Vocatus Atque non Vocatus Deus Aderit | Deo Duce, Ferro Comitante | Vox Populi, Vox Dei

The World Needs Less Junior Therapists and More Spiritual Mentors
Life is not Relative – There Are Absolute Rights, and Absolute Wrongs

Monday, August 17, 2015

Vitam Mors | デイリー臨死を通じ生活 | Daily Living Through Daily Dying

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     Phoe·nix ˈfēniks/ noun (in classical mythology):  a fabulours bird that...burn(s)  itself on a funeral pyre to rise from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another cycle.

--Websters Dictionary
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     Keep ever in mind the admission that you made on the day of your profession into A.A., namely that you are powerless and that it was only with your willingness to turn your life and will into My keeping, that relief came to you.

--Why We Were Chosen; Judge John T., 1943
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     Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built.

--Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (21)
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     What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to the the loving and powerful hand of God.

--Alcholics Anonymous (28:1)
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     17-Aug-15:  Happy Monday everyone! A friend suggested 'Let Go & Let God' as a topic for today, which is really about surrender I think.  

     A newcomer asked me question that really threw me.  Not to be arrogant but this does not happen often, for this program keeps getting simpler for me, so naturally the answers are always there if 'I have something to transmit' - living in the disciplines of steps 10, 11 and 12.  However, this particular question set me thinking, and thinking hard.  The question was a great one I think, perhaps the best ever asked in an AA meeting, which was: 'How do you get somebody to surrender', which is really another way of saying 'how does one cause another to "let go and let God".  The more I pondered this, the clearer the answer became, which is:  

     You can't.  One is either beaten to a pulp, or they are not.  There is no middle ground behind the two.

     Recently I was at a meeting where somebody was making the argument that 'we have to present this program at the level of the person we are trying to reach'.  Sounds good, feels right, we all want to helpful, who wants to see anyone suffer needlessly, right?

   Wrong.  In my experience any parts of this program I dumb down to make it palatable for someone who hasn't surrendered 1)  Just waters down the message for those who are in fact ready to recover, 2) Makes me a hypocrite and a liar, for the only real message of AA is 'that God could and would if he were sought, and 3)  is a complete and utter waste of my time - and theirs.  If a man hasn't 'let go absolutely', they can as my sponsor used to say attend one thousand meetings a day the ghosts of Bill W. & Dr. Bob left and right and the still would not 'get it'.  Why is this?  Becuase until they let go absolutely, they will not be willing to take all the seemingly drastic steps this program requires for it sucessful consummation.

     I love you all.  Thank you for my life.

     Yours in love and service,

-COG, 1st. Class.
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Welcome as a witness to a fools journey out of the darkness. I welcome all tidings - you are all my teachers on this path toward a meaningful and purposeful sobriety.

COG, 1st Cl.