I could title this Post..
'A promise made is a debt unpaid and I promised..'
Last Friday I published the below Post..
http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2019/09/sep-20-19-quite-meeting-this-one.html
And?
At the end of the above Post, I said..
"I'll let you know next week."
So what happened?
Nothing. Neither Hannah or Bunny showed up this morning. I showed up. They did not nor did either call me. I called them with a ring-no-answer.
So there you have it..
Friday 27 September 2019
Monday 23 September 2019
SEP 23, 19 .. GOD IS EVERYTHING or GOD IS NOTHING .. WHAT A MEETING
I believe that in The Big Book the above theo/philosophy is stated..
God is everything or God is nothing.
Isn't the internet amazing! What do I find on page 53 of The Big Book..
"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn't. What was our choice to be?"
For me it boils down to this : You believe or You don't believe.
Would you rather believe and be wrong? Or would you rather NOT believe and be wrong?
This evening, into a small meeting in the basement of a large apartment building I entered.
From July of 2015 up until today, I have spoken at a lot of meetings here. I recognized the below room the instant I stepped into it. A REAL, committed, meeting room.
The small room was jam-packed. The meeting was 1-1/2 hours. 6:30PM to 8PM.
There were two newcomers. They sat up front and basically I spoke directly to them.
When you have spoken to groups for as many years / decades as I have, you develop a 'sixth sense' about members of your audience. And in every audience, no matter how large or how small, you find those very few who are 'locked in' on you.
Further, when in a foreign country, you also 'sense' when certain members understand what you are saying. In other words, they understand your language.
This meeting-of-the-minds happened between myself and one of the new members.
I swear to God in the Heavens Above I thought..
"He seems to understand ever word and everything that I am saying!"
It was an intense meeting. They all are intense meetings over here. The leader went through the meeting format and then I spoke from 6:40PM to 7:15PM, they took a 15-minute smoke-break. We finished and wrapped-it-up precisely at 7:59PM. I watch my cell phone for the time and, trust me, I know how to end on-time.
Up to me walked the new member who I had locked-onto during the meeting. In absolutely perfect English he said, "Can I ride with you when they take you to your apartment and visit?"
He has a beautiful wife and two gorgeous small children. He is a professional at the CEO level. He is at-the-end-of-his-road with alcoholism. He is only age 30 years.
I said as we approached my apartment..
"I am amazed at your mastery of the English language.."
"Were you born here?"
"Yes."
"How did you learn to speak such good English?"
Are all of you sitting down?
"I lived in San Antonio, Texas, for five years where I attended university!"
And off we went! Did you go to any Spurs games? Were you a Dallas Cowboys fan? .. And on and on we raced ..
What brought you to A.A.?
I've a brother and two cousins who run our company. All three are in A.A. One brought me here tonight. My father died of alcoholism.
He is in extremely 'rough shape'. I am concerned he risks having an alcoholic seizure at doing an instantaneous withdrawal from alcohol. Were we in the United States, I would've immediately taken him to a hospital Emergency Room. I offered to do this here. A major hospital is very close to where I live.
He promised me he would call a cousin who is an M.D.
He insisted on walking me to the door of my apartment. I then walked him back to the street to assure myself he was OK and had flagged down a taxi.
He called to report he was home safe.
"God? Do I have a young, Mongolian, sponsee?"
God is everything or He is nothing!
God is everything or God is nothing.
Isn't the internet amazing! What do I find on page 53 of The Big Book..
"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn't. What was our choice to be?"
For me it boils down to this : You believe or You don't believe.
Would you rather believe and be wrong? Or would you rather NOT believe and be wrong?
This evening, into a small meeting in the basement of a large apartment building I entered.
From July of 2015 up until today, I have spoken at a lot of meetings here. I recognized the below room the instant I stepped into it. A REAL, committed, meeting room.
The small room was jam-packed. The meeting was 1-1/2 hours. 6:30PM to 8PM.
There were two newcomers. They sat up front and basically I spoke directly to them.
When you have spoken to groups for as many years / decades as I have, you develop a 'sixth sense' about members of your audience. And in every audience, no matter how large or how small, you find those very few who are 'locked in' on you.
Further, when in a foreign country, you also 'sense' when certain members understand what you are saying. In other words, they understand your language.
This meeting-of-the-minds happened between myself and one of the new members.
I swear to God in the Heavens Above I thought..
"He seems to understand ever word and everything that I am saying!"
It was an intense meeting. They all are intense meetings over here. The leader went through the meeting format and then I spoke from 6:40PM to 7:15PM, they took a 15-minute smoke-break. We finished and wrapped-it-up precisely at 7:59PM. I watch my cell phone for the time and, trust me, I know how to end on-time.
Up to me walked the new member who I had locked-onto during the meeting. In absolutely perfect English he said, "Can I ride with you when they take you to your apartment and visit?"
He has a beautiful wife and two gorgeous small children. He is a professional at the CEO level. He is at-the-end-of-his-road with alcoholism. He is only age 30 years.
I said as we approached my apartment..
"I am amazed at your mastery of the English language.."
"Were you born here?"
"Yes."
"How did you learn to speak such good English?"
Are all of you sitting down?
"I lived in San Antonio, Texas, for five years where I attended university!"
And off we went! Did you go to any Spurs games? Were you a Dallas Cowboys fan? .. And on and on we raced ..
What brought you to A.A.?
I've a brother and two cousins who run our company. All three are in A.A. One brought me here tonight. My father died of alcoholism.
He is in extremely 'rough shape'. I am concerned he risks having an alcoholic seizure at doing an instantaneous withdrawal from alcohol. Were we in the United States, I would've immediately taken him to a hospital Emergency Room. I offered to do this here. A major hospital is very close to where I live.
He promised me he would call a cousin who is an M.D.
He insisted on walking me to the door of my apartment. I then walked him back to the street to assure myself he was OK and had flagged down a taxi.
He called to report he was home safe.
"God? Do I have a young, Mongolian, sponsee?"
God is everything or He is nothing!
Friday 20 September 2019
SEP 20, 19 .. A TALE OF THREE MEETINGS .. CHAPTER ONE
Last Friday, the 13th of September, a friend here in Ulaanbaatar who chairs an 8AM morning meeting asked me to 'chair' the meeting for the next three Fridays as he would be in China / Korea / Japan for a few weeks. He also arranged for a translator for me and a key to the meeting room in a local Community Center.
I said I would chair the meeting.
Yesterday I received a phone call from a lady (Hannah) I did not know. She asked me if I would indeed be 'chairing' the meeting. She said she would be bringing her sister Bunny.
I said yes I would be at the meeting.
She replied that the two of them would be there.
Now we are at today, Friday the 20th of September.
I was there at 7:35AM nice and early. For 'openers' I could not get into the building to get to the meeting room because the building itself was locked.
At 7:55AM up raced my translator who told me that he had taken a new job, could not translate for me, and off he dashed.
At 8AM I tried the door to the building again. It was now open. In I walked, opened the meeting room door, turned on the lights, set out a few chairs and sat down.
At 8:15AM a Mongolian lady came in and sat down. I called a bilingual Mongolian friend who told her we did not have a translator. At 8:20AM I put away our chairs, turned off the lights, shut and locked the door, and the two of us left.
I got home to my apartment about 8:30AM and my phone rang.
It was Hannah (the lady who'd called me yesterday) asking about the meeting and where I was.
I told her I was home and had no translator.
She said we didn't need a translator because both her sister and she speak English and in a pleading voice asked if I could possibly return and conduct a meeting for the two of them.
I said I would but it'd be about 20 minutes before I could return.
Hannah said that would be fine.
Back to the building I went. Hannah was outside waiting, came right up to me saying that her sister was on-the-way.
Into the building and downstairs to the meeting room we went, turned on the lights, set out chairs and I called Patti who had a great visit with Hannah. Her sister Bunny then appeared and Patti was also able to briefly chat with her.
At around 9AM we got going.
For a full one hour the two of them got my 'A' game as if I was talking to an audience of 200 not just 2 shy and reserved Mongolian ladies.
We ended with the Serenity Prayer in English. The two of them said they'd be back next week.
Will they?
Does The Shadow Know?
I'll let you know in one week!
Smiles !
I said I would chair the meeting.
Yesterday I received a phone call from a lady (Hannah) I did not know. She asked me if I would indeed be 'chairing' the meeting. She said she would be bringing her sister Bunny.
I said yes I would be at the meeting.
She replied that the two of them would be there.
Now we are at today, Friday the 20th of September.
I was there at 7:35AM nice and early. For 'openers' I could not get into the building to get to the meeting room because the building itself was locked.
At 7:55AM up raced my translator who told me that he had taken a new job, could not translate for me, and off he dashed.
At 8AM I tried the door to the building again. It was now open. In I walked, opened the meeting room door, turned on the lights, set out a few chairs and sat down.
At 8:15AM a Mongolian lady came in and sat down. I called a bilingual Mongolian friend who told her we did not have a translator. At 8:20AM I put away our chairs, turned off the lights, shut and locked the door, and the two of us left.
I got home to my apartment about 8:30AM and my phone rang.
It was Hannah (the lady who'd called me yesterday) asking about the meeting and where I was.
I told her I was home and had no translator.
She said we didn't need a translator because both her sister and she speak English and in a pleading voice asked if I could possibly return and conduct a meeting for the two of them.
I said I would but it'd be about 20 minutes before I could return.
Hannah said that would be fine.
Back to the building I went. Hannah was outside waiting, came right up to me saying that her sister was on-the-way.
Into the building and downstairs to the meeting room we went, turned on the lights, set out chairs and I called Patti who had a great visit with Hannah. Her sister Bunny then appeared and Patti was also able to briefly chat with her.
At around 9AM we got going.
For a full one hour the two of them got my 'A' game as if I was talking to an audience of 200 not just 2 shy and reserved Mongolian ladies.
We ended with the Serenity Prayer in English. The two of them said they'd be back next week.
Will they?
Does The Shadow Know?
I'll let you know in one week!
Smiles !
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