Hi Everyone!

I am attempting to post the links, and highlights from our meetings from the last several weeks. Please bear with me as I am attempting to post more often and stay on track of our group discussions and progress.

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

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#

For the meeting about the stories in the AA Big Book on Tightrope and Flooded With Feeling the playback reference number: 45

Here is the link for the MP3 of the meeting.

Participants can also download the meeting directly from the conference line. The link will only be available for a limited time.

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

Our meetings are stored on Media Fire, a cloud storage service.

Below are my notes from our meeting:

We need to “act as if” and “fake it ’till we make it.”

 

People just want to run away from themselves, but reality is that there is no escape. God wants us to learn and grow from our challenges.

Acceptance is the first step to change.

Program teaches me that I am accountable and responsible for my behavior.

A great quote from our meeting: if I am getting the effect from the food, I can’t get the effects of the steps. Without complete abstinence, I won’t be able to experience the complete psychic change from taking and practicing the steps.

I have fewer notes for the story Flooded With Feelings.

In this story, the author rationalized and justified his behavior based on the lie that alcohol was the solution to his problems. Judy said during our meeting, “When I believe the lie, that is when I run into the truth.”

Admitting we have a problem is the first step of recovery. Once we admit that we have a problem, then we need to become willing to ask for help. Honesty, Open-mindedness and Willingness are essential. Self-reliance always fails us.

I liked the quote below from the story. It’s a really good description of the hopelessness and the powerlessness of addiction. We can’t stop once we start and we can’t stop ourselves from starting.

Finally, I loved this message of hope:

Lastly, I liked this quote below. It really speaks to the spiritual transformation as the result of these steps and to the importance of service and humility. We are here to “carry the message and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

 

 

Thank you for your participation and sharing as we “trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.” (AA Big Book 164:3)

In the next meeting, we read from the AA Big Book on Steps 8 and 9.

For these steps, in addition to one of the 12 & 12’s, we will also be reading The 1 Minute Apology. In the past, we read an abridged version of it. As a group, I believe that we decided to read the whole book together.

Thank you all for sharing your experience, strength and hope. I am so grateful we are sharing this journey together!

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

 

In love and service,

Shira