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Heard at a meeting
Failure is not falling down, it's not getting up.
* * * Every minute you're angry costs your 60 seconds on happiness.
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The longer you stay on the pity pot, the stronger the suction becomes.
Instead of praying, "God, be with me," I pray, "God, bear with me!"
* * * When I change my thoughts, I change my life.
* * * Try saying "I get to..." rather than "I've got to..."
* * * There is always one right choice available to me and that's to do nothing.
Sponsor to sponsee...
"Your job is to tell the truth. My job is to laugh at you when you don't."
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What's the difference between Al-Anon and a pit bull? MEETINGS! MEETINGS! MEETINGS!
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Your mind is like a bad neighborhood. You should NEVER go there alone!
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Dear Al-Anon or Alateen Member,
Welcome to the District 14 Al-Anon/Alateen Monthly Newsletter. This newsletter is created and distributed by Al-Anon members. Any member of Al-Anon or Alateen is welcome to contribute to this newsletter.
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Recovery In Our Own Words
When the elevator's broken, use the steps!
A share from Donna: My recovery has been a constant discovery of who I am. I use different tools of Al-Anon, books, literature, meetings, a sponsor, and sharing (which I find difficult). My recovery has been serendipitous. My more recent "tool" has been journaling. Scary at first, but I was gentle and kind to myself and journaling became my friend. I write about feelings, about Al-Anon books I've read, and wisdom from other members of Al-Anon. I use the steps for interpreting my journal writing:
Step One - I accept that I am powerless over the lives of my loved ones. Steps Two and Three - I "let go and let God" have ALL of my emotional pain. Steps Four, Five, and Six - Now I can FOCUS on MY OWN characteristics. In Step Seven - I become WILLING to "let go" to what no longer serves me. Avoiding giving advice helps me practice "live and let live". That's HUGE. Step Eight - HUMBLY I ask my HP to help me recognize what I want and need without guilt or shame. By using Step Nine, I work toward being the best person I can be. Developing healthy relationships with MYSELF and my HP. Maintenance Steps Ten, Eleven, and Twelve - I choose to do it differently today, praying for my HP to reveal to me how to proceed and for the intentions of the universe. Prayer is a powerful gift to others and ourselves when we pray for happiness, freedom from suffering, and for loving kindness and compassion. "If my problems have brought me to prayer, they they have served a purpose." From As We Understood, Pg. 141
Please send submissions to: Linda W district14newsletter@yahoo.com
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District 14 and Beyond News
 The District 14 Monthly Meeting is held the 1st Wednesday of each month from 7:30 -9:00 in the Lesher Auditorium at the John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus, 2540 East Street, Concord. Preceded by Concept discussion at 7:00 pm. ALL are welcome. 
Items of Interest from November 7, 2012 District 14 Meeting - Monthly Speaker Meetings. For openings for host groups. please contact Sandy H. at 925-642-9909 to volunteer your group. Remember, smaller groups can join forces to host a meeting together, and there are very detailed guidelines with timelines included to guide you through the process if this is new to your group.
- New Reimbursement Form for District Expenses now available on the website or here.
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 Literature Depot Reminder: The literature depot can always use gently recycled brown grocery bags...or if anyone can ask for a donation of these from an establishment they frequent that would be great. They can be dropped off in the literature pick up box! - The new Legacies work book is due out by July 2013. This book is being created by blogs from the WSO website.
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The new Intimacy book has 525 submissions. As many as 1200 are needed to create the right balance of shares. Groups and districts are encouraged to hold writing workshops to get our members writing!
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 A trial for the first planned electronic book, 'Having Had a Spiritual Awakening', will happen sometime in 2013. To get into practice for electronic reading, be sure to read the "The Forum's' 3 monthly articles already being published online (and always included as the last article in this newsletter!). -
Any groups having trouble coming up with a basket theme? How about an Al-Anon literature basket! These are lovely silent auction and basket prizes! Throw in a journal and a nice pen and you are really giving the gift of recovery to a member or friend of our fellowship:)
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Contact Wynne for Literature Depot Questions.
- Group Donations to the District. Please send group donations to: District 14 AFG, P.O. Box 416, Concord, CA 94522-0416. DO NOT FORGET to label your donation with you Group Name, Meeting Day and Time, and AFG number.
- NCWSA has new P.O. Box for donations. The new address is: NCWSA Treasurer, P.O. Box 728, Vacaville, CA 95696-0728. Donation form A-25 is available on the NCWSA website.
- Twelve-Stepper, Area Newsletter for GRs. Now available online. Will ONLY be available online starting in December. Available at: www.ncwsa.org/newsletters
 Hotline Volunteers. Al-Anon Hotline still has gaps in the schedule that need to be filled. You can volunteer for any day, any period of time. Call Paula M. at 925-513-1770.
 Day In Al-Anon 2013 - Next Planning Meeting December 9, 2012
Only 2 planning meetings remain after this one--January 13, and January 27) Day in Al-Anon will be February 2, 2013 at Hope Center from 8 am to 6 pm For information on remaining open coordinator positions and attending the last two planning meetings: Contact DIA Coordinator John H. 505-259-1232 or Co-Chairs Rick P. 925-577-9902 or Marcie 925-639-9119 |
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Service Corner
Check District 14 News section. The Alateen Coordinator position is still open. Please consider this vital service to the district.
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Bienvenidos a Al-Anon y Alateen
Como localizar una reunion
Viaje a la convencion.
Comite Este de la Bahia te invita a la XXXIII Convencion Hispana AI-anon/Alateen
del Estado de California
programa de Transformacion
Dia: 30 DE NOVIEMBRE, SABADO 1 Y DOMINGO 2 DE DICIEMBRE.
DIA Y HORA DE SALIDA: VIERNES 30 DE NOVIEMBRE A LAS 4:30 AM CON REGRESO EL DOMINGO 2 DE DICIEMBRE A LAS 1:30PM.
LUGAR DE PARTIDA: 129 BLISS AVE PITTSBURG CA, 94565.
COSTO INCLUYENDO REJISTRO: AL-ANON $99.00, ALATEEN$ 79.00, $AA 99.00.
PARA MAS INFORMACION COMMUNICATE CON TU COORDINADORA DE EVENTOS:
ARACELI V (925)206-7069.
CO CORDINADORA MARI L (510)377-3714
CORDINADORA DE AREA MARTHA S (925)325-4189
 Bienvenido al sitio web de Al-anon Familia Grupos para el Distrito 14 del norte de California del Servicio Mundial de la zona. Este sitio es creado y operado por el Distrito 14 miembros de Al-anon. Distrito 14 de límites se puede definir mejor el lugar de las reuniones que figuran en nuestra , y por lo general abarca las comunidades del condado de oriental y central Contra Costa.
El sitio web estaˇ organizado en torno a los Tres Legados de Al-Anon
Al-Anon se enfrenta al alcoholismo 2013 |
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Institutions Corner
ATTENTION GRs: Please replace the cover on the PINK Al-
Anon Institutions Donation Can for your group. The new cover has the correct information for donations. Obtain the new cover at the next District Meeting or call Mary A. at 925-914-9101.
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Alateen Corner
To become a sponsor: Contact Alt. Alateen Coordinator Marilyn G. at 925-759-1452. Applications are also available to become an Alateen Sponsor through Kristine B., District 14 Alateen Safety Coordinator at 925-407-6053.
This page from Al-Anon's World Service Office (WSO) can help teens understand how they could benefit from Al-Anon. Please pass it on to a young person struggling with the family disease of Alcoholism.
 THE ALATEEN EXPRESS - Newsletter for Alateens in Northern CAThe ALATEEN EXPRESS is the official newsletter for Alateen groups of the Northern California World Service Area of AFG, Inc, and is distributed periodically to Alateen groups. It contains information about Alateen that may be helpful to Al-Anon and Alateen groups. All members of Alateen and their sponsors are urged to contribute information about group news, fund-raisers and other special events. Selected articles are presented on this web site and sorted by topic. Articles from members present their personal views and experiences. Opinions expressed are not to be attributed to Al-Anon or Alateen as a whole. |
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Upcoming Events
 District 14 Speaker Meeting - November 24, 2012 ~6:30 pm - Guest Speaker: Nino from San Jose What: Refreshments, Birthday Chips, Donation Drawing, Literature, Tape Library, Meeting recorded. Hosted By: District 14 Where: Walnut Creek Kaiser, 1515 Newell Ave., Medical Office Bldg., Oak Room, 3rd Floor. Exit 680 S. Main St. or Olympic Blvd. Directions and FlyerFor Complete Listing of Events and Flyers: NCWSA Events
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Reflections from the Forum
Past Reflections
Love is forgiving. Love is for giving. April 1989, Phyllis A., Maryland
Al-Anon's monthly magazine, The Forum, contains many personal stories of inspiration. Click on this link to subscribe to receive your own monthly "Meeting in Your Pocket." Only $11.00 a year.
Current Forum articles:
I can choose not to suffer...
It has been nearly 72 hours since my husband walked out, closing the door on nearly 18 years of marriage. The emotional agony I experienced that night was searing and relentless.
The pain changed for me yesterday morning as I pounded the pavement at our local city park. There among the chirping birds and whispering trees, I was able to choke out a prayer. A prayer that my husband finds the peace he is seeking. Praying for someone whose actions have hurt me has been an incredibly powerful tool that I learned in Al-Anon.
Until Al-Anon, I was tangled in my son's life...
It is an understatement to say that my life had become unmanageable. My 17-year-old son was abusing drugs and alcohol. I spent night after night wondering what I had done wrong, and what should I be doing differently. It seemed like the more I tried to fix and control him, the worse things became. I would listen in on his phone conversations, spy on him, and raid his room looking for drugs and alcohol; yet continue to clean up his mess and mistakes. I took the fall for his actions.
When I shared with my Sponsor my fear that my husband might drink again, she said, "There's a good chance he will. Alcoholics drink-that's what they do. Staying sober is the miracle." That was hard to hear. But it allowed me to stop holding my breath, as though my worrying energy could keep it from happening. Facing that fear before it happened helped me to let go, to exhale, and to let it be. He did drink again. It was sad and painful. But I wasn't devastated or surprised. Alcoholics drink-that's what they do.
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Contribute to this Newsletter
A few words from your share at a recent meeting, a thought you had while reading conference approved literature, your take on one of the Steps or Traditions. Any tidbit is welcome as long as you remember that we speak Al-Anon here, leaving other therapies and programs outside. Send your contribution to the Newsletter by email with "Contribution" in the subject line.
Submissions may be edited for length and grammar and will published at the discretion of the editors when space permits. Authors will be notified of changes to their submissions.
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Archives of Past Newsletters
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Sincerely,
Co-Editors: Karen, District 14 Newsletter Coordinator
Linda W, Alternate District 14 Newsletter Coordinator
Contact the Editors: district14newsletter@yahoo.com |
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How Will Alateen Help Me?
