Feed aggregator

One thing I personally struggle with is knowing a very high level of unmanageability from BEFORE alcohol use. At one particular point in my life (11 going on 12) dealing with a suicidal older brother and a new neighborhood, new school etc. I took up compulsive praying. 4 hours of this constant praying on a good night being too ashamed to tell my family I'd lock myself in my room right after dinner and start praying. I was sure that if I didn't pray, my brother would kill himself or my mom would die. During school, I would dread the very thought of coming home at night knowing what awaited me. At home, I'd dread the thought of school because I knew that would mean the cycle would repeat. The ritual repeated uncontrollably night after night. I didn't want to pray. I received no pleasure from the act. I HAD TO PRAY! Sometimes I'd tell my mom goodnight after a particularly stressful/frustrating session of prayer in my room just to go back to it and continue well into the early morning hours. EVERY DAY! At the time I didn't know this was a form of OCD called scrupulosity. When I finally couldn't take it anymore... when I myself thought I'd be better off dead, it was the first and last time I broke down completely and confessed the whole ordeal to my mom. Still after this, it took a good 5 years and an end to my brothers depression to work its way out helped immensely by overusing the internet as an escape. I habit I still overindulge in.

So my question is this... How can you recognize unmanageability when you have such a great level to compare it to? Everything seems manageable compared to that period in my life... this includes any problems I have experienced from chronic heavy drinking to this point. I don't want thoughts of my death being better than my life to be my gold standard of the word "unmanageable"

12 Step A.A. History Review
Dick B.
© 2009 Anonymous. All rights reserved
Step Sources to Ponder
Research in the last twenty years has made available lots of new information about where each of the Twelve Steps came from, so far as its language and ideas are concerned.
Therefore, if you put these and other thoughts together, you may find why the rapidly disappearing spiritual roots of A.A. are important. The reflections in this article, however, are just designed to remind us all of some principal historical roots of the 12 Steps. And to show how they can help you, as they did me, to see what the Twelve Steps are really about–or at least were, when Bill Wilson first penned them.
Where They Did Not Come From
For sure, the Twelve Steps did not come from Akron or the early A.A. program there as the specifics of the Akron Christian fellowship program were summarized for John D. Rockefeller by Frank Amos in 1938. Amos said there were seven basic points, and they bear no resemblance to the Steps Bill Wilson formulated and published in the Big Book in 1939 (See Dick B., God and Alcoholism and Twelve Steps for You). Nor did the Twelve Steps arise from any earlier steps of any kind at all. How do we know that? We know it because there were no Steps in Akron Number One’s program (See Dick B., The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous). There were no Steps in the Oxford Group in 1935 (See Dick B., The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous). Contrary to some statements that have been made, neither the Oxford Group nor the early A.A. program had six steps or any steps at all. And there never have been any steps in the Oxford Group at all, though there are twenty-eight Oxford Group principles that impacted on the Steps as Bill finally wrote them in a brief period of meditation in late 1938 (See Dick B., The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous).
What the Original Akron Program Consisted Of
Let’s reiterate the Akron picture: Dr. Bob said he didn’t write the Twelve Steps or have anything to do with the writing of them. He said the basic ideas came from the pioneers’ study of the Bible. He specifically pointed to three Bible segments he said old timers considered absolutely essential (See DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers; and Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book; Why Early A.A. Succeeded: The Good Book in A.A. Yesterday and Today). The three essential Bible segments were Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, Chapters Five to Seven), the entire Book of James, and 1 Corinthians 13. There were many other Akron features that were not included in the Twelve Steps—belief in God, coming to Him through Jesus Christ, elimination of sinful conduct, Bible study, old fashioned prayer meetings, use of the Upper Room, The Runner’s Bible, My Utmost for His Highest, and similar daily devotionals, together with suggested religious comradeship and attendance at a religious service each week.
Where, then, did the Twelve Steps really come from?
Bill Wilson said many times in many ways that nobody invented A.A. He often added that everything in the program was borrowed–from medicine, religion, and experience. Many years later, Bill Pittman put his finger on the button when he wrote AA The Way It Began. Pittman concluded (and he was correct) that the Twelve Step program came from Rev. Sam Shoemaker and from the Oxford Group writings. Over the years, Wilson himself began conceding this point little by little, but not detailing it. Remember, however, that there were no Steps in Calvary Church, in the Oxford Group, or in pioneer A.A. But the major Oxford Group life-changing ideas were made known to Rowland Hazard, Ebby Thacher, and Bill Wilson in 1934. If you will read my title Turning Point, you will see that Ebby Thacher (Bill’s sponsor) passed along to Bill in much detail the basic ideas of the Twelve Steps. They came from Ebby’s Oxford Group discussions with Rowland Hazard and F. Shepard Cornell. Most don’t know that, but you can see, in pages 12 to 15 of the Big Book, 4th Edition, that Oxford Group ideas that Bill was pondering with Ebby at Towns Hospital in 1934.
Then there’s the matter of Reverend Sam Shoemaker, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York, chief lieutenant of Oxford Group founder Dr. Frank Buchman, and prolific Oxford Group writer. You’ll find Shoemaker ideas and language sprinkled throughout the Big Book and the Steps. You’ll find corresponding words, language, and ideas in Shoemaker’s writings. And you’ll find them in Bill’s acknowledgments in letters and talks about Shoemaker’s importance. In my nineteen years of reading Shoemaker’s books, examining the Stepping Stones archives, seeing Shoemaker’s personal journals and his papers at the Episcopal Church Archives in Texas, I have had the Shoemaker teachings and influence made have made those points quite clear to me. Strikingly also, I learned that Bill had actually asked Shoemaker to write the Twelve Steps, and Shoemaker declined. It’s all in my title, Dick B., New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A., 2d ed.
The Anne Smith Journal Source (1933-1939)
There is one additional, principal source that I have stressed for many years. I do so because no one has been told much about it in A.A. or in Twelve Step groups. Scholars and other historians either ignore it or fail to discuss it. I stress this source because it either covered or actually taught most of A.A.’s Oxford Group, Shoemaker, and Bible ideas in detail in the 1930's, long before the Big Book was published. And I do so because it had a direct daily impact on Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob, and the A.A. pioneers. You can see many Shoemaker and Oxford Group ideas in it. You can also see the Bible ideas, Christian literature, and role of Jesus Christ that Dr. Bob stressed.
That source is found in the 64 page journal I was able to obtain from A.A. General Services in New York, with the help of Dr. Bob’s daughter Sue Smith Windows and Bill Wilson’s secretary Nell Wing. It is laid out in some detail in my book, Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939. And if you want to see A.A. history in the making, see it as it was shared with AAs and their families in the earliest days, and see it as a bona fide and detailed discussion of A.A.’s Twelve Step ideas before the Steps were written, you should get a copy of Dick B., Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939. You sure won’t find it in any A.A. literature, meeting, or conference itself!
Some Helpful Step Root Specifics
Following are some basic ideas that fed directly into the Twelve Steps from their three major sources (Shoemaker, Oxford Group, Anne Smith, Dr. Bob’s wife):
Powerlessness seems to have little to do with our beginnings. It was just an expression that fit in with Wilson’s later talk about lack of power, and the need to find a power (which Wilson declared was God, and which was most assuredly that of the Creator Yahweh). In the beginning, the First Step idea was just: We admitted we were licked. And that still does it for me. Then the pioneers often said this prayer: O God, manage me because I can’t manage myself. In several forms, this prayer is mentioned or discussed in Anne Smith’s Journal, Shoemaker’s books, and the Oxford Group’s stories about Victor and the “manage me” prayer.
Came to believe was originally phrased: Believe that God can restore you to sanity. That “came to believe God” originated with Shoemaker’s emphasis on John 7:17–If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be or God, or whether I [Jesus] speak of myself. Shoemaker’s thesis: Do God’s will, and then you’ll know what God can do, said he. Good examples can be found in Shoemaker’s Religion That Works and Twice Born Ministers.
The Third Step called for a decision to entrust your life to God’s care. It was primarily based on “Thy will be done” from the Lord ’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10). And you can see these points in the Anne Smith, Shoemaker, and Oxford Group writings. The addition of God “as we understood Him” was compromise language substituted for “God” in the fervent arguments at Works Publishing Company offices. But this “as you understand Him” came from many of Shoemaker’s writings about surrendering as much of yourself as you understand to as much of God as you understand. Good examples can be found in Children of the Second Birth by Shoemaker. They can be found in Bill Wilson’s talks in the Big Book itself.
The Fourth Step originated with on the Oxford Group’s Four Absolutes–honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. Dr. Bob called them the yardsticks. Anne Smith called them the moral standards. Also with Matthew 7:1-5 of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. You wrote the four absolutes down. You also wrote down where your life was astray. And you looked for your part in the wrongdoing. These ideas can clearly be seen in Anne’s, Shoemaker’s, and the Oxford Group’s writings.
Our Fifth Step language can be found in the same three sources. But all state that the basic idea came from James 5:16. The pity is that, by ignoring the Bible, our historians have missed the point that you not only confess your faults one to another, but you call in the elders to pray for the sick person, and the Lord shall raise him up and his sins shall be forgiven (James 5:15). It continues that you will be healed because the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. That’s something Wilson and A.A. Number Three (Bill Dotson) specifically claimed for themselves in the early years before 1939. See Big Book, page 191.
The Sixth and Seventh Step language leaves many bewildered today. The two paragraphs in the Big Book explains very little and omit very much. They mix up various theological ideas, and they weren’t part of Akron thinking except for acceptance Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (something totally removed from today’s A.A.). The best understanding of these two Steps and two paragraphs would probably come to those who learn and apply the 5 C’s that were mentioned by Anne, by Sam, and by the Oxford Group. These two Step ideas really come from the Five C’s. They rest primarily on Conviction (Step 6) and Conversion (Step 7). You can see these explained in detail in the early Oxford Group book Soul Surgery by Walter. But the roots got lost in Bill’s shuffle from the six word-of-mouth steps to the twelve he wrote in late 1938 and were supposed to leave no wiggle room as he and Lois put it. The problem is that they left little understanding either. Many somehow think they lose all faults in those two Steps and then wonder why the remainder are necessary. They leave many puzzled as to how man continues in his wrongdoing and “sin” after they have mouthed the language of the Big Book. My sponsor thought all of his “character defects” were gone when he “took” the Seventh Step. His sponsor explained to me that the step was merely about “hungry, angry, lonely, and tired.” Such remarks left me puzzled and challenged to learn more about these two steps.
The Eighth and Ninth Step ideas of restitution have their roots in four segments of the Bible (See Dick B., The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous; The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous; By the Power of God; and The Good Book and The Big Book). This concept of life-change that involves restoring, making restitution, making amends, confessing one’s own part, and taking corrective action can be seen most vividly in the Oxford Group book For Sinners Only by A. J. Russell. Whatever one may think of the Oxford Group, restitution, or the Bible, this aspect of A.A. Step work is well covered by Bill in his Big Book.
The Tenth Step derives from the “Continuance” principle of the Oxford Group’s Five C’s. You continue the surrender, the life change, the self-examination, the confession, the conviction, (but not necessarily the “conversion”)–as well as the restitution–you learned in and undertook in the first nine Steps. To know the roots and the purpose is to understand better why there was a Step Ten. And Shoemaker wrote eloquently about continued surrender as did Anne Smith. Shoemaker said that “sins” had a way of building up and needed continuing efforts at eradicating them.
The Eleventh Step is a big deal. And the best references I can give are to the exhaustive treatment of Quiet Time, Guidance, Bible study, Prayer, Listening, Checking, Journaling, and use of devotionals and other literature that I have covered in my books Good Morning!: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A.; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, New Light on Alcoholism; The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous; The Good Book and The Big Book; and By the Power of God. In fact, the richness of the Eleventh Step roots can best be understood by having, as a reference set, my twenty-nine volumes which are sold as a group at a substantial discount. That way, you have the history when you want to study it, when you want to refer to it, and when you want to look at the tremendous amount of bibliography that is available in those books.
Now the Twelfth Step. The language “spiritual awakening” is from the Oxford Group (See Buchman, Remaking the World). And Shoemaker wrote a whole chapter in one of his books, explaining what a spiritual awakening was. He further elaborated at an A.A. Convention when he said it had four elements: (prayer, conversion, fellowship, and witness); but you sure won’t find those Shoemaker expressions in A.A. literature pertaining to Step Twelve. The topic “spiritual experience” is likewise from the Oxford Group. The problem is that neither Professor William James, nor Dr. Carl Jung, nor even Bill Wilson, were originally talking about either a spiritual awakening or a spiritual experience as the Oxford Group defined them. They were talking about religious experiences and conversion. But the distaste for such ideas in the Oxford Group, the Roman Catholic Church, the universalists, the revisionists, and the non-Christians has slowly but surely buried the conversion which was a sine qua non of early A.A. What was the message that 12 Steppers were to carry? You won’t find Bill describing it. But the real message was carried by Ebby to Bill and found its way into the Big Book in terms of “God has done for me what I could not do for myself.” To that was added the Oxford Group/Shoemaker idea of passing it on and giving it away to keep it–both of which derived from Biblical witnessing. And what were the principles 12 Steppers were to practice? That was left un-discussed by Wilson. Once he and his A.A. editors buried the Four Absolutes, they also quickly buried the simplest, earliest, clearest statements of the principles. Those principles–honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love–were the yardsticks, as Dr. Bob called them. They were the standards as many Oxford Group people called them. And, since they were based on the teachings of Jesus, they can also be said to incorporate all the principles of the Ten Commandments, the two Great Commandments of Jesus, other commandments in the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. And you will find that many pieces of literature in early A.A. central offices so stated.
END
Dick B.’s web site on early A.A. history: http://www.dickb.com/index.shtml

:11:

Updated ACA Phonebridge Meeting Schedule-November 2009

The ACA phonebridge (712) 432-8710 pass code 2996308#

We come into the meetings muted, we press *1 to unmute and then *1 to mute again.For the serenity of the meetings we are asked to remain muted while not speaking and to avoid background noises while unmuted etc...


All meetings are listed for Eastern Standard Time and use the ACA Text:

Monday at 8:30 – 10 pm – reading on the Survival Traits starting on page 10



Tuesday at 10:00 pm- adult children with child -literature study and are reading from Chapter Two of the ACA Text:"It Will Never Happen To Me"


Wednesday at 9 pm – is a Step Meeting

Thurday at 8:30 – 10 pm – reading from Chapter 10: the Identity Papers

Friday at 9:00 pm Chapter 8

Saturday at 10am – Based on the Solution – Becoming Your Own Loving Parent

Saturday afternoon- 4:00-5:00 PM- Open Topic/ Discussion(currently no text study but topic is up to the chairperson)


Saturday night- 8:30-10:00 PM- Step One/workbook

Sunday 4:00 PM- Newcomers Meetings/studying the ACA is...

Sunday 9:00 PM- Literature Study/Discussion

Sunday 10:OO AM- Closed meeting,(open to all aca's,even without children but participants are asked to please identify themselves so all are aware who is present on the line).


Weekdays 12 noon- ACA Identity Papers study/Discussion (Fri.

Traditions study)


Tuesdays 10:30 AM (?)This meeting had switched to Teusady night but they wanted some to continue having the AM meeting.I have heard nobody is showing up.

Also this is a free conference line anyone is welcome to start another ACA meeting or just use the line for aca fellowship anytime that is not in conflict with an existing meeting.:mrgreen:

Currently a Thankgiving Day marathon meetings is developing.:85:

Thanks
zeus

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Gratitude

"A complete change takes place in our approach to life.
Where we used to run from responsibility,
we find ourselves accepting it
with gratitude that we can successfully shoulder it.
Instead of wanting to escape some perplexing problem,
we experience a thrill of challenge
in the opportunity it affords for another application
of AA techniques,
and we find ourselves tackling it with surprising vigor."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 311-12
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

When brimming with gratitude,
one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion we can ever know.
Bill W., March 1962

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew



************************************************** ********


*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*


Awareness
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The [Saturday Evening Post] article appeared in the March 1, 1941, issue. Jack's [Alexander] extensive investigation and his remarkable capacity for sympathy and rapport with us produced a piece which had immense impact. By mail and telegram a deluge of pleas for help and orders for the book Alcoholics Anonymous, first in hundreds and then in thousands, hit Box 658. Pawing at random through the incoming mass of heartbreaking appeals, we found ourselves crying. What on earth could we do with them? We were really swamped.

"We saw that we must have help. So we rounded up every A.A. woman and every A.A. wife who could use a typewriter. The upper floor of the Twenty-Fourth Street Club was converted into an emergency headquarters. For days [A.A. office manager] Ruth and the volunteers tried to answer the ever increasing tide of mail. They were almost tempted into using form letters. But experience had shown that this would not do at all. A warm personal communication must be sent to every prospect and his family."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 191


************************************************** ********


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor
do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders. When we see a man
sinking into the mire that is alcoholism, we give him first aid and
place what we have at his disposal."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132
~
"It works - it really does."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 88~


************************************************** *******



Misc. AA Literature - Quote




'Thanks much for your letter of criticism. I'm certain that had it not been for its strong critics, A.A. would have made slower progress.'
'For myself, I have come to set a high value on the people who have criticized me, whether they have seemed reasonable critics or unreasonable ones. Both have often restrained me from doing much worse than I actually have done. The unreasonable ones have taught me, I hope, a little patience. But the reasonable ones have always done a great job for all of A.A. - and have taught me many a valuable lesson.'

************************************************** ********


Member Submitted Quote



We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time...' ( T. S. Elliot )



************************************************** ********


12 x 12 Quote

"But this didn't happen. Instead, the Washingtonians permitted
politicians and reformers, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, to use the
society for their own purposes. Abolition of slavery, for example, was
a stormy political issue then. Soon, Washingtonian speakers violently
and publicly took sides on this question. Maybe the society could have
survived the abolition controversy, but it didn't have a chance from
the moment it determined to reform America's drinking habits. When the
Washingtonians became temperance crusaders, within a very few years
they had completely lost their effectiveness in helping alcoholics."
(Twelve and Twelve, Tradition Ten, pg. 178)

Hi
well im new here
Guess im in the right place, i grew up in AA
my father was and ancoholic, joined AA 30 years ago and there you have it.

im 35 now and i find a lot of sh!t all of a sudden pouring out of me
and through inner searching or whatever...
long story short
i fit the description of a ACOA Perfectly.

all that being said , now what
how do i stop this cycle im in, what do i do?

like i said i grew up in those rooms, i wasn't beat physically
i can't even remember seeing him drunk

my older sisters saw the worst.


im just tired of being all of those things in the description of ACOA

ON BEING A SPONSOR

The decision to be a sponsor is important and should not be taken lightly. Whenever possible, we consult our own sponsor before agreeing to sponsor someone else. Our motive in sponsoring another dually-diagnosed person is to help another someone who still suffers. We can only keep it by giving it away.

In deciding whether to sponsor someone, we need to ask ourselves if we are ready and willing to share our experience, strength and hope and to take on the responsibility. Many feel that sponsoring is easier once we have made some headway with our own recovery. By helping others, we reach outside of ourselves and grow spiritually toward wholeness, remembering always that our recovery comes first. There is always a fine line between caring and enabling; as sponsors, our responsibility is to carry the message, not the other person. Sponsoring someone does not mean that you become responsible for their life, their recovery or their mental health. We are not therapists, psychiatrists, moneylenders, marriage counselors or parole officers. It is also important to remember that we are sick. There may be times when we may not be able to relate, when we may see someone in danger of wanting to hurt themselves or someone else; we do our best to direct that person to someone who may help. When you are sponsoring someone, problems may creep up that you will need to discuss with your own sponsor (always respect anonymity and confidentiality in these matters). Remember, even if someone relapses, we’re not here to play God, our responsibility is to our own recovery and there will be times when we don’t have answers. If we can, we help that person seek the help they need; our program is based on one person helping another with the help of the God of our understanding but remember, we are not God.

As sponsors, we do everything possible within the limits of personal experience and knowledge to get and stay clean, stay awy from jails, institutions and death. and work the 12-steps of recovery. We live our program one day at a time and help the newcomer partake in what we have been freely given. Out of this common bond, we recover and service lives on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D4VM...ture=rec-HM-r2

I'm 54 and have a sister who's 49. She's an alcoholic/drug addict. She was a nurse, but got her license taken away about 8 years ago after the 3rd time she was caught stealing narcotics from the place she worked. My family and I have helped her (bailed her out) in numerous ways over the years, but 3 years ago that stopped. Her husband, who she left with her two small children about 12 years ago passed away. She tried to be a Mom to my niece for about six months, but she just couldn't live a normal life. She left my niece and my husband and I legally assumed responsibility for her. She's a freshman in college now, and doing well. I am the only person in my family (other than her son and daughter) that has had contact with my sister since she left my niece on a friend's door step, to go back to drinking. (She's also been in a methadone program for the past 4 years.) Long story short: I just talked to her, and she told me the man she's been living with for six months is making her move out today. Of course, this is because of her violent and abusive behavior when she's drinking. (After losing her nursing license, and with a record of various arrests, the only job she could get was a stocker at a home improvement store. She doesn't make enough money to live in a decent apartment, so she has to live with whatever man she can find who will put her up.) She also told me she got her 2'nd DUI last week, and is afraid she'll end up in jail. During the whole conversation, she's sobbing . . . "kicked out in the street, no money for an apt., facing jail time, what am I going to do?????"

I KNOW in my head that I can no longer offer her any help. All the help that my family and I have given her in the past did NOTHING to improve her circumstances or to motivate her to change. But my heart is breaking . . . and even though I don't understand it, I feel guilty because my life is so good, and her's has been so tragic and pathetic. Somebody please tell me I'm doing the right thing by refusing to give her money or a place to stay. Somebody please tell me I don't need to feel guilty. Thanks in advance for any words of encouragement.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Unity

"The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous
is the most cherished quality our Society has.
Our lives, the lives of all to come,
depend squarely upon it.
We stay whole, or AA dies.
Without unity, the heart of AA would cease to beat;
our world arteries would no longer carry
the life-giving grace of God;
His gift to us would be spent aimlessly.
Back again in their caves, alcoholics would reproach us
and say, 'What a great thing AA might have been!' "
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 129
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T E A M = Together Everyone Achieves More


************************************************** ******


*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*


Complete Defeat
From: "From the Taproot"
The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole Society has sprung and flowered.

Twelve and Twelve, pages 21-22

Every newcomer is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.

So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time. A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once.

Twelve and Twelve, pages 72-73

1967, AAWS, Inc., As Bill Sees It, page 305

************************************************** ********


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us
a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is
indescribably wonderful."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 17~

"We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us..."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 88~


************************************************** ********



Misc. AA Literature - Quote




Now that we no longer patronize bars and bordellos, now that we bring home the pay checks, now that we are so very active in A.A., and now that people congratulate us on these signs of progress - well, we naturally proceed to congratulate ourselves. Of course, we are not yet within hailing distance of humility.

We ought to be willing to try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings, just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, and came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. If humility could enable us to find the grace by which the deadly alcohol obsession could be banished, then there must be hope of the same result respecting any other problem we can possibly have.

************************************************** ********


Member Submitted Quote



Regarding believing in God: 'Pretend. Act as if. Fake it until you make it.'


************************************************** ********


12 x 12 Quote

"The same stern threat applies to the group itself. Unless there is
approximate conformity to AA's Twelve Traditions, the group, too, can
deteriorate and die. So we of AA do obey spiritual principles, first
because we must, and ultimately because we love the kind of life such
obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are AA's
disciplinarians; we need no others." (Twelve and Twelve, Tradition
Nine, pg. 174)

There are some out there who watch from a distance and wonder how they will make it back to a life they once knew. A life of hope and promise and love. As deep or as far as they may have strayed, there remains a reminder in their heart of safe harbor, a place of comfort and covering. Its echo only serves to magnify the depth of there current condition.

Know that God knows the cries of your heart and He understands your wounds. The memory of the life of promise once known, is not there to haunt you, it is there to shed light on your path to recovery. It is the beginning of your breadcrumb path back to wholeness. Be thankful it is there and be wise in knowing this will take time, but there is a beginning and when we can identify a beginning, we can be assured of an end. Walk it out, one prayer at a time, one day at time, one decision at a time, one relationship at a time.

If you feel like you are walking alone, know that God is with you and it is in this walk with Him, that you will find your true identity and strength. He may keep you to Himself for a season, but rest assured when He has nurtured you back to wholeness, He will reveal to you treasures of realtionship and blessing that our minds cannot fathom. Walk with Him.

Like a candle dancing in the breeze, protect the flame of hope and reach out to God today. Listen in the quiet of your heart. Rest in the reality of His love for you and your circumstance.

He will lead you to still waters, one day at a time. He will give you, day by day, small steps on your new path. He is not concerned if your walk with Him is perfect, He is concerned that you walk with Him, just as you are. You won't be able to see the entire route,,,just day to day pieces. Cling to these and walk and pray and read of His wonderous love for you. It is when we walk by faith, that we are able to look back and see the path behind us...standing in awe of a God who designs this path for us...seeing His faithfulness in hindsight...gaining new faith for the path ahead, yet unrevealed.

These words were placed on my heart today for someone I do not know, but am praying for.

Peace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA5-wMCR3aQ

A SINLESS SAVIOR

"Which of you convicts Me of sin?"
- (John 8:46 NKJV)

Jesus changes everything about the stranglehold sin has on
humanity. But the first thing we need to establish about Jesus is that He is
sinless. Because if He isn't, then He really can't help us any more than one
drowning man can help another drowning man. A sinner needs a Savior; they can't
be one. Jesus has to be sinless or else He's powerless to save us.





On this particular point, the Bible leaves absolutely no
question; Jesus was and is absolutely free of any trace of sin:





For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for
us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21
NKJV)





For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without
sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NKJV)





For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has
become higher than the heavens... (Hebrews 7:26 NKJV)





"[Jesus] Who committed no sin, nor was deceit
found in His mouth...." (1 Peter 2:22 NKJV)





And you know that He was manifested to take away our
sins, and in Him there is no sin. (1 John 3:5 NKJV)





This is only possible because Jesus was not introduced into
this world the same way every other sinful person was. He didn't inherit the
genetic flaws passed down from generation to generation since Adam. Instead, He
was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20) and bypassed the strain of sin.
So much so that His critics were silent when He once asked them to point out
where He was guilty of sin (John 8:46).





Jesus had to be sinless in order to effectively save us.
Fortunately, He was and so He has.


Godspeaks
__________________

Hosea 1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash [a] king of Israel:
Hosea's Wife and Children
2 When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD." 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel's bow in the Valley of Jezreel."

6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, [b] for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God."

8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, [c] for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

10 "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.


Footnotes:
a.Hosea 1:1 Hebrew Joash , a variant of Jehoash
b.Hosea 1:6 Lo-Ruhamah means not loved .
c.Hosea 1:9 Lo-Ammi means not my people .

I have been praying lately for God's will in my mom's life. She has had her house for sale for about 7 months. Well, yesterday she sold the house. She is trying to put one foot in front of the other and simply follow God's leading even though she isn't sure what that may be. My sisters have been wanting her to move to Texas where they are. Looks like that may happen.

I feel a sense of sadness, that i will not see her as much if she moves but deep in my heart i really just want what is best for her. We shall see where this takes us in our relationship. I am grateful that i can say we do have a relationship today since i got clean. The Lord has worked wonders in our relationship.

Standing in Self

Today, I own the truth of my recovery. If I am to stand centered and strong within my life and self, I will need to plant a garden within my own soul. A garden for me to nurture and to nurture me. A haven of beauty. I will find my own voice and sing my song because if I don't sing it, it will not be sung. It is all I have and it is enough. I do not need to prove anything to anyone anymore. I have come home - to me. The truth is, I was here all along, only I forgot to look for myself. Instead, I searched for me in other people's meaning and became lost in their stories. I am not lost today. I know that there is nowhere to look for me but within myself, and no one to lead me there but me.

Thank you, life, for letting me see this.
- Tian Dayton PhD

Alcoholics Anonymous Origins and History Articles
By Dick B.

1. A.A. History Articles by Dick B. http://www.dickb.com/articles.shtml

2. Mental Health Matters: Alcohol Addiction
http://mental-health-matters.com/ind...layout=default

3. A.A. Bibliography Home: 35 A.A. History Articles by Dick B.
http://www.aabibliography.com/dickbhtml/dickbart.html

4. Recovery Crossroads - Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Community > A.A. With Dick B.

5. Cyber Recovery Social Network Forums - Alcohol and Drug Addiction Help/Support > Alcohol and Addictions Recovery

A.A. With Dick B.


6. Recovery Internet Alcoholism and Drug Addictions Help/Support > Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Help Support

A.A. With Dick B.


7. NICD: A.A. History
http://www.nicd.us/aahistory.html

8. Christian Recovery Ministries: A.A. History
http://www.christianrecoveryministri...splay.php?f=43

9. Go Articles.com: Dick B.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

10. Self Growth.com: Dick B.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/ri...me_dick_b.html

11. Anonymous One Articles
http://www.anonymousone.com/ask.htm

12. A.A. History
http://aa-history.com/

13. Dick B.’s Personal A.A. History Blog Site
http://dickb-blog.com/

14. Take 12 Radio.com: The A.A.History Show
http://sponsortosponsor.com/tuesday.html

15. Our Pages on Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.dickb.com/our-pages-on-drbob.shtml

16. Recovered Alcoholics.net
http://www.recoveredalcoholics.net/A...y/histlnks.htm

17. Reformation UCC. Org/
http://www.reformationucc.org/2008/0...view/#more-234

18. Improve Our Conscious Contact: A.A. History Fragments
http://improveourconsciouscontact.bl...label/Dick%20B.

19. Freedom Ranch Maui, Incorporated
http://freedomranchmaui.org

20. Dick B. and Ken B., The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 2d ed.
http://www.dickb.com

21. Dick B.’s Address on the Six Major Roots of A.A.
http://www.mental-health-matters.com...on&Itemid=2048

22. Search Warp: Articles by Dick B.
http://searchwarp.com/About216068.htm

23. Dick B. A.A. Historical Matters-Bible Study Notes
http://www.jordomedia.com/RSS/l_op=v...lid=45698.html

24. A.A. Influences From the Oxford Group
http://www.prohibitionists.org/Relat...s-Oct-2003.htm

25. Dick B.’s FYI Messages
http://www.cmehawaii.biz/cgi-bin/dad...kBsFYIMessage/

26. Cyber Recovery: Audio—Dick B. Story and The Heart of A.A.
http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/...ad.php?t=19455

27. Tampa Bay Clean and Sober Plenary Session Address by Dick B.
http://freedomranchmaui.org/aahistorystory.pdf

28. Articles Base: A.A. Cofounder Bill Wilson - the Evangelist You Probably Don't Know

29. Rocketed: Synonyms for “God” in the Big Book
http://rocketed.org/node/19

30. Focused and Free. Com: Articles by Dick B.
http://www.focusedandfree.com/dick_b.html



Gloria Deo


:idea:

Always remember that the Narcotics Anonymous program is based entirely on personal freedom, individual responsibility, and equality. The only message we have is one of hope for the still suffering addict. Any suggestions that are not found in our literature are the opinion of the person making them.

You have all of these rights, and so do others. You do not have the right to try to impose your beliefs or view of recovery on anyone. It is only through our Higher Powers guidance that we find the best way to practice our own program. Our Higher Power will never guide us to find the best way for another to practice their program. Criticism and judgment are to be avoided.

"We do not pressure new members to speak or act like us" it works how and why. In Narcotics Anonymous we lead by example, there are no rules or rulers. Coercion, in any form, is offensive. It is only through mutual respect that we find the unity necessary to carry out our primary purpose. These rights, based in our traditions, are not negotiable.



The Twelve Rights of NA


1. You have a right to a higher power of your own understanding.

2. You have a right to work the steps in your own way.

3. You have a right to work at your own pace.

4. You have a right to your own opinions.

5. You cannot say anything wrong in a meeting. You have a right to self expression.

6. You have a right to be free from coercion in any form.

7. You have a right to pick any sponsor you think will further your recovery.

8. You have a right to attend or join any other fellowship, church, society, or organization.

9. You have a right to attend any meeting you want as often as you choose.

10. You are a member when you say you are. Your right to your place in NA is always equal to any other members.

11. You have the right to make mistakes.

12. You have the right to come back after a relapse without recrimination.


"We urge NA members to remain open-minded and flexible. It is important to look to our literature and our experienced members for guidance, but ultimately each member has the right to understand and apply this program in the way that works best for her or him."

"I can smoke just one! Just for this evening, I'll smoke, and then I'm back to my quit tomorrow! Really!!"

Sound familiar? Thoughts of smoking are common as you go through nicotine withdrawal. Your mind can feel like it's turning itself inside out trying to convince you to have just one cigarette. Don't let it throw you; this is a normal part of recovery from nicotine addiction. Make a vow to put your thoughts on ignore when you're struggling, and keep your focus on the day you have in front of you only. Don't worry about tomorrow; don't fret about never smoking again. Just think about getting through TODAY smoke free.

Junkie thinking can sometimes spring up out of nowhere when you least expect it, and suddenly your mind is trying to rationalize why smoking would be an alright thing to do. That is addiction and habit talking to you, and the voices can get pretty urgent at times, demanding your attention.

Keep your memory green. Use your list of reasons and your quit journal; refresh yourself often about why you've quit, as well as how far you've come on your path to freedom. Don't slip into thinking that because you've done so well, you can smoke and quit again easily. It never works that way. People who return to smoking often spend years trying to quit again.

Your reasons for quitting will never be less true as time goes by, but they can feel less critical if you're not careful.

If you are seriously considering smoking, take some time to think about the answers you'd give to the questions below.

•Why did I quit smoking?
•How long did I smoke?
•How long have I been smoke free?
•How long do I think it should take to be free of this habit?
•If I go back to smoking, will I want to quit again?
•How long will it be before I do? Weeks...months...years? When illness strikes?
•Will quitting be any easier next time around?
•How do I think smoking will benefit me?
•Is it worth giving up what I've worked so hard to do?
Some of these are hard questions to answer, but if you're thinking about lighting up, do yourself a favor and answer them honestly. Take out a piece of paper, or open your quit journal and really consider your responses to each and every one of these questions.

Protect and nurture the freedom you're gaining from this deadly habit. Remember that the chains of addiction are broken one link at a time. Be patient with yourself, and let time be your quit buddy.

Don't let junkie thinking trick you back into a habit you hate. You might never find a way to break free again.

Give cessation time and you will be free.
Give smoking time and it will kill you.

THIS IS MY final DAY SMOKING!!!:mad:
I HAVE SMOKED FOR OVER 30 YEARS:16:; I HAVE QUIT COUNTLESS TIMES & BEGAN AGAIN.
Today, I gained temporary custody of my eldest granddaughter & I declared publicly that I would STOP SMOKING if/when this happened.
I have less than a pack; I am attempting to restrain from lighting up; doing other things with my hands than smoke, and seeking other ideas or help to master this goal.:11:

l am also looking for a place to get the 52 cards of DEATH ~ 52 reasons to not smoke.

Hello, I am new here. I joined this site to find the answers to some questions. I am seriously considering visiting a local group for families of recovering addicts.
I am the mother of a recovering addict who was clean for 3 years until this past weekend. DD is now married to a "recovering" addict. They have 3 children ages 4 - 10 wks.
When a recovering addict says you don't understand because you aren't an addict or addicts don't see things like that - is that an excuse?
I'm concerned about the relapse & my grand children. The oldest grand is from a former relationship. My husband & I along with the other grandparents have custody of him. His dad was just so young at the time of his birth, but is a gread dad, in college, just came home from basic training in the military, etc. The child is at his mom's one week & his dad's the next. If the dad's family find out - he won't be allowed back at his mom's. I will stand behind that decision.
After she told me of the relapse this weekend, I asked "Aren't you afraid of losing your children?" Her reply was - "it would be a cold day when anyone took her babies. We made a mistake 1 time this weekend, everybody makes mistakes. We are addicts. Things happen. Don't be so dramatic about it."
The week prior to the relapse we planned a shopping trip. We shopped the day of the relapse and she was just happy, bought the kids some shoes & clothes. Now it's like a complete turn around. Bitter, sarcastic, like she wants to talk to me, but I should act like nothing happened.
Are the "addict" "no drama" comments an excuse. Is she trying to put her guilt on me by telling me basically it's no big deal and that I'm over reacting to be concerned about the kids?
I've heard I'm gonna straighten up from SIL for over 2 years. He isn't clean for long at a time. One thing is for sure - I refuse to jeopardize my grandchildren just to keep the peace. :confused: