| Anonymous TimesPublished by North Orange County InterGroup Association of Alcoholics Anonymous Groups, Inc. (714) 773-HELP 1661 E. Chapman Avenue, Suite 1H Fullerton, CA 92831 www.aanoc.org |
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Breaking Down Step Two of AA Alcoholics AnonymousI love all of the 12 steps of AA, but step two is the one that gives us hope. With step two we learn that we are not alone, and that something greater than ourselves can help to conquer addiction and despair. Becoming a sober person, free of your addictions means a restoration to sanity. In AA we learn that by working the 12 steps, the restoration is happening in part because addiction and it’s accompanying insanity are not controlling our lives anymore. |
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STEP TWO OF AA: A POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVESAll of the words of the 12 steps are very specifically chosen, which is another thing I really love about working with them. The second step doesn’t say “We came to believe in a power greater than ourselves” it says “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” That’s the beauty–we are invited to begin to think about what our higher power can be. The emphasis is not on who or what the power is, but on what the power can do for us. The group of AA itself certainly qualifies as a power greater than ourselves (our fellowship is in the millions and always growing) as do the spiritual principles contained in the 12 steps. The awareness and understanding that we can’t recover alone and that we need some kind of help is really the lesson at this point in recovery. The spiritual principles that are the foundation of this step are open mindedness, willingness, faith, trust and humility. It really doesn’t matter whether we have any idea of how this power greater than ourselves is going to help, just that we come to believe it is possible. |
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STEP TWO OF AA: QUESTIONSAs part of a recovery process it’s really helpful to ask and answer important questions pertaining to step two; questions about insanity coming to believe, a power greater than ourselves, restoration to sanity and spiritual principles: Did you make insane decisions as a result of your addictions? Do you have any fears about coming to believe in something greater than yourself? What does “we came to believe” mean to you? What experiences have you heard other recovering addicts share about their process of coming to believe and have you tried any of them in your recovery/life? Do you have a problem accepting that there is a power/powers greater than yourself? What evidence do you have a “higher power” is working in your life? What are some of the things you consider good examples of sanity? What changes in your thinking and behavior are necessary for your restoration to sanity? Why is having a closed mind harmful to your personal recovery? How are you demonstrating open-mindedness in your life right now? What fears do you have that are getting in the way of your trust? What do you need to do to help let go of the fears? Are you seeking help from your sponsor, going to meetings and reaching out to other recovering addicts? If so what are the results?
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| STEP TWO OF AA IN OUR LIVESI have come to believe that by being in the fellowship of AA, with the aid of the 12 steps, that I can walk through the painful times in recovery knowing that an end is near, this too shall pass and there is always light at the end of darkness, as I stay clean and continue to work the steps. But it’s important to remember that step two, like all of them, is a process, not an event. As a southern California native I’ve come to believe in all kinds of things that are energetically spiritual, where there are parallels in each to sobriety and they complement each other beautifully. Surfing and sobriety as a combination is mind blowing. It just doesn’t get much better than standing on top of a wave in the vast and powerful blue water, looking out over the horizon and enjoying the ride…sober. Life and sobriety are kind of like surfing; sometimes there are is a lull and gentle waves, other times the crashing ferocity of huge swells! Both require patience, humility, and presence, forgiveness and a faith or trust in something uncontrollable, and much bigger than me. https://www.jasonwahler.com/12-steps-of-aa/step-two-of-aa-alcoholics-anonymous |
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STEP 2 “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” |
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| TRADITION 2 “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.” |
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| CONCEPT 2 “The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole society in its world affairs.” |
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* Live email links embedded as permitted by NOCCO Service Board members |
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These articles appeared in the main Cleveland newspaper, the Plain Dealer, just five months after the first A.A. group was formed in Cleveland. The articles resulted in hundreds of calls for help from suffering alcoholics who reached out for the hope that the fledgling Alcoholics Anonymous offered. The thirteen reliable members of the Cleveland group handled as many as 500 calls in the first month following the appearance of Davis’ articles. The following year Cleveland could boast 20 to 30 groups with hundreds of members. |
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| Alcoholics Anonymous Makes Its Stand Here
by ELRICK B. DAVIS
October 26, 1939 Cleveland Plain Dealer |
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In previous installments, Mr. Davis has told of Alcoholics Anonymous, an informal society of drinking men who have joined together to beat the liquor habit This is the last of five articles. |
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No Graft
It is hard for the skeptical to believe that no one yet has found a way to muscle into Alcoholics Anonymous, the informal society of ex-drunks that exists only to cure each other, and make a money-making scheme of it. Or that someone will not. The complete informality of the society seems to be what has saved it from that. Members pay no dues. The society has no paid staff. Parties are “Dutch.” Meetings are held at the homes of members who have houses large enough for such gatherings, or in homes of persons who may not be alcoholics but are sympathetic with the movement. Usually a drunk needs hospitalization at the time that he is caught to cure. He is required to pay for that himself. Doubtless he hasn’t the money. But probably his family has. Or his employer will advance the money to save him, against his future pay. Or cured members of the society will help him arrange credit, if he has a glimmer of credit left. Or old friends will help. At the moment members of the Cleveland Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous are searching the slum lodging houses to find a man, once eminent in the city’s professional life. A medical friend of his better days called them in to find him. This friend will pay the hospital bill necessary to return this victim of an “incurable” craving for drink to physical health, if the society will take him on. |
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Become a member of NOCCO InterGroup Association Does your home group have a voice? Each individual AA group is entitled to representation in the Intergroup Association, yet of the 681 meetings in North Orange County, less than 40 have an InterGroup rep. Every AA group in North Orange County is automatically a member of this Association. What are my duties as an InterGroup rep? Attend one monthly meeting on the 2nd Wednesday of each month for an hour. The InterGroup meeting is currently HYBRID on Zoom and/or in person at the NOCCO office in Fullerton. Vote on behalf of your group's conscience on issues presented in North Orange County. Bring any issues to the meeting that may affect AA as a whole or specific issues that need attention in our community. Vote in the election of the NOCCO officers, join a committee and report back to your group all the information and happenings with your local Central Office. |
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NOCCO Hotline - (714) 773-HELP (4357) We are available 24/7. All calls are confidential. Phones answered by sober volunteers. |
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| Grapevine Special February Price $12.00 plus tax |
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In this collection of more than 40 touching and encouraging essays, AA members share openly about what helped them get sober and handle their new lives of recovery. Full of useful suggestions, insights, and solutions to problems common to the newly sober, The Beginner’s Book provides helpful tools of recovery for those who are just finding their way to rewarding sobriety. A beneficial resource for those who’ve just begun their journeys of recovery and discovery, and for beginner meeting leaders and sponsors of newcomers, this collection can serve as a foundation for personal introspection and meaningful dialogue. |
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February Birthdays It Works If You Work It, One Day At A Time. -------- Ralph - 02/01/2019 Minya - 02/03/2010 Alfred K. - 02/06/1984 Genesis B. - 02/08/2018 Sue P. - 02/09/2014 Guy B. - 02/09/2014 Antoinette - 02/16/2017 Bill M. - 02/18/1988 Flo Z. - 02/22/1975 Lucky Larry - 02/22/1983 Ron S. - 02/27/1991 -------- We want to start acknowledging yearly milestones in sobriety each month. Email faithb@aanoc.org with your month and date and we will add your annual birthday to our list. |
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Faithful Fivers Thank you for your monthly contributions of $5 to NOCCO. To join the Faithful Fivers club, go online to https://www.aanoc.org/7th-tradition. Every time you buy NOCCO a $5 cup of coffee, an angel gets her wings! - (or something like that). |
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| All proceeds benefit NOCCO, a 501c3 organization. 02/10/2022 to 02/13/2022 Santa Fe, NM |
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| Spiritual John Spiritual John, an agnostic, having celebrated his 56th AA sobriety birthday, passed away on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. |
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Pollock Bill My friend and friend to many, Pollock Bill, went to the big meeting in the sky on Friday, February 4th at 5am . He will be missed. Thanks for showing many of us the way to live happy, joyous and free. |
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Do you have something special to report for our monthly neighborhood notables? Please email birthdays, celebrations, sober activities and other odds and ends to faithb@aanoc.org. |
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| InterGroup Meeting - Feb 9 @ 7:30pm Please join us at the next NOCCO InterGroup Meeting. InterGroup Meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm. |
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| Group Contributions To help support local essential services, the General Service Conference suggests that individual groups, through an informed group conscience, adopt a specific contribution plan. Click below to see all of the Group Contributions from previous periods. |
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| Statement of Financial Position Each month, NOCCO provides accounting detail of income and expenses to indicate net profit or loss over the last month. This information is available to any group or member. Click below to see the financial detail from last month. |
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| NOCCO Appreciates Your 7th Tradition Support Even though meetings, 12-step services and operations have shifted to a hybrid environment, expenses continue as we navigate the re-opening of meetings, which underscores the importance of practicing the Seventh Tradition. We still stock literature, handle 12-step calls around the clock, and assist those with a desire to stop drinking. Your generous support is critical and appreciated. |
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Mail Checks To: North Orange County Intergroup Association (NOCCO) 1661 E Chapman Avenue - Suite 1H Fullerton, CA 92831 |
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Follow Grapevine and LaViña on Instagram |
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| 72nd General Service Conference Final List of Agenda Items
The list of Agenda items were released on February 3, 2022. The background material on each topic will be released on February 15th in English, and March 1st in Spanish. The list contains agenda items for CPC, Corrections, Finance, Grapevine/LaVina, Literature, Policy & Admissions, Public Information, Treatment and Accessibilities, Archives and more. To preview the complete list, click here. |
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REMINDER: New GSO P.O. Box for Contributions Only
Post Office Box 2407
James A Farley Station New York, NY 10116-2401 |
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Public Service Announcement Sobriety in A.A.: Opening Doors to a Life Without Drinking Do you have a drinking problem? Alcoholics Anonymous can help you to find sobriety. Members talk about their experiences with alcohol and how A.A. helped them change their lives. |
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Prospective Applicants – A.A. G.S.O. Staff Applications are once again being sought for a G.S.O. Staff Member. G.S.O. Staff are members of Alcoholics Anonymous who rotate through the various assignments such as Corrections, Public Information, Cooperation with the Professional Community, Literature, Conference, etc. They also correspond with A.A.s on all aspects of recovery and service. Additionally, they represent the General Service Office at A.A. functions throughout the U.S. and Canada and provide the primary staff support for the General Service Board and the annual General Service Conference. All qualified candidates eligible to work in the United States are encouraged to apply by clicking here.. We will welcome applications up to April 30, 2022. |
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Anonymity Letter to the Media From time to time we reach out to our friends in the media to thank them for helping us observe our long-standing tradition of anonymity for members of Alcoholics Anonymous. First, we'd like to express our thanks. From the beginning of A.A. over 85 years ago, we've recognized that word-of-mouth is not enough to carry the A.A. program's message of hope and recovery to the many people still suffering from alcoholism. To read the entire letter, click here. |
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The Grapevine Half-Hour Variety Hour Each week Don and Sam will interview a different member about their experience, strength and hope, in a casual "meeting after the meeting" manner. Special features will enhance each episode.
A new podcast episode will be available in English every Monday |
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I am Responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there. For that, I am responsible. |
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Thanks to all contributors who support NOCCO. |
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© Copyright, 2024, North Orange County InterGroup Association of Alcoholics Anonymous Groups, Inc. • 1661 E. Chapman Avenue - Suite 1H, Fullerton CA 92831 |
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