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AA Thoughts For Today - June
AA Thought for the Day
June 1 Amends 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. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 76 Thought to Ponder . . . It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . F E A R = Face Everything And Recover. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Four Horsemen "The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship and approval. Momentarily we did - then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen - Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair. Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand!" 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 151 Thought to Consider . . . Alcohol gave me wings to fly, and then it took away the sky. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A = Absolute Abstinence *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Conception >From "Back to the Fundamentals": "The answer I was looking for was on page 12, in Ebby's words to Bill: '"Why don't you choose your own conception of God?"' "'I've tried everything else,' I thought, 'and I've got no place else to go. I might just as well.' I sat down at my desk, got a pad of paper and a pencil, and asked myself, 'If you could pick the kind of God that you could believe in, what would He be like?' I bore in mind the facts that I was an alcoholic and that I had been a perfectionist all my life. The world was never perfect enough for me. Everything that I ever believed in, every ideal that I ever followed turned out to have feet of clay. Here was my chance. For the first time in my life, I could create something perfect. All right! "I wrote across the page, 'God is the perfection I've been searching for all my life. He is too perfect to have human characteristics and faults.' That was the start. "Then I wrote, 'God is the ultimate perfection. He is the perfect love, the perfect truth, the perfect goodness, the perfect understanding, tolerance, mercy, forgiveness. God is so perfect that no matter how evil, how unclean we may be, He'll forgive us if we ask, and grant us strength to overcome our shortcomings.'" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 63-64 *~*~*~*~*^Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Change is scary, even if it promises a better life." Step by Step Watsonville, Calif., June 2009 "As Long As I Stay Willing" *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55~ "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~ Our eyes begin to open to the immense values which have come straight out of painful ego-puncturing. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 74 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of a 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. 'Faith may often be given through inspired teaching or a convincing personal example of its fruits. It may sometimes be had through reason. For instance, many clergymen believe that St. Thomas Aquinas actually proved God's existence by sheer logic. But what can one do when all these channels fail? This was my own grievous dilemma. 'It was only when I came fully to believe I was powerless over alcohol, only when I appealed to a God who just might exist, that I experienced a spiritual awakening. This freedom-giving experience came first, and then faith followed afterward--a gift indeed! Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for not only saving my soul, but for the promise of healing also. I do appreciate the many times over the years that You have healed me personally. I also thank you for the gift of healing as I have prayed and You have touched others with Your healing virtue. You truly are the Great Physician. I do appreciate that about You. Lord, I do want to always remain in a joyful attitude, no matter what might come my way. Fill me with Your love, joy and peace daily, so that I might be an example of Your goodness. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 2 The Truth 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. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p. 59 Thought to Ponder . . . I can’t fix something if I don’t know what’s wrong. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Accountable Actions. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Happiness "I feel myself a useful member of the human race at last. I have something to contribute to humanity, since I am peculiarly qualified, as a fellow-sufferer, to give aid and comfort to those who have stumbled and fallen over this business of meeting life. I get my greatest thrill of accomplishment from the knowledge that I have played a part in the new happiness achieved by countless others like myself." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 229 Thought to Consider . . . The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Fairness >From "We Agnostics": "We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices when we might have observed that many spiritually-minded persons of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness and usefulness which we should have sought ourselves. "Instead, we looked at the human defects of these people, and sometimes used their shortcomings as a basis of wholesale condemnation. We talked of intolerance, while we were intolerant ourselves. We missed the reality and the beauty of the forest because we were diverted by the ugliness of some of its trees. We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 49-50 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I don't know when it happened, but one day I felt like I belonged in my group of sober guys ... I didn't have to leave. " Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, December 2006 "Out of Isolation," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ 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 "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 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 Suppose A.A. falls under sharp public attack or heavy ridicule, having little or no justification in fact. Our best defense in these situations would be no defense whatever--namely, complete silence at the public level. If in good humor we let unreasonable critics alone, they are apt to subside the more quickly. If their attacks persist and it is plain that they are misinformed, it may be wise to communicate with them privately in a temperate and informative way. If, however, a given criticism of A.A. is partly or wholly justified, it may be well to acknowledge this privately to the critics, together with our thanks. But under no conditions should we exhibit anger or any punitive intent. What we must recognize is that we exult in some of our defects. Self-righteous anger can be very enjoyable. In a perverse way we can actually take satisfaction from the fact that many people annoy us; it brings a comfortable feeling of superiority. Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I come to You with a thankful heart for all that You have done in my life. Thank you for the many answers to my prayers and I appreciate You always being there when I call. May our lives be a testimony of Your love. Forgive us when we fail You and help us to overcome all the things that would hinder us from being like You. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 3 Tolerance 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. Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs. - Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 19 - 20 Thought to Ponder . . . Love and tolerance of others is our code. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . P U T = Practice Using Tolerance. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Why Worry? "There are many short phrases and expressions in AA which make sound sense. 'First Things First': solving our immediate problems before we try to solve all the others . . . 'Easy Does it.' Relax a little. Try for inner contentment. No one individual can carry all the burdens of the world. Everyone has problems. Getting drunk won't solve them. 'Twenty-four hours a day.' Today is the day. Doing our best, living each day to the fullest is the art of living. Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether we will be here tomorrow. If we do a good job of living today, and if tomorrow comes for us, then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives - so why worry about it?" 1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 382 Thought to Ponder . . . Every day is a gift. That is why we call it the present. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S I T = Stay In Today *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Question Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. "It is plain for everybody to see that each sober A.A. member has been granted a release from this very obstinate and potentially fatal obsession. So in a very complete and literal way, all A.A.'s have 'become entirely ready' to have God remove the mania for alcohol from their lives. And God has proceeded to do exactly that. "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? This is a riddle of our existence, the full answer to which may be only in the mind of God." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 64 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am not rich, I am not in good health, and I do not have a job, but AA only promised me sobriety. After thirty-three years in this Fellowship, I am at peace and I am grateful."" March 2006 "Miracles Daily," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk. Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 70~ "There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others..." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~ We know that little good can come to any alcoholic who joins A.A. unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness and all its consequences -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21 Misc. AA Literature - Quote An early fear was that of slips or relapses. At first nearly every alcoholic we approached began to slip, it indeed he sobered up at all. Others would stay dry six months or maybe a year and then take a skid. This was always a genuine catastrophe. We would all look at each other and say, Who next? Today, through slips are a very serious difficulty, as a group we take them in stride. Fear has evaporated. Alcohol always threatens the individual, but we know that it cannot destroy the common welfare. 'It does not seem to pay to argue with 'slippers' about the proper method of getting dry. After all, why should people who are drinking tell people who are dry how it should be done? 'Just kid the boys along--ask them if they are having fun. If they are too noisy or troublesome, amiably keep out of their way. Prayer For The Day: Loving Father, help me that I may realize the depth of thy love. If I may be discouraged over my failures, speak to me hopefully and lead me out where I may find the right way to succeed. May I not be kept in sorrow, but find each day the happiness that brings a thankful heart. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 4 Balance As the day goes on, 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. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, pp. 102 - 103 Thought to Ponder . . . The Twelve Steps -- a manuscript for rational living. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . K I S S = Keep It Simple; Surrender. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Instincts "The idea keeps persisting that the instincts are primarily bad and are the roadblocks before which all spirituality falters. I believe that the difference between good and evil is not the difference between spiritual and instinctual man; it is the difference between proper and improper use of the instinctual. Recognition and right channeling of the instinctual are the essence of achieving wholeness." Bill W., Letter, 1954 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 287 Thought to Consider . . . When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* G R A C E = Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Model From "The Man Who Mastered Fear": "Poor health and a complete lack of money necessitated my remaining with Dr. Bob and Anne for very close to a year. It would be impossible for me to pass over this year without mentioning my love for, and my indebtedness to, these two wonderful people who are no longer with us. They made me feel as if I were a part of their family, and so did their children. The example that they and Bill W., whose visits to Akron were fairly frequent, set for me of service to their fellow men imbued me with a great desire to emulate them." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 251-52 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "A little voice deep inside me said, 'Hello, I am here.' It was a small voice, and sounded as if it were buried underneath the cushions of my couch. It was my soul ... I had forgotten it."" Apex, N.C., March 2006 "A Soul Checks In," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~ "We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once having lost their self- confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxviii~ Until now, our lives have been largely devoted to running from pain and problems. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 74 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We give thanks to our Heavenly Father, who through so many friends and through many means and channels, has allowed us to construct this wonderful edifice of the spirit in which we are now dwelling--this cathedral whose foundations already rest upon the corners of the earth. On its great floor we have inscribed our Twelve Steps of recovery. On the side walls, the buttresses of A.A. Traditions have been set in place to contain us in unity for as long as God may will it so. Eager hearts and hands have lifted the spire of our cathedral into its place. That spire bears the name of service. May it ever point straight upward toward God. 'Its is not only to the few that we owe the remarkable developments in our unity and in our ability to carry A.A.'s message everywhere. It is to the many; indeed, it is to the labors of all of us that owe these prime blessings. Prayer For The Day: Prayer for the Morning: Good morning, dear Father; thank you for this day, Help me to follow you in every way. Let me speak as you speak, and do as you do; Let me help others, as you help them, too. Help me to be honest, don't let me play games, Help me to grow, yet still stay the same. Help me not to be selfish, to give of my heart, my mind and my labor; Give all - not just part. Help me to love others, my family, my friends, Bless all of my foes, help me make amends. Help me be kind, Father, where I am needed, let Me give warm attention, and see all needs are met. Help keep me busy, to strive for the best, Help me not to be lazy, but find needed rest. Let me come to you, Father, throughout the day, Often to thank you, often to pray. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 5 Rationalizations But in other instances only the closest scrutiny will reveal what our true motives were. There are cases where our ancient enemy, rationalization, has stepped in and has justified conduct which was really wrong. The temptation here is to imagine that we had good motives and reasons when we really didn't. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions,, p. 94 Thought to Ponder . . . Wisdom is knowing the right path to take; integrity is taking it. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S O L U T I O N S = Saving Our Lives Using The Inventory Of Needed Steps. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Carry the Message "We sit at AA meetings and listen, not only to receive something, but to give reassurance and support which our presence can bring. If our turn comes to speak at a meeting, we again try to carry AA's message. Whether our audience is one or many, it is still Twelfth Step work." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 110 Thought to Consider.... That light at the end of the tunnel may be you. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T R U S T =Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Development >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "As the [Big Book] chapters were slowly roughed out I read them to the New York group at its weekly meeting in our parlor at Clinton Street, and copies were sent to Dr. Bob for checking and criticisms in Akron, where we had nothing but the warmest support. But in the New York meeting the chapters got a real mauling. I redictated them and Ruth retyped them over and over. In spite of the heated arguments, the New York group's criticisms did help a lot, and to some extent the enthusiasm and confidence increased." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 159 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I opened up the imaginary closet in my mind where I kept all the well-nurtured hurts and tossed them into my past, where they belonged. Into this newly cleaned-out space, I started storing my goals and the hopes and dreams of what I wanted to achieve in life." Canaan, Connecticut, June 1997 "Making Room to Grow Up" Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 85~ "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~ No defect can be corrected unless we clearly see what it is. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 58 Misc. AA Literature - Quote An improved perception of humility starts a revolutionary change in our outlook. Out eyes begin to open to the immense values which have come straight out of painful ego-puncturing. Until now, our lives have been largely devoted to running from pain and problems. Escape via the bottle was always our solution. Then, in A.A., we looked and listened. Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets. To those who have made progress in A.A., humility amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. Prayer For The Day: Tender Jesus, meek and mild, Look on me, a little child; Help me, if it is Thy will, To recover from all ill. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 6 Helpfulness Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God will keep you unharmed. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 102 Thought to Ponder . . . Trust God. Clean house. Help others. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H E A L = Helping Every Alcoholic Live. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Growing Up "How many of us would presume to declare, 'Well, I'm sober and I'm happy. What more can I want, or do? I'm fine the way I am.' We know that the price of such self-satisfaction is an inevitable backslide, punctuated at some point by a very rude awakening. We have to grow or else deteriorate. For us, the status quo can only be for today, never for tomorrow. Change we must; we cannot stand still." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, June 1961 As Bill Sees It, p. 25 Thought to Consider.... The program has helped me grow up enough to be a kid again. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* WISDOM When Into Self, Discover Our Motives *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Commitment >From "Destinations": "That first step is very important, whether it is the first step of a beloved child learning to walk or the First Step, taken by a man on his way to a new life. Looking into my little ones' faces, I can see the same qualities that we need for the Twelve Steps of A.A.: daring, to stake everything on the attempt; a sense of direction, to be followed with no swerving, no detour; decision, to move forward with out hesitation or reservation; determination, to make it all the way. Destination: a full life, a free life, a serene life. Albany, Australia" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 93 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "There will always be people in the Fellowship with whom I don't see eye-to-eye, but that doesn't mean we can't work together. The Fellowship wouldn't be what it is today if we always saw eye-to-eye on everything." Goffstown, New Hampshire, September 1994 "Principles Before Personalities," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power that One is God. May you find Him now!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 58~ "We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 30~ At the very least, we shall have to come to grips with some of our worst character defects and take action toward their removal as quickly as we can. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 69 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We recall, a little ruefully, how much store we used to set by imagination as it tried to create reality out of bottles. Yes, we revealed in that sort of thinking, didn't we? And, through sober nowadays, don't we often try to do much the same thing? Perhaps our trouble was not that we used our imagination. Perhaps the real trouble was our almost total inability to point imagination toward the right objectives. there's nothing the matter with truly constructive imagination; all sound achievement rests upon it. After all, no man can build a house until he first visions a plan for it. Prayer For The Day: Lord our God, inspire us to make our choices well and understand our responsibilities and the consequences of what we do. Help us to make good use of the opportunities that come to us. Lead us to be positive in our attitude, that we may work well with others and live this day to the full. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 7 Any Length If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p 58 Thought to Ponder . . . Sobriety without action is fantasy. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Freedom "Through AA, we can experience freedom from self. After all, it was self ( you, me ) that stood in our own way, that ran the show and ran ourselves into bankruptcy, that hurt the ones we loved. All Twelve Steps of AA are designed to kill the old self ( deflate the old ego ) and build a new, free self." 1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 459 Thought to Consider . . . Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F I N E = Free, Independent, New and Energetic *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Development >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "As the chapters were slowly roughed out I read them to the New York group at its weekly meeting in our parlor at Clinton Street, and copies were sent to Dr. Bob for checking and criticisms in Akron, where we had nothing but the warmest support. But in the New York meeting the chapters got a real mauling. I redictated them and Ruth retyped them over and over. In spite of the heated arguments, the New York group's criticisms did help a lot, and to some extent the enthusiasm and confidence increased." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 159 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I started going to meetings a little early and resisted the urge to bolt out the door the moment the Lord's Prayer was finished. I thought I might try some of that 'get active' stuff, so I volunteered to make coffee at a meeting I liked to attend ... It wasn't long before I found myself in the middle of Alcoholics Anonymous." I Am Responsible 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 ^*~*~*~*~* "We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 17~ These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others. ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 159~ Still more wonderful is the feeling that we do not have to be specially distinguished among our fellows in order to be useful and profoundly happy. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 124 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We found that the principals of tolerance and love had to be emphasized in actual practice. We can never say (or insinuate) to anyone that he must agree to our formula or be excommunicated. The atheist may stand up in an A.A. meeting still denying the Deity, yet reporting how vastly he has been changed in attitude and outlook. Much experience tells us he will presently change his mind about God, but nobody tells him he must do so. In order to carry the principle of inclusiveness and tolerance still further, we make no religious requirement of anyone. All people having an alcoholic problem who wish to get rid of it and so make a happy adjustment with the sincerity is needed. But we do not demand even this. In such as atmosphere the orthodox, the unorthodox, and the unbeliever mix happily and usefully together. An opportunity for spiritual growth is open to all. Prayer For The Day: Lord, show me how to learn from others, how to be patient, and how to persevere. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 8 Honesty Until we actually sit down and talk aloud about what we have so long hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largely theoretical. When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p. 60 Thought to Ponder . . . Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Accountable Actions. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Fellowship "We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful ... The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution." 1976 AAWS, Alcholics Anonymous, p. 17 Thought to Ponder ... The Journey is the Destination. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Commitment >From "Destinations": "That first step is very important, whether it is the first step of a beloved child learning to walk or the First Step, taken by a man on his way to a new life. Looking into my little ones faces, I can see the same qualities that we need for the Twelve Steps of A.A.: daring, to stake everything on the attempt; a sense of direction, to be followed with no swerving, no detour; decision, to move forward without hesitation or reservation; determination, to make it all the way. Destination: a full life, a free life, a serene life. "Albany, Australia" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 93 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Our resentments, anxieties and depressions were definitely caused, we claimed, by our unfortunate circumstances and by the inconsiderate behavior of other people. To our consternation, our sponsors didn't seem impressed ... They just grinned and said, 'Why don't we sit down and take a hard look at all of AA's Twelve Steps? Maybe you have been missing a lot -- in fact, nearly everything." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965 "Responsibility Is Our Theme" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: 'Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.' Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33 "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, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~ We know that little good can come to any alcoholic who joins A.A. unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness and all its consequences. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The real question is whether we can learn anything from our experiences upon which we may grow and help others to grow in the likeness and image of God. We know that if we rebel against doing that which is reasonably possible for us, then we will be penalized. And we will be equally penalized if we presume in ourselves a perfection that simply is not there. Apparently, the course of relative humility and progress will have to lie somewhere between these extremes. In our slow progress away from rebellion, true perfection is doubtless several millennia away. Prayer For The Day: Lord, I pray that you may lift up the light of your countenance upon me, and give me peace; in my going out and in my coming in; in my sitting down and my rising up; in my work and in my play; in my joy and in my sorrow, in my laughter and in my tears. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 9 Defects and Humility All of us saw, for example, that we lacked honesty and tolerance, that we were beset at times by attacks of self-pity or delusions of personal grandeur. But while this was a humiliating experience, it didn't necessarily mean that we had yet acquired much actual humility. Though now recognized, our defects were still there. Something had to be done about them. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p. 58 Thought to Ponder . . . Learning is the very essence of humility; the two walk hand in hand. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . C H A N G E = Choosing Humility Allows New Growth Everyday. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Wants or Needs? "We are taught to differentiate between our wants (which are never satisfied) and our needs (which are always provided for). We cast off the burdens of the past and the anxieties of the future, as we begin to live in the present, one day at a time. We are granted 'the serenity to accept the things we cannot change' - and thus lose our quickness to anger and our sensitivity to criticism." 1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 560 Thought to consider ... Don't give up before the miracle happens. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Doubt >From "We Agnostics": "Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral. And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about God. Here difficulty arises with agnostics. Many times we talk to a new man and watch his hope rise as we discuss his alcoholic problems and explain our fellowship. But his face falls when we speak of spiritual matters, especially when we mention God, for we have re-opened a subject which our man thought he had neatly evaded or entirely ignored. "We know how he feels. We have shared his honest doubt and prejudice." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 44 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I can change my viewpoint anytime I want to. I can look at things from down, by lying back and waiting for someone to rescue me. Or I can stand tall and look at the way things are as the way they're meant to be." York Harbor, Maine, September 1994 "Attitude Adjustment," 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~ "Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~ We had lacked the perspective to see that character-building and spiritual values had to come first, and that material satisfactions were not the purpose of living. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 71 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We alcoholics are the biggest rationalizers in the world. Fortified with the excuse that we are doing great things for A.A., we can, through broken anonymity, resume our old and disastrous pursuit of personal power and prestige, public honors, and money--the same implacable urges that, when frustrated, once caused us to drink. Dr. Bob was essentially a far more humble person than I, and anonymity came rather easily to him. When it was sure that he was mortally afflicted, some of his friends suggested that there should be a monument erected in honor of him and his wife, Anne--befitting a founder and his lady. Telling me about this, Dr. Bob grinned broadly and said, 'God bless 'em. They mean well. But let's you and me get buried just like other folks.' In the Akron cemetery where Dr. Bob and Anne lie, the simple stone says not a word about A.A. This final example of self-effacement is of more permanent worth to A.A. than any amount of public attention or any great monument. Prayer For The Day: Lord our God, may I learn to treat others generously, with respect, and with care and understanding, that we may all bring out the best in one another. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 10 The Doctor's Opinion Frothy emotional appeal seldom suffices. The message which can interest and hold these alcoholic people must have depth and weight. In nearly all these cases, their ideals must be grounded in a power greater than themselves, if they are to re-create their lives. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. xxviii Thought to Ponder . . . God seldom becomes a reality until God becomes a necessity. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Anger "Then the miracle happened - to me! It isn't always so sudden with everyone, but I ran into a personal crisis which filled me with a raging and righteous anger. And as I fumed helplessly and planned to get good and drunk and show them, my eye caught a sentence to the book lying open on my bed. 'We cannot live with anger.' The walls crumpled - and the light streamed in. I wasn't trapped. I wasn't helpless. I was free, and I didn't have to drink to 'show them.' This wasn't 'religion' - this was freedom! Freedom from anger and fear, freedom to know happiness and love." 1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 228 Thought to Consider ... Anger is the hot wind that extinguishes the light of reason. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* NUTS Not Using The Steps? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Beginning from: "Two alcoholics meet" "'I have placed both operation and myself in God's hands. I'm going to do what it takes to get sober and stay that way.' "Just before they stopped [at the hospital, where Dr. Bob was to perform surgery], Bill, who also had his practical side, gave him a bottle of beer...The bottle of beer Bill gave him that morning was the last drink he [Dr. Bob] ever had. "Although arguments have been and will be made for other significant occasions in A.A. history, it is generally agreed that Alcoholics Anonymous began there, in Akron, on that date: June 10, 1935." 1980, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, pages 74-75 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Alone in the town, I was scared to death of getting drunk. I was no longer a teacher or a preacher, I was an alcoholic who knew that he needed another alcoholic, as much as that one could possibly need me. Driven by that urge, I was soon face to face with Dr. Bob." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965 "A Fragment of History: Origin of the Twelve Steps" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ 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~ "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~ 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 We do not relate intimate experiences of another member unless we are sure he would approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect others favorably, but criticism or ridicule aimed at someone else produces the contrary effect. A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means are necessities for us. We alcoholics have learned this the hard way. More experienced people, of course, in all times and places have practiced unsparing self-survey and criticism. Prayer For The Day: Lord, lead me to look for the positive in all people and in all situations. May I help bring light to those in darkness, and encouragement to those who feel unhappy. May I show as much care for others as I would like them to show for me. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 11, 2017 A Lifetime Process We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn’t seem to be of real help to other people. . . - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 52 Thought to Ponder . . . Recovery is not an event; it is a process. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Altered Attitudes. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Gratitude "Another exercise that I practice is to try for a full inventory of my blessings and then for a right acceptance of the many gifts that are mine - both temporal and spiritual. Here I try to achieve a state of joyful gratitude. When such a brand of gratitude is repeatedly affirmed and pondered, it can finally displace the natural tendency to congratulate myself on whatever progress I may have been enabled to make in some areas of living. I try hard 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." Bill W., March 1962 1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 271 Thought to Consider . . . I have learned what a heart full of gratitude feels like. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Illness >From "Building a New Life": "That year I went to an alcohol treatment program twice. The first time I was in treatment, I was shaving at the mirror in the bathroom and it seemed to me that my beard was growing back in as fast as I could shave it off. Even though I was in a hospital gown, I escaped, running down the streets and jumping up and over fences. I was on the porch of a woman's house banging on the door for her to let me in when the police arrived. I tried to convince them she was my wife and my children were inside, but they saw the hospital bracelet on my wrist, and they took me back to the program. "The doctor told me that if I went into D.T.'s like that again I might not come out." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 482 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Instead of looking backward into the dreariness of my past, I'm looking forward to a bright future because I've finally taken responsibility for my life." Canaan, Conn., June 1997 "Making Room to Grow Up" Step By Step: Real AAs, Real Recovery ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning. That being so you have swallowed and digested some big chunks of truth about yourself." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~ "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~ Even these “last-gaspers” often had difficulty in realizing how hopeless they actually were. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 22 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We need to distinguish sharply between spiritual simplicity and functional simplicity. When we say that A.A. advocates no theological proposition except God as we understand Him, we greatly simplify A.A. life by avoiding conflict and exclusiveness. But when we get into questions of action by groups, by areas, and by A.A. as a whole, we find that we must to some extent organize to carry the message--or else face chaos. And chaos is not simplicity. I learned that the temporary or seeming good can often be the deadly enemy of the permanent best. When it comes to survival for A.A., nothing short of our very best will be good enough. Prayer For The Day: Gracious Father, I beseech thee to give me wisdom for kind thoughts and deeds. Teach me true hospitality, that I may be gracious in my own home and appreciative in the home of others. May I not temper my hospitality for certain reasons, but have a genuine welcome for all. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 12 Friends Let your friends know they are not to change their habits on your account. At a proper time and place explain to all your friends why alcohol disagrees with you. If you do this thoroughly, few people will ask you to drink. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 102 Thought to Ponder . . . Swallowing my pride will not get me drunk. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . C H A N G E D = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Each Day. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Sacrifices "At the beginning we sacrificed alcohol. We had to, or it would have killed us. But we couldn't get rid of alcohol unless we made other sacrifices. Big-shotism and phony thinking had to go. We had to toss self-justification, self-pity, and anger right out the window. We had to quit the crazy contest for personal prestige and big bank balances. We had to take personal responsibility for our sorry state and quit blaming others for it. Were these sacrifices? Yes, they were. To gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all we had to give up what had really been our dearest possessions - our ambitions and our illegitimate pride." Bill W., January 1955 1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 210 Thought to Consider . . . Sobriety is a journey, not a destination *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S O B E R = Son Of a Basket, Everything's Real *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Core >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "On many a day I felt like throwing the book out the window. "I was in this anything-but-spiritual mood on the night when the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous were written. I was sore and tired clear through. I lay in bed at 182 Clinton Street with pencil in hand and with a tablet of scratch paper on my knee. I could not get my mind on the job, much less put my heart in it. But here was one of those things that had to be done. Slowly my mind came into some kind of focus. "Since Ebby's visit to me in the fall of 1934 we had gradually evolved what we called 'the word-of-mouth program.' Most of the basic ideas had come from the Oxford Groups, William James, and Dr. Silkworth." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 160 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Where before there was a gaping hole of emptiness, I seek within me that faint ember of self-love, self-worth, and desire for goodness." Westfield, Mass., July 1997 "The Faint Ember" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ 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~ "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~ Many of us also like the experience of an occasional retreat from the outside world where we can quiet down for an undisturbed day or so of self-overhaul and meditation.” -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 89 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Who can render an account of all the miseries that once were ours, and who can estimate the release and joy that the later years have brought to us? Who can possibly tell the vast consequences of what God's work through A.A. has already set in motion? And who can penetrate the deeper mystery of our wholesale deliverance from slavery, a bondage to a most hopeless and fatal obsession which for centuries possessed the minds and bodies of men and women like ourselves? We think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this? Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, we do appreciate Your patience and love toward us. May we show this same love to those around us; especially to those with whom we might have a disagreement. Lord, grant us grace to be gracious and not get into contention with others. Lord, remove murmuring and disputing from our hearts and let us be joyful and peace makers. Father, guard our tongues that we do not say things that we will later regret. Forgive us when we fail You and give us Your grace to forgive others who have hurt us. We ask this in Your son, Jesus' name. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 13 Absolutely Necessary When our friend related his experience, the man agreed that no amount of will power he might muster could stop his drinking for long. A spiritual experience, he conceded, was absolutely necessary, but the price seemed high upon the basis suggested. He told how he lived in constant worry about those who might find out about his alcoholism. He had, of course, the familiar alcoholic obsession that few knew of his drinking. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 155 Thought to Ponder . . . Humility comes before honor. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Accountable Actions. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Change "How many of us would presume to declare, 'Well, I'm sober and I'm happy. What more can I want, or do? I'm fine the way I am.' We know that the price of such self-satisfaction is an inevitable backslide, punctuated at some point by a very rude awakening. We have to grow or else deteriorate. For us, the status quo can only be for today, never for tomorrow. Change we must; we cannot stand still." Bill W., Grapevine, February 1961 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 25 Thought to Consider . . . There are only two things an alcoholic doesn't like - the way things are, and change. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C H A N G E = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Future >From "Heard at Meetings": "'It is wise to pray for the future, but not to worry about it, because we can't live it until it becomes the present. The depth of our anxiety measures the distance we are from God.' - Sydney, Australia" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 26 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The compulsion among most of us to survive and to grow soon becomes far stronger than the temptation to drink, or to 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 that can salvage us from total disaster by insuring our sobriety." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., May 1960 "What Is Freedom in AA?" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55~ "Cessation of drinking is but the first step away from a highly strained, abnormal condition." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 122~ We have gained some understanding of the ancient words ‘Freely ye have received, freely give. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 166 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The practice of admitting one's defects to another person is, of course, very ancient. It has been validated in every century, and it characterizes the lives of all spiritually centered and truly religious people. But today religion is by no means the sole advocate of this saving principle. Psychiatrists and psychologists point out the deep need every human being has for practical insight and knowledge of his own personality flaws and for a discussion of them with an understanding and trustworthy person. So far as alcoholics are concerned, A.A. would go even further. Most of us would declare that without a fearless admission of our defects to another human being, we could not stay sober. It seems plain that the grace of God will not enter to expel our destructive obsessions until we are willing to try this. Prayer For The Day: “A Prayer During Times Of Fear” - Father, You want us to have peace instead of fear. Therefore You speak to our hearts many times, “Fear not” and give us many reasons why we are not to be fearful people. The most compelling reason that we need not fear is that You promise never to leave us nor forsake us. You are our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. So we ask that You embolden us and fill our hearts with courage in place of fear. As someone once said, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” |
AA Thought for the Day
June 14 Four Horsemen Some of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship and approval. Momentarily we did—then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen—Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair. Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand! - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 151 Thought to Ponder . . . From darkness comes light. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . F A I L = From Adversity I Learn. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Traditions "The Twelve Traditions point straight at many of our individual defects. By implication they ask each of us to lay aside pride and resentments. They ask for personal as well as group sacrifice. They ask us never to use the AA name in any quest for personal power or distinction or money. The Traditions guarantee the equality of all members and the independence of all groups. They show how we may best relate ourselves to each other and to the world outside." Bill W., 1967AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 96 Thought to Consider . . . If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A's - R - U S = Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Unity Service *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Core >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "On many a day I felt like throwing the book out the window. "I was in this anything-but-spiritual mood on the night when the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous were written. I was sore and tired clear through. I lay in bed at 182 Clinton Street with pencil in hand and with a tablet of scratch paper on my knee. I could not get my mind on the job, much less put my heart in it. But here was one of those things that had to be done. Slowly my mind came into some kind of focus. "Since Ebby's visit to me in the fall of 1934 we had gradually evolved what we called 'the word-of-mouth program.' Most of the basic ideas had come from the Oxford Groups, William James, and Dr. Silkworth." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 160 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I'm working diligently to improve my character. I work daily on trying to reign in my impetuous temper, my obsession with reaction rather than reflection, and that silly ego that keeps rearing its ugly head. "I'm grateful for AA's reference to progress rather than perfection. Despite my shortcomings, with the help of the AA program and my brothers in AA, improvements will continue to be made" April 2011 "Mistakes Have Been Made," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "'My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go back to it even if I could.'" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~ "...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~ Misc. AA Literature - Quote We now see that in twelfth-stepping the immediate results are not so important. Some people start out working with others and have immediate success. They are likely to get cocky. Those of us who are not so successful at first get depressed. As a matter of fact, the successful worker differs from the unsuccessful only in being lucky about his prospects. He simply hits newcomers who are ready and able to stop at once. Given the same prospects, the seemingly unsuccessful person would have produced almost the same results. You have to work on a lot of newcomers before the law of averages commences to assert itself. All true communication must be founded on mutual need. We saw that each sponsor would have to admit humbly his own needs as clearly as those of his prospect. Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I do thank you for Your goodness to me. Lord, help me to guard my mouth so that those things that are edifying and good will come out and not those things that contribute to a negative lifestyle. May I bless others with my tongue and never be guilty of cursing anyone. Let my words be gracious and may they bring healing to others. Let my words be kind and gentle and loving. May I reflect Your goodness in all that I do. Forgive me when I say the wrong things. Let me speak and pray the Word of God over my life and others. Give us all grace to say things that bring life into this world. I ask this in Jesus' Holy name. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 15 Step Eleven Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 59 Thought to Ponder . . . Prayer asks the question. Meditation listens for the answer. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A S A P = Always Say A Prayer. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Foundation "There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. Now and then we may be granted a glimpse of that ultimate reality which is God's kingdom. And we will be comforted and assured that our own destiny in that realm will be secure for so long as we try, however falteringly, to find and do the will of our own Creator." 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 98 Thought to Consider . . . Prayer is asking a question. Meditation is listening for the answer. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A S A P = Always Say A Prayer *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Future >From "Heard at Meetings": "'It is wise to pray for the future, but not to worry about it, because we can't live it until it becomes the present. The depth of our anxiety measures the distance we are from God.' - Sydney, Australia" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 26 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "One day it will be left to the young people now in our Fellowship to carry on the original spirit and traditions of AA, even though the buzz words and trends will come and go. It will be up to us to teach newcomers how to maintain the type of sobriety that achieves the promises of the Big Book and dispels some of the fables of recovery popular today. It will be up to us to help the newcomer from the street dry out, shakes and pukes and all. We will be left to teach the little things: how to sit at the front, not the back of the room, say hello to the new guy, wash coffee cups and ashtrays. One day it will be up to us to uphold the Traditions. It will be up to us to keep it simple." Bury St. Edmunds, England, September 1994 "We Who Are Next in Line," I Am Responsible: The Hand of AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing get well, little charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the wrong track." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 97 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. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~ And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 104 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Though we of A.A. find ourselves living in a world characterized by destructive fears as never before in history, we see great areas of faith, and tremendous aspirations toward justice and brotherhood. Yet no prophet can presume to say whether the world outcome will be blazing destruction or the beginning, under God's intention, of the brightest era yet known to mankind. I am sure we A.A.'s will comprehend this scene. In microcosm, we have experienced this identical state of terrifying uncertainty, each in his own life. In no sense pridefully, we can say that we do not fear the world outcome, whichever course it may take. This is because we have been enabled to deeply feel and say, 'We shall fear no evil--Thy will, not ours, be done.' Prayer For The Day: May I go forth filled with the joy and confidence of your Spirit; and may everything I do this day, in word or deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 16 Spiritual Life 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, pp. 14 - 15 Thought to Ponder . . . Spiritual progress isn't what gets us sober, it's what keeps us sober. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S O B E R = Spiritually On Beam; Everything's Right. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Fun "Every day, I feel a little bit more useful, more happy, and more free. Life, including some ups and downs, is a lot of fun. I am part of AA which is a way of life. If I had not become an active alcoholic and joined AA, I might never have found my own identity or become a part of anything." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 Thought to Consider . . . Joy is in knowing there is an answer. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F I N E = Free, Independent, New and Energetic *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Living >From "Fear of Fear:" "I can't afford resentments against anyone, because they are the build-up of another drunk. I must live and let live." 1976, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 325 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Alcoholics Anonymous has an answer to problems in sobriety, making sobriety, eventually, something wonderful instead of something that can drive people to drink." Tasmania, December 2006 "Solutions," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, Page 30~ "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 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, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~ "I pointed out that I had had nothing to drink whatever for three years, and this in the face of difficulties that would have made nine out of ten men drink their heads off." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 138 (To Employers) "And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 104 (Step Eleven) Misc. AA Literature - Quote On studying the Twelve Steps, many of us exclaimed, 'What an order! I can't go through with it.' Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtue as we are brothers in our defects, and in our common strivings to overcome them. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me through the difficulties, so that my victory over them may bear witness to those I will help. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 17 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. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p. 97 Thought to Ponder . . . Today I pray over the things that I used to drink over. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . P R A Y E R = Praying Regularly Allows Your Everyday Recovery. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Neighbors "Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people on a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of 'Love they neighbor as thyself.' " 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3 Thought to Consider . . . Let us always love the best in others - and never fear their worst. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* B O G G L E = Bad Or Good, God Loves Everyone *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Rescued From Shipwreck >From "There Is a Solution:" "We are people who normally would not mix.... We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain's table. Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways.... "The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution." Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition: 17 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am still arrogant, egocentric, 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." July 1975 "One of Those Bad Cons Nobody Can Reach," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while there is yet time." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 32 "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~ "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." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 130 (The Family Afterward) "At these critical moments, if we remind ourselves that "it is better to comfort than to be comforted, to understand than to be understood, to love than to be loved," we will be following the intent of Step Eleven." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 103 (Step Eleven) Misc. AA Literature - Quote Though many theologians hold that sudden spiritual experience amount to a special distinction, if not a divine appointment of some sort, I question this view. Every human being, no matter what his attributes for good or evil, is a part of the divine spiritual economy. Therefore, each of us has his place, and I cannot see that God intends to exalt one over another. So it is necessary for all of us to accept whatever positive gifts we receive with a deep humility, always bearing in mind that our negative attitudes were first necessary as a means of reducing us to such a state that we would be ready for a gift of the positive ones via the conversion experience. Your own alcoholism and the immense deflation that finally resulted are indeed the foundation upon which your spiritual experience rests. Prayer for the Day: Let me turn to my Higher Power throughout my day today in order to come into regular contact with it. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 18 Rough Going This sometimes nearly drove me back to drink, but I soon found that when all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic would save the day. Many times I have gone to my old hospital in despair. On talking to a man there, I would be amazingly lifted up and set on my feet. It is a design for living that works in rough going. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 15 Thought to Ponder . . . New ideals and new attitudes bring a new life. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . E S H = Experience, Strength and Hope. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Resentment "Resentment is the 'number one' offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. >From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64 Thought to Consider . . . We are prisoners of our own resentments. Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F A I L U R E = Fearful, Arrogant, Insecure, Lonely, Uncertain, Resentful, Empty. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Service and Support >From "The Joys of Service:" "In Denver in 1975 at the International Convention, I heard many great things, but one that stands out is: 'The key to happiness is not to concentrate on yourself, but to lose yourself in others.' I liked what Carl W. told our group when he ended his talk with these words for new people: 'Let us love you until you can learn to love yourselves.'" 1993, The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA, page 51 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Step Six may be the greatest act of courage in the whole twelve-step process: a total act of faith. I have to trust that God will see the big picture and make the right choices." Tujunga, California, June 2010 "My Armor," Step By Step *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...we tried to shape a sane and sound 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." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 69 "We agnostically inclined would not feel satisfied with a proposal which does not lend itself to reasonable approach and interpretation. Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not to believe, why we say our former thinking was soft and mushy when we threw up our hands in doubt and said, 'We don't know.'" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~ "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 (Bill's Story) "This being so, we think it logically follows that sobriety -- first, last, and all the time -- is the only thing we need to work for." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 45 (Step Four) Misc. AA Literature - Quote My experience as an old-timer has to some degree paralleled your own and that of many others. We all find that the time comes when we are not allowed to manage and conduct the functional affairs of groups, areas, or, in my case, A.A. as a whole. In the end we can only be worth as much as our spiritual example has justified. To that extent, we become useful symbols--and that's just about it. I have become a pupil of the A.A. movement rather than the teacher I once thought I was. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, give me the willingness to work diligently for my own happiness. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 19 Our Will It is when we try to make our will conform with God's that we begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was a most wonderful revelation. Our whole trouble had been the misuse of willpower. We had tried to bombard our problems with it instead of attempting to bring it into agreement with God's intention for us. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p. 40 Thought to Ponder . . . Willpower ... our will-ingness to use a Higher Power. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Progress "Day by day, we try to move a little toward God's perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt for failure to achieve His likeness and image by Thursday next. Progress is our aim, and His perfection is the beacon, light-years away, that draws us on." Bill W., Letter, 1966 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 15 Thought to Consider . . . There is no progress without change. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* G O D = Good Orderly Direction *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* It keeps getting better >From "Getting Active:" "After our first month's sobriety, many of us notice a distinct difference. After three months, our minds seem still clearer. And during our second year of recovery, the change is striking. More mental energy seems available to us than ever before." Living Sober, page 16 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Sobriety isn't a discrete list of tasks that you do and then check off; it's a state of being that pervades every aspect of your life." Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 2008 "Lost in Translation," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations and affairs." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19~ Humility... Humility... is a perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing against. It is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in, shut the door, and kneel to my Higher Power in secret. Where I can be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble. -- Inscription on Dr. Bob's desk . . . "In a few seconds he was overwhelmed by a conviction of the Presence of God. It poured over and through him with the certainty and majesty of a great tide at flood. The barriers he had built through the years were swept away. He stood in the Presence of Infinite Power and Love. He had stepped from bridge to shore. For the first time, he lived in conscious companionship with his Creator." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 56~ "At last I was released from the bondage of my uniqueness." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 450 (He Lived Only to Drink) "I insisted that few drunks could ever get well on their own steam, but that in our groups we could do together what we could not do separately." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 152 (Tradition Five) Misc. AA Literature - Quote We have seen A.A.'s ask with much earnestness and faith for God's explicit guidance on matters ranging all the way from a shattering domestic or financial crisis to a minor personal fault, like tardiness. A man who tries to run his life rigidly by this kind of prayers, by this self-serving demand of God for replies, is a particularly disconcerting individual. To any questioning or criticism of his actions, he instantly proffers his reliance upon prayer for guidance in all matters great or small. He may have forgotten the possibility that his own wishful thinking and the human tendency to rationalize have distorted his so-called guidance. With the best of intentions, he tends to force his will into all sorts of situations and problems with the comfortable assurance that he is acting under God's specific direction. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, remove my delusion of uniqueness and allow me to humbly connect with my fellows. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 20 Inventory We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64 Thought to Ponder . . . I must walk into darkness to find the light. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A R T = Always Remain Teachable. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Egomania "Our egomania digs two disastrous pitfalls. Either we insist on dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much. If we lean too heavily on people, they will sooner or later fail us, for they are human, too, and cannot possibly meet our own incessant demands. . . We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society." 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 53 Thought to Consider . . . It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* E G O = Easing God Out *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Staying stopped >From "A.A. Taught Him To Handle Sobriety:" "Like most alcoholics I have known, I DID quit drinking at various times -- once for ten months on my own and during other interludes when I was hospitalized. It's no great trick to stop drinking, the trick is to STAY stopped." 1976, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 554 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "For me, there is no better feeling than the one I get running into another alcoholic when I'm feeling down. We alcoholics are bonded together by the sadness of a deadly disease and the miracle of a spiritual solution." December 2006 "Between a Bartender and a Bad-Tempered Boss," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons. Most of them give freely of themselves, that their fellows may enjoy sound minds and bodies." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~ "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~ "We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 133 (The Family Afterward) "If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 65 (Step Six) Misc. AA Literature - Quote The A.A. preoccupation with sobriety is sometimes misunderstood. To some, this single virtue appears to be the sole dividend of our Fellowship. We are thought to be dried-up drunks who otherwise have changed little, or not at all, for the better. Such a surmise widely misses the truth. We know that permanent sobriety can be attained only by a most revolutionary change in the life and outlook of the individual--by a spiritual awakening that can banish the desire to drink.' 'You are asking yourself, as all of us must: 'Who am I?'...'Where am I?'...'Whence do I go?' The process of enlightenment is usually slow. But, in the end, our seeking always brings a finding. These great mysteries are, after all, enshrined in completely simplicity. The willingness to grow is the essence of all spiritual development. Prayer for the Day: Let me forgive myself and live freely just as I believe I am meant to. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 21 Ready If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p 58 Thought to Ponder . . . The elevator is broken -- use the Steps. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S T E P S = Solutions Through Each Powerful Step. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Change "Let us never fear needed change. Certainly we have to discriminate between changes for worse and changes for better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in AA as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way. The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails." Bill W., Grapevine, July 1965 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 115 Thought to Consider . . . God used two people to create me; He used a whole Fellowship to change me. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A C T I O N = Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Steps >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "Though subject to considerable variation, it all boiled down into a pretty consistent procedure which comprised six steps. These were approximately as follows: 1. "We admitted that we were licked, that we were powerless over alcohol. 2. "We made a moral inventory of our defects or sins. 3. "We confessed or shared our shortcomings with another person in confidence. 4. "We made restitution to all those we have harmed by our drinking. 5. "We tried to help other alcoholics, with no thought of reward in money or prestige. 6. We prayed to whatever God we thought there was for power to practice these precepts. "This was the substance of what, by the fall of 1938, we were telling newcomers. Several of the Oxford Groups other ideas and attitudes had been definitely rejected, including any which could involve us in theological controversy." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 160 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Many blessings have been showered upon me during my five years and nine months of sobriety -- great spiritual gifts, as well as the more ordinary supplies of money and goods. These great gifts come one after the other in spite of my own foolishness and fumbling, as I very slowly grope my way toward the light of reason and love." Universal City, California, February 1970 "Freedom Began in Prison," 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~ "We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 67~ "Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 75 (Into Action) "Many of us also like the experience of an occasional retreat from the outside world where we can quiet down for an undisturbed day or so of self-overhaul and meditation." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 89 (Step Ten) Misc. AA Literature - Quote Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is. Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be--to the best or our ability. 'Fallible as we all are, and will be in this life, it would be presumption to suppose that we could ever really achieve absolute honesty. The best we can do is to strive for a better quality of honesty. 'Sometimes we need to place love ahead of indiscriminate 'factual honesty.' We cannot, under the guise of 'perfect honesty,' cruelly and unnecessarily hurt others. Always one must ask, 'What is the best and most loving thing I can do?' Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, give me the willingness to sit quietly today with my thoughts and emotions. Let me not run from them, but acknowledge them with the help of Your love. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 22 Independence And the facts seem to be these: The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are. Therefore dependence, as A.A. practices it, is really a means of gaining true independence of the spirit. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 36 Thought to Ponder . . . If faith without works is dead; then willingness without action is fantasy. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Spirituality "Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things which then seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth, but if we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere. So we used our own conception, however limited it was." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 47 Thought to Consider . . . The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S O B E R = Spiritually On Beam; Everything's Right *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Realization >From "An Open Heart": "Suddenly, the words on the page hit me: 'The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try.' For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. '... That you try.' I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking , New York, New York" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 50 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Sound policy can only be made by rubbing the conservatives and the promoters together. Their discussions, if free from personal ambitions and resentment, can be depended upon to produce the right answers. For us, there is no other way." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1945 "The Book Is Born" The Language of the Heart"Although we can borrow from religion, medicine, and psychiatry, we are not any one of them. We cannot run hospitals nor half-way houses, nor marry the group with a religious sect. We cannot send lobbyists to Congress and we don't mix AA with banking enterprises. We aren't educators nor counselors. We cannot lend our name to any other cause except our own. The more we mind our own business, the greater our influence becomes; medicine, religion, and psychiatry start borrowing from our experience and ideas. So do the fields of education, research, and rehabilitation. All kinds of groups based on AA's Twelve Steps have evolved, groups that deal with gambling, eating, drug addiction, mental illness, divorce, etc. They've borrowed from the AA program and made their own adaptations. We didn't have to endorse them or lend our name. This tells us strongly that the more AA sticks to its primary purpose, the greater will be its helpful influence." San Antonio, Texas, June 1996 "Simplicity Works Best," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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~ "Now we need more action, without which we find that "Faith without works is dead."" -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 76 (Into Action) "Nothing short of continuous action upon these as a way of life can bring the much-desired result." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 40 (Step Three) Misc. AA Literature - Quote We started upon a personal inventory, Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock in trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We has to do exactly the same thing with our lives. We had to take stock honestly. 'Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritual serenity, as I have excellent reason to know. Roots of reality, supplanting the neurotic underbrush, will hold fast despite the high winds of the forces which would destroy us, or which we would use to destroy ourselves. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me take action to push me toward my serenity rather than waiting on things to fit my expectations. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 23 Seeking Humility We saw we needn't always be bludgeoned and beaten into humility. It could come quite as much from our voluntary reaching for it as it could from unremitting suffering. A great turning point in our lives came when we sought for humility as something we really wanted, rather than as something we must have. - Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, p. 75 Thought to Ponder . . . Humility is not a station we arrive at; it's a way of traveling. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . C H A N G E = Choosing Humility Allows New Gifts and Energy. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Obedience "We of AA obey spiritual principles, at first because we must, then because we ought to, and ultimately because we love the kind of life such obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are AA's disciplinarians; we need no others." 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 27 Thought to Consider . . . The spiritual approach to recovery is not about relinquishing responsibility for our lives to some Cosmic Butler. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H A L T = Hope, Acceptance, Love, Tolerance *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Before >From "The Family Afterward": "This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not, and when the occasion requires, each member of it should be only too willing to bring former mistakes, no matter how grievous out of their hiding places. Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 124 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am still amazed at the aura around AA meetings ... No matter what our immediate problems, fears, or resentments, we come to a halt when the meeting begins and focus on our primary purpose." Pittsburgh, Penn., September 1991 "A Beacon in the Dark" The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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 "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~ "There may be some wrongs we can never fully right. We don't worry about them if we can honestly say to ourselves that we would right them if we could." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg 83 “During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the changein our attitude toward God.” -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 (Step Seven) Misc. AA Literature - Quote Mine was exactly the kind of deep-seated block we so often see today in new people who say they are atheistic or agnostic. Their will to disbelieve is so powerful that apparently they prefer a date with the undertaker to an open-minded and experimental quest for God. Happily for me, and for most of my kind who have since come along in A.A., the constructive forces brought to bear in our Fellowship have nearly always overcome this colossal obstinacy. Beaten into complete defeat by alcohol, confronted by the living proof of release, and surrounded by those who can speak to us from the heart, we have finally surrendered. And then, paradoxically, we have found ourselves in a new dimension, the real world of spirit and faith. Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness--and there it is! Prayer for the Day: God, direct my thinking today so that it be empty of self pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God, inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God, show me what I need to do to take care of any problems. I ask all these things that I may be of maximum service to you and my fellow man. In the spirit of the Steps I pray. AMEN |
AA Thought for the Day
June 24 Shortcomings I have shortcomings and defects of character. I never have been and never can be perfect. As that realization became a part of me -- and it took time -- it brought me one of the greatest of the many blessings that have come to me from AA. I learned to accept myself as a fallible human being. I do not have to strive for perfection. Mistakes are permissible. I have the right to be wrong. And what a comfort that thought is to me, as I make my bemused way through life, one foot in a bucket, pushing on doors marked "Pull." - The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], pp. 167-168 Thought to Ponder . . . Let me be wise enough to know when I am wrong. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . T H I N K = Thank Heavens, I Now Know. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Self-will "The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. On that basis we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good. Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, 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. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 60-1 Thought to Consider . . . It's not making a mistake that will kill me. It's defending it that does the damage. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* N U T S = Not Using The Steps *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Orderly Transfer From: "When AA Came of Age" The full attendance of thousands of A.A.s at St. Louis, representing an accurate cross-section of A.A. opinion, now sat in convention before us. On the auditorium stage was the Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous, about a hundred men and women who were the named and chosen representatives of the whole fellowship. The Conference, having completed the fifth year of its experimental period with a record of high success, was no longer an experiment. It was the instrument destined to become the heart of A.A.'s Third Legacy of Service and the whole of A.A.'s conscience, world-wide. In the simple ceremony that followed, I offered a resolution to the effect that our society should now take its affairs into its own hands and that its Conference ought to become the permanent successor to the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. Amid a roar of acclamation from the floor, the Convention carried that resolution. There was silence, and then we heard chairman Smith offer the resolution to the Conference for its confirmation. A simple show of hands expressed the consent of the Conference and marked the exact moment when A.A. came of age. It was four o'clock. [July 3, 1955] 1985, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, page 47 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Tradition Six enjoins the group never to go into business nor ever to lend the AA name or money credit to any 'outside' enterprise, no matter how good ... We would thus divide the spiritual from the material, confine the AA movement to its sole aim and insure (however wealthy as individuals we may become) that AA itself shall always remain poor. We dare not risk the distractions of corporate wealth." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., April 1948 "Tradition Six" The Language of the Heart *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55 "We have three little mottoes which are apropos. Here they are: First Things First Live and Let Live Easy Does It." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 135~ “Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery.” -Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, p. 97 (Working with Others) “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 (Step Twelve) Misc. AA Literature - Quote All kinds of people have found their way into A.A. Not too long ago, I sat talking in my office with a member who bears the title of Countess. That same night, I went to an A.A. meeting. It was winter, and there was a mild-looking little gent taking the coats. I said, 'Who's that' And somebody answered, 'Oh, he's been around for a long time. Everybody likes him. He used to be one of Al Capone's mob.' That's how universal A.A. is today. We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired. All of us, whatever our race, creed, or color, are the children of a living Creator, with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try. Prayer for the Day: God, forgive me where I have been resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid today. Help me to not keep anything to myself but to discuss it all openly with another person - show me where I owe an apology and help me make it. Help me to be kind and loving to all people. Use me in the mainstream of life, God. Free me of worry, remorse or morbid (sick) reflections that I may be of usefulness to others. AMEN |
AA Thought for the Day
June 25 At Once Followed 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. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64 Thought to Ponder . . . Delay is the deadliest form of denial. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . F E A R = Face Everything And Recover. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Belonging "There is no more 'aloneness,' with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 312 Thought to Consider . . . If I'm not comfortable within myself, I can't be comfortable with others. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A C T I O N = Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Plan >From "The Missing Link": "Following this spiritual path made a major difference in my life. It seemed to fill that lonely hole that I used to fill with alcohol. My self-esteem improved dramatically, and I knew happiness and serenity as I had never known it before. I started to see the beauty and usefulness in my own existence, and tried to express my gratitude through helping others in whatever ways I could. A confidence and faith entered my life and unraveled a plan for me that was bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. "It wasn't easy, and it has never been easy, but it gets so much better." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 287-88 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Even though some of the ghosts of the past may still be spooking around, popping up from time to time to scare me, today I can pretty much handle them. Today the only real monster I have to face is myself, that part of me that tries to urge me back to drinking." Waukesha, Wisconsin, October 1994 "Trick or Treat," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ 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~ "To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 93 "If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 70 (How It Works) "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." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 58 (Step Five) Misc. AA Literature - Quote The primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a true partnership with another human being. Our egomania digs two disastrous pitfalls. Either we insist upon dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much.L If we lean too heavily on people, they will sooner or later fail us, for they are human, too, and cannot possibly meet our incessant demands. In this way our insecurity grows and festers. When we habitually try to manipulate others to our own willful desires, they revolt, and resist us heavily. Then we develop hurt feelings, a sense of persecution, and a desire to retaliate. My dependency meant demand--a demand for the possession and control of the people and the conditions surrounding me. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, grant that I may forgive others just as You have forgiven me. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 26 We Asked God Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done." - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 67 Thought to Ponder . . . What if I were caring rather than judgmental? AA-related 'Alconym' . . . P U T = Practice Using Tolerance. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Surrender "We surrender to win. On the face of it, surrendering certainly does not seem like winning. But it is in AA. Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish sobriety which we could never accomplish before. We must, and we do, surrender in order to win." 1955AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, p. 341 Thought to Consider . . . Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation, then deciding what you're going to do about it. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H O W = Honest, Open, and Willing *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Bottom >From Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous": "I heard of the need to hit bottom, of the necessity for accepting a higher Power, of the indispensability of humility. These were ideas which had never crossed my professional horizon and certainly had never influenced my nonprofessional thinking or attitudes. Revolutionary as they were, they nevertheless made sense, and I found myself embarked on a tour of discovery. "The individual alcoholic was always fighting an admission of being licked, of admitting that he was powerless. If and when he surrendered, he quit fighting, admitted he was licked, and accepted the fact that he was powerless and needed help. If he did not surrender, a thousand crises could hit him and nothing constructive would happen. The need to induce surrender became a new therapeutic goal. The miracle of A.A. was now a little clearer, though the reason was still obscure why the program and the fellowship of A.A. could induce a surrender which could in turn lead to a period of no drinking." -- Dr. Harry Tiebout, 1955 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 247 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I know that my errors of yesterday still have their effect; that my shortcomings of today may likewise affect our future. So it is, with each and all of us." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965 "Responsibility Is Our Theme" The Language of the Heart *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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~ "Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~ " The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house ." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 98 (Working With Others "This was not only faith; it was faith that worked under all conditions." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 31 (Step Two) Misc. AA Literature - Quote In our drinking time, we acted as if the money supply were inexhaustible, though between binges we'd sometimes go to the other extreme and become miserly. Without realizing it, we were just accumulating funds for the next spree. Money was the symbol of pleasure and self-importance. As our drinking became worse, money was only an urgent requirement which could supply us with the next drink and the temporary comfort of oblivion it brought. Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we find we cannot place money first. For us, material well- being always follows spiritual progress; it never precedes. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, keep me out of my own will, and actively working to build my faith throughout my day. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 27 A Double-Edged Sword The tyrant alcohol wielded a double-edged sword over us: first we were smitten by an insane urge that condemned us to go on drinking, and then by an allergy of the body that insured we would ultimately destroy ourselves in the process. Few indeed were those who, so assailed, had ever won through in singlehanded combat. It was a statistical fact that alcoholics almost never recovered on their own resources. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 22 Thought to Ponder . . . Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Powerless "Most certainly I was powerless over alcohol, and for me, my life had become unmanageable. It wasn't how far I had gone, but where I was headed. It was important to me to see what alcohol had done to me and would continue to do if I didn't have help. At first it was a shock to realize I was an alcoholic, but the realization that there was hope made it easier. The baffling problem of getting drunk when I had every intention of staying sober was simplified. It was a great relief to know I didn't have to drink any more." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 379 Thought to Consider . . . Just because I'm powerless does not mean that I am helpless. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H O P E = Happy Our Program Exists *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Faith >From "God is Good": "To go along with this deep-seated belief in God, I have developed an enormous faith in God. He is good. My understanding is that everything He sends my way is for my benefit. But the growth of this understanding has taken time, as well as a relinquishing of my resistance to change. I needed the trials and tribulations I have had, so that I could surrender and give up self. Only in complete acceptance of the utter defeat of my pride and ego could I begin to win." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 86-87 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Tolerance is the art of seeing yourself as others see you -- and not getting mad about it." June 1964 "Short Takes," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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 "In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Foreword To Third Edition, pg. xxii~ “We meet frequently so that newcomers may find the fellowship they seek.” - Alcoholics Anonymous p. 16 (Bill’s Story) “In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship” -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 183 (Tradition Eleven) Misc. AA Literature - Quote 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 planted on earth. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. There are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness. Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, I admit that I am powerless over my addiction. I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it. Help me this day to understand The true meaning of powerlessness. Remove from me all denial of my addiction. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 28 The Bright Spot 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. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89 Thought to Ponder . . . Get it - Give it - Grow in it. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A L C O H O L I C S = A Life Centered On Helping Others Live In Complete Sobriety. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Prayer "The man said, 'The thing I do is to say "God here I am and here are all my troubles. I've made a mess of things and can't do anything about it. You take me and all my troubles, and do anything you want with me." ' I return to bed. It doesn't make sense. . . I am in the bottom of hell. And there a tremendous hope is born. It might be true. I tumble out of bed on my knees. I know not what I say. But slowly a great peace comes to me. I feel lifted up. I believe in God. I crawl back into bed and sleep like a child." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 504 Thought to Consider . . . Faith is not belief without proof; it's trust without reservation. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A S A P = Always Say A Prayer *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Foundations >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "In important matters there was still considerable disagreement between the Eastern and the Midwestern viewpoints. Our people out there were still active Oxford Group members, while we in New York had withdrawn a year before. In Akron and vicinity they still talked about the Oxford Groups absolutes: absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, and absolute love. This dose was found to be too rich for New Yorkers, and we had abandoned the expressions. But all of us, East and West, were placing increasing emphasis on Dr. Silkworth's expression describing the alcoholic's dilemma: the obsession plus the allergy. By now we knew from experience that the new prospect had to accept Step One or get no place." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 160-61 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I have no secrets, and I fear no man. I am not anxious about death. I am alive, forever, within this 24 hours." Brooklyn, New York, June 1974 "The Fifth Step -- A Way to Stay High," Step By Step *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...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 "Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 68 (How It Works) "Then fear, in turn, generates more character defects." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 49 (Step Four) Misc. AA Literature - Quote Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These 'dry benders' often led straight to the bottle. Nothing pays of like restraint of tongue and pen. We must avoid quick-tempered criticism, furious power-driven argument, sulking, and silent scorn. These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think. We can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, remove my fear so that I may live in true faith today. I know that if I am in a true state of faith, the fear will dissipate. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 29 Pride For pride, leading to self-justification, and always spurred by conscious or unconscious fears, is the basic breeder of most human difficulties, the chief block to true progress. Pride lures us into making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God-given instincts. - 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, pp. 48 - 49 Thought to Ponder . . . Swallowing my pride will not get me drunk. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . P R I D E = Pretty Ridiculous Individual Directing Everything. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Skeletons "Now and then the family will be plagued by spectres from the past, for the drinking career of almost every alcoholic has been marked by escapades, funny, humiliating, shameful or tragic. The first impulse will be to bury these skeletons in a dark closet and padlock the door. The family may be possessed by the idea that future happiness can be based only upon forgetfulness of the past. We think that such a view is self-centered and in direct conflict with the new way of living." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 123-4 Thought to Consider . . . It's not making a mistake that will kill me. It's defending it that does the damage. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F E A R = Forever Escaping And Retreating *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Revelation >From "Shattered Glass": "The crest of this experience lasted several hours. When I fell into an exhausted sleep, it was with the knowledge that I had at last begun my adjustment to life as an alcoholic. From that moment, things seemed to change from within. Gradually, I could recognize when I was getting in my own way, and I could step aside, for 'Thy will, not mine' had become more than mere words. There have been many times when this revelation has been hard to hold on to, but, little by little, it seems easier every day. My course has become two steps forward, one step backward, two more forward, instead of always complete retreat. The days are too short, and they are seldom dull. Each day is a new challenge to stay sober and to keep moving straight ahead. - Charleston, West Virginia" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 37 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Tolerance is the art of seeing yourself as others see you -- and not getting mad about it." Concord, California, May 2012 "Weapons Down," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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 "When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 57~ "To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 143 (To Employers) "When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 91 (Step Ten) Misc. AA Literature - Quote The answer to the problem of alcoholism seems to be in educationeducation in schoolrooms, in medical colleges, among clergymen and employers, in families, and in the public at large. From cradle to grave, the drunk and the potential alcoholic will have to be completely surrounded by a true and deep understanding and by a continuous barrage of information. This means factual education, properly presented. Heretofore, much of this education has attacked the immorality of drinking rather than the illness of alcoholism. Now who is going to do all this education? Obviously, it is both a community job and a job for specialists. Individually, we A.A.s can help, but A.A. as such cannot , and should not, get directly into this field. Therefore, we must rely on other agencies, on outside friends and their willingness to supply great amounts of money and effort. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, relieve me of my constant thought of myself, and help me turn my thoughts to what I can do to benefit all others. |
AA Thought for the Day
June 30 It Never Fails If you still think you are strong enough to beat the game alone, that is your affair. But if you really and truly want to quit drinking liquor for good and all, and sincerely feel that you must have some help, we know that we have an answer for you. It never fails, if you go about it with one half the zeal you have been in the habit of showing when you were getting another drink. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 181 Thought to Ponder . . . It works—it really does. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Alcoholic's Answer. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Anonymity "We now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity before the public is just as vital to the life of AA as 100 percent sobriety is to the life of each and every member. This is not the counsel of fear; it is the voice of long experience." 1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 293 Thought to Consider . . . Walk softly and carry a Big Book. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A N O N Y M O U S = Actions, Not Our Names, Yield Maintenance Of Unity and Service. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Aware >From "Bill's Story": "My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?' "That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 12 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Today, there are hundreds of [AA] centers shedding their warm illumination upon the lives of thousands, lighting the dark shoals where the stranded and hopeless lie breaking up -- those fingers of light already stretching to our beachheads in other lands. "Now comes another lighted lamp -- this little newspaper called the Grapevine. May its rays of hope and experience ever fall upon the current of our AA life and one day illumine every dark corner of this alcoholic world." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., June 1944 "Editorial: The Shape of Things to Come" AA Grapevine (Volume 1, Number 1) Reprinted in The Language of the Heart *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all-every one? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~ "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, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 143~ "If you have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning." -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 71 (How it Works) "Our inventory enables us to settle with the past." -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 89 (Step Ten) Misc. AA Literature - Quote When we early A.A.s got our first glimmer of how spiritually prideful we could be, we coined this expression: 'Dont try to be a saint by Thursday!' That oldtime admonition may look like another of those handy alibis that can excuse us from trying for our best. Yet a closer view reveals just the contrary. This is our A.A. way of warning against pride-blindness, and the imaginary perfections that we do not posses. Only Step One, where we made the 100 per cent admission that we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection. The remaining eleven Steps state perfect ideals. They are goals toward which we look, and the measuring sticks by which we estimate our progress. Prayer for the Day: Today I will settle with the past in order that my Higher Power allows me to live fully in the present. |
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