AA Thought for the Day

November 14

Hope
Hope is the priceless ingredient for recovery.
This, AA gives, most frequently not in mere words. Upon the alcoholic’s first contact with AA,
as he looks around the room and sees men and women respectably clothed
and in their right minds, enjoying themselves, that flicker of hope begins to burn.
And he says to himself, “If these jokers can do it, I can.”
The first need, beyond any other, is hope. Without it, there is nothing.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], pp. 156-157

Thought to Ponder . . .
Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter.

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

Sanity
"My actions drunk or sober, before AA,
were not those of a sane person.
My desire to be honest with myself made it necessary
for me to realize that my drinking was irrational.
It had to be, or I could not have justified
my erratic behavior as I did.
I've been benefited from a dictionary definition I found
that reads: 'rationalization is giving
a socially acceptable reason for
socially unacceptable behavior,
and socially unacceptable behavior is a form of insanity."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 550-1

Thought to Consider . . .
Let the lunatic out of the attic.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
K I S S = Keep It Simple, Surrender

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

Balance Today's Books
From: "Yesterday's Baggage"
For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong.
Twelve and Twelve, page 88

I have more than enough to handle today, without dragging along yesterday's baggage too. I must balance today's books, if I am to have a chance tomorrow. So I ask myself if I have erred and how I can avoid repeating that particular behavior. Did I hurt anyone, did I help anyone, and why? Some of today is bound to spill over into tomorrow, but most of it need not if I make an honest daily inventory.
1990, AAWS, Inc., Daily Reflections, page 287

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

"I have always carried a meeting list and quarter for a phone call because I don't know when I am going to want another drink."
Cornwall, Ontario, January 2005
"From Rags to Riches,"
Voices of Long-Term Sobriety

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

"We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from
it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will
find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new
attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or
effort on our part. It just comes!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84

We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths
may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions.
People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about.
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 49

Were we kind and loving toward all?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.86

Courtesy, kindness, justice, and love are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony with practically anybody.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.93

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Through the vital Fifth Step, we began to get the feeling that we could be forgiven, no matter what we had thought or done.
Often it was while working on this Step with our sponsors or spiritual advisers that we first felt truly able to forgive others, no matter how deeply we felt they had wronged us.
Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-round forgiveness was desirable, but it was only when we resolutely tackled Step Five that we inwardly knew we'd be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too.

Prayer for the Day: Right Living - Higher Power, deliver me: From the cowardice that dare not face new truth; From the laziness that is contented with half-truth; >From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth; These things, good Lord, I pray for, Give me the strength to work for.

AA Thought for the Day

November 15

Solitude
We realize a little solitude is necessary to think and to try to work some of the Steps.
In solitude, we take our inventories.
In solitude, we admit to ourselves the exact nature of our wrongs.
In solitude, our spirits seek that Power greater than we are;
in solitude, we seek through prayer and meditation to be aware of God’s will for us.
- Came to Believe . . ., p. 109

Thought to Ponder . . .
We can't grow without giving ourselves space for silence and the voice within.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F E E L = Feel, Experience, Express, Let go.

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

Pain
"Though I still find it difficult to accept
today's pain and anxiety with any great degree of serenity
-- as those more advanced in the spiritual life
seem able to do --
I can give thanks for present pain nevertheless.
I find the willingness to do this
by contemplating the lessons learned from past suffering
-- lessons which have led to the blessings I now enjoy.
I can remember how the agonies of alcoholism,
the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride,
have often led me to God's grace, and so to a new freedom."
Bill W., Grapevine, March 1962
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 266

Thought to Consider . . .
Joy isn't the absence of pain -- it's the presence of God.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change

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

Wrong
>From "When A.A. Came of Age":
"After a long interval we heard from the promoter. He wrote, 'You told us that outside enterprises can be fine and very helpful. But you also said that they could not be mixed with A.A. I figured that they could be, and should be. Well, you folks at Headquarters were right and I was wrong.'
"With his letter, the promoter sent us a card, which he had already mailed to every group in the United States. It was folded like a golf score card, and on the outside was printed, 'Group so-and-so, place so-and-so. Rule No. 62.' When the card was unfolded a single pungent sentence met the eye: 'Don't take yourself too damned seriously.'"
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 104

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

"More than a million of us who suffer from the disease of alcoholism have found not just the ability to live with or survive this insidious disease, but a joyful way of life as new as this morning and as old as mankind. We can gain sobriety, aspire to serenity, at no greater price than caring for our fellow sufferers and sharing with them what has been freely given to us. We can experience the true joy of love that we once tried to destroy by not giving it away, and we can learn the truth that the more we give away, the more we will have."
Brick Town, N.J., January 1977
"Because One Man Was Lonely,"
AA Grapevine

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

"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is
that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust
their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him
demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our
fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once,
we commence to outgrow fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~

When working with a man and his family, you should take care not to
participate in their quarrels. You may spoil your chance of being
helpful if you do. But urge upon a man's family that he has been a
very sick person and should be treated accordingly. You should warn
against arousing resentment or jealousy. You should point out that
his defects of character are not going to disappear over night. Show
them that he has entered upon a period of growth. Ask them to
remember, when they are impatient, the blessed fact of his sobriety.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100~

We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.84

Can we accept poverty, sickness, loneliness, and bereavement with courage and serenity?
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.112

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Many people wonder how A.A. can function under a seeming anarchy. Other societies have to have law and force and sanction and punishment, administered by authorized people. Happily for us, we found that we need no human authority whatever. We have two authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other malign.
There is God, our Father, who very simply says, 'I am waiting for you to do my will.' The other authority is named John Barleycorn, and he says, 'You had better do God's will or I will kill you.'
The A.A. Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. We obey them willingly because we ought to and because we want to. Perhaps the secret of their power lies in the fact that these life-giving communications spring out of living experience and are rooted in love.

Prayer for the Day: Against Temptations - May the strength of my Higher Power guide me. May the power of my Higher Power preserve me. May the wisdom of my Higher Power instruct me. May the hand of God protect me. May the way of God direct me. May the shield of God defend me. And may the presence of, and belief in, my Higher Power guard me against the temptations of the world.

AA Thought for the Day

November 16

Online AA

Taking advantage of technological advances, for example,
AA members with computers can participate in meetings online,
sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country or around the world.
In any meeting, anywhere, AA’s share experience, strength, and hope with each other,
in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. xxiv

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~*~

Meditation
"We liked AA all right,
and were quick to say that it had done miracles.
But we recoiled from meditation and prayer
as obstinately as the scientist who refused to perform
a certain experiment lest it prove his pet theory wrong.
Of course, we finally did experiment,
and when unexpected results followed, we felt different;
in fact we knew different;
and so were sold on meditation and prayer.
And that, we have found, can happen to anybody who tries.
It has been said that 'almost the only scoffers at prayer
are those who never tried it enough.' "
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 97

Thought to Consider . . .
Meditation means trusting the silence around me for a while,
as if it were an answer I had long sought.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H = Finding Answers In The Heart

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

Caring
>From "Brothers in Our Defects":
"The identification that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual almost incomprehensible. But it is there. I 'feel' it. Today I feel that I can help people and that they can help me.
"It is a new and exciting feeling for me to care for someone; to care what they are feeling, hoping for, praying for; to know their sadness, joy, horror, sorrow, grief; to want to share those feelings so that someone can have relief."
1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 118

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

"Times change, alcoholism doesn't."
Marysville, Wash., September 2001
"The Same Chance I Had,"
Voices of Long-Term Sobriety

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

"We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. 'Do I now
believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power
greater than myself?' As soon as a man can say that he does believe,
or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on
his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this
simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be
built."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 47

"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 p.85

We must take the lead.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.83

They do not drive by mandate; they lead by example.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.135

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show and is forever trying to arrange the lights, the scenery, and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great.
What usually happens? The show doesn't come off very well. Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame. He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying.
Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be useful? Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well?

Prayer for the Day: Prayer to Know - Grant it to me, Higher Power:
To know that which is worth knowing,
To love that which is worth loving,
To praise that which pleases You most,
To work for that which helps others,
Grant it to me:
To distinguish with true judgment things that differ, and above all to search out, and to do what is most pleasing to You.

AA Thought for the Day

November 17

Silence
To meditate means I have to become willing to sit alone in silence —
and endure silence patiently.
It means trusting the silence around me for a while, as if it were an answer I had long sought.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 217

Thought to Ponder . . .
Meditation is our step out into the sun.

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

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

Affirmation!
"Taking advantage of technological advances, for example,
AA members with computers
can participate in meetings online,
sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country
or around the world.
Fundamentally, though, the difference between
an electronic meeting and the home group around the corner
is only one of format.
In any meeting, anywhere, AA's share experience,
strength, and hope with each other,
in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics.
Modem-to-modem or face-to-face,
AA's speak the language of the heart
in all its power and simplicity."
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, Foreword to Fourth Edition, p. xxiv

Thought to Consider . . .
AA is where "we" make miracles.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Happy Our Program Exists.

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

Baffling Feature
From: "More About Alcoholism"
For those who are unable to drink moderately the question is how to stop altogether. We are assuming, of course, that the reader desires to stop. Whether such a person can quit upon a nonspiritual basis depends upon the extent to which he has already lost the power to choose whether he will drink or not. 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.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 34

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

"Few of us will ever be famous, but we can all be great because we serve each other."
McAllen, TX, October 1997
"Internal Restoration,"
Thank You for Sharing

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

"Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely
looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest,
self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely
our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely.
Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man's.
When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in
black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to
set these matters straight."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 67~

"Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope."
Alcoholics Anonymous Foreword to the Third Edition

It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.566

Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.74

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

As the doubter tries the process of prayer, he should begin to add up the results. If he persists, he will almost surely find more serenity, more tolerance, less fear, and less anger. He will acquire a quiet courage, the kind that isn't tension-ridden. He can look at 'failure' and 'success' for what these really are. Problems and calamity will begin to mean his instruction, instead of his destruction. He will feel freer and saner.
The idea that he may have been hypnotizing himself by auto-suggestion will become laughable. His sense of purpose and of direction will increase. His anxieties will commence to fade. His physical health will be likely to improve. Wonderful and unaccountable things will start to happen. Twisted relations in his family and on the outside will improve surprisingly.

Prayer for the Day: Recovery Prayer - Today and every day, I pray to be ever mindful that recovery is the most important thing in my life, without exception. I may believe my job, or my home life, or one of many other things, comes first. But if I don't stay with the Program, chances are I won't have a job, a family, sanity, or even life. If I am convinced that everything in life depends on my recovery, I have a much better chance of improving my life. If I put other things first, I am only hurting my chances.

AA Thought for the Day

November 18

A Bright Idea
I woke up Saturday morning after the beginners meeting with the answer absolutely clear:
Religion was something taught me, acquired, an external experience,
while spirituality welled up from within, and required no education,
no Torah or Bible, no shaman or priest.
I believe my Higher Power led me to this explanation,
as it was too clear and bright idea for so early in the morning!
- Thank You for Sharing, p. 199

Thought to Ponder . . .
Spirituality is thinking with the heart rather than the mind.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .

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

Prayer
"As the alcoholic goes along with his process of prayer,
he begins to add up the results.
If he persists, he will almost surely find more serenity,
more tolerance, less fear, and less anger.
He will acquire a quiet courage, the kind that doesn't strain him.
He can look at so-called failure and success
for what they really are.
Problems and calamity will begin to mean instruction,
rather than destruction.
He will feel freer and saner. . .
Wonderful and unaccountable things will start to happen.
Twisted relations with family and on the outside
will unaccountably improve."
Bill W., June 1958
c. 1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 241

Thought to Consider . . .
Trying to pray is praying.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Hang On; Pray Every day

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

Disturbing Reflection
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.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 58-59

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

"How wonderful to be sober, to be able to think clearly (at times, at least), and to become aware of some portion of the greater wisdom concealed so deeply within myself."
Columbus, OH, April 1981
"A New Way of Looking at Life,"
Voices of Long-Term Sobriety

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

"Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the
past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out
of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we
haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was
agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over
alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg.76~

Resentment is the "number one" offender . It destroys more alcoholics then anything else.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.64

The joy of living we really have, even under pressure and difficulty.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.15

The joy of living is the theme of A.A.'s Twelfth Step, and action is its key word.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.106

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'My observation is that some people can get by with a certain amount of postponement, but few can live with outright rebellion.'
'We have succeeded in confronting many a problem drinker with that awful alternative, 'This we A.A.'s do, or we die.' Once this much is firmly in his mind, more drinking only turns the coil tighter.
As many an alcoholic has said, 'I came to the place where it was either into A.A. or out the window. So here I am!

Prayer for the Day: Kindness and Service - O Lord, help me always to remember thankfully the work of those who helped me when I needed help. Reward them for their kindness and service, and grant that I may have the will, the time, and the opportunity to do the same for others.

AA Thought for the Day

November 19

The Right Thing
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.
We may lose our position or reputation or face jail, but we are willing.
We have to be. We must not shrink at anything.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 79

Thought to Ponder . . .
Happiness is the result doing our next right thing in spite of hurt, in spite, even, of good fortune.

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

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

Commitment
"No matter how much one wishes to try,
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."
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 122

Thought to Consider . . .
If you always do what you've always done,
you will always be where you've always been.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O W = Honest, Open, Willing

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

Ingredient
From: "Me An Alcoholic?"
Here I found an ingredient that had been lacking in any other effort I had made to save myself. Here was - power! Here was power to live to the end of any given day, power to have the courage to face the next day, power to have friends, power to help people, power to be sane, power to stay sober. That was seven years ago - and many AA meetings ago - and I haven't had a drink during those seven years. Moreover, I am deeply convinced that so long as I continue to strive, in my bumbling way, toward the principles I first encountered in the earlier chapters of this book, this remarkable power will continue to flow through me. What is this power? With my AA friends, all I can say is that it's a Power greater than myself. If pressed, all I can do is follow the psalmist who said it long before me: "Be still, and know that I am God."
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 386-387

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

"The best university for me -- the best school, the best teaching -- was in analyzing mistakes that I'd made and problems I created because of these mistakes. Not my successes."
Warsaw, Poland, October 1996
"A Smiling Man, A Happy Man,"
AA Around the World

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

"God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your
morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still
sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But
obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it
that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come
to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164~

We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous page 30

Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.58

And so it is: the beginning of the end of his old life, and the beginning of his emergence into a new one.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.26

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

More than most people, I think, alcoholics want to know who they are, what this life is about,, whether they have a divine origin and an appointed destiny, and whether there is a system of cosmic justice and love.
It is the experience of many of us in the early stages of drinking to feel that we have had glimpses of the Absolute and a heightened feeling of identification with the cosmos. While these glimpses and feelings doubtless have a validity, they are deformed and finally swept away in the chemical, spiritual, and emotional damage wrought by the alcohol itself.
In A.A., and in many religious approaches, alcoholics find a great deal more of what they merely glimpsed and felt while trying to grope their way toward God in alcohol.

Prayer for the Day: Make Me -
God, who touchest earth with beauty,
make my heart anew;
with thy Spirit recreate me,
pure and strong and true.
Like thy springs and running waters,
make me crystal pure;
like thy rocks of towering grandeur,
make me strong and sure.
Like thy dancing waves in sunlight,
make me glad and free;
like the straightness of the pine trees
let me upright be.
Like the arching of the heavens
lift my thoughts above,
turn my dreams to noble action:
ministries of love.
God, who touches earth with beauty,
make my heart anew;
keep me ever by the Spirit,
pure and strong and true.

AA Thought for the Day

November 20

A Symptom
Our liquor was but a symptom.
We had to get down to causes and conditions.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64

Thought to Ponder . . .
I want the gift of an untroubled mind.

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

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

Honesty
"I know the biggest word for me in AA is 'honesty.'
I don't believe this program would work for me
if I didn't get honest with myself about everything.
Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand
because it is the exact opposite of what I've been doing
all my life.
Therefore, it will be the hardest to work on.
But I will never be totally honest -- that would make me perfect,
and none of us can claim to be perfect.
Only God is.
If I work on it every day, it will be easier
to be honest with myself.
Then getting and staying honest with other people
will come automatically.
I know I will be grateful for a chance to make amends
to everybody I have hurt in the past."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 482

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Honest, Open, Positive, Environment

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

Structure of Service
From: Concept V:
Throughout our world service structure, a traditional Right of Appeal ought to prevail, thus assuring us that minority opinion will be heard and that petitions for the redress of personal grievances will be carefully considered."
We believe that the spirit of democracy in our Fellowship and in our world service structure will always survive, despite the counter forces which will no doubt continue to beat upon us. Fortunately we are not obliged to maintain a government that enforces conformity by inflicting punishments. We need to maintain only a structure of service that holds aloft our Traditions, that forms and executes our policies thereunder, and so steadily carries our message to those who suffer.
Hence we believe that we shall never be subjected to the tyranny of either the majority or the minority, provided we carefully define the relations between them and forthwith tread the path of world service in the spirit of our Twelve Steps, our Twelve Traditions, and our Conference Charter - in which I trust that we shall one day inscribe these traditional Rights of Appeal and Petition.
1962, AAWS, Twelve Concepts of World Service, pages 24-25

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

"I'd like to develop Step Eleven further -- for the benefit of the complete doubter, the unlucky one who can't believe it has any real merit at all .... As he goes along with his process of prayer, he begins to add up the results. If he persists, he will almost surely find more serenity, more tolerance, less fear, and less anger. He will acquire a quiet courage, the kind that doesn't strain him. He can look at so-called failure and success for what they really are. Problems and calamity will begin to mean instruction, instead of destruction. He will feel freer and saner ... His sense of purpose and of direction will increase. His tensions and anxieties will commence to fade. His physical health is likely to improve. Wonderful and unaccountable things will start to happen. Twisted relations in his family and on the outside will unaccountably improve.
"Even if few of these things happen, he will still find himself in possession of great gifts. When he has to deal with hard circumstances he can face them and accept them. He can now accept himself and the world around him."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., June 1958
"Take Step Eleven"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental
defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither
he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense
must come from a Higher Power."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~

"Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope."
Alcoholics Anonymous Foreword to the Third Edition

We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.60

He asks only that we try as best we know how to make progress in the building of character.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.65

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Some of us still ask, 'Just what is this Third Legacy business anyhow? And just how much territory does 'service' take in?'
Let's begin with my own sponsor, Ebby. When Ebby heard how serious my drinking was, he resolved to visit me. He was in New York; I was in Brooklyn. His resolve was not enough; he had to take action and he had to spend money.
He called me on the phone and then got into the subway; total cost, ten cents. At the level of the telephone booth and subway turnstile, spirituality and money began to mix. One without the other would have amounted to nothing at all.
Right then and there, Ebby established the principle that A.A. in action calls for the sacrifice of much time and a little money.

Prayer for the Day: Guide Me - Thank You, Higher Power, for this beautiful day, for strength, for health. Help me to live this day for You. Place in my path some way to serve You. Help me to know that no other walks in My shoes, that there is something that only I can do today. Guide my thoughts and deeds that I may feel Your presence today and in all the tomorrow.

AA Thought for the Day

November 21

Prayer
In AA, 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 increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105

Thought to Ponder . . .
I never imagined that the greatest achievement of my life would be peace of mind.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P U S H = Pray Until Something Happens.

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

Unity
"The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous
is the most cherished quality our Society has.
Our lives, the lives of all to come,
depend squarely upon it.
We stay whole, or AA dies.
Without unity, the heart of AA would cease to beat;
our world arteries would no longer carry
the life-giving grace of God;
His gift to us would be spent aimlessly.
Back again in their caves, alcoholics would reproach us
and say, 'What a great thing AA might have been!' "
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 129

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T E A M = Together Everyone Achieves More

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

Complete Defeat
From: "From the Taproot"
The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole Society has sprung and flowered.
Twelve and Twelve, pages 21-22

Every newcomer 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.
So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time. A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once.
Twelve and Twelve, pages 72-73
1967, AAWS, Inc., As Bill Sees It, page 305

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

"Until today, at least, I am getting further away from that first drink, which is the one that inevitably leads me to complete disaster."
Caracas, Venezuela, May 1971
"My Name Is Adolfo,"
AA Around the World

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

"Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration,
and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have
carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of
His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We
have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further
and that means more action."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others . Hearts are broken . Sweet relationships are dead . Affections have been uprooted . Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil . We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough . He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined . To his wife, he remarked , "Don't see anything the matter here , Ma. Ain't it grand the wind stopped blowin'?"
Alcoholics Anonymous , Page-82

We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.85

"The actual experience of meditation and prayer across the centuries is, of course, immense.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.98

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Now that we no longer patronize bars and bordellos, now that we bring home the pay checks, now that we are so very active in A.A., and now that people congratulate us on these signs of progress - well, we naturally proceed to congratulate ourselves. Of course, we are not yet within hailing distance of humility.
We ought to be willing to try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings, just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, and came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. If humility could enable us to find the grace by which the deadly alcohol obsession could be banished, then there must be hope of the same result respecting any other problem we can possibly have.

Prayer for the Day: Dear God, I had another anniversary today, one more year in recovery. It has been difficult at times, but it has allowed many blessings. I am a human being again. I feel new strength in my body, spirit, and mind. The world has never looked so good. I have the respect of my friends and family. I am productive in my work. I do not miss slippery people and places. When I have been tempted, You, my Higher Power, have sustained me. I have found a home in the Fellowship and friends support me. Stay close by me, God. I thank You. This is the life I love.

AA Thought for the Day

November 22

The Riddle
Opinions vary considerably as to why the alcoholic reacts differently from normal people.
We are not sure why, once a certain point is reached, little can be done for him.
We cannot answer the riddle. We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink,
as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men.
We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system,
something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense,
which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 22-23

Thought to Ponder . . .
If we want to quit drinking, we are going to have to quit drinking.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S T O P = Sobriety Tops Our Priorities.

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

Gratitude
"A complete change takes place in our approach to life.
Where we used to run from responsibility,
we find ourselves accepting it
with gratitude that we can successfully shoulder it.
Instead of wanting to escape some perplexing problem,
we experience a thrill of challenge
in the opportunity it affords for another application
of AA techniques,
and we find ourselves tackling it with surprising vigor."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 311-12

Thought to Consider . . .
When brimming with gratitude,
one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion we can ever know.
Bill W., March 1962

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew

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

Awareness
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The [Saturday Evening Post] article appeared in the March 1, 1941, issue. Jack's [Alexander] extensive investigation and his remarkable capacity for sympathy and rapport with us produced a piece which had immense impact. By mail and telegram a deluge of pleas for help and orders for the book Alcoholics Anonymous, first in hundreds and then in thousands, hit Box 658. Pawing at random through the incoming mass of heartbreaking appeals, we found ourselves crying. What on earth could we do with them? We were really swamped.
"We saw that we must have help. So we rounded up every A.A. woman and every A.A. wife who could use a typewriter. The upper floor of the Twenty-Fourth Street Club was converted into an emergency headquarters. For days [A.A. office manager] Ruth and the volunteers tried to answer the ever increasing tide of mail. They were almost tempted into using form letters. But experience had shown that this would not do at all. A warm personal communication must be sent to every prospect and his family."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 191

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

"For all its usual destructiveness, we have found that fear can be the starting point for better things. Fear can be a stepping-stone to prudence and to a decent respect for others. It can point the path to justice, as well as to hate. And the more we have of respect and justice, the more we shall begin to find the love which can suffer much, and yet be freely given. So fear need not always be destructive, because the lessons of its consequences can lead us to positive values."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1962
"This Matter of Fear"
The Language of the Heart

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

"We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor
do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders. When we see a man
sinking into the mire that is alcoholism, we give him first aid and
place what we have at his disposal."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

Acceptance is the key to my relationship with God today. I never just sit and do nothing while waiting for Him to tell me what to do. Rather, I do whatever is in front of me to be done, and I leave the results up to Him, however it turns out, that's God's will for me.
I must keep my magic magnifying mind on my acceptance and off my expectations, for my serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance. When I remember this, I can see I've never had it so good. Thank God for A.A.!
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 452

Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.77

When the Twelfth Step is seen in its full implication, it is really talking about the kind of love that has no price tag on it.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.106

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'Thanks much for your letter of criticism. I'm certain that had it not been for its strong critics, A.A. would have made slower progress.'
'For myself, I have come to set a high value on the people who have criticized me, whether they have seemed reasonable critics or unreasonable ones. Both have often restrained me from doing much worse than I actually have done. The unreasonable ones have taught me, I hope, a little patience. But the reasonable ones have always done a great job for all of A.A. - and have taught me many a valuable lesson.'

Prayer for the Day: To Be Honest - Higher Power, help me to be honest with myself. It is so easy to alibi, to make excuses for my shortcomings. It is so easy to blame others and circumstances as a child does. Help me to see myself honestly: a human being who needs You this day and every day. Help me to surrender my weak will to Your strength.

AA Thought for the Day

November 23

Growth
When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe,
we had to stop doubting the power of God.
Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 52

Thought to Ponder . . .
Change is inevitable, growth is optional.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G R O W T H = God Reveals Other Ways To Heal.

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

Faith

"We had seen spiritual release,
but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true.
Actually we were fooling ourselves,
for deep down in every man, woman, and child,
is the fundamental idea of God.
It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp,
by worship of other things,
but in some form or other it is there.
For faith in a Power greater than ourselves,
and miraculous demonstrations
of that power in human lives,
are facts as old as man himself."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 55

Thought to Consider . . .
Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket,
then counting your blessings before they hatch.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H = Finding Answers In The Heart

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

Reliable
>From "God Is Good":
"Each day, God gives us a new challenge. Sometimes, it is prosperity; sometimes, adversity. Prosperity can lead to complacency; adversity, to self-pity. Either one of these reactions is a luxury I cannot afford. I do not always fully accept my adversities as good while I am going through them, but the mere fact that I am now able to write these words proves the logic in my faith that God is good."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 87

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

"The Twelve Steps are deceptively simple but provide limitless spiritual growth for anyone with the patience to stay the course."
Riverside, Ill., September 2007
"It Works for Me,"
Voices of Long-Term Sobriety

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

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~

"I earnestly advise every alcoholic to read this book through , and though perhaps he came to scoff , he may remain to pray" Dr. W.D. Silkworth M.D.
Alcoholics Anonymous p.xxx

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.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.15

When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot, then we found we could live at peace with ourselves and show others who still suffered the same fears that they could get over them, too.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.122

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The immediate object of our quest is sobriety-freedom from alcohol and from all its baleful consequences. Without this freedom, we have nothing at all.
Paradoxically, though, we can achieve no liberation from the alcohol obsession until we become willing to deal with those character defects which have landed us in that helpless condition. In this freedom quest, we are always given three choices.
A rebellious refusal to work upon our glaring defects can be an almost certain ticket to destruction. Or, perhaps for a time, we can stay sober with a minimum of self-improvement and settle ourselves into a comfortable but often dangerous mediocrity. Or, finally, we can continuously try hard for those sterling qualities that can add up to fineness of spirit and action - true and lasting freedom under God.

Prayer for the Day: Teach Me -
Teach me, God, so that I might know
The way to change and the way to grow.
Give me the words to ask You how
To handle the here and live in the now.
Tempt me not with valleys of death,
Give me freedom from fear in every breath.
And though mistakes I make in my daily life,
Deliver me from aiding strife.
Understand me, God, as I am now
And show me the furrows I need to plow
To reach my goal as a ripening food,
So I might feed others all that is good.
Fill me with energy known as the Power,
Until I come to rest at the midnight hour.

AA Thought for the Day

November 24

Holiday 'Blues'
If there is any message here for those coming to our Fellowship new and shaky in the late fall,
it is this: Hang on; stick close; live for the day or the moment;
don't let the mechanical reactions of the past sneak up on you;
don't spoil the present, imperfect as it may seem, with a single shot,
a single glass of enticingly sparkling wine.
The sense of accomplishment and comfortableness that follows on making
it through one's first sober holidays is beyond compare.
There may be tensions in later years, but none quite so traumatic.
And if ever the holiday blues do strike, call on your AA friends.
They understand because they've been there, too. They have learned, as you will,
the more than compensatory joys of gratitude, and giving, and beginning each day anew.
- AA Grapevine, November 1967

Thought to Ponder . . .
I am worth staying sober for.

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

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

Meetings
"A 'spiritual experience' to me meant attending meetings,
seeing a group of people,
all there for the purpose of helping each other;
hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions
read at a meeting,
and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an AA meeting
has such great meaning --
'They will be done, not mine.'
A spiritual awakening soon came to mean
trying each day to be a little more thoughtful,
more considerate, a little more courteous to those
with whom I came in contact."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381

Thought to Consider . . .
Seven days without a meeting makes one weak.

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

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

Alternatives
From: "We Agnostics"
In the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.
To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means disaster, especially if he is an alcoholic of the hopeless variety. To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 44

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

"We sense that here in AA this shared darkness has become a shared light."
Pleasantville, N.Y., August 1959
"The Sense of Sobriety"
Spiritual Awakenings

~*~*~*~*^ 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~

And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone ---even alcohol . For by this time sanity will have returned . We will seldom be interested in liquor . If tempted , we recoil from it as from a hot flame . We react sanely and normally , and we will find that this has happened automatically . We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part . It just comes! That is the miracle of it . We are not fighting it , neither are we avoiding temptation . We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality--- safe and protected . 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 our experience . That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition .
Alcoholics Anonymous , Page 84-85

At once, we commence to outgrow fear.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.68

Then fear, in turn, generates more character defects.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.49

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When dealing with a prospect of agnostic or atheistic bent, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles. There is no use arousing any prejudice he may have against certain theological terms and conceptions, about which he may already be confused. Don't raise such issues, no matter what your own convictions are.
Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three. Isn't it true that, in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care, protection, and guidance of A.A.?
Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's own will and one's own ideas about the alcohol problem in favor of those suggested by A.A. Now if this is not turning one's will and life over to a new-found 'Providence,' then what is it?

Prayer for the Day: The Fellowship Prayer - Dear Higher Power I am grateful that: I am part of the Fellowship, one among many, but I am one. I need to work the Steps for the development of the buried life within me. Our Program may be human in its organization, but it is Divine in its purpose. The purpose is to continue my spiritual awakening. Participating in the privileges of the movement, I shall share in the responsibilities, taking it upon myself to carry my fair share of the load, not grudgingly, but joyfully. To the extent that I fail in my responsibilities, the Program fails. To the extent that I succeed, the Program succeeds. I shall not wait to be drafted for service to my fellow members, I shall volunteer. I shall be loyal in my attendance, generous in my giving, kind in my criticism, intuitive in my suggestions, loving in my attitudes. I shall give to the Program my interest, my enthusiasm, my devotion, and, most of all, myself.

AA Thought for the Day

November 25

A Touch of Serenity
I was learning that I had a disease and that I could do something about it.
A great weight seemed to be lifting off my shoulders — and out of my life.
I often took long walks in the woods. It was December and snow had already fallen.
One afternoon as I was walking in the woods, it suddenly came to me
that I was more at peace with myself than I could recall ever having been.
A first touch of serenity had come to me.
I experienced an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness to God
for lifting me from the alcoholic sadness that bordered on despair.
- AA Around the World, p. 83

Thought to Ponder . . .
No God, no peace — know God, know peace.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.

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

Vision
"Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates,
both for the immediate and for the more distant future.
Some might feel this sort of striving to be a sort of heresy,
because we AA's are constantly telling ourselves,
'One day at a time.'
But that valuable principle really refers to
our mental and emotional lives
and means chiefly that we are not to foolishly
repine over the past nor wishfully
day-dream about the future. . .
Vision is therefore the very essence of prudence,
an essential virtue if ever there was one.
Of course we shall often miscalculate the future
in whole or in part,
but that is better than to refuse to think at all."
Bill W., 1962
c. 1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th printing, p. 40

Thought to Consider . . .
Right actions for the future
are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T I M E = Things I Must Earn

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

Look Squarely
Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are. We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and ourselves. By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us. Without a searching and fearless moral inventory, most of us have found that the faith which really works in daily living is still out of reach.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 42-43

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

"I ask the newcomer to help me wash the coffeepot, or put chairs away, because service was, and still is, my key to belonging."
Manchester, New Hampshire, September 2000
"The Key to Belonging,"
I Am Responsible: The Hand of AA

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

"Selfishness self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of
our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-
seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they
retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation,
but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made
decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~

We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.”
Alcoholics Anonymous page 30

Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.66

When these things happen we should not think too ill of ourselves.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.105

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

In praying, our immediate temptation will be to ask for specific solutions to specific problems, and for the ability to help other people as we have already thought they should be helped. In that case, we are asking God to do it our way. Therefore, we ought to consider each request carefully to see what its real merit is.
Even so, when making specific requests, it will be well to add to each one of them this qualification: '. . . if it be Thy will.'

Prayer for the Day: First Step Prayer - Today, I ask for help with my addiction. Denial has kept me from seeing how powerless I am and how my life is unmanageable. I need to learn and remember that I have an incurable illness and that abstinence is the only way to deal with it.

AA Thought for the Day

November 26

Giving Thanks
I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits.
When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion that we can ever know.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 37

Thought to Ponder . . .
I have learned how a heart full of gratitude feels.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter.

******

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

Diagnosis
"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."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 31-2

Thought to Consider . . .
If you want to quit drinking,
you are going to have to quit drinking.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D E A D = Drinking Ends All Dreams

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

New
From: "Winner Takes All"
In working the steps, my life changed. I think differently today; I feel different today. I am new. We have a sign at the AA meetings I go to that says, Expect a Miracle. My sobriety is full of miracles. When my son filled out an application for college, I filled one out too, and was accepted. Soon I will be a senior and I have a 3.71 grade point average. Thanks to AA, I have come a long way from being near the bottom of my high school class. It takes me a bit longer to read the material, so I have a CCTV (I put my book under the camera and it comes out in big print on a monitor). I have a talking calculator that helped me get through statistics and a telescope that can help me see the board. I accept help from the disabled student services and gladly make use of the volunteer notetakers.
I learned to accept the things I could not change (in this case my vision) and change the things I can (I could be grateful for and accept the visual aids instead of being embarrassed and rejecting them as I had when I was younger).
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 380-381

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

"I was amazed at the things I was grateful for: those painful situations that served to show me my character defects; the ability to accept and share my pain with others; the opportunities to do things I was afraid to do which gave me strength and confidence."
State College, Pa., April 1994
"Working Incognito,"
Spiritual Awakenings

~*~*~*~*^ 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~

Now we need more action, without which we find
that “Faith without works is dead.’’ Let’s look at
Steps Eight and Nine. We have a list of all persons we have
harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends.
We made it when we took inventory. We subjected
ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal. Now we go out to
our fellows and repair the damage done in the past.
We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accu*
mulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run
the show ourselves. If we haven’t the will to do this,
we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the
beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol.
Alcoholics Anonymous page 76

This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.26

Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.43

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance - urges quite appropriate to age seventeen - prove to be an impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven.
Since A.A. began, I've taken huge wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.
As we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward our instinctual drives need to undergo drastic revisions. Our demands for emotional security and wealth, for personal prestige and power all have to be tempered and redirected.
We learn that the full satisfaction of these demands cannot be the sole end and aim of our lives. We cannot place the cart before the horse, or 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 to grow in healthy awareness and mature love.

Prayer for the Day: Second Step Prayer - I pray for an open mind so I may come to believe in a Power greater than myself. I pray for humility and the continued opportunity to increase my faith. I don't want to be crazy any more.

AA Thought for the Day

November 27

Becoming
I must look inside myself, to free myself.
I must call upon God’s power to face the person I’ve feared the most, the true me,
the person God created me to be.
Unless I can or until I do, I will always be running, and never be truly free.
- Daily Reflections, p. 107

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

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.

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

Promises
"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.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not.
They are being fulfilled among us --
sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
They will always materialize if we work for them."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-4

Thought to Consider . . .
The Promises are a result not a right.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

How To Live
From: "Stars Don't Fall"
AA taught me how not to drink. And also, on the twenty-four hour plan, it taught me how to live. I know I do not have to be queen of them all to salve a frightened ego. Through going to meetings and listening, and occasionally speaking, through doing Twelve Step work, whereby in helping others you are both the teacher and the student, by making many wonderful AA friends, I have been taught all the things in life that are worth having. I am no longer interested in living in a palace, because palace living was not the answer for me. Nor were those impossible dreams I used to have the things I really wanted.
2003, AAWS, Inc., Experience, Strength & Hope, pages 362-363

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

"Recovery is giving it away. If you don't give it away you can't have it ... Be part of the pipeline."
Greenwich Village, N.Y., December 1997
"Oh God, You Again?"
I Am Responsible: The Hand of AA

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

"We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as
an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not
helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among
us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners.
A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could
have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~

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 , Page 31-32

The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.xiv

When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.60

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.
DEAR FRIENDS: Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services - the office of which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the globe, and as a unified whole.
It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these all important services have accounted for much of our present size and over-all effectiveness.
The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands ready to serve the special needs of any group or isolated individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many years of accumulated experience are available to us all.
The members of our trusteeship - the General Service Board of A.A .- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since been delegated to them; they are the successors in world service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly accountable to A.A. as a whole.
This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective responsibility that A.A. has or ever can have.
Yours in trust, and in affection,
Bill W. died on January 24, 1971.

Prayer for the Day: Fourth Step Prayer - Dear God, It is I who has made my life a mess. I have done it, but I cannot undo it. My mistakes are mine and I will begin a searching & fearless moral inventory. I will write down my wrongs, but I will also include that which is good. I pray for the strength to complete the task.

AA Thought for the Day

November 28

Prayer
Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer
would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine.
And for the same reason.
When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. . . .
As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 97

Thought to Ponder . . .
Trying to pray is praying.

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

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

Forgive
"Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim
of what other people say and do.
Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people,
especially those whose sins did not correspond
exactly with my own,
I found that I only increased the total damage. . .
Under very trying circumstances,
I have had, again and again, to forgive others -- also myself.
Have you recently tried this?"
Bill W., Letter, 1946
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 268

Thought to Consider . . .
Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E E L = Feel, Experience, Express, Let go

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

Refuge
>From "for AAs, a Season of Gratitude"
The holiday season can be difficult for many AAs, especially the newcomer. The pressure to drink may feel overwhelming when it seems all the world is hoisting glasses in one toast after another. At these times, the prospect of the usual round of holiday parties can be as inviting as a stroll in a minefield to the alcoholic struggling to stay away from the first drink.
The AA group, though, can be a refuge. Meeting marathons provide a safe place for recovering alcoholics who are on their own, as well as those looking for a break from family festivities. Some groups schedule dances or potluck dinners, providing a place to congregate and celebrate in sober fellowship.
It's safe to say that AA group celebrations are held in most parts of the world, wherever seasonal festivities are celebrated. Large or small, in remote rural areas or big cities, the sharing and hospitality always center on a regular AA meeting. But the styles of group gatherings are as varied as the members and regional customs dictate.
2003, AAWS, Inc., Box 459, 49(6):2

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

"To be happily sober, we must be active -- and this does not necessarily mean group activity. The Loner is part of a much larger group of people in far distant places, all members of AA with the same problems, fears, and happiness to be shared ... I may not be in face-to-face contact with other AA members, but my real friends in AA are too many to enumerate, and I find there aren't enough hours in the day to do all I should."
Salisbury, Rhodesia, February 1970
"Alone? Not This Loner!"
AA Around the World

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

"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. Under these conditions we
can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God
gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much
higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86~

“What about people who proved that man could never fly? Yet we had been seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems. They said God made these things possible, and we only smiled. We had seen spiritual release, but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true. Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous ~page 55

Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.124

Even the newest of newcomers finds undreamed rewards as he tries to help his brother alcoholic, the one who is even blinder than he.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.109

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order.
But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the great fact for us.
To the Newcomer:
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.

Prayer for the Day: Third 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!