Tag: progress

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Dianne’s Missives July 02, 2026 🇺🇸

Thought to Consider…

If I’m not comfortable within myself, I can’t be comfortable with others.
The journey of life is a very happy one, as long as I am willing to accept change and responsibility.
It’s not making a mistake that will kill me. It’s defending it that does the damage.

AACRONYMS

D E A D = Drinking Ends All Dreams

Powerless

“Most certainly I was powerless over alcohol, and for me, my life had become unmanageable. It wasn’t how far I had gone, but where I was headed. It was important to me to see what alcohol had done to me and would continue to do if I didn’t have help. At first it was a shock to realize I was an alcoholic, but the realization that there was hope made it easier. The baffling problem of getting drunk when I had every intention of staying sober was simplified. It was a great relief to know I didn’t have to drink anymore.”
Just because I’m powerless does not mean that I am helpless.

Progress

Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

“If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation. That is something we are supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks only that we try as best we know how to make progress in the building of character.”

“We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired. All of us, whatever our race, creed, or color, are the children of a living Creator, with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try.”

“When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn’t.”

Belonging

“There is no more ‘aloneness,’ with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom.”
“Following this spiritual path made a major difference in my life. It seemed to fill that lonely hole that I used to fill with alcohol. My self-esteem improved dramatically, and I knew happiness and serenity as I had never known it before. I started to see the beauty and usefulness in my own existence, and tried to express my gratitude through helping others in whatever ways I could. A confidence and faith entered my life and unraveled a plan for me that was bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. It wasn’t easy, and it has never been easy, but it gets so much better.”

Down to Earth

“Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make-believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives.

We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be planted on earth. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness.”

Dianne
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Dianne’s Missives April 24, 2026

Thought to Consider…

We are as sick as our secrets.
. harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit.
A victim is a spectator in his life.

AACRONYMS
F E A R = Face Everything And Recover!
D E N I A L = Don’t Even Notice I Am Lying
B S = Before Sobriety

GIVING UP INSANITY

. . . where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane.

THE “NUMBER ONE OFFENDER”

Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick.

Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted to or not. Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of my disease. It robbed me of the freedom of choice over drinking and, therefore, robbed me of all other choices. When I drank, I was unable to make effective choices in any part of my life, and life became unmanageable.
I ask God to help me understand and accept the full meaning of the disease of alcoholism.

Amends

“Learning how to live in the greatest peace, partnership, and brotherhood with all men and women, of whatever description, is a moving and fascinating adventure. Every A.A. has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake.”

Intoxication

“As newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, we saw our pick strike gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. The newcomer feel she has struck something better than gold. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.

Sharing

“In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope.”

Healing Talk

“When we consult an A.A. friend, we should not be reluctant to remind him of our need for full privacy. Intimate communication is normally so free and easy among us that an A.A. adviser may sometimes forget when we expect him to remain silent. The protective sanctity of this most healing of human relations ought never be violated. Such privileged communications have priceless advantages. We find in them the perfect opportunity to be as honest as we know how to be. We do not have to think of the possibility of damage to other people, nor need we fear ridicule or condemnation. Here too, we have the best possible chance of spotting self-deception.”

Progress

“We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.
(c) That God could and would if He were sought.”

Our New Employer

“We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing, we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life. As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow, or the hereafter. We were reborn.”

Dianne

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Episode 0065 Solo Promise Keepers

In this solo episode the Old Rucker dives into the real meaning of being a promise keeper both in recovery and in everyday life. From personal stories of broken trust to the transformative promises found in recovery principles, he unpacks how integrity, accountability, and consistent action shape who we become. Highlighting the importance of honesty, boundaries, and spiritual grounding, this episode challenges listeners to rethink the weight of their word and offers practical ways to rebuild trust starting from within. Whether you’re early in your journey or well down the road, this conversation is a reminder that progress, not perfection, is what leads to lasting change.

April 16-19: is an Arkansas AA Convention. This one is the 49th Annual Springtime in the Ozarks, in Eureka Springs. No flier for that one so check out springtimeintheozarks.com.

June 20th: Arkansas Soberfest Picnic at the VFW in Cabot, Arkansas

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS | Subscribe to the Podcast Feed

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Episode 0064 Robin & Blake

Bob sits down with Blake and Robin, a couple whose journey through addiction, trauma, and recovery highlights the raw reality of rebuilding a life from the ground up. From Robin’s story of surviving a childhood injury and rediscovering purpose through forgiveness, to Blake’s path through addiction, military service, and eventual sobriety, the episode explores how service work, accountability, and connection to others create lasting change. Their dynamic as partners in recovery, their commitment to helping others, and their willingness to share both struggle and growth make this episode a grounded reminder that no matter how far someone has fallen, there is a path forward and it often starts by simply showing up.

April 16-19: is an Arkansas AA Convention. This one is the 49th Annual Springtime in the Ozarks, in Eureka Springs. No flier for that one so check out springtimeintheozarks.com.

June 20th: Arkansas Soberfest Picnic at the VFW in Cabot, Arkansas

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS | Subscribe to the Podcast Feed

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Dianne’s Missives Jun 27

Thought to Consider…

Let us always love the best in others – and never fear their worst.
There is no progress without change.
It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.

“When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn’t.”

AACRONYMS

E G O = Easing God Out
D E A D = Drinking Ends All Dreams

Egomania

“Our egomania digs two disastrous pitfalls. Either we insist on dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much. If we lean too heavily on people, they will sooner or later fail us, for they are human, too, and cannot possibly meet our own incessant demands . . . We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society.”

This Matter of Honesty

“‘Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is. Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be – to the best or our ability.’ Fallible as we all are, and will be in this life, it would be presumption to suppose that we could ever really achieve absolute honesty. The best we can do is to strive for a better quality of honesty. Sometimes we need to place love ahead of indiscriminate ‘factual honesty.’ We cannot, under the guise of ‘perfect honesty,’ cruelly and unnecessarily hurt others. Always one must ask, ‘What is the best and most loving thing I can do?'”

Spirituality

“Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things which then seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth, but if we wished to grow, we had to begin somewhere. So, we used our own conception, however limited it was.”

Obedience

“We of A.A. obey spiritual principles, at first because we must, then because we ought to, and ultimately because we love the kind of life such obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are A.A.’s disciplinarians; we need no others.”
“Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worthwhile to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God’s hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have – the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.”

Friendship

“Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Remember they are very ill. Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up around you, to have a host of friends – this is an experience you must not miss. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.”

Progress

Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

“If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation. That is something we are supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks only that we try as best we know how to make progress in the building of character.”

Dianne
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