MARCH 1
IT WORKS
It works—it really does.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 88
When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Desperation and fear kept me sober (and maybe a caring and/or tough sponsor helped!). Faith in a Higher Power came much later. This faith came slowly at first, after I began listening to others share at meetings about their experiences—experiences that I had never faced sober, but that they were facing with strength from a Higher Power. Out of their sharing came hope that I too would—and could—”get” a Higher Power. In time, I learned that a Higher Power—a faith that works under all conditions—is possible. Today this faith, plus the honesty, open-mindedness and willingness to work the Steps of the program, gives me the serenity that I seek. It works—it really does.March Birthdays… IF They Make It!
March 10th… Brad W. celebrates 5 years
March 14th… Dave A. celebrates 3 years
March 14th… Paul T. celebrates 9 years
March 17th… Tim C. celebrates 17 years
March 18th… Sean L. celebrates 22 years
March 18th… Art J. celebrates 1 year
March 28th… Larry G. celebrates 4 years
March 29th… Mark C. celebrates 6 years
If your birthday has been missed…. fill out the birthday form.
We really want to celebrate your AA anniversary because your birthday made ours possible!
Thanks everybody and apologies to you if you were missed or incorrectly noted.
First Wednesday… March 5th
Come join a review of Step 3 on March 5th (First Wednesday). “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
John reviews the step corresponding to the number of that month on each first Wednesday. It’s a rewarding meeting with John outlining the step of the month, how he was challenged by it and how we tackle it ourselves, with and without success! Look for his monthly contribution in this edition!
The GSR Says!
GENERAL SERVICE REPORT FOR February, 2025
The following is a summary of the February 15, 2025 CCFAA Delegates Meeting Opening
- Call to order at 3:00PM. Moment of Silence, Serenity Prayer
- Readings: Twelve Traditions, CCFAA Preamble
- 7th Tradition Reminder
Delegate and Visitors Check-in
- A Quorum was reached
Sobriety Birthdays for December
- 48 years of sobriety for the January birthdays
New Group Applications for January 2025
- There were no new groups to be approved for this month
Approval of Minutes
- The minutes for the January 18, 2025 meeting were approved
CCFAA Budget Information
- FYI – The main source of revenue for CCFAA comes from literature sales, medallion sales and group contributions
- Literature Sales were strong for January 2025 at $10,197 vs. the budget of $8380
- Medallion Sales for January 2025 were a little below budget at $4,398 vs. the budget of $4,545
- Group Contributions for January 2025 were below budget at $18,552 vs. a budget of $19,663
Overall, CCFAA still remains in a good financial position.
Vontage Call Report
- Answered Calls – 407
- Outbound Calls – 31
Teleservice will cover the following dates:
- February 17, 2025 – Presidents Day
This is all for the February 2025 delegate meeting
Thank you for letting me be of service to the 2nd Step Men’s Group.
Mark Q.
Step 3
“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”
The One Thing I Need To Know About Step 3:
Real Action Starts With a Decision
Literature Reference: “Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.” (Big Book – Page 16, Bill’s Story)
What Can I Surrender in this Step?
Step Summary
Decisions are wonderful. Decision is defined as “making up one’s own mind.” Decisions resolve conflicts. For many, the conflict over drinking and not wanting to drink made a third step decision relatively simple. We were happy to turn over our drinking problem to God as we understood God. However, for many of us, we were not so willing to turn over other areas of our lives so readily.
This step helps shift our mindset from thinking directly into action. It opens the door to conforming our will to that of our Higher Power’s. Step 3 is the first step that requires real and continuous action. The first two steps focus on reflection and introspection. In Step 2, we learned to believe in a Power greater than ourselves (some call that faith). Step 3 allows us the place to solidify and act on our newfound faith in ways we never knew possible before coming to the rooms – some call that trust.
Have you ever wondered WHY (in the Third Step Prayer) we “offer ourselves to Thee?” Answer: So our Higher Power can “build with us and do with us as it will.” Have you ever wondered WHY we ask HP to “relieve us of the bondage of self?” Answer: So that “we may better do HP’s will.” Have you ever wondered WHY we ask HP to “take away our difficulties?” Answer: So that we fully understand that “victory over them may bear witness to those we would help of HP’s power, love and way of life.”
I heard someone share in a meeting once about Step 3 that it’s like when you take your car to a mechanic to have them fix or service it. You trust that they will be able to get it all tuned up and ready to give back to you. They don’t want to KEEP your car, they just want to get it in good working order so you can move on down the road. Making the decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God (trusting God) is much the same thing.
As we’ve learned in our basic text, the spiritual life is not a theory – we must live it. This means we need to begin putting in practice those things that will ultimately be the foundation to the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism (once again proving that alcohol is not now, nor has it ever been the problem). It has been said that “We thought faith said, “I’ll take away the pain and discomfort,” but what it ended up really saying was, “I’ll sit with you in it. I’m here with you and we can walk through this together.”
MYTHS ABOUT THIS STEP
If you depend on a higher power, you will lose your individuality. On the contrary, turning our will over to a Higher Power leads to true independence of the spirit. As we practice being conscious of a Higher Power, it will gradually turn from a hunch or occasional inspiration to an active, working part of our mind.
From an idea by George T.
WANNA TAKE YOU HIGHER
Cue in the Sly Stone
There was a time back in the day, when I would watch the clock or the calendar to find a time when I could finally get that drink. Or flare up that joint.
Looking back, I think they were my Higher Power. I had turned my life over to that drink or joint. My family, my job, everything was harnessed to that clock and calendar.
So, I have already given my Will and my Life over to a god, once. Maybe a few more times if you add in the times when I swore to God that I would become a Monk or Priest or Ward Cleaver if he would just get me out of the jam I was in with Law Enforcement.
I think the hesitation of Step Three is in large part the resistance to one word….. God.
I think there are a lot of people like me who question the concept of God. Except for that night at South Shore Lake Tahoe with that Jennifer or Jenny, we question how there can be the existence of God. There was Jenny’s Around the World and then there was all the rest of the turmoil and pain in our lives and the lives around the World. So glimpse of God when I was 27, and then search for God before and after. Trending towards the negative.
When I was first made the commitment to AA, I met this guy or reacquainted with this guy Brian who had worked on house back in the day. He was very helpful. He and I had some very long discussions about staying sober and all things Pac 12.
Then one day he said, “I am going to make another suggestion”. This was out at Gibbons, I used to hang out there, especially on weekends.
“Oh,? What’s that?”
“Church” he says. “I think you really need to get back into Church. Let’s go to 5:00 at Our Lady of Assumption”.
So, I did. For several weeks thereafter. That guy Mark, who I wrote about last month, used to attend that mass too. Big time Pac 12 follower, He had a kid at USC at the time. Other than that I didn’t feel I was getting a lot out of it. Once, the sermon went very political with a fundamental opposing view to mine and I was out of there. I said it was temporary but I am sure Our Lady was assuming I would not be back And she was right.
I moved Downtown and went to Gibbons less and less. Brian and I see each other very intermittently.
More and more, I noticed that the Higher Power was in the Room. And when I wasn’t in the Room, I had the semi Ex-Wife. I guess they are my Higher Powers.
A woman I met in ReHab was also a very good friend until we drifted away, but she told me, humility was a phrase for keeping an open mind. I think that’s true and there are things we pick up in Meetings, are the guidance of the Higher Power. That’s just the way it is.
Contributed by John M.
My First Meeting
Please be “of service.” If you’ve never contributed a “My First Meeting”, please help to keep this column going…we need you! What do you remember most of your first meeting? It can be one sentence; it can be up to two paragraphs. Could be funny, poignant or strictly “clinical”. Write what you want…you might have enjoy writing it!
“Mouse’s Corner”
A.A. member Dave Mc. curates a few selected readings from a variety of A.A. related publications each month.
Thought for Today
“AA is not my whole life, but AA makes my life whole”
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?
As Bill sees it page 88
Contributed by Dave Mc.
Funny Pages
Our Trusted Servants Continue to Be:
The current Step 2 Men’s Group meeting schedule is Monday, Wednesday & Friday at Tim’s (3809 J St), Tuesday & Thursday online, Saturday in the park is “Daily Reflections” and Sunday is our Rogue meeting in the park. Each gathering is one hour. Great job men!
- Monday: Tim C.
- Tuesday: Mark C.
- Wednesday: John M.
- Thursday: Sean F.
- Friday: Jon B.
- Saturday: Dave M.
- Sunday: Mark C.
Want to add your name to the “Back-up-Help-Substitute Secretary List”? Just contact Group GS, John M., Treasurer Mark W. or any of our other Secretaries and let them know!
Step 2 Men’s Group Believes…
“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
We’d never presume that the 12 Steps are not clear. Nor would we imply that they need ‘improvement’. However…for purposes of assisting to keep the meeting pointed in an important direction each day, the “Step 2 Men’s Group Statement” is read as follows:
Step 2 Men’s Group is founded on the belief that spirituality is essential to our sobriety.
Our group is non-religious, but we do not oppose anyone’s religious beliefs. We believe that respect for others and their beliefs is essential to our spiritual development.
Accordingly we ask that avoid criticism of others or of their religion or lack of religion, their race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, physical appearance, trade or profession, length of sobriety, or personal beliefs.
Our goal is to further our spirituality, our sobriety and our personal development, not to confront or belittle others. Always remember to be kind to others.
Extra Special Thanks Dept:
Thanks to our General Secretary John M. for ‘Wanna Take You Higher’, Dave Mc. for “Mouse’s Corner” and our Treasurer Mark W. for all your contributions. We’re still waiting for YOU gentle reader…Why don’t YOU contribute a short “something?” Any length, most any AA related topic. Reply now and it will get included next month!
Men’s Gazette – February 2025