Saturday, August 05, 2006

Fellowship


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

 
Fellowship
^*^*^
"T
he fellowship I found in AA enabled me
to face my problem honestly and squarely.
I couldn't do it among my relatives,
I couldn't do it among my friends.
No one likes to admit they're a drunk,
that they can't control this thing.
But when we come into AA,
we can face our problem honestly and openly.
I went to closed meetings and open meetings.
And I took everything that AA had to give me.
It was at that point I reached surrender."
©1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 340
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

W
e honor the spirit in other people when we listen to them.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R E  =  Comforting And Reassuring Each other.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Gradually 
From "How Do We Stay away from Drinking?"
 
"We change ourselves, gradually, day
to day.  We help other alcoholics.  And,
by helping, we stay sober, sane and happy. 
For the first time in our lives, we've
found real freedom.  For we have broken
out of the dim prison of alcoholic
drinking that was closing in around us. 
Now we are free to discover who we are,
who we hope to become, who we were meant
to be."
 
c. 1992, Young People and A.A.
(A.A. Pamphlet P-4), page 8
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
LISTENING DEEPLY

How persistently we claim the right to decide all by
ourselves just what we shall think and just how we shall act.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 37

If I accept and act upon the advice of those who have
made the program work for themselves, I have a chance to
outgrow the limits of the past. Some problems will shrink
to nothingness, while others may require patient, well-thought-out action.
Listening deeply when others share
can develop intuition in handling problems which arise
unexpectedly. It is usually best for me to avoid impetuous
action. Attending a meeting or calling a fellow A. A.
member will usually reduce tension enough to bring relief
to a desperate sufferer like me. Sharing problems at
meetings with other alcoholics to whom I relate, or
privately with my sponsor, can change aspects of the
positions in which I find myself. Character defects are
identified and I begin to see how they work against me.
When I put my faith in the spiritual power of the program,
when I trust other to teach me what I need to do to have a
better life, I find that I can trust myself to do what is
necessary.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Hope Born from Hopelessness
Letter to Dr. Carl Jung:

"Most conversion experiences, whatever their variety, do have a common
denominator of ego collapse at depth. The individual faces an impossible
dilemma.
"In my case the dilemma had been created by my compulsive drinking, and the deep feeling of hopelessness had been vastly deepened by my doctor. It was deepened still more by my alcoholic friend when he acquainted me with your verdict of hopelessness respecting Rowland H. "In the wake of my spiritual experience there came a vision of a society of
alcoholics. If each sufferer were to carry the news of the scientific
hopelessness of alcoholism to each new prospect, he might be able to lay
every newcomer wide open to a transforming spiritual experience. This concept proved to be the foundation of such success as A.A. has since achieved."

GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1963
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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

"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~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

We in A.A. are offering a spiritual program. The fundamental
basis of A.A. is belief in some Power greater than ourselves.
This belief takes us off the center of the universe and
allows us to transfer our problems to some power outside of
ourselves. We turn to this Power for the strength we need to
get sober and stay sober. We put our drink problem in God's
hands and leave it there. We stop trying to run our own life
and seek to let God run it for us. Do I do my best to give
spiritual help?


Meditation for the Day

God is your healer and your strength. You do not have to ask
Him to come to you. He is always with you in spirit. At your
moment of need He is there to help you. Could you know God's
love and His desire to help you, you would know that He needs
no pleading for help. Your need is God's opportunity. You must
learn to rely on God's strength whenever you need it. Whenever
you feel inadequate to any situation, you should realize that
the feeling of inadequacy is disloyalty to God. Just say to
yourself. I know that God is with me and wild help me to think
and say and do the right thing,

Prayer for the Day


I pray that I may never feel inadequate to any situation. I pray
that I may be buoyed up by the feeling that God is with me.
©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©







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Friday, August 04, 2006

Resentment



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

^*^*^*^*^

Resentment
^*^*^
"I
f you have a resentment you want to be rid of,
if you will pray for the person or the thing you resent,
you will be free.
If you will ask in prayer for everything
you want for yourself to be given to them,
you will be free.
Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness,
and you will be free.
Even when you don't really want it for them,
and your prayers are only words
and you don't mean it, go ahead and do it anyway.
Do it every day for two weeks and you will find
you have come to mean it and to want it for them,
and you will realize that where you used to feel
bitterness and resentment and hatred,
you now feel compassionate understanding
and love."
©1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 552
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

An expectation is a premeditated resentment.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R  =  Frustration, Ego, Anxiety, Resentment


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

 Focus

From "A New Direction"

"I hear talk of the 'weak-willed' alcoholic, but I am one of the strongest-willed people on earth! I now know that my incredible strength of will is not enough to save my life. My problem is not one of 'weakness,' but rather of direction. When I, without falsely diminishing myself, accept my honest limitations and turn to God’s guidance, my worst faults become my greatest assets. My strong will, rightly directed, keeps me working until the promises of the program become my daily reality."

© 1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 195

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SEEDS OF FAITH

Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can avail nothing.  We can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives.                                  

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 34


As a child I constantly questioned the existence of God. To a  "scientific thinker" like me, no answer could withstand a thorough dissection, until a very patient woman finally said to me, "You must have faith." With that simple statement, the seeds of my recovery were sown!

Today, as I practice my recovery -- cutting back the weeds of alcoholism -- slowly I am letting those early seeds of faith grow and bloom.  Each day of recovery, of ardent gardening, brings the Higher Power of my understanding more fully into my life.  My God has always been with me through faith, but it is my responsibility to have the willingness to accept His presence.

I ask God to grant me the willingness to do His will.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
After the "Honeymoon"

"For most of us, the first years of A.A. are something like a honeymoon.
There is a new and potent reason to stay alive, joyful activity aplenty. For
a time, we are diverted from the main life problems. That is all to the good.
"But when the honeymoon has worn off, we are obliged to take our lumps, like other people. This is where the testing starts. Maybe the group has pushed us onto the side lines. Maybe difficulties have intensified at home, or in the world outside. Then the old behavior patterns reappear. How well we recognize and deal with them reveals the extent of our progress."

<<<>>>


The wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until
self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept
what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what
is wrong.

1. LETTER, 1954 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 88
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

We in A.A. are offering a kind of psychological program as
well as a spiritual one. First, people must be mentally
able to receive it. They must have made up their minds
that they want to quit drinking, and they must be willing
to do something about it. Their confidence must be obtained.
We must show them that we are their friends and really
desire to help them. When we have their confidence, they
will listen to us. Then the A.A. fellowship is a kind of
group therapy. Newcomers need the fellowship of other
alcoholics who understand their problem because they have
had it themselves. Individuals must learn to reeducate
their minds. They must learn to think differently. Do I
do my best to give mental help?

Meditation for the Day


"And this is life eternal, that they may know Thee." It is
the flow of life eternal through spirit, mind, and body
that cleanses, heals, restores, and renews. Seek conscious
contact with God more and more each day. Make God an
abiding presence during the day. Be conscious of His spirit
helping you. All that is done without God's spirit is
passing. All that is done with God's spirit is life
eternal.

Prayer for the Day


I pray that I may be in the stream of eternal life. I pray
that I may be cleansed and healed by the Eternal Spirit.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©








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Thursday, August 03, 2006

Vigilance



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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Vigilance
^*^*^
"N
ow that we're in AA and sober,
and winning back the esteem of our friends
and business associates,
we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance.
As an insurance against 'big-shot-ism'
we can often check ourselves by remembering
that we are today sober only by the grace of God
and that any success we may be having
is far more His success than ours."
©1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 92
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

T
he main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing ...
my sobriety.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P U T  =  Patience, Understanding, Tolerance

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Essentials
From "When A.A. Came of Age":

"The Cleveland pioneers had proved three essential things: the value of personal sponsorship; the worth of the A.A. book in indoctrinating newcomers; and finally the tremendous fact that A.A., when the word only got around, could now soundly grow to great size."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 22

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
. . .TO BE OF SERVICE

Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.                   
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 77


It is clear that God's plan for me is expressed through love.  God loved me enough to take me from alleys and jails so that I could be made a useful participant in His world.  My response is to love all of His children through service and by example.  I ask God to help me imitate His love for me through my love for others.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Constructive Workouts

There are those in A.A. whom we call "destructive" critics. They power-drive,
they are "politickers," they make accusations to gain their ends -- all for
the good of A.A., of course! But we have learned that these folks need not be
really destructive.
We ought to listen carefully to what they say. Sometimes they are telling the
whole truth; at other times, a little truth. If we are within their range,
the whole truth, the half-truth, or no truth at all can prove equally
unpleasant to us. If they have got the whole truth, or even a little truth,
then we had better thank them and get on with our respective inventories,
admitting we were wrong. If they are talking nonsense, we can ignore it, or
else try to persuade them. Failing this, we can be sorry they are too sick to
listen, and we can try to forget the whole business.
There are few better means of self-survey and of developing patience than the workouts these usually well-meaning but erratic members so often afford us.


TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 41
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
 

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

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

We in A.A. must remember that we are offering something intangible. We are
offering a psychological and spiritual program. We are not offering a medical
program. If people need medical treatment, we call in a doctor. If they need
a medical prescription, we let the doctor prescribe for them. if they need
hospital treatment, we let the hospital take care of them. Our vital A.A.
work begins when a person is physically able to receive it. Am I willing to
leave medical care to the doctors?

Meditation for the Day


Each moment of your day which you devote to this new way of life is a gift to
God. The gift of the moments. Even when your desire to serve God is sincere,
it is not an easy thing to give Him many of these moments: the daily things
you had planned to do, given, up gladly so that you can perform a good
service or say a kind word. If you can see Gods purpose in many situations,
it will be easier to give Him many moments of your day. Every situation has
two interpretations -- your own and God's. Try to handle each situation in
the way you believe God would have it handled.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may make my day count somewhat for God. I pray that I may not
spend it all selfishly.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©








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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Thoughts For The Day~*~Responsibility


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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

Responsibility
^*^*^
"O
ur spiritual way of life is safe for future generations if,
as a Society, we resist the temptation to receive money
from the outside world.
But this leaves us with a responsibility -
one that every member ought to understand.
We cannot skimp when the treasurer of our group
passes the hat.
Our groups, our areas, and AA as a whole
will not function unless our services are sufficient
and their bills are paid.
When we meet and defeat the temptation to take large gifts,
we are only being prudent.
But when we are generous with the hat
we give a token that we are grateful for our blessings
and evidence that we are eager to share what we have found with all those who
still suffer."
Bill W., November 1957
©1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 221
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.


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


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

Occupation
From "He Lived Only To Drink"

My first job was at a college . . . fifty miles from my hometown. Before the school year ended, I had been asked to resign because of my drinking. Within that short space of time, drinking had become an accepted way of life. I loved booze. I loved people who drank and the places where they drank. At that time in my life, although I had lost my first job and embarrassed my family, it never occurred to me that alcohol could be a problem. From that first night at the bar a year earlier, I had made a profound decision that was to direct my life for many years to come: Alcohol was my friend and I would follow it to the ends of the earth."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 447-48

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WE BECOME WILLING. . .

At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself.                        
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 77


How easily I can become misdirected in approaching the Eighth Step!  I wish to be free, somehow transformed by my Sixth and Seventh Step work.  Now, more than ever, I am vulnerable to my own self-interest and hidden agenda.  I am careful to remember that self-satisfaction, which sometimes comes through the spoken forgiveness of those I have harmed, is not my true objective.  I become willing to make amends, knowing that through this process I am mended and made fit to move forward, to know and desire God's will for me.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Only Try

In my teens, I had to be an athlete because I was not an athlete. I had to be
a musician because I could not carry a tune. I had to be the president of my
class in boarding school. I had to be first in everything because m my
perverse heart I felt myself the least of God's creatures. I could not accept
my deep sense of inferiority, and so I strove to become captain of the
baseball team, and I did learn to play the fiddle. Lead I must -- or else.
This was the "all or nothing" kind of demand that later did me in.
<<<>>>

"I'm glad you are going to try that new job. But make sure that you are only
going to 'try.' If you approach the project in the attitude that 'I must
succeed, I must not fail, I cannot fail,' then you practically guarantee the
flop which in turn will guarantee a drinking relapse. But if you look at the
venture as a constructive experiment only, then all should go well."

1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 53 - 2. LETTER, 1958

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Alcoholics Anonymous has no quarrel with medicine, psychiatry, or religion.
We have great respect for the methods of each.  And we are glad for any
success they may have had with
alcoholics. We are desirous always of cooperating with them
in every way. The more doctors, the more psychiatrists, the
more clergy and rabbis we can get to work with us, the better
we like it. We have many who take a real interest in our
program and we would like many more. Am I ready to cooperate
with those who take a sincere interest in A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in
generous measure. But like the seed-sowing, the ground must
be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to
prepare the soil. It is God's to drop the seed.
This preparation of the soil means many days of right living,
choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along,
each day you are better prepared for God's planting, until
you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest
with God -- the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my way of living may be properly prepared day by
day. I pray that I may strive to make myself ready for the
harvest which God has planted in my heart.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©








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