11am
My Name is _______, I am an Alcoholic serving as Chairperson today for Recovery-World’s “A New Beginning Group". This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, everyone is welcome to attend!
3pm
My Name is _______, I am an Alcoholic serving as Chairperson today for Recovery-World’s "Afternoon Affirmations Group". This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, everyone is welcome to attend!
6pm
My Name is _______, I am an Alcoholic serving as Chairperson today for Recovery-World’s "Attitude Adjustment Group". This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, everyone is welcome to attend!
9pm
My Name is _______, I am an Alcoholic serving as Chairperson today for Recovery-World’s "Affirming Sobriety Group". This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, everyone is welcome to attend!
Friends please read the following to better understand our format.
**The ABSENCE OF PROFANITY offends no one - so please, no swearing of any kind in the rooms. It is not permitted. Thank you :)
**The discussion or posting of other websites and chat rooms links are not allowed in the main screens. If you really need to share these things, please do so in private chat.
**Also, to protect your anonymity, we respectfully request that no personal information be posted in the main screens. If you wish to exchange information such as phone numbers and email addresses, please do so privately.
**Please don't put out question marks during shares. If you have an urgent question pertaining to the meeting format, please private message someone. All other questions can be answered in the lounge where there is open chat 24/7.
Would all who care to, please join me in opening with a "moment of silence" for those who are still sick and suffering, both in and out of the rooms, followed by the Serenity Prayer. Let's take that moment now…
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Thy will not mine be done. Amen
AA Preamble…
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
How it Works -
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are
constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living
which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it - then you are ready to take certain steps.
At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas
and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember that we deal with alcohol - cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power- that one is God. May you find Him now!
Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people, wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Many of us exclaimed, "What an order I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints.
The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.
Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.
(c) That God could and would if He were sought.
**Please treat this as you would a face-to-face meeting.
**-No crosstalk when someone is sharing. Crosstalk = conversational typing in the main screen. However, if you feel strongly about what someone says, short responses are allowed (ONE word or ONE emoticon only please).
**-If you have a desire to share, please raise your hand by typing “!” (the exclamation point) in the main chat screen. As chairperson I will keep track of all who wish to share and you will be called upon in order.
**-Please keep your sharing to short sentences so we know you are still sharing (typing). When you are finished sharing, please type “Done” and I will call on the next person to share.
**-Please try to limit your sharing time so we can hear from as many people as possible. Thank You!
Before we begin, do we have any newcomers with us today…or anyone here for their first online meeting? If so, please introduce yourself so we may better get to know you! :)
Is anyone here today celebrating an AA milestone / birthday /anniversary?
Alrighty then, its topic time. If anyone would like to suggest a topic or has one they feel they need to here about, now is the time to speak up, I will take the first two.
Friends, we've reached the top of the hour, before we close, does anyone have a burning desire to share?
We would like to thank all who came and those who participated by sharing. We will now close with the AA Promises…
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.
1. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
2. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
3. We will comprehend the word serenity.
4. WE WILL KNOW PEACE.........
5. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
6. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
7. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
8. Self-seeking will slip away.
9. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
10. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
11. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
12. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises?
They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
For those who care to join us we would like to end this meeting with the Lords prayer… and the Alcoholic’s Prayer…
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen
ALCOHOLICS PRAYER
God bless all the alcoholics wherever they may be
Bless those unfortunates who are in most need of sobriety
Look upon them with compassion and mercy
And lead them onto this wonderful fellowship
That they may help themselves as they have helped us
And thousands of others
Bless those who are sober today
Give grace to those who are on the way
But God
Please show compassion and mercy to those who may never come.
Amen
Thank you all very much for joining us today! To help maintain sobriety it is suggested that we go to f2f meetings, get a sponsor, work the steps, call people in recovery, read the Big Book, pray, and don't drink in between meetings!!!
OUR AA MEETINGS ARE HELD DAILY AT: 11am…3pm… 6pm…9pm EST. (Saturday’s 9pm is our BB Study) We have a Women’s Only meeting on Sundays at 4:30 pm EST and a new Al-Anon meeting on Thursday’s at 7:30pm EST! The lounge is open for chat 24-7!!
Chairing meetings is a form of service work and a great way to give back what you’ve been freely given. You can sign up and help keep our meetings going. If you would like to volunteer, please contact one of the moderators. Thanks!!
Now Coffee and fellowship in the lounge!! Everyone is welcome to join in!! |
