AA is more than a set of principles; it is a society of alcoholics in action.  We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who haven't been given the truth may die.

Faith is more than our greatest gift; its sharing with others is our greatest responsibility;  May we of AA continually seek the wisdom and the willingness by which we may well fulfill that immense trust which the Giver of all perfect gifts has placed in our hands.

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Pride is the basic breeder of most human difficulties, the chief block to true progress.  Pride lures us into making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God given instincts.  When the satisfaction of our instincts for sex, security and aa place in society becomes the primary object of our lives, then pride steps in to justify our excesses.

Therefore,  a constant inventory which can reveal when I am off the road is always in order.

 [ send green star]

Dr. Bob was my constant companion and partner in the great AA adventure.  In all the stress and strain of AA's pioneering time, no hard word ever passed between us.   For this, I can thankfully say that the credit was all his.  I took my leave of Dr.  Bob, knowing he was to undergo a serious operation.  He said almost jokingly, Remember Bill, let's not louse this thing u p.  Let's keep it simple!  I turned away, unable to say a word.  That was the last time I ever saw him.  

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About this slip business-I would not be too discouraged.  For some reason or another, God has laid out tougher paths for some of us and I guess you are treading one of them.  God is not asking us to be successful, he is only asking us to try to be. That, you surely are doing and have been doing.  Do not stay away from AA, through any feeling of discouragement or shame.  It's just the place your should be. Why don't you just try as a member. You don't have to carry all of AA on your back, you know.

It's not always the quantity of good things you do, it is also the quality that counts.

Above all take it one day at a time.

 [ send green star]

HEllo..

IT is the Spirit of God that can set s free ! But the humbling of the pains is what brings us to Christ Jesus ! It is the PAins that are inflicting from wordly, People, And UR OWn conscious the most, That we MUSt OVer COME ! And JESus is that OVER COMER !  Once we find that a release of all that pained us IS ! Then our lifes change, We become a new man, From that thing that we hurt from in the old man! We kill our addictions little by little ! An having someone there to help us through this trial... Thay is a GREAT HELP ! JEsus was the first to help! Then others to help are our encouragemnet for our walk to clean up our acts, And do better ! Addictions cannot be overcome, LEST you make the choice to LIVE and change and overcome that addictioN ! Step saying I WIll OVercome is the first step ! That is CHOOSING WILL OF GOD ! Then all things change !

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 [ accepted]

SELF SEARCHING IS THE MEANS BY WHICH WE BRING NEW VISION, ACTION, AND GRACE TO BEAR UPON THE DARK AND NEGATIVE SIDE OF OUR NATURES.  WITH IT COMES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT KIND OF HUMILITY THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO RECEIVE GOD'S HELP.  YET IT IS ONLY A STEP.  WE WILL WANT TO GO FURTHER.

WE WILL WANT THE GOOD THAT IS IN US ALL, EVEN IN THE WORST OF US, TO FLOWER AND TO GROW.   BUT FIRST OF ALL  WE SHALL WANT SUNLIGHT; NOTHING MUCH CAN GROW IN THE DARK.  MEDITATION IS OUR STEP OUT INTO THE SUN.

A CLEAR LIGHT SEEMS TO FALL UPON US ALL...WHEN WE OPEN OUR EYES.  SINCE OUR BLINDNESS IS CAUSED BY OUR OWN DEFECTS, WE MUST FIRST DEEPLY REALIZE WHAT THEY ARE.  CONSTRUCTIVE MEDITATION IS THE FIRST REQUIREMENT FOR EACH NEW STEP IN OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

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THE MOMENT TWELFTH STEP WORK FORMS A GROUP, A DISCOVERY IS MADE-THAT MOST INDIVIDUALS CANNOT RECOVER UNLESS THERE IS A GROUP.  REALIZATION DAWNS ON EACH MEMBER THAT HE IS BUT A SMALL PART OF A GREAT WHOLE; THAT NO PERSONAL SACRIFICE IS TOO GREAT FOR PRESERVATION OF THE FELLOWSHIP.  HE LEARNS THAT THE CLAMOR OF DESIRES AND AMBITIONS WITHIN HIM MUST BE SILENCED WHENEVER THESE COULD DAMAGE THE GROUP.

IT BECOMES PLAIN THAT THE GROUP MUST SURVIVE OR THE INDIVIDUAL WILL NOT.

THE LONE MEMBER AT SEA, THE AA, AT WAR IN A FAR LAND, ALL THESE MEMBERS KNOW THAT THEY BELONG TO A.A.'S WORLD WIDE COMMUNITY, THAT THEIRS IS ONLY A PHYSICAL SEPARATION, THAT THEIR FELLOWS MAY BE AS NEAR AS THE NEXT PORT OF CALL.  EVER SO IMPORTANTLY, THEY ARE CERTAIN THAT GOD'S GRACE IS JUST AS MUCH WITH THEM ON THE HIGH SEAS OR THE LONELY OUTPOST AS IT IS WITH THEM AT HOME. 

 [ send green star]

IS SOBRIETY ALL THAT WE ARE TO EXPECT OF A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING?  NO, SOBRIETY IS ONLY A BARE BEGINNING; IT IS ONLY THE FIRST GIFT OF THE  FIRST AWAKENING.  IF MORE GIFTS ARE TO BE RECEIVED, OUR AWAKENING HAS TO GO ON.  AS IT DOES GO ON, WE FIND THAT BIT BY BIT WE CAN DISCARD THE OLD LIFE-THE ONE THAT DID NOT WORK-FOR A NEW LIFE THAT CAN AND DOES WORK UNDER ANY CONDITIONS WHATEVER.

REGARDLESS OF WORLDLY SUCCESS OR FAILURE, REGARDLESS OF PAIN OR JOY, REGARDLESS OF SICKNESS OR HEALTH OR EVEN OF DEATH ITSELF, A NEW LIFE OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES CAN BE LIVED IF WE ARE WILLING TO CONTINUE OUR AWAKENING, THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF A.A.'S TWELVE STEPS.

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IN ANCIENT TIMES MATERIAL PROGESS WAS PAINFULLY SLOW.  THE SPIRIT OF MODERN SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, RESEARCH, AND INVENTION WAS ALMOST UNKNOWN.

IN THE REALM OF THE MATERIAL, MEN'S MINDS WERE FETTERED BY SUPERSTITION, TRADITION, AND ALL SORTS OF FIXED IDEAS.  SOME OF THE CONTEMPORARIES OF COLUMBUS THOUGHT A ROUND EARTH PREPOSTEROUS.  OTHERS CAME NEAR PUTTING GALILEO TO DEATH FOR HIS ASTRONOMICAL HERESIES.

ARE NOT SOME OF US JUST AS BIASED AND UNREASONABLE ABOUT THE REALM OF THE SPIRIT AS WERE THE ANCIENTS ABOUT THE REALM OF THE MATERIAL?

WE HAVE FOUND THAT GOD DOES NOT MAKE TOO HARD TERMS WITH THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.  TO US, THE REALM OF SPIRIT IS BROAD, ROOMY, ALL INCLUSIVE, NEVER EXCLUSIVE OR FORBIDDING TO THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK.  IT IS OPEN, WE BELIEVE, TO ALL MEN.

 [ send green star]