Greetings Essay, I am the Chairperson for the Correctional Facilities Committee in the St Louis area. I had a recent experience talking with the Department of Corrections of the State of Illinois. From this interaction, I put down some of my thoughts about the spiritual nature of addiction.
Dear Essay readers: This issue of Essay includes many stories on “Service Work As A Gift.” Our next issue in February will focus on “Sobriety and Relationships;” Please send in any stories or short articles on your experience with Relationships in sobriety. Future topics are listed on the previous page. Let us hear from you at essay@sa.org
The SA Correctional Facilities Committee is seeking the experience, strength, & hope from any & all SA members who have served, or are currently serving, time in prison, who have benefited from the SA program through CFC services, whether by working with a sponsor, reading our literature, attending meetings, etc. Stories will be recorded anonymously for an outreach video project. Please send responses to - calsacfc@gmail.com
A detailed donations report is enclosed with mailed issues of Essay, or is available from saico@sa.org. We thank SA members who generously contribute so that we may continue to carry the SA message to the sexaholic who still suffers.
The author of “Emotional Sobriety” identifies with the depressions experienced by Bill W. and his discovery of emotional sobriety.
Dear Essay, Over the last several years I have noticed that speakers at International, regional, and even local meetings are not really sharing the pain of what got them to SA. They skip over the past with vague generalizations, so as to get to the recovery part and “focus on the solution.” I think this is misguided. As a newcomer, I need to hear the problem, so I know you understand what I am going through.
Dear Essay readers: This issue of Essay includes many stories on “Humility: Being Right Sized.” Your next issue in December will focus on “Service Work as a Gift.” Please send in any stories or short articles on your experience with Service Work! Future topics are: February, 2019: Sobriety and Relationships; May, 2019: Open-mindedness. Let us hear from you at essay@sa.org
Dear SA Fellowship: I received word from Ray Stith’s wife that the trusted servant and friend to all of us, known as Tucson Ray passed away from cancer and declining health on June 21, 2018. When it came to prison work, Ray was the genuine, formative force. He started SA prison meetings, wrote the sponsor by mail approach that is currently in use, and created our protocol for how to approach prison officials.
As I look at the first six months of 2018 revenue results, I see total revenue has a positive variance $6,670 (4.5%). The 17.7% shortfall in contributions has been offset by positive variances in convention contributions (165%) and net literature income (38%).
What part of your disease and recovery are you responsible for?
