Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

AA Speaker - Jay S. - Pattaya, Thailand - 2011

Jay S. from Redondo Beach, CA speaking at the 16th annual Thailand Roundup in Pattaya, Thailand - February 26th 2011
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Jay shares his deeply spiritual and profoundly humorous journey through 46 years of sobriety, blending the truth of Alcoholics Anonymous with timeless wisdom about grace, humility, and purpose. From his early years of chaos, blackouts, and denial to a complete surrender in 1979, Jay’s story illustrated how God—or what he calls light, truth, and love—can transform even the most broken spirit. Guided by old-timers who taught him honesty, service, and laughter, he rebuilt his life from living in a car to raising a peaceful family free of violence and fear. He spoke of the true miracle of AA—not just abstinence, but resurrection—where ordinary people become instruments of healing, raising the spiritually dead through compassion and service. With humor, reverence, and gratitude, Jay reminded all that recovery is a divine adventure, where love and laughter are not just byproducts of grace, but the very language of God.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speakers - Robin & Fernando - Yuma, AZ - 2007

Robin & Fernando speaking at the Thunderbird Speaker Meeting 449 Club in Yuma, AZ - January 13th 2007
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Robin and Fernando shared a powerful and contrasting testimony of recovery, showing how the same disease wears many faces but is healed through one spiritual solution. Robin’s story spoke for countless women who drank in shame and secrecy—trying to stay “ladylike” while spiraling into blackout nights, broken homes, and despair. From sipping other people’s drinks at fifteen to waking up soaked in humiliation, she found redemption when someone at her first AA meeting handed her a cup of coffee and showed her love without judgment. Through the 12 Steps, sponsorship, and service, she rebuilt her life into one of stability, education, marriage, and gratitude. Her husband Fernando then shared the other side of the coin—born into addiction, gang culture, and violence, he drank from childhood and lived homeless and hopeless before finally surrendering to AA in 1998. Guided by his sponsor and the Big Book, he rebuilt his spirit through faith, honesty, and helping others. Together, Robin and Fernando radiate the miracle of Alcoholics Anonymous—a union of grace and grit, proving that no matter how deep the darkness, God can use even broken lives to carry light to others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Kenny D. - Santa Fe, NM - 2006 - Part 2

Kenny D. from Seattle, WA doing a 12-step spiritual retreat in Santa Fe, NM - December 9th 2006
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Kenny’s workshop talk beautifully captured the heart of Step Two and Step Three in Alcoholics Anonymous — the journey from limited faith to full surrender. Through humor, humility, and vivid storytelling, he explored how closed-mindedness “fetters” the spirit and how willingness opens doors we never imagined possible. Reflecting on his early sobriety, he shared stories of disbelief, skepticism, and grace — from doubting God’s presence to praying his way up a mountain in a broken car to make his Third Step. His message centered on open-minded faith: that recovery begins not with proof but with willingness, and that surrender is the act of letting go of everything we think we know. Guided by meditation and prayer, Kenny led others through the Third Step — not as a ritual, but as a decision to begin real change through Steps Four through Nine. His story reminds all that spiritual freedom comes when we release fear, self-will, and resentment — allowing the sunlight of the Spirit to finally shine through.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Mike L. - McKenzie Bridge, OR - 2006

Mike L. from Indianapolis, IN speaking at the men's St. Benedict retreat in McKenzie Bridge, OR - March 3rd-5th 2006
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Mike shares his spiritually rich story of redemption, illustrating how the power of surrender, honesty, and divine grace transformed a life once dominated by fear, pride, and self-will. From his first drink at age twelve, Mike spent years chasing the false sense of peace alcohol gave him—through war, failed relationships, and near-total ruin—until he reached a point of spiritual bankruptcy, crawling on a bathroom floor and begging for help. Through the mercy of old friends and Alcoholics Anonymous, he found recovery, discovering that true healing came not from intellect or effort but from a relationship with God and the fellowship of AA. After years of sobriety, Mike’s faith was tested again through divorce, illness, and cancer, each time deepening his surrender and gratitude. His story embodies the essence of recovery: that no matter how far one falls, grace can restore purpose, integrity, and love, turning even pain into a pathway toward God and service to others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Robi S. - Haddonfield, NJ - 2013

Robi S. from Ventnor City, NJ speaking on the topic of sponsorship at an Acts of Recovery Conference in Haddonfield, NJ - October 12th 2013
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Robi shares a heartfelt and deeply spiritual story of transformation—how years of pain, fear, and self-loathing gave way to freedom once she surrendered completely to God through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. After countless failed attempts to fill the emptiness inside with people, substances, and chaos, she found lasting peace through honest sponsorship and rigorous step work. Guided by a sponsor who told her the truth, Robi learned that recovery wasn’t about managing life—it was about being remade through spiritual action and service. She now lives a life filled with purpose, leading a thriving sponsorship family, helping women awaken to God’s love, and walking hand-in-hand with others in recovery. Her message shone with humor, humility, and hope, reminding all that the miracle of AA lies not in staying dry, but in living with grace, truth, and joyful service to others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Kelvin D. - Salem, OR - 2007

Kelvin D. from Fargo, ND speaking at the Salem Soberfest in Salem, OR - February 16th 2007
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Kelvin, from a life ruled by fear, anger, and self-will to one filled with faith, humility, and gratitude through Alcoholics Anonymous. Born with a deep sense of not belonging, he found temporary relief in alcohol, which led to violence, loss, and spiritual emptiness despite outward success and church upbringing. Even after years in AA, his pride and lack of connection to God left him angry and broken until a moment of complete surrender—when his family’s love and his own despair brought him to his knees. Through honest work with a sponsor, deep spiritual awakening, and service to others, Kelvin rebuilt his marriage, became a devoted father, and found real peace. His story is a testament that the true miracle of recovery isn’t just putting down the drink—it’s letting God fill the hole inside and discovering that faith with works brings a life of grace, joy, and purpose.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Don P. - Camden, ME - 2003 - Part 1

Part 1 of Don P. from Aurora, CO at the 6th Annual Big Book Weekend at Tanglewood in Camden, ME - June 14th 2003
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During the weekend talks, Don shares with raw honesty and warmth how, after a lifetime of restless searching, prison sentences, and spiritual emptiness, he was given a second life through the power of awakening and Alcoholics Anonymous. Once a man broken by self-centeredness, fear, and the endless need to “catch an edge,” he found peace in surrender—learning that recovery wasn’t about just not drinking but about becoming conscious that “where I am, God is.” Through his humor, storytelling, and decades of spiritual growth, Joe showed that real sobriety is not coping—it’s transformation, a rebirth into meaning, connection, and joyful service. After thirty-five years sober, he spoke not as a lecturer but as a living example of what happens when a hopeless soul lets go of everything he thinks he knows and allows love, laughter, and purpose to guide the rest of his days.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Jay P. - St. Cloud, MN - 2005

☀️🧡Happy Friday! We hope everyone has had a great week, and has a safe & relaxing weekend 🧡☀️Jay P. from Myrtle Beach, SC speaking at the St. Cloud Roundup in St. Cloud, MN - May 14th 2005
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Jay shares an unforgettable journey of faith, humility, and freedom through Alcoholics Anonymous, showing how total surrender to the program and God’s grace turned a life of chaos into one of peace and purpose. From his early years of anger, lies, and self-centeredness, through years at sea, broken marriages, and criminal trouble, he discovered that the real disease wasn’t alcohol but a spirit cut off from God. Guided by his sponsor, he worked the Steps honestly—writing inventories, facing fears, making amends, and learning that “I can’t, He can, and I’ll let Him.” Sobriety brought reconciliation with his father, a loving marriage, and the power to face devastating loss with faith instead of fear. Now, decades sober, Jay lives in gratitude for the miracle that AA provided—a life rebuilt on honesty, love, and daily reliance on a Higher Power.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Jonathan S. - Play Guiones, Costa Rica - 2012

Jonathan S. from Austin, TX speaking on the topic of "Recovered versus Recovering" at the Nosara Big Book Workshop in Nosara Playa Guiones, Costa Rica - March 23rd 2012
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Jonathan shared a remarkable story of redemption, describing how years of failed attempts at sobriety finally gave way to true recovery when he surrendered fully to the Big Book’s program and God’s direction. After multiple treatments, the loss of his veterinary license, family, home, and self-respect, he entered a recovery center in Austin in 2008 and discovered that his problem was not alcohol itself but a lack of power. Working the 12 Steps honestly transformed his life—restoring his family, career, and serenity. He learned that recovery is not about avoiding a drink one day at a time but about living a spiritual way of life that removes the need for alcohol altogether. Today, Jonathan lives with humility and gratitude, serving others through sponsorship and teaching, his story proving that from complete collapse can come a life of purpose, peace, and grace.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - James T. - Manitoba, Canada - 2013

James T. from Auburn, CA speaking at the 39th Winter Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - February 1st 2013
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James shares with humor, heart, and humility how Alcoholics Anonymous transformed his life from restless self-centeredness into peace, gratitude, and service. After quitting drinking but clinging to marijuana, he arrived at AA not yet convinced he belonged, until the warmth and love of the fellowship broke through his defenses. Guided by his sponsor, he faced his resentments, fears, and character defects, learning that alcoholism was not about alcohol—it was about his thinking, his ego, and his separation from God. Over decades of recovery, he became a devoted husband, stepfather, teacher, and sponsor, finding freedom through honesty, humility, and laughter. His talk reminded all that the real miracle of AA isn’t just not drinking—it’s waking up, changing from the inside, and learning to live with kindness, service, and spiritual growth one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu