Fresh Start Club West Branch

12/26/2025

New Schedule Effective 2026

12/26/2025

Tonight (Friday) 11th Step Spiritual meeting at 7pm

12/26/2025

Self-Forgiveness
“We realize that we are practicing the concept of self-forgiveness when we hear ourselves talking about being gentle with ourselves.” BRB p. 113
Being gentle with ourselves is not second nature to us. Few of us had good role models in that respect. As a result, we learned to lock our thoughts inside our heads where we often fell prey to negative messages.
As we learn to care for the needs of our Inner Child, we begin to release the harsh self-criticism we honed through the years. We allow ourselves to be human, and we acknowledge that to be human is to make mistakes.
We may find ourselves incessantly reliving our actions because we think we made a mistake. ACA offers us many new resources that can help quell our critical inner voice. We can call a fellow traveler, read from the Red Text, attend an in-person or phone meeting, pray, meditate or practice any number of new behaviors. The list is long and purposeful.
We learn to take an inventory of our actions when we think we’ve done something wrong, and acknowledge our feelings. Maybe we made a mistake; maybe we took a small misstep. Maybe we are hearing false messages from childhood. By being open to a daily review, we can turn things around and practice healthy behavior. We can affirm our humanness and our desire to grow.
On this day I show my Inner Child love and acceptance by practicing gentleness and self-forgiveness.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

12/26/2025

Today (Friday) at Noon

12/25/2025

Serenity
“We can find serenity in ACA.” BRB p. 442
We may not have experienced what we think of as serenity – we see it as something other people have, not us. We may not even know what serenity is, let alone where to look for it. What does it feel like?
It may be best to start by examining what we think serenity might be. Maybe it’s a magical, peaceful feeling that totally engulfs someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With this feeling, people never feel stress, fear or anxiety. Well, that’s a nice idea to contemplate, but we know in our heart of hearts it’s not reality.
A more realistic view of serenity is to think of it as a core of acceptance that already resides deep inside us; something that we haven’t yet tapped into or perhaps acknowledged. It may be small, even tiny now. But it will grow. We learn to recognize and feel little moments of it in our lives.
With the help of our ACA group, we find serenity when we accept our life – past and present, and learn to trust the future. As part of this shift in our mindset, we learn that serenity is achievable. We understand that we won’t feel it 24/7, but it will be present enough to change our lives.
On this day I will remind myself that I already have serenity inside me. It is up to me to help it grow by building acceptance and trust through the ACA program.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

12/25/2025

Today (Thursday) at Noon

12/24/2025

Tonight ( Wednesday) at 7pm

12/24/2025

The Problem
“This is a description, not an indictment.” BRB p. 589
Even though it says in The Problem that it’s not an indictment, it may still feel that way at first. Many of us felt locked forever in continually repeated patterns of family dysfunction. But in spite of that, we see the wisdom of what’s written down. We come to realize that this description, based on The Laundry List, can actually feel comforting. We’re no longer alone when we enter an ACA meeting and find we can share these Traits openly without criticism, because others have the same “habits.”
We cannot change where we came from or what happened to us, but we can choose to work the ACA program of recovery and find a way out. Each day, we can use any of the tools of the program, such as the Steps, the phone, the meetings, a sponsor, and so much more.
We are no longer trapped in a horrible past. We may sometimes feel bad, but we are not bad in our inner core. Whatever traits or shortcomings we have, we look around us and see that we are not alone. We now have the support of others in the program and our Higher Power.
On this day I rededicate myself to living this new life. I will pick up the phone, go to a meeting or spend time reading the Big Red Book to nourish myself.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

12/24/2025

Today (Wednesday) at Noon

12/23/2025

12/23/2025

Today (Tuesday) at Noon