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Source: Ruth M – Al-Anon Breakfast – Date Unknown.mp3 File: ruth-m-al-anon-breakfast-date-unknown.mp3 Duration: 00:15:10
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My name is Ruth M., and this is the Al-Anon Breakfast. Hi, everybody. I'm not standing in a hole. Four feet nine doesn't reach very tall, even with the platform. I would like to ask Herman to give the blessing and invocation, please. Let us pray. We know from a holy word that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. But we're also reminded by a holy word that as a man thanketh in his heart, so is he.
We pray that we always might have that spirit of thanksgiving that would keep us from taking life for granted or the blessings of it. We have many reminders of thy sustaining grace in thy presence. We give thanks for thy love that is expressed through the sustaining power of food that restores and strengthens, maintains health and wholeness. And we pray that as we are mindful of food and its good taste here, we might also be mindful of thy presence and the good taste of the Holy Spirit.
We pray that thy benedictions and thy blessings may rest upon this group, and pray also that each of us might realize more each day that we are channels of love and service. Help us as channels to become wider in our outlook and more effective in our service. These things we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you. While we are beginning, just as they are getting you set up for a delightful breakfast, I think we can get some of these things out of the way.
I would like for Lucille and her committee to stand so that we might give them a rousing thanks for such a marvelous convention, Al-Anon-Wise. Lucille, will you and your others that have worked with you stand? I shall take this opportunity to thank the Al-Anon committee and the AAs for asking me to chair this delightful breakfast today. At a Southeastern sometime ago, I was in such a hurry, being chairman, not to take up over two or three minutes, I forgot to give my name.
I think I did give it. It is Ruth M.. I am the proud wife of a recovering alcoholic, and even more proud to be an Al-Anon, a member of the Gulf Coast group. In order to allow our charming speaker as much time as possible and not infringe on the marvelous AA program to follow, I should like for Randy G. to read the welcome. Randy. Thank you, Ruth. I'm not sure who I am this morning, after listening to Lou's dog story.
Several years ago I was called the son of a bee a lot, and I did have to turn around many, many times before hitting the sack, so I might be that German shepherd. I'm not sure. I will read the Al-Anon welcome this morning. We welcome you to the Al-Anon family group and hope you will find in this fellowship the help and friendship we have been privileged to enjoy. We would like you to feel we understand as perhaps few can.
We too were lonely and frustrated, but here we have found there is no situation too difficult to be bettered and no unhappiness too great to be lessened. We urge you to try our program.
[00:05:01]
Without spiritual help, living with an alcoholic is too much for most of us. We become nervous, irritable, unreasonable. Our thinking becomes confused and our perspective distorted. A change in our attitude is of boundless help to the alcoholic and often is a force for good that finally inspires him to join AA. So there is no other need for discouragement, even though the alcoholic is still drinking.
Rarely do we see a family that is not greatly benefited when both husband and wife try to live with the AA program. Working in unity for a common purpose does more than strengthen both partners individually. It draws them closer. The 12 steps of AA which we try to follow are not easy. At first we may think some of them are unnecessary, but if we are thoroughly honest with ourselves, we will find that they all apply to us as well as to the alcoholic.
The benefit derived from a strict and constant observance of them can be limitless. We thus make ourselves ready to receive God's gift of serenity. Thank you, Ruth. Thank you, Randy. Now that you have said that, some of you are not, so I will talk to you about a request. Some of you are waiting. I was asked to tell you that the Butterfly Story for the AAs in Al-Anon are for us to wear and share with each other.
Some of you have asked me about that. Many of you know of the Butterfly Story that Marcy, started and that she and I have had the privilege of spreading throughout this marvelous United States. You see, the butterfly is not a symbol of AA or Al-Anon, but it is a symbol of resurrection and happiness. But it is a symbol of resurrection and has been since before the time of Christ. And so AAs in Al-Anon share this little, beautiful, tiny or large, gay butterfly as a symbol of caring and love.
If you care to, it's just fine coming down the word from headquarters. Some of you will understand. You see, the Butterfly Story, in short, is something that AAs and Al-Anons share together. God transformed the lowly caterpillar into a gay, colorful butterfly for us to enjoy. We do not earn it. It's a gift from him to us. And so we use this great symbol of a gift from God that adds beauty and joy to our world.
And we give it one with the other to share our love and our appreciation. God transformed the lowly caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly. And he would be so happy to transform you and me. And so I wear the butterfly, as do others who like to identify, to remind me that he is waiting and will transform me, too, if I'll just give him the chance. And I can't find any other group of people who are trying harder to transform their lives and leave the world a more beautiful place after they're gone than when they came, than AAs and Al-Anons.
[00:10:04]
And so I give you my thanks for being here and being with you at this marvelous Southeastern. And I ask you to listen a moment to the preamble of Al-Anon. It will be read to you by my little replacement from Mississippi who is now delegate to the World Service Conference, Mona. I feel that I should tell you that Ruth is really very tall. Looking short like this is Ruth's idea of remaining anonymous.
The Al-Anon family groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problem of living with an alcoholic and to help others do the same. We believe alcoholism is an illness which can be arrested and that changed family attitudes can often aid recovery. The only requirement for membership is that there be a relative or friend with a drinking problem.
There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions. Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution. It does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause. Our primary purpose is to practice the Al-Anon program so we may help others with similar problems, aid the alcoholic through understanding, and grow spiritually ourselves.
Thank you, Mona. Thank you, Irma and Mona and Randy, for the invocation, the welcome, and the preamble. We will let you eat a little while in peace, and then we'll start the official Al-Anon program. Have fun, and may I suggest, if you do not know the one across the table, smile. God loves you, and so do we. Did you enjoy your breakfast? Yeah! Did you enjoy your breakfast? Yeah! Did I hear a no? You haven't? Oh!
Coming up? Since we are in for our treat at 10 o'clock, with Eve from New York, I hope that you might be served and enjoy those who have not been, so that we will not run into the AA meeting. I am going to ask at this time for our speaker's husband, Richard, to stand, and we thank him for doing a great deal for Al-Anon. Richard. The reason for my being here, is sitting at a table, close in front of me, a little over 21 years ago, at this time, I don't believe that I would have stood up here and proudly asked you to know Bish.
But I do today. Bish. You see, I'm on the plus end of this now, out of 40 years of married life, I had 19 of hell and 21 of the goody, so I'm on the plus end now, so I can just share all of it with you.