, we went and grab the car keys and made sure our breath was not smelling like liquor , just to go buy more liquor. The insanity of our alcoholism, is so obvious when you think back of how it use to be drinking.

Society and friends think that it's normal to drink. It is widespread throughout the world. To celebrate any holiday, we drink. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Joyous occasions are celebrated with alcohol. Every day of the week was a holiday for me , I would have to say. It was not a fun holiday in the end. It was off to the races , when I was coming down from a drinking binge. Back to the local store where they knew me by name and what I drank. I was special to this store owner!! 

Friends , that I would call after catching a slight buzz would know right off that I was drunk when I phoned them. It was normal for them to cut me off when I spoke to some of my family members and close friends. I was a closet drinker and did not go driving around and drinking. I might get another DWI, so I thought I was smart in not driving and just drinking at home. I was alone and getting lonelier. It is heart breaking when I think about it, so I try not to think about the bad times. There were so many towards the end of my drinking though, it is hard not to forget..

Social outcast as I was, and not blending in with social drinkers was me. In fact, when I had to meet business associates for a drink out, I would not drink alcohol, because I knew I would not stop at one glass. I would drink soda water with lime , like I do now all the time. I used my head when I

did drink , and then I did not. After a while the body gives out from so much alcohol, and starts to kill you. Your liver goes bad, and you have to heal or you die.
Photo By Christopher Hyer

This is the reality of being sober in an alcoholic society!! For some people and I am talking into the millions in the USA, alcohol is killing us. I am sure you can think of one or two people right this minute that is alcoholic and you can't do a thing about it. He has to change, not you changing him. That is where our thinking has to change in society. There is a cure for this disease and its rather simple. It just takes stopping that first drink and for long you will be a sober individual, with a life better than you had ever in your life... Christopher Hyer 6.7.2014

Monday, June 2, 2014

Five Years as of This Month , Sober

I have not kept up with this blog on Sobriety and I will try to keep it going since there are people reading it.As of this writing , I will receive my 5 year chip for sober living on Tuesday night. It is a bigger deal than I first thought. I have for the last year been granted a great job in which I get to travel. I have a healthy son that is a non drinker and non smoker and he is 20, I have been blessed with a new house that was given to me by my mother, I have a daily routine, which I never had before sobering up. I pray constantly and my prayers are answered in a way I can't really put my finger on.

Don't be caught in this!!lol
God has given me everything I could possibly need in life , and God either is or is not. He is the main reason for my success and I have to say AA also has improved my thought patterns about people and life. Watching the new comer come in all strung out with no hope. That is the real deal with AA is helping those with no hope as I was one of these. They really don't seeem to get it, but a couple will stay around and sober up out of 30 people that come to my group , which is called the 12 Step Group of Midland, Texas.

The AA group I go to has a low attendance and I seem to like it that way. Every one has their preference, and I go every Thursday and Saturday to this group. It is on my schedule to do this and I don't even think twice about it. It has become habit to me and a good one at that. You learn that your problems may not be as big as you think when attending an AA meeting, and then you might just go away in a pink cloud, and happy that you went. That to me, is the spiritual side of AA, the God miracle working in our group as maybe in your group.

I have chaired meetings the last few months and enjoy doing this. If my sponsor ask me to do this , I automatically will. There is something to be said about relationships with others in AA that are staying sober, you can trust them. People that you would of past and not look back at, now are respectable citizens with jobs and family.

Marfa , Texas
My family is not very close, however since I have cleaned up they have become closer. My mother and I were so far apart when I was drinking that we never really knew each other. Now I have the deepest respect for her and my brothers and sister, that are in my family. My father on the other hand still drinks quite a bit, and God Bless him, and I hope he lives out a good life. I still have lunches with my father at the bar of a local restaurant. It bothers me none that he drinks wine consist
ently while chatting to me, and I don't bug him about his drinking. He is 78 years old and has a few DWI's and knows what he is into if he gets caught. It is his life and I can't tell him what to do. He is wealthy and thinks he can buy his self out of this. I just pray he does not hurt anyone, or he could not live with himself.

On a positive note, Life is good, and it is not easy being single in this town I live in. I am making the best of it the only way I know how, is to not take a drink. That's it!!!Really once you stop and stay stopped, life gets better, but it takes time. I am living proof of this. Have a good day, I know I will. Christopher Hyer

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Faith Is Big With God and Sobriety

To have faith in the Lord God is to have a type of humility for life. You have to humble oneself to get faith . Faith in God is trusting him to help us in our every day lives. By faith all things are possible in life. The good and the bad can be controlled by faith in God. Do you have the faith to walk with the Lord and stay sober today? It is not an easy thing to be humble and let go of the things we use to control in your lives. To give it to the spiritual God is not easy until you have done it several times, then it comes naturally. I have faith in that I will do the best job I can today and everyday that I ask the Lord to help me in my work and life. God knows what is going to happen to me today already , it is how I deal with this faith is what determines the outcome of my day. I can walk with God by my side or not. It is up to me, however the control is in God's hands as I go out and stay sober and try to contribute to life and my work in life.

To have a spiritual awakening you have to let go and let God become your leader through each day. You pray for his guidance and his strength to keep your head up high. What is in your past is the past and will not be relived. Look forward to the future for greater things to happen in your life, no matter how small or big they are, that will be God working in your life.God is a kind and gentle spirit that will effect your relations with everyone you come in contact with. Try it one day to be gracious and show grace by being kind. Even if you may not feel this way , it will reflect in your attitude toward one another. Try it...God Bless. Christopher

Friday, December 20, 2013

Sober and Work

I have noticed at times that work gets in my way of sobriety. What I am saying is I don't get to enough meetings because I am flat ttired from work. This is a bad deal since the meetings are so important to make . It is not how many you make, but at times when I need one I do not go. I have kept my sobriety intact through just praying to God for his help in life and work. This helps a great deal. I have great men to work with and a prtty non- stressful position though it can be if I let it get t o me. That happened last night . I was tired of the traffic and calls I had to make on Thursday, but I hung in there as I do today. God does for me what I cannot do for myself. This is so true in my life.

I think I am getting a little bit of arthritis in my hands as I type this . It brings me a little pain but I will keep this up until the day I die. This is my diary of sorts so I can look back over my progress. I encourage everyone to do a blog on their sobriety, it helps. I think I will try to make some noon meetings while ut running my work, as I have time for these. I have not thought of this until now as I write. God be with you and have a good day......Christopher
Robert Cray Band Live in Odessa, Texas

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Dear God," Sorry To Disturb You Now" But,

Do you feel like you are disturbing God . I do at times, and hope I am not getting in his way. I pray every day for him to watch over the world and me. I am selfish by the way. I try not to be , but when it comes to praying I am. I wish for my whole family to be safe and free from evil or darkness. Darkness, is evil when it rears its ugly head. We have all experienced it, yet to ask for it to go away, it does. You only have to ask God remove the evils from your life and fill yourself full of goodness. That is what I pray for as well. I am a fanatic that prayer in the morning will help you through the day. I seldom pray during the day unless I am  in a complicated situation with work, then small prayer will take care of my issue or give me an alternative answer to my problem.

It's all good to give and receive this Christmas, however there are some that do not have much. It is hard to tell which people need help or which will take advantage of you. I guess you just pray about it and do what your heart says to do. I buy mostly from the internet as I do not like the crowds at the stores. Maybe your this way also, you do miss out on the spirit a little bit by doing your shopping this way.

I am just thankful that I am able to give this year, not in presents but in faith also. When you sober up you help those around you without trying to. It's odd but it does happen. Your family values change as your attitude changes and it reflects in your actions and words. Keep up the AA if you can , that is where you will learn about the spiritual side of this disease of Alcoholism. It will help you with friends over time also. True friends, that you can count on. Have a good day, and God bless the USA......Christopher Hyer
Chicago Downtown, By Chris Hyer in October 2013

Sunday, December 15, 2013

God and Being Sober, Today

God's light is all around us..By Christopher Hyer 12/15/2013

God is with us today and everyday we wake up from a night sleep. Do you recognize him in the morning. He is the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, and the breath of fresh air. He is within us also , even if we do not pray. He is at all times in us telling us what to do and what not to do. We have to listen for him, or we get lost in the darkness of evil. This is easy to say and write , however , think about it. How good God really is to you and I. I pray each and every morning for his blessing throughout the day. Does he listen, Yes of course. Do my questions have answers , Yes and God already knows how I will react to these answers. He knows all and we must trust in him to stay clean and sober for today. It is possible to be sober everyday, I am living proof of this.I awoke this morning feeling a little sleepy and not wanting to do my washing and ironing for the coming week of work, yet if I don't do these they will not be done. Thy will be done , is what the Lord has said to me, and I unconsciously do these chores everyday that are good and right. 


The Lord will save you. This is so true and You might make mistakes on the way. whether financial or by word of mouth. We say things that hurt people and we don't mean to do this on purpose, and yet at times we do do these things to hurt those that have hurt us. This is not right and we ask for forgiveness. It is not easy to ask for forgiveness, though it is human error and we must ask God to direct us in the right manner.

Sobriety is a spiritual way of living. There is no other way to live. You do not have to believe in God , but you must believe in him someday to stay sober. Read the Big Book of AA and you will see this is the answer.It is not easy to let go , and let life just be as it is. We all want some type of control.It will kil us in the end to believe we have complete control over our daily lives. Those of us whom are sober will relate to what I speak this morning. Thank God for the day and ask him for forgiveness and bless those who have hurt you or you have hurt them. You will feel good you did.  

Friday, September 20, 2013

Moving On With Living

Well, Chris Raymer was here in Midland on the 13th of September and he was full of words. Very good words , indeed. He speaks from his soul and he was expected to . He is a delightful fellow  , and was presented with an award from PDAP , which sponsored this event.

By Christopher Hyer
Now it is time to move forward with our daily life and plan for being recovered. It is a rocky road for some of us to take . However , it is full of miracles if we let God take over our lives and let him into the daily living we do. I have been just fine and live day to day , and work hard each day at my job, not taking shortcuts, but installing all I can learn.

I get to travel to Chicago, Atlanta, California and Texas with this job I do, and this will be fulfilling and a challenge. I even had to break down and buy me one of those roller suitcases so I could move with the flow in the airports. I have not traveled much in the last few years, so I have some fears. I have handed these over to God and he will take care of them. I do look forward to the travel as I have not been to some of these places. I get paid very good to go to these places and even get paid for my time in travel. I should be so lucky, huh?

Well, I have not abandon this site, I have just been very busy, I pray that those that read this blog are trying to get sober or getting an insight into sobriety and learning to go to AA and believe in God. Those are things I still do . I pray each morning for a good day and the health of everyone. I also ask for a great day each and every day for not only myself but for those I do not know and those I do. It is a peacefulness that will come over you during the day when things go wrong and I remeber that God is trying to tell me something. God Bless..Chris

Saturday, August 10, 2013

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

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

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

Monday, August 5, 2013

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, August 2, 2013

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...

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Life As We Know It

Life as we know it. What a concept. How are we to determine what is best for us to do today. Do we pray everyday for a miracle to happen? It is difficult sometimes to know what to do. I have spent a life time of doing what I wanted to do, and not getting anything accomplished. I worked a numerous amount of different jobs from my drinking days. Most of these jobs were white collar jobs and now I get confused about who I really am. It is hard to put on a resume all you have done and make sense of this to an employer. There are ways of working around this and I have done this. I try to combine my strengths into one category and put time into this on my resume. Being self -employed offers this advantage. You can have multiple experiences doing many things and list them. It has helped me in my job quest, and it is being truthful.
Frogger By Christopher Hyer 2013

Being a recovered alcoholic is difficult for the job seeker back into the marketplace. You have held many positions and you must convince the employer that you are dependable and will not have a slip or fall back into alcoholism. This makes for a tough time in an interview and do you  even tell them you are recovering from this disease? That is the milion dollar question, it can make you or break a person. If you tell them you are a sober individual and do not drink or do drugs , I have found this to be positive and leave it at this. An employer wants to know whom he is hiring. It confirms that you will show up every day and with a straight head on. So , as far as my interviews go , I tell them this , that I have been sober for over 4 years and have a spiritual program that keeps me this way. I cannot speak for you, but it has had a positive influence on those I tell this to. It has
not ran off anyone, that I am aware of. You have to feel this person out, and he might be alcoholic and ask how did you do it? Then your into another aspect of helping this person out, in which in AA this is what we do. It will nail the job and you will have a new employer who may end up wanting what you have. This has happened to me also.

Life as we know it , is to live honestly and to shut up when we need to. Therefor , my experiences may not be what you adhere to. I don't expect you to do what I have done in my interview process, yet it can explain why I am employable now and how lucky the employer is to have a non-drinker working at his facility. This can work against you depending on what position you are applying for, yet it seems like honesty is the best policy for me. The employer knows that I reluctantly told the truth, and he is more trusting knowing that I tell the truth. Some do not care, and just brush it off, they possibly have someone in their life that drinks to much. They may ask you for advice in how to deal with a loved one, and this makes you more important to them now.

Use you own judgement in this process of your life, do you keep your sobriety a secret or do you share this with others? This is your choice. I chose to inform employers not to tell them I am in AA, I just don't drink is what I say, I have in the past and have decided it best I don't drink anymore is what I usually say. Then that is it, no questions on if I am an alcoholic or not. I think it goes without saying that this employer will think highly of you , though may treat you different at functions that involve alcohol, this is the chance you take...Hope this helps out...Christopher

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Running With The Lord

Its funny how life just keeps throwing us curve balls in life. We make life what it is today. God provides us with a brain and activities to work our brain with. With so many of us with years of drinking and drugs , we are all miracles. It is a miracle that one can get sober and still function in this world as a productive and empowering human being. We have great insight as to what not to do , and what to do. By working the steps in the AA program, How could you go wrong? You really can't , you give your life over to God and he takes control. You have to be willing and able to do this. He makes this possible , by giving us the strength of sobriety , and prayer, all things can be accomplished , big and small. I am living proof of this.

I quit a job where there was verbal abuse and it brought me into another job , in only one days time. It is amazing how this life works when we let go and give effort. Prayer does it for me, and constantly not giving up. I am a fighter , more than I thought I was. Maybe you are also this way, and you also know what I speak of. The miracle of another job , better in money and befits and a better boss. God wants the best for us, and I am not saying what I did was right or wrong, last week. I did what I felt I had to do , and just in time for another opportunity to knock on my door. God is with us even when we are not consciously knowing it.

I was dreading work last week after only a few days , but the verbal abuse was too much. No one should have to put up with this and God knew this. He provided me with an out. I have not actually started the new job , but it looks hopeful. through God all things are possible, this is a major company that was closely related to the other job. Very close, and it blew me away when I had my interview. I have been going to AA a little more often, and prayer is still a large part of my day, and night. I think al is alright and when you run with the lord, you can not go wrong.

Just a Guy
Maybe its the good living practices I am doing that is making the difference in my life. Being over 4 years sober is key to using God as a way to deal with the daily stresses in my life. I have not given up on this blog because I have so many readers now. Why is this? Maybe I am helping out those that need a little bit of guidance from a guy who at one time was in a trash can getting his daily meal. Of course, this is true and now , I don't have to dive in this direction, because I
am sober. Without sobriety I would be dead. there is no two ways about this disease and I shake thinking of this alternative. I was close to death this time I cleaned up. That is what helps me stay sober is the remembrance of how bad it really got in my drinking. Please get help if you can't seem to stop, your life will take a turn. It takes time, but overnight you will feel the benefits of sobriety.

You may be asking how do I stop Chris? The first thing to do is put the bottle down and call AA or a treatment facility and know that you really want to stop. You have to really want to stop ,, or you will go back just as fast as you sober up. This does not work where you can drink again, it must not, or you will never grow up and out of the drink. It will kill you sooner than later if you have been drinking  for a long term situation. If you slip and drink, get your ass to a meeting and tell the group that you fucked up, and they will help you. You have to humble yourself all the way through the program of AA and take steps that may seem embarrassing to you. This is called growth. Your family and loved ones will be affected also , and they will see a new you. It takes time though, and strength from God . There is no other solution. Death or a Drink. Period.  Christopher

Sobriety and Covid and Living Normal

I have had this blog for ober 8 years and made nothing off of this blog. I write to talk about daily things and living without alcohol and I...