Thoughts For The Day~*~Delusion ^*^*^ September 9, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Delusion
^*^*^
"We learned that we had to fully concede
to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics.
This is the first step in recovery.
The delusion that we were like other people,
or presently may be, has to be smashed."
©1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17

^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

There is no such thing as being 'a little bit alcoholic.'

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D E N I A L  =  Don't Even Notice I Am Lying

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

Now 

From "On a Winter Day:"

 

"I knew I had to have a new beginning,
and this beginning had to be here.  I
could not start anywhere else.  I had to
let go of the past and forget the future. 
As long as I held on to the past with one
hand and grabbed at the future with the
other hand, I had nothing to hold on to
today with.  So I had to begin here, now."

 

c. 1973, Came to Believe..., page 46

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
OPENING NEW DOORS

They [ the Promises] are being fulfilled among us
- sometimes quickly,
sometimes slowly.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84

The Promises talked about in this passage are slowly coming to life
for me. What has given me hope is putting Step Nine into action. The
Step has allowed me to see and set goals for myself in recovery.
Old habits and behaviors die hard. Working Step Nine enables me to
close the door on the drunk I was, and to open new avenues for myself
as a sober alcoholic. Making direct amends is crucial for me. As I
repair relationships and behavior of the past, I am better able to
live a sober life!
Although I have some years of sobriety, there are times when the
"old stuff" from the past needs to be taken care of, and Step Nine
always works, when I work it.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Alone No More

Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we were surrounded by people who loved us. But when our self-will had driven everybody away and our isolation became complete, we commenced to play the big shot in cheap
barrooms. Failing even in this, we had to fare forth alone on the street to
depend upon the charity of passers-by.
We were trying to find emotional security either by dominating or by being
dependent upon others. Even when our fortunes had not totally ebbed, we
nevertheless found ourselves alone in the world. We still vainly tried to be
secure by some unhealthy sort of domination or dependence.
For those of us who were like that, A.A. has a very special meaning. In this
Fellowship we begin to learn right relations with people who understand us;
we don't have to be alone any more.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 116-117
*~*~*~*~*^ 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~

"Liquor ceased to be a luxury; it became a necessity."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 5~

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

When alcoholics are offered a life of sobriety by following the A.A.
program, they will look at the prospect of living without alcohol and
they will ask. "Am I to be consigned to a life where I shall be stupid,
boring and glum, like some of the righteous people I see? I know I
must get along without liquor, but how can I? Have you a sufficient
substitute?" Have I found a more than sufficient substitute for
drinking?

Meditation for the Day

In God's strength you conquer life. Your conquering power is the grace
of God. There can be no complete failure with God. Do you want to make
the best of life? Then live as near as possible to God, the Master and
Giver of all life. Your reward for depending on God's strength will be
sure. Sometimes the reward will be renewed power to face life,
sometimes wrong thinking overcome, sometimes people brought to a new
way of living. Whatever success comes will not be all your own doing,
but largely the working out of the grace of God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to rely more fully on the grace of God. I pray
that I may live a victorious life.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Solution ^*^*^ September 8, 2006

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Solution
^*^*^
"The tremendous fact for every one of us
Is that we have discovered a common solution.  
We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree,
and upon which we can join in brotherly and
harmonious action."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17

^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

The solution is simple.
The solution is spiritual.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S T E P S  =  Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

 Progress

From "We Asked His Protection":

"A Higher Power had to have saved me, because the doctors doubted that I would survive. I have forgiven myself now and I enjoy a freedom I have never before experienced. I've opened my heart and mind to Him. The more I learn, the less I know – a humbling fact – but I sincerely want to keep growing. . . . As long as I am honest with myself and ask for His help, I can maintain this rewarding existence.

"Just for today, I strive to live His will for me- soberly."

© 1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 260

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"WE ASKED HIS PROTECTION"

We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59

I could not manage life alone. I had tried that road and failed.
My "ultimate sin" dragged me down to the lowest level I have ever
reached and, unable even to function, I accepted the fact that I
desperately needed help. I stopped fighting and surrendered entirely
to God.
Only then did I start growing! God forgave me. A Higher Power had to
have saved me, because the doctors doubted that I would survive. I
have forgiven myself now and I enjoy a freedom I have never before
experienced. I've opened my heart and mind to Him. The more I learn,
the less I know -- a humbling fact -- but I sincerely want to keep
growing. I enjoy serenity, but only when I entrust my life totally
to God. As long as I am honest with myself and ask for His help, I
can maintain this rewarding existence.

Just for today, I strive to live His will for me -- soberly.
I thank God that today I can choose not to drink.
Today, life is beautiful!

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Face the Music

"Don't be too discouraged about that slip. Practically always, we drunks
learn the hard way. "Your idea of moving on to somewhere else may be good, or it may not. Perhaps you have got into an emotional or economic jam that can't be well handled where you are. But maybe you are doing just what all of us have done, at one time or another: Maybe you are running away. Why don't you try to think that through again carefully?
"Are you really placing recovery first, or are you making it contingent upon
other people, places, or circumstances? You may find it ever so much better
to face the music right where you are now, and, with the help of the A.A.
program, win through. Before you make a decision, weigh it in these terms."

LETTER, 1949
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
And We have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time sanity has returned. We can now react sanely & normally,

- Big Book, p. 84 © 1967 by A.A. World Services, Inc.

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

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "But for the Grace of God." Once we
have fully accepted the program we become humble about our achievement.
We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another
suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves:
"But for the grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of
people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very
grateful to the grace of God which has given us another chance. Am I
truly grateful for the grace of God?

Meditation for the Day

A consciousness of God's presence as One who loves you makes all life
different. The consciousness of God's love promotes the opening of your
whole being to God. it brings wonderful relief from the cares and
worries of our daily lives. Relief brings peace and peace brings
contentment. Try to walk in God's love. You will have that peace which
passes all understanding and a contentment that no one can take from
you. Feel sure of God's unfailing love and care for you and for all
His children. There is freedom and serenity in those who walk in God's
love, held safe in His loving care.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may walk in God's love. I pray that, as I go, I may feel
the spring of God's power in my steps and the joy of His love in my heart.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Honesty ^*^*^ September 7, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Honesty
^*^*^
"I know the biggest word for me in AA is 'honesty.'
I don't believe this program would work for me
if I didn't get honest with myself about everything.
Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand
because it is the exact opposite
of what I've been doing all my life.
Therefore, it would be the hardest to work on.
But I will never be totally honest -
that would make me perfect,
and none of us can claim to be perfect.
Only God is."
©1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 482
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A N G E =  Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day

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

Funds 

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

"In another [Convention] meeting the whole subject of money in A.A. got a more healthy kicking around. A.A.'s principle of 'no compulsory fees or dues' can be construed and rationalized into 'no voluntary group or individual responsibility at all,' and this fallacy was exploded with a bang. There was complete unanimity that through voluntary contributions the legitimate bills of groups, areas, and A.A. as a whole must be paid or we could not properly carry our message. It was agreed that no A.A. treasury should get overstuffed or rich. Nevertheless, it was emphasized that the notion of keeping A.A. 'simple' and 'spiritual' by eliminating vital services that happened to cost a little time, trouble and money was risky and absurd. It was the opinion of the meeting that oversimplification, which might lead us to muff our Twelfth Step work, area-wide and world-wide, could not be called either really simple or really spiritual."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 30

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"OUR SIDE OF THE STREET"

We are there to sweep off our side of the street, realizing that
nothing worth while can be accomplished until we do so, never trying
to tell him what he should do. His faults are not discussed. We
stick to our own.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 77-78

I made amends to my dad after I quit drinking. My words fell on
deaf ears since I had blamed him for my troubles. Several months
later I made amends to my dad again. This time I wrote a letter
in which I did not blame him nor mention his faults. It worked,
and at last I understood! My side of the street is all that I'm
responsible for and--thanks to God and A.A. -- it's clean for
today.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Prayer Under Pressure

Whenever I find myself under acute tensions, I lengthen my daily walks and
slowly repeat our Serenity Prayer in rhythm to my steps and breathing.
If I feel that my pain has in part been occasioned by others, I try to
repeat, "God grant me the serenity to love their best, and never fear their
worst." This benign healing process of repetition, sometimes necessary to
persist with for days, has seldom failed to restore me to at least a workable
emotional balance and perspective.

GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which
is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in
everlasting ignorance that principle is contempt prior to
investigation.'"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual
Experience, pg. 568~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "Easy Does It." This means that
we just go along in A.A. doing the best we can and not getting steamed
up over problems that arise in A.A. or outside of it. We alcoholics
are emotional people and we have gone to excess in almost everything
we have done. We have not been moderate in many things. We have not
known how to relax. Faith in a Higher Power can help us to learn to
take it easy. We are not running the world. I am only one among many.
We are resolved to live normal, regular lives. From our A.A.
experience we learn that "easy does it." Have I Learned to take
it easy?

Meditation for the Day

"The eternal God is Thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting
arms." Sheltering arms express the loving protection of God's spirit.
Human beings, in their troubles and difficulties, need nothing so
much as a refuge, a place to relax where they can lay down their
burdens and get relief from cares. Say to yourself- "God is my refuge."
Say it until its truth sinks into your very soul. Say it until you
know it and are sure of it. Nothing can seriously upset you or make
you afraid, if God is truly your refuge.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may go each day to God as a refuge until fear goes and
peace and security come. I pray that I may feel deeply secure in the
Haven of His spirit.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Belonging ^*^*^ September 6, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Belonging
^*^*^
"Today, I'm counting my blessings instead of my troubles.
When I walked into the friendly atmosphere of my first
AA meeting, I knew I was where I belonged.
Here were people who had thought and felt as I had.
Here was the understanding I'd been searching for
all my life."
©1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 355
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . . 

I stood in the sunlight at last.

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

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Sharing

From "Alcoholics Anonymous Number Three":

"She said, 'You are going to quit.' That was worth a lot even though I did not believe it. Then she told me that these two drunks she had been talking to had a plan whereby they thought they could quit drinking, and part of that plan was that they tell it to another drunk. This was going to help them stay sober. All the other people who had tried to talk to me wanted to help me, and my pride prevented me from listening to them and caused only resentment on my part, but I felt as if I would be a real stinker if I did not listen to a couple of fellows for a short time, if that would cure them. My wife also told me that I could not pay them even if I wanted to and had the money, which I did not."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 185

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
REMOVING THREATS TO SOBRIETY

". . .except when to do so would injure them or others."                                       

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59

Step Nine restores me to a feeling of belonging, not only to the human race but also to the everyday world.  First, the Step makes me leave the safety of A.A., so that I may deal with non-A.A. people "out there," on their terms, not mine.  It is a frightening but necessary action if I am to get back into life.  Second, Step Nine allows me to remove threats to my sobriety by healing past relationships.  Step Nine points the way to a more serene sobriety by letting me clear away the past wreckage, lest it bring me down.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
God's Gifts

We see that the sun never sets upon A.A.'s Fellowship; that more than three
hundred and fifty-thousand of us have now recovered from our malady; that we have everywhere begun to transcend the formidable barriers of race, creed, and nationality. This assurance that so many of us have been able to meet our responsibilities for sobriety and for growth and effectiveness in the
troubled world where we live, will surely fill us with the deepest joy and
satisfaction.
But, as a people who have nearly always learned the hard way, we shall
certainly not congratulate ourselves. We shall perceive these assets to be
God's gifts, which have been in part matched by an increasing willingness on
our part to find and do His will for us.

GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"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."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 123~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "Live and Let Live." This, of
course, means tolerance of people who think differently than we do,
whether they are in A.A. or outside of A.A. We cannot afford the
luxury of being intolerant or critical of other people. We do not
try to impose our wills on those who differ from us. We are not
"holier than thou." We do not have all the answers. We are not better
than other good people. We live the best way we can and we allow
others to do likewise. Am I willing to live and let live?

Meditation for the Day

"And this is life eternal, that we may know Thee, the only true
God." Learning to know God as best you can draws the eternal life
nearer to you. Freed from some of the limitations of humanity, you
can grow in the things that are eternal. You can strive for what
is real and of eternal value. The more you try to live in the
consciousness of the unseen world, the gentler will be your passing
into it when the time comes for you to go. This life on earth should
be largely a preparation for the eternal life to come.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live each day as though it were my last. I pray
that I may live my life as though it were everlasting.

 

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

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