AA Thought For Today - May

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AA Thought for the Day

May 1

Willfulness
My willfulness is still very much a part of me
and may always be a stumbling block to progress in my life.
So I will have to stay very close to AA, where my strength lies.
I am so full of human frailty that I think it is a miracle I am here today.
It's only through AA.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], pp. 147-148

Thought to Ponder . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Awesome.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Choices
"During the day, we can pause
where situations must be met and decisions made,
and renew the simple request:
'Thy will, not mine, be done.'
If at these points our emotional disturbance
happens to be great,
we will more surely keep our balance,
provided we remember,
and repeat to ourselves,
a particular prayer or phrase that has appealed to us
in our reading or meditation.
Just saying it over and over will often enable us
to return to the surest help of all--
our search for God's will, not our own,
in the moment of stress."
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 102-3
As Bill Sees It, p. 78

Thought to Consider . . .
"As we go through the day we pause,
when agitated or doubtful,
and ask for the right thought or action."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 87

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FEAR
False Evidence Appearing Real

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Conference
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
In the late 1940s "most of the nonalcoholics on the Board at the time had been institutional [non-profit organization]
men. Bernard Smith on the other hand was a businessman and lawyer. From the time he had joined the Board, three
years earlier, he had always favored corporate management for the A.A. office and an elected conference to sit with the
Trustees as the final plan of service structure for Alcoholics Anonymous. "
Chairman Leonard Harrison appointed "Bernard Smith Chairman of the Trustees' Committee on the proposed
Conference [despite] their differences of opinion.
"Bernard Smith has a remarkable faculty for persuasion and negotiation. Moreover, his ideas about a conference had
already taken a deeper hold than any of us realized. [H]e took up the task of convincing the Trustees committee on the
Conference. He put this question to the committee: Shall we set up this Conference of delegates, or shall we forget
about it? To my astonishment the committee unanimously said, 'Let's give the Conference a try.' It seemed like a miracle."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 212

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I had been introverted and tense. I had been blocked by a fat ego that made sharing impossible, by a lack of
communication, by a fear of love. The Fifth Step swept away all those barricades. With some humility, I could begin to
find joy in the simple delights of life."
Brooklyn, N.Y. June 1974
"The Fifth Step -- A Way to Stay High,"
Step By Step

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste
for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his
recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If
their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis,
since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit
all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned
that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down.
Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for
living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 99

"If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will
be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new
freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to
shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will
know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will
see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness
and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things
and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our
whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and
of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to
handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize
that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 83~

We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 21

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

We Are Not Fighting
We have ceased fighting anything or anyone--even alcohol. For by this time sanity has returned. We can now react
sanely and normally, and we find that this has happened almost automatically. We see that this new attitude toward
liquor is really a gift of God.
That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We have not even sworn off. Instead,
the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid.
That is how we react--so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 84-85

Prayer For The Day: Oh Heavenly Father, in whom I live and move and have my being, I humbly pray to you to guide and govern me by your Holy Spirit, that in all the joys, occupations, and cares of this day I may never forget you, but remember that I am ever walking in your sight. In Christ's name, I pray, Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 2

Secrets
I can neither love nor be loved if I allow my secrets to get in the way.
It's the side of myself that I refuse to look at that rules me.
I must be willing to look at the dark side in order to heal my mind and heart
because that is the road to freedom.
It's the side of me that I refuse to look at that rules me.
- Daily Reflections, p. 130

Thought to Ponder . . .
I must walk into darkness to find the light.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Humility
"I am still arrogant, self-righteous,
with no humility, even phony at times,
but I'm trying to be a better person
and help my fellowman.
Guess I'll never be a saint,
but whatever I am,
I want to be sober and in AA.
The word 'alcoholic' does not turn me off any more;
in fact, it is music to my ears
when it applies to me."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 463

Thought to Consider . . .
"Many people haven't even a nodding acquaintance
with humility as a way of life."
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
KISS
Keep It Simple, Surrender

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Strong
From "From Loneliness to Solitude":
"A.A. members are not emotional cripples who need someone to hold their hands every moment of the day and night to
prevent their falling. We grow up with the help of God, as we understand Him, and the fellowship of the group, and by
applying the Twelve Steps to our lives."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 109

*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*

God has given me this day to use as I wish; Alcoholics Anonymous shows me how to live it without a drink."
Somerville, Mass., September 1995
"Changes for the Better,"
In Our Own Words

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes
into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of
absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in
practically every case long before it is suspected."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~

"When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 64~

It is A.A.’s experience that particularly in these cases we ought to pray that God’s will, whatever it is, be done for others
as well as for ourselves.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 104

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Willingness Is the Key
No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of
whatever God he thinks there is?
A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have
the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more.
Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the
key of willingness. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 35

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, thank you for the life you have given me. Thank you for giving me a family that is so understanding and supportive of me in everything I do.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 3

Amends
Making amends to my family, and to the families of alcoholics still suffering, will always be important.
Understanding the havoc I created and trying to repair the destruction, will be a lifelong endeavor.
The example of my sobriety may give others hope, and faith to help themselves.
- Daily Reflections, p. 173

Thought to Ponder . . .
It is the highest form of self-respect
to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Accountable Actions.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Troubles
"So our troubles, we think,
are basically of our own making.
They arise out of ourselves,
and the alcoholic is an extreme example of
self-will run riot,
though he usually doesn't think so.
Above everything,
we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness.
We must, or it kills us!
Many of us had moral and philosophical
convictions galore,
but we could not live up to them
even though we would have liked to.
Neither could we reduce our
self-centeredness much by wishing
or trying our own power.
We had to have God's help."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62

Thought to Consider . . .
The task ahead of us
is never as great as the Power behind us.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FINE
Feeling Insecure, Numb and Empty

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Trust
From "CONCEPT III:"
"Our entire A.A. program rests squarely upon the principle of mutual trust. We trust God, we trust A.A., and we trust
each other. Therefore we cannot do less than trust our leaders in service. The 'Right of Decision' that we offer them is
not only the practical means by which they may act and lead effectively, but it is also the symbol of our implicit confidence."
1962, AAWS, Inc.; Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W., page 16

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Today, we enjoy a Fellowship which owes its ever-increasing membership of recovering alcoholics (unprecedented in
human history) to the well-wishers and combined efforts of many outside agencies and services, as well as many
professionals. To these folks, we surely owe a debt of gratitude.
"Yet, the heart of AA remains the same, thank God, when one alcoholic reaches out to another, and we find that we can
do together what none of us could do alone."
Aberdeen, S.D., September 1991
"Sponsorship -- The Heart of AA,"
In Our Own Words

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people´s shortcomings
and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which
make us more useful to others."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19

More than most people the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very
much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character.
This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a
certain reputation but knows in his heart he doesnt deserve it.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 73

Could we then foresee that troublesome people were to become our principal teachers of patience and tolerance?
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 141

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The New A.A. and His FamilyWhen alcoholism strikes, very unnatural situations may develop which work against
marriage partnership and compatible union. If the man is affected, the wife must become the head of the house, often
the breadwinner. As matters get worse, the husband becomes a sick and irresponsible child who needs to be looked
after and extricated from endless scrapes and impasses. Very gradually, usually without any realization of the fact, the
wife is forced to become the mother of an erring boy, and the alcoholic alternately loves and hates her maternal care.
Under the influence of A.A.'[s Twelve Steps, these situations are often set right.
Whether the family goes on a spiritual basis or not, the alcoholic member has to if he would recover. The others must
be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt. Seeing is believing to most families who have lived with a drinker.
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 117-118
2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 135

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, I thank you for this beautiful day. I ask for your guidance and wisdom as I go into this day. Please grant me the strength and wisdom to overcome the problems I may encounter in this day.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 4

Choice
The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure,
have lost the power of choice in drink.
Our so-called willpower becomes practically nonexistent.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p.24

Thought to Ponder . . .
Just for today, I choose not to drink.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Inventory
"A business which takes no regular inventory
usually goes broke.
Taking a commercial inventory is
a fact-finding and a fact-facing process.
If the owner of the business is to be successful,
he cannot fool himself about values.
We did exactly the same thing with our lives.
We took stock honestly.
Being convinced that self,
manifested in various ways,
was what had defeated us,
we considered its common manifestations."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64

Thought to Consider . . .
In order to recover we have to uncover.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
WHO ME?
Willingness,Honesty, Open-mindedness,Must Exist

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Peace
From "To Handle Sobriety:"
"The more I drank, the more I fantasized everything....I lived in a dream world. A.A. led me gently from this fantasizing
to embrace reality with open arms. And I found it beautiful! For, at last, I was at peace with myself. And with others.
And with God."
2001, AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous, page 559

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

They say love heals all, and I am confident the future is bright."
San Diego, Calif., July 1992
"Bottom's Up,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the
brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal
men, but for alcoholics these things are poison."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

"...with us, to drink is to die."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

We shall want to speak with someone who is experienced, who not only has stayed dry but has been able to surmount
other serious difficulties.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Freedom to Choose
Looking back, we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom.
When we choose because we 'must,' this was not a free choice, either. But it got us started in the right direction.
When we choose because we 'ought to,' we were really doing better. This time we were earning some freedom,
making ourselves ready for more.
But when, now and then, we could gladly make right choices without rebellion, hold-out, or conflict, then we had our first
view of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like.
GRAPEVINE, MAY 1960

Prayer For The Day: Father in Heaven, Thank you for watching over me as I slept through the night. Your hands of comfort and strength held me as You watched over me. Father, I love You. You love me so much and I am in awe of how amazing You truly are. As I begin my day, I simply pray that you walk with me and lead me where you please. May Your will be done this day. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 5

Anger
It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed,
no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.
If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also.
But are there no exceptions to this rule? What about "justifiable" anger?
If somebody cheats us, aren't we entitled to be mad? . . .
For us of AA these are dangerous exceptions.
We have found that justified anger ought to be left to those better qualified to handle it.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 90

Thought to Ponder . . .
Anger is the wind that blows out the light of reason.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Avoid Anger.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Power
"We could wish to be moral,
we could wish to be philosophically comforted,
in fact, we could will these things with all our might,
but the needed power wasn't there.
Our human resources,
as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient;
they failed utterly.
Lack of power, that was our dilemma.
We had to find a power by which we could live,
and it had to be a
Power greater than ourselves."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 45

Thought to Consider . . .
Willpower ... our will-ingness to use a Higher Power.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FAITH
For An Instant Trust Him

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Destiny
"A Vision For You"
"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."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 164

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"My sponsor taught me how to be of service with grace and gratitude. She taught me how to listen, how to be
respectful, and most importantly, to mind my own business."
Palm Springs, Calif., May 2012
"Stitch and Giggle,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Some drinkers have excuses with which they are satisfied part of the
time. But in their hearts they really do not know why they do it.
Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is
the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But
they often suspect they are down for the count."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 23~

"Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted.
We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and
ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our
Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to
have a spiritual experience."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 75

Only Step One, where we made the 100 percent admission we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 68

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Look Beyond the Horizon
My workshop stands on a hill back of our home. Looking over the valley, I see the village community house where our
local group meets. Beyond the circle of my horizon lies the whole world of A.A.
The unity of A.A. is the most cherished quality our Society has. Our lives, the lives of all to come, depend squarely upon
it. Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; our world arteries would no longer carry the life-giving grace of God.
1. A.A. TODAY, P. 7
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 129

Prayer For The Day: May the God of hope fill me and all of us with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that we may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 6

Communication
Because of our kinship in suffering,
and because our common means of deliverance are effective for ourselves
only when constantly carried to others,
our channels of contact have always been charged with the language of the heart.
- The Language Of The Heart, p. 243

Thought to Ponder . . .
Modem-to-modem or face-to-face,
AA's speak the language of the heart.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
E S H = Experience, Strength and Hope.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Control
"Most of us have been unwilling to admit
we were real alcoholics.
No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally
different from his fellows.
Therefore, it is not surprising
that our drinking careers have been characterized
by countless vain attempts to prove
we could drink like other people.
The idea that somehow, someday he will control
and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession
of every abnormal drinker.
The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.
Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30

Thought to Consider . . .
When a person tries to control their drinking
they have already lost control.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
STEPS
Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Honesty
From "Our Survival:"
"The HONESTY expressed by the members of A.A. in meetings has the power to open my mind. Nothing can block the
flow of energy that HONESTY carries with it. The only obstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then, no
one will find a closed door if he or she has left and chooses to return. Once he or she has received the gift of sobriety,
each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basis to accept a program of HONESTY."
1990, Daily Reflections, page 311

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

It doesn't matter who or what God is if I can just remember it's not me!"
Ranchester, Wyo., May 2012
"Sunsets -- Not My Idea,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and
express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than
ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that
Power, which is God."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or
trying on our own power. We had to have God's help."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62

Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 42

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'Admitted to God . . . '
Provided you hold back nothing in taking the Fifth Step, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute. The
dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed.
As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place. And when humility and serenity are so combined, something
else of great moment is apt to occur. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 62

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, I thank you for helping me when I need it most. I pray you help me help others when they are in need.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 7

Pass It On
I'll never forget the first time I met Bill Wilson.
I was a couple of months sober and so excited,
so thrilled to actually meet the co-founder that I gushed all over him
with what my sobriety meant to me and my undying gratitude for his starting AA.
When I ran down, he took my hand in his and said simply, "Pass it on."
- 'Pass It On' -- The Story of Bill Wilson and How the AA Message Reached the World, Preface.

Thought to Ponder . . .
In AA we don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S O B E R = Simply Observe Bill's Enduring Recovery.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Control
"Most of us have been unwilling to admit
we were real alcoholics.
No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally
different from his fellows.
Therefore, it is not surprising
that our drinking careers have been characterized
by countless vain attempts to prove
we could drink like other people.
The idea that somehow, someday he will control
and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession
of every abnormal drinker.
The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.
Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30

Thought to Consider . . .
When a person tries to control their drinking
they have already lost control.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
STEPS
Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Honesty
From "Our Survival:"
"The HONESTY expressed by the members of A.A. in meetings has the power to open my mind. Nothing can block the
flow of energy that HONESTY carries with it. The only obstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then, no
one will find a closed door if he or she has left and chooses to return. Once he or she has received the gift of sobriety,
each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basis to accept a program of HONESTY."
1990, Daily Reflections, page 311

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Everyone's recipe for serenity is different. It's like vegetable soup -- nobody makes it quite the same."
Chestertown, N.Y., January 2006
"Circles of Sobriety,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and
express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than
ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that

Power, which is God."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or
trying on our own power. We had to have God's help."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62

Having so considered our day, not omitting to take due note of things well done, and having searched our hearts with
neither fear nor favor, we can truly thank God for the blessings we have received and sleep in good conscience.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 95

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Persistence in Prayer
We often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer as something not really necessary. To be sure, we feel it is
something that might help us to meet an occasional emergency, but at first many of us are apt to regard it as a
somewhat mysterious skill of clergymen, from which we may hope to get a secondhand benefit.
In A.A. we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question. They are matters of knowledge and
experience. All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom beyond
their usual capability. And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand in the face of difficult
circumstances. TWELVE AND TWELVE- 1. P. 96 - 2. P. 104

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, You are my light and salvation. With you I am not afraid and have nothing to fear. Thank you for being there for me even when the hour is darkest.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 8

Time
And what is time to me now? It is a most precious asset.
I have the luxury of being able to cherish the memory of yesterday,
to live today with serenity, to wait for tomorrow.
I find great contentment in just knowing where I was and where I am.
And I am grateful; grateful the existence of Alcoholics Anonymous;
grateful to my God for leading me to the doors of AA and to Himself, grateful for hope.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], p. 21

Thought to Ponder . . .
I am grateful for this minute. My eternity may be in it.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
T I M E = This Is My Eternity.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Friendship
"We commenced to make many fast friends
and a fellowship has grown up among us
of which it is a wonderful thing to feel a part of.
The joy of living we really have,
even under pressure and difficulty.
I have seen hundreds of families set their feet
in the path that really goes somewhere;
have seen the most impossible
domestic situations righted;
feuds and bitterness of all sorts wiped out.
I have seen men come out of asylums
and resume a vital place in the lives
of their families and communities.
Business and professional men
have regained their standing.
There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery
which has not been overcome among us."
Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 15

Thought to Consider . . .
"Most of us feel we need look no further for Utopia.
We have it with us right here and now."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 16

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
EGO
Easing God Out

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Psychology
From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":":
"As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to get behind our
excuses and to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in
A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were and that we have been motivated by forces
unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look with the deepest respect, interest, and profit upon the findings of psychiatry,
remembering that up to now the psychiatrists have been far more tolerant of us than we have been of them. "Bill W."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 236

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Should our present success continue, people will commence to assert that AA is a brand new way of life, maybe a
new religion, capable of saving the world. We shall be told it is our bounden duty to show modern society how it ought to live ...
"Fortunately most of us are convinced that these are perilous speculations, alluring ingredients of that new heady wine
we are now being offered, each bottle marked 'Success'!
"Of this subtle vintage may we never drink too deeply."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., April 1948
"Tradition Five"
The Language of the Heart

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get
well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in
God and clean house."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~

"No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that
bitter morass of self pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all
directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol
was my master."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 8

During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Back To Work
It is possible for us to use the alleged dishonesty of other people as a plausible excuse for not meeting our own obligations.
Once, some prejudiced friends exhorted me never to go back to Wall Street. They were sure that the rampant
materialism and double-dealing down there would stunt my spiritual growth. Because this sounded so high-minded, I
continued to stay away from the only business that I knew.
When, finally, my household went broke, I realized I hadn't been able to face the prospect of going back to work. So I
returned to Wall Street, and I have ever since been glad that I did. I needed to rediscover that there are many fine people
in New York's financial district. Then, too, I needed the experience of staying sober in the very surroundings where
alcohol had cut me down.
A Wall Street business trip to Akron, Ohio, first brought me face to face with Dr. Bob. So the birth of A.A. hinged on my
effort to meet my bread-and-butter responsibilities. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

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AA Thought for the Day

May 9

Surrender
On the face of it, surrendering certainly doesn't sound like winning.
But it is in AA. . .
We must, and we do, surrender to win.
- Experience, Strength and Hope, pp. 155-156

Thought to Ponder . . .
Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K I S S = Keep It Simple; Surrender.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Anonymity
"We have denied ourselves personal government,
professionalism, and the right to say
who our members shall be.
We have abandoned do-goodism,
reform, and paternalism.
We refuse charitable money and prefer
to pay our own way.
We will cooperate with practically everybody,
yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone.
We abstain from public controversy and will not
quarrel among ourselves about
those things that so rip society asunder--
religion, politics, and reform.
We have but one purpose;
to carry the AA message
to the sick alcoholic who wants it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 211

Thought to Consider . . .
AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ANONYMOUS
Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity & Service

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Psychology
From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":":
"As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to get behind our
excuses and to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in
A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were and that we have been motivated by forces
unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look with the deepest respect, interest, and profit upon the findings of psychiatry,
remembering that up to now the psychiatrists have been far more tolerant of us than we have been of them. "Bill W."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 236

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"How will I know if I've really hit my bottom?' I asked at my home group. 'When you stop digging,' they told me."
Chelsea, Mich., November 2002
"The Foundation,"
In Our Own Words

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for
the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his
spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could
not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not
work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely
die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

"It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to
futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit
these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

Then he asked for the grace to bring love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy to every human being he could.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 101

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The Way of Strength
We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think
spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength.
The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our
belief in Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, life seems so hard at times and I can hardly get through. I close my eyes and hand you my troubles for I know you can do much better than I. Thank you Lord for your blessings and kindness.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 10

New Habits
Our drinking was connected with many habits -- big and little.
Some of them were thinking habits, or things we felt inside ourselves.
Others were doing habits -- things we did, actions we took.
In getting used to not drinking, we have found that we needed new habits
to take the place of the old ones.
- Living Sober, Preface

Thought to Ponder . . .
Habits are like cork or lead -- they tend to keep you up or hold you down.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Altered Attitudes.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Sunlight
"It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment
leads only to futility and unhappiness.
To the precise extent that we permit these,
do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile.
This business of resentment is infinitely grave.
We found that it is fatal.
For when harboring such feelings
we shut ourselves off from
the sunlight of the Spirit.
The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again.
And with us, to drink is to die."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 66

Thought to Consider . . .
"I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, Jan. 1958.
The Language of the Heart, p. 238

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CALM
Can Anger Leave Me

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"But at one of these [Trustee] meetings in the early fall of 1938, Frank Amos popped up with an idea which opened the
door upon our real future. Frank said, 'One of my friends, Eugene Exman, is Religious Editor of Harper. Perhaps he
would be interested in your new book. Why don't you go down there and show him the few chapters you have
done? I'll fix it up for you.'
"So down I went to meet Gene Exman, another wonderful friend-to-be of our society. I related the tale of our struggles
and handed over to him my first attempt at authorship. While I waited Gene thoughtfully scanned the two chapters. Then
he asked, 'Could you do a whole book in this style? And how many months would it take you?' I was shaking, but I had
an answer ready: 'I believe I can do it. It will probably take nine or ten months.' Thereupon he made a proposal that was
surprising. 'If it would help things along,' he said, 'I think Harper might be willing to advance you $1,500 in royalties. This
amount would be deducted from your account when the book is finished in 1939.'
"Again in the clouds, I left Harper to break the great news to the gang."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 153-54

[B]*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"AA works on all kinds of nuts (including myself). I just needed to find the right wrench."
Oceanside, Calif., November 2013
"The Right Wrench,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Many of us felt that we had plenty of character. There was a
tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This
is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it this utter
inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the
wish."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 34~

"We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members
identify themselves with as individuals. This should be an entirely
personal affair which each one decides for himself in the light of
past associations, or his present choice."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can, And wisdom to know the difference.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 125

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Our Problem Centers in the Mind
We know as long as the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he usually reacts much like other men. We are equally
positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, in both the bodily and the mental
sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this.
These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible
cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23

Prayer For The Day: We know, Lord, that throughout our lives each of us will experience problems and difficulties. Give us courage and strength at those times and prevent us then from looking only at ourselves. Keep our vision wide so that, even in times of difficulty, we may still be of help to others. Help us not to be bitter towards people or situations, but empower us to take the initiative and break the cycle of hatred, bitterness, and evil actions. Help us to transform the difficulties that come our way into opportunities for personal growth and service of others. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 11

Steps Four and Five
If we have swept the searchlight of Step Four back and forth over our careers,
and it has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember, . .
then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday
gets more urgent than ever. We have to talk to somebody about them.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 55

Thought to Ponder . . .
Trust God. Clean house. Help others.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S T E P S = Solutions Through Each Powerful Step.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Maturity
"Many oldsters who have put our AA 'booze cure'
to severe but successful tests
still find they often lack emotional sobriety.
To attain this,
we must develop a real maturity and balance
(which is to say humility)
in our relations with ourselves,
with our fellows,
and with God."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, January 1958
As Bill Sees It, p. 244

Thought to Consider . . .
"We must find a spiritual basis of life -- or else."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 44

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
AA
Attitude Adjustment

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Inspiration
From "This Spirit Touch":
"At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God" the fleeting
feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these
moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and
make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new
awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible
in ordinary life."
AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The AA program does not recognize walls. It is immune to the conditions which break down an individual relationship,
the difference in social levels, of intellect, of experience. AA takes no heed of this. It has one primary law, help your
fellow man and do it by example rather than by instruction."
Walla Walla,Wash., February 1955
"Prisoner AA,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can
quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try
some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it
more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are
honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters
if you get a full knowledge of your condition."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

"Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn't be shy
on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are using it constantly."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85

It is worth noting that people of very high spiritual development almost always insist on checking with friends or spiritual
advisers the guidance they feel they have received from God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 60

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Obstacles in Our Path
We live in a world riddled with envy. To a greater or lesser degree, everybody is infected with it. From this defect we
must surely get a warped yet definite satisfaction. Else why would we consume so much time wishing for what we have
not, rather than working for it, or angrily looking for attributes we shall never have, instead of adjusting to the fact, and
accepting it?
Each of us would like to live at peace with himself and with his fellows. We would like to be assured that the grace of
God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
We have seen that character defects based upon shortsighted or unworthy desires are the obstacles that block our
path toward these objectives. We now clearly see that we have been making unreasonable demands upon ourselves,
upon others, and upon God.
TWELVE AND TWELVE
1. P. 67
2. P. 76

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, no matter how old I get I still feel young and niave. Grant me the wisdom to chose the right path. Guide me for I do not know the way.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 12

Absolute Certainty
The central part 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.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life is an ongoing miracle.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G I F T = God Is Forever There.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Forgiveness
"The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship
with another person,
our emotions go on the defensive.
To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another,
we resentfully focus
on the wrong he has done us.
This is especially true if he has, in fact,
behaved badly at all.
Triumphantly, we seize upon his misbehavior
as the perfect excuse for minimizing
or forgetting our own.
If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves,
why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?"
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78

Thought to Consider . . .
We are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
KISS
Keep It Simple, Surrender

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Reborn
From "Bill's Story":
"Trembling, I stepped from the hospital a broken man. Fear sobered me for a bit. Then came the insidious insanity of
that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again. Everyone became resigned to the certainty that I would have
to be shut up somewhere, or would stumble along to a miserable end. How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was
the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I
was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I'm still mystified by how I got sober, and the only answer that makes sense is that I stopped drinking through the grace
of God. I was thinking about the difference between those of us who get sober and those who are still drinking, and I
believe the difference is that we have accepted the grace that was offered. Every day, my Higher Power gives me the
grace to be sober, and every day I make the choice not to drink, to accept the grace."
La Crescenta, Calif., February 1993
"The Gift of Sobriety,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show,
humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We
are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-
pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do
not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we
did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~

"In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be
able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for
inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take
it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right
answers come after we have tried this for a while."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86

Practically every A.A. member declares that no satisfaction has been deeper and no joy greater than in a Twelfth Step job well done.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 110

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Spot-Checking
A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of disturbances can be of very great help in quieting stormy emotions.
Today's spot check finds its chief application to situations which arise in each day's march. The consideration of long-
standing difficulties had better be postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for that purpose.
The quick inventory is aimed at our daily ups and downs, especially those where people or new events throw us off
balance and tempt us to make mistakes. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 90-91

Prayer For The Day: The night has passed, the sun shines its light upon us, and the day lies open before me. As I rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence fill me with love for you and my fellow man, holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Abide with me, I pray, now and forever. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 13

Grace
I'm still mystified by how I got sober, and the only answer that makes sense
is that I stopped drinking through the grace of God.
I was thinking about the difference between those of us who get sober
and those who are still drinking,
and I believe the difference is that we have accepted the grace that was offered.
- The AA Grapevine, February, 1993

Thought to Ponder . . .
Joy is in knowing there is an answer.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G R A C E = Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Disease
"Some strongly object to the AA position
that alcoholism is an illness.
This concept, they feel, removes
moral responsibility from alcoholics.
As any AA knows, this is far from true.
We do not use the concept of sickness
to absolve our members from responsibility.
On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness
to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation
onto the sufferer,
the obligation to use AA's Twelve Steps to get well."
Bill W., Talk, 1960 As Bill Sees It, p. 32

Thought to Consider . . .
The road to recovery is always under construction.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
STEPS
Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Candor
STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
"When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of
belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved. But we soon discovered that
while we weren't alone any more in a social sense we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until
we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't
belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 57

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

While I have years of sobriety, I really only have this day."
Mesa, Ariz., February 1993
"Overcoming Depression and Fear,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no
middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was
becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which
there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives:
One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of
our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept
spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were
willing to make the effort."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"...we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun
in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132

This all meant, of course, that we had substituted negative for positive thinking.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 30

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'Privileged People'
I saw that I had been living too much alone, too much aloof from my fellows, and too deaf to that voice within. Instead of
seeing myself as a simple agent bearing the message of experience, I had thought of myself as a founder of A.A.
How much better it would have been had I felt gratitude rather than self-satisfaction--gratitude that I had once suffered
the pains of alcoholism, gratitude that a miracle of recovery had been worked upon me from above, gratitude for the
privilege of serving my fellow alcoholics, and gratitude for those fraternal ties which bound me ever closer to them in a
comradeship such as few societies of men have ever known.
Truly did a clergyman say to me, 'Your misfortune has become your good fortune. You A.A.'s are a privileged people.'
GRAPEVINE, JULY 1946

Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I honor You as my King and Lord, I submit myself to You to do Your will. Thank you, for Your love for me. I am grateful that You are a loving and forgiving God. I want to thank You also for the abundant blessings that You have given me. One of those blessings is that I can lay my head down each night and enjoy sweet sleep, and at times, You even speak to me in my dreams. It is such a blessing to have Your love, peace and joy. No amount of money can buy these blessings. I just want to say a special thanks for these gifts. Bless my brothers and sisters with Your love and guidance and lead us all into more truth. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 14

Challenges
Like most people, we have found we can take our big lumps as they come.
But also like others we often discover a greater challenge
in the lesser and more continuous problems of life.
Our answer is in still more spiritual development.
Only by this means can we improve our chances for really happy and useful living.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 144

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life is a steady drizzle of small things -- carry an umbrella.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Awesome.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Awakening
"Alcoholism is a grievous and often fatal malady
of the mind and body.
We have found that these awful conditions invariably
bring on the third phase of our malady.
This is the sickness of the spirit;
a sickness for which there must necessarily
be a spiritual remedy.
We AA's recognize this in the first five words
of Step Twelve.
Those words are:
'Having had a spiritual awakening...'
Here we name the remedy for our threefold sickness
of body, mind, and soul."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 297

Thought to Consider . .
"When the spiritual malady is overcome,
we straighten out mentally and physically."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64
.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M
People Relying On God Relaying A Message.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Sabotage
"From "Tightrope":
"After a few years, I was a nightly blackout drinker. My lover drank heavily as well, and I began to compare my drinking
with his. I argued to myself that I could not have a problem because his drinking was worse than mine at times. In fact, I
suggested that he might try A.A. When he did try this Fellowship, I did all I could to undermine his efforts to get sober
his recovery would present an obvious, if unacknowledged, threat to my drinking. Eventually, the stress became too
much and we broke up, but not before I had succeeded in undermining his recovery."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 361

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Sometimes I wonder if this illness isn't a gift rather than a problem."
Kingston, Ontario, July 1980
"A Reason for Living,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play, do not laugh much. So let each family play
together or separately as much as their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make-
believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream
world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a
growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. We have come
to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him,
but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where
our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done.
These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible
between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 130~

All of A.A.’s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 55

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The Individual's Rights
We believe there isn't a fellowship on earth which devotes more care to its individual members; surely there is none
which more jealously guards the individual's right to think, talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do
anything; nobody can be punished or expelled.
Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single
'Don't.' They repeatedly say, 'We ought . . .' but never 'You must!
Though it is traditional that our Fellowship may not coerce anyone, let us not suppose even for an instant that we are
not under constraint. Indeed, we are under enormous coercion--the kind that comes in bottles. Our former tyrant, King
Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him.
'Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great 'must' that has to be achieved, else we go mad or die.'
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 129
2. LETTER, 1966

Prayer For The Day: Simple Thanks -
For our restful sleep at night,
for the rain and sunshine bright,
For the love that Thou dost send,
For our homes and for each friend,
For the day and all its pleasures,
Grateful thanks I render now.
May our lives pass on the blessings,
None can give to us, but Thou.
Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 15

An Open Mind
Reluctantly, I opened my mind to the fact that maybe, just maybe,
there was something to this spiritual lifestyle.
Slowly, but surely, I realized there was indeed a Power greater than myself,
and I soon found myself with a full-time God in my life and following a spiritual path
that didn't conflict with my personal religious convictions.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 287

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life will take on new meaning.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Conflict
"My conflicts went right on mounting
because I was simply loaded with excuses and refusals.
When these troubles had finally exhausted me enough,
there was yet another escape.
I would commence to wallow in the bog of guilt.
Here pride and rebellion would give way to depression.
My main theme always was, 'How god-awful I am.'
There was never a decent regret for the harms I had done,
nor was there any serious thought of making such
restitution as I could.
The idea of asking God's forgiveness,
let alone any forgiveness of myself,
never occurred to me.
My really big liability - spiritual pride and arrogance-
was not examined at all.
I had shut out the light by which I might have seen it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 257-8

Thought to Consider . . .
Simply asking for help seems to be a help in itself.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
HOW
Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness: that's how we do it

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Disease
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"We know of course that the alcoholic is a sick person. That is a very simple phrase. It is today a phrase that is widely
and generally accepted, and yet you and I know that it was not so long ago that the alcoholic was regarded as a
nuisance, a pest, a person who could snap out of it if he really wanted to. He was regarded as a spoiled brat and a no-
good. Today we know that he is an individual who is sick, and we know that he is sick in an area of which our
understanding is perhaps the least of any area in medicine, namely, illness of the emotions. “ Dr. W.W. Bauer, 1955"
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 239

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"During days and nights of darkness as I face the demons of self, the knowledge that my God is always in charge keeps
me trudging to the end of each journey. With God, AA, and willingness I can meet the other me and begin putting my
fractured self together again."
Cleveland, Ohio, February 1993
"Facing the Truth,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider
another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate,
was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with
Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative
Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of
things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and
direction, provided we took other simple steps."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction
of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of
Light who presides over us all."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Victory in Defeat
Convinced I never could belong, and vowing I'd never settle for any second-rate status, I felt I simply had to dominate in
everything I chose to do: work or play. As this attractive formula for the good life began to succeed, according to my
then specifications of success, I became deliriously happy.
But when an undertaking occasionally did fail, I was filled with resentment and depression that could be cured only by
the next triumph. Very early, therefore, I came to value everything in terms of victory or defeat--'all or nothing.' The only
satisfaction I knew was to win.
Only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal
powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built.
1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 21

Prayer For The Day: Loving Lord, inspire me to bring out the best in others and “touch hearts” by being welcoming and generous and always positive in attitude, showing individuals that they matter and are important. May those who are part of my life this day treat me in the same way as I treat them. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

May 16

The Answer
It finally became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me
had done nothing of the sort.
He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came.
His answer was threefold: the opportunity for a life of sobriety;
Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety;
fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me each twenty-four hour day.
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 11

Thought to Ponder . . .
Joy is in knowing there is an answer.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Answer Available.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Martyrdom
"Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and
consuming defects that we know.
It is a bar to all spiritual progress
and can cut off all effective communication
with our fellows
because of its inordinate demands
for attention and sympathy.
It is a maudlin form of martyrdom,
which we can ill afford."
Bill W., Letter, 1966
As Bill Sees It, p. 238

Thought to Consider . . .
I can't have a better tomorrow
if I am thinking about yesterday all the time.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
PEACE
Praying Energetically Always Creates Ease

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Real
From "Because I'm an Alcoholic":
"A.A. is my home now, and it is everywhere. I go to meetings when I travel here or in foreign countries, and the people
are family I can know because of what we share. As I write this, in my twenty-eighth year of sobriety, I am amazed to
look back and remember the woman or child. I was then, to see how far I've come out of that abyss. Alcoholics
Anonymous has enabled me to move from fantasies about what I might do with my life into living it, one day at a time."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 346

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I believe most of us would agree that the general idea of anonymity is sound, because it encourages alcoholics and the
families of alcoholics to approach us for help. Still fearful of being stigmatized, they regard our anonymity as an
assurance their problems will be kept confidential; that the alcoholic skeleton in the family closet will not wander in the streets."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., March 1946
"Our Anonymity Is Both Inspiration and Safety"
The Language of the Heart

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for
the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his
spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could
not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not
work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely
die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

"Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more
alcoholics than anything else."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

When our inventory is carefully taken, and we have made peace with ourselves, the conviction follows that tomorrow’s
challenges can be met as they come.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 89

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Giving Up Defects
Looking at those defects we are unwilling to give up, we ought to erase the hard and fast lines that we have drawn.
Perhaps in some cases we shall say, 'This I cannot give up yet. . .' But we should not say to ourselves, 'This I will never give up!'
The moment we say, 'No, never!' our minds close against the grace of God. Such rebellion may be fatal. Instead, we
should abandon limited objectives and begin to move toward God's will for us. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 68-69

Prayer For The Day: Oh God, hold me in the palm of your hand. I pray that you will mold me into what you want me to be. May I joyfully fill the role you have given to me and feel your peace deep in my soul, today and always, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

May 17

Blessings
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 -- until then.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 164

Thought to Ponder . . .
Trust God. Clean house. Help others.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G O D = Good Orderly Direction.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Fear
"This short word somehow touches
about every aspect of our lives.
It was an evil and corroding thread;
the fabric of our existence was shot through with it.
It set in motion trains of circumstances which
brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve.
But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling?
Sometimes we think fear
ought to be classed with stealing.
It seems to cause more trouble."
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 67-8.

Thought to Consider . . .
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows,
but only empties today of its strength.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R = Forever Escaping And Retreating

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Literature
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"My elation was disturbed by disquieting thoughts. Suppose our embryo book were someday to become the chief text
for our fellowship. Our principal written asset would then be owned by an outside publisher, a fine and conservative one
surely, but nevertheless an outsider.
"Soon afterward, one of the most terrific power-drivers I have ever met got into the act. This was my friend Henry P.,
one-time Standard Oil executive and the very first alcoholic ever to stay sober even a little while in the New York group.
¦'Why don't we put this proposed book on a business basis and form a stock company? Let's sell shares to our own
folks right here in New York.' . . .
"I went back to [Harper's Editor and A.A. friend] Gene Exman and frankly explained to him what was about to happen. To
my utter amazement, he agreed, quite contrary to his own interest, that a society like ours ought to control and publish
its own literature."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 154-55

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"AA's greatest power is not in the program itself, but in the examples of the men [and women] who have followed it."
Walla Walla,Wash., February 1955
"Prisoner AA,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step
of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never
attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it
could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a
strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves
which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had
to get down to causes and conditions.
Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~

"The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 83~

Most of us would declare that without a fearless admission of our defects to another human being we could not stay sober.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 57

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Beyond Agnosticism
We of agnostic temperament found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness
to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us
to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.
'Many people soberly assure me that man has no better place in the universe than that of another completing organism,
fighting its way through life only to perish in the end. Hearing this, I feel that I still prefer to cling to the so-called illusion of
religion, which in my own experience has meaningfully told me something very different.'
1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 46
2. LETTER, 1946

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, there are times in my life when I seem to be getting no where, when I am forced to mark time. Help me to learn the hard lesson of patience, and to put my trust in You. ... Help me to use these times wisely, to sort out my relationship with You, and to gain a new perspective, that I may set more realistic goals, which will be pleasing to You. Give me patience to await Your timing. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

May 18

Act of Providence
It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds
into such an obsession for destructive drinking
that only an act of Providence can remove it from us.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21

Thought to Ponder . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Sponsor
"If we are fooling ourselves,
a competent adviser can see this quickly.
And, as he skillfully guides us away from our fantasies,
we are surprised to find that we have few
of the usual urges to defend ourselves
against unpleasant truths.
In no other way can fear, pride,
and ignorance be so readily melted.
After a time, we realize that we are standing firm
on a brand-new foundation for integrity,
and we gratefully credit our sponsors,
whose advice pointed the way."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, August 1961.
As Bill Sees It, p. 248

Thought to Consider . . .
A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor is much like leaving Dracula in charge of the blood bank.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R D S =
Call your sponsor,
Ask for help from your Higher Power,
Read the Big Book,
Do the Twelve Steps,
Stay active in your group.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Roles
From "Action and Patience":
"I heard that we can't keep what we have unless we give it away. And so I found a woman someone a little newer than I
was and I shared with her what you had shared with me. Looking back on it, I doubt that I helped this woman very much,
but I helped myself beyond measure. I stayed sober, day by day, through sharing my experience, strength, and hope
with her, through putting action into the A.A. program while, at the same time, waiting for her, not forcing my action on
her. This was patience supporting the action, though I didn't call it patience at the time; the word was not a part of my
emotional vocabulary."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 42

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevinek Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"My home group's primary purpose is to carry the AA message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Some of those have
much sobriety, because the alcoholic who still suffers is not necessarily a newcomer. However, when newcomers do
show up at our home group we try to focus our discussion on what's in the Big Book and how it can help them if they
are willing to follow some simple suggestions."
Paso Robles, Calif., May 1998
"The Cement That Binds Us,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"The minute we put our work on a service plane, the alcoholic
commences to rely upon our assistance rather than upon God. He
clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until
his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job,
wife or no wife, we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of
dependence on God."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~

"We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth
dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~

Every newcomer in Alcoholics Anonymous is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of
powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 72

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Two Roads for the Old-timer
The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as 'elder statesmen' and 'bleeding deacons.'
The elder statesman sees the wisdom of the group's decision to run itself and holds no resentment over his reduced
status. His judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound; he is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments.
The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him. He constantly connives for
re-election to office and continues to be consumed with self-pity. Nearly every old-timer in our Society has gone through
this process in some degree. Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statemen. They become the real
and permanent leadership of A.A. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 135

Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you that I am well, and strong and able to work. I do appreciate the work You have called me to do. Lord, sometimes I do get weary, but help me not to complain. I am most blessed to be Your child and I thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, use each of us to reach out to those that do not have the blessings that we have. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

May 19

Prayer
Prayer has become a habit with me. Anytime is the time for prayer:
in the street, in the factory, sitting still, walking about, or actively engaged upon some task.
I must always bear in mind that, like a good parent, God often says no.
And the simplest prayer is "God, thank you, thank you."
I have so much to be thankful for, and sobriety tops the list.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 192

Thought to Ponder . . .
God never answers a question that starts with "why."

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A S A P = Always Say A Prayer.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Attitudes
"We find that our old attitudes toward our instincts
need to undergo drastic revisions.
Our desires for emotional security and wealth,
for personal prestige and power,
for romance, and for family satisfactions -
all these have to be tempered and redirected.
If we place instincts first,
we have got the cart before the horse;
we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment.
But when we are willing to place
spiritual growth first -
then and only then do we have a real chance."
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 114

Thought to Consider . . .
I have learned that my actions are far more important than my thoughts.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
EGO
Easing God Out

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Open
From "A Vision for You":
"But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old
scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and
securing jobs for each other, when justified these are everyday occurrences. No one is too discredited or has sunk too
low to be welcomed cordially if he means business. Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies these are laughed
out of countenance. Being wrecked in the same vessel, being restored and united under one God, with hearts and
minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things which matter so much to some people no longer signify much to
them. How could they?"
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 161

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Each day I feel myself growing in recovery. I can honestly say I'm happier now than ever before in my adult life."
Palmdale, Calif., July 1992
"An Unexpected Shot at Life,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"But my friend sat before me, and he made the pointblank declaration
that God had done for him what he could not do for himself. His
human will had failed. Doctors had pronounced him incurable.
Society was about to lock him up. Like myself, he had admitted
complete defeat. Then he had, in effect, been raised from the dead,
suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than
the best he had ever known!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 11~

3rd Step Prayer:
"God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to 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!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~

So, practicing these Steps, we had a spiritual awakening about which finally there was no question.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 109

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Basis of All Humility
For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for
just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible.
This was true even when we believed that God existed. We could actually have earnest religious beliefs which
remained barren because we were still trying to play God ourselves. As long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine
reliance upon a Higher Power was out of the question.
That basic ingredient of all humility, a desire to seek and do God's will, was missing. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 72

Prayer For The Day: Lord our God, we thank you that we have often felt you close to us. We thank you that you are near us and that you strengthen the weak. Remember us and give each one the help he needs to be true to his calling. Remember all mankind and grant that we may go forward in spirit and in truth. Give new light to the peoples who are still in great darkness. Let your kingdom and your reign be revealed and your name at last be honored by all. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

May 20

Change
I tried to change the time and place and amount of my drinking.
I tried to change my environment, my place of living -- like most of us
who at one time or another think that our trouble is geography rather than whiskey.
I even entertained the idea of changing wives.
I tried to change everything and everybody, except myself -- the only thing I could change.
- Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 153

Thought to Ponder . . .
If nothing changes, nothing changes.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Communicate
"From the beginning,
communication in AA has been no ordinary transmission
of helpful ideas and attitudes.
It has been unusual and sometimes unique.
Because of our kinship in suffering,
and because our common means of deliverance
are effective for ourselves only when
constantly carried to others,
our channels of contact have always been charged with
the language of the heart."
Bill W., July 1960
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 243

Thought to Consider . . .
To help each other, is to help ourselves.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Honesty
STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
"More realism and therefore more honesty about ourselves are the great gains we make under the influence of Step
Five. As we took inventory, we began to suspect how much trouble self-delusion had been causing us. This had
brought a disturbing reflection. If all our lives we had more or less fooled ourselves, how could we now be so sure that
we weren't still self-deceived? How could we be certain that we had made a true catalog of our defects and had really
admitted them, even to ourselves? Because we were still bothered by fear, self-pity, and hurt feelings, it was probable
we couldn't appraise ourselves fairly at all. Too much guilt and remorse might cause us to dramatize and exaggerate
our shortcomings. Or anger and hurt pride might be the smoke screen under which we were hiding some of our defects
while we blamed others for them. Possibly, too, we were still handicapped by many liabilities, great and small, we never
knew we had.
"Hence it was most evident that a solitary self-appraisal, and the admission of our defects based upon that alone,
wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about
ourselves the help of God and another human being."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 58-59

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Through Step Five, God has removed my shame about being an alcoholic."
Syracuse, N.Y., May 2001
"Lifting the Burden,"
Step By Step

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

"I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do
with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and
direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was
nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and
became willing to have my new found Friend take them away, root and branch."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 13~

“Beginning with Step Four, we commenced to search out the things in ourselves which had brought us to physical,
moral, and spiritual bankruptcy.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 107

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Defects and Repairs
More than most people, the alcoholics leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his
stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his
heart he doesn't deserve it.
Guilt is really the reverse side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of others.
The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damages that occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to look at
them in a true perspective. This has the effect of taking the ground glass out of us, the emotional substance that still
cuts and inhibits.

Prayer For The Day: Lord God, I do earnestly pray that thou wilt give me strength to break away, if I may be trying to free myself from habits that mar my character. May I not lose courage and fall back in the old ways, but by faith be led where I should go. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

May 21

Anger
If we were to live, we had to be free of anger.
The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us.
They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 66

Thought to Ponder . . .
Anger rules nothing except itself.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Avoid Anger.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Defiance
"'As psychiatrists have often observed,
defiance is the outstanding characteristic of
many an alcoholic.
When we encountered AA,
the fallacy of our defiance was revealed.
At no time had we asked what God's will was for us;
instead we had been telling Him what it ought to be.
No man, we saw,
could believe in God and defy Him, too.
Belief meant reliance, not defiance.
In AA we saw the fruits of this belief:
men and women spared from alcohol's final catastrophe.'"
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 31

Thought to Consider . . .
While it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
SIT
Stay In Today

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Beginning
From "Tightrope":
"My sponsor was a living damper on my intolerance. But even more, he told me that it would be all right for me to doubt
God, that A.A. was not a religious program and, to belong, I did not have to adhere to any set of beliefs.
"He suggested that for me a good starting point would simply be recognition of the fact that I had failed in running the
world in short, acceptance of the fact that I was not God. He also suggested that I might try occasionally to act as if I
believed. Somewhere I had heard that it is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a
new way of acting, and this made sense in the context of 'acting as if.'"
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 366

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I can recognize that I'm caught up in my will when I desperately struggle to slam a square peg into a round hole. That's
the time for me to back off and trust that God's will is far better than mine."
Elloree, S.C., November 2013
"Square Peg, Round Hole,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found
we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always
followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~

"More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very
much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character.
This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a
certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn't deserve it."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 73~

So, practicing these Steps, we had a spiritual awakening about which finally there was no question.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 109

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'Restore Us to Sanity'
Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are, or, seeing their irrationality, can bear
to face it. For example, some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,' but cannot endure the suggestion
that they are in fact mentally ill.
They are abetted in this blindness by a world which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and
alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior,
whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself.

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, grant me the strength to get through today. Grant me your wisdom to handle situations I cannot control.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 22

The Book
By 1937, some of us realized that AA needed a standard literature.
There would have to be a book. . .
Well, we did quarrel violently over the preparation and distribution of that AA Book.
In fact, it took five years for the clamor to die down.
Should any AA's dream that the old-timers who put the Book together
went about in serene meditation and white robes, then they had best forget it.
The inspiration that readers now say they find in the volume
must have got there by the grace of God only!
- The Language of the Heart, p. 133

Thought to Ponder . . .
Walk softly and carry a Big Book.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
B I G B O O K = Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Daily Reprieve
"It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action
and rest on our laurels.
We are headed for trouble if we do,
for alcohol is a subtle foe.
We are not cured of alcoholism.
What we really have is a daily reprieve
contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 85

Thought to Consider . . .
The road to recovery is always under construction.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ACTION
Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Inspiration
From "This Spirit Touch":
"At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God the fleeting
feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these
moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and
make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new
awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible
in ordinary life."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Over the years I've gone to different types of groups to meet different needs in my life or to share experience, strength,
and hope about a particular problem I was struggling with. Some days I've been part of the solution for another suffering
alcoholic; other days I've been the one who was suffering.
"Thanks to our Fifth Tradition, no matter what my needs or my location I can find an AA group where I can talk about --
and listen to -- not drinking one day at a time, practicing the principles in all of my affairs, and being happily and usefully whole."
Kensington, Md., May 1996
"A Consistent Message,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"It did not satisfy us to be told that we could not control our
drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in
full flight from reality, or were outright mental defectives. These
things were true to some extent, in fact, to a considerable extent
with some of us. But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as
well. In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out
this physical factor is incomplete."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxvi~

"We have begun to comprehend their futility and their fatality. We
have commenced to see their terrible destructiveness. We have begun
to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our
enemies, for we look on them as sick people."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Pg. 70~

And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of
vitally needed support.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 97

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

God-Given Instincts
Creation gave us instincts for a purpose. Without them we wouldn't be complete human beings. If men and women
didn't exert themselves to be secure in their persons, made no effort to harvest food or construct shelter, there would
be no survival. If they didn't reproduce, the earth wouldn't be populated. If there were no social instinct, there would be no society.
Yet these instincts, so necessary for our existence, often far exceed their proper functions. Powerfully, blindly, many
times subtly, they drive us, dominate us, and insist upon ruling our lives.
We tried to shape a sane ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test: Was it selfish or not? We
asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God-
given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly nor to be despised and loathed.

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, thank you for all that you do. I ask you to forgive me when I judge others. Help me be more understanding and forgiving as no one is perfect, least of all me.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 23

One Day At A Time
I was a very good student of alcoholism. I studied for twenty-four years.
My habit patterns became totally based on how to continue drinking day in and day out.
I became a past master of denial, an artist with self-pity,
and by the time I heard the thumping of dirt and pebbles
as they would soon be shoveled onto the lid of my coffin, the habit patterns
had become permanent and I couldn't stop drinking even when I wanted to. . .
Thank goodness, I was told at meetings that I could now live one day at a time.
- AA Around The World, p. 65

Thought to Ponder . . .
If I don't drink today, I have the hope of a tomorrow.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
O D A A T = One Day At A Time.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Acceptance
"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed, it is because I find
some person, place, thing, or situation
- some fact of my life -
unacceptable to me, and I can find
no serenity until I accept that person,
place, thing, or situation as being exactly
the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens
in God's world by mistake.
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms,
I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much on what
needs to be changed in the world
as on what needs to be changed
in me and in my attitudes."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 4th Edition
Note: Dr. Paul O., author of these words, passed away 5.12.00.

Thought to Consider . . .
"My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance."
Dr. Paul O., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ABC
Acceptance, Belief, Change

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Inspiration
>From "This Spirit Touch":
"At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God, the fleeting
feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these
moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and
make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new
awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible
in ordinary life."

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The word 'alcoholic' does not turn me off anymore; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me."
July 1975
"One of Those Bad Cons Nobody Can Reach,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation
of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to
alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~

"First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~

Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only by being willing to take advice and accept direction could we
set foot on the road to straight thinking, solid honesty, and genuine humility.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 59

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Within A.A., I suppose, we shall always quarrel a good bit. Mostly, I think, about how to do the greatest good for the
greatest number of drunks. We shall have our childish spats and snits over small questions of money management and
who is going to run our groups for the next six months. Any bunch of growing children (and that is what we are) would
hardly be in character if they did less.
These are the growing pains of infancy, and we actually thrive on them. Surmounting such problems, in A.A.'s rather
rugged school of life, is a healthy exercise.

Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you that You called me to be Your servant. Lord, give me the grace to serve You well. I do thank You for Your wisdom also. Guide me daily in the things that I must do and show me my priorities. Help me to be sensitive to the needs of those around me. Lord, I am looking to You to meet all of my needs. Give me peace and confidence when I must deal with situations that are difficult for me. May I speak the truth in love and be open myself for correction when You see something in my life that needs changing. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 24

Our Third Legacy: Service
All I thought about as I was making the coffee was making the coffee
and how people could enjoy it.
At my sponsor's suggestion, I stood near the coffeepot
and welcomed everyone who came by.
I must have experienced a million smiles in a very short time.
And when I pushed the broom all I concentrated on
was the dust rising from it as I moved across the floor.
My troubles were gone for the time that I was doing these things.
And so it can be for you. If you can't live and you can't die, make coffee.
- The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA, p. 65

Thought to Ponder . . .
Into service out of self.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Ashtrays, Brooms, Coffee.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Compulsion
"It helped me a great deal to become convinced
that alcoholism was a disease,
not a moral issue;
that I had been drinking as a result of a compulsion,
even though I had not been aware
of the compulsion at the time;
and that sobriety was not a matter of willpower.
I was afraid to let go of what I had
in order to try something new;
there was a certain sense of security in the familiar.
At last, acceptance proved to be the key
to my drinking problem.
When I stopped living in the problem
and began living in the answer,
the problem went away."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 4th Edition

Thought to Consider . . .
I have learned what a heart full of gratitude feels like.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
PACE
Positive Attitudes Change Everything

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"To mollify the Trustees it was decided that the author's royalty [for the 'Big Book'] which would ordinarily be mine could go to the Alcoholic Foundation. I have now forgotten just what his hopes were, but they were fantastic. I
was not quite so optimistic, but I did feel sure that the proceeds of the book would enable several of us to become full-
time workers and to set up a general headquarters for our society. Whether this worked out or not, I was nevertheless
convinced that our fellowship ought to own and control its own literature."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 157

[B]*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"While wealth and authority lie at the foundation of many a noble institution, we of AA now apprehend, and thoroughly
well, that these things are not for us. Have we not found that one man's meat is often another man's poison?"
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1947
"Will AA Ever Have a Personal Government?"
The Language of the Heart

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn't."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~

Surrounded by so many A.A. friends, these so-called loners tell us they no longer feel alone.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 120

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Most surely, there can be no trust where there is no love, nor can there be real love where distrust holds its malign sway.
'But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would be folly.
Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would
trust. Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation.
'However, this inventory needs to be taken in a spirit of understanding and love. Nothing can so much bias our judgment
as the negative emotions of suspicion, jealousy, or anger.
'Having vested our confidence in another person, we ought to let him know of our full support. Because of this, more
often than not he will respond magnificently, and far beyond our first expectations.'

Prayer For The Day: Lord Jesus, you promised to be with your people always, and so we know that you are with us in good times and bad. Nothing that ever happens to us can separate us from your love. Help us always to be positive in our attitude that we may seek and find the best in people and in situations, and so draw good out of all that happens to us. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 25

Honesty
Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is.
Therefore, each of us has to achieve what this great ideal may be -- to the best of our ability.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 66

Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Choices
"Our necessities are certainly immense and compelling.
Each of us must conform reasonably well
to AA's Steps and Traditions,
or else we shall go mad or die of alcoholism.
Therefore the compulsion among most of us
to survive and grow soon becomes far stronger
than the temptation to drink or misbehave.
Literally, we must 'do or die.'
So we make the choice to live.
This, in turn, means the choice of AA
principles, practices, and attitudes.
This is our first great and critical choice.
Admittedly, this is made under the fearful and immediate
lash of John Barleycorn, the killer.
Plainly enough, this first choice is far more a necessity
than it is an act of virtue."
Bill W., May 1960
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 301-2

Thought to Consider . . .
It was either AA or amen.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

AA
Attitude Adjustment

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Healing
From "We Walk This Way":
"Our A.A. friends also had this positive belief in the child's recovery. They did their best to revive my fast-dying energies,
and these positive forces of loving faith caused me to reassess my progress in the A.A. program. I was sober, but had I
turned my will over to the care of God as I understood Him? What was I doing about 'conscious contact' with my Higher
Power? Was the Tenth Step part of my daily life or only a once-tried effort?
"Most of the answers were negative. This meant that, while my daughter might be in a hopeless situation physically, I
was functioning in a way destined to retard any progress she might make spiritually and mentally. There was no other
solution than to get out of the child's way and work on myself."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 107-08

*~*~*~*~*^Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~*

"We are not a sociological entity, although sociologists find us fascinating. We are not a therapy group, although
remarkable healing takes place among us. And we are not a religion, even though some people want to see us as such
... We are a spiritual entity."
May 2006
"Tradition Five: What a Group 'Ought' to Be,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to
a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we
shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or
hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it.
After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a
symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We
have to!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~

"Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to
find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and
direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal
consequences may be."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 79~

Almost from the beginning, we have been positive that face-to-face work with the alcoholic who suffers could be based
only on the desire to help and be helped.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 166

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Learning how to live in the greatest peace, partnership, and brotherhood with all men and women, of whatever
description, is a moving and fascinating adventure.
But every A.A. has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and
really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake.
The readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of others at
the same time, is the very spirit of Step nine.
TWELVE AND TWELVE
1. P. 77
2. P. 87

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, thank you for today and all that you do. I love you Lord with all my heart. Please help me show this love to others as I go about the day.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 26

Self-will
I can recognize that I'm caught up in my will
when I desperately struggle to slam a square peg into a round hole.
That's the time for me to back off and trust that God's will is far better than mine.
- The AA Grapevine, November, 2013

Thought to Ponder . . .
If I self-forget I find.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Honesty

"Rarely have we seen a person fail
who has thoroughly followed our path.
Those who do not recover are people
who cannot or will not give themselves
to this simple program,
usually men and women who are
constitutionally incapable of
being honest with themselves.
There are such unfortunates.
They are not at fault;
they seem to have been born that way.
They are naturally incapable of
grasping and developing a manner of living
which demands rigorous honesty.
Their chances are less than average.
There are those, too, who suffer from
grave emotional and mental disorders,
but many of them do recover
if they have the capacity to be honest."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58

Thought to Consider . . .

Every recovery from alcoholism
began with one sober hour.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
GOD
Give Others Dignity

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Completeness
From "Into Action":
"This is perhaps difficult especially discussing our defects with another person. We think we have done well enough in admitting these things to ourselves. In actual practice, we usually find a solitary self-appraisal insufficient. Many of us thought it necessary to go much further. We will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves with another person when we see good reasons why we should do so. The best reason first: If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 72-73

*~*~*~*~*^Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~*

AA is not a separate country, cut off from the mainland of the real world; it is the schoolroom I missed somewhere along the line ... a treasure house of other people's experience, strength and hope."
Norman, Okla., July 1992
"Out of This World,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and
attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without
recovery we would have lost both home and business."
Alcoholics Anonymous, To Employers, pg. 143

"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."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164

“The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear – primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 76

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Perhaps more often than we think, we make no contact at depth with alcoholics who are suffering the dilemma of no faith.
Certainly none are more sensitive to spiritual cocksureness, pride, and aggression than they are. I'm sure this is something we too often forget.
In A.A.'s first years, I all but ruined the whole undertaking with this sort of unconscious arrogance. God as I understood Him had to be for everybody. Sometimes my aggression was subtle and sometimes it was crude. But either way it was damaging--perhaps fatally so--to numbers of nonbelievers.
Of course this sort of thing isn't confined to Twelfth Step work. It is very apt to leak out into our relations with everybody. Even now, I catch myself chanting that same old barrier-building refrain: 'Do as I do, believe as I do--or else!'

Prayer For The Day: Day by Day
Day by day, dear Lord of you
Three things I pray:
To see you more clearly,
To love you more dearly,
To follow you more nearly,
Day by day.
- St. Richard of Chichester

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AA Thought for the Day

May 27

Inspiration
In thinking about our day we may face indecision.
We may not be able to determine which course to take.
Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision.
We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle.
We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 86

Thought to Ponder . . .
I asked from the heart, and I received.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
J F T = Just For Today.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Fact
"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 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."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25

Thought to Consider . . .
Patience with others is Love,
Patience with self is Hope,
Patience with God is Faith.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FEAR
Failure Expected And Received

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Priorities
From "He Lived Only to Drink":
"I was also able to realize that this bonfire of resentment and rage was beckoning me to pick up a drink and plunge in to
my death. Then I realized that I had to separate my sobriety from everything else that was going on in my life. No matter
what happened or didn't happen, I couldn't drink. In fact, none of these things that I was going through had anything to do
with my sobriety; the tides of life flow endlessly for better or worse, both good and bad, and I cannot allow my sobriety to
become dependent on these ups and downs of living. Sobriety must live a life of its own."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 450-51

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I have learned in the program not to listen to the voice of my ego when it starts whispering things."
Clayton, Calif., May 2012
"Uprooted,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going
to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception
and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to
the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability
to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a
gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard
enough and long enough to drink like other people!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

"The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost
the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes
practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring
into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the
suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are
without defense against the first drink."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~

Alcoholics especially should be able to see that instinct run wild in
themselves is the underlying cause of their destructive drinking.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 44

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

We can be grateful for every agency or method that tries to solve the problem of alcoholism--whether of medicine,
religion, education, or research. We can be open-minded toward all such efforts and we can be sympathetic when the
ill-advised ones fail. We can remember that A.A. itself ran for years on 'trial and error.'
As individuals, we can and should work with those that promise success--even a little success.
Every one of the pioneers in the total field of alcoholism will generously say that had it not been for the living proof of
recovery in A.A., they could not have gone on. A.A. was the lodestar of hope and help that kept them at it.

Prayer For The Day: Prayers for Those Torn by Alcohol and Drugs - I pray, O God of hope, for all persons and families whose lives are torn and disrupted by drugs and alcohol. Enable them to identify the illness. Strengthen them to seek help. Bless them with the power of your love, which imparts transformation and wholeness to those who trust in your name. Grant that as they walk this tortured road, they may journey together, bound close together in the bond of love. Shine your light upon them, Lord Christ, that they may see the path out of their misery, and give them the strength to follow it. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 28

Resentments
If you have a resentment you want to be free of,
if you will pray for the person or the thing that you resent, you will be free.
If you will ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 552

Thought to Ponder . . .
We are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Attitude Adjustment.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Prayer
"On awakening let us think about
the twenty-four hours ahead.
We consider our plans for the day.
Before we begin,
we ask God to direct our thinking,
especially asking that it be
divorced from self-pity,
dishonest or self-seeking motives."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 86

Thought to Consider . . .
Faith dares the soul to go beyond
what the eyes can see.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CRAP
Carry Resentments Against People

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Humility
STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
"Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility a word often
misunderstood. To those who have made progress in A.A., it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really
are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. Therefore, our first practical move toward humility
must consist of recognizing our deficiencies."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 58

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The most beautiful gifts of my life come to me in packages I do not recognize at first glance. In fact, I often don't see
them until I've stumbled over them. Yet I know that when I go about my business in service to AA and to others these
gifts will appear, usually in the most unexpected places."
Costa Mesa, Calif., February 1993
"The Gift of Sobriety,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which
is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in
everlasting ignorance, that principle is contempt prior to
investigation.'"
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual
Experience, pg. 568

"Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and
fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We
discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we
have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone
we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84

To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When I am felling depressed, I repeat to myself statements such as these: 'Pain is the touchstone of progress.'...'Fear
no evil....'This, too, will pass.'...'This experience can be turned to benefit.'
These fragments of prayer bring far more than mere comfort. They keep me on the track of right acceptance; they
break up my compulsive themes of guilt, depression, rebellion, and pride; and sometimes they endow me with the
courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, our time on earth is short. Please help me realize that it is not the amount of time, but the quality of the time I spend that counts.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 29

Foundation Stones
One thing I've learned in AA is not to be an alarmist.
Still, around the groups I attend, it does seem
that we AA's sometimes get a little funny about the Traditions.
That's what prompted me to wonder: What would happen if we all decided
to let somebody else safeguard these twelve foundation stones?
If you woke up one morning, and found there was simply no more AA,
where would that leave you? Yeah, that's the feeling I got, too.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], p. 219

Thought to Ponder . . .
The Twelve Steps tell us how it works;
the Twelve Traditions tell us why it works.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
T R U S T = Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Freedom
"So far, upon the total problem of several million
actual and potential alcoholics in the world,
we have made only a scratch.
In all probability, we shall never be able to touch
more than a fair fraction of the alcohol problem
in all its ramifications.
Upon therapy for the alcoholic himself,
we surely have no monopoly.
Yet it is our great hope that all those
who have as yet found no answer
may begin to find one in the pages of this book
and will presently join us on
the highroad to a new freedom."
Foreword to Second Edition
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. xx-xxi

Thought to Consider....
"Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom from our fatal obsession."
Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 139

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
SOBRIETY
Stay Off Booze Recovery Is Everything To You

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Surrender
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"In medicine, we have learned a great deal about the physical treatment of the alcoholic. We have learned about
nutrition and the importance of a fully rounded diet, and vitamins and minerals. But we do know that these things are
necessary in the physical treatment and rehabilitation of the alcoholic. We know also that various kinds of drying out and
other forms of therapy have failed. They are not enough by themselves. We need something more.
"We know also that religious exhortation has failed, as has exhortation from people who have no grasp of the problem,
who oversimplify, people in whose view an alcoholic is a person who is perpetually thirsty with a fierce craving for
alcohol, people who do not know that a great many alcoholics hate alcohol worse than poison when they are sober,
because they know that it is poison.
"[A]s time went on I became less and less astonished as I saw the effectiveness of your work, as I saw a man of great
talent, a close friend of mine, a man who was almost on the verge of genius. I saw alcohol make its insidious inroads
upon his career, upon his relationships with his family and children, upon his standing in the community.
"I saw him on the verge of losing his job, and I saw him lose his job; and then I saw him surrender. I saw him throw up
his hands and quit, saying, 'I can't do it by myself. I've got to have help.' And with the spiritual help of his clergyman and
A.A., I have seen that man come back to a commanding position in his field, a man who is as sober today, as clear-
eyed and bright, as any person in this audience." Dr. W. W. Bauer, 1955
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 241-43

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Whatever strengthens the spirituality of the group strengthens my spirituality, and vice versa."
May 2006
"Tradition Five: What a Group 'Ought' to Be"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones.
Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will
make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every
imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery,
followed always by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are
familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a
normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish
this, but it hasn't done so yet."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 30~

"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all
you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't
waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90

Meditation is something which can always be further developed.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 101

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confusion of shortcomings which the Steps
require. But we saw that the program really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness 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 our feet.
Implicit throughout A.A.s Traditions is the confession that our Fellowship has its sins. We admit that we have character
defects as a society and that these defects threaten us continually. our Traditions are a guide to better ways of working
and living, and they are to group survival and harmony what A.A.s Twelve Steps are to each member's sobriety and
peace of mind.

Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I am thankful for the wonderful ways in which You take care of me. I do appreciate Your watchcare over my family and friends. Lord, I do desire to remain humble in my dealings with others who oppose me. Give me Your grace and wisdom when I must handle controversy. May I be humble when I am tested in this way and trust You to defend me instead of getting into contention with others. Lord, bless those who are reading this today and strengthen them to do Your will. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 30

Attitudes
Our old attitudes toward our instincts need to undergo drastic revisions.
Our desires for emotional security and wealth, for personal prestige and power,
for romance, and for family satisfactions -- all these have to be tempered and redirected. . .
If we place instincts first, we have got the cart before the horse;
we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 114

Thought to Ponder . . .
New ideals and new attitudes bring a new life.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Attitude Adjustment.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Unity

" 'Practically never have I heard a heated religious, political,
or reform argument among AA members.
So long as we don't argue these matters privately,
it's a cinch we never shall publicly.'
As by some deep instinct, we AA's have known
from the very beginning that we must never,
no matter what the provocation,
publicly take sides in any fight, even a worthy one. . .
. . . We do not enter into public controversy,
because we know that our Society will perish if it does.
We conceive the survival and spread
of Alcoholics Anonymous to be
something of far greater importance
than the weight we could collectively
throw back of any other cause."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 176-77

Thought to Consider . . .
Attitudes are contagious.
Is yours worth catching?

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
BUT
Being Unconvinced Totally

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Messages
From "Mathematical Miracle":
"Finally, he found a basement bar on a quiet side street, practically deserted. He sat down on a bar stool and ordered a
double bourbon on the rocks.
"Then the bartender stopped in his tracks, took a long, hard look at the customer, leaned over the bar, and said in a low
tone, 'I was in Milwaukee about four months ago, and one night I attended an open meeting. You were on the speaking
platform, and you gave one of the finest A.A. talks I ever heard.
"For a few minutes, the customer sat there probably in a state of shock. Then he picked his money off the bar with
trembling hands and walked out, all desire for a drink drained out of him. Chicago, Illinois, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 74

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I have learned to keep quiet when I disagree and to give others freedom to express opinions widely different from my
own -- without giving in to the urge to enlighten them. I am grateful for all the voices of AA."
Alexandria, Va., March 2007
"Humble Proportion,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a
fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you must not miss."
Alcoholics Anonymous, Working With Others, pg. 89

"Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a
fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from
care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will
mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your
existence lie ahead."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 152

Once we have a complete willingness to take inventory, and exert ourselves to do the job thoroughly, a wonderful light
falls upon this foggy scene.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 49

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Meditation is something which can always be further developed. It has no boundaries, of width or height or depth. Aided
by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of
us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His
grace, wisdom, and love.
And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance.
With it we can broaden and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we understand Him.

Prayer For The Day: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for all you have done for me. You do so much and yet I still ask for more. Please forgive me and guide me to be appreciative for what I have and what is truly important.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 31

The Journey
My circumstances have steadily improved as my spiritual life grows and matures.
Words cannot begin to describe the feelings in my heart
as I sometimes ponder how much my life has changed, how far I've come,
and how much there is yet to discover.
And though I'm not sure where my journey may take me next,
I know I'll owe it to the grace of God and to three words of the Twelve Steps:
continue, improve, and practice.
Oh, and one more thing they told me: Humility is the key.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 511

Thought to Ponder . . .
Sobriety is a journey, not a destination.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S T E P S = Solutions Through Each Powerful Step.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Sponsorship
"Dr. Bob led me through all of these Steps.
At the moral inventory,
he brought up some of my bad personality traits
or character defects, such as selfishness,
conceit, jealousy, carelessness, intolerance,
ill-temper, sarcasm and resentments.
We went over these at great length and then
he finally asked me if I wanted these defects of character
taken away.
When I said yes, we both knelt at his desk and prayed . . .
If I live to be a hundred, this will always stand out in my mind.
I wish that every AA could have the benefit of this type
of sponsorship today."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 292

Thought to Consider . . .
A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor
is much like a ship without a rudder.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S P O N S O R =
Sober Person Offering Newcomer Support Of Recovery

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Funding
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"These New York drunks just do not believe it. Some take it as a joke, and the rest talk high and holy about mixing a
spiritual enterprise with money and promotion. But if they really did think that the book would sell, they would buy the
stock all right, and fast. So why don't we go up and see The Reader's Digest people and find out if they will print a piece
about our fellowship and this book? If the Digest runs an article about us, we will sell those books by the carloads.
Anybody can see this, even these tightwad drunks. So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Two days later at Pleasantville, New York, we sat in the office of Mr. Kenneth Payne, then managing editor of the
Digest. 'When your book is ready next spring, let me know and I think we can put a feature writer to work. This should
be a great story.'
"Henry and I reached for our hats and sped for New York. Now we had real ammunition. That very night we started a
fresh canvass, and the former doubters began to sign up."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 158

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Groups change, just like people do, and we AAs fight change. Although we can never go back to the way it once was, we will survive -- yea, even thrive -- as long as we remember Tradition Five, 'Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose -- that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers."
Pittsburgh, Pa., May 1996
"Remember the Struggle,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone even alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~

"The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy,
envy, frustration, and fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~

Having been granted a perfect release from alcoholism, why then shouldn’t we be able to achieve by the same means a perfect release from every other difficulty or defect?
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 64

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own.
Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply. Let's remember that alcoholics are not the only ones bedeviled by sick emotions. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased.
If we are about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, Thank you for this beautiful day. As I breath in the fresh air, please help me never forget that each day is a gift.