We never apologize for God

In A.A., do you anti/non Christians feel it necessary to express your intolerance and disdain for a certain sect of religion... although it just so happens to be anothers conception of God?

It's my preference to keep my concept of God generic out of respect of differing veiwpoints but should I shit a biscuit if someone evolks the name of their unique God or non-God because it should offend me?

I think not.

Spiritual

Yup. This topic... again.


It was brought up by my good friend at the Thursday night meeting tonight. I was called on to share... because my bro always calls on me... and I was brilliant... in my mind. Srsly though... I had something to say. Two... make that three folks thanked me for my share after the meeting.


I, as well as several others, complimented the chair person for a good topic and a good meeting.


But... someone chastised my share. Someone who is really a good fairly long-time spiritual friend and fellow warrior on the path.  She dissed my mention of my cyber-life and quest to find truth and do battle with fellow skeptics, atheists, agnostics, anti/XAers in general... on the internet.  She had a spiel about how she hates computers to begin with and how ridiculous it is to engage in some argument with a skeptic over the internet when there's a whole world right in front of you to deal with.


She certainly has her point, I'm sure.  It's also so not like her to cut someone else down... in any way.  It's so like her husband to do that though.  I like them both.  I really do.  They are way better than me in every way.  They are sober 20 + years, have two beautiful children... etc.  It is their porch where everybody goes to do fellowship, steps, etc.  They are the organizers of the best A.A. meeting in town, and they have taken on ICYPAA and turned it into one of the best step-doing chapters in maybe the whole country.  Doubt me on that?  Come check out their Friday or Sunday meeting and see for yourself.


But, laying that aside, I gave them a peek at what I've found in cyber-world.  The real truth and reality of what we in A.A. are judged as... from all sides.  We get to see what our enemies think about us.  Good bad of indifferent, I'm told we owe a debt of gratitude to our detractors.  This is so not seen down on the group level... street level.  At least, I have yet to see it.  What this is about is the fact that there are a huge faction of folks that just flat out refuse to meet us even half way on what it means to consider the spiritual approach. 


There isn't a chapter in the A.A. book about the atheist who says, "Well fuck you, your A.A. [g]od™, your steps, your book, your founders, and your meeting."  Our current retort to that is obviously, "Well fuck you back.  Why don't you just go away and stay away from here?"


Face to face, down on the street, I have yet to meet the anti/XAer with the balls to come up and say, "Fuck you A.A. people.  You are wrong.  God isn't the only way.  God isn't the way period.  Your [g]od™ and your religion and your cult is destroying the lives of others, children, women, and non-white old conservative Hitler-loving men across the planet. 


But, let's not get dramatic here.  You know what I'm saying?  There's a world out there who seems to want to meet us half way, knowingly or not, on what self-indulgent middle-of-the-road bullshit there is out there.


To folks who come into A.A., get the spiritual gift of surrender, courage, acceptance, decision, and harmonious action, you get a pass on this topic.  This has nothing to do with you whatsoever.  I'm talking about the person who's been sober in A.A. 8+ years, is burned out and confused about whether they're even alky or not, is confused about their ability to obtain and hold power, is seemingly chronically depressed... and just seems to be missing something.  Either that or they're just playing small and in fear of stepping up to the plate.  I think they lack faith and/or realization of what it really means to be an alky.  But who knows?


I'm talking about the person who maybe a true atheist or they may be just so clogged up with and sick of having another's form of God so shoved down their throat... that they cannot nor will not submit.  There are also abuses done upon others' from those who do spiritual manipulation to try to control and exploit another.  If you are spending your time trying to constantly trim another or corral them into your way of thinking... are you maybe the predator here?  I agree with the anti/XAers that the whole dynamic of "sponsor" makes this very possible and perhaps prevalent.


Part of my share was the notion that there are skeptics out there... and that I'm not one, but I should at least acknowledge them and respect them... and to at least appeal them to skepticize this... maybe "Under God's protection and care with complete abandon" is real.  What if it was true?  Would I be willing to go for that deal?


If not, I say choose God is nothing and go from there.  Do God is nothing and see what comes of it.  The battle should be over.  You have nothing to fight, no one to oppose.  But what about the orthodox steppers and internet-skeptics?  They'll surely be there to point their fingers at you when you fail and get drunk and say, "See, maybe you'll see the light now.  Come in, get a sponsor, put the cotton in your mouth, take on a coffee commitment... yada yada yada."


They can, in essence, run you away from A.A.  Gee, I wonder how many folks have been chased away from Jesus due to born-again Southern Baptist nominal-Christian zealots and Jesus Freaks.

War Stories

War Stories.   What are they?  Why bad?  What's wrong with talking about booze?  What is wrong with talking about 'what it was like'?  Where do we cross the line between war story and qualifying?


I suppose we have to define the line of when, where, and what; Let's say we're giving a 10 minute pitch for our birthday or we're the first of two speakers... or let's say this is our lead and we're given the whole hour to speak.  Or... let's just say we're at a meeting and the topic is the 1st Step.


I belonged to a group where, on you A.A. birthday (yearly intervals only), you get up and give a 10 minute pitch of what happened.  Nothing else.  Just how you drank booze.  No God talk or wonderful shiny glitter talk... not the wonderous things you've done now that you're sober.


When I give a pitch, I talk about booze and my relation to it.  I try to demonstrate where, when, and how I lost control physically and mentally.  I then talk about what happened... a description of my notion to try A.A., yet again... or in this last case, my decision to go to "that" A.A. meeting and come clean on where I was at... with no hope or notion that this was it... the big surrender.  But surrender I did, and I talk about what was said then... by me and by Gary;


Me:  I need help.


Gary:  We can help you.  Do you have a problem with booze?


Me:  Yes.


Gary:  Do you want to quit for good and all?  Do you want to do something about it?


Me:  Yes.  Yes.


Gary:  Get writing.  Have a 4th Step done for me in... 21 days.  Be open to your 1st Step.  Maybe you're not alky.  Maybe you are.  Don't answer than now.  Review your 1st step and your concept of God each time before you sit down to write.  Decide in or out.  You need Power and you need it now.  You are up for grabs.  We cannot fix you or stop you.  Either you're gonna do this stuff or you're not, Bud.  It's up to you.


...


So I did that and it lead to now... 7 years sober and counting.


That's basically my story, my lead, my pitch.


But I talk about booze.  Not just in a general way.  I can talk about the feel, the taste, the comfort and peace and ease...  Booze did for me what nothing else that I could muster could.  Are you like me?

Powerless over alcohol?

Not me.

I have power over alcohol.

Alcohol is not my problem today.

Why do I have power over alcohol?  Because the steps I did in Alcoholics Anonymous gave me Power, as lack of Power was my dilemna.  It ain't now.

I don't want to drink booze and that's that.  I think God had something to do with it.  I'm not likely to drink booze anytime soon or get struck drunk.  I would have to unravel a bit before I would drink again.  It could happen.  I'm not worried about it and you can bet I'll be sober tomorrow.

Being that I'm going to be sober tomorrow, I can plan accordingly.  I'm not going to get a D.U.I., nor am I going to blackout.  I'm not likely to spray puke all over the place.  I'm not gonna piss my pants, nor yours.  I'm not gonna fuck your wife.  I'm not going to steal shit.  I am going to be to work on time.  I will put in a good day/night of work when I get there.  At the end of the month, I will get paid and I will pay my bills.

In the meantime, I am content and life is fun.  I'm happy and well adjusted to my own content and want to seek God at a further level and I enjoy other people's company moreso than usual. I even have developed a healthy tolerance for other peoples' faults and can find the good in most.  If you're a prick, I'm probably going to find some way to confront you and let you know I don't approve.  If you continue to be a prick, I will avoid you and leave you alone as best I can.  If you step on my toes, I'll piss in your wheaties.  But no worries, you're probably not worth getting upset over.  For the most part, I get along pretty good.

If the shit hits the fan and I get lost, I ask God for help and it seems to work.

So yes, I have Power over alcohol.

How about you?

Happy F'in Easter !!!!

Well, I was reflecting on the Easter Season, which is the most holy time of the year for me. There is so much good stuff to ponder, the ultimate example of unselfishness showed by Jesus at the least and the redemtion from sin and resurection from the dead and the whole God became man thing, if you are that much of a believer.

I figured I'd go over and see what our atheist anti-AA friends were talking about during this special time of year. And look what I happened upon......a link to this argicle http://gazettextra.com/news/2010/apr/02/janesville-school-district-reviewing-its-12-step-r/ which is about some group 'Freedom From Religion Foundation' (I know, how unAmerican is that ?) who is taking the Janesville WI school district to task for recommending 12 step attendance (along with other sober social and family activities) for high school kids who have drug and alcohol problems. And to make matters worse the special school meets in .....are you ready, gasp, a church....omg.

I do think it's great that while the Christian world celebrates one of the most unselfish acts of all time, the atheists are showing the world just how petty and selfish they are. Well, they do that every time they open their mouths, but the contrast just warms my heart.

So what kind of organization does FTG and MA and the anti-AA crew look up to ?
How is this group making the world a better place ?

Let's take a look at some of the issues they regularly work on :


"Churches Used as Polling Places
A church is being used as a polling location. Is that legal?"

Yes, you read it right. The atheists are so bigoted and vile that they feel dirty if they even have to step foot in a church. Answer, complain and get an absentee ballot. Bonus, you won't have to go out in public and be around other prople's germs. It's a win/win situation.

"Churches and Political Lobbying Activities
A church is participatiing in political lobbying. What can I do about it?"

Well, if you don't go to church how do you know ?? Churches can not endorse specific candidates or party's but they can speak on issues and such. Grow the fuck up and stop complaining because someone is publicly disagreeing with you. BTW been to any mosques lately ??



"Child Custody and Religion
A court has ordered that my ex-spouse has the right to take my son/daughter to a church, religious school or other religious event with which I disagree. What are my rights?"

Well, you mostly have the right not to spread your legs /pin her locks if your partner is a theist. Once the deed is done, it's too fucking bad for you if the childs parent wants to take the kids to church when he/she has visitation/custody. Here's a thought, grow the hell up and start thinking about your child instead of yourself. Oh, that's right, an atheist can't do that. Sorry, I forgot.

"Church Bulletin Discounts A store is offering a discount or promotion for bringing in a church bulletin. Is that legal?"

It turns out it's not legal. You can't sell your goods in the way you like, in the good ole' US of A. Imagine that. Of course I'd just go up to the manager and tell him I went to church and forgot the bulletin and get the discount, if I wanted it. But, then I'd probably have a church bulletin anyway because I don't feel my eyes burn when I look at a chruch.

"Consumer Complaints
I am tired of stores and restaurants playing gospel music. I feel this violates my right to 'freedom of religion.' Is there anything that can be done about it?"

LOL !!! Find another store, dick weed. My 'rights' are being violated because I don't like the music they play in the store.....this is great. Hey, do you think the store owner, employees and other customers have any rights or did they make 'rights' just for you ??

"Court-Ordered Participation in A.A.
Information for Prisoners and Probationers Required to Attend A.A., N.A., or Other Religiously Centered Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs"

Right. The alternative would be jail. Since that's where you belong anyway, please complain about AA and serve your time. It would show the world how true your 'moral compass' points.


"HUD Housing Violations
I live in a HUD-subsidized housing. What are my rights to avoid religious activities and decorations?"

Yup, 'rights' to avoid religious activites. You have them, so go ahead and ruin it for everyone else. That, again, will prove what a great moral person you are. You fucking baby.


"Nativity Displays on Public Property
Are Christmas displays a violation of the First Amendment?"

Yes, these atheists want to shit all over Christmas. Use it as a teaching oppurtunity to explain to your kids what scum bags these people are.
I seem to remember reading the Puritans banned Xmas also. How did that work out for them ??

"Prayer at Senior Centers
They make us listen to prayer before we eat lunch at public-funded senior centers. Help!"

I want my free lunch now, I don't want to have to wait 10 seconds while someone prays !!!! Here's a hint...when everyone else is praying, start eating. They won't know because they have their eyes closed.


"Religious Tests for Public Office
Why do some states require a religious test for public office? Isn't that unconstitutional?"

Unfortunatley, it is. But you may as well complain and donate to this shit brain organization anyway.

"Good Friday Closings
Is it legal for government offices and public schools to close for Good Friday?"

Oh Uh......they close for Martin Luther King day too.....buy atheists only spew their bigotry on certain groups. They like to consider themselves friendly with the Blacks even though I don't see any smiling black faces on the website.

"Prayers at Government Meetings
Is an Establishment Clause violation occurring at government meetings?"

This is great because the atheist actually quote (mis-quote of course) The Bible on this one :

'Even the Jesus of the New Testament condemned public prayer: “Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret” (Matt. 6:5-13).
Observing a strict separation of church and state offends nobody..'

You know what else offends nobody, you keeping your fat, white atheist ass at home.

"Immigration Oaths
I want to become a U.S. citizen, but am not religious and don’t want to take a religious oath. What are my rights?"

You have the right not to become a US citizen.

"Jury Oaths
I've been called for jury duty. Or, I need to testify at a trial. Am I going to have to take a religious oath or place my hand on a bible?"

You are wise in not touching the Bible as your hands will burn. Best stay home and hide under the bed.

"Marriage License Oaths
When we went to apply for our marriage license, the county clerk told us we had to state an oath to "God." What can we do?"

You mean you have to swear an Oath to a God you don't believe exists ? Better just shack up. It's easier.

"Bible Distribution in Public Schools
Can Gideons pass out bibles at my child's public school?"

Just say no ?

"Churches Renting Public Schools
A church is meeting in a public school. What can I do about it?"

Ummmm, don't go to the service ?

"Pledge of Allegiance
Do I (or my child) have to participate in the religious Pledge of Allegiance in my public school?"

It's good that you don't participate in the pledge since you aren't an American. Best let everyone know.

"Prayers in School
What is the law about prayers in public schools?"

Bla, bla, bla......God forbid you should have to hear someone pray.


"Religious Music
My child's choir is singing religious music. Is that legal?"

Have the little bastard quit.

http://www.ffrf.org/

Who exactly is this A.A. God?

ftg:


Says:

Danny,
I happen to think AA is a religion, but the argument about whether it is or not — or whether it’s a cult or not — seems to distract from the plain basic fact that AA is doing a lot of harm to a lot of people.


Nonetheless, I’d like to address your comment that “AA does not define God.”

Strictly speaking, the 12 Steps do define God… I mean, for the 12 Steps to work, God has to operate in a very precise way.

It’s not God as you understand God, really, but the god who will accept your will, and will replace it with his own, and will remove character defects — and who recognizes such a thing as character defects.


This isn’t a nebulous god — it’s a very clearly defined one.



__________________________________________


So, who is the A.A. God? Can I or can I not celebrate my God in an A.A. meeting or at an A.A. retreat?


Do I have to go "underground" and/or create my own A.A. to do something like that?

So long as I don't push my God on you, can I put a name or a face to my God... if only for a nanosecond?


And what if this God was different than your God?

Would this not debunk the stinky cat's definition of religion?

Oh no!

Is the fact that some of the most adamanty and stoicly orthodox and tradition obeying A.A. gurus are calling my group something other than a true A.A. group a loophole for me and my group a legal loophole?

Maybe, just maybe what I do and what my group does is NOT A.A.! We're free!

We may be just like you, FTG! On the same team!

What now, FTG?



Nebulous... adj. pertaining to, or like, the faint, cloudlike haze or vapor near the stars; cloudy; hazy; perplexed. -n. nebulosity



I just downloaded a free copy of "Cloud of the Unknowing" to my phone. It's a beautiful place to be when you're in Centering Prayer and in "listen" mode. I just got back from a spiritual retreat with 66 others like me and ... I experienced God and Power and a bunch of nice stuff and I'm feeling spiritual now. I feel like a trappist monk from the 14th Century.



I think I might even being over the ban you gave me for no good reason... for as you say, "So I won't feel left out". Not only do I not feel left out, I feel a part of, and I owe that to you and shark sandwich. Attitude of gratitude.



In fact, whenever I get into an argument about A.A. with my online gurus, I can go to you to get a twisted concept to make my own truthful concept contrast the ineffective A.A. concept.



Nothing like the Colorado Mountains to clear your head. I hope you all are well in Stinky Kitty Land.




____________________________________________

MeMay Says:

March 29, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Danny. To become a member of AA, all you need is a desire to stop drinking. That is what I was taught. What do you think?

Michael T. McComb


Let me take a guess... read Tradition 3 Long Form;

Three; Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse non who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.

I don't see the word "desire" in there.

And that's the bizarro universe tradition form we use in McGowdog. A., the long-form.

antiAAer getting snarky about A.A.'s view on God

antiAAer:
So are all higher powers equal? Does praying to the almighty doorknob give the same results as praying to traditional religous Gods? What about making Satan one's hp? Or a pet rock a HP? Now I was raised to believe that God created man, but AA seems to say that man can create any God he wishes. What is the latest "deity du jour" in the fellowship?


























If it was up your ass you'd know where it was at.
































Oh No! A.A. is a religion and a cult! Let's get the hell outta Dodge!

Step 2: God

God. That's what it's about. If God=Religion for you, you're in the wrong blog. Because God or an experience with God is not Religion.

From my experience, Step 2 is where you go immediately after a Step 1 experience.

For the alcoholic, there's but one choice; God or booze.

We become very open about the idea of a God that's personal to us, One we can tap into and experience, once we come to terms with our experience and perhaps future with booze, and our willingness to "become willing" to consider our own conception of God.

The book tells us where our "conception" of God is... deep down within ourselves is the "fundamental idea of God".

AA does not corner the market on God. There are many paths. It is said that AA doesn't even corner the market to sobriety. But it's the most successful solution to recover drunks on the planet. It's not the only show in town. It's just the best show in town.

Some people go to church and perhaps get it there. Church is wonderful for some. In fact, the book says that you should stay active in any religious denominations that we are accustomed to or were attending. The religous view of AA is that it should not interfere with any prior or current affiliations whatsoever. AA does not exclude Christians, Muslems, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. AA is just not allied with any particular one. AA is for alcoholics who want to recover. The problem with religion for an alcoholic like me is the fact that... at the end of the day, when they stub their toe, they don't drink. I drink.

So no matter what, I stay plugged into AA. It's that simple for me.

Booze drives me to God. And it's not a fun trip.

Step 3; Made a Decision

Made a decision... = I am responsible!

So we all know from the book and the step scrolls on some of the walls at meetings that Step 3 is about making a decision.

Some like to further break it down into the fact that it's only a decision and is followed up by writing inventory as outlined by Step 4.

It consists of a prayer... with a warning at the end of it!

But what about this decision and what does it imply? Why should it be considered first and taken seriously? Why can it be so difficult?I believe that it's because the decision implies... that dreaded "R" word... Responsibility! But once taken, you're on your way to recovery and maturity.

I was given the awesome gift of responsibility the last time I came in from my last drunk. The group said, "It's up to you, bud. Either you're gonna do this stuff or you're not." I felt relieved of the truth in that statement. It was up to me. There wasn't any sponsor who was gonna have to put the bottle down for me. Nor was there a sponsor who was gonna do the steps for me.

In AA, we eat our own spiritual food.

Step 4; Instructions are in the book

4th Step: instructions are on pp 64, 65 and 66 of the BB

Unless, of course, you write a 4 column inventory. Then you can go to page 67 too. PP 67-70 for fear and sex. Yes, sex is on page 69! But not so in the 1st edition and maybe the 2nd edition. I can't remember about the 2nd Edition. Second edition too!

I write a 3 column inventory and I focus a whole bunch on the 3rd column.

I start with a Resentment inventory, then a fear inventory, then a sex-harms done to others- inventory.

Start on top of a page of a spiral notebook and I like to leave the left page for columns 1 and 2 and the right page for column 3, and I start the top of the page with "God, I pray Truth flows from this pen" or something like that. Oh, and before we write, we review steps 1, 2, and 3; maybe even get on your knees and say the 3rd Step prayer.

The 1st column is which person, institution or Principle with which we are burned up, with whom we have a grudge, or with whom hurt, threatened or interfered with us. Start heading with , "I am resentful at..."

The 2nd column is what they did to us. Be honest and be specific. Start heading with "The cause..."

The 3rd column; Start heading with "Affects my..."

• 
  Self Esteem- I am... start the sentence off with I am... the Engineer, etc.
• 
  Security- I need... start the sentence off with I need... power, respect, compensation, etc.
• 
  Ambition- I want... start the sentence off with I want... praise, adulation, prestige, etc.
• 
  Personal Relations- men (how men treat other men or how women treat other women, etc.
• 
  Sex Relations- women (how women treat men or how men treat women ......different than the 12 and 12, but this is how we do it [keep in mind there are 3 inventories here. Sex isn't about sex here; it's about how gender relates to the resentment]
• 
  Pocketbook- what is money? Often, money is about power and control, etc.

I don't write about pride. I know that Joe and Charlie did. But what do I care about how others view me? That gets taken care of in Self Esteem.

We always write the 3rd column from the positive too. We are writing from how we behave and think when we're playing God. Keep that 2nd column dribble out of the 3rd column.

This is how I write inventory and I do like the 12 and 12's description of our God-given instincts and how we need them to survive, but us alkies demand way more than our share of them and step on other's toes.

So in just writing these 3 columns, we don't conclude. When you write a 4th column, you conclude and then your ego just runs and hides. You can't fool or trick your ego this way. And we can't fight or kill our ego. I hear this is a bad mistake. We can, from time to time, smash our ego though. So what we do is let the wound lay open and fester. When we share this in our 5th step, the 4th column comes out. We see, once we talk with our mouths to another person and God, this inventory. We see, in broad daylight, how we've harmed another.

It's very fortunate if you see more than a few truths in your whole inventory. Some say it's like peeling back the layers of an onion. I agree with this. If God let us see all of our defects of character all in one shot, I think our heads would explode.

When I'm 5th stepping this and my advisor mentions things that I didn't see or identifies harm I caused, I jot that down for my 8th step list and take it to my 6th and 7th step to ask God to remove them.

Anyway, thoughts? What's your experience?

I hear a guy say taking inventory is like performing surgery on yourself or like a guided trip to Hell. The process don't seem that bad when you're in it, but there's always something in me that fights it.

Oh, when you're done writing for the day, close it up with a prayer or meditate on the line "In God's protection and care with complete abandon". Don't go out into the world raw and expect the world to tolerate your bad behavior just because you're writing inventory. Don't cause new inventory, in other words.

But it's been my experience that when I'm writing inventory, my resentments come flying at me. It's a trip.

Step 6 : Willing

Step 6

Admittedly, the BB doesn't say a bunch about Step 6.

Looking back at my experience with this step, I believe it's where I followed instructions and literally put the book on a shelf somewhere, which I never do normally, then take it down and contemplate the first 5 proposals and see how my work is so far. Are the stones properly in place? Have I mixed mortar without sand? I understand that to be... one part problem (my 1st step) with one part solution (God), then the foundation... my past experience and why I came to AA... my bottom and surrender, if you will, and willingness to believe that God can and will for me, the Cornerstone... which I believe is this willingness, the 3rd step decision or Keystone, for we're building a triumphant Arch to which we pass to Freedom...

I believe the 12x12 talks about how this is the step that separates the Men from the Boys.

So I've looked at things that perhaps I'm unwilling to give up. I've put smoking and chewing Copenhagen in there. I've been anger in there... Then I arise with willingness to ask God to remove them...Pray for the willingness... I'm not real big on that? Anybody got experience with that?

Looking back at my last experience with this 6th Step, I think it's vital to really look at this right after your 5th step review and 1 hour quiet time.

It is right in that moment that we "thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know him better"... because we have just given witness to some chunks of truth about ourself. And as they say, God is Truth. But some of these truths about ourselves or things that were blocking us from God are or would seem to be pretty easy to ask God to take away. Some may not be. So... this is the time to get honest and maybe consider the possibility that we DON'T want some defect of character removed. Willingness is followed by action. So... willingness without action "is fantasy." Gee, that makes sense.

So you can pray for the willingness, but you'd better have your shoes on at that point and be ready to take the next step... which would be 7.

__________Yoda says, "Don't try, do!" He also says, "In 300 yards, right you must bear."

any quotes or paraphrases are from BB 1st Edition.

Step 7: Humbly, asked Him to remove our shortcomings

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings-holding nothing back (from 1st Edition).

But why humbly?

For me, this is merely aligning ourselves properly with God.

And what do we do in the 7th Step? We ask. Not beg or plead. It's a simple spiritual act; to just ask. Ask means verbalize. It's sort of like expressing an intent to the Universe, to God. Or from Todd Michael's The Twelve Conditions Of A Miracle, "III. Asking. Clarify your true needs. If you don't clearly put your request into words, the universe won't even know to respond."

So ask. Then of course, there's this prayer. It ends with , "Amen."

No "Amen" after the 3rd Step Prayer.