... Promises ... ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUTkd3JS9YM

... How to listen to God by John E. Batterson Written in the late 1930's (A personal friend of Dr. Bob's — co-founder of A.A.) 6. Test When the flow of thoughts slows down, stop. Take a good look at what you have written. Not every thought we have comes from God. So we need to test our thoughts. Here is where the written record helps us to be able to look at them. a. Are these thoughts completely honest, pure, unselfish and loving? b. Are these thoughts in line with our duties to our family -- to our community? c. Are these thoughts in line with our understanding of the teachings found in our spiritual literature? http://silkworth.net/aahistory/how-to-listen-to-god.pdf http://www.gentle-stress-relief.com/how-to-listen-to-god.html Distributed by Wally P., Archivist/ Historian/ Author http://www.aabacktobasics.org Historical Background The following information comes from a personal telephone discussion with Wally P, an AA archivist and historian. During the 1930s John Batterson was an enthusiastic supporter and participant in the Oxford Group in Ohio. The Oxford Group was one of the historical roots of the 12 Step programs that exist today. Historical records indicate that the two co founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill W and Dr. Bob, actually recovered from alcoholism by following the Oxford Group program. The 4 steps of the Oxford Group Surrender, Sharing, Restitution and Guidance later evolved into the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The "How to Listen to God" pamphlet is one of many documents expressing how to do the Guidance part of the Oxford Group's four steps. Wally P. interviewed John Batterson's nephew, Dr. Bob Batterson, to learn more. Wally P learned that John Batterson was an active member of the Columbus Ohio Oxford Group. John also regularly traveled up to Akron and Cleveland Ohio to participate in the Oxford Group Meetings in those cities. So, John Batterson would have known Dr. Bob, co founder of AA who was also actively participating in the Akron meetings. Wally P. also discovered in the Ohio Wesleyan archives in 1998 that John Batterson was one of the speakers at the Oxford Group's Akron House Party held at the Mayflower Hotel in 1934. John shared the podium with Henrietta Seiberling at that meeting. Wally P reports that John Batterson met James H., another member of the Oxford Group in Baltimore Maryland in 1938. James received the "How to Listen to God" pamphlet from John at that time. From there the How to Listen to God pamphlet went around the world. Wally P. received the pamphlet from James H. in the late 1990's and has distributed it to hundreds of thousands since then. It is this pamphlet that Wally P uses to teach people how to do Step 11 of the 12 step progr ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCcW7jP-7rI

. FAIR USE MARCH 12 --- Daily Reflections --- Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.aa.org/daily-reflections A DAY’S PLAN On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86 Every day I ask God to kindle within me the fire of His love, so that love, burning bright and clear, will illuminate my thinking and permit me to better do His will. Throughout the day, as I allow outside circumstances to dampen my spirits, I ask God to sear my consciousness with the awareness that I can start my day over any time I choose; a hundred times, if necessary. These pages are neither endorsed nor approved by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. https://www.aa.org/ * Alcoholics Anonymous, “Big Book” pdf https://www.aa.org/the-big-book * Alcoholics Anonymous, “Big Book” audio https://www.aa.org/resources/media?terms=big+book&format=audio&items_per_page=24&sort_bef_combine=title_ASC STEP 1 We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. STEP 2 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity STEP 3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. STEP 4 Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. STEP 5 Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. STEP 6 Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. STEP 7 Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. STEP 8 Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. STEP 9 Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. STEP 10 Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. STEP 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. STEP 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. SURRENDER SHARING AMENDS GUIDANCE HONESTY PURITY UNSELFISHNESS LOVE TRUST GOD CLEAN HOUSE HELP OTHERS Alcoholics Anonymous, Chapter 5, How it works, AA, Dr Bob, Bill W, Big Book, 12 Steps, RECOVERED, Powerless, 1st Step Experience, Craving, Desire, Real Alcoholic, Easy Does It, 4 Absolutes, Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, Love, Keep Coming Back, Clarence Snyder, AA Cleveland, Akron Oh ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2siKNc_j00

. Alcoholics Anonymous The Doctor's Opinion XXV-XXVI Of course an alcoholic ought to be freed from his physical craving for liquor, and this often requires a definite hospital procedure, before psychological measures can be of maximum benefit. We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all Page 30 Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death. We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed. We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. Do you fully concede to your innermost self that you are an alcoholic ? Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable . ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4phfy4WpZ24