Thoughts For The Day~*~Obedience ^*^*^ June 23, 2007

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

Self-Importance

From My Name Is Jan, and I'm an Alcoholic

Often, I suspect that pride kills as many alcoholics as liquor does. Ask for help? What an idea! The day came when my pride was squashed flat (temporarily), and I did call for help. I called on people - strangers. But my pride, expanding as health returned, blocked my first two approaches to A.A. After one more failure to regain my skill as a social drinker, I was convinced, and I began my A.A. membership in earnest.”

2003, AAWS, Inc.; Do You Think You're Different?, pg. 32 

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TRUSTING OTHERS

But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own?  Not at all; this would be folly.  Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would trust.  Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 144

I am not a victim of others, but rather a victim of my expectations, choices and dishonesty.  When I expect others to be what I want them to be and not who they are, when they fail to meet my expectations, I am hurt.  When my choices are based on self-centeredness, I find I am lonely and distrustful.  I gain confidence in myself, however, when I practice honesty in all my affairs.  When I search my motives and am honest and trusting, I am aware of the capacity for harm in situations and can avoid those that are harmful.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

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!

A.A. TODAY, P. 9
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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

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

No chain is stronger than its weakest link. Likewise, if
you fail in the day-by-day program, in all probability it
will be at your weakest point. Great-faith and constant
contact with God's power can help you discover, guard, and
undergird your weakest point with a strength not your own.
Intelligent faith in God's power can be counted on to help
you master your emotions, help you to think kindly of
others, and help you with any task that you undertake, no
matter how difficult. Am I master of my emotions?

Meditation for the Day

You need to be constantly recharged by the power of the
spirit of God. Commune with God in quiet times until the
life from God, the Divine life, by that very contact, flows
into your being and revives your fainting spirit. When weary,
take time out and rest. Rest and gain power and strength
from God, and then you will be ready to meet whatever
opportunities come your way. Rest until every care and worry
and fear have gone and then the tide of peace and serenity,
love and joy, will flow into your consciousness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rest and become recharged. I pray that I
may pause and wait for the renewing of my strength.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

---

See what's free at AOL.com.

Thoughts For The Day~*~Spirituality ^*^*^ June 22, 2007

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

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, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 50

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*^*~*~*~*~*
TODAY, I'M FREE

This brought me to the good healthy realization that there
were plenty of situations left in the world over which I
had no personal power- that if I was so ready to admit that
to be the case with alcohol, so I must make the same
admission with respect to much else. I would have to be
still and know that He, not I, was God.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 114

I am learning to practice acceptance in all circumstances
of my life, so that I may enjoy peace of mind. At one time
life was a constant battle because I felt I had to go through
each day fighting myself, and everyone else. Eventually, this
became a losing battle. I ended up getting drunk and crying
over my misery. When I began to let go and let God take over
my life I began to have peace of mind. Today, I am free. I
do not have to fight anybody or anything anymore.
©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Roots of Reality

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."

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 64
2. LETTER, 1949
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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~

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

If you have any doubt, just ask any of the older members of
the A.A. group, and they will readily tell you that since they
turned their lives over to the care of God as they understand
Him, many of their problems have been banished into the
forgotten yesterdays. When you allow yourself to be upset over
one thing, you succeed only in opening the door to the coming
of hundreds of other upsetting things. Am I allowing myself to
be upset over little things?

Meditation for the Day

I would do well not to think of the Red Sea of difficulties
that lies ahead. I am sure that when I come to that Red Sea,
the waters will part and I will be given all the power I need
to face and overcome many difficulties and meet what is in
store for me with courage. I believe that I will pass through
that Red Sea to the promised land, the land of the spirit where
many souls meet in perfect comradeship. I believe that when
that time comes, I will be freed of all the dross of material
things and find peace.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may face the future with courage. I pray that I
may be given strength to face both life and death fearlessly.

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

---

See what's free at AOL.com.

Thoughts For The Day~*~Change^*^*^June 21, 2007

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

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

 

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^s^*~*~*~*~*
FEAR AND FAITH

The achievement of freedom from fear is a lifetime undertaking, one that can never be wholly completed.  When under heavy attack, acute illness, or in other conditions of serious insecurity, we shall all react to this emotion -- well or badly, as the case may be.  Only the self-deceived will claim perfect freedom from fear.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 263

Fear has caused suffering when I could have had more faith.  There are times when fear suddenly tears me apart, just when I'm experiencing feelings of joy, happiness and a lightness of heart.  Faith and a feeling of self-worth toward a Higher Power -- helps me endure tragedy and ecstasy.  When I choose to give all of my fears over to my Higher Power, I will be free.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
This Matter of Honesty

"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?' "

LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Intelligent faith in that Power greater than ourselves can
be counted on to stabilize our emotions. It has an
incomparable capacity to help us look at life in balanced
perspective. We look up, around, and away from ourselves,
and we see that nine out of ten things that at the moment
upset us will shortly disappear. Problems solve themselves,
criticism and unkindness vanish as though they had never
been. Have I got the proper perspective toward life?

Meditation for the Day

A truly spiritual man or woman would like to have a serene
mind. The only way to keep calm in this troubled world is to
have a serene mind. The calm and sane mind sees spiritual
things as the true realities and material things as only
temporary and fleeting. That sort of mind you can never obtain
by reasoning, because your reasoning powers are limited by
space and time. That kind of a mind you can never obtain by
reading, because other minds are also limited in the same way.
You can only have that mind by an act of faith, by making the
venture of belief.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have a calm and sane mind. I pray that I may
look up, around, and away from myself.

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

---

See what's free at AOL.com.

Thoughts For The Day~*~Egomania ^*^*^ June 20, 2007

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

Progression

From "It Might Have Been Worse":

"I made promises to myself, my family, and friends—and broke them. Short dry spells ended in heavy drinking. I tried to hide my drinking by going places where I was unlikely to see anyone I knew. Hangovers and remorse were always with me.

"The next steps were bottle hiding and excuses for trips in order to drink without restraint. Cunning, baffling, powerful—the gradual creeping up of the frequency and quantity of alcohol and what it does to a person is apparent to everyone but the person involved."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 350

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
RELEASE FROM FEAR

The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall
have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible
for us to attain. Then we shall need to find both the
courage and grace to deal constructively with whatever
fears remain.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 61

Most of my decisions were based on fear. Alcohol made life
easier to face, but the time came when alcohol was no
longer an alternative to fear. One of the greatest gifts
in A. A. for me has been the courage to take action, which
I can do with God's help. After five years of sobriety I
had to deal with a heavy dose of fear. God put the people
in my life to help me do that and, through my working the
Twelve Steps, I am becoming the whole person I wish to be
and, for that, I am deeply grateful.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Dividends and Mysteries

"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."

1. LETTER, 1966
2. LETTER, 1955
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We commenced to make many fast friends and a fellowship has grown
up among us of which it is a wonderful thing to feel a part. The joy
of living we really have, even under pressure and difficulty."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 15~



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

You should be ready and willing to carry the A.A. message
when called upon to do so. live for some purpose greater
than yourself. Each day you will have something to work for.
You have received so much from this program that you should
have a vision that gives your life a direction and a
purpose that gives meaning to each new day. Let us not
slide along through life. Let us have a purpose for each
day and let us make that purpose for something greater than
just ourselves. What is my purpose for today?

Meditation for the Day

To see God with eyes of faith is to cause God's power to
manifest itself in the material world. God cannot do His
work because of unbelief. In response to your belief, God
can work a miracle in your personality. All miracles happen
in the realm of personality and all are caused by and based
on belief in God's never - failing power. But God's power
cannot manifest itself in personalities unless those
personalities make His power available by their faith.
We can only see God with the eyes of faith, but this kind
of seeing produces a great change in our way of living.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may see God with the eyes of faith. I pray
that this seeing will produce a change in my personality.

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

---

See what's free at AOL.com.