WHAT I LEARNED: 1. In keeping with the same printing schedule as the first “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2007” that came out in September 2006, the subsequent annual edition, “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2008,” debuted in the fall of 2007. (From 2007 to 2019, the outreach magazine had only 2 print runs each year, so Al-Anon members could…
Tag: Higher Power
MTG – Orlando – “Courage 2 Be Me Alateen AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: The disease of alcoholism is like a bully. It wants me to have low self-worth so it can remain in control. With the Steps & my Higher Power, I can stand up & say: “Not Today!” — To see the full-size pic of this quote (and others), visit: http://www.instagram.com/calchatfan1.
MTG – Orlando – “Today’s Hope AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: “It is in trying to understand less that I experience more.”– quote from “Hope For Today” (item # B-28), page 206 (July 24th). Since I personally feel there is no way I could possibly fully understand my Higher Power, does this mean that Step 11 could read as: “…to improve our conscious…
MTG – Orlando – “Serenity Now! AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: Because I know my Higher Power is always with me, there is no such thing anymore about being alone.
N. FL Summer Assembly 2019 – Days 1 – 3
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I have lost a lot of pain in Al-Anon. 2. Wise people plant trees under whose shade they’ll never sit. 3. We give from the gratitude we’ve already gotten. 4. The alcoholic has not volunteered to get sober. 5. God’s will for me is to stop playing God! 6. Joy is…
Gratitude Lunch – 12/8/18
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. A chair can be your Higher Power because it keeps your ass off the ground! 2. From the “Open letter from an Alcoholic” in the pamphlet “Three Views of Al-Anon” (item # P-15), I learned I was doing all the “don’ts!” — If you’d like to see a pic of my favorite…
N. FL Area Convention 2017 – Days 1 – 3
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Tradition 4 is about protecting Al-Anon for future generations. 2. When applauding an alcoholic’s total years of sobriety, I am actually applauding God’s work! 3. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it’s connection… Connection to a Higher Power. 4. Sometimes I need to put butter on it… & “let it…
MTG – Winter Park – “Meeting on Wheels”
WHAT I LEARNED: My Higher Power only gives me as much pain & sorrow as I can handle, but I’m also given as much joy & happiness as I am open to!
MTG – Austin – “Independence”
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. My Higher Power is like the North Star that I look to for guidance. 2. Al-Anon has helped me become an optimist.
PODCAST – As We Understood / How Al-Anon Works / Alateen-a day at a time (Item #’s B-11 / B-22 / B-10)
EPISODE 6 of my “CAL Chat” podcast is now available to listen to! Can I fire my Higher Power? What is a “Meeting on Wheels?” What is not allowed in recovery literature when bringing it into jails? (To hear this episode, please visit the show’s website at: calchatpodcast.com – or you can subscribe to it…
CAL – Parents of Alcoholics (Item # R-18)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. The item # for this short 12-page piece begins with an “R” because this is a reprint of various articles from The Forum magazine. It came out in 2012 & reprints are typically only printed for a 2-year period. However, demand for this piece must be high because it’s now 4 years later…
CAL – Al-Anon & Alateen Groups at Work 2014-2017 (Item # P-24)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Recently on this blog, I did an in-depth review of the “Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual 2014-2017” (item # P-24/27). If you read that review, then this entry will seem pretty similar for “Al-Anon & Alateen Groups at Work 2014-2017” (item # P-24). …I used to think this item was a digest (or…
N. FL Area Convention 2016 – Days 1 – 3
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Sanity is having the appropriate reaction to reality. 2. When things aren’t going your way, try not having one. 3. Life is only borrowed, & one day you’ll have to give it back. 4. I don’t take Steps 10 & 11 to make me feel better, I take them to make…
CAL – Sexual Intimacy & the Alcoholic Relationship (Item # P-77)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Well surprise, surprise, this is not an instruction booklet on how to have sex with an alcoholic! However, it does reassure me that I’m not the only one who has had difficulty in this area. Intimacy, especially sexual intimacy, is a topic rarely brought up in Al-Anon meetings. This must have…
MTG – Ocoee – “Monday Miracles”
WHAT I LEARNED: Mistakes are my Higher Power’s way of showing me opportunities for growth.
MTG – Kissimmee – “Sólo Por Hoy”
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. When I have to make a decision & I’m unsure of my Higher Power’s will, I go with the decision that brings me the most peace. 2. In a Spanish meeting, the message still came through even when the translator wasn’t speaking! *A special thanks goes out to District 10’s Travel Support Team…
"CAL Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 