The CHIPS group helped save my life. I have grown closer to
God than I have ever been. I love them all.
Regina

Well if you missed the Chips group Derby Party, It was a hoot and holler!!
The usual suspects were there and food was scrumptious!!
The excitement went well into the Speaker meeting, where laughs were still evident
and buzzard picking is still the norm. Hehehe!

Don't miss this annual event next year..............
you will see what I am talking about.
Hope to see you there!!

Your Dove,
wyldthang

Coming to the Chips group was the best thing I could have ever done!
I love everyone in the group because you all help me with everyday life and I can't say thank you enough!!!
You all are my family and you understand all my feelings which is amazing to me!!!
So thank you so much for all of your love and support!!
You all are saving my life, because I know I can't do it alone!

Ashlee

Reference the Spring, 2008 Newsletter from the CHIPS Group in Frankfort, Kentucky.

First of all, I have never seen in the 33 years I have been in AA
a more excellent newsletter than this one.

The website: www.ourspecial.net/chips is exquisite!
Very professionally done. Thanks, Mike.

The Newsletter feature article, “Serenity as it is for me” by Lynne N. is a wonderful, well-written article,
that I am sure was as beneficial to all readers as it was for me. Thanks, Lynne for sharing.

I wish to answer Lynn’s question:
“Have you ever asked God for help with a problem and found the response to be empty silence?”

My answer to the above question is, “yes”.

I would like to pose a different question:
“Have you ever asked God for help with a problem and received an audible answer?

I have. Twice. I was alone both times.
I have often wished some other human being,
or a tape recorder would have been recording at the time.
And, I have often asked, “Would that person who was with me have heard what I heard?
Or, would the tape recorder have recorded what I heard?

If I had never had this experience
I would not believe anyone who told me they heard God speak to them –
audibly– as God spoke to me.
So, I am not trying to convince anyone of my experience.

I finally got up enough courage to share these two experiences with my wife,
who has never been “religious” or a “church goer”.
She is not an alcoholic nor has she ever used drugs other than prescribed by a medical doctor.

I expected her to say something like: “I believe you “believe” what you told me,
but if I had been with you at the time, I don’t believe I would have heard anything.

To my great surprise, my wife said,
“God has audibly spoken to me, also. I believe you.”
I was shocked! We had been married for over 30 years.
I have been sober for over 20 years.
She was an active member of Alanon and I had been an active member of AA for many years.

I am not trying to convince anyone of anything. I just felt like sharing my experience.
I would like to hear from others who are convienced God has audibly spoken to them.

John S.

I have always been attracted to a good analogy...
and often times in my sobriety
use one to get a better understanding
of some principle of the program.

I also have been "inspired" by God to make a few of my own.

I have until recently just accepted this tool of connection and comprehension
as a way that God reveals Himself to me. I have come to believe that I am not unique
and that maybe there are some of my fellow A.A.'s who can relate to one of my off-the-wall analogies.

So...I call this one my "Busting Boulders with Bananas" analogy.

God, as I understand him, seems to appreciate an act of willingness.
Irregardless of what I think or feel about some action He wants me to take, I'm to DO IT ANYWAY!

For example: There is a large boulder that represents one (of many) character defect.
God wants me to "bust" this boulder, but the only tool he gave me to do the job is a banana!

Of course my perception,thought,feeling is that when I strike this boulder with the banana,
I'm going to wind up with a handful of banana pudding and the boulder won't so much as have a dent in it.

God says "Do it anyway." So I swing and to my astonishment the banana is actually a 20 lb sledgehammer
- - and pieces of this "character defect" boulder fly in all directions rendering it slightly smaller than it was before.

The point is that with my screwed up perception, I couldn't differientiate the truth from the false. I couldn't see that the banana was actually a sledgehammer. But if I just do what I'm supposed to do, even when I don't understand and it seems ridiculous, God will do for me what I can't do for myself!

Pete N.

I went to visit a dear sick friend the other day. He is actually dying.
I have known this man and his wife, who has also been a dear friend of mine, for about 10 years.
However, I have not even tried to contact them for about the last 5,
and they have never lived over 30 minutes from me; at times, I have lived only 5 minutes away.

My absence was during my drinking, and now he only stays awake for a couple of minutes or so at a time.

After my visit, I thought of an old bluegrass gospel song entitled
"Give Them the Roses While They Live", a favorite of my dad. The chorus goes,

"Give them the roses while they live
Trying to cheer them on;
Useless the flowers that you give
After the soul is gone."

They have definitely been better friends to me than I have to them.
They are elderly and could have used my assistance in their lives over the past few years.

I must admit, I experienced some heavy regret as I talked with his wife and watched him lie there,
struggling to breathe with his machine. The regret remained after leaving their home.

My drinking has taken a lot that can never be regained. I used to think I was only hurting myself,
but different times I have had the very sobering realization that I have hurt so many more.

So, as to not regret the past or wish to shut the door on it,
I will use this lesson to help build my future and be helpful to others when the opportunity presents itself.
I will do my best to stay open to God's will and "give them the roses while they live...."

Mark D.