SESSION 7

Listen to Joe Hawk's seventh tape.

The fourth step - "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."

Start in Prayer.

God, please help me set aside everything I think I know about myself, these steps, this disease, and You, for an open mind and a new experience about myself, these steps, this disease, and especially You. Please let me see the truth.

God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love and Thy Way of Life. May I do Thy will always!

God (of my understanding), help me to see what I need to see that blocks me from you, from myself and from other people.

With the help of the God of my understanding, I can begin a course of vigorous action starting with a thorough personal house cleaning.

The Reason Why:
Spiritual Growth Needs Thoroughness and Honesty.

Do this work in PRAYER. This will keep the focus on truly identifying our nature in our personal inventory.

Do not edit. Write down information as it comes to mind. Don't think about why it came to mind. We do not want to rationalize our past behavior. That is not the way to get well.
Do not cross out - Do not erase - Do not crumple and throw away.

Now get ready to do the first column.

Feed the dog. Put out the cat. Put the kids to bed. Take the phone off the hook. Send your significant other to another room or go there yourself. Light a candle. Go to the bathroom.
In short - Do what you have to do to give half an hour to yourself.

Start the first column - I'm resentful at:

• List people, institutions, and principles that I have or had resentments against.
• List everyone and everything that I have ever been angry with.

Now STOP. We'll continue next week.