STEP 8 Making Restitution

Last night at TOB we shared, based on Exodus 22:10-15 in the Life Recovery Bible. Some points from the commentaries on same:
"Accountability for Actions that violate others is an important part of God's program fpr a healthy society."
"God sees irresponsible behaviour as bad action that can be corrected."
"We should be able to expect that our personal boundaries and property will be respected by others and that appropriate restitution be made when they are violated."

STEP 8 Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

One way to make a list and this step says only to make a list and become willing! LIST EVERY NAME YOU CAN THINK OF. TAKE EACH NAME and PRESENT IT TO GOD E.G. "I BRING JON DOE BEFORE YOU LORD." Now sit quietly for a moment and if you feel discomfort of any kind, leave this name on the list. If you feel peace, strike it off the list. At the end of this exercise, what you are left with is a list that requires attention of some sort. I have found that if a name brings on emotion then there is likely some sort of unfinished business that needs amending. Further prayer in step 9 will do ther rest later.

REMEMBER, TWO WAY PRAYER WAS USED BY THE FIRST 12 STEPPERS WHO ACHIEVED A 75% RECOVERY RATE. UNHEARD OF ANYWHERE SINCE. (PRAY AND WRITE AND ASK QUESTIONS AND PRAY AND WRITE.....).
WANT HELP WITH THIS?
JULIA@SharingTheBurden.ca
SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca
http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
www.SharingTheBurden.ca

HUMILITY@The Olive Branch tonite STEP7

STEP7-We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings!
Are the removal of our problems within God's will?
Can each problem (situation/defect/addiction/compulsion etc) stand the test? Is our desire to get rid of it HONEST UNSELFISH PURE and LOVING. If so the problem-solution may well be within God's will. If the opposite (DISHONEST SELFISH SELF-SEEKING or FEAR-BASED) is true the solution is within our will rather than God's. We may be waiting a while for solutions or removal of the problem!

Humbly asking may mean "Am I really ready Lord or do I need more time with this or that...?"

We will discuss this step tonite by referring to helpful scripture and commentary! We will then share or listen as we are lead!

LEARN ABOUT TWO-WAY PRAYER with proven results:
JULIA@SharingTheBurden.ca 
SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca
http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden

STEPs 2+3 tonite@STEPS

Anyone feeling STEP 2 or STEP 3 needs some attention, we will be discussing tonite 730pm at STEPS 10454 Yonge St R. Hill
2- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.


3- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.

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we took STEP 6....

SEEMS THIS POST MAY NOT HAVE GOT DELIVERED LAST NIGHT. SORRY IF RECEIVED TWICE!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

We took STEP 6 today
A small group gathered for our Tuesday 12 step meeting and we decided to take the step 6, rather than talk about it.We shared scripture on step 6 from The Life Recovery Bible, talked at length about the grieving involved in "letting go" of both defects and the pain we experience when doing so (emotional and often physical as well).Next we asked the question as taught in the big book of AA. "Are you now ready to have God remove from you all the things you have admitted are objectionable?" We answered "yes" and according to the original 12 steppers, we had taken step 6. See www.backtobasics.org for info on taking the steps in this manner.Note when taking step 6 (SEE STEP 6 BELOW) we will likely have to ask God to help us be willing to let go where we tend to cling to things. We may also find (I do anyway) that as we pray about individual problems, it is sometimes revealed to us that something greater is the real issue. Two way prayer (lots of writing and asking for clarification) is when many of us get our greatest results here!NEED HELP WITH TWO-WAY PRAYER?
JULIA@SharingTheBurden.ca
SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.cahttp://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
www.SharingTheBurden.ca

12 Steps to Spiritual Recovery!1- We admitted we were powerless over others and our dependencies-that our lives had become unmanageable.2- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.3- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.4- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.5- Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.6- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.7- Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.8- Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.9- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.10- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.11- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.12- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.Various

Claims of Promise from 12 Steppers1-We will find ourselves worthy of love and able to love others. We will not lose ourselves.2-Courage and fellowship will replace fear.3-Our lives will yield hope to share with others.4-We will come to know the vastness of our emotions without being in slavery to them.5-Learning to forgive, we will no longer be bound by our secrets to live in shame.6-Serenity and peace will have meaning for us.7-We will allow our lives and the lives of those we love to flow day by day with spiritual ease, balance and grace.8-Attitude and outlook will be renewed.9-Intuition will guide us to handle situations that were impossible in the past.10-We will not regret the past recognizing its value for other sufferers.11-Selfish interests will fall away as we gain interest in others.12-Faith and gratitude will replace fear as we realize that a Greater Power is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

We took STEP 6 today

A small group gathered for our Tuesday 12 step meeting and we decided to take the step 6, rather than talk about it.

We shared scripture on step 6 from The Life Recovery Bible, talked at length about the grieving involved in "letting go" of both defects and the pain we experience when doing so (emotional and often physical as well).

Next we asked the question as taught in the big book of AA. "Are you now ready to have God remove from you all the things you have admitted are objectionable?" We answered "yes" and according to the original 12 steppers, we had taken step 6. See www.backtobasics.org for info on taking the steps in this manner.

Note when taking step 6 (SEE STEP 6 BELOW) we will likely have to ask God to help us be willing to let go where we tend to cling to things. We may also find (I do anyway) that as we pray about individual problems, it is sometimes revealed to us that something greater is the real issue. Two way prayer (lots of writing and asking for clarification) is when many of us get our greatest results here!

NEED HELP WITH TWO-WAY PRAYER?
JULIA@SharingTheBurden.ca
SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca
http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
www.SharingTheBurden.ca

12 Steps to Spiritual Recovery!
1- We admitted we were powerless over others and our dependencies-that our lives had become unmanageable.
2- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.
4- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5- Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7- Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
8- Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.









Various Claims of Promise from 12 Steppers

1-We will find ourselves worthy of love and able to love others. We will not lose ourselves.

2-Courage and fellowship will replace fear.

3-Our lives will yield hope to share with others.

4-We will come to know the vastness of our emotions without being in slavery to them.

5-Learning to forgive, we will no longer be bound by our secrets to live in shame.

6-Serenity and peace will have meaning for us.

7-We will allow our lives and the lives of those we love to flow day by day with spiritual ease, balance and grace.

8-Attitude and outlook will be renewed.

9-Intuition will guide us to handle situations that were impossible in the past.

10-We will not regret the past recognizing its value for other sufferers.

11-Selfish interests will fall away as we gain interest in others.

12-Faith and gratitude will replace fear as we realize that a Greater Power is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

STEP 6 WILLINGNESS God's or mine

STEP 6-Were entirely ready to have God remove these defects of character!

-Is my willingness in line with God's plan for me?
-Have I prayed about a defect using 2-way prayer and found that something else was really the problem? How did I proceed then?
-
"Lord show me what I really need to focus on as I try to become ready for change. Please make clear your will for me that I may move on with clear conscience and focus-Amen!"

12 STEP MEETING TONITE AT STEPS (40454 YONGE ST-R. HILL)
ALL WELCOME-NO QUALIFICATION-ANY AGE FROM TEEN+UPWARD

NEED HELP WITH 2-WAY PRAYER OR PERSONAL ATTENTION TO GET MOVING
JULIA@SharingTheBurden.ca
SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca
http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
www.SharingTheBurden.ca

unchanging God, STEP 3 everyday

All God's truth is unchanging, eternal!

Beyond humanity, God does not change His mind, does not lie. God is changeless forever. He just is!. I need go no further. Check out Numbers 23: 18-24

Childhood experiences left me in a position of non-trust. Too many disappointments!

Even filled with The Holy Spirit, I accept feelings of shame fear and incompetence. Today and hereby I challenge these and any other sinful thoughts that doubt the power,strength and endurance of a man (myself) walking with, carrying inside and being lead by God's own Holy Spirit (Who indwells all of Christs believers-I believe anyway)! I will walk tall today in remembrance of my past doubts!

"Oh Lord help me to remember that You now have my will and my life; once again I turn all of me over to You. This is my decision, Oh God!"

`

STEP 1 Mtg Tonite@STEPS RECOVERY in R. HIll@730

Come help us launch Sharing The Burden at STEPS Recovery tonite! First 12 step meeting in this location

Lord please send the one who needs our message tonite-Amen!


WE MEET AT:
1- THE OLIVE BRANCH COMMUNITY CHURCH 8PM TUESDAY EVENINGS 175 ANDERSON AVE., MARKHAM, ON WWW.TOB.CA
2-STEPS SOCIETY FOR PERMANENT RECOVERY 10454 YONGE ST, RICMOND HILL 730PM MONDAY NITE (STARTS JUNE 7, 2010) WWW.STEPSRECOVERY.COM
INFO CONTACT JULIA 647 297 1793 JULIA@SHARINGTHEBURDEN.CA
SCOTT 647 222 0515 SCOTT@SHARINGTHEBURDEN.CA

Looking at Step 6

STEP 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.



"Oh Lord, to the best of our ability we have identified our shortcomings and hereby ask You to remove them from us! Thank You for the knowledge that whatever we are left with, is surely what we must have for now, to complete our purpose in life. Give us peace and understanding around this mystery of Your plan for each of our lives-Amen!"



How much do I really need to understand of God's ways, in order to be functional and within the realm of right vs wrong? Scripture teaches that we innately know right from wrong and that if we are in doubt to MAKE NO MOVE. On the other hand we are told that we must step out in faith. My solution for now would be to test the thought as the original 12 steppers and their predecessors of the Oxford Group did by asking simply-"is this plan, idea, thought, or, whatever, HONEST UNSELFISH PURE and LOVING?" If the answer is yes to all then I am within the realm of God's will. If I cannot answer positively, my will has come in to take over and I may be in trouble if I proceed without help (prayer and/or consultation is required before I move on)! Time for two way prayer (write your prayer+every experience as you pray+listen. Ask what every little piece means in relation to your prayer! God speaks if we keep going, maybe not as we do, but answers do come!)