All Addictions
12-Step Study
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12-Step Study
Workshop
9/25/2014 0 Comments Recording For September 25, 2014(week 143) 26 September 2014 12 Step Study Big Book Workshop
www.AA.org This has the Big Book and AA Reflections read at the Friday noontime Trust & Rely meeting. 12stepstudyworkshop.com has all the handouts and accumulated knowledge of Stephanie’s studies of the Big Book. Please send donations to support the website to: Stephanie Whiting P O Box 531 North Pembroke MA 02358 Step 3: ‘Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.’ AA 12 x 12 page 36:entire first paragraph starting: ‘To every worldly and practical-minded beginner…’ Soul work Q1. Have you made a decision to turn your life and your thoughts over to the care of God as you understood him? b) Have you made that decision today? Reaffirm this decision EVERY DAY if not stuck in the A and B of the Big Book on Page 60. c) Have you made one big ‘Yes’ you are going to run my life! And then every day reaffirm that? If you have, then you have taken a third step. If not are probably stuck on a) or b) in the Big Book (page 60) . Q2. Honestly where are you? (If you are not honest with yourself you cannot get well). b) Have you made a decision today? To every worldly and practical-minded beginner, this step looks hard, even impossible. Q3. Are you a worldly person or a practically minded person and turning your thoughts and your actions to a God that you cannot see and touch and feel looks hard or even impossible? Q4. Write this down: If a situation brings you to your knees it has accomplished it’s purpose. No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is? Q5. Nothing is impossible with God. Write on that. b) What do you think is impossible for God? Write about this and bring it to your Quiet Time every day. [Stephanie doesn’t think anything is impossible for God and no longer questions anything]. Q6. Write your step three journey [Stephanie told you hers. She is always in step three as there is always more commitment, willingness, openness and honesty. It grows]. Must be OPEN MINDED and have WILLINGNESS to change THOUGHTS and ACTIONS (turn thoughts and actions over to God) and do what Higher Power is leading you to do. Bill is giving us a promise here. Fortunately we who have tried it and with equal misgivings, can testify that anyone, anyone at all, can begin to do it. Q6. Look up misgivings. Q7. Ask others about their walk with step three. If people say they never had a misgiving, take them back. Something brought them to a rock solid belief in God. Hearing others’ stories is always a gift and a miracle. Seeking God is hearing another’s story and identifying. If it doesn’t have my name on it is none of my business. Indeed anything beyond the tip of my nose is not my business. It is me and God. That’s why we need Quiet Time. Q8. Trust & Rely Workshop Stephanie is challenging you: if you are feeling frustrated because you are not hearing God, do this Trust & Rely format for 12 weeks. You need the format to learn to access listening to God. a) Read the day’s entry from AA Reflections Book, three times asking your Higher Power: ‘what do you want me to get out of this?’ b) Write for 10 minutes (start with a minimum of five if writing is hard for you) c) Then ask: God/HP what do you want me to meditate on? and when your mind starts wandering bring it back to that word or phrase. d) Suggest you find somebody whom it is safe to read it to so you get practice at turning your life and your will over to the care of another. It is a skill which takes willingness to be willing. Re. Step 3: Be specific and ask God: ‘What does it (step three) look like for today, at work, in my recovery, in my food plan?’ Another promise: We can further add that beginning even the smallest is all that is needed. Step Three is the trampoline into the rest of the steps. It will jump you right into being willing to look at yourself and stop pointing fingers. Never judge anybody. And if somebody judges us, know that 99% of people’s prejudice is they just haven’t been given the information. The Big Book says, ‘ignorance is prejudice prior to investigation.’ People think they know, but they don’t. Our job as recovered addicts is when we can we educate that there is another beautiful way of life, non-guilty, self-forgiving and getting on with helping others. We are so much more alike than different. And we in recovery can bridge the gap, just put it out there in a non-threatening and caring loving way. If people pick it up they pick it up. And they may file it away. Q9.Write this down: It takes time to learn to turn things over. Stephanie says: ‘I was not made well 16 years ago, but I was put on the road to becoming well to connect to God.’
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9/18/2014 0 Comments Recording For September 18, 2014(week 142) 18 September 2014 12-step study Big Book workshop
www.AA.org This has the Big Book and AA Reflections read at the Friday noontime Trust & Rely meeting. 12stepstudyworkshop.com has all the handouts and accumulated knowledge of Stephanie’s studies of the Big Book. Please send donations to support the website to: Stephanie Whiting P O Box 531 North Pembroke MA 02358 AA 12 x 12 Step 3: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” Page 35:2 Entire paragraph starting: ‘Like all the remaining steps…’ Soul work Today’s reading: AA 12&12 Step Three/ p.34 ( 49th ed. ) – entire paragraph 2: “Like all the remaining Steps, Step Three calls for affirmative action, for it is only by action that we can cut away the self-will which has always blocked the entry of God- or, if you like, a Higher Power- into our lives. Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can avail nothing. We can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives. Therefore our problem now becomes just how and by what specific means shall we be able to let Him in? Step Three represents our first attempt to do this. In fact, the effectiveness of the whole A.A. program will rest upon how well and earnestly we have tried to come to a “decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” Q1. Are you willing to go to any lengths to see situations in a different way? It is only with action plans that we can cut away the self-will. Q2a). How are your action plans going? b) Do you have one for Quiet Time? c) Do you have one for staying sober? d) Do you have one for doing your soul work and calling your buddy/buddy group? e) Do you have an action plan for being at work, with your family? Q3. look up: affirmative Affirmative action will cut away self-will which always blocked the entry of God into our lives. Please circle and write: ‘the answer’. After the words ‘affirmative action’ insert ‘plan’. …step three calls for affirmative action, for it is only by action that we can cut away the self-will. Look up: earnestly How earnestly are you willing to go to the body shop and, after you’ve cut out the floorboards of your car to be able to run and then push your vehicle yourself, get them welded back in and then go to still a different workshop to get an engine, that engine being God? The willingness to stop running (y)our own vehicle allows one to make the leap from having an intellectual belief and feeling about God to having trust and faith in God Q4. Above ‘self will’ write: ‘bondage to self’. 9/11/2014 0 Comments Recording For September 11, 2014(wk 141) 11 Sept 2014 12 step study Big Book workshop
AA 12 x 12 page 33 Step 3: ‘Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him’ until the end of the first paragraph …These conclusions did not require action; they required only acceptance.’ An action plan puts intellect over emotions. 1a) When was the last time you put the I over the E (i.e. intellect over emotion) and what was the result? b) When was the last time that you put the E over the I and what was the outcome? c) How does an action plan fit into keeping the intellect over the emotions? 2a) look up: Practicing b) What does it mean to you? Is it a positive or a negative word for you? c) Write about ‘practicing’ by putting the intellect over emotions. d) Write about ‘practicing’ by the emotions over the intellect. When we turn our thoughts and our emotions over to God, we are practicing. When you are healthy and make a mistake, you have your feelings over your intellect. You know you have said the wrong thing or over-reacted. It is suggested we take these steps: a.Awareness b.Acknowledge To yourself and aloud to God: “I blew it.I did not have intellect over emotions.” c.Prayer Pray for the wisdom to put your intellect over feelings and for the wisdom to know how to handle the situation. d.Action plan. To right the mistake to the best of your ability. God please give me the wisdom to set up an action plan. How do you right the mistake you just made? That is when you need the intellect over the emotions. You are not the worst person in the world. The action is the decision to walk through all the negativity and the fear (False Evidence Appearing Real). You are going to walk through it by Facing Everything and Recovering (FEAR). e.Amends If you need to make an amend let God direct you – don’t let your feelings get in there. Q3. Write on a recent mistake (irrespective of whether or not you handled it well). Take the above steps and without judgment put your mistake experience through them. You will then have a concrete action plan for yourself. There is only one key, and it is called willingness. Stephanie says: “What is the most important spiritual emotion? Willingness. If you have willingness you can face anything. I love willingness. I pray for it every day. Help me to be willing to face this day with peace and joy and enthusiasm. God help me to face with courage and willingness everything you want to give me this day. I am average in everything except enthusiasm and in that I am over the top. Willingness to face reality. My definition of reality is: Life As It Is Without All my Fears. Just facing what’s in front of me without a lot of the old or future baggage.” Q4. The door opens almost of itself. Write ‘a promise’ beside this in the 12 x 12. In the first two steps we looked at the past. Now still going to look at the wreckage but going to stay in the present. What is this? That in every second of every day we are making a decision to turn our thoughts and our actions over to God. In the first few steps we were engaged in reflection. What do we have to accept? a.That we were powerless and could not manage our own lives. b.That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism c) That God could and would if He were sought. Everything in the Big Book and in the AA 12 x 12 always goes back to the a) b) and c). Continuously and daily return to pages 60-63 which say how desperate you are. If you do not have the willingness to accept that you need God for every breath you take, you are not in steps one, two and three. It took Stephanie 23 years in recovery and eating again “…to really see that I did not have a relationship with God to keep me out of self-pity and out of the food. And I had better go and seek Him. So I did and everything in my life changed. I am here to help you change your life, not for me but for you and your relationship with God.” Every one of you has their own pathway to God. May you seek Him now. Half measures availed us nothing. You are at the turning point. Q5 What are you going to do? (week 140) 4 September 2014 12step study Big Book workshop www.AA.org This has the Big Book and AA Reflections read at the Friday noontime Trust & Rely meeting. 12stepstudyworkshop.com has all the handouts and accumulated knowledge of Stephanie’s studies of the Big Book. Donations to support the website: Stephanie Whiting P O Box 531 North Pembroke MA 02358 Big Book How It Works page 63:2 3rd Step Prayer We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: “God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!” We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him. Stephanie has encouraged us all to memorise the 3rd step prayer which she goes to, “…about fifty times day especially using as a mantra: ‘relieve me of the bondage of self.’” May I do Thy will God always! This is a mini prayer. Bill is also warning us that If we start getting into our own will we are in a bad neighbourhood. Don’t think your will is bad. It is very, very needed as without your will God cannot operate with HIs will. Need to use your will and intellect to go where your Higher Power wants you to go. The Big Book says we’re given a mind to use. Soul work Q1. Write down: Know your Maker and you will know peace. No relationship with your Maker – no peace. Stephanie is not my leader. “I am your partner. I have gone before you in the Big Book and so I am waiting for you to come beside me. I am not going to push or pull you. I will walk beside you and guide you the way my sponsor guided me and told me that getting to know my Maker is what the Big Book is all about. Q2. In the 3rd Step Prayer what does the word ‘seek’ mean? Q3. If you want to personalise the 3rd step prayer by rewriting it, Stephanie encourages you. Q4. Above the words: ‘Thy will not mine be done’ write: ’God’s will not mine be done.’ God is everything or God is nothing. Q5 Action Plan: Stephanie encourages us to have a daily action plan. She finds having an action plan prevents her getting into difficulties and the bondage of self. “I ask God first thing: What do you want me to do? Who do you want me to be with? I then make an action plan for the day. Make my food and write it out as I know God wants me to eat in a healthy manner.” She is willing to work with any of us to create an action plan but will not stay in the problem. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. Q6. We all have difficulties. What are you going to do about yours? [If you are in the problem you cannot possibly be in the solution]. Q7. Trust & Rely meeting People demonise the will. In Quiet Time ask your Higher Power: Where do you want me to be? Today God directs Stephanie’s life. Her Quiet Time is non-negotiable. She only got to understand God’s will through practice and listening. Come to the Trust and Rely meeting on Fridays (see above) and practice what we are doing, then you will be able to hear God. Q8. Write down: Feelings are a gift, will is a gift, intellect is a gift and difficulties are a gift. They all have to be used. Bring them through God’s will and sharing with others. The key word is ‘sharing’. The most Stephanie does is suggest having a Quiet Time. She does not tell anyone what to do. Q9. Write on each of these statements: a) Difficulties are a gift. b) Intellect is a gift c) Will is a gift. d) Feelings are a gift. Q10. How can each of these gifts be a stumbling block? Q11. How can going to other people be a gift? Q12. Next week bring AA 12 x12 to the workshop as we will be reading step 3. |
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Our live phone meetings are every Tuesday at 8:00 AM EST. The phone number for these live meetings is (712) 775-7031, and the meeting ID number is 714744988#.
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P O Box 531 North Pembroke MA 02358 |
You can listen to our recorded meetings at (641) 715-3900, pin 95666# for our Tuesday Big Book Step Study workshop. You can also hear our Thursday Big Book Study recordings at (641) 715-3900, pin 298913#. These meetings can be accessed at any time.
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