Can anyone direct me where I can find a BB Step Study sponsor? I live in Eastern CT, been happily sober for 12 years, working the steps.....but want to delve deeper into the BB. Currently the only BB ST Study groups are in southern CT which is good distance. I am willing to have an online sponsor but I'm not sure how effective that can be.
thank you all, in advance, for any suggestions offered.
My HG has 2 BB studys and 2 steps studies weekly, however, there's a few of us who 'meet' on our own to 'delve deeper' . Why not approach your sponsor and or sponsees and see if they are interested?
Welcome to MIP, btw
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Hi Nancy !! Im Lori, alcoholic from Michigan. I was guided thru the book by my sponsor and that is how I worked the steps. Therefor that is how I take sponsee's thru the steps as well. We have a few ( not many, but a few, lol ) ppl in my area that are interested in the book and we in fact meet at somebody's house usually once a week and read from the book. It has proven to be very beneficial !! We keep it low key of course. Oh and btw ... my sponsor is an internet sponsor and it has worked just fine over the years.
Thank you so much!! I am currently hosting a BB study group with my sponsee's but would love some guidance to work the 12 steps through the BB. After being sober for a while, this is a great challenge for growth. If anyone out there wants to guide me through ( BB step st sponsor) I'd love the inspiration ; ) Nancy
I'm a bit confused, Nancy (nothing new of course) but exactly what kind of 'guidance' are you looking for? What about your own sponsor? I guess I dont' get what you're asking for...I'd love to help, so please enlighten me?
Thanks ((hugs))
~ Jen
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Welcome to MIP, Nancy. I found a site that explains the Steps & other stuff in the Big Book of Alcoholics in lots of detail that I think you will find useful at www.sober.org.. Enjoy :) Daniella x
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
I have worked the steps through the 12/12 which is a good book however, after attending a workshop in Vt at Bill W's house this summer " the history of AA" I discovered a lot of the oldtimers did the steps through the BB and they have the sobriety I want. I have been sober for 13 years and frankly, I got a little complacent. This has renewed my willingness to learn more about AA and myself. ( maybe I'm turning into a BB thumper!!?? ...lol....) I went to a BB step study meeting in Maine recently and it was great! I'll check out what suggested Danielle. Thank you all so much for your interest and time. in sobriety, Nancy
Harley1234 wrote:I discovered a lot of the oldtimers did the steps through the BB and they have the sobriety I want. I have been sober for 13 years and frankly, I got a little complacent.
oohhhhhh! I see. Forgive me, this blonde was having a moment!
Hmmmm. I'd say doing this online would prove difficult. There's a lot of 'skipping' around throughout the book
I'll use Step one as an example: BB 4th Edition xxvii The Doctors Opinion -- the first full paragraph " We believe, and so suggested a few years ago............"
then it moves to the 4th paragraph " Men and women drink essentially......." And there are several more throughout this chapter.
Then it Bill Story pg 8 - "No words can tell of the loneliness and despair found in that bitter morall of self pity. Qucksand ........... "
There is a solution pg 23 - "Therefore the main probem of the alcoholic centers in the mind rather than in the body."
This is just a few examples - so I'm not sure how online is going to be easy.
I mean no harm, but I'd think with 13 yrs you should be able to / can figure this out. I have been in the program 3 yrs and only have 13.5 months of continous sobriety and I've done it by going to BB study groups ...... Feel free to ask any questions, I suppose and I'll do what I can to point you in the right direction.
(((hugs))))
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Hello again Nancy , I came back to this post of yours and now Im confused, lol. But I do carry this in my own bb and think it might prove helpful in some way.
The 12 steps ( and where they can be found in the book ) 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. ( this step is described on Roman numeral pages 23-30 , xxiii-xxx and on pages 1-43. The directions for taking this step are on page 30, par. 2, lines 1-3 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. ( t his step is described on pages 44-60. directions for taking the step are page 47 par. 2, lines 1-3. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over the care of God as we understood Him. ( described on pages 60-63, directions for taking the step on page 63 par. 2, lines 1-8 4. Made a searchign and fearless moral inventory. ( described on pages 63-71. directions for taking the step page 64, para. 1, lines 1-9, para. 2, lines 1-6). 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. ( described pages 72-75. directions for taking this step page 75, para 1, lines1-4, para. 2, lines 1-2 ) 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. ( described pages 75-76. directions for taking the step page 76 para. 1, lines 3-5 ) 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. ( described on page 76, directions to take the step page 76, para. 2, lines 1-7 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make ammends to them all. ( this step is described on page 76 ) 9. Made direct ammends to such ppl wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. ( described on pages 76-84. directions to take the step page 76 para. 3, lines 6-11. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. ( this step is described on page 84-85. directions to take the step are page 84, para. 2 ,lines 1-14. 11. Sought thru 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. ( described on pages 85-88, directions for taking this step page 86, para. 1 lines 1-14, para. 2, lines 1-5, para. 3, lines 1-6. ) 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and practice these principles in all our affairs. ( described pages 89-103, and pages 569-570. directions for taking this step page 89 para. 1 lines 1-7 ) Instructions on how to carry the life saving message of recovery is found thruought the book as well as by sponsoring others.
Thanks so much girls for all the direction, suggestions...........
I put my question out there ( in the universe) and the answer(s) came to me. I copied what you wrote Lori and then Saturday nite a man in my meeting, who has a very solid foundation, showed me with many pages of paperwork on how to use the BB as a text with supporting questions related to the steps. I knew this existed but couldn't find the person who knew what I was talking about!. It is truly godsend. Thank you all so much, esp HP
