God, the "Great Iconoclast."
  • Alma Turner
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    • Step 1: Humility >
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    • Step 6: Willingness
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      • Amend White to Black
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      • Fear Watch
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Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove these defects of character.
Principle: Willingness


Am I now entirely ready to have God take them all? Am I willing to let them go absolutely?
In my first few major inventories and from living sober, I had a longer and longer list of defects, e.g.
  • approval-seeking, jealousy, selfishness, needing to be right, vanity, self-obsession, suspiciousness, manipulation, pride, sulking, retaliation, gluttony, dishonesty, indifference, pettiness, impatience, perfectionism, arrogance, resistance, bias, self-hate, inattention to community, entitlement, exercising white privilege, cruel criticism, intellectual laziness, stealing, infidelity, sexual immorality, interrupting, irrational fidelity to false beliefs and paradigms, dominating conversations, not listening, inconsideration.... the lists go on and on, ... numbing out with food, rigidity, over-controlling what I eat, texting people I should leave alone...

Willingness Prayers
Here are twelve examples of willingness prayers my sponsor Constance gave me during the fifth step in 2016:
I pray for the willingness:
  • to listen with my heart and mind.
  • to look at my relationship with you God as the primary source of my self-esteem.
  • to feel true love and tolerance for myself and where I am on my path right now.
  • to feel true love and tolerance for others and where they are on their path right now.
  • to be centripetal à as opposed to centrifugal.
  • to practice unconditional love of self and my brothers and sisters.
  • to let go of judgement of self and others.
  • to know in my heart that my sponsees are not a reflection of me, good or bad.
  • to remember that I now have an instruction manual perfectly expressed in the 12 Steps.
  • to remember that the more judgmental people are of others, the more they are cruel to themselves.
  • to protect others through maintaining anonymity, to protect those who have no words.
  • to make room on the Ark for all the animals – the peacocks, cows, sparrows, spiders, snakes, deer, lions, salmon...
​
And four more recent willingness prayers from 2020: 
  • I pray for the willingness to release pride and gently embrace humility and anonymity.
  • I pray for the willingness to release criticism and embrace fierce unconditional love for self and others.
  • I pray for the willingness to release fear and embrace trusting reliance. 
  • I pray for the willingness to release doubt and embrace the truth of steadfast love and healing. 

And seven more recent willingness prayers from 2022: 
  • I pray for the willingness to release negative thoughts and focus on the positive.
  • I pray for the willingness to release isolation and deeply embrace community. 
  • I pray for the willingness to say "yes" and to say "no" as guided from within.
  • I pray for the willingness to be sensitive to others' sensitivities. 
  • I pray for the willingness to give love and good tools to old-timers, newcomers, and to prioritize work for the unity of the group.
  • I pray for the willingness to love and embrace prayer, meditation, self-examination, scripture, singing, good food, connection, healing....
  • I pray for the willingness to detach with love.
Picture
This photograph was taken as I was leaving the Sea of Galilee and heading back to Jerusalem. The small touring van had given us a couple of hours to meander and reflect within view of where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, where Peter walked on water, where Legion's demons raged. God gave me the thumbs up.
Step 7: Surrender
  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • Beloved Poems by Others >
      • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
      • The Guest House by Rumi
      • The Invitation by Oriah
      • Invictus
      • Elohai Neshama
    • Poems by Alma >
      • Poems 2017-2020
      • Poems 2021 >
        • Prayer Poems
        • Poems Early 2021
        • Poems September 2021
        • Poems October 2021
        • Parables and Songs
        • Clay Haiku
      • Newer Poems
      • Injustice Poems
    • Big Book Prayers
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
  • more
    • Rowdy Beauties >
      • Rowdy Beauties Bible Study N'awlins
      • Rowdy Beauties Bible Study Zoom
      • Rowdy Beauties Resouces >
        • Resources for Chapters 1-4
    • Disciplines >
      • Fasting
      • Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer
      • Reading!
      • 12 White Steps
    • The Gospel of Thomas
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 121, 1, and 32
    • Bible Thoughts >
      • Genesis >
        • High Priest
        • Jacob is Israel.
      • Prophets >
        • Isaiah 30
        • Isaiah 54
        • Jeremiah 31:31-35
      • Frederick Douglas
      • Jesus >
        • Brown or Black
        • Teacher
        • Son of Man
        • Activist
        • High Priest
        • Innocent
        • Lynched
        • Alive
        • Sayings >
          • Sayings 1-3
          • Sayings 4-6
          • Sayings 7-9
          • Sayings 10-12
          • Sayings 13-15
          • Sayings 16-18
          • Sayings 19-21
          • Sayings 22-24
          • Sayings 25-27
          • Sayings 28-30
          • Sayings 31-33
          • Sayings 34-36
          • Sayings 37, 38, 39
          • Sayings 40, 41, 42
          • Sayings 43, 44, 45
          • Sayings 46, 47, 48
          • Sayings 49, 50, 51
          • Sayings 52, 53, 54
          • Sayings 55, 56, 57
          • Sayings 58, 59, 60
          • Sayings 61, 62, 63
          • Sayings 64, 65, 66
          • Sayings 73, 74, 75
          • Sayings 76, 77, 78
          • Sayings 100, 101, 102
          • Sayings 103, 104, 105
          • Sayings 106, 107, 108
          • Sayings 109, 110, 111
          • Sayings 112, 113, 114
    • The Symbol >
      • The Circle and Triangle
    • Blog
    • Preparations
    • MMS, CD, CDS