Member: Kim V
Location: kvaughn@madison.main.nc.us
Date: 23 Mar 2003
Time: 09:15:00

Comments

Kim V here alcoholic. I like the step 7 prayer on page 76 of the big book. Asking God to remove all of our character defects good and bad so that we may become USEFUL. What a feeling to be useful again. It is the first thing that is suggested to us when we have a problem and need to refocus on something else. It is the very thing that keeps us sober, by helping other alcoholics and we could not do any of these things if we were not USEFUL. Thanks for letting me share.


Member: Tom the parot
Location: up a tree
Date: 23 Mar 2003
Time: 18:52:41

Comments

i'm so grateful and happy i found aa and learned how to repeat the lingo and all the same things i heard in the rooms (just like a parot) to all those ones that can actually stand listening to it.. ONE MORE TIME play it again sam! there's nothing new and exciting here.. guess no ones gonna get real here today. come to think of it, coming here and listening to it again and again is kind of like insanity.. it could actually jepordize my sobriety.. "alert! alert! to all newcomers. once you get sober and the obsession is lifted.. for the love of Crist.. move on. well see ya. i'm goin dancin with the goat and biker babe.. lol and to all another 24 from one happy parot to another. lots of love and sharing our feelings? i feel great now don't you? i love to be wrong, just not all the time. aahhh lala lala


Member: Larry M.
Location: Texas, USA
Date: 23 Mar 2003
Time: 20:02:18

Comments

Hi, I'm Larry, and I'm an alcoholic-sober today, only by the Grace of a loving God and the miracle of Alcoholics Anonymous. Over the years,one of Bill's Statements about Step 7 seems to have more and more relevance in my life, that, "The whole emphasis of Step Seven is on humility." The definition of certain words has helped many of us greatly. Humility was defined to many of us by our sponsers as "We don't think less of ourselves, we think of ourselves less." We are told that it does not mean that we humiliate ourselves. The idea of doing things for others at their convenience-just TAKING ACTION, getting out of ourselves is the KEY for us, as it certainly has been, and continues to be for me. Another early AA caution for each other was "Don't try to be a Saint by Thursday." Whether we start out, or end up as coffee maker or in any other area of service, none of us are closer to our God than when we relate one to another in this Wonderful fellowship. It is still mind boggling to me that years ago I felt humiliated when forced into going to AA, because I was a hopeless drunk-but now feel that it was the greatest thing that has happened to me. To enjoy life, share happiness and freedom with others is all most of us ever wanted and it can be ours when we work for it. Not drinking, having and using a sponsor, Constant work on these steps is essential for most of us. Thanks for allowing me to share.


Member: SuzyQ
Location: New Jersey
Date: 24 Mar 2003
Time: 09:48:36

Comments

I recently got a little pissed off that I did the seventh step and God did not render me white as snow and then reward me. What was I thinking???? Thankfully after doing some step working and looking at this, just yesterday, I opened myself to God to do with me what he will. Hell, He's already done plenty for me, what arrogance! Today I am Human again, still sober, and have a greater degree of humilty than I did yesterday. SuzyQ


Member: Landscape Ray
Location: SCOTLAND
Date: 24 Mar 2003
Time: 12:57:56

Comments

When i got to step 7, i said the 7th step prayer giving myself to god and asking him to remove my shortcomings! and make me a useful member of society, my sponser told me at that time "it was doing the things that i should be doing! and not doing the things i shouldnt! so to-day i Try , Regards L-Ray


Member: Victor
Location: NYC
Date: 24 Mar 2003
Time: 20:28:17

Comments

Victor, ALCOHOLIC BIG TIME. What's funny (though not really) is the way I develop new shortcomings and character defects just as I get 'rid' (temporarily get rid?) of some old ones. What's that all about? Maybe it's just to numb myself in some new 'creative' way so I don't need to feel or deal. Maybe. right. Put down the booze, chase success and money and sex, put down the cigarettes, run until you have a hip injury and run some more! Lost your job ? Travel-run away! can't chase women any more - stay at home and check out internet porn! Or deal- grow up and face it. I won't win the World Series, marry Michel Pfiefer and have 3 somesomes with Pam Anderson, live forever, feed all of the world, visit Neptune, be a CEO. I might just have a normal, meaningful, long, happy, monogomous, sober, spiritual. And that's OK, Victor. It's great actually. Thanks for listening-


Member: Biker Babe
Location: hellishelping
Date: 25 Mar 2003
Time: 00:05:12

Comments

i had fried potatoes for dinner, mmm mm. my favorite. And soon i'm goin to make a hot chocolate 'just for me' to have a little ""celebrate' that i am sober AND not smoking anymore (quit 6 days ago) and i have everything plus some... and with tears in my eyes, i thank the god of my understanding, for helping me to see that after blood sweat and tears of the recovering life in aa.... life has indeed gotten better. All i ask for now Lord; is to be of maximum service to you and to my fellows. (oh ya and a threesome with victor and gage) better go and wipe these tears. lol Biker Babe.


Member: AZbill
Location: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Date: 25 Mar 2003
Time: 09:23:25

Comments

Hi. Bill here, alcoholic from Arizona. This is an interesting Step. With much more going on than merely reading it implies. In Six it tells us that we were ready. And Seven starts with the Statement what we are to say when we complete Six. A big change in the program occurs here. In Six we are asking our higher powers to remove the the things we find objectionable. That is pretty easy. If we don't like them then we don't want them anyway. However, in Seven we are asking only for the defects that stand in the way of our usefulness to our various higher powers and to our fellows. This sorta changes the spiritual aspect of the program. From one to six we are sorta working the Steps as we perceive them. From Seven on we are working the Steps as God perceives them. In other words. We change from the religious aspect left over from the Oxford Group influences to the more spiritual aspect as we know AA to be today. Another interesting aspect of this Step is..just what does Bill Wilson mean when he says shortcomings? We all know that Bill liked to use different words to mean the same thing. Now... are our shortcomings the defects we found in Step Four.. Or are our shortcomings, the things we left out in Four, either by accident or intentionally. :) Or does Bill mean both? Something to think about, eh? LOL Thanks for being a part of my sobriety today. az-bill@mindspring.com


Member: Melanie
Location: Akron, Ohio, USA
Date: 25 Mar 2003
Time: 13:09:41

Comments

Hi, I'm Melanie an alcoholic. Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings. HHMMMmmm First, I have to be humble, knowing that I am human and have shortcomings. Knowing that I can't remove all my shortcomings without His help. I then have to ask, or my shortcomings will undoubtedly remain. There is no guarantee that they will be removed. But if I try to do God's will (the next right thing, the next step), and ask for help, chances are good that life will improve and soon I will notice the changes in me. Love and blessings to YOU!


Member: Neil L
Location: Portland, Oregon
Date: 25 Mar 2003
Time: 13:19:58

Comments

I'm an alcoholic,my name is Neil. I'm grateful there is a plan like the 7th step. We all have shortcomings but here in AA we have a great plan of action to help us all. Thanks.


Member: Dennis McG SD 2/8/99
Location: WA, the everwet state
Date: 27 Mar 2003
Time: 22:17:38

Comments

Great site, great sharing! My sponsor's approach to step 7 is a little unusual, but it works for me. We take the list of defects from step 4 and list them in one column on a sheet of paper. In the second column, we list the opposite of each defect (i.e. procrastination/diligence, or envy/generosity). Each day, we pick the defect that has been causing the most trouble in our relations with others recently, and concentrate on practicing the opposite instead. His rationale for this approach is this: If he wants some milk, he COULD take a milking stool out to his back yard and hope for a sympathetic cow to wander by, OR he could simply drive to the corner store and buy some himself. This is the footwork we do, and God does the rest. Thank you for letting me share; hope this may be useful to someone. Love ya!


Member: Shane H
Location: Houston, TX
Date: 27 Mar 2003
Time: 22:24:49

Comments

I love the seventh step, it is a great feeling to have knowing that i can give my faults and shortcomings to god and ask him to remove them. The only thing, is for me its daily, sometimes hourly..........paitence.


Member: Shauna W
Location: Murchison, West Australia
Date: 28 Mar 2003
Time: 05:03:08

Comments

Hi, I'm Shauna and an alcoholic. It's so good to read your comments on step 7. I was told by my sponsor that humility is truth. Someone else said that if I am truly humble I won't know it!!!! Over the years I have seen a bit of both sides of these statements. I have gradually been given the gift of honesty so I can truly ask Him to remove my shortcomings.For quite some time, I had a lot of shortcomings that I really didn't want to go as I didn't know what would fill their gap! I thought I would be an empty shell. I was told that God would fill the space with whatever was His will, so I learned to search for that inside me. Slowly the emptiness went (and I didn't have to eat so much icecream to fill the gap) and it was and still is filled on a daily basis, so much so that I often look back in hindsight and see situations where I was humble and had enormous gratitude. God is definitely working in me as long as I try (am even only willing) to do His will. As time goes on, I become more and more humbled in His presence and instead of feeling downtrodden to have my life directed, I feel free and serene, knowing that I am loved and wanted just as I am. Thanks for allowing me to share, Shauna


Member: Marv L
Location: Laurel,Ms
Date: 28 Mar 2003
Time: 09:16:47

Comments

HI,Im Marv,recovering alcoholic..Seeing step seven reminds me I HAD to identify traits that caused me to miss the mark,yes,there were some painful things I learned about me in step six,and facing step seven,i realized that only help from God as I understood HIm,could releive me of barriers to my happy recovery..An old timer told me he had figured out when God would remove our character defects--"When WE get tired of the pain of holding onto them!!" Heard of a tough young teenager who LOVED to show how he could take PAIN---one day he picked up a horseshoe that was still HOT from being in the fire to form it...buddies saw him sling it away fast,and taunted him,"Hey, betcha THAT burned ya!!!" He told them"No, it just dont take me long to look at a horseshoe!" LOL,AA friends sure see us burn about things we wont give up,like resentments,etc,but we know we cut off the sunlight of the spirit by hanging on..Thanks for helping me stay sober another day! This is my 70th spring,and seeing the change in nature inspires to keep changing,too.The other grandfather of our grandkids died yesterday;reminds me life is such a gift,and thank GOd for every sober minute.I cold NOT stop drinking when I asked AA for help,nor could I handle my character defects without a Higher Powers help.Step seven is a life changer,life saver !


Member: BMAN
Location: beantown
Date: 28 Mar 2003
Time: 09:30:10

Comments

practice,practice,practice.


Member: Sally N.
Location:
Date: 28 Mar 2003
Time: 16:56:56

Comments