This opinion will be signed as anonymous, in keeping with one of our many recovery principles.  The reason for that is that there are hopes that this e-mail will be forwarded.  If any of you have friends in anonymous recovery, that you think might benefit from this e-mail, regardless of their anonymous fellowship, we trust that it will be forwarded.   We offer one web link pertaining to god's vision of us, which is we are.  If you are in doubt about passing this along, our suggestion is to pray for personal guidance.  Some of you know that God is very interested in, and jealous over - watchful and guarding, ALL anonymous seekers of faith.   But should this be passed on, our hope is that the address from this sender, and all recipient's names, will be deleted, in forwarded e-mails.  Thanks. 

In the first ten days of my being hospitalized in the spring of 1976, because of alcoholism, someone heard me say in the coffee alcove, "I do not like coffee.  I like to drink cold liquor."   Two or three days later, that attentive person brought to the hospital, and gave to me, a small jar of instant iced tea, expecting nothing in return.  Having been in the business world for over twenty five years, I questioned their motives.  In the business world, if you scratch my back, I will scratch yours.  And if I buy your lunch in a business setting, I am going to control the topic of discussion, for my agenda.  So, the expecting nothing in return really got my attention, even though I was still jittery and befogged.

That friend I have known longer than anyone else in sobriety.  On the other hand, they told me, about twenty years later, "The way you have treated your children is a disgrace."   There was a period of over fifteen years that there was no contact with my children at all.

Now let me add some of my truth to their opinion concerning disgrace.  "If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple."  (Luke 14:26 TLB)  In fairness, it does not mention husbands, so guess that wives do not need to learn how to be disciples.  But that also might indicate that women are not even entitled to learn how to be disciples, with the same interpretation.  But you need to ask God about that, not me.

Now let us introduce our first tradition.  "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity."  In other words, recovery does not depend on my family, and especially not the unity of my family.  All anonymous fellowships need unity, about their own singleness of purpose.  It is strange to me how some, being in a particular fellowship, and do not know where they are, mingle in their sharing, more than what each fellowship's first step mentions.  And they have been going to meetings for well over two decades.  Admittedly, it took me over ten years to zero in on what our message is.  "Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege." (Author Unknown)  But if we are indeed interested in recovery, we need to admit to what we are powerless over, and keep it in the parameters of the first step, and the first tradition.  Keep in mind that now it is alleged that there are over two hundred anonymous fellowships.  There is a lot wrong with us since most of us can fit into a "variety" of the anonymous fellowships, but none the less, if we desire recovery, we need to learn how to fit into the singleness of purpose, in the appropriate fellowship.  And my opinion is that if an individual can not, or will not, learn how to focus on singleness of purpose, the individual will never recover from any of their various afflictions.  But rest assured, we cannot solve a primary problem affliction, in a fellowship that it does not belong in.

How can anyone that has never gambled give advice to a gambler on how not to gamble?  How can anyone that has never done any illegal narcotics give advice to addicts on how not to do drugs?  How can anyone that has never suffered acute or chronic alcoholism give advice to an alcoholic on what they did to stop drinking, and stay stopped?  To me, it is kinda like a Baptist being at a Catholic's convention, or visa versa.  Or even worse, like a republican showing up at a democrat's pep rally.

It is alright to be there to learn about recovery - in an open meeting format, but to share unrelated experience is counter productive to unity.  And certainly, closed meetings are for their singleness of purpose afflicted people only.  The real deal is that people can give the most help to their own kind, and receive the most help from their own kind.  There is absolutely not enough empathy for people out side the parameters of singleness of purpose, for outsiders.  We should all help them get connected to the correct fellowship however.

In one particular state an experience comes to mind quite vividly.  Most of the meetings are open meetings.  There are very few closed meetings, state wide; probably less than five percent.  When there was any new comer at all, the entire room erupted into a welcome format that I had not seen before nor since.  The old timer, with close to fifty years continuous abstinence said one day, "Why do we welcome these people before we know if they have a desire to stop drinking?"  The person that said that is known as the "Arkansas Traveler," and is an accomplished circuit speaker. 

In the second chapter in the bigbook, it states the following, on page twenty five.  "There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at out feet. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed. 

The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves."

Doctor Bob, one of the co-founders of the original anonymous fellowship, closes his personal story with, "Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!"

So, recovery, in my opinion, is about our connection to heaven.  Some believe that on the third day, after his crucifixion, "he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand." (mark 16:19)  And being able to connect spiritually with that being, through his spirit, is what makes recovery such a precious opportunity.  Let us not be deceived again however.  The way we get to that connection is laid out in our twelve steps, and ultimately, coupled with our twelve traditions, in all anonymous fellowships. They cannot be overlooked, and expect the desired results, even though some of us did try to find an easier or softer way.

On the other hand however, some of you know that someone has been engrossed in a publishing effort for the past thirteen years plus, that required over nine years of preparation, that we believe will provide a fast tract into high tech recovery, after a nominal training period of three and one half years, in any of the anonymous fellowships.  Of course the nominal three and one half years must be a successful abstinence experience.  And you all know that in our "truth" statement, we confess that anonymous recovery is still at the center of our lives, so that the fatal malady will not over come us. But it is inspirationally believed that the time can be cut in half, compared to the time that it took some of us, to experience the Kingdom of God, with the noahhite concepts added to the anonymous fellowship's disciplines.

The "fulfilled mansions" literature teaches that we learned how to claim spiritual progress by learning how to quote the scriptures, in difficult circumstances.  It also teaches what the scriptures say about "growing along spiritual lines."  For clarity, all noahhites - seasoned in anonymous recovery, seeking only the kingdom of god, are our elders.   Novices to anonymous recovery, that desire only the kingdom of god, are noahrenes.  Most of you know that the entire fulfilled mansions/noahhite effort came to be because of the scripture in 2 peter 3:8;

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." (NIV)  

God's son was crucified two days ago, plus or minus, by God's calendar; two thousand years ago by man's calendar.  Let us also point out that Genesis was written about spiritual time circa 4,000 bc.  And of course we are at 2,000 years ad, which add up to the end of the first six days of creation.

At the end of chapter eleven, "a vision for you," it states, "Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you is until then." 

The following is our true hope of destiny:  'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.' (Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV)

Sincerely,

Anonymous

ps:  if you are interested in the fullness of god, a benefit of anonymous recovery, please click to view.

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Considering that God has not seen fit to let the noahhite concept really begin, yet - after about twenty four years of constant, dedicated, focused, and disciplined obedience, we are pleased that humans from over sixty to eighty counties, around the globe, use this web site each month, and the hits are likely to reach six figures, probably with in the next month or so, Lord willing of course.  Some progress is being made; thanks.  Hope you will pass this web address along, to the ones that you are working with, in a sponsorship role, and your friends in anonymous recovery, if you believe that it will be helpful.  God's best to you all.

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