Tag Archives: The Goliad Group

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#Socs 98/5/20 – “Sharp as a …..”

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Today Linda has given us “sharp” as our prompt for this week’s #SoCS.

When I was younger I would be called sharp as a whip. As I became a teenager I became sharp as a pencil. As I moved through adulthood i was ranging from being sharp as a tack to being as sharp as a double edged sword with my fiery tacky sense of humor at times along with my very sharp tongue.

Today I deal a different type of sharpness. You see I have always been a go-getter especially when it comes to my work ethic. I currently find myself being called sharp in how I work, but I am also being called eager. Eager can be both a positive and a negative meaning that it can definitely be a sharp double edged sword.

The other double edged sword that I have to be very careful with is my recovery. I am very cognoscente that I must not stand still in my recovery, If I do I will be cut by that edge of the sword that cares nothing about me and my recovery.

September is National Recovery Month. We all know I am an open book and I am proud that I am in recovery! The last few years have been a struggle, but I am so proud to say I have 8 months of sobriety today. Unfortunately it took my husband Cruzer having open heart surgery in December of 2019 and me not taking it well for me to really wake up, but I am woke!

I am blessed to have a huge support network in my family, friends and my fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. But it is important to note that the number one thing that I have in my recovery is my Higher Power whom choose to call GOD!

If you know someone who is struggling with any type of addiction please let them know about a really great supplement to face to face meetings. In The Rooms that has meetings all day everyday for almost every type of addiction you can think of. I have a home group online Global Steps AA, that has a total of 64 meetings per week and just happens to meet in the church of In The Rooms!!!

So in order for me to be sure and handle the edge of the sword that does care about my recovery the way that I do, I do some pretty simple steps. I remain sharp as a tack in regards to my character defects coming to the surface and nip them in the bud. I thank my higher power whom I choose to call God every morning for allowing me to wake up and not just come to. I am in constant contact with my sponsor. I am currently working on my 4th step.

I love doing service, in fact I truly believe that in 2016 when I turned 50, the whole reasoning behind my major relapse and then continuing to have issues with relapse and recovery – was because I had gotten mad at folks in my home group the Goliad Group and my online group – and I quit doing any type of service.

You see, I always say, I cannot keep what I do not give away freely!!!!!! That is a true statement if I am doing some sort of service for my fellow alcoholics then I cannot keep my sobriety. Today I chair meetings at my face to face home group and in my online home group. I share in every meeting that I can, because I never know who I will touch with my words of experience, strength and hope.

So as long I continue to work this sharp program of recovery, I WILL REMAIN SHARP AS A TACK!!!!

That’ what’s in MY Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!

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Very Late #SoCS 6/13/20 – Nail

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I apologize for posting this entry for #SoCS for 6/13/20, for which Linda provided the prompt of NAIL on Wednesday 6/17/20, however I have been wanting to write this post but I just did not have a chance to do so until now. A lot happened in the last week that has definitely been a great thing. Since losing my job on May 28th I have been utilizing every job site and even stepped out of my box and applied at 7-11 and Circle K.

Long story short I applied to a local 7-11 franchise store and the owner texted me on Wednesday 6/10 and asked me to come in. I went in on Thursday morning 6/11, they spoke to me for five minutes and then handed me a new hire packet which I brought home and filled out. I returned the packet a little later that morning and that afternoon, I was the schedule for Friday from 8 AM – 4 PM. I did my first day of training on Friday and then Friday I was asked to go in for my normal graveyard shift because someone had called in, and I did. I am adjusting to the new work schedule as well as new sleep schedule while still maintaining my normal activities to ensure I do not allow the proverbial nail of drinking to creep into my mind.

As I often write about the fact that I am and will always be an alcoholic. My being an alcoholic is not the nail in my framework or the proverbial coffin. That nail becomes real if I ever begin to think that I have this disease licked or if I ever determine that I drink like a normal person. If I ever pick up that first drink I will truly be putting that nail into my coffin because, while I may have another drunken bender in me – I do not have another recovery in me and I do I believe that the disease of alcohol will kill me before the HIV/AIDS that I have thriving with, not just surviving with for 23 years or anything else that is within my control.

As long as I am doing the right things – talking to my sponsor, attending both face to face with the Goliad Group or the LAMBDA Group here in San Antonio and online meetings of Global Steps Alcoholics Anonymous on In The Rooms, doing service in those groups by chairing meetings – greeting in meetings – and sharing in meetings, continuing in my Catholic faith and asking my Higher Power whom I choose to call God to help me each day JUST FOR TODAY to help keep me sober and to do HIS WILL and not my own, and thanking my Higher Power at the end of the day for doing so – then I will be able to ensure that the proverbial NAIL of alcoholism and taking that first drink will not come.

So today “No Matter What It Takes” I will do it to ensure that I do not put that proverbial NAIL in any aspect of my life. Please enjoy this lyric video of Jeremy Camp’s No Matter What It Takes.

That’s what’s in My Rattled Cage, thanks for stopping by!!

recovery

#FOWC – Radar

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raΒ·dar: /ˈrāˌdΓ€r/ – noun

  1. AΒ system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and other objects, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source.

  2. An apparatus used for radar. Plural noun:Β radars

  3. Used to indicate that someone or something has or has not come to the attention of a person or group.

Related imageAs a person who not only suffers from being bipolar with depression but also has struggled through chronic relapses and forays into recovery, I always believed that my drinking or using was goingΒ on under the RADARΒ unless of course IΒ was truly drunk or otherwise. Only a true sick person would not see that their behaviors when using never change and they always on their loved ones radar.

On Saturday 3/16/2019Β I picked upΒ a new 60 day chip, my 60 days was actually on 3/9 but I wanted to get my chip during our monthly BBQ at my home group The Goliad Group. It is so great to have people in your life that never judge you no matter how many times you fall and get back up!!!

That’s what’s in “My Rattled Cage”, thanks for stopping by!!!

fowc

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A New 30 Day Chip!!!

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Some weekends just fall right into place and everything you do or say is right on time. This weekend was one of those weekends. It has been very cold in San Antonio for the last few days which has given me the chance to work on a couple of things and to celebrate one new very important thing. I write often and say how I am an open book and while I understand that a lot of what I write or even talk about may be a hinderance to my current situation of looking for employment in my field even though I am working with Social Security for Disability.

If does not come through and I must keep fighting or re-apply in a few months – then I must be able bring money into our home. When I am not working, I feel very useless and unproductive because I am not one to truly rely on anybody unless I just must. Unfortunately, over the years because of my depression, bipolar affectation disorder, chronic spine issues and of course my issues of chronic relapse, there have plenty of times that I have had to be totally reliant upon my husband. Mind you, Cruz has been a true angel and savior for me, but I do not like putting that pressure on him.

So back to this last weekend. On Saturday I spent most of the day working on the layout of “My Rattled Cage” and I am in love with the way it looks and the new additions to the site. Sunday, I started off in the “Each One Teach One” video meeting with Global Steps AA on InTheRooms.com, Then I went to 8AM mass at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, which is a every Sunday routine for me. After I attended the “A Spiritual Life” video meeting.

30DayChip

The most important thing that I did was to attend a Closed Meeting with my home group, The Goliad Group to pick up a BRAND-NEW 30-Day Chip. I am truly blessed that I have a meeting place that is less than 10 minutes from my house. I more blessed because no matter how long it takes me to get back to my home group, they always welcome me with open arms. That is the greatest thing about the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, no matter if you are going to a face to face meeting or attending online video meetings – you are always welcomed back and strongly encouraged to “Keep Coming Back, It Works if you Work It!!!”

FullSerenityPrayer

This morning as I was preparing to write this post, I was searching for a good picture of the Serenity Prayer and I actually found the full version and it just reminded me that yes the promises can come true if you simply work the program and keep your relationship with your Higher Power, whom I choose to call God.

That’s what’s in “My Rattled Cage”, thanks for stopping by!!!