The Acts of Recovery in Falls Church, VA were held on January 17, and provided the kind of recovery talks that inspire us all to try to practice the principles that are laid out for us in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. The popularity of these events is starting to spread the AA message in such an enthusiastic way that it is crossing the country to Boston, Florida, Texas, and California. Even Harrisburg will be having ACTS, which is scheduled to be held at the Middletown Presbyterian Church on March 22, 2004. There is a website that shows the scheduled events and has flyers (as they are available) at www.intoaction.org

A Program of Action was the topic of Matt C from the Bug Light Speaker Group of York PA. At age 15, Matt found that the effects of alcohol relieved the feelings of restless, irritable and discontent; and he made decisions from that time on, that after that momentary relief, provided the feelings of impending doom, guilt and remorse. He very quickly found himself being subjected to psychiatric help and introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous; neither any help for another fourteen years. The stuff he had done in blackouts really began to bother him; he'd had enough of Matt. He shared that unless we truly surrender by admitting unequivocally that we are powerless, it has been his own experience and the experience of leading others through the Steps, that if there is any reservation that we still have some power, we will drink again. Through good sponsorship, working through the Steps, and seeking the will of God in his daily affairs, he gets a daily reprieve. He has found that the principles that we practice in all our affairs, we learn only from taking the actions suggested and by asking God to help us be rid of our defects that we can have what is necessary to give to others, and by taking these actions we find that our lives have changed beyond our wildest dreams.

A New Way of Life was what Sharon H has found in Alcoholics Anonymous. Sharon hails from Alexandria, VA where her home group is AA 101. Before that though, she took a job in Washington where drinking was really part of the job (it wasn't but that's how she chose to see it). She went to Happy Hour each day after work with her friends to figure out where she would go to drink the rest of the night. She started to notice that her friends would say good night at the end of the hour to go home. She wondered what in the world they did there! She got a boyfriend who didn't drink much, and one time she even quit drinking for three months. Every minute of that time, all she could think about was drinking. She called AA one Saturday night at 9:30, figuring no one would answer, and then she could cross that off her list. Surprisingly, a fellow answered and talked to her about powerlessness and unmanageability, which all seemed to make sense, and then he talked he into going to a meeting. At her first meeting she heard someone share about the stuff that was in her most horrible nightmares, and they were laughing about it. Someone asked her if she was coming back tomorrow, and she asked how often they went to meetings, and they said every day! So she started going every day. For a year she resisted the spiritual aspect of the program, which allowed her to hang on to her misery the whole time. Finally, in desperation, she got a sponsor who led her through the steps. As a result, she found that the purpose of life had nothing to do with her, but rather, about relationships with others. This discovery has brought home the realization that we can grow spiritually, or we can die. Gee, is that such a tough decision?

Spiritual Awakening was the topic addressed by Kolin M from Sacramento, CA in the story he shared about a career of disaster and the recovery he eventually found. Kolin drew a vivid picture of how he'd arrived at absolute desperation, which is why he showed up at a detox center. They turned him away because they were full. He went outside and sat with his head in his hands in hopelessness. He went back inside and pleaded with them that he needed this. Miraculously a bed opened up, and he went from there to a six month program that gave him some understanding of his problem and the solution. He eventually worked the steps superficially, but didn't really understand them; he figured he'd find out eventually. After 14 years of making meetings, he had achieved some measure of worldly success, he realized he was absolutely miserable, awakening mornings wishing he was dead. He ran into some people who were really active in AA, who met daily, but he was too busy with his job, life, and family to take them seriously. His desperation finally made him surrender to ask for help from these new acquaintances. He started working the steps again with a new sponsor who started him at the beginning, because he was going to need to really understand the steps, because he would be working with new guys. One of the things he found was the power behind Step Three. To relieve him of bondage of self, meant that he had to take actions to better do God's will. To relieve him of his difficulties was not so he would feel better, but so that victory over them will bear witness to those he would help. It finally hit him, that this was not about him and what he could take from AA, but what he could do to help God's other children so that he could be relieved of his desperation. That is why this event is called ACTS of Recovery.

 Maintenance and Growth - The final speaker of the afternoon was Bobby S from Silver Spring, MD who is a member of the College Park Group. From her first drink at age 12, alcohol produced a feeling of ease, peace and comfort, and that is what she had been looking for her whole life. That became the purpose of life, to get that, and she would do anything to be able to get it. As the years passed, her drinking changed to drinking to reach oblivion, it no longer gave peace and ease. A number of DUIs eventually brought her to AA. She got a sponsor who had all the things she wanted (looks, friends, clothes, things) Bobby read the entire Big Book over the weekend, wrote her embarrassing things down in her Fourth Step, and told it to her sponsor on Monday. She started sharing about her joy at meetings, though she felt nothing. At eighteen months of sobriety she wished she were dead. She got a new sponsor who started her from the very beginning (Contents, Preface, Forewords, and the Doctor's Opinion). When she got to her fourth step, she understood that it wasn't about those embarrassing things, it wasn't about her, but about praying to God to remove her self-centeredness. It was praying that God help us show the same tolerance, pity, and patience we would show a sick friend. It was about asking him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. We ask God to mold our ideals and help us live up to them. In meditation we ask God what we should do about each matter, and be willing to heed his answer. It is really the whole point of this spiritual journey that we carry this message of love and service.

Hope to see each of you at a future mini-conference of the Acts of Recovery.

The Big Book Study Group in New Cumberland has expanded their schedule to now include a Friday evening meeting at 7:00PM at the Faith United Church of Christ, 1120 Drexel Hills Blvd – New Cumb. "O,BB,NS"

The change in Fellowship House hours has caused the Late Night Meeting to relocate from Fellowship House to a new meeting place. The meetings will be each evening, Mon - Fri at 11:15; Sat at 12 (midnight); and Sunday at 11:00PM. The new location is the Parkside Cafe 2009 State Street.

19th Street is starting it's monthly dances again. They will be on the first Saturday of the month unless there may be something else going on at the Fellowship House. This month's dance on March 6th and the DJ will be "Evolution Entertainment" from 521 Club fame. It should be a great time for all. Any questions or directions to the Fellowship House at 1251 So. 19th St. Harrisburg, call Bill P. at 215-8377.

The Mid-City Group, which is the oldest continuous meeting group in the City, is in need of support. The location is on Vine Street, which is the last left off Front Street before Paxton St and the 83 ramp. They meet:
Tues 7:30PM – Mid City Group – St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, River & Vine Sts – "CD,NS"
Thurs 7:30PM – Mid City Group – St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, River & Vine Sts – "CD,NS"
Sat 7:30PM – Mid City Group – St. Paul’s United Meth. Church, River & Vine Sts – "OD,NS"