--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00023 Date: 12/30/95 From: JANE KELLEY Time: 12:21am \/To: THOM R. (Read 2 times) Subj: Prayer TR>JK> If you keep coming back and trying to work the steps, then a day will TR>JK> come when the steps will work you. Honest. And then it all becomes TR>JK> very clear. TR>Very well put! TR>This is my experience as well... The only problem with this is that so many who come to A.A. try the easier softer way and then wonder why they don't get any benefit from the program. * SLMR 2.1a * Never underestimate the power of stupidity, --- JCQWK * Origin: The Moody Blues BBS, Graham, WA (360) 893-3101 (1:138/155) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00024 Date: 12/28/95 From: PAT WINSTANLEY Time: 08:07am \/To: THOM R. (Read 1 times) Subj: Hello Again Hi Thom, Sunday December 24 1995 05:35, Thom R. wrote to Pat Winstanley: TR> Wow! A blast from the past! TR> How have you been?? I've wondered what happened to you! How TR> goes things? TR> :) TR> () Hello there Thom! Nice to see you still here! :-) Whole load of things in my life made finances extremely tight, so I have been without a phone for a couple of years. Now back, and things are looking up so I hope it stays that way. I posted a couple of longish messages last week (I think) which give rather more detail... Thanks for the hug! Pat --- * Origin: Pierless, Wigan, UK. [01942-749012 (voice)] (2:250/107.99) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00025 Date: 12/28/95 From: PAT WINSTANLEY Time: 08:17am \/To: JANE KELLEY (Read 1 times) Subj: Hello Again Hi Jane, Monday December 25 1995 09:51, Jane Kelley wrote to Pat Winstanley: JK> Do keep in touch. Incidently, which part of England are you JK> in? I'm in Wigan which is in the northwest of England, about halfway between Liverpool and Manchester. It's a fairly sheltered area for weather so we rarely see extreme temperatures, but this year we had the first white Xmas I can recall for about 30 years! ;-) It's very pretty, but %^&*( cold!! Even ther cats think twice before venturing out at the moment. Still, I don't really have to go anywhere for a couple of weeks now, until the college term starts on the 8th, so I'm curled up with blazing fires, battling kids, a recalcitrant computer, and a message base gradually filling up with messages from these echoes to read and re-read. :-) Life's getting better, bit by bit, but gradually and fairly steadily. There are still the bad days (like me having a tooth abcess blow up on Xmas Eve which left my 12 year old son to cook Christmas dinner!) but on the whole I'm immeasurably happier than when I was here before. I'm not following any program, just using bits from all over the place (and different approaches) when they help, and ignoring those that turn out to be (at least at the time) counter productive. It's working for me anyway... :-) Part of this, I suppose, is acceptance that I have problems, rather than constant denial of those problems. The most important lesson I've learnt is that things the thought of which frighten me tend to be far less frightening in reality. Like going to college, getting a job, talking to people, etc, etc... Still scary, but there's a warm feeling of achievement together with the shivers of fear. At least it feels different - a bit less boring and depressing! Pat --- * Origin: Pierless, Wigan, UK. [01942-749012 (voice)] (2:250/107.99) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00026 Date: 12/29/95 From: JOAN REA Time: 04:21pm \/To: MATRIKA (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: CODA You spoke of depression. It would lift I'm sure if you had even a small idea of how important your sharing is to us out here. I have over 26 years and quite often pick up on some serious help from you. You're wiser than you know. Hang in there. We all carry a lot of old Christmas junk around. let's make a deal? You and I take a good look at ours (mini-4th) and agree to throw it out at noon on the 3rd of January. (I live near Edmonton, Canada and we live by Mountain standard time here) Altogether now 1..2..3.. Heave! Thanks for what you've given to embellish my life JR --- Squish v1.01 * Origin: Transformations BBS Edmonton, Alta. (1:342/602) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00027 Date: 12/29/95 From: JOAN REA Time: 04:26pm \/To: MATRIKA (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: Thanks for replying Hey! I weigh in at 225 and just realized that a blimp soars! Look ma, I'm up! I'm no longer fatso, I'm an uplifter, a raiser upp of others, a blimp. I soar above it all and carry good messages. Thanks for the new definition. JR --- Squish v1.01 * Origin: Transformations BBS Edmonton, Alta. (1:342/602) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00028 Date: 12/29/95 From: JOAN REA Time: 04:47pm \/To: PSAPPHO (Read 1 times) Subj: Who is God All these die hards who reject she/her pronouns in reference to God as we understand for today.are going to get a jolt when they come incontact with the diety. As far as needing to be born again Christain to qualify - no thanks. If I attended a group that insisted that I participate in the Lord's prayer (or any other prayer that didn't fit my beliefs) I's excuse myself and tell them that I apologised for interrupting their service that I thought I was at an AA meeting. Boy, they'd better sure remember that you can tell an alcoholic - but, you can't tell them much. 8-{] --- Squish v1.01 * Origin: Transformations BBS Edmonton, Alta. (1:342/602) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00029 Date: 12/27/95 From: SOBER SWEDE Time: 10:21pm \/To: THOM R. (Read 1 times) Subj: Is There A Healthy Limit Hi Thom, -=> Quoting Thom R. to Tom Anderson <=- TR> God gave me many many many different beverages to choose from while I TR> am on this earth. Staying away from "beer" or "near-beer" is WORTH IT TR> for the life I have been given! I wouldn't even want to risk it... so I TR> don't. I decided to try a non-alcohol beer one night when we went out for dinner. It tasted good, I enjoyed it. But I became very sleeping and was yawning after I drank it. Did I hear you say there is actually alcohol in htose? Not fair! As I was drinking it I had a bad feeling of de ja vous...sitting in bars swilling down drink after drink..not enjoying just drinking to get drunk. I thought how close it is to sit here drinking this. To me it's the frame of min that is very close to forgetting all my goals and good intentions. My brother once told me to drink tonic without the gin in it. I would have the "feeling" fo having the drink without the alcohol. To my mind getting free of alcohol is getting free of the dependency of the need to pick up a drink for any excuse. told him that i would not do that because it was bringing me closer to to acutally drinking. It all goes to show that people who are NOT alcoholics do NOT understand what it is and what it takes to get out of it. TR> I WANT what I have in sobriety... so I don't play with fire. TR> Besides... WHEN did I ever drink beer as a BEVERAGE anyway?? ;-) TR> Who would I be fooling?? Yeah...that's it right there! I don't like the sweet drinks like Coke etc so I stay with my old standby..club soda with a twist of lemon. I wish you well in the coming New Year. Andrea ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 [NR] --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.10 * Origin: The Rochester Exchange 716-359-9468 Rochester NY (1:2613/203.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00030 Date: 12/27/95 From: SOBER SWEDE Time: 10:35pm \/To: JEAN MCKAY (Read 1 times) Subj: Recovery Hi Jean, -=> Quoting Jean Mckay to All <=- JM> Hi, I am a recovery alcoholic with 5 1/2 months sobriety. This is my JM> first Merry Christmas and I want to send my joy to others. Enjoying the JM> line which I just found this week. I live in Saskatoon, Sakatchewan Welcome to you and I hope your Christmas was everything you hoped for. Your first sober one in 33 years? Similar to my story. I drank from 16 to 48 befor I went into the hospital dieing of liver failure. That was 7 years ago, Jan 18th. My 'other' birthday is the 24th. I spent my 48th in the hospital gettin better against all odds. My doctors are still surprised I walked out of there. JM> Canada. I have been having high cravings as this is my first Christmas JM> sober and my first Christmas alone without any family around, even my JM> son, and although lonely I am doing it through the grace of my Higher JM> Power which I choose to call God or creator. I am female. I am pround JM> of this accomplishment, but it has not been without pain and work. I JM> had been drinking for over 33 years. I spent 3 months in a Rx centre JM> this past spring and summer-best decision of my life. Wishing you all JM> joy and the very best in the next 24 hrs. I went to an alcothon, my And proud you should be. The first year isn't easy some of the time. The old habits of looking for a drink to help a problem still hang around. I had s much trouble sleeping the first 3 years. I just couldn't waste time doing that I was trying out so many new things, finishing things that got put in the closet, learning about myself, that all in all I spent about 4 hours a day sleeping and the rest exploring this new and fantastic world I had emerged into JM> first stayed late. Yesterday the 24th was also my BB birthday. Not JM> getting older-getting smarter. Happy at 5 am and looking forward to JM> later today, whatever it may bring or better yet what I can bring to JM> it! Thanks for my sobriety this week especially but always! God bless and keep you strong. I wish you all good things in the New Year, especially strength to be who and what you are. Don't forget to LOVE yourself. You deserve it! :) Write often and tell us how you're doing. Andrea ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 [NR] --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.10 * Origin: The Rochester Exchange 716-359-9468 Rochester NY (1:2613/203.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CGZ00031 Date: 12/29/95 From: TUTU M. Time: 03:35pm \/To: RAIN (Read 1 times) Subj: Newcomer/god Hi Rain, and thanks for your reply. I shall follow your advice! --- * Origin: Oasis, Oakland 510 444-8246 (1:161/32) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: CG^00000 Date: 12/27/95 From: RICH WARD Time: 06:11am \/To: THOM R. (Read 1 times) Subj: Is There A Healthy Limit On (24 Dec 95) Thom R. wrote to Tom Anderson... TR> For me, it's so simple. TR> Besides ... WHEN did I ever drink beer as a BEVERAGE anyway?? ;-) The Lord only knows! ;-) ... Anybody can win, unless there is a second entry. L. Long --- PPoint 1.92 * Origin: Steps of DC West! Long Beach, CA (1:102/749.7)