Welcome to the April 2021 Jackson County A.A. Central Office e-Newsletter brought to you by Jackson County A.A. Central Office.
Thank you for subscribing. I would like to ask you if you would be willing to let one other A.A. know about the newsletter. This is a simple and easy way to get the word out about this resource. Directions on how to subscribe are easy and can be found on the JCCOAA website at www.jccoaa.org/contact
Oh, one thing! Just a reminder. The 45th Annual Rogue Roundup is coming next month. Information on how to register to attend is coming soon.
In putting together this edition of the newsletter, I have personally had a chance to contemplate Step Four almost to exhaustion. It has been all worth it though.
I fully understand why Step Four is considered by many the most challenging step of them all. However, it is critical if we want to experience effective and lasting recovery.
Through the program, I have learned that my alcoholism is a symptom of spiritual disease, a spiritual malady accompanied by an obsession of the mind and an allergy of the body. My real problem is all the character flaws that are revealed to me in Step Four (and there are many), defects of my character that I must face and overcome. Call them flaws, defects, problems, deficiencies, shortcomings. Call them whatever you want, but for me, these damn faults have caused me a lifetime of wreckage, hurt, and pain. It was time to rid them from my life, if at all possible, with God’s help. This process required a searching, bare it all revelation inventory of me. I had to search my heart, soul, and mind as effectively as a surgeon using a sharpened scalpel to perform an exploratory operation.
The only and crucial expectation was that I had to be honest with myself and my sponsor. No secrets! Secrets would only jeopardize my sobriety by keeping me sick. In fact, my secrets were killing me.
However, putting myself through this painful self-revealing process of who I really am does have its rewards, such as strengthened sobriety, spiritual growth, mending my broken relationships with my loved ones, and a reconnection with God. Also, working on my inventory provided me with a clearer perspective on the bigger picture, my patterns, my selfishness, my responsibility in situations. In this process, I am building up an accurate self-appraisal with true self-worth as my reward. I am being restored to reality, honesty, balance, and peace of mind.
You see, my friends, in reflecting through Step Four, I came to realize that we all have challenges that we need to overcome if we are to live in peace. Personally, I also realized that God understands my suffering and pain, trials, and sorrows. I had to ask God for the faith to believe that He will get me through them all. I don’t want to put a period where God places a comma. Like the process of gold being refined and purified, God’s blessings will come through my sufferings and hardships.
The pandemic still continues to give us challenges. In fact, for many reasons, some of us are experiencing a tough time right now. But I know where the answers to life’s problems lie, and they are not found in this place. I would like to encourage you all during these difficult times. For me, though, all I could do is to pray, so I pray for you all and hold all of you dear to my heart. I pray that God keeps you and protects you, and most importantly I pray that you, none of you, let go of God, especially during this time of so many unknowns. Remember God did not get us all this far to let us all go now. Hold onto the truth that God gives us a spirit of love, power, and sound mind, not a spirit of fear.
Sincerely, your friend,
Winslow
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