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Marianne Williamson said “In fear, we forget who we really are. Forgetting who we are, we forget Who lives within us. And in forgetting Who lives within us, we lose conscious connection to our power.” In the Big Book of AA are listed character defects. After each and every one is the word Fear in… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Accomplish Having Absolutely No Fear

I always feel good when we have newer people attending our meetings. This allows us all to remember just where we were at one time in our venture into sobriety. We usually devote meetings with newcomers to the first 3 Steps. At first, I was overwhelmed by all that I was seeing and hearing. I… Continue reading Spirituality and How to choose the steps to work

Today, we learn how to not drink TODAY. It is really quite simple. Not always easy, but it is simple. Simple, because it is only one drink that will make or break us. That is the first drink. If you don’t take that first drink, you will never get to the second and others following.… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Successfully Not Drink Today

Words are powerful. Words are forceful. They are insightful. Words are meaningful. Words many times are outward expressions of our thoughts. Thoughts are the most powerful component of our minds. Many times when we pray, we just beg and wonder why it was not answered. Does all of this mean that the more words said,… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Pray Effectively With 2 Words

Since beginning to study Spirituality and how it affects me, I have heard about affirmations. Of course, I was skeptical. I didn’t see how saying a bunch of words would help at all with anything. Man, was I ever wrong! Again, huh? Emmet Fox, who was my 1st Spiritual Advisor, wrote The Golden Key. This… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Use Affirmations For Good

When I first came into this amazing Program of AA, I had zero hope. Knew of no way out of my problems. Not only that, but I also did not even know what was wrong. I only knew that I didn’t like the me that I had become. This led quickly to hating everyone else.… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Repay AA For My Blessings

When I entered this amazing learning program, I was advised quickly that it is not a religious program. That it is a deeply spiritual program. My first thoughts were “Sure, like there is a difference.” I, like some other newcomers to the program, had had unpleasant experiences with religion. Didn’t really know what I truly… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Know that continued learning about Spirituality has helped, or not

I began my journey into sobriety by using the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. At that time, Father Ralph Pfau, aka Father John Doe, had written a series of recovery books called The Golden Books. They were very popular in my earlier meetings all over the City of Detroit. They all were very informational. Were easy… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Bust the Myth Of Perfection

I had a reminder recently of all that I have gratitude for. I was reminded that, since I have joined AA and began working the Program to the best of my ability, I now have choices. Looking back, I don’t think that I had choices before the Program showed me that there was a better… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Best Utilize Gratitude

“Spirituality is great for the AA Program but it might hinder my enjoyment and ability to carry on my everyday life.” “Do you expect me to think about Spirituality all day long?” “Thinking about Spirituality takes the fun out of everything.” These and more, similar thoughts were front and center of my mind when I… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Live Everyday Life

We have probably heard for most of our lives that we should live our lives on the straight and narrow road. That this is the ideal way to live. After studying Spirituality for many years, now, I believe differently. I know that, when in the madness, I had a very straight and narrow path of… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Enjoy Life Off The Straight And Narrow

Spirituality is part of my entire system – my physical body, my thoughts, my actions, my existence. A natural part of everyone’s life also contains frustration and grief. I do not always heed the gentle urgings of my inborn Spirituality. I sometimes totally deny its existence. But it is there and everywhere just like the… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Deal With Grief and Frustration

“I have tried to quit drinking a thousand times and never could stay quit.” I thought that I had tried everything. Willpower was #1. I discovered that I was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually bankrupt when I came into the AA Program. Did not have a clue as to how serenity felt. I became willing to… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Obtain Sobriety For A Great Life

The most important words that one could ever speak are the words following “I am!” Think about it a moment. Say to yourself “I am!” What are your first thoughts after saying this? When I came into AA, I thought of myself as lower than a snake. My words after “I am,” were similar to… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Follow The Words I AM

We once called the time when we said that we finally crossed a barrier in our lives and came out feeling much better a Come To Jesus Moment. I am on the stream team for the Life Enrichment Center in Flint. This is where I have discovered Reverend Stephanie Sorensen. She is now my Spiritual… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Profit From A Come to Jesus Moment

In the Big book of AA, it lists character defects and after each one, in parentheses, is the word Fear. Fear is the common denominator of all of our shortcomings. Anxiety – fear of getting something or something happening; Depression – fear of what MAY happen; Anger – not knowing what to do about a… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Overcome Our Fears

First, ask yourself a question. What does your sobriety really mean to you? Staying sober means EVERYTHING to me! I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually bankrupt when I came into the AA Program. I saw others in the program who had been as miserable and desperate as I had been. They now were Happy, Joyous,… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Stay Sober, Not Just Dry

“Oh, how I wish there was a ‘do over’ button in my head.” Haven’t we all felt that way? At one time or another in our life? Thoughts of past deeds. Commissions. Omissions. Errors. And maybe things that were just plain wrong? The thoughts of them running round and round in my head? Causing so… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Sweep The Old Life Out

The AA Preamble that we hear before every meeting here ends with “Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.” This does not say that this is A purpose but it is OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE. I have seen too many people coming into the program who are instantly an… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Define Our Primary Purpose

Many newcomers to the AA Program have a disdain for any references to religious thoughts or ideas. Thus, they shut themselves off from listening to anything related to religion. Even after being told that this is not a religious program but is a spiritual program. I wondered what is the difference? Why do I need… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Use It To Deepen Faith

“I see all of these happy people at AA recovery meetings who not long ago were just as miserable as I am and I want to feel that way too.” The 2nd paragraph of How it Works says “If you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Easily Become Happy, Joyous, Free

When we have been in the program for a short time, we have noticed that our good life, although not looking great right now, is grudgingly seeming to be getting better. When we have been in the program for some days, months, years, decades, life has been getting better quite regularly since we started on… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Make My Good Life Better

I was always very guarded with my true feelings and bottled up a lot of frustrations, anger, fear, that came out in other self destructive ways. When I took the advice of my early AA sponsors and started faking it until I made it, I discovered that thoughts and intellectual knowledge could be very fleeting… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Change Bad to Good Feelings

“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…” Now what?  How can we enjoy this Christmas season. This is the question in many minds right now. For many, the answer is one asked excitedly because of their faith. This is a joyful time of year for many. A time for celebration and happy… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Enjoy The Christmas Season

When I came into the program of AA, I was physically, morally, and spiritually bankrupt. I didn’t know what was wrong. I only knew something was seriously wrong in my life. Nothing seemed to work right. I first heard what was being said in AA. Actually saw people who I knew from when we used… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Know It Works For Me

How things have changed. Especially since I found the program of Alcoholics Anonymous! First, this is where I first heard of Spirituality. I had been a very self absorbed, very large, very angry, very violent, well armed, well trained man. Had no real friends and a family that feared me. I soon became a man… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Finally really enjoy life

A paraphrase from the teachings of Eckhart Tolle is: The more that you devote to the past or future robs you of the only real time that there is and that is right now. Reverend Stephanie Sorensen reminds me that this helps me to believe that the only time one can express himself is now… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Live In The Now Joyfully

I have heard many negatives. Probably most of my life. “You gotta do this.” “Jim, You gotta do that.” “You have to do this or that.” Even in AA! “You have to do this or that or you will get drunk.” When I hear that I GOTS to do something, I instinctively choose to pull… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Choose Gets To Not Gots To!

What was, and upon occasion still is, my first response to being startled or surprised? Or in any way taken out of my immediate comfort zone? Anger! Sometimes, it may just be the simple act of being asked something and not immediately be able to have the answer. In any list that AA puts forth… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Deal With Your Anger

Long before I learned about the AA program, I had all of the answers. Of course they were always right. Not only that but I ALWAYS had to be right to be happy, even if very wrong. Soon after starting to work the AA program, I discovered that this attitude was making me a very… Continue reading Spirituality and How to be Happy AND Right