Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Step Twelve "Having had a spiritual awakening ...

as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

I had a spiritual awakening as the result of the first 3 steps AND because I had no where else to turn AND because I had become honest, open-minded and willing to change. Ever so slowly.

Service. Carry the message. So many ways. An infinite number of ways to carry the message. From attending meetings, being a sponsee and sponsor, chairing meetings, preparing rooms for AA meetings and cleaning them, joining in the fellowship before and after meetings, making phone calls. To name just a few.

Practice these principles. Whew! What an order! Learning how to live sober (and in recovery) every minute of every day will take a lifetime. Life is dynamic. Things change, often daily. Responding and reacting to life as it happens in a spiritual manner has become my goal.

Soon, I'll write a little bit on the principles (as I understand them).
This stuff -- recovery -- never stops. I hope.
Thank God.


today i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I act as a sort of backup chairperson if/when the regular chair doesn't show up at the 6:30am meeting. This happens a lot.

that I hand out business cards (made especially for AA meetings) to newcomers. My card has my photo on it so that person can put a face to the name. I like this.

that I know how important it is for me to stay in the center of my program. If I were to ride on the edge, the centrifugal force would toss me out.


Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid.
- Harlan Miller

7 comments:

Em said...

aw, I love that you hand out business cards to newcomers :) I also do the backup chairperson thing a lot! and I can tell you that this new feeling of spreading the message to a sponsee is so wonderful and I am thankful to be able to share what was so freely given to me.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your posts on the Steps Dave -- I like that idea of newcomers having a face to put to the name.

Debbi said...

I love your quotes, I must have half a dozen of them stuck to my refrigerator. Today's is next, after a yesterday in which I definitely should have left some things unsaid.

izzy said...

Business card, with only a last initial- for the sake of anonymity...

dAAve said...

izzy -- we don't HAVE to be anonymous to each other, unless we choose to be. We are asked to remain anonymous in public and in the media.

Piers Wildman said...

Hi DAAve. Like the blog. I like the business card thing idea. When we get a newcomer in my home group, I try and make sure they leave with a Big Book, too. That's not to say they're going to read it, but hey.

Syd said...

So much good stuff in this post. The marriage quote is so true. My sponsor stressed service to me and I stress to sponsees. Some actually take some action.