Thoughts For The Day~*~Humility ^*^*^*^*^ October 27, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Humility
^*^*^*^*^
"Moved by the spirit of anonymity,
we try to give up our natural desires
for personal distinction as AA members
both among fellow alcoholics and before
the general public.
As we lay aside these very human aspirations,
we believe that each of us takes part
in the weaving of a protective mantle
which covers our whole Society
and under which we may grow and work in unity.
We are sure that humility, expressed by anonymity,
is the greatest safeguard
Alcoholics Anonymous can ever have."
c.1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 187
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Humility is not thinking less of yourself,
but thinking of yourself less.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S W A T  =  Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust

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

Patience

From "Hope":

"Few experiences are of less value to me than fast sobriety. Too many times discouragement has been the bonus for unrealistic expectations, not to mention self-pity or fatigue from my wanting to change the world by the weekend. Discouragement is a warning signal that I may have wandered across the God line. The secret of fulfilling my potential is in acknowledging my limitations and believing that time is a gift, not a threat."

© 1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 70

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
GLOBAL SHARING

The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic who has found a key to sobriety. These legacies of suffering and of recovery are easily passed among alcoholics, one to the other. This is our gift from God, and its bestowal upon others like us is the one aim that today animates A.A.'s all around the globe.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151

The strength of Alcoholics Anonymous lies in the desire of each member and of each group around the world to share with other alcoholics their suffering and the steps taken to gain, and maintain, recovery.  By keeping a conscious contact with my Higher Power, I make sure that I always nurture my desire to help other alcoholics, thus insuring the continuity of the wonderful fraternity of Alcoholics Anonymous.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
People of Faith

We who have traveled a path through agnosticism or atheism beg you to lay aside prejudice, even against organized religion. We have learned that, whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions. People of faith have a rational idea of what life is all about.
Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices, when we might have seen that many spiritually minded persons of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness, and usefulness that we should have sought for ourselves.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 49
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Seventh, I can help other alcoholics. I am of some use in the world. I have a purpose in life. I am worth something at last. My life has a direction and a meaning. All that feeling of futility is gone. I can do something worthwhile. God has given me a new lease on life so that I can help other alcoholics. He has let me live through all the hazards of my alcoholic life to bring me at last to a place of real usefulness in the world. He has let me live for this. This is my opportunity and my destiny. I am worth something! Will I give as much of my life as I can to A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

All of us have our own battle to win, the battle between the material view of life and the spiritual view. Something must guide our lives. Will it be wealth, pride, selfishness, and greed or will it be faith, honesty, purity, unselfishness, love, and service? Each one has a choice. We can choose good or evil. We cannot choose both. Are we going to keep striving until we win the battle? If we win the victory, we can believe that even God in His heaven will rejoice.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may choose the good and resist the evil. I pray that I will not be a loser in the battle for righteousness.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~ ^*^*^*^*Concepts^*^*^*October 26, 2007

 

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

^*^*^*^*^
"The word God still aroused a certain antipathy.
When the thought was expressed that there might be a God
personal to me this feeling was intensified.
I didn't like the idea. . .
My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea.
He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?'
That statement hit me hard.
It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow
I had lived and shivered many years.
I stood in the sunlight at last."
Bill W.,
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

God seldom becomes a reality
until God becomes a necessity.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G I F T =  God Is Forever There

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

Force

From "Faith in People":

"In the whole measure of my life, the benefits of the A.A. experience have far outweighed the damages of active alcoholism. What was it that overcame my pride (for the moment) and made me reachable? The best answer I can find is what my father used to call 'the life force.' … It is in all of us, I believe; it animates all living things; it keeps the galaxies wheeling. – New York, New York USA"

© 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pgs. 84-85

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ONE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY

For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132

When I am chosen to carry some small responsibility for my fellows, I ask that God grant me the patience, open-minded ness, and willingness to listen to those I would lead.  I must remind myself that I am the trusted servant of others, not their "governor," "teacher," or "instructor."  God guides my words and my actions, and my responsibility is to heed His suggestions.  Trust is my watchword, I trust others who lead.  In the Fellowship of A.A., I entrust God with the ultimate authority of "running the show."

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

As the A.A. groups multiplied, so did anonymity problems. Enthusiastic over the spectacular recovery of a brother alcoholic, we'd sometimes discuss those intimate and harrowing aspects of his case meant for his sponsor's ear alone. The aggrieved victim would then rightly declare that his trust had been broken.
When such stories got into circulation outside of A.A., the loss of confidence in our anonymity promise was severe. It frequently turned people from us. Clearly, every A.A. member's name - and story, too - had to be confidential, if he wished.

<<<>>>

We now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity before the public is just as vital to the life of A.A. as 100 per cent sobriety is to the life of each and every member. This is not the counsel of fear; it is the prudent voice of long experience.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 185 - 2. A.A COMES OF AGE, p. 293
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful!
Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all
power that One is God. May you find Him now!"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 58~

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

Sixth, I have A.A. meetings to go to, thank God.Where would I go without them? Where would I be without them? Where would I find the sympathy, the understanding, the fellowship, the companionship? Nowhere else in the world. I have come home. I have found the place where I belong. I no longer wander alone over the face of the earth. I am at peace and at rest. What a great gift has been given me by A.A.! I do not deserve it. But it is nevertheless mine. I have a home at last. I am content. Do I thank God every day for the A.A. fellowship?

Meditation for the Day

Walk all the way with another person and with God. Do not go part of the way and then stop. Do not push God so far into the background that He has no effect on your life. Walk all the way with Him. Make a good companion of God, by praying to Him often during the day. Do not let your contact with Him be broken for too long a period. Work all the way with God and with other people, along the path of life, wherever it may lead you.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may walk in companionship with God along the way. I pray that I may keep my feet upon the path that leads upward.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~The Group ^*^*^*^*^October 25, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
The Group
^*^*^*^*^
"Over the years, every conceivable deviation
from our Twelve Steps and Traditions have been tried.
That was sure to be, since we are so largely a band
of ego-driven individuals.
Children of chaos, we have defiantly played with
every brand of fire,
only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser.
These very deviations created a vast process
of trial and error, which, under the grace of God,
has brought us to where we stand today. . .
We saw that the group, exactly like the individual,
must eventually conform to whatever
tested principles would guarantee survival."
c.1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 146
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Working with alcoholics in committees
is like trying to herd cats.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A O S  =  Can't Handle Another Overwhelming Situation

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

Business

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"When they heard that the book was making money, some of the cash subscribers, including even Charlie Towns, began to get restless. They wanted to know why all of the profits of the book were being spent to finance a Headquarters for A.A. We replied that there was not any other way; would they like to see all those pleas for help thrown in the wastebasket? But a few still insisted on getting their money back, and something had to be done.

"Therefore Ruth and I set about making Works Publishing's first report to its stockholders. We outlined the history of the book project and painted a rosy picture for the future. From the mass of check stubs, old bills, and receipts we made an approximate accounting. As I remember, the publishing company had shown a profit of about $3,000, which had all been spent on A.A. work at the office."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 188

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A.A.'s HEARTBEAT

Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; . . .

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 125

Without unity I would be unable to recover in A.A. on a daily basis.  By practicing unity within my group, with other A.A. members and at all levels of this great Fellowship, I receive a pronounced feeling of knowing that I am a part of a miracle that was divinely inspired.  The ability of Bill W. and Dr. Bob, working together and passing it on to other members, tells me that to give it away is to keep it.  Unity is oneness and yet the whole Fellowship is for all of us.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A Mighty Beginning

Even the newest of newcomers finds undreamed rewards
as he tries to help his brother alcoholic, the one
who is even blinder than he.
This is indeed the kind of giving that actually demands nothing.
He does not expect his brother sufferer to pay him,
or even to love him.  And then he discovers that through
the divine paradox of this kind of giving
he has found his own reward, whether or not his brother
has yet received anything. His own character may still
be gravely defective, but he somehow knows that God
has enabled him to make a mighty beginning,
and he senses that he stands at the edge of new mysteries, joys, and experiences of which he had never before dreamed.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 109-110
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We have begun to comprehend their futility and their fatality. We
have commenced to see their terrible destructiveness. We have begun
to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our
enemies, for we look on them as sick people."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Pg. 70~

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

Fifth, I have learned to live one day at a time. I have finally realized the great fact that all I have is now. This sweeps away all vain regret and it makes my thoughts of the future free of fear. Now is mine. I can do what I want with it. I own it, for better or worse. What I do now, in this present moment, is what makes up my life. My whole life is only a succession of nows. I will take this moment, which has been given to me by the grace of God, and I will do something with it. What I do with each now will make me or break me. Am I living in the now?

Meditation for the Day

We should work at overcoming ourselves, our selfish desires and our self-centeredness. This can never be fully accomplished. We can never become entirely unselfish. But we can come to realize that we are not at the center of the universe and that everything does not revolve around us at the center. I am only one cell in a vast network of human cells. I can at least make the effort to conquer the self-life and seek daily to obtain more and more of this self-conquest. "He that overcomes himself is greater than he who conquers a city."

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may strive to overcome my selfishness. I pray that I may achieve the right perspective of my position in the world.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Traditions ^*^*^*^*^ October 24, 2007

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
   ^*^*^*^*^
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(   \  (AA/   )
(    /AA\ )
   /AA\
   ^*^*^*^*^
Traditions
^*^*^*^*^
"The Twelve Traditions point straight at many of our
individual defects.
By implication they ask each of us to lay aside
pride and resentment.
They ask for personal as well as group sacrifice.
They ask us never to use the AA name in any quest
for personal power or distinction or money.
The Traditions guarantee the equality of all members
and the independence of all groups.
They show how we may best relate to each other
and to the world outside.
They indicate how we can best function in harmony
as a great whole."
c.1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 96
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C =  Acceptance, Belief, Change

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

Afterwards

From "Twice Gifted":

"I was advised to maintain a healthy diet and watch alcohol intake, along with other prudent suggestions from the doctor. I was still young, and I thought to myself that just giving my body a break, by slowing down, would allow me to bounce back. Over the next few years I had quite a few episodes of feeling sick, and of course having never attended to the real problem, my drinking was still escalating. When my symptoms started to multiply, I finally had to consider the real possibility that drinking was the cause of all my health problems. For very brief moments I somehow realized that giving up the booze was probably in my future. With that realization came fear and so many questions. How will I live? What will I do with my life? Certainly a life without booze meant I would not have fun, and surely I would not be fun."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 471-72

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"BY FAITH AND BY WORKS"

On anvils of experience, the structure of our Society was hammered out. . . . Thus has it been with A.A.   By faith and by works we have been able to build upon the lessons of an incredible experience.  They live today in the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, which  -- God willing -- shall sustain us in unity for so long as He may need us.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 131

God has allowed me the right to be wrong in order for our Fellowship to exist as it does today.  If I place God's will first in my life, it is very likely that A.A. as I know it today will remain as it is.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A Vision of the Whole

"Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still 'do not know' might never get their chance."

<<<>>>

"We used to be skeptical about large A.A. gatherings like conventions, thinking they might prove too exhibitionistic. But, on balance, their benefit is huge. While each A.A.'s interest should center principally in those about him and upon his own group, it is both necessary and desirable that we all get a larger vision of the whole.
"The General Service Conference in New York also produces this effect upon those who attend. It is a vision-stretching process."

1. LETTER, 1949 - 2. LETTER, 1956
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members
identify themselves with as individuals. This should be an entirely
personal affair which each one decides for himself in the light of
past associations, or his present choice."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Fourth, I have turned to a Power greater than myself. Thank God, I am no longer at the center of the universe. All the world does not revolve around me any longer. I am only one among many. I have a Father in heaven and I am only one of His children and a small one at that. But I can depend on Him to show me what to do and to give me the strength to do it. I am on the Way and the whole power of the universe is behind me when I do the right thing. I do not have to depend entirely on myself any longer. With God, I can face anything. Is my life in the hands of God?

Meditation for the Day

The grace of God is an assurance against all evil. It holds out security to the believing soul. The grace of God means safety in the midst of evil. You can be kept unspotted by the world through the power of His grace. You can have a new life of power. But only in close contact with the grace of God is its power realized. In order to renew it and benefit from it, you must have daily quiet communion with God, so that the power of His grace will come unhindered into your soul.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be kept from evil by the grace of God. I pray that henceforth I will try to keep myself more unspotted by the world.

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

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