These are my favorite 3 chapters in the book (today). They hold a
lot of truth in summary for me. We say this before the Lords Prayer
to close our BB Study group, "The Solution". May God bless you and
keep you until then-

Thank you,
Brian K
>
> Page 164 - Paragraph 2 is a place where people will lift something
out of context in an attempt to prove a spurious point. "Our book is
meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little." Some
people seize upon this to mean that the instructions outlined in the
book are optional. (Jim wrote an article on this topic. It was
published in the April 2002 edition of The Grapevine
entitled "Spiritual Kindergarten" by Jim K. of Manhattan - a copy of
it is located in the "Files" section at the BBS home page.) What the
first 100 knew only a little about was the spiritual experience.
They had the answer to recovering from alcoholism. Keep in mind that
Bill was sober only four years at the time the book was written. The
word "suggestive," in this context, means "a
> starting point," or "a beginning." It means "an introduction to
spiritual principles." AA is but a means to the end of living a
spiritual life. Our lives aren't meant to be lived in AA but outside
of it.
>
> "The answers will come if your own house is in order. But
obviously you cannot transmit what you haven't got." The "2 step"
trap -- to carry the message effectively you need to have a message
to transmit.
>
> "Abandon yourself to God as you understand God (Steps 1, 2 and 3).
Admit your faults to Him and your fellows (Steps 4, 5, 6, and 7).
Clear away the wreckage of the past (Steps 8 and 9). Give freely of
what you find and join us (Steps 10, 11, and 12). We shall be with
you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, (The
> Fellowship of God) and you will surely meet some of us as you
trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you
until then." In his classic style, Bill sums up at the end.
>

> With love,
> Karen H.
> DOS: 05/17/1993
>