Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

[dill]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

I have been lurking here for awhile. I don't go to AA, but am considering it. Thanks to all of you who post here. I am interested in what Lucky mentioned about the podcasts. I went to the I tunes website, but didn't know how to find the steps podcast. If anyone can help with this, please do! Is there I link to follow?

[lucky 2.0]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Dill-

I can't post the link but if I remeber correctly, you just do a search in podcasts for Alcoholics Anonymous. There must be 100 of them there and all are good.

[lucky 2.0]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

11th Step

I just heard that the 11th step is the Prayer of Saint Francis (which I adore) so I googled and this is what I found. I liked it!

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
The Prayer of St.Francis of Assisi is affectionately known as The Eleventh Step Prayer as it appears in the book "12 Steps and 12 Traditions" in the reading for the eleventh step.
According to this website dedicated to St.Francis, this prayer was almost certainly not written by him. It apparently dates from the early part of the 20th century, and its author is unknown. It was found in Normandy in 1915, written on the back of a holy card of St. Francis. The version that follows is from the "12 and 12" and differs from the original.

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Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace!
That where there is hatred,
I may bring love.
That where there is wrong,
I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.
That where there is discord,
I may bring harmony.
That where there is error,
I may bring truth.
That where there is doubt,
I may bring faith.
That where there is despair,
I may bring hope.
That where there are shadows,
I may bring light.
That where there is sadness,
I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort,
than to be comforted.
To understand,
than to be understood.
To love,
than to be loved.
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.

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posted by bpresent | 29.9.04
4 Comments:
Anonymous said...
I just read this at an aa meeting and for some inexplicable reason broke down in tears .Something special happened in the room im sure.And the sharing reflected the mood .There is really a lot of mystery in the rooms sometimes i can feel it rather than be told about it.ITS WHAT KEEPS ME THERE
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:18:00 AM
Anonymous said...
This has always been my favorite prayer! I think it is one of God's best messages out there... To really live this prayer isn't always easy and sometimes impossible, but I find when i try, my days are beautiful!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 9:18:00 PM
Anonymous said...
I study the big book - I am a memeber of AA - and this prayer has helped save my life - I have been a selfish person all my life and this teaches me to love others, to forgive others, to undersand others get out of thinking of me.....
Saturday, October 06, 2007 5:11:00 AM
Anonymous said...
I've been going through a terrible couple of days vis-a-vis a relationships I'm in that recently took an unexpected turn. A friend of mine at a step meeting tonight pulled the book out, turned to page 99, and had me read it. I read it for the next 15 minutes, over and over again. Stunning! I cried a little too. It made me feel so much better. Not forgiveness, but the spirit of forgiveness. My next few days will be much better thanks to this discovery.
Saturday, April 04, 2009 1:12:00 PM

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Lucky: Thanks so much for the St. Francis prayer. It's a great reminder.

R2C: I reread your post & know exactly what you are saying about faking it all your life...also being tired of always doing what you are supposed to be doing (for everyone). The same was true for me & alcohol offered me relief from all that. The "faking it" that I do now is strictly for me, my program, & my recovery. I'm not staying sober for anyone but myself.

In the past I was trying to "give up" AL for my family. I've realized that I cannot achieve any kind of peace & serenity unless I give up AL for myself.

We working mom, wives, & daughters have to get a little selfish once in a while. We have to get into recovery & do whatever it takes FOR OURSELVES. We have only this one life, & I for one want to live it fully functioning & sober.

Mary

PS: I hope that clears things up.

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Hi all!

luCKy, thanks for the additional info about the podcasts. I'm going to hunt for them and see if I can figure out this new fangled technology. Also thanks for the post about the 11th step and prayer. Mainly due to timing of when I started going, the talk during meetings has been primarily about the earlier steps. (months and steps corresponding for purposes of daily readings, etc.)

Mary I love what you added to the "fake it 'til you make it" discussion. You are so right - there is a huge difference between what we are now doing for ourselves and what we women so often do by way of "faking it" for all the people we are trying to take care of other than ourselves. Gives me food for thought.

Gyco, one of the guys who I see a lot at meetings has developed quite a mastery of the history of AA. Alcoholism from the earliest times touched all cross sections of society as it does today but you are right in that any TREATMENT options were "rich man's" treatment options, at least according to my unofficial historian friend. As he is a black man who was abandoned by his poor family when he was about 13 years old (he could not read when he joined AA 17 years ago), he really identifies with the fact that way back when, there WERE NO treatment options available to folks like him. Not until the 3rd tradition was born was AA truly made available to everyone with a desire to stop drinking. Listening to this man talk is just incredible. I suspect he must speak sometimes at speaker meetings and I would stand in line to hear him tell his touching story in that forum.

Dill if you have been considering going to AA, why not just go? You won't know until you try if it's for you. I wore cement shoes for a long time when it came to any consideration for AA.

Winefree congratulations on 21 days! More importantly, good for you making it through a rough one yesterday, and utilizing your new found AA resources to help you do that. That's what it's all about.

While I understand the concerns (and have shared them myself!) about anonymity, I had the chance to witness first hand today the true value of the face to face fellowhip of AA. There is a woman who I have heard a lot about ever since I joined AA who died last night. She was a long term AA'er who sponsored many people, was very active in giving of her time and wisdom to the local club and multiple meeting groups, and was known as a "no bullshitter" who tolerated nobody's pity party and helped many get sober. This woman was my sponsor's final sponsor - the one who managed to help my sponsor get sober after several others had given up after a LONG history of relapsing. So very many people loved her and she clearly touched many lives that are touching my life these days. It was so moving to be at the meeting this morning where basically the people who knew her best ended up sort of eulogizing her.

Obviously I think there is a lot of value in the internet as a communication vehicle as evidenced by my participation here. The type of sharing today however, was so personal that I just cannot imagine it being replicated fully without a face to face forum. The reason I wanted to mention that is because I know that others in addition to Dill are reading along with us, and maybe contemplating whether or not going to a meeting is worth the percieved risks. I just think there is a personal element to AA that would be completely missed with an on-line only format. (strictly IMO)

At any rate, I will confess that as I have watched my own father slowly slide down the hill that will ultimately result in his death, I have thought about the possibilities of ending up all alone, especially without kids. One thing is for sure. If I embrace this AA group with all my heart, and give as much to them as they have been giving to me, I believe I will never be lonely (alone) from humans anyway. The folks who have been to hell and back together share a bond that is quite obvious.

Yes Mary, yesterday was my one year anni. It was very special to get my coin even though I have only been part of AA for just over 3 months.

OK - break time is over! I'm going back to the garden!

Happy trails everyone..

DG

[lucky 2.0]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

HOW TO GET TO AA PODCASTS

Go to Apple - iTunes - The world?€™s most popular digital media player.
Go to itunes store
Select podcasts
Power Search
Enter AA
Several options come up and I listen and subscribe to AA Speaker Tapes

Hope this helps.

BTW- Initially I only listened to the women speakers but then listened to Clyde and he was GOOD! Now I have listened to some other male speakers. Some of the speakers, male or female, are so funny that I LMAO. If nothing else, the speakers are good for entertainment.

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

luCKy thanks so much for the clear instructions. That's how I need 'em or I can't figure this shit out. I had no idea there were so many free podcasts on iTunes! I just started using iTunes a couple weeks ago for the first time ever. (old fart way behind the times!) I got an iPod to take to the gym and I treated myself to a few Adam Lambert tunes (American Idol #2 this season for anyone living under a rock!). That's as far as I got with the store.

So tomorrow I will have a choice of being a GlamGirl, or letting Mick Jagger come to my Emotional Rescue, or listening to Kelli L from Chicago's story.

Thanks!!!

[dill]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Lucky, Thank you! Like DG, I needed specific instructions! I followed them and found many, just as you said I would! I listened to an AA Speaker podcast that was very good.

DG, I think the only thing holding me back right now is my schedule. In June I will have some time off and will have time to explore the meetings. And then, too, I have a negative attitude towards AA because most of my experience has been with folks coerced by court order into going, and that just did n't sit well with me. I know it's not AA's fault, but it's something to get past. Thank you for the encouragement!

[ready2change]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Thank you everyone for your input regarding "fake it till you make it". I understand a bit better now.

I wasn't able to make the Friday nite meeting. I wish there were more "viable" hours in the day for me to attend meetings. Evening and weekend meetings are all I would be able to attend and with my heavy work schedule, I am usually wiped out in the evenings. Not an excuse, a reality. But the good news is, I don't spend my evenings drinking or I would make my lazy arse go to an evening meeting.

I am definately going to check out Itune for the pod casts. Sounds very interesting. And DG, I love what you said about your AA "family" and how they will be around for you in your later years. That really gave me a sense of hope, for I am like you...without much family and no children. That is comforting to know that AA will alway be there for us. I like that.

I am at my Dad's this weekend, "babysitting" as I fondly refer to it. My step mom is out of town for a couple of days so me and hubby are down here watching out for him. He is on some pain meds (effexor for one) that totally wipe him out. He can hardly walk on them...scares the bejebbers out of me that he is going to take a fall. I feel for you and your Dad situation, DG...I'm in the same boat.

Thanks again to everyone who share on this thread...it gives me hope.

R2C

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Everyone: I just wanted to let you know that next week I'm going to down to Florida to take care of my parents for a week, so I won't be sharing the latter part of the week. Don't worry, I'll try to get to meetings while I'm there. Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of May 18 - 24

Hi all. Mary, I saw on the Daily thread your mention of a trip and was wondering if you were heading to Florida. I hope your time with your folks is all good! I will be interested to hear how it goes just finding meetings when you are in a strange town and how that all seems for you. So will be looking forward to your sharing when you return.

R2C I'm very lucky to have flexibility to some degree in my own schedule, and also be in a bigger type place with tons of meetings to pick from. I hope you enjoy having this time with your Dad. I feel for you - you know I "get" that stuff, sadly.

Dill I absolutely think a lot of the really negative stuff is generated from court mandated situations. And now that I have been to meetings each day for 90 days, I can tell you that I would have resented the ever lovin' SNOT out of that had somebody "make" me do it rather than it being my choice. Seriously - I would have LOATHED it. For me it would have been like parent mandated church growing up, but worse as for many the mandate is every day - not just once a week. I know my mind set was vastly different going there by choice because I had seen some results I was impressed with rather than being made to go. How cool that you have some time off to sort of take your time with the process. Different meetings have different "feels" to them based on the core people involved. You will probably find a group you like if you check out enough of them.

Well, I got the speaker stuff from the iStore to my computer, but the speakers I tried to sync onto my iPod did not end up there. I suspect user error in the sync process. So I was stuck being an Adam Lambert Fangirl while working out today.

The Sunday meeting I go to is a study of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. There are not many meetings that study the traditions so I feel lucky to have this one. Good people there too. Today was a study of the 2nd tradition which basically said that AA is led by God (as you understand him) via the group conscience. Everyone is a servant to the program and nobody is the leader of the program or group. We all agreed that we like that tradition! Funny - the subject of court mandated AA attendance came up even though it's more of a tradition 3 issue. (although members vote in home groups, so the voting / group conscious issue ties in) Since the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking, what then about the people who attend soley with a court mandate and a desire to stay out of jail? Nobody seemed to have all the answers (nobody ever does LOL!). But the discussion was sure interesting.

I thought a bit about MWO which seems to be a lot like AA in that it is "governed" primarily by group conscience more than specific involvement from RJ or any designates. A bit like AA there are sub-groups that have formed where people communicate on specific topics like this AA thread, the Daily AF thread, the Army thread, the Newbies Nest, etc. It's actually amazing that there are as few board flare ups as there are! I don't think we have anything that resembles the 12 Traditions. I can see where those traditions have probably saved AA many times over during AA's long history. I'm darn sure the people have had many disagreements!

I also had a good meeting with my sponsor. I'm glad she stood firm on the issue I was upset with her about. She was right. I was wrong. I apologized to her, and thanked her today. Another hurdle behind me, for which I am grateful.

That's all for now....back to the race! GO DANICA!!

DG