Hi Everyone!

I am finally catching up on posting summaries of our meeting during the past few weeks. I am so grateful to all of you who are a part of this group. You are all vital for my program.

The telephone conference numbers for our group are:

Telephone conference number: (712) 775-7031 Access Code: 397-681-282

Playback recording number is: (712) 775-7029 Access Code: 397-681-282#

Playback reference number: 20

Here is the link for the MP3 of this meeting. This link will only be available for  a limited time.

I think that it may now be possible to download the MP3 of the meeting directly from the telephone conference line for all participants.

To listen to past recorded meetings, please go to the Recordings tab on the blog.

Our meetings are stored on MediaFire, a cloud storage service.

As a reminder, our group takes place on Sunday mornings at 5:30 AM EST.

Please join us as we “trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.” (AA Big Book 164:3)

Today, we continued our discussion on Step 4. During our meeting, we read and discussed Step 4 in the AA Big Book (63:4 – 68:4).

Here are some of my notes:

We discussed the importance of setting our intentions before doing any action and bring God into all our activities throughout the day.

People do not owe us an amends for being who they are. We are not in control of other people. We can only control how we respond to other people.

Our discussion dovetailed beautifully with this quote from the AA Big Book that we read during our meeting:

Here is the quote, not in a picture form:

66:3 We turned back to the list, for it held the key to the future. We were prepared to look at it from an entirely different angle. We began to see that the world and its people really dominated us. In that state, the wrong-doing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill. How could we escape? We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wish them away any more than alcohol.

66:4 This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick.

67:0 Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, “This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.’’

67:1 We avoid retaliation or argument. We wouldn’t treat sick people that way. If we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful. We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.

Judy then suggested this wonderful way of transforming this section into a personalized freedom from resentment prayer:

Here is the text, not in a picture format:

66:3 I turned back to the list, for it held the key to my future. I was now prepared to look at it from an entirely different angle. I began to see that “So & So” and their behaviors really dominated me. In that state, the wrong-doing of ”So & So,” fancied or real, had power to actually kill me. How could I escape? I saw that my resentments must be mastered, but how? I could not wish them away any more than alcohol.

66:4 This was my course: I realized that “So & So” who wronged me is perhaps spiritually sick.

67:0 Though I did not like “So & So”’s behaviors and the way “So & So” disturbed me, “So & So,” like me, is sick too. I asked God to help me show “So & So” the same tolerance, pity, and patience that I would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When “So & So” offended me, I said to myself, “So & So” is a sick person. How can I be helpful to “So & So”? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.’’

67:1 I avoid retaliation or argument. I wouldn’t treat sick people that way. If I do, I destroy my chance of being helpful. I cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show me how to take a kindly and tolerant view of “So & So”.

It was such a wonderful discussion!

Next week, we will continue reading and discussing Step 4 in the AA Big Book (68:4) on Step 4.  Time permitting, we will also read the next story in the AA Big Book, A Student For Life.

Our homework was to spend a minimum of 10 minutes a day writing our 4^th Step inventory, using the format of your choice.

Our goal is to share our inventory list (not the details of the list) on April 30 with each other. Let’s all try to complete our inventory by that date.

For Step 5, we will read from the OA 12 & 12, the AA Big Book and from The Unpopular Guide to Step 5.

I am so grateful to be sharing this journey with all of you.

Thank you all for sharing your experience, strength and hope.

“Together we can do what we can never do alone.”

In love and service,

Shira