But, soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly within myself. ~ Bill W., pg. 12-13. The world does offer us many distractions. We are busy just getting by. In most families, it now requires two jobs or two incomes just to meet the rent and basics to survive.… Read More Disconnect
Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A new world came into view. ~ Bill W., pg. 12. When we were drinking, we could not see much beyond our own selfish wants and needs. So long as we had enough booze in stock to get us through the day or weekend, we thought… Read More Pride and Prejudice
Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. ~ Bill W., pg. 12. Complete willingness is the second part of Step #1. What are we willing to do to get sober? Will we go to all lengths? What are we holding back on? Do we have other ways… Read More Complete Willingness
I saw that growth could start from that point. ~ Bill W., pg. 12. They say we are stuck emotionally and mentally at the age at which our disease began. For some of us, this means infancy. Still others are stuck as a toddler, youth, or teen. It is not necessarily when we took our… Read More Growth Starts
It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. ~ Bill W., pg. 12. The only requirement for membership in AA is the desire to stop drinking. I got into this discussion recently. Step one is a two… Read More A Beginning
Why don’t you you choose your own concept of God? ~ Bill. W, pg. 12. I used to struggle with the word God. Many alcoholics do. I slammed books shut, stomped around, left early, and gasped with impatience when the word God was mentioned. I hated that word. I thought what on earth does God… Read More Personal God
Despite the living example of my friend there remained in me the vestiges of my old prejudice. ~ Bill W., pg. 12. Prejudices run deep and are hard to dispel oneself of. I know this all too well. Prejudice is basically judging others or circumstances based on feelings and fears of past experiences or training.… Read More Old Prejudices
He was on a different footing. His roots grasped a new soil. ~ Bill W., pg. 12. I love this phrasing. As most gardeners know, all we need for healthier flowers and crops is fresh soil, water, air, and sun. We need a whole new life in order to get sober. That life starts in… Read More New Soil
My ideas about miracles were drastically revised right then. Bill W., pg 11. A miracle is a phenomenon that cannot be explained. I think the rooms of AA are filled with living and walking miracles. There is no reason that can be explained logically that we are sober. Something unexplained happened in each of our… Read More Miracles
Like myself, he had admitted complete defeat. ~ Bill W., pg. 11. As alcoholics, we have this disease that tells us we do not have this disease. We all know with great certainty that this is a lie, but until we admitted complete defeat, we kept right on trying to drink normally. We thought many… Read More Complete Defeat
