Hello and welcome to Sobercast, where we provide A.A. Speaker meetings and workshops in podcast format.

We're an ad-free podcast, and if you enjoy listening, please help us be self-supporting by visiting Sobercast.com, look for the donate link and drop a dollar or two into our virtual basket. We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Have a great day. Hi, everybody. I'm Karen. I'm Karen. I'm hearing. And it's truly through the grace of God and the power of Alcoholics Anonymous that I've been sober since May 30th, 1982. And that does not make me a miracle. It makes Alcohol Exonomous a miracle.

And if you're new here tonight, I want to welcome you to A. And I always call it God's Magnificent AA, the poem that saved my life, and it's going to save yours, too, if you want to take a few quick actions. And I suggest, starting you get a sponsor tonight that you get that book, Alcohol Exonomous, and you get busy. everybody else is doing around here.

And you know, stay sober as I've stayed sober for 22ous, and you get busy. Everybody else is doing around here.

And you know, stay sober as I've stayed sober for 22 years, and people like me cannot stay sober, I can guarantee you. My home group is the Pacific Group in West LA. Group I'm very, very proud to be a member of just as I'm sure you're proud to be a member of yours. and I guess if you're not proud, you ought to get a job, and you might change your mind.

I certainly have a job, and I'm proud to have that job.

I thank Dave and the committee for inviting you to come out.

This is an honor and a privilege, it's one that I do not take lightly, I'll guarantee you.

You guys, I love alcohol exonymous, so I really do. And I think that it shows, and I make an awful

lot of mistakes. I do an awful lot of things wrong. but I'll tell you one thing that I love you. Make no mistake about that. You know, I've been talking an awful lot of things before I ever wrote my big mouth, and one thing is talk to my sponsor, and Clancy's and she has talked to my sponsor, and he's been in his room as wondering why I have a man for a sponsor and why Clancy for a sponsor. It's really quite simple. I did not get sober in California. I got sober in a place called Lincoln, Nebraska was not was not doing well now, Clark Sonmas in Lincoln, Nebraska. I went through 19 sponsors at a rapid clip, and I'm certainly not proud of this. I stand here tonight, and thank God for the old-timers, and A, because somebody loved me enough to get my current sponsor. And I got to tell you that my life has done nothing but totally complete transfers all of that. I obviously adore the ground that man wants on.

I talked to him a little while ago. He's in Hawaii. And I said, wish me last night. He said, get up there and share your experience, your strength and your hope and tell those people what it was like, what happened, what it's like now. Ignore the old timers. They got it. They don't need your inspiration, my dear. and talk directly to those people with the life in blood of A.

And I believe that as I stand here and I welcome you now, if they don't need your inspiration, my dear. And talk directly to those people with the life and blood of A-A-in.

And I believe that as I stand here and I welcome you and I hope that you stand, then I think I did without a doubt the most important thing I can never do. And that's to say, God, please help me say what she want me to say to these people. God is very much a part of my life tonight. You guys would not used to be that way for me, I can guarantee you.

I think my beautiful friend Cassie for picking me up from the airport and she's going to take me back to my mom.

My beautiful friend Cassie for picking me up from the airport and she's going to take me back tomorrow. My beautiful friend Brandy who replaced Cassie last night when she was in the play. I have known these women, most of my sobriety, these two girls and I just love them dearly and know so many people down here. Thank you so much. If you're new here tonight, this is one of the greatest conferences in the world.

Trust me, it is.

And this committee deserves a tremendous round of applause from us.

I'll tell you, this is a great name.

Yes.

As we were driving over here tonight in the golf cart, we passed the family

portrait being taken of annoying her family, and there was a person missing there night. And that was Jim and I can break his anonymity because he's no longer with us so I can do that. But Jim was my A.A. brother, you guys, and I absolutely adored this man. He taught me how to be of service around here. He used to introduce me as, this is my little A.A. sister, Karen. And I love that, and I miss that so much, but I have a funny story to tell you. When Jim was dying, and he was really, probably the last few weeks of his life and stuff, I told Van Nuys, why is she going to L.A. and go shop, and let me come out there, bring up somebody I sponsor with me. We'll take Jim out, we'll take care of him, let me spend some time with him. You go take a break. And she didn't really want to do that.

And we talked her into it. So. somebody I sponsor with me. We'll take Jim out. We'll take care of him. Let me spend some time with him.

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