Thursday, April 18, 2013

Interview of Bryce H. of Fort Worth Area on Upcoming AA History Conference


Dick B. interviews Christian Recovery leader Bryce H. of Sober By Grace Ministries on the April 18, 2013, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show

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You May Hear Today’s Show Right Now!

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You may listen to Dick B. interview Bryce H. of Sober by Grace Ministries on the April 18, 2013, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show here:



or here:



Episodes of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show are archived at:


 

 

Introduction


Today’s guest is Bryce H. from the Fort Worth, Texas, area. He and his wife are strong Christian recovery leaders in that area and are planning a major, unique, nationwide Alcoholics Anonymous history conference there very soon.

 

First, though, Bryce will tell us a little about his upbringing, educational and religious background, family, marriage, present work, and something of his bouts with addiction. He will also prepare you with some details about his wife--who will be interviewed in just a few days.

 

Second, when last we talked, Bryce was gung ho about a major nationwide A.A. history conference he and his wife are planning for this summer or early fall in the Fort Worth area. And this will be our first opportunity to talk there with and to A.A. friends, Christian leaders and workers, newcomers, churches, and the public about our history and its Christian origins.

 

Third, we look for an audience from all over Fort Worth and Texas; from nearby New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other locations where A.A. history and enthusiasm are hot.

 

Fourth, the Fort Worth conference will bring in speakers who know their stuff, probably from Florida and Hawaii and Texas. It will have music and food; and it will feature three much-needed workshops: (1) Sponsorship. (2) Newcomer focus. (3) Applying “old-school” A.A. principles and practices in 12 Step programs today.

 

Bryce will tell us as much as he wishes about all these subjects. And now we are ready for his talk. Take it away, Bryce

 

Contacting Bryce and His Wife Jennifer

 

To contact Bryce or his wife, Jennifer, go to their Sober By Grace website: http://soberbygrace.org

 

Synopsis of Interview of Bryce H. by Dick B.

 

Appropriately, Bryce called for prayers and assistance for those just involved in the West Texas explosion and resulting disaster.

 

Bryce grew up in Texas, went to school there, played football, and drank beer—though he excelled much more in beer drinking. All the activities got him attention from the opposite sex—the goal of an adept people-pleaser. However, there were constraints by his community. His mom and dad were there. There was church. The unvarying schedule involved practice on Monday, the game on Friday, and church on Sunday. He liked God. And, as he pointed out, knowing about God was no chore because of seminaries, radio, TV, churches, and schools. He had a solid upbringing, but was easily influenced.

 

He joined the Navy, married his high school sweetheart, and did his part—something of which he was proud. However, if high school provided under-graduate drinking training, the Navy offered graduate training. And then came the computer industry which, he said, was filled with alkies. Nonetheless he convinced his wife of 22 years (or thought he convinced her) that he was not an alcoholic. Then came the all-too-common view that if you mixed alcohol with other substances, you could drink longer. And a major mix involved both booze and cocaine. It also produced bottom after bottom after bottom until he was down.

 

Though his wife had counseling degrees and did rehab work, he developed the cover-up technique of getting off the couch, going to the bathroom, washing, and  providing no clue for his wife of the drink and drug situation in the bathroom.

 

Soon, the elephant was out of the closet. Bryce didn’t care. But one day, he was lying on a hotel bed. He prayed to God. He knew little about God and now says he was like Adam in the Garden. He asked God to give him a 1976 Cadillac, but that did not produce deliverance. His wife proclaimed: “You are not the man I married” (the type of comment that is more frequent than not in the lives of many a married alcoholic.) However, Bryce was done! He was free, and he held to these words in Isaiah 61:1-3:

 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

 

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy  for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they  might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified/

 

Bryce was then involved with church. He believed NA provided his introduction to God. He hated just sitting in meetings. He found healthy meetings in church. For five years of sobriety, he was involved in Lighthouse Fellowship. There were other local prayer meetings.

 

He knew he was free. He also saw that there were Pharisees. They condemned. They called recovery ideas scandalous. But he held to Christ’s sacrifice that produced the spirit—and grace.

He believed the fruit of the Spirit included the 12 Steps and meetings. It emphasized the Gospel Message in A.A. and the 12 Steps. He believed both were focused on hope and redemption.

 

In Fort Worth, Bryce saw health in Celebrate Recovery. He saw a growing understanding of what Jesus Christ had accomplished and showed us. He found that dozens of leaders showed up understanding that alkies and the church were failing to help the hurting. People recovered, but. .

 

Bryce closed today’s talk by expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming Fort Worth Nationwide A.A. History Conference and its planned major workshops: (1) Sponsorship training where sponsors didn’t gather with sponsees to watch football, but knew their Big Book, Steps, and A.A. roots and how to apply them. (2) Focus on the newcomer and what he or she needed to know about the recovery program, its roots, and the rules of the road—striking from the language “Meeting makers make it.” Not if that is all there is, said Bryce. (3) Recognizing that walking by the spirit is a never-ending challenge.

 

For information about the Fort Worth Nationwide A.A. History Conference, to become a candidate, and to make a donation, he invited listeners to go to http://soberbygrace.org.

 

For further information, contact dickb@dickb.com;  808 874 4876

 

Gloria Deo

 

 

 

 

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