Happy Holidays?

[garden variety]

I went to that Halloween dance Saturday. Everybody had a costume except me! I was pretty freaked because I didn't recognize anyone - there was about 80 people there. I was off kilter too. The DJ was driving me nuts - playing goofy music you can't dance to. I tried not to get a resentment. I watched Mike dance - smooth guy! He can dance to anything. I almost fell asleep at our table before 10PM. I hope I provided comic relief to someone!

You know sometimes it's just better to stay home and read a book. I'll give it another try at a Christmas dance.

[sunlight]

Here's the plan for the "Just Do It" group for Thanksgiving:

Ask yourself what you are thankful for & then help someone achieve the same.

Are you thankful for food on the table?
Donate to a food bank, food drive, shelter;volunteer at a soup kitchen
or just spend time helping.

Are you thankful for a sweetheart or dear friend?
Give someone who may be lonely a gift, a card, a call: say "I love you" & let them know you appreciate them, or
just spend time with them.

Are you thankful for your health?
Take someone who needs it to the doctor, buy their meds or vitamins, bring chicken soup, check up on them, or
just spend time with them.

Are you thankful for your sobriety?
Chair a meeting , volunteer to be a speaker, step up to a service position, welcome a newcomer, share your story, buy someone coffee or a big book, or
just spend time with them.

Are you thankful for Step 12.com?
Post what's been going on with you, share your joys & sorrows, ask more questions, tell how this forum has helped you,challenged you, burned you up,made you laugh, think & given a fuller dimension to living sober or
just spend time here.

There's no time like the present & there's no present like time.

Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you, & Tiny Tim too. (or is that Christmas?)

[Dallas]

Wow!!! Thanks for sharing your list Sunlight!!!
It's a great one!

Right before I read it, I was thinking of writing a thank you letter to my eye doctor and his staff -- for the awesome care and the perfect job that they did for me!!! I'll get to see the turkey!

And, before that... I was thinking of all the many things and people and experiences that I have to be thankful for. The list is overwhelming!

And... thank you... and the others here on Step12.com for all that you do and have done for me. Many of the things that I have to be thankful for -- is you and your sharing with me. My life wouldn't be the same without you. You all bring tears of gratitude to my eyes.

Now... after reading your list and some of your other sharing... I was wondering how much a airplane ticket to Denver, on short notice would cost me!!!

Dallas

[sunlight]

Thanks Dallas.

The words sound pretty good. Just like at meetings, or even online here, it can sound pretty spiffy. If that's all I do, I'm barking up a dead horse. I used to talk about all the wonderful things I was gonna do (while pouring me another drink) & never do a darn thing. It was boring & miserable cuz I knew I was a phony.
I didn't know about "constructive action".

That's why my homegroup chose the name it did. We try to get out there and "JUST DO IT"! And, really, doing it's a lot more fun than talking about it. And the more we do, the more our group has to talk about, cuz we have experiences to talk about, not just ideas.

This may be a lot like Paul testing your "actions" in another post!

[Dallas]

Into Action!

[sunlight]

Christmas is coming & the "Just Do It" group is ready for action!

My proposal for this year came from something that happened last year & it happened again recently, so I thought I'd pass it on.

The plan: Give it away!
And let your Higher Power guide you as to what "it" is.

Last year I had gotten a gift card from my work as a Christmas present. After work, I went to a meeting & there was a man who had been sober 3 weeks & he was depressed cuz he'd lost everything & had nothing to give his loved ones for Christmas.

The thought popped in my head: "Give him the card, Sunlight."

Man, I could feel my resistance! "Why should I give him the card? He won't appreciate it...."

I turned my focus to the rest of the meeting, but that gift card was burning a hole in my purse! And I KNEW I would not enjoy whatever I bought with that card because, well, it wasn't mine!

So, after the meeting I go up to him & hand him the card & say, "Merry Christmas." He says he can't accept it & I tell him, "Please. You're SUPPOSED to have it." He seemed to get that & he cried.

To this day, he talks about how he learned of the unconditional love of this program & of God, from what happened at Christmas time.

And it wasn't ME! I did not want to give that card. But God did.

Present day:

The group thinks this is kind of weird & asks can't we just do a fundraiser or something. Sure, we can do that, but try "just giving it away". It can be as simple as giving a smile to someone you usually scowl at. Just ask in your prayer & meditation what it should be. How do you know? Well, how do you know you have to go to the bathroom? There's an unmistakeable urge, a "movement", if you will, & you act on it.

After the meeting, I'm working the coffee bar & a man comes up & plunks $100 on the counter & says, "This is for the children's Christmas party at the Fellowship Club." Then, he hands me $60 & says it's for big books. Then, he gives me another $40 & says it's for free coffee all day Wednesday for everyone since it's his 22nd AA birthday. (Thanks, Jack!)

This weekend there were over 1000 bikers riding their motorcycles on the highway with Santa hats on & carrying bags of toys to Children's Hospital & other organizations for "Toys for Tots". They were giving it away!

Just give it away. You will find much of heaven & at least be rocketed into the spirit of the season.

Hey O!