there was alot of talk at the first meeting that i went to about the higher power. i was chatting with someone tonight. he told me online that he could never touch a drink. his higher power won't let him. i asked him to explain this. but, he was having a bad night and didn't go further into this. i would like to know how to do this. prayer is one. i know that. i do it every night. do u all go to church and read the bible too? i believe in god. so i spose that helps me right there. but, don't understand (even though im not going to do it) how he can stop me from taking a drink? that kinda boggled my mind tonight. o well... just thought it was an interesting topic to chat on.
by the way.. i really am glad to have met a lot of u. i feel good in here. it gives me someting to do with my hands. that is one big problem i have. i used to get bored and still do. but, dif is now... i don't pick up the drink. so far anyhow. lol...
i dont really do the bible or church thing. i just ask in the morning for my higher powers guidance for my day ahead. been saved from trouble a few times, but thats a longer story and its late. welcome to this group! it is a great bunch.
AA is a spiritual program...and the third step explains it as a personal Higher Power..as you understand Him..(or Her)
A lot of new people...use Good Orderly Direction..and AA meetings....for a while..so whatever works for you..
I know that I cannot stay sober on my own..so reach out to a Higher Power..as I understand Him each day...and pray that He will guide me through the day..and help me stay away from that first drink...
Its a keep it simple thing...
Almost daylight....Time to zzzzzzzzz....later...
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"LOVE" devoid of self-gratification, is in essence, the will, to the greatest good...of another.
When I first started with AA I really wasn't sure about 'the God thingy'. I really didn't think could work for me. But, I stayed in AA and started working the steps. Now, I do have a God of my understanding and I pray to Him on a daily basis. I rarely go to church and I haven't picked up a bible in a long time. I guess that I used the 'Group Of Drunks' for a little while until I had my God.
As Phil said, I, too, know that I cannot stay sober on my own. With His help, I can work this program one day at a time and enjoy my sobriety on a daily basis.
Take care,
Carol
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
You know, one thing you will realize, and it's written in the AA promises, is that "God is doing for you what you could not do for yourself". You can't stay sober on your own, that's not natural for an alcoholic - we are supposed to drink! That's in our nature! But we are going against that, and it obviously isn't just us, I mean, how well did we do with fighting it or controlling it before coming into AA and finding a higher power? And offering ourselves to that higher power and really asking for His help, and learning to turn it over to that higher power?
Someone said in a meeting yesterday, they don't have to ask God to keep them away from that first drink anymore, because God has taken away the drink thing from them, that they prayed for so long for God to just take away that desire to drink and eventually He did. I dunno about that... I mean, even once the desire's gone, it could creep up on you again, I think. So I think I'll always ask God for help with that. But maybe that's what your friend was talking about.
My sponsor tells me to pray every morning and ask God to keep me sober, and Thank Him every night for keeping me sober that day. Don't ask for Him to keep you from drinking ever again, just ask for Today. I count my days, and every night, I thank Him for keeping me sober Today, and then for keeping me sober however many days I've made it. Because every day that I don't drink, it's a miracle from God. It's Him doing for me what I couldn't do for myself.
It's really good that you're already praying, that you already have God in your life. When I came into AA I was very angry with God. I was scared to death of the 2nd and 3rd step, even though I wasn't there yet, and I'm still not there yet. My sponsor told me I need some kind of higher power and I need to be praying, but I'd always believed in the Christian God, even though I was angry with him, and I couldn't see myself praying to anything else, but I didn't want to pray to Him. It took some counseling, and reading Job, which slapped me in the face, and someone told me to pray and just tell God how angry I was with Him and why, and I did that and it actually turned into a good prayer after I got that all out, and I pray all the time since then. In some ways I feel like I'm already working towards steps 2 and 3, although I don't know the full details about them, I'm not scared of them anymore though.
I don't go to church, although I want to and keep telling myself every weekend that I'm going Sunday and then I don't go. Part of it's a matter of getting up on Sundays, but I could go to evening service, just haven't worked up the nerve to go. I rarely read the bible, although I should and my counselor suggests it. I need to put the effort I have with AA into my relationship with my higher power as well. But for now it's just praying. But you don't have to go to church, you don't have to read the bible, it's great for some, but that's not necessarily spirituality, that's part of religion, and it's not hte same thing. If you think it would help with your spirituality, by all means do it!
Anyway, sorry for the long ramble, I hope it helped you some though.
thanks so much. u all are so inspirational. i now understand what 'higher power' is. i have it in god and i have it in u guys. im having a good day. i got up about an hour ago. it was funny actually. i almost had a heart attack. my sissy and bro in law wanted me to look after their little shi zhu pup. i have a bichon. they have fun together. anyhow, i didn't hear the phone ring. i was sleeping. i wear ear plugs to bed. anyhow, a while back. i gave my sister my key to my condo. so, today... since she couldn't get ahold of me. she comes in herself. all ready for work. calling at me at the foot of my bed. (me still asleep)... deb, deb. I thought i was dreaming. then i saw her standing there. i still thought i was dreaming. i just about crapped myself. i still didn't think she was there. i thought it was a dream. anyhow, that is how i woke up today.
Someone once said to write down all the qualities the PERFECT best friend would have.... and then make it so that your higher power has each of those qualities.
I did that, and turns out God has had all those qualities all along.... I just didn't know it until I got used to looking for the 'good' in things instead of the negative.
all of u...