The Serenity Prayer

When I was quite new in AA (probably less than six months) I was at an AA meeting when someone shared: “Today I had to say the serenity prayer at least seven times until I felt relief.”  I said to myself: “Shee-it, I have never said it more than once—no wonder I haven’t had good results with the Serenity Prayer.”   Please believe me, the day came when I said the Serenity Prayer more than 300 times over a personal matter with my girlfriend (as you can probably guess for what), before I felt relief—if you keep saying it and pay attention to the words, you eventually get relief—that has been and is my experience with the Serenity Prayer—it works!

This Program Works for Insane People if they Have the Capacity to be Honest with Themselves

I was in the military both before and during Viet Nam.  In my sixth year I got out of the military and was certifiably insane.  I should have been put in jail for many of the things I did.  One of the things I did was in a drunken-rage; I shot and killed my dog and then turned the gun on my first wife’s head at 2 am and started pulling the trigger, click-click, click-click, click-click…  If one of the bullets had miss-fired at the dog, you wouldn’t be reading this sentence now.  She later obtained an annulment from our marriage.  To this date, 45 years later, she and the kids still refuse to talk to me and I don’t blame them—I pray for them every day—I pray to Jesus to heal their hearts and minds.

When I first came into AA, Les, my sponsor allowed me to stay at his home—you better believe that I have never done this with a sponsee, let alone with someone who had done what I had done.  His wife got sick of my staying at their house and not looking for a job.  She had my sponsor ask me to get a room.  A little further down this page you will read my gratitude list.  You will undoubtedly doubt that my journey in AA started with a $21 a week room with blood on the floor and the smell of dried up rancid whiskey in the air.

Les told me to start writing gratitude lists.  He said that in the Bible it says: “He who has will be given more; he who has not will have that taken away from him.”  He said that he believed that the Bible was talking about Gratitude.  He also said that sobriety and gratitude walk hand in hand.

When Les first told me about a gratitude list, he said, “At the beginning maybe all you can write on your list is that you can see (there are many who can’t), you can walk (there are many who can’t).” He said that if I kept writing those gratitude lists, they would grow.  And Grow they Did. Thank you, Jesus.

With Jesus and AA have received the following.

1.   Over 46 years of continuous sobriety.

2.   Over 41 years since quit smoking.

3.   After five annulments with four different women, married Chris in the Church 29 years ago and she is my best friend.

4.   A pilot’s license (flown 3 types of planes).

5.   Survived stage 4 cancer (originally, a 7-month prognosis).

6.   Elected Commander of War Veterans, Post 1917 in Lakeland, FL.

7.   Thirteen yrs in home in suburbs of Indianapolis with 3 nice cars & good neighbors.

8.   3 trips to the Holy Lands (Israel)

9.   Swam 1600 miles in Y’s around the USA.

10.  Ran 10 marathons around the USA.  Medallions won with Jesus help

11.  Equivalent of a Lt. Colonel’s pension.  The Story  (Firefox users, when you get to the document choose Adobe to view).

12.  At the age of 78, do more than 75 pushups 3 times/week.

13.   Seven great sponsors (Including Clarence Snyder, whose sponsor was Dr. Bob).  Great Sponsors Jesus has given me

14.  A Great relationship with my church.