WeJoy Recovery Audio

Session #4 at Ellenton, FL Dec. 2007

Sandy and Scott take written questions with an understanding that there is no "THE" answer - just Sandy and Scott's current perspective.

Question #1 is a great example of the high quality questions covered:

"How do we reconcile being true to ourselves with getting rid of self?"

The first talk of the first Far Corners Retreat, Sandy's plan was to share stories,"...which is the only way you can really talk about God, is to tell stories since we can't see God."

Event date: 12/15/2006

As long as she could remember she had been afraid, had nightmares, went everywhere in fear until her first drink at age 13 when all that went away and she woke up the next morning with a boy next to her.

These Include:

• Her child suffering brain damage because she was too concerned about her supply to check on him even when another child begged her to help
• The death of her husband in sobriety
• The 12th step call that involved a ladder and an open window
• The recent, moving letter of recovery from her children

Known to many as "Smitty" and, at some 7 years, a fairly recent member of Al-Anon at the time of this talk, he shares what brought him into the sister program of the one his father helped found in 1935.

His wife Betty was sober 7 years 8 months and 2 days at the time of this talk.

His mother Anne, Bill W called the mother of AA.

Smitty shares little jewels like:

• the early member who chased Anne through the house with a butcher knife
• his father's birds-and-bees talk with him
• the day he took his dad to meet Bill W for the first time
• taking his dad to Vermont one last time after the first AA International in 1950
• the purchase and active restoration of his boyhood home on Ardmore in Akron, OH

Wife of David A, a well-known AA speaker and past AA Trustee, Grayce is a great presenter in her own right. David got sober 24 years earlier on 4/20/1967. She came into Al-Anon at the same time.

She says if it wasn't for the drunks she would be out there trying to find somebody to fix.

Born and raised in a normal "functional" home in Denver, CO. Her parents didn't drink and lived for the family. Her characters defects did not start until she ran into a budding alcoholic. She went to the University of Denver when WWII broke out. She was terrified that all the men were going to war and would not coming back.

On a trip to Dallas at age 17, she met David on a blind date. She thought she could handle and cope with anything or anyone.

"We set in a car and we lied to each other."

Sober 30 years since 4/20/1967, David served at all levels in AA including Trustee.

Here he takes a walk through the Steps. David is full of pearls of wisdom like, the suggestion that a comfortable and honest concept of a Higher Power is all that is needed be you atheist, agnostic or believer.

Thanks to RecoveryAudio.org for these recordings.

Sober 30 years since 4/20/1967, David served at all levels in AA including Trustee.

Here he takes a walk through the Steps. David is full of pearls of wisdom like, the suggestion that a comfortable and honest concept of a Higher Power is all that is needed be you atheist, agnostic or believer.

Thanks to RecoveryAudio.org for these recordings.

Sandy goes page by page of the AA Service Manual showing how Tradition Two, where God is the Ultimate Authority, is all through this very spiritual book. He then reluctantly shares his concern for the diminishing emphasis on God in A.A.

Sandy introduces two members to share on anything they wish.

Joe K shares on what it was like during the extended quiet time they shared during the weekend. He says alcoholism is like wetting the bed as a kid - he couldn't really help it but he did not want to share with the kids at school what they did to keep from doing it.

Guy shares on a concept his dad taught him - "Keep pluggin'"