Links

Join

Forums

Find Help

Recovery Readings

Spiritual Meditations

Chat

Contact


Go Back   Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums > Alcohol, Drugs and Other Addictions Recovery > Alcohol, Drugs and Other Addictions Recovery

Share This Forum!  
 
        

 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
Old 09-09-2013, 12:59 PM   #27
bluidkiti
Administrator
 
bluidkiti's Avatar
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 75,455
Default

Big Book Study - Post #27

Sorry about yesterday - wasn't able to access Yahoo! Groups for some reason...

Good Morning!

We are at the bottom of page 80. The next several paragraphs,
through the end of paragraph 1 on page 82, deal with the problems
associated with sex outside of marriage. This is an especially
difficult area for alcoholics. If we have been unfaithful we have to
face up to it, if we continue to be dishonest with ourselves and
those about us, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

The last paragraph on this page, and the first on the following
page, underscore the fact that we have to do more than stay sober in
order to make effective amends:

"We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough.
He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find
his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don't see anything the
matter here, Ma. Ain't it grand the wind stopped blowin'?

"Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead. We must take
the lead. A remorseful mumbling that we are sorry won't fill the
bill at all."

Reading through to the last paragraph on page 83, we see that we are
going to have to take definitive action when taking Step 9,
particularly with our families.

Now the promises that everyone likes to talk about:

"If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will
be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new
freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to
shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we
will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we
will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of
uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in
selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will
slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will
intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not
do for ourselves.

"Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being
fulfilled among us, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will
always materialize if we work for them."

It is important to note where these particular promises are in the
book - at the end of Step 9.

At this time we have completed our initial "house cleaning." Once
complete, we shall receive God's grace. The promises begin to come
true for us. "If we are painstaking about this phase of our
development, we will be amazed before we are half way
through." "This phase" is the Steps 4-9 phase. "The Promises" are
wonderful and they give us alot of hope, with one caveat: page 84
paragraph 1 - "They will always materialize if we work for them."
We don't get them by osmosis. They just don't fall into our lap, we
have to work for them.

The whole process of Steps 8 and 9 is geared to prepare us to be of
service to God and our fellows. When we complete this phase of our
development we can look the whole world in the eye. This is when we
can truly live one day at a time.

With our next post we'll start at paragraph 2 on page 84 and our
discussion of Step 10 in the book. Stay tuned, we have more promises
to come.

Have a wonderful day,

Jim
__________________
"No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K.
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt
We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time!
God says that each of us is worth loving.
bluidkiti is offline   Reply With Quote
Post New ThreadReply  

Bookmarks

Tags
big book, recovery


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 21 (0 members and 21 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Click here to make a Donation

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:04 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.