It’s Friday, November 1st, and I took the day off. I flew with my wife, Priscilla to Los Angeles. This fall I joined “The Magic Castle” in Hollywood. It is a private club in a castle, located in the Hollywood Hills. I sponsor a 94 year old psychologist who lives in California, and he both introduced me to the Magic Castle, and sponsored me for membership.

“Before I was broken, I was convinced that my problems were:  My family, my school, the police, my girlfriend, my lack of a girlfriend, my peer group, my lack of money, etc., etc. etc.”"

“Step 12 says “as a result” of these steps.  It doesn’t say you can work on the steps if and only if you first have a spiritual awakening.  So I needed to start over and work on steps 1-11 first. "

“Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” (Tradition Seven of the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous)"

“What has God done for me, that I could never do for myself? On Independence Day, 2019, I get to celebrate 30 years of continuous sobriety in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous."

“Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

- Step 6 from the Al-Anon Family Groups

“Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”

“Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

There are struggles we will face in sobriety. Getting sober is not a guarantee that life will be void of trouble. On the contrary, life will be life. Life will have its ups and downs, its triumphs and tribulations, its ebb and flow.