Welcome to the AA Beginners Group My name is __________. My last drink was on ____________. Alcoholism is a compulsive, obsessive and progressive disease affecting us physically, mentally, and spiritually, with symptoms such as blackouts, liver problems, depression, anxiety, horrible feelings, and various medical problems. All of this adds to the unmanageability that drinking may cause. Join me in a moment of silence for those who are struggling with the disease of alcoholism... The Serenity Prayer God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen. A.A. PREAMBLE Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Anonymity is our spiritual foundation. Please keep names and discussion confidential. Anything that the leader or any other member says is only their opinion. No one person can speak on behalf of the entire worldwide fellowship of 2 million people. Copyright The AA Grapevine, Inc. Reprinted with permission Take Caution If you are still drinking and are planning to stop, you may want to ask your doctor for help to detox! They can help you. Quitting drinking can cause your body to experience sever medical issues. It is possible to have seizures and even worse, including death. We are not doctors here. Search out the advice of your doctor first. Also... Many times people are pressured to go to AA by the courts for drunk driving. That does not mean they are alcoholics or have a desire to stop drinking. If you are one of these people, to get your proof of attendance sheet send an email to: aabeginnersgroup@gmail.com. You do not have to stay for this meeting to get an attendance sheet, but if you have a desire to stop drinking you are welcome to stay and participate in todays discussion. First Things First When we first come to A.A., many of us do not realize the first drink triggers the compulsion to drink more and more; it deludes us into thinking we can drink another safely, then another and another. How do we avoid just that first drink for at least one day? Here are some suggestions: The twenty-four hour plan. Dont pick up a drink for 24 hours. Dont worry about tomorrow. Just focus on not picking up the 1st drink today. You cant get drunk if you dont pick up the 1st drink. Ask God or Higher Power for help to stay sober today. Goto AA Meetings on a regular basis. Get a sponsor to help you take the 12 Steps of AA Read the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. You can buy one or get it free on PDF at www.aa.org. Change your routines or travel routes during drinking hours. If you have a compulsion or urge to drink, postpone it and call someone in AA. Exchange phone numbers with sober people in chat box.

To the new people. We have a way which helps us to live happy without alcohol. Can you answer the following questions? What brings you to AA? Do you think you are powerless over alcohol? Do you have a desire to stop drinking? If you do, what lengths are you willing to go to obtain lasting sobriety.

These steps are not for everyone. This is to those who are willing to go to any lengths or do whatever it takes to obtain lasting sobriety. Our Big Book states that you are ready to take certain steps. Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable. AA Page 30, paragraph 2 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. AA, p. 44, paragraph 1 If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer. AA, p. 45, paragraph 1 Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power? Well, thats exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. AA, p. 59, lines 2-3 But there is One who has all power, that One is God. May you find him now! AA p. xvii. also p. 64. It also indicated that strenuous work, one alcoholic with another, was vital to permanent recovery. strenuous - means with great effort or vigor vital - means necessary to sustain permanent - means lasting

Step 2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. AA, p. 33 Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time, as bad as ever. It is a peculiar mental twist which renders us helpless against resisting alcohol. AA, p. 35 We are looking at a mental states that precede a relapse into drinking. AA, p. 37 But there was always the curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. How do we get past this? AA, p. 60 The Big Book indicates that probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism and that God could and would if He were sought. So this tells us that we need to be open to this power greater than ourselves which will solve our problem. The main goal is to be restored from the insanity of that first drink. Going through the steps and turning to God helps us to get there. AA, p. 12 Why don't you choose your own conception of God?

Step 3 Step 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him. We decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the principle; we are his agents. He is the Father and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple. When we sincerely take such a position, all sorts of remarkable things follow. Being all powerful, He provides what we need, if we keep close to Him and perform his work well. We became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. We became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life. As we felt new power flow in... as we enjoyed peace of mind... as we discovered we could face life successfully... as we became conscious of His presence... we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. we were reborn. We were now at Step Three. You can join us in the 3rd Step Prayer now. God, I offer myself to Thee, to build with me and do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life. May I do Thy will always! Amen. We thought well before taking this step making sure that we were ready; that we could abandon ourselves utterly to Him.

Open Floor. For the benefit of the newer people here today, Can you answer the following questions? What brings you to AA? Do you think you are powerless over alcohol? Do you have a desire to stop drinking? If you do, what lengths are you willing to go to obtain lasting sobriety. Have you experienced this type of thinking concerning alcohol? Do you believe a Higher Power can restore alcoholics to sanity? Have you had any relief from this sort of thinking? How do you feel after the 3rd Step prayer? Are you ready to move forward with the rest of the steps?

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If anyone would like some help
to continue on with the 12 Steps...

Join us for one of the Zoom workshops listed below. (We go through All 12 Steps) Send us an email aabeginnersgroup@gmail.com. Ask someone to sponsor you. Download the Meeting Guide APP to find some meetings near you.

12 Step Workshop Schedule Sunday 11:00 AM EST AA Beginners Sponsorship Workshop ALL 12 STEPS 6 HOURS Duration Zoom Id: 87577128870 Password: alcoholic Saturday 1:00 PM EST AA Beginners Sponsorship Workshop ALL 12 STEPS 6 HOURS Duration Zoom Id: 838 6419 2971 Password: alcoholic

Announcements Visit our website www.aabeginners.com. Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. We observe monetary 7th Tradition contributions in Pay Pal aabeginnersgroup@gmail.com. Host/Chair contact info: Dave Carmona 313-551-9453 Visit https://www.aa.org/what-is-aa for a virtual beginner pack

Goto: www.aa.org
Click on: ABOUT
Click on: What Is AA?





We want to thank everyone for attending todays meeting.

We close with a Prayer.

Our Father, who is in Heaven, Holy is Your Name.
Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Don't let us fall into temptation and deliver us from evil.
Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Forever,
AMEN.