Thoughts For The Day~*~Forgiveness^*^*^*^*^ May 12, 2007

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

"The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship
with another person,
our emotions go on the defensive.
To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another,
we resentfully focus
on the wrong he has done us.
This is especially true if he has, in fact,
behaved badly at all.
Triumphantly, we seize upon his misbehavior
as the perfect excuse for minimizing
or forgetting our own.
If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves,
why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?"
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78

Thought to Consider . . .

We are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
KISS
Keep It Simple, Surrender

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

Companions

From "The Prisoner Freed":

"So I went to an A.A. meeting the first chance I got, and I listened. I started prowling around with a couple of these A.A. boys, which kept me pretty busy and kept my mind off of downtown. I went along pretty well for the next ten months. Then instead of going out with A.A. again I went out with some of the other crowd and off again I went.
"That woke me up."

(c) 2003, AAWS, Inc.; Experience, Strength & Hope, pgs. 392-93

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE PAST IS OVER

A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing problems and the character defects which cause or aggravate them.  If . . . Step Four . . . has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember . . . then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever.  We have to talk to somebody about them.
                               
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  55

Whatever is done is over.  It cannot be changed.  But my attitude about it can be changed through talking with those who have gone before and with sponsors.  I can wish the past never was, but if I change my actions in regard to what I have done, my attitude will change.  I won't have to wish the past away.  I can change my feelings and attitudes, but only through my actions and the help of my fellow alcoholics.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
To Be Fair-Minded

Too often, I think, we have deprecated and even derided projects of our friends in the field of alcoholism just because we do not always see eye to eye with them.
We should very seriously ask ourselves how many alcoholics have gone on drinking simply because we have failed to cooperate in good spirit with these many agencies--whether they be good, bad, or indifferent. No alcoholic should go mad or die merely because he did not come straight to A.A. at the
beginning.
<<<>>>
Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint. This carries a top-priority rating. When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.

1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 91

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"As each member of a resentful family begins to see his shortcomings
and admits them to the others, he lays a basis for helpful
discussion. These family talks will be constructive if they can be
carried on without heated argument, self-pity, self-justification or
resentful criticism."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~

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

When we come into A.A., looking for a way out of drinking, we really need a lot more than that. We need fellowship. We need to get the things that are troubling us out into the open. We need a new outlet for our energies and we need a new strength beyond ourselves that will help us face life instead of running away from it. In A.A. we find these things that we need. Have I found the things that I need?

Meditation for the Day

Turn out all thoughts of doubt and fear and resentment. Never tolerate them if you can help it. Bar the windows and doors of your mind against them, as you would bar your home against a thief who would steal in to take away your treasures. What greater treasures can you have than faith and courage and love? All these are stolen from you by doubt and fear and resentment. Face each day with peace and hope. They are results of true faith in God. Faith gives you a feeling of protection and safety that you can get in no other way.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel protected and safe, but not only when I am in the harbor. I pray that I may have protection and safety even in the midst of the storms of life.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Maturity ^*^*^*^*^ May 11, 2007

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

"Many oldsters who have put our AA 'booze cure'
to severe but successful tests
still find they often lack emotional sobriety.
To attain this,
we must develop a real maturity and balance
(which is to say humility)
in our relations with ourselves,
with our fellows,
and with God."

Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, January 1958
As Bill Sees It, p. 244

Thought to Consider . . .

"We must find a spiritual basis of life -- or else."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 44

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
AA
Attitude Adjustment

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

Inspiration

From "This Spirit Touch":

"At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God—the fleeting feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible in ordinary life."

© 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 65

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A NEW SENSE OF BELONGING

Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  57

After four years in A.A. I was able to discover the freedom from the burden of buried emotions that had caused me so much pain.  With the help of A.A., and extra counseling, the pain was released and I felt a complete sense of belonging and peace.  I also felt a joy and a love of God that I had never experienced before.  I am in awe of the power of Step Five.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Two-Way Tolerance

"Your point of view was once mine. Fortunately, A.A. is constructed so that we need not debate the existence of God; but for best results, most of us must depend upon a Higher Power. You say the group is your Higher Power, and no right-minded A.A. would challenge your privilege to believe precisely that way. We should all be glad that good recoveries can be made even on this limited basis.
"But turnabout is fair play. If you would expect tolerance for your point of view, I am sure you would be willing to reciprocate. I try to remember that, down through the centuries, lots of brighter people than 1 have been found on both sides of this debate about belief. For myself, of late years, I am finding it much easier to believe that God made man, than that man made God."

LETTER, 1950
Copyright®1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can
quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try
some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it
more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are
honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters
if you get a full knowledge of your condition."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

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

We can depend on those members of any group who have gone all out for the program. They come to meetings. They work with other alcoholics. We don't have to worry about their slipping. They're loyal members of the group. I'm trying to be a loyal member of the group. When I'm tempted to take a drink, I tell myself that if I did I'd be letting down the other members who are the best friends I have. Am I going to let them down, if I can help it?

Meditation for the Day

Wherever there is true fellowship and love between people, God's spirit is always there as the Divine Third. In all human relationships, the Divine Spirit is what brings them together. When a life is changed through the channel of another person, it is God, the Divine Third, who always makes the change, using the person as a means. The moving power behind all spiritual things, all personal relationships between people is God, the Divine Third, who is always there. No personal relationships can be entirely right without the presence of God's spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be used as a channel by God's spirit. I pray that I may feel that the Divine Third is always there to help me.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Sunlight^*^*^*^*^ May 10, 2007

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

"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 worthwhile.
This business of resentment is infinitely grave.
We found that it is fatal.
For when harboring such feelings
we shut ourselves off from
the sunlight of the Spirit.
The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again.
And with us, to drink is to die."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 66

Thought to Consider . . .

"I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine."

Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, Jan. 1958.
The Language of the Heart, p. 238

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CALM
Can Anger Leave Me

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

Book

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"But at one of these [Trustee] meetings in the early fall of 1938, Frank Amos popped up with an idea which opened the door upon our real future. Frank said, 'One of my friends, Eugene Exman, is Religious Editor of Harper. Perhaps he would be interested in your [Bill W.'s] new book. Why don't you go down there and show him the few chapters you have done? I'll fix it up for you.'

"So down I went to meet Gene Exman, another wonderful friend-to-be of our society. I related the tale of our struggles and handed over to him my first attempt at authorship. While I waited Gene thoughtfully scanned the two chapters. Then he asked, 'Could you do a whole book in this style? And how many months would it take you?' I was shaking, but I had an answer ready: 'I believe I can do it. It will probably take nine or ten months.' Thereupon he made a proposal that was surprising. 'If it would help things along,' he said, 'I think Harper might be willing to advance you $1,500 in royalties. This amount would be deducted from your account when the book is finished in 1939.'

"Again in the clouds, I left Harper to break the great news to the gang."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 153-54

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
FREE AT LAST

Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility -- a word often misunderstood... it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. 

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  58

I knew deep inside that if I were ever to be joyous, happy and free, I had to share my past life with some other individual.  The joy and relief I experienced after doing so were beyond description.  Almost immediately after taking the Fifth Step, I felt free from the bondage of self and the bondage of alcohol.  That freedom remains after 36 years, a day at a time.  I found that God could do for me what I couldn't do for myself.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Our Problem Centers in the Mind

We know as long as the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he usually reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, in both the bodily and the mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this.
These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Many of us felt that we had plenty of character. There was a
tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This
is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it—this utter
inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the
wish."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 34~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

One thing that keeps me sober is a feeling of loyalty to the other members of the group. I know I'd be letting them down if I ever took a drink. When I was drinking, I wasn't loyal to anybody. I should have been loyal to my family, but I wasn't. I let them down by my drinking. When I came into A.A., I found a group of people who were not only helping each other to stay sober, but who were loyal to each other by staying sober themselves. Am I loyal to my group?

Meditation for the Day

Calmness is constructive of good. Agitation is destructive of good. I should not rush into action. I should first "be still and know that He is God." Then I should act only as God directs me through my conscience. Only trust, perfect trust in God, can keep me calm when all around me are agitated. Calmness is trust in action. I should seek all things that can help me to cultivate calmness. To attain material things, the world learns to attain speed. To attain spiritual things, I have to learn to attain a state of calm.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may learn how to have inner peace. I pray that I may be calm, so that God can work through me.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Anonymity ^*^*^*^*^ May 9, 2007

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

"We have denied ourselves personal government,
professionalism, and the right to say
who our members shall be.
We have abandoned do-goodism,
reform, and paternalism.
We refuse charitable money and prefer
to pay our own way.
We will cooperate with practically everybody,
yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone.
We abstain from public controversy and will not
quarrel among ourselves about
those things that so rip society asunder--
religion, politics, and reform.
We have but one purpose;
to carry the AA message
to the sick alcoholic who wants it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 211

Thought to Consider . . .

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


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ANONYMOUS
Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity & Service

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

 

Beginning

From "Tightrope":

"My sponsor was a living damper on my intolerance. But even more, he told me that it would be all right for me to doubt God, that A.A. was not a religious program and, to belong, I did not have to adhere to any set of beliefs.

"He suggested that for me a good starting point would simply be recognition of the fact that I had failed in running the world—in short, acceptance of the fact that I was not God. He also suggested that I might try occasionally to act as if I believed. Somewhere I had heard that it is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a new way of acting, and this made sense in the context of 'acting as if.'"

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 366

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WALKING THROUGH FEAR

If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  76

When I had taken my Fifth Step, I became aware that all my defects of character stemmed from my need to feel secure and loved.  To use my will alone to work on them would have been trying obsessively to solve the problem.  In the Sixth Step I intensified the action I had taken in the first three Steps -- meditating on the Step by saying it over and over, going to meetings, following my sponsor's suggestions, reading and searching within myself.  During the first three years of sobriety I had a fear of entering an elevator alone.  One day I decided I must walk through this fear.  I asked for God's help, entered the elevator, and there in the corner was a lady crying.  She said that since her husband had died she was deathly afraid of elevators.  I forgot my fear and comforted her.  This spiritual experience helped me to see how willingness was the key to working the rest of the Twelve Steps to recovery.  God helps those who help themselves.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Way of Strength

We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength.
The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our belief in Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68

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

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

We alcoholics used so little self-control when we were drinking, we were so absolutely selfish, that it does us good to give up something once in a while. Using self-discipline and denying ourselves a few things is good for us. At first, giving up liquor is a big enough job for all of us, even with God's help. But later on, we can practice self-discipline in other ways to keep a firm grip on our minds so that we don't start any wishful thinking. If we daydream too much, we'll be in danger of slipping. Am I practicing enough self-discipline?

Meditation for the Day

In material things, you must rely on your own wisdom and that of others. In spiritual things, you cannot rely so much on your own wisdom as on God's guidance. In dealing with personalities, it is a mistake to step out too much m your own. You must try to be guided by God in all human relationships. You cannot accomplish much of value in dealing with people until God knows you are ready. You alone do not have the power or wisdom to put things right between people. You must rely on God to help you in these vital matters.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rely on God in dealing with people's problems. I pray that I may try to follow His guidance in all personal relationships.

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

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