Still More GEMS is now available. The third in the series of GEMS books and the fourth book by Andy C. is now available in both print and eBook formats. Still More GEMS is presented in a more readable design, with the same blend of humour and insight that GEMS and More GEMS readers, like you, have enjoyed for years. Each gem is another insight that engenders and enhances spiritual growth. We hope you enjoy these morsels of serenity.

Inventories — there are costs and benefits. The benefits trump the costs. But we procrastinate, dither and delay. We dread putting pen to paper. There is no question, inventories take time and effort. And dredging up our past destructive behaviours is unpleasant. These are the costs. But we also see…

I completed my annual inventory and conversation with my spiritual coach. The top defect that we identified for the next year was childish grandiosity. I thought, this will be an interesting year. Removing childish grandiosity seemed vague and complicated, like wrestling with fog. …

The boat beat into the wind, and the sails were pulled tight and snapping loudly. Like the wind, the waves were on our nose; each wave pushed us around. In the troughs, the bow swung one way and, on the crests, the other. And we were wet as spray gusted…

I love tennis; I like the colours, the sounds, and even the smells of a fresh sleeve of tennis balls. But like many other aspects of my life, half-measures availed me nothing; I was all in and loving it. But I was worried, was my life out of balance? Was…

The topic at the AA meeting was “our relationship with God.” An AA brother shared, “I use many verb-preposition compounds and phrases when considering my relationship with God. These include faith in God, belief in God, knowledge of God, trust in God and reliance upon God. “All of these are…

The topic at the AA meeting was spiritual awakenings. After several younger AAs spoke, an old-timer was asked to share; he decided it was time to straighten everyone out. His point, “the Founders of AA only did the Steps once. They did the Steps once, and they had their spiritual…

At our AA meeting, a fellow admitted he had started drinking after three weeks in a treatment facility. This time he burned pretty much everything down. He had one day of sobriety, that day. My sponsor and I took him out for coffee. …

Gratitude is amazing; the results are good even when the source is bad. Here is a personal example of what I mean. On my way to my AA meeting, I stopped for a coffee. The customer ahead of me ordered three complicated cappuccinos and two flavoured lattes. It would take…