Howdy y'all, kia ora koutou...

Went to my nearest f2f group last night and there were 11 there!

last week, there were three of us...  

This group has a wide catchment of readers- from all over the world. And we do get good quality Alanon here- because of the love and peace of the programme- and because we all pool our ESH... our experience strength and hope.

I have been suffering badly- for most of my life. I am really lucky to be alive. But I may have made it...

I have done this, in the end, by working two programmes- and then melding them into one.

Alanon was the  motherlode... but I needed extra help.

And I found it here, actually.   ...

I was inspired by the mahi [work] here of John F. John, at base was  CA. The miracle he had was under a bridge in Dallas Texas.

We had our kid brother living just east of Dallas... and I always thought- there, but the grace of god... te mea. te mea...

M. passed away last November- and I went over there to tidy up etc.

Because of that geographical connection I met up with John- whilst he was still with us. He gave me his ESH- as people do.

I always felt that people in the addiction arena all had their ears painted on.

John may have been a bit like that.

But if i had had days, instead of hours, to spend time with him- I am sure I would have had time to listen to me too! ...

[Such is the dilemma of the family member, really!]

Next week i am going on furlough for three weeks... to a warm Pacific Island north of here...

... I have been having my holiday these present weeks- and I plan to have a "study leave" learning time... with wonderful people.

Being a country lad I was always able to keep a notch above being homeless- but i was always very close...

...as a kid I would wake up and see sunlight coming though a hole in the wall! So I was never ever very far away- from the get-go!

I went to university four times- and passed once.

My true rite of passage was standing out on the railway track with a crowbar and a shovel! True. ...

Anyway- this is turning into a ramble...  ...

getting back to my meeting last night.

...things are looking promising over here...

keeping it simple...  ...

 He aha te waiata? [Show me your song.]

Our local custom here is to follow a talk, with a song.

David - how cool that your local meeting has grown! That's such an awesome thing as I feel there is no true replacement for Face to Face (F2F) meetings for those who have access to them. Loved hearing the gift you got when you just showed up...

I hope your furlough gives you all that you want/need! Safe travels to you!

I will leave you with this song - one of many I heard this morning as I was walking my sweet spiritual buddy - my rescue dog!

   Thanks, IAm...that was really sweet. I worship with upraised arms... and find it really healing... thanks...  ...

      As a kid my parents used to laugh- "Sunday School" was a drinking school on Sunday mornings. There was a little church across the road from our place so I started going there.

I thought, as a kid, that The Bible was an old man with a white beard who lived-in the clouds. A really good start for a higher power quest.

My SO's people were missionaries in Fiji, where I am going. Their g-grandfather wrote the song "Jesus Loves Me" in Fijian.

I love music and choir- and can sing it easily... the g-grandmother taught the Fijian people to sing in four part harmony. And they still do.

On Sundays there- the whole place comes to a standstill!

My goal, on holiday, is to sing the tenor part well!

It is wonderfull that we can build trust, and friendships inside of the group. There is always safety in numbers, and heaven knows, we all a need a place of safety to come too.  ...

We build respect, compassion, and empathy... ... and the love and peace of the programme!  ...