Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Thanks DG. I have got my eye on a potential sponsor but she has not been to any of the meetings that I have been to. I dont want to ask someone else for the person's number because I want to approach her face to face. But I am reading books on step work and dont understand the comment made to me.
"dont have the right temperament"

Oh well. I wont take it personally.

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

rebirth, I'm so VERY glad to hear you have your eye on a sponsor! (and I'm sure you will be glad for me to stop nagging!) I honestly don't get that comment either. It's doesn't connect with any phrases or topics I've heard around AA. As far as I know, the steps are for anyone. I know non-alcholics who are working the AA steps because they believe it's helpful. You are doing right I think by just letting it go. So many people, so many opinions. I think you will like having a sponsor to help you filter it all.

DG

[cpn1004]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Rebirth, i suggest you ignore that comment. To me, AA recovery is a plan of action. That is what I get from the big book anyway.
Oh....and listen to DG, she is good.

[Cinders]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Rebirth,

I don't get the comment either!! In my groups here where I live, the first thing they do for a new person is set them up with a temporary sponsor so they can get started right away.

The permanent sponsor comes over some time as the person starts attending meetings and gets to meet and know others in the group.

Don't let a careless remark bother you. Not sure what your temperament is but I doubt it is much different than anyone in AA. :-)

Love,
Cindi

[marriedgirl29]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Hello everyone!

Just stopping by to say hello. I am so glad for the beginning of this week about missing meetings because I am still guilty guilty guilty!

I have stayed in good connection with my sponsor and praying and I think that's what's kept me ok thus far but I can't keep going like this. I was reading what was said about people neglecting meetings and that being the beginning of the end and that's what I've been doing and that scares me. The bad thing is, after being away for awhile from certain meetings it's even harder to go back. I am not going to let this continue. I have the longest sober time I've ever had....3.5 months!! And I want to keep going.

Hope everyone's having a great week, Rebirth I hope you can get a sponsor and work the steps!

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

REBIRTH,I think that is a strange comment too. no very AA. and all the people who share that they relapsed said they never really worked the program ie: worked the steps initially.. just showed up to meetings and thats it. DG is right, getting a sponsor is key because if you are like me. you want to do it yourself and that is how we got in trouble drinking.
DG: I'll let you know how the experience goes.

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Cindi thats a good idea. I will contact a member to get the number for a temporary sponsor. It was mentioned in the past but I thought it wasnt needed.

MG- So glad you tuned in. I was wondering where you disappeared to. You got to get to a meeting. It's really important! Fantastic on your 3.5 months but you got to get to a meeting. i need AA, MYo, self help books and anything else I can get to stay sober. x

Phil Cher and DG- Didnt want to mention this but the person who advised me not to do the step work has relapsed recently. She has been sober for over ten years and is now relapsing alot. Dont know if this has anything to do with her comment.

Have a good day all. Thanks for being here

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Hi all! MG - so good to see you post. Please make yourself walk through that door to the meeting. One thing AA is teaching me is to recognize red flags. If I don't want to do something AA related (go to a meeting, call my sponsor or someone in the program, etc.) that is when I MOST need to make myself do it. I also like the Daily Reflections reading today which touches on this same concept with people - sometimes discomfort with someone is a lesson of some sort waiting to happen. A learning opportunity to explore rather than ignore.

rebirth, I think a temp. sponsor would be a great place to start.

Daily Reflections


DAILY MONITORING

Continued to take personal inventory. . . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88

The spiritual axiom referred to in the Tenth Step--
"every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause,
there is something wrong with us"--also tells me that
there are no exceptions to it. No matter how unreasonable
others may seem, I am responsible for not reacting
negatively. Regardless of what is happening around me I
will always have the prerogative, and the responsibility,
of choosing what happens within me. I am the creator of
my own reality. When I take my daily inventory, I know
that I must stop judging others. If I judge others, I
am probably judging myself. Whoever is upsetting me most
is my best teacher. I have much to learn from him or her,
and in my heart, I should thank that person.

I also like the part where it talks about me being responsible for what happens within me. I am the ONLY person I can control and I need to take responsiblity for me.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

DG

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Just got off the phone with Sister. She has been having eye pain / headache problems recently. Everyone (including some docs) thought it was SE's from the chemo. The eye thing persisted and she went to the eye doctor. He thinks she's been having TMI's. (mini-strokes) She is going for MRI on Monday. I feel so sad for her - it's just one thing after another. Diabetes seems to be at the root of so much of this. She is working on her fears (which IMO are understandable). I am going to visit her after my tough chicks meeting tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that time together. She told me all she wants is just 4 hours a day of feeling good. If you are a prayer, I know she would appreciate the support.

I'm trying to focus on what I can do to contribute positively to her life rather than spending time in worry and fear myself.

DG

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

DG: I absolutely will pray for Sister. BTW, there are tons of side effects from those cancer meds. I see Patty struggling w/them.

MarriedGirl: It's so true that the more meetings a person misses, the more difficult it is to get back the groove. Force yourself! Remember what the alternative is. When I'm tempted to slack off, I try to remember back to the worst of my drinking: hospitalization, missing whole events, blacking out, throwing up. I haven't thrown up in over 1.5 years...since I became sober. It was a multiple weekly event while I was drinking.

Rebirth: To me, the steps are the heart & soul of the program. In the old days, the founders made people do them right away...as quickly as possible. They didn't linger & go for perfection. I did mine within the first year I was sober, & they revealed so much to me about myself. I'm now doing them again at a more leisurely pace. My first sponsor was very structured. I called daily & worked on the steps daily. That was a necessity.

Again, I've seen so much relapsing lately. It breaks my heart in a way. People I thought were pretty solid have been MIA from meetings.

Mary

[dancelot]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

DG - Sister is my prayers too. :h

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Thanks so much Mary and Dance for your prayers. I will let Sister know that she has people all over who are praying for her health.

Mary, Sister has experienced a variety of pretty bad SE's from the chemo. And the SE's changed when they moved her from the name brand to the generic - even though supposedly it's the same stuff. This eye / headache thing has been going on for at least 3 weeks and the reason they missed it as "mini strokes" is that they just thought it was migraine headache SE's of the chemo when it's a separate deal. (the eye doctor thinks it's related to the diabetes). Oy. I do not envy anyone going through such a complex arrary of problems. It's so similar to what my Dad experiences - just different stuff.

Thank you so much. It will mean a lot to her. I tell her about you guys all the time. My on-line friends in recovery.

DG

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

DG - I have never prayed in my life but yesterday was my first prayer. I dont pray to God but to a Spirit. I think the two are the same. I will start to pray from now on as it does make me feel better for some reason. I will pray for your sister as I relate to your situation. My sisiter has been Diabetic all her life and she has literally lived in hospitals. She is only 35 but in a poor state of health. Her kidneys and her eyesight are failing her. Bless her.

I spoke with an AA member in regards to a temporary sponsor but was told that they are for people who have just started out. I was advised to find someone and start step work immediately. So thats my answer. I will hunt this person down next week.Ask people for her number if I dont see her etc. I cant even remember her name but I will find her.

I am ready for step work. I feel like I need it. I cant carry on staying sober with my sick head...

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Rebirth, I felt very strange praying at first too. I was advised to just say the prayers, and that some sort of meaning would follow. I feel that has worked for me. I'm very OK with the general reference in AA to a higher power as God. At first, I thought that had to mean "God" in the sense of my upbringing in the Methodist Church. I have since developed an entirely different concept of my higher power than the one I was "fed" as a child. I like your description of a Spirit power. That is more along the lines of how I feel - a spirit power at work in my life.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I'm sorry to hear that your sister suffers from all the diabetes complications as well - and so young. I will include her in my prayers too. Do you mind sharing her first name? What an insidious disease. Sister is not my "sister" but a Nun. She is my sponsor.

I'm happy for you that you are ready to begin taking the steps. I think you will really enjoy the process. They fill me up. Doing this with a sposor is the right way. Just do it.

Anyway heard from j-vo lately????? Hope all is well!

DG

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

Hi All,

Had a long visit with my sponsor doing my 5th step then did my 6th and 7th.
I'm very tired but relieved and it is a very humbling experience telling someone all the nitty gritties of mylife. That is what its all about.. the humility of the program. Can't be truly happy without the authentic humility. What keeps popping up for me is the "willingness" to let God work on me to be a better person.
I didn't really have some bright light feeing feeling after I said my 7th step prayer but I know I'm on the right track. I feel it daily now. Being open and honest has never been easy for me but it is a a very freeing feeling when you know the people in AA are so excepting and caring. Progress not perfection and now I continue the journey. I am drained.

Rebirth! its good that you felt open enough to share with us about the person who was relapsing that made that comment.. I think that might have answered your question for you. It certainly cleared it up for me when you said they had been relapsing alot.

DG: I will pray for sister too.. As you know, I work in a hospital and work with alot of people with diabetes and cancer and it is very difficult to nail down what is causing symptoms with someone with both of those diseases. Diabetes can definitely cause eye pain as the nerves become damaged.. small nerves first ie: fingertips, toes, feet , eye nerves.. but Chemo drugs are nasty too. She is very lucky to have you in her life. Funny I have a new friend in AA who was a nun for 15 years . She has no problem with the spiritual side of the program!! go figure.

Hope all is well with everyone else.