Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

D.J. S. from Ingram, TX speaking at the Lufkin Group's 56th anniversary in Lufkin, TX - June 4th-5th 2004
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DJ shares a powerful recovery story centered on the life-or-death importance of fully recovering—not staying “sick”—through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, describing how early discomfort, addiction, legal consequences, and spiritual emptiness culminated in desperation and surrender, leading to a profound spiritual awakening after treatment and committed step work that removed his obsession to drink; through sponsorship, service, and practicing love as action, DJ rebuilt his life with sustained sobriety since November of 2000, meaningful relationships, honest work, stability, and gratitude, emphasizing that recovery is real, complete, and meant to be lived fully—proof that when the program is followed as laid out, lives can be restored beyond anything imagined.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Brian P. from Union, ME speaking at the Tuesday night Surrender Group of Alcoholics Anonymous in Portland, ME - December 23rd 2008
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Brian’s story is a powerful reminder of how untreated alcoholism can drive a life to absolute desperation—and how complete surrender can rebuild it from the ground up: after years of relentless drinking, drug use, crime, and prison sentences, Brian reached a breaking point and was finally 12-stepped back into AA on March 6, 1993, a day that marked not just sobriety but a total transformation of his thinking, values, and purpose; through fully working the 12 Steps (not just attending meetings), he came to understand alcoholism as both a physical allergy and a mental obsession, found a spiritual solution that replaced the obsession to drink, repaired deep family wounds—especially with his mother—became a man of integrity, rebuilt relationships, stayed sober for over 15½ years, and dedicated his life to service, particularly carrying the message into prisons, showing that no one is too far gone and that real recovery brings freedom, responsibility, and a life centered on helping others rather than self-destruction.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Tim H. From Louisville, KY speaking at the 23rd Lake Murray Men's Conference in Ardmore, OK - March 6th-8th 2009
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Tim traces the arc of his life as alcoholism stripped away everything he valued—from basketball glory to marriages, fatherhood, integrity, and even hope—until the pain finally pushed him into the rooms on April 12, 1990. Through honest self-examination, sponsorship, service, and the discipline of “doing the stitches,” Tim rebuilt his life piece by piece. His story is marked by profound loss, hard lessons, reconciliation with his children, and the beautiful transformation of a once-broken marriage restored after decades apart. He celebrates long-term sobriety, saving a granddaughter’s life, witnessing his daughter find AA recovery, and learning how presence, humility, and action connect him back to God and the people he loves. A heartfelt testimony of growth, grace, and the miraculous possibilities found in AA.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Jim S. from Indianapolis, IN speaking at the Bagdad Retreat in Bagdad, KY - May 28th 2005
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Jim reflects on his lifelong progression of alcoholism—from a 14-year-old chasing connection, to a Vietnam medic drinking to numb trauma, to a husband losing himself inside rage, fear, and emotional absence. His story highlights the life-altering moment when Al-Anon and AA slowly brought spiritual change into his home, leading him back to sobriety after disastrous controlled drinking attempts. Through step work, deep amends, and a profound awakening sparked by service, sponsorship, and facing the Vietnam War Memorial, Jim discovers a God of transformation. Despite heart failure and the loss of his former identity, he continues living with purpose by helping others, proving that recovery reshapes a life far beyond alcohol.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

🎄🧡Merry Christmas Sober Sunrise family🧡🎄
Bill L. from Dunellen, NJ and Mike L. from West Orange, NJ speaking at a workshop titled "Maintaining Conscious Contact During the Holidays" in Albany, NY - December 7th 2002
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Bill & Mike's full weekend workshop on “Maintaining Conscious Contact During the Holidays,” where they lay the spiritual foundation for the entire series by addressing untreated alcoholism, the spiritual malady, and why sobriety without inner change leads to misery; through Big Book references, lived experience, and practical guidance, they emphasize that true recovery comes from maintaining conscious contact with a Higher Power moment by moment, especially during emotionally charged times like the holidays, highlighting how spiritual fitness, service to others, and living Steps 10–12 daily restore peace, sanity, and freedom long before the festivities even begin.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Bart R. from Sedona, AZ speaking at at the 65th Superior Roundup in Superior, WI - April 17th 2010
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In this deeply honest AA speaker share, Bart recounts a lifetime of alcoholism that began in childhood, spiraled through institutions, violence, broken relationships, and repeated failed attempts at sobriety, and finally culminated in a moment of total surrender where willingness—not meetings alone—opened the door to recovery; by fully committing to the Big Book, taking all Twelve Steps without half measures, and living a spiritual way of life grounded in service and sponsorship, Bart experienced a complete transformation from chronic relapse to being truly recovered, restoring sanity, purpose, family relationships, and a life of meaning devoted to helping others find the same freedom he once believed was impossible.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Todd M. from Cleveland, OH speaking at CorkNBottle group in Cleveland, OH - August 6th 2007
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Todd shares a deeply moving story of transformation, describing how a life marked by fear, homelessness, drug trafficking, international arrest, and years of chaos was gradually rebuilt through the love, structure, and spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous; guided by sponsors who taught him trust, service, and humility, Todd learned to let go of the scared child inside, embrace gratitude as action, and grow into a man capable of friendship, purpose, global amends, and emotional honesty—showing that with God, the steps, and the fellowship, even a life once shattered can become one filled with dignity, usefulness, and grace.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Elizabeth M. from Kahaluu, HI speaking at the Hawaii Annual Convention in Honolulu, HI - November 1st 2012
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Elizabeth shares a powerful journey of transformation through Alcoholics Anonymous, describing how a childhood sense of emptiness, early drinking, crime, incarceration, and the devastating loss of her children led her to a bottom marked by despair, homelessness, and repeated arrests, until a moment of surrender in 1999 opened the door to recovery; through AA, she found not only sobriety but identity, purpose, and belonging, rebuilding her life through service, sponsorship, and deep spiritual growth, ultimately becoming a trusted servant within the AA structure, regaining her legal rights, earning college degrees, building a respected professional career, and raising children with love and responsibility—her story stands as a living example that freedom from the bondage of self is possible, that past actions do not define a person’s worth, and that a life once ruled by chaos can be transformed into one of service, dignity, and profound gratitude.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

John N. from Lehman, PA and Joe Z. from Berwick, PA doing a Big Book study at the Men's International Convention in Scranton, PA - April 2008
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Joe & John's "We Agnostics" Big Book workshop share centers on the life-or-death realization that lack of power—not morality, intelligence, or willpower—is the alcoholic’s true dilemma, as Joe and John recount how their alcoholism utterly defeated them until desperation forced an open mind toward a power greater than themselves, dismantling long-held prejudice about God and replacing it with lived evidence found in AA meetings, sponsorship, and action on the Twelve Steps; through surrender, disciplined application of the steps, and a willingness to “lay aside prejudice,” both men describe being restored to sanity, freed from obsession, and rocketed into lives marked by dignity, usefulness, emotional sobriety, and spiritual growth—personal accomplishments measured not in status or possessions, but in sustained sobriety, healed families, the ability to help others recover, and daily freedom from the drink that once ruled their lives, proving that belief follows action and that a new way of living is available even to the most hopeless alcoholic.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

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Bill D. from Franklin, NC speaking at the 34th LA State Convention in Baton Rouge, LA - July 11 1992
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Bill shares a hilarious, hard-won AA story that moves from “drinking member” denial to lifelong recovery, built on radical honesty (“I can’t promise forever—only today”), relentless service, and the humbling truth that sobriety is always a daily reprieve—not a trophy; he explains his simple (but not easy) formula—Don’t Drink / Work With Others / Change Yourself—and backs it with lived proof: sobriety since May 29, 1953, learning to “touch someone on the shoulder,” carrying the message into correctional institutions, and surviving crushing losses (his wife’s sudden death, later losing his job) without picking up, ultimately rebuilding a joyful life through the Steps and spiritual growth rather than self-will.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu