Akron InterGroup News February, 2019 75¢ Honesty Purity Unselfishness Love Volume 65 Issue 4 Serving Holmes, Medina, Portage, Summit, Wayne Counties Step Two The Power of the Pause… Came to believe Mark D. TJC Big Book Study that a Power greater than our- I was recently at a meeting, one that I around.” Then it hit me. The power selves could restore normally don’t attend for various of the pause. As we go through the us to sanity. reasons, when the topic was brought day we pause, when agitated or to discussion about new people doubtful, and ask for the right Tradition making calls and no one is answering thought or action. We constantly Two or calling back. My gut reaction was to remind ourselves we are no longer mutter under my breath, “just keep running the show, humbly saying to For our group purpose there is but coming back and don’t quit and for ourselves many times each day, “Thy one ultimate real don’t make will be done.” We authority-a loving this about you and are then in much God as He may how butt hurt you less danger of express Himself in a r e . ” P r e t t y excitement, fear, our group judgmental right? anger, worry, self- conscience. Our When the first pity, or foolish leaders are but person started to decisions. We trusted servants; d i s c u s s t h e become much they do not govern. subject, they talked about having a more efficient. “We do not tire so problem and making a call to their easily for we are not burning up Concept Two sponsor and not getting a call back, energy foolishly as we did when we trying to call another person and not were trying to arrange life to suit The General getting an answer. Then the next ourselves.” “AA Big Book,” 87-88. Service Conference person basically said the same thing. (AA World Services, Inc., New York, of A.A. has Adding that it affected her need to be NY, 2001). become, for nearly accepted and that she would get mad every practical out of fear of rejection. After a few This is a very real topic in today’s AA. purpose, the active Let’s face it, we have information at voice and the more like this, a person who had a little time in said what I was thinking. the tip of our fingers. Most people effective own some sort of cellular device. conscience of our “My sponsor told me that it was my When we call someone we sort of whole society in its responsibility to make a connection to world affairs. get answers not the other way (Continued on page 3) Inside This Issue From the IGNews Committee... Surrender ................................. 3 Dear IGNews Readers, Power Of The Pause Continue . 3 Hello readers, we really hope you enjoy this month issue as much as we have. We had a lot more people write in, and we Pony Hunt Continues ............... 4 really appreciate it. For as you know we put this newsletter My Experience Strength Hope . 5 together just for all of you. There is a lot going on this Power Greater Then Me .......... 6 month at the Intergroup, as you may know the new website was just launched. Make sure you check out the back pages The Love Inside Of Us .............. 7 for more info. Also there are a lot of committees that could Tradition Two........................... 8 use more help, if you have any free time and would like to Archives ................................... 9 get active please contact the Akron Intergroup. Council Meeting Minutes ........ 10 Personal Anniversary!!! Group Contributions ................ 11 Ed R. Akron Founders’ Day Thursday Men At Work Fellowship After The First 164 . 12 February 5, 2019 June 7, 8 & 9, 2019 Announcements ...................... 13 Akron InterGroup News Focus on Committee ................ 14 775 N Main St Akron, OH 44310 Calendar................................... 15 330-253-8181 Fax: 330-253-8292 Toll Free in NE Ohio: 800-897-6737 Topic & Subscribe .................... 16 Website: www.akronaa.org Email: [email protected] Akron IGNews is a monthly newsletter of the Akron Area Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous. First publication was November, 1954. It is about, by and for the members of the Fellowship of AA. Opinions expressed herein are NOT to be attributed to AA as a whole, nor does publication of information imply any endorsement by either AA or the Akron Intergroup Council. Quotations and artwork from AA literature are reprinted with permission from AA World Service, Inc. and/or The AA Grapevine, Inc. Contributions from our readers are encouraged! Submissions are edited for space and clarity ONLY. Contact information is required and anonymity is respected. In keeping with our goal of being self-supporting, your subscription is appreciated. Akron InterGroup News publication. At times, the committee must walk a tightrope in making decisions on what is printed and what is not. As a general guideline, any letter or article Statement of Purpose that is of interest to members of AA and in good taste, is worthy of publication. However, an article or letter that advocates ignoring or violating the Traditions, The Akron InterGroup News, as a standing committee of the Akron Intergroup Concepts or General Service Conference actions will not be considered for Council of Alcoholics Anonymous, is bound by the Twelve Traditions and the publication. Our Higher Power guides us through our Group conscience. Twelve Concepts. Our primary purpose is the same as any AA group: to carry the AA message to the still suffering alcoholic. 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We grant any AA publication permission to reprint articles from the Akron InterGroup News with the following attribution: © Akron InterGroup News; Month, Year Akron InterGroup News - 2 - February, 2019 Surrender... Surrender is that moment when we realize and acknowledge next drink,” or, “I need more.” We seemed to rush to get to to our innermost selves that we cannot stop drinking. That the reward; the next drink. Surrender is our moment of the option to “not drink” has been removed. That will power release from the powerful hold alcohol has on us. It is a and desire to stop drinking have no effect to change our moment of sanity and humility. behavior. We may use different internal and external words like “I need help” or “I cannot do this anymore” or “I’m Eventually, we realize we do not have the answer to our lives. through living in this hell.” Before surrender, our life was one That our best efforts have left us broken, ashamed, of attempts to manage and control our drinking and humiliated, and defeated. Now, it is exactly in this moment everything else. These efforts were futile. But it may take us that we are released and begin to feel the freedom from many years to realize the reality of that statement. alcohol. We begin to learn how to live a completely new life. We “let go” and “let God.” Gradually, surrender becomes a Negative consequences were usually rationalized away or daily practice. Many of us start the day with the Third Step ignored, so that we could shift our attention to our “go to,” Prayer. We learn to pause when agitated; to stop our automatic — alcohol. It seemed to be the answer to every situation in response to a situation; relax and find our soul’s integrity. We our lives: Anxiety, sadness, relief, joy, celebration, depression. look for opportunities to serve others in and outside of AA. The mental preoccupation with alcohol can only be understood by an alcoholic. Our life has a new meaning. This is the gift of sobriety. In the back of our mind was always the thought “do I have Respectfully submitted, Rose B. Reprinted with permission from The Fellowship News the monthly newsletter of Sonoma County Intergroup enough alcohol on hand for today,” or, “when can I take my Fellowship. January, 2019 (Continued from page 1) reached under my car seat to try to power of the pause taught me find a quarter to use a pay phone. All patience and self-assurance that expect them to answer no? On top of these things helped me practice things are going to get answered. of that we want instant gratification. the pause, the action that it speaks of Perhaps not on my timeline but in “Google, what can you do for me on page 88 of the Big Book. The Gods time. This kept me out of the immediately.” It was not like that time spent doing all of these things rigmarole my mind can create of not when I came into the rooms. When helped me get into a prayerful state being accepted and feeding my fears I got sober I actually used a rotary of action.