Global Steps AA Meetings

Keep It Simple

July 8th

 

Pain can't be avoided. It's as natural as joy. - Unknown

We got into a lot of trouble trying to avoid pain. We used alcohol and other drugs to avoid pain. We didn't want to accept pain as a fact of life.

We can't avoid pain, but now we have the program. The program teaches us how to talk about our pain. The program teaches how to turn over our pain to our Higher Power.

We don't have to be alone when we face pain. We have friends to go to. Before, when we hurt, we ran to alcohol or other drugs.

Now, when we hurt, we run to the comfort of our sponsor and our program friends.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me accept pain as part of life. Help me remember that You are always there to help me with my pain. I'm not alone.

Today's Action: Today, I'll list three painful events in my life. I'll talk with a friend about them.

77

R.S.V.P. -- Yes or No?

Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking -- if

we have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes

bars, night clubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain

ordinary parties.

You will note that we made an important qualification.

Therefore, ask yourself, "Have I any good social, business,

or personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting

to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere?"

Then go or stay away, whichever seems better. But be sure

you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that

your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of

what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can

bring to it.

If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic

instead!

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 101-102

"Years ago I used to commiserate with all people who suffered.  Now I commiserate with those who suffer only in ignorance, who do not understand the purpose and ultimate utility of pain".

Someone once remarked that pain is the touchstone of spiritual progress.How heartily we AA's can agree with him, for we know that the pains of alcoholism had to come before sobriety and emotional turmoil before serenity.

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"Believe more deeply.  Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the momeny you do not see".

Keep It Simple - October 16

To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you’re overdoing it.

–Josh Jenkins

It’s okay to make mistakes. But we shouldn’t live a life of excuses. We shouldn’t slide over our mistakes; we should learn from them.

Excuses keep us apart from ourselves and others. People don’t trust us if we won’t admit and accept our mistakes. Relying on excuses dooms us to repeat the same mistakes.

In recovery, we admit and accept our behavior. We do this by continuing to take an inventory of our lives. We do this so we can learn from our mistakes. “Owning” our mistakes helps us grow.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me own my mistakes. Thank-you for Step Ten and the growth it holds for me.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list my five favorite excuses. I’ll think of the last time I used each of these. What was I trying to avoid.

My name is Mercy.  I have been sober a month shy of 12 years.  I wanted to post again to let people know that I am still here if any women need a sponsor.  I am happy to help.  I normally use the phone to do step work but can facetime once in awhile if needed. Please send a message to me if you want to work together.

GSAA Archivist Qualifications

Term of office: 1 year

Suggested sobriety: 2 or more years

Suggested previous service experience:

Service at the group level, face to face or online group. Example: Chairperson, Secretary, or Treasurer.

Other suggested qualifications: At least (18) months as a group member.

Familiar with our AA literature pertaining to groups and service, including: "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" (the Traditions parts), "The AA Service Manual," "Twelve Concepts for World Service" (at least the illustrated version); "AA Guidelines" (the entire set), and the pamphlet "The AA Group."

The function of the archivist can be considered therefore to be twofold: primarily, a custodial responsibility for assuring the physical integrity of the collections of records including minutes, motions, vote outcomes, group principles and group bylaws and ensure and its availability to group in a concise and sorted format.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Like the all GSAA positions, Archivists need to be good all-around group servants.

Maintain minutes of all(since GSAA's inception in 2012) prior business meetings.

Assists Vote Counter in maintaining the group membership and service rosters(WE DO NOT DO THIS CURRENTLY, only Group Chairperson has access to members of GSAA and no Private Message Function right now. ITR is aware of this.)

The Archivist can vote, introduce motions, and participate in discussion and should be preset at all business meetings.

The Archivist should keep a repository of minutes, in addition to:

1. Officer’s reports, if any were made during the meeting.

2. The exact wording of any motions introduced, and their fate (passed, defeated, referred to committee, or tabled).

3. If motions were referred to committee, make sure the group specifies the duties of the committee and when their report should be delivered to the full business meeting.

4. Develop to the best of his/her ability an archive of votes take, dates they took place and be able to access during business meetings for the group to make group conscience decisions using factual historical information.

If at any time the Archivist is unclear about something, he/she should ask Members who were responsible for the motion or the vote for clarification from the individual and the group immediately.

Taken from the AA Guidelines Archives, from GSO, Box 459, Grand Central Station, NY, NY

The archivist is the person responsible for the collection, including documents, books, recordings, and artifacts. He or she maintains the physical integrity of the collection, and also develops an index, inventory, and/or finding aid, to provide easy ways to search and access the collection. The archivist is also responsible for ensuring the protection of the anonymity of members, and the confidentiality of all A.A. records. In most cases, the archivist regularly reports to the local A.A. entity that supports the work, giving updates on current projects. It is desirable that the archivist take at least an introductory course in archival science or library science, and have a membership in a local archivists’ organization.

The function of the archivist can be considered therefore to be twofold: primarily, a custodial responsibility for assuring the physical integrity of the collection and its availability to persons with a valid reason for study; and also a parallel and critical role of information gatherer. The archivist gathers facts and documentation, from both the distant and recent past, to preserve A.A.’s message. Bill W. urged that archives are needed “so that myth doesn’t prevail over fact.” In a real sense, A.A. archivists are “keepers of the past.”

At a very basic level, archivists do four things with an archives

collection:

1. Organize it: Sort the collection somehow; chronologically, alphabetically, by subject, and/or by type of object, in a sensible manner.

2. Catalog it: Create a searchable list or inventory describing each item in the collection.

3. Preserve it: Perform preservation tasks, from the very simple to the very complicated, to prolong the life of the item.

4. Let people know about it: Create exhibits and displays, publish articles about the archives in a newsletter, provide research access, and give information to those who have questions.

Light From a Prayer

"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we ca, and the wisdom to know the difference."

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We treasure our "Serenity Prayer" because it brings a new light to us that can dissipate our oldtime and nearly fatal habit of fooling ourselves.  

In the radiance of this prayer we see that defeat, rightly accepted, need be no disaster. We now know that we do not have to run away, nor ought we again try to ovecome adversity by still another bulldozing power drive that can only push up obstacles before us faster than they can be taken down.

Keep It Simple - April 10

"You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent them from making nests in your hair." - Chinese proverb

Life is full of feelings.  We can be happy, sad, mad, scared.  These feelings can come and go quickly.  Or we may hang on to them.  As recovering (alcoholics) addicts, we used to hang on to those feelings that made us feel bad.  We let them make "nests" in our hair.  We used our feelings as an excuse to drink or use other drugs.

Now we're learning to hang on to our good feelings.  We can let go of anger, hurt, and fear.  We can shoo away the birds of sadness and welcome the birds of happiness.

Prayer for the Day - Higher Power help me become a "brid watcher".  Help me learn from my feelings.  And help me let go fo the bad one so I can be happy.

Action for the Day - If I need to get rid of the sadness or anger that I'm hanging on to, I'll ge thelp from my sponsor, a councelor, or a clergyperson.

I want to thank Joe and Greg for this amazing site.....There is a lot of work here, quiet laboring behind the scenes. Thank you! Diane:):D;)

In the sphere of material things, giving means being rich. Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much.

—Erich Fromm

Material possessions have great significance in our world. Not only do we strive to own a special car, electronic gear, and far more clothes than we need, but we also think in terms of possessing a girlfriend, or our health, or happiness, or things that cannot be owned. Some of us have become addicted to buying and owning things. This gimme-gimme mentality affects us all and, rather than enriching us, it impoverishes us. Tangible things enrich us only when we use them and share them to improve our lives and the lives of others. We don't need to be wealthy to share what we have with others. It is the sharing that nourishes us and builds bridges between us.

Wise people have known for thousands of years that a man's spirituality is deeply affected by his relationship to his possessions. When we respect what we own as a gift from God and share it with others, we grow richer spiritually.

I will hold my possessions loosely and with respect so they can be used well and shared.