Saturday, May 24, 2008

Thoughts For The Day~*~Compulsion ^*^*^*^*^ May 24, 2008

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

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

^*^*^*^*^

Compulsion

"It helped me a great deal to become convinced
that alcoholism was a disease,
not a moral issue;
that I had been drinking as a result of a compulsion,
even though I had not been aware
of the compulsion at the time;
and that sobriety was not a matter of willpower.
I was afraid to let go of what I had
in order to try something new;
there was a certain sense of security in the familiar.
At last, acceptance proved to be the key
to my drinking problem.
When I stopped living in the problem
and began living in the answer,
the problem went away."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p.  417 4th Edition

Thought to Consider . . .

I have learned what a heart full of gratitude feels like.



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
PACE
Positive Attitudes Change E
verything


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

Book
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"To mollify the Trustees it was decided that the author's royalty [for the 'Big Book'] which would ordinarily be mine [Bill W.'s] could go to the Alcoholic Foundation.   I have now forgotten just what his hopes were, but they were fantastic. I was not quite so optimistic, but I did feel sure that the proceeds of the book would enable several of us to become full-time workers and to set up a general headquarters for our society. Whether this worked out or not, I was nevertheless convinced that our fellowship ought to own and control its own literature."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 157 





*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"HAPPY, JOYOUS AND FREE"

We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free.  We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us.  But it is clear that we made our own misery.  God didn't do it.  Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  133

For years I believed in a punishing God and blamed Him for my misery.  I have learned that I
must lay down the "weapons" of self in order to pick up the "tools" of the A.A. program.  I do not struggle with the program because it is a gift and I have never struggled when receiving a gift.  If I sometimes keep on struggling, it is because I'm still hanging onto my old ideas and  ". . . the results are nil."


Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Blind Trust?

"Most surely, there can be no trust where there is no love, nor can there be real love where distrust holds its malign sway.
"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.
"However, this inventory needs to be taken in a spirit of understanding and love. Nothing can so much bias our judgment as the negative emotions of suspicion, jealousy, or anger.
"Having vested our confidence in another person, we ought to let him know of our full support. Because of this, more often than not he will respond magnificently, and far beyond our first expectations."

LETTER, 1966


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally
and physically."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

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

In twelfth-step work, the third thing is conviction. Prospects must be convinced that they honestly want to stop drinking. They must see and admit that their life is unmanageable. They must face the fact that they must do something about their drinking. They must be absolutely honest with themselves and face themselves as they really are. They must be convinced that they must give up drinking and they must see that their whole life depends on this conviction. Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them reach this conviction?

Meditation for the Day

There is no limit to what you can accomplish in helping others. Keep that thought always. Never relinquish any work or give up the thought of any accomplishment because it seems beyond your power. God will help you in all good work. Only give it up if you feel that it's not God's will for you. In helping others, think of the tiny seed under the dark, hard ground. There is no certainty that, when it has forced its way up to the surface, sunlight and warmth will greet it. Often a task seems beyond your power, but there is no limit to what you can accomplish with God's help.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may never become discouraged in helping others. I pray that I may always rely on the power of God to help me.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012





Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Thoughts For The Day~*~Acceptance^*^*^*^*^ May 23, 2008

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA\ _)
  /
AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Acceptance

"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed, it is because I find
some person, place, thing, or situation
- some fact of my life -
unacceptable to me, and I can find
no serenity until I accept that person,
place, thing, or situation as being exactly
the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens
in God's world by mistake.
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms,
I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much on what
needs to be changed in the world
as on what needs to be changed
in me and in my attitudes."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 4th Edition
Note: Dr. Paul O., author of these words, passed away 5.12.00.


Thought to Consider . . .

"My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance."

Dr. Paul O., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ABC
Acceptance, Belief, C
hange


*~*~*~*~*^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, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65



*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SPIRITUAL HEALTH

When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  64

It is very difficult for me to come to terms with my spiritual illness because of my great pride, disguised by my material successes and my intellectual power.  Intelligence is not incompatible with humility, provided I place humility first.  To seek prestige and wealth is the ultimate goal for many in the modern world.  To be fashionable and to seem better than I really am is a spiritual illness.

To recognize and to admit my weaknesses is the beginning of good spiritual health.  It is a sign of spiritual health to be able to ask God every day to enlighten me, to recognize His will, and to have the strength to execute it.  My spiritual health is excellent when I realize that the better I get, the more I discover how much help I need from others.


Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A.A.'s School of Life

Within A.A., I suppose, we shall always quarrel a good bit. Mostly, I think, about how to do the greatest good for the greatest number of drunks. We shall have our childish spats and snits over small questions of money management and who is going to run our groups for the next six months. Any bunch of growing children (and that is what we are) would hardly be in character if they did less.
These are the growing pains of infancy, and we actually thrive on them. Surmounting such problems, in A.A.'s rather rugged school of life, is a healthy exercise.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 233


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation
of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to
alcohol."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~
~

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

The Twelfth Step of A.A., working with others, can be subdivided into five parts, five words beginning with the letter C; confidence, confession, conviction, conversion, and continuance. The first thing in trying to help other alcoholics is to get their confidence. We do this by telling them our own experiences with drinking, so that they see that we know what we're talking about. if we share our experiences frankly, they will know that we are sincerely trying to help them. They will realize that they're not alone and that others have had experiences as bad or worse than theirs. This gives them confidence that they can be helped. Do I care enough about other alcoholics to get their confidence?

Meditation for the Day

I fail not so much when tragedy happens as I did before the happening, by all the little things I might have done, but did not do. I must prepare for the future by doing the right thing at the right time now. If a thing should be done, I should deal with that thing today and get it righted with God before I allow myself to undertake any new duty. I should look upon myself as performing God's errands and then coming back to Him to tell Him in quiet communion that the message has been delivered or the task done.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may seek no credit for the results of what I do. I pray that I may leave the outcome of my actions to God.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012





Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Thoughts For The Day~*~ Daily Reprieve^*^*^*^*^ May 22, 2008

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA\ _)
  /
AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Daily Reprieve

"It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action
and rest on our laurels.
We are headed for trouble if we do,
for alcohol is a subtle foe.
We are not cured of alcoholism.
What we really have is a daily reprieve
contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 85

Thought to Consider . . .

The road to recovery is always under construction.




*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ACTION
Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature


*~*~*~*~*^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, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65


*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
STEP ONE

WE . . . (The first word of the First Step)

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 21

When I was drinking all I could ever think about was "I, I, I," or "Me, Me, Me." Such painful obsession of self, such soul sickness, such spiritual selfishness bound me to the bottle for more than half my life.

The journey to find God and to do His will one day at a time began with the first word of the First Step . . . "We." There was power in numbers, there was strength in numbers, there was safety in numbers, and for an alcoholic like me, there was life in numbers. If I had tried to recover alone I probably would have died. With God and another alcoholic I have a divine purpose in my life . . . I have become a channel for God's healing love.


Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
God-Given Instincts

Creation gave us instincts for a purpose. Without them we wouldn't be complete human beings. If men and women didn't exert themselves to be secure in their persons, made no effort to harvest food or construct shelter, there would be no survival. If they didn't reproduce, the earth wouldn't be populated. If there were no social instinct, there would be no society.
Yet these instincts, so necessary for our existence, often far exceed their proper functions. Powerfully, blindly, many times subtly, they drive us, dominate us, and insist upon ruling our lives.
<<<>>>
We tried to shape a sane ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test: Was it selfish or not? We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly nor to be despised and loathed.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 42
2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 69


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"It did not satisfy us to be told that we could not control our
drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in
full flight from reality, or were outright mental defectives. These
things were true to some extent, in fact, to a considerable extent
with some of us. But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as
well. In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out
this physical factor is incomplete."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxvi~



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

What impresses us most at an A.A. meeting is the willingness to share, without holding anything back. And pretty soon we find ourselves sharing also. We start telling our own experiences and by so doing we help the other person. And when we've got these things off our chest, we feel a lot better. It does us a lot of good to share with some other poor unfortunate person who's in the same box that we were in. And the more we share, the more we have left for ourselves. Do I know that the more I share, the better chance I'll have to stay sober?

Meditation for the Day

Constantly claim God's strength. Once convinced of the right of a course of action, once reasonably sure of God's guidance, claim that strength now. You can claim all the strength you need to meet any situation. You can claim a new supply when your own supply is exhausted. You have a right to claim it and you should use your right. A beggar supplicates, a child appropriates. When you supplicate, you are often kept waiting, but when you appropriate God's strength in a good cause, you have it at once.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may claim God's strength whenever I need it. I pray that I may try to live as a child of God.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012





Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.

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