AA Thoughts For Today - March

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AA Thought for the Day

March 18

Pain
Someone who knew what he was talking about once remarked that pain
was the touchstone of all spiritual progress. How heartily we A.A.'s
can agree with him, for we know that the pains of alcoholism had to
come before sobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.
- 12 Step & 12 Traditions, pp. 93 - 94

Thought to Ponder . . .
Spiritual progress isn't what gets us sober, it's what keeps us sober.

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

~*~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.
"Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, July 1965 As Bill Sees It, p. 115

Thought to Consider . . .
There is no progress without change.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CHANGE
Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Everyday

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

Independence
Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
"'If I keep on turning my life and my will over to the care of Something or Somebody else, what will become of me? I'll
look like the hole in the doughnut.' This, of course, is the process by which instinct and logic always seek to bolster
egotism, and so frustrate spiritual development. The trouble is that this kind of thinking takes no real account of the facts.
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 to gaining true independence of the spirit."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 36

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

"Pain is one of our greatest teachers. Though I still find it difficult to accept today's pain and anxiety with any degree of
serenity -- as those more advanced in the spiritual life seem able to do -- I can, if I try hard, give thanks for present pain nevertheless."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., March 1962
"What Is Acceptance?"
The Language of the Heart

~*~*~*~*^ 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~

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

These emotional ”dry benders” often led straight to the bottle.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

R.S.V.P. - Yes or No?
Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking - if we have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes
bars, night clubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary parties.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore, ask yourself, 'Have I any good social, business, or
personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere?' Then
go or stay away, whichever seems better. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your
motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it.
If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead! ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 101-102

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, please help me understand that a little kindness costs nothing to give and it's far more valuable.