From: "From Loneliness to Solitude"

There are two sides of man’s being alone. In our language, “loneliness” expresses the pain of being alone. “Solitude” expresses the glory of being alone.

What happens to us in AA that makes it possible for us, not only to endure, but to enjoy moments of solitude? What changes our loneliness to solitude?

The love and understanding we find in AA are a protective curtain between ourselves and the aching aloneness of our drinking days. The first few weeks, some of us spend most
of our time in an AA club talking with others. Then it becomes evident that we must go to work and somehow meet the demands and responsibilities of our daily lives. We are
afraid. Will the old loneliness hit us again when we are out of the actual presence of other AA members?

Sooner or later, by practicing the principles of the Twelve Steps, we find in ourselves a very precious thing, something inside that we can be comfortable with regardless of whether
we are at home by ourselves or anywhere else that life takes us.

AA members are not emotional cripples who need someone to hold their hands every moment of the day and night to prevent their falling. We grow up with the help of God, as we
understand Him, and the fellowship of the group, and by applying the Twelve Steps to our lives.

Came to Believe…, page 109

Twas the night before x mas ,
we were all in the club,
providing a meeting
instead of a pub.

the ashtrays were clean
and the coffee was made.

the basic texts were out,
and we had all prayed..

when out in the lot,
there arose such a clatter,
we jumped from the table
to see what was a matter.

the chair with his N/A book
and i with my smokes,
headed outside and
found these two blokes.

they came inside,
and they sat a a table,
and said that they'd chair,
as soon as they're able.

to start with, they said,
its more than not using
or drinking.
it's doing your best to
fix your wrong thinking.

'let go and let GOD'
and those slogans we used
help keep the newcomer from
getting too confused.

step one is a start,
they said we should know
and after step two ,
we'll be all aglow.

we make a decision when we get step three;
step four is real tough, we all could agree,
step five is the one where we let it all out,
step six and seven ,
we;re left with no doubt,

we get step eight, and we make our long list
and then with step nine , we have to persist.

when you're on step nine, our promises ring true.
we didn't just get that, out of the blue.

after that, it's on with the rest
that we must do each day,to be our best.
they put on their coats and got ready to leave
a pretty good end, for this
Christmas eve...

as to his name , we only could guess ok?
but i'm pretty darn sure it was jimmy k.
the two men hopped in a red'35 ford,
as they pulled out, one of them roared;

we leave this message , for you , our brothers
and sisters.

TRUST GOD, CLEAN HOUSE, BE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS..
FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE WE WANT TO SAY..

HAVE A NICE HOLIDAY,
DON'T DRINK OR USE.... JUST FOR TODAY...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

AS THE DROVE AWAY.............

''THIS WAS A GOOD CHRISTMAS
http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christmas-santa/0089.gif

We will all look back on Christmas of the past ones, which were at all like this one..
as we thank GOD now..

we also add the thanking for sobriety and our new found life..

we also think , about how our lives have changed.
and how glad we are that we came to recovery...

so remember GOD, let us live...
through all the hazards of our drinking and using careers..

and when we were close to death,

we found a new way....

so today we must believe ;;

we lived to be sober , clean and free..

now GOD wants us to help others and do his great work..


reach out to the new comer or someone in need....

the new year gives us a lot....so this year give a little...

because we got a lot.....

Dedicated To All Military Troops Everywhere

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christma...ettia/0013.gif

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS

I had no Christmas spirit
when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table
where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished
and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point,
the Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes
till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery
and grabbed a wooden stool.

The burdens that I carried
were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on
to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene
in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind,
just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood
before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column
right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank,
not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint,
their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor
with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas,
just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered,
hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail
and dreams of going home again.

There wasn't much at all
to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey,
just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland
or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament -
they lacked a Christmas tree.

They didn't have a present
even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see
were labeled "ammunition. "

I felt a little tug
and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared,
and why it was I cried.

I swept him up into my arms
and held him oh so near
And kissed him on the forehead
as I whispered in his ear.

"There's nothing wrong, my little son,
for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land
to give us all the right.

To worry on the things in life
that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we
will be the next to fall."

He looked at me as children do
and said, "it's always right,
To thank the ones who help us
and perhaps that we should write."

And so we pushed aside the bills
and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home,
and this is what we wrote:


"God bless you all and keep you safe,
and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so,
and that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all,
a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty
and that we can't repay."
~ Michael Marks ~


Merry Christmas and a safe New Year
to all troops so far from home!
May God bless and keep you safe.