Good afternoon! My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  Yesterday, I had 23 months sober and it was pretty cool.  I went to 2 different meetings.  One was a closed meeting, and the other was an open speaker meeting at a group I have never been to before.  I went with a good friend and I met some new people and it was nice.  I haven't ever been to many other groups before, which I know I need to go to more, different ones, since I have so many available around me.  Not saying I was scared, but I was out of my comfort zone, but it was good for me.  Today, I want to talk about the two acronyms of FEAR.  One was what I did when I was drinking/using...forget everthing and run.  It was much easier.  Fear was ruling my life.  I would do anything to get out of responsibility, paying bills, whatever.  Today when I am afraid, I don't run.  I rise.  I face it, head on.  Life is going to throw things at me, things I have no control over, but I have God on my side and He will help me through it. No matter what it is.  Now I haven't been through any major things in my sobriety YET, but I know when I do, what I can and will do.  Today, I have my God, my faith, my friends in AA, my friends in church, my family, so many more things than I ever had when I was drinking or using.  Today I have a support system.  I can't do it alone, and I don't have to.  That's all for today.  Have a great one!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recoving alcoholic/addict.  Today I am going to be real with you.  Not that I am usually not, but I am going to be raw, and completely honest.  It's sick and scary, but true.  It's how I used to be, and it's the change in me.  I'm not proud of this, and it's hard for me to say these words, maybe it's easier for me to type them, so here it goes.  I used to drive 30 minutes out of the way every Sunday morning to get my booze before they would sell it in my town, because I "had" to have it.  I would do this before I dropped my kids off at my parents house so they could go to Sunday school, because I knew they needed to grow up knowing God. All the while my family and the deacons, and some people at church were praying for me in my alcoholism. Months later I got into a car accident, and still didn't think I had a problem.  One month after that, I went to treatment, where I got sober.  Now I am a member at that church and just starting helping in the children's ministry there.  What a change from a few years ago.  Praise God!  Sometimes it just takes time, and it's always in God's timing.  But you have to have the desire to change or you never will.  That's all for today.  Have a great one!

Good afternoon!  My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic, addict.  There are many excuses people can give for not finding a sponsor.  "I don't really think I need one."  or  "What do they know that I don't?"  or "I can't decide which one I want."  or maybe "I don't know if they will have time for me."  Either way you probably need to get a sponsor.  The longer you go without a sponsor, the closer you are to a drink.  LIke this quote say, a ship without a rudder.  You have no one guiding you, helping you, showing you the way.  walking you through the steps.  They will make time for you, if you pick the right one.  So unless you want to float around on the lake forever and have no where to go, get a sponsor.  Othewise, in my opinion, you will probably end up lost or back out there. That's all for today.  Have a great one!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  When I first read this I just caught the "don't think of yourself better than others" part, but when I read it again I saw it as "don't be selfish or think you have to live to make a good impression on others, and be humble" as well. There is a lot to say in that little verse.  But it is a very self-less verse.  It is all about others, and I have learned more about that in the program and in going to church again.  Before my priorities came first, my booze was number one on my list.  It came before everything, before God, my husband, my kids, work, family, bills, friends, whatever.  It was pathetic.  Today my priorities have changed.  They have changed a lot.  And today I am happy.  That's all for today.  Have a great one!

Good afternoon!  My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  There are sometimes when I think that what I am going through will never end.  But I have to remember, this too shall pass.  And Doe Zantamata words it well when she said, "When things are bad, remember: it won't always be this way.  Take one day at a time. When things are good, remember: it won't always be this way.  Enjoy every great moment."  There are times when I have to take it one hour at a time, maybe even one minute at a time.  But I always make it through.  Sometimes I have to pray the whole time. It just depends.  Sometimes I just have people praying for me the whoel time.  But God always get me throught it.  That's all I have for today.  Have a great one!