Thursday Morning Big Book Step Study

Thursday Morning Big Book Step Study


Recording for September 11, 2014

September 12, 2014

(wk 141) 11 Sept 2014 12 step study Big Book workshop


AA 12 x 12 page 33


Step 3:


‘Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him’ until the end of the first paragraph …These conclusions did not require action; they required only acceptance.’


An action plan puts intellect over emotions.


1a) When was the last time you put the I over the E (i.e. intellect over emotion) and what was the result?


b) When was the last time that you put the E over the I and what was the outcome?


c) How does an action plan fit into keeping the intellect over the emotions?


2a) look up: Practicing


b) What does it mean to you? Is it a positive or a negative word for you?


c) Write about ‘practicing’ by putting the intellect over emotions.


d) Write about ‘practicing’ by the emotions over the intellect.


When we turn our thoughts and our emotions over to God, we are practicing.


When you are healthy and make a mistake, you have your feelings over your intellect. You know you have said the wrong thing or over-reacted. It is suggested we take these steps:


a.Awareness

b.Acknowledge To yourself and aloud to God: “I blew it.I did not have intellect over emotions.â€

c.Prayer Pray for the wisdom to put your intellect over feelings and for the wisdom to know how to handle the situation.

d.Action plan. To right the mistake to the best of your ability. God please give me the wisdom to set up an action plan. How do you right the mistake you just made? That is when you need the intellect over the emotions. You are not the worst person in the world. The action is the decision to walk through all the negativity and the fear (False Evidence Appearing Real). You are going to walk through it by Facing Everything and Recovering (FEAR).

e.Amends If you need to make an amend let God direct you – don’t let your feelings get in there.


Q3. Write on a recent mistake (irrespective of whether or not you handled it well). Take the above steps and without judgment put your mistake experience through them. You will then have a concrete action plan for yourself.


There is only one key, and it is called willingness.


Stephanie says: “What is the most important spiritual emotion? Willingness. If you have willingness you can face anything. I love willingness. I pray for it every day. Help me to be willing to face this day with peace and joy and enthusiasm. God help me to face with courage and willingness everything you want to give me this day. I am average in everything except enthusiasm and in that I am over the top. Willingness to face reality. My definition of reality is: Life As It Is Without All my Fears. Just facing what’s in front of me without a lot of the old or future baggage.â€


Q4. The door opens almost of itself. Write ‘a promise’ beside this in the 12 x 12.


In the first two steps we looked at the past. Now still going to look at the wreckage but going to stay in the present. What is this? That in every second of every day we are making a decision to turn our thoughts and our actions over to God.


In the first few steps we were engaged in reflection.


What do we have to accept?

a.That we were powerless and could not manage our own lives.

b.That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism

c) That God could and would if He were sought.


Everything in the Big Book and in the AA 12 x 12 always goes back to the a) b) and c). Continuously and daily return to pages 60-63 which say how desperate you are.


If you do not have the willingness to accept that you need God for every breath you take, you are not in steps one, two and three. It took Stephanie 23 years in recovery and eating again “…to really see that I did not have a relationship with God to keep me out of self-pity and out of the food. And I had better go and seek Him. So I did and everything in my life changed. I am here to help you change your life, not for me but for you and your relationship with God.â€


Every one of you has their own pathway to God. May you seek Him now. Half measures availed us nothing. You are at the turning point.


Q5 What are you going to do?


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