Thursday Big Book Step Study

Words:
vestiges
prejudice
antipathy

Writing:
1.In twelve step recovery fellowships we must surrender to win (Step 1) What does this mean to you? What has been your experience with surrendering and winning? What has been your experience with not surrendering?

2. Write on: “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?” What is your conception of God? Do you like having the choice of choosing your own conception?

First to answer a question I received this week: Yes, it is o.k. to pass on the “set aside” prayer. In fact it is a act of loving kindness to do so, for it helps a person become teachable and humble and learn what their Higher Power wants them to learn. The author is unknown to me. I received this prayer at a Big Book step study workshop at the Bill Wilson Inn. It’s in Dorset, Vermont.

Thursday night, Nov. 20th writing assignment:
words;
progression
maelstrom
alloy
lunacy
procured
remonstrances
deluded

Questions;
1. pg. 3 Bill’s Story Paragraph 1; “I made a host of fair-weather friends”. What is your experience with these types of friends while you were active in your addiction? While you were in early recovery? Now? Concentrate on what type of friend you were/are.

2. How has delusion of your addiction played a part in your life? How has it prevented you from doing the next right action?

Download MP3 » Week Ten Recording November 20, 2008

Audio for Week 10 Nov 20, 2008
[audio http://stephaniesbigbookstepstudy.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/november-20.mp3|bg=0x53868B|righticon=0xff0000]You can also subscribe through the RSS feed and listen through iTunes. You can also listen at Odeo Podcasts Website.

Words:
inadequacy
aggregate

Writing assignment:

Have you experienced an entire psychic change? If you have, explain
how the process happened.

If not, what do you think is standing in the way?

» Readings on the 12 steps in the Big Book

READINGS ON THE TWELVE STEPS IN THE BIG BOOK

STEP 1 1st Half: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol……”
The Doctor’s Opinion page xxiii

STEP 1 2nd Half: “….that our lives had become unmanageable.”
Chapter 3: More About Alcoholism pages 30-43

STEP 2 “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
Chapter 4: We Agnostics pages 44-57 & Spiritual Experience Appendix II, pg. 569
Chapter 2: There is a Solution pages 17-29

STEP 3 “Made a decision to turn our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.”
Chapter 5: How It Works Pages 58-63

STEP 4 “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”
Part 1 Resentments pages 64-67
Part 2 Fear pages 67-68
Part 3 Sex pages 68-71

STEP 5 “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person the exact nature of our wrongs.”
Chapter 6: Into Action pages 72-75

STEP 6 “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”
1st paragraph on page 76

STEP 7 “Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings.”
2nd paragraph on page 76

STEP 8 Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.” **see directions for Step 9

STEP 9 “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” ** Reading for steps 8 & 9 on pages 76 – 84

STEP 10 “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”
pages 84-85

STEP 11 “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.”
pages 85-88

STEP 12 1st Half:
“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics…”
Chapter 7: Working with Others pages 89-96

STEP 12 2nd Half: “….and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”
Beginning with “suppose” pages 96-103

SET ASIDE PRAYER

» Set Aside Prayer (download word document)

“God, please set aside everything I think I know about myself, the twelve steps, this book, the meetings, my disease, and you, God, so I may have an open mind and a new experience with all these things, please let me see the truth.”

Week Five: Recording October 2, 2008

Chronic
phenomenon
craving
temperate
frothy
suffices
ideals
altruistic

Writing assignment;
We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; Do you believe this statement? What is your experience?

These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; Do you believe this statement? What is your experience?

recovered
cured
choice
synthetic
chronic

The writing assignment:
1. Do you believe in your fellowship? Why?
2. Do you believe still more in the Power (God) which pulls chronic alcoholics (addicts) back from the gates of death. Why?

This is an All Addictions Big Book Step Study workshop. The sole purpose of this workshop is to study and experience the steps as they are laid out in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are not affiliated with any Twelve step fellowship. This workshop is facilitated by one person, who had completed the steps as they are laid out in the Big Book and wants to share her experience, strength and hope with others. Please do not announce this workshop at any specific fellowship meetings. IT BREAKS TRADITIONS. Stephanie will be considered your big book step study sponsor unless you choose to get another person to be your big book step study sponsor. You will read all your assignments to your specific fellowship sponsor. You will also give your fifth step to this sponsor when the time comes. There are no attendance or sobriety requirements for participating, or listening to this workshop. The facilitated part of the workshops will be recorded, posted on this website, and can be listened to anytime after the workshop. There will be words from the Big Book for you to look up and weekly written assignments given to further deepen your experience with the step being studied. If there is time at the end I will ask if there is anyone who would like to read their assignments to the group. It will take approximately two years to complete the entire twelve steps.

Sincerely, Your sister in recovery,

Stephanie