FEBRUARY 1
GOAL: SANITY
“. . . Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can’t say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now.”TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 27
“Came to believe!” I gave lip service to my belief when I felt like it or when I thought it would look good. I didn’t really trust God. I didn’t believe He cared for me. I kept trying to change things I couldn’t change. Gradually, in disgust, I began to turn it all over, saying: “You’re so omnipotent, you take care of it.” He did. I began to receive answers to my deepest problems, sometimes at the most unusual times: driving to work, eating lunch, or when I was sound asleep. I realized that I hadn’t thought of those solutions—a Power greater than myself had given them to me. I came to believe.February Birthdays… IF They Make It!
February 1st… Marv P. celebrates 38 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.
Tradition 02
Short Form
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as he may express himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.
Long Form
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.
Tradition Summary
GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS KIDS
In a relationship based upon the Traditions there is no such thing as individual authority. All decisions are arrived at by a majority agreement, reached after all elements of the problem or situation have been considered and a Higher Power has been contacted for guidance in the making of the decisions (an informed group conscience). Unfortunately, however, many times our relationships are unhealthy due to the dominance of one person or the other. The uninformed often times feels he/she has the ability to “know best” for its individual participants and tries to impose this attitude of “playing God” in the relationship.
All my life I feared authority. I had a very strange idea about it. I didn’t like anybody else’s authority. I only liked my own authority. Maybe it is not so strange if you’re a sick alcoholic like me. But I certainly did not have any respectful attitude for authority.
My first successful experience in not being fearful of authority was in A.A.. I did not fear my sponsor but relied on him. I saw my sponsor as the expression of a loving God. My second experience in not being fearful was when I started listening to the group conscience. The more I followed what I heard in A.A. through the group conscience, the better my life became. Gradually I have extended this trust in the group in A.A. to that of the world. Tradition 2 encourages me to listen in order to have good relationships with you and to trust you as part of the group conscience. God may, just may, be speaking through you.
Life forces me to become an elder statesman or a bleeding deacon. The group conscience will correct me if I am out of line and I have a choice to complain like a bleeding deacon or lead by humble example like an elder statesman.
THANK GOD A.A. is SELF-CLEANING (with God’s help of course).
Step-Tradition Parallel
Each tradition answers the question raised by the parallel step. The second step raises the question of how I can come to believe and what is sanity. I came to believe by trusting the group conscience in A.A., and then I began to trust God and eventually the world. The experience of trusting A.A. to keep me sober is the experience that gave me confidence in God and in you. This is how the second tradition helped me to come to believe.
From an idea by George T.
The GSR Says!
Central California Fellowship of AA Delegates Meeting
January 20, 2024
- 52 delegates attended this meeting
- Sobriety birthdays for January 2024 totaled 80 years
- Four new groups applied and were accepted to join the CCFAA monthly meetings. Information regarding these groups can be located on the CCFAA website
- “AA at a Glance” packets are available free of charge. Please contact CCFAA at [email protected] to request a packet
- CCFAA Bookstore is now open Saturdays from 10-2
- Faithful Fivers and The Birthday Club: The Faithful Fivers is a convenient way to support Central Office and express gratitude for the help we have received from AA. Faithful Fivers pledge $5 or $10 monthly to Central Office. You can manually contribute monthly, or you can set up your pledge to be a monthly contribution through your bank account to CCFAA. This donation assists in continuing the vital services offered at Central Office
- All is well with Hospitals & Institutions. There are a lot of opportunities to be of service through H & I. There are some new facilities with positions that need to be filled. All are invited to attend the H & I monthly meeting the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Denny’s 7900 College Town Drive, Sacramento, 95826, at 6PM
Thank you for allowing me to be of service.
Mark Q.
Help Wanted!
We’re looking for a Secretary for our Tuesday Zoom meeting.
Requirements:
6 months sobriety and the ability to connect to a Zoom meeting.
Rewards:
Too many to mention!
If interested, reply to this email or contact Mark C using this form.
Instructions
A while ago, I got this email, the heading read, “Sanity Returned”. I saved it just for this day.
My first reaction was WTF, and I left it alone, thinking it junk mail. Then my curiosity got the better of me and I opened it, praying that it was not spam.
The notice read; “Congratulations you have made several strides in your recovery and we are sending back your sanity, open the file below”.
I was relieved. You know, I had prayed for this day. I cannot tell you how many times I had said out loud and to others, complete Step Two and the Higher Power returns my sanity? Bring it on. Anything to quiet down that Board of Arguing Directors that goes off in my head constantly.
So, I went to the bottom of the page to find the file. There it was … Installation Instructions in a pdf file. Damn. Why couldn’t they just send a pill.
I opened the file and knew immediately I was in trouble. There were eighteen pages in 1.5 spacing with diagrams and illustration. It got worse. It was in Swedish. Like it came from Ikea.
I don’t know Swedish. There is someone in my building from Norway. Beccha. She is a very attractive blonde, but is heavily tattoed and is considerably younger. I only know her to say hi in the elevator. Most of the time, that’s only a nod, because she usually has air pods in her ears. I guess I could ask her help.
I took a glance through all the pages first and ruffled them up a bit, so it would look like I tried to do this myself. I was very confused though, the illustrations seem to indicate an accompanying package and I had none. There was red Swedish writing at the top of the page. I had no idea what that was for either.
When I finally and casually run into Beccha I tell her my dilemma. I have instructions I cannot read.
“What’s this for?” she asks, and I tell her its my sanity, which I had lost with a lot of drugs and alcohol. She looks at me sternly. “This is Swedish, why would your sanity be in Swedish? And I told you I am from Norway. I don’t like Swedes.”
I don’t want to get into any kind of International discussion on North Atlantic fishing rights. I give her my most forlorn look and a “Can’t you please help me? It’s been gone a long time”
Beccha is way too serious. She huffs and goes through the document quickly.
“I cannot help you” she says, “You see this red writing on every page? That says, Item on Back Order, Shipment Expected Soon”. You have to wait. It says you must continue to do work to prepare for the installation.” She semi flings the document back to me. “Okay, I go now”
It must say something else, I say. She stops and looks back, “Norwegian saying, Life takes a pinch of humility, a dash of hope, and a willingness to believe. We tell Norwegian men this but they don’t listen. You be smarter. Work with what you got.”
That got me thinking in my taking inventory sort of way. I’m thinking I got this Do It Yourself Kit for sanity at birth. I didn’t even read the instructions and tossed it away. You all know the rest of the story and can watch it on display. I have been given, even if I do not understand it completely, a method to reconstruct. It may be like interpreting the Cosmos, but I believe keeping mindful of improvement helps along the way. Meetings and readings are things I can understand if I work them to get this.
Contributed by John M.
First Wednesday… February 7th
Come join a review of Step 2 on February 7th (First Wednesday). “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
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!
“Mouse’s Corner”
A.A. member Dave Mc. curates a few selected readings from a variety of A.A. related publications each month.
Regardless of our individual interpretation of the term “restoration,” most of us agree that, for us, it means changing to a point where addiction and its accompanying insanity are not controlling our lives.Being restored to sanity is a life-long process. Individually, we experience it differently at varying stages of our recovery, but we all can see some results of this process right from the beginning of our recovery.
How It Works and Why – pg 13.
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: A Mark
- 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!
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!
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 “Instructions”, our GSR Mark Q. for attending those meetings on our behalf, 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 – January 2024
Men’s Gazette – March 2024