Can it be this simple? God, as I understand him.
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 600
Originally Posted by pagekeeper
For me, at this moment, God is not a word but God is an experience. God is not a noun, but God is a verb.
Paul
problem with authority
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 870
This is me.
Originally Posted by Pagekeeper 
I felt the same way. But after some reflection, I came to the conclusion that I could always make that leap when it came to alcohol. I always needed a drink to "fix me" --fix my broken heart, social phobia, fix my boredom, insecurities, fix my attitude, inhibitions, depression, tension--hell, I'd been using booze to "fix me" since I was 13 years old.
Not to mention that I thought marriage could "fix" my drinking problem, or moving could "fix" my drinking problem, or switching brands or not going to bars or only drinking in bars or on special occasions or waiting until after dinner or only mixing vodka with Diet Coke. For crying out loud, all I did was look outside of myself for something to fix me, fix my drinking problem, and fix everything else wrong with my life.
Needless to say, one of my favorite sentences in the Big Book is:
For the first time in my life, I don't have to look outside myself.
What a relief.
All Big Book quotes are from first edition
Not to mention that I thought marriage could "fix" my drinking problem, or moving could "fix" my drinking problem, or switching brands or not going to bars or only drinking in bars or on special occasions or waiting until after dinner or only mixing vodka with Diet Coke. For crying out loud, all I did was look outside of myself for something to fix me, fix my drinking problem, and fix everything else wrong with my life.
Needless to say, one of my favorite sentences in the Big Book is:
For the first time in my life, I don't have to look outside myself.
What a relief.
All Big Book quotes are from first edition
Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 21
I'm not sure if AA is going to be the right path for me (I've only been to one meeting), but I'm keeping an open mind. For now, I'm thinking of my HP as being my frontal lobes -- the part of the brain used for judgement, impulse control, planning, etc.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,954
First off 
OldManJudo and soontobehomeles to 
Sober Recovery.
I'm actual perplexed about that concept...of all the concepts there are...and there are many can bring different meaning regarding ones relation to such a concept..any kind of conclusion especially regarding sobriety. Puzzling
OldManJudo and soontobehomeles to Sober Recovery.
Originally Posted by soontobe
Still I believe the concept of a god has been helpful to both Man and Mankind; I had even become jealous of those who could yield thier future to such a concept, especially if the result was sobreity. Still I had to find some "As I understand him" that would work for me.
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 25
Originally Posted by FightingIrish
For the first time in my life, I don't have to look outside myself.
What a relief.
What a relief.
I keep it simple by not allowing my ego to argue with the first part of "there is two things you need to know about God:
1: He exists,
2: It ain't you".
IMHO the 2nd bit is what all alcoholics and addicts need to hear. I didn't hear it for a long time because the combination of my atheism and my ego meant that I was already in full rant by that time...
Personally I believe the spiritual part of the disease leaves us feeling a void within innermost selves. The 'God shaped hole' of Pascal and Sartre, which I think of as 'the hole in the soul' because I believe it is our culture that makes that hole appear to be 'God shaped'.
***
Just took a break from writing this post to re-read The Chapter to the Agnostic. Doesn’t **** me off half as much as it used to. Could be tolerance creeping in…
Just Bill W’s way of arguing his case from his perspective in his day, like Dawkins does in “The God Delusion” these days. Funny how they both seem to think ultimately every reasonable, open minded person will come to see things their way…
***
Fighting Irish’s quote reminds me of the Cat Stevens song “On the road to find out” which inspires me to this day.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: TwinCities northern suburbs
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by meditation
I believe in God but I also don't believe I am powerless either....
This is my second post, though read here at soberrecovery nearly every day.
I have come to believe that I, too, am not powerless over alcohol...UNLESS I DRINK IT!!!!
That simple revelation has allowed me to reconcile all my own control and responsibility issues with step ONE.
As for God= future; I have thought back about all the times that I behaved in such a way as to defy and even defile my future. Doing "Gods will" is now simply doing the best I can to make it a better place for me/us to live in, tomorrow.
In the absence of a clear "best decision" today I simply try to make sure the future won't be worse for what I do.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,954
Originally Posted by soontobehomeles
Today is 102 for me
Congrats! 
On your sober time
Originally Posted by soontobehomeles
I have come to believe that I, too, am not powerless over alcohol...UNLESS I DRINK IT!!!!
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