Thoughts For The Day~*~A Friend^*^*^*^*^ November 29, 2008

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

"We finally saw that faith in some kind of God
was a part of our make-up,
just as much as the feeling we have for a friend.
Sometimes we had to search fearlessly,
but He was there.
He was as much a fact as we were.
We found the Great Reality deep down within us.
In the last analysis it is only there that He may be found.
It was so with us."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 55
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Faith dares the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H =  Finding Answers In The Heart.

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

 

Income

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"The peak of the flood finally passed, but the regular correspondence traffic through Headquarters remained so great that we saw we would have to have permanent paid help. Volunteers could not handle the situation.

"We also realized that these increased demands upon the office could not be met out of book income. So for the first time we asked the A.A. groups to help.  Trustees Howard and Bert went on the road. They asked that all A.A. groups contribute to a special fund in the Foundation which would be earmarked 'for A.A. office expenses only.' The contributions would be entirely voluntary. As a measuring stick, it was suggested that each group send in one dollar per member per year."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 191-92

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"ACTIVE GUARDIANS"

To us, however, it represents far more than a sound public relations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking. This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A.  In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 183

The basic concept of humility is expressed in the Eleventh Tradition:  it allows me to participate completely in the program in such a simple, yet profound manner; it fulfills my need to be an integral part of a significant whole.  Humility brings me closer to the actual spirit of togetherness and oneness, without which I could not stay sober.  In remembering that every member is an example of sobriety, each one living the Eleventh Tradition, I am able to experience freedom because each one of us is anonymous.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Random Quote - Facing Criticism

Sometimes, we register surprise, shock, and anger when people find fault with A.A. We are apt to be disturbed to such an extent that we cannot benefit by constructive criticism.
This sort of resentment makes no friends and achieves no constructive purpose. Certainly, this is an area in which we can improve.

<<<>>>

It is evident that the harmony, security, and future effectiveness of A.A. will depend largely upon our maintenance of a thoroughly nonaggressive and pacific attitude in all our public relations. This is an exacting assignment, because in our drinking days we were prone to anger, hostility, rebellion, and aggression. And, even though we are now sober, the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with us, always threatening to explode on any good excuse.
But we now know this, and therefore I feel confident that in the conduct of our public affairs we shall always find the grace to exert restraint.

1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965 - 2. TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 69
Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do
for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally
positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system,
something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes
it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any
alcoholic will abundantly confirm this."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~

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

The A.A. way is the way of sobriety, and yet there are slips. Why do these slips occur? Why don't we all accept A.A. and stay sober from then on? There are many reasons, but it has been proved without exception that once we have become alcoholics we can never drink successfully again. This has never been disproved by any case we know of. Many alcoholics have tried drinking after a period of sobriety from a few days to a few years and no one that we know of has been successful in becoming a normal drinker. Could I be the only exception to this rule?

Meditation for the Day

"We are gathered together in Thy name." First, we are gathered together, bound by a common loyalty to God and to each other. Then, when this condition has been fulfilled, God is present with us. Then, when God is there and one with us, we voice a common prayer. Then it follows that our prayer will be answered according to God's will. Then, when our prayer is answered, we are bound together in a lasting fellowship of the spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be loyal to God and to others. I pray that my life today may be lived close to His and to theirs.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Promises^*^*^*^*^ November 28, 2008

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

"We are going to know a new freedom
and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past
nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity
and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone,
we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity
will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things
and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity
will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle
situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us
what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises?  We think not. 
They are being fulfilled among us --
sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. 
They will always materialize if we work for them."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  pp. 83-4
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

The Promises are a result not a right.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M =  People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

How To Live

From: "Stars Don't Fall" 

AA taught me how not to drink. And also, on the twenty-four hour plan, it taught me how to live. I know I do not have to be "queen of them all" to salve a frightened ego. Through going to meetings and listening, and occasionally speaking, through doing Twelve Step work, whereby in helping others you are both the teacher and the student, by making many wonderful AA friends, I have been taught all the things in life that are worth having. I am no longer interested in living in a palace, because palace living was not the answer for me. Nor were those impossible dreams I used to have the things I really wanted. 

2003, AAWS, Inc., Experience, Strength & Hope, pages 362-363

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION

Through many painful experiences, we think we have arrived at what that policy ought to be.  It is the opposite in many ways of usual promotional practice.  We found that we had to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than of promotion.                           

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 180-181

While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity and defiance against anyone who wanted to change me.  All I wanted then was to be accepted by another human simply as I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A.  I became the custodian of this concept of attraction, which is the principle of our Fellowship's public relations.  It is by attraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who still suffers.

I thank God for having given me the attraction of a well-planned and established program of Steps and Traditions.  Through humility and the support of my fellow sober members, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of life through attraction, not promotion.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
I Am Responsible . . .

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.

- DECLARATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY - INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 1965

DEAR FRIENDS:
Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services - the office of which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the globe, and as a unified whole.
It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these all important services have accounted for much of our present size and over-all effectiveness.
The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands ready to serve the special needs of any group or isolated individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many years of accumulated experience are available to us all.
The members of our trusteeship - the General Service Board of A.A .- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since been delegated to them; they are the successors in world service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly accountable to A.A. as a whole.
This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective responsibility that A.A. has or ever can have.
Yours in trust, and in affection,
Bill

Bill W. died on January 24, 1971
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as
an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not
helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among
us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners.
A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could
have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

The A.A. way is the way of sobriety. A.A. is known everywhere as a method that has been successful with alcoholics. Doctors, psychiatrists, and the clergy have had some success. Some men and women have gotten sober all by themselves. We believe that A.A. is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet A.A. is, of course, not wholly successful. Some are unable to achieve sobriety and some slip back into alcoholism after they have had some measure of sobriety. Am I deeply grateful to have found A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our A.A. fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be very grateful today. I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God.

 

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Forgive^*^*^*^*^ November 27, 2008

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

"Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim
of what other people say and do.
Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people,
especially those whose sins did not correspond
exactly with my own,
I found that I only increased the total damage. . .
Under very trying circumstances,
I have had, again and again, to forgive others -- also myself.
Have you recently tried this?"
Bill W., Letter, 1946
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 268
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E E L =  Feel, Experience, Express, Let go

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

Refuge

From "for AAs, a Season of Gratitude" 

The holiday season can be difficult for many AAs, especially the newcomer. The pressure to drink may feel overwhelming when it seems all the world is hoisting glasses in one toast after another. At these times, the prospect of the usual round of holiday parties can be as inviting as a stroll in a minefield to the alcoholic struggling to stay away from the first drink. 

The AA group, though, can be a refuge. Meeting marathons provide a safe place for recovering alcoholics who are on their own, as well as those looking for a break from family festivities. Some groups schedule dances or potluck dinners, providing a place to congregate and celebrate in sober fellowship. 

It's safe to say that AA group celebrations are held in most parts of the world, wherever seasonal festivities are celebrated. Large or small, in remote rural areas or big cities, the sharing and hospitality always center on a regular AA meeting. But the styles of group gatherings are as varied as the members and regional customs dictate. 

2003, AAWS, Inc., Box 459, 49(6):2

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE PERILS OF THE LIMELIGHT

In the beginning, the press could not understand our refusal of all personal publicity. They were genuinely baffled by our insistence upon anonymity. Then they got the point. Here was something rare in the world - a society which said it wished to publicize its principles and its work, but not its individual members. The press was delighted with this attitude. Ever since, these friends have reported A.A. with an enthusiasm which the most ardent members would find hard to match.                              

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 182

It is essential for my personal survival and that of the Fellowship that I not use A.A. to put myself in the limelight.  Anonymity is a way for me to work on my humility.  Since pride is one of my most dangerous shortcomings, practicing humility is one of the best ways to overcome it.  The Fellowship of A.A. gains worldwide recognition by its various methods of publicizing its principles and its work, not by its individual members advertising themselves.  The attraction created by my changing attitudes and my altruism contributes much more to the welfare of A.A. than self-promotion.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Great Fact

We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order.
But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the great fact for us.
To the Newcomer:
Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the road of happy destiny.
May God bless you and keep you - until then.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We
consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to
direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-
pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we
can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God
gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much
higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86~
*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

The way of A.A. is the way of sobriety, fellowship, service, and faith. Let us take up each one of these things and see if our feet are truly on the way. The first and greatest to us is sobriety. The others are built on sobriety as a foundation. We could not have the others if we did not have sobriety. We all come to A.A. to get sober, and we stay to help others get sober. We are looking for sobriety first, last, and all the time. We cannot build any decent kind of a life unless we stay sober. Am I on the A.A. way?

Meditation for the Day

To truly desire to do God's will, therein lies happiness for a human being. We start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied. We take and we do not give. Gradually we find that we are not happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other people's wills. But this again' does not give us full happiness, and we begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's will. In these times of meditation, we seek to get guidance so that we can find God's will for us.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that I may be guided today to find His will for me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Diagnosis^*^*^*^*^ November 26, 2008

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

"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."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  pp. 31-2
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

If you want to quit drinking,
you are going to have to quit drinking.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D E A D =  Drinking Ends All Dreams

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

New

From: "Winner Takes All" 

In working the steps, my life changed. I think differently today; I feel different today. I am new. We have a sign at the AA meetings I go to that says, "Expect a Miracle." My sobriety is full of miracles. When my son filled out an application for college, I filled one out too, and was accepted. Soon I will be a senior and I have a 3.71 grade point average. Thanks to AA, I have come a long way from being near the bottom of my high school class. It takes me a bit longer to read the material, so I have a CCTV (I put my book under the camera and it comes out in big print on a monitor). I have a talking calculator that helped me get through statistics and a telescope that can help me see the board. I accept help from the disabled student services and gladly make use of the volunteer notetakers. 

I learned to accept the things I could not change (in this case my vision) and change the things I can (I could be grateful for and accept the visual aids instead of being embarrassed and rejecting them as I had when I was younger). 

2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 380-381

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE HAZARDS OF PUBLICITY

People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need.  We of A.A. do not question that.  But we do have to soberly face the fact that being in the public eye is hazardous, especially for us.                        

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 181

As a recovered alcoholic I must make an effort to put into practice the principles of the A.A. program, which are founded on honesty, truth and humility.  While I was drinking I was constantly trying to be in the limelight.  Now that I am conscious of my mistakes and of my former lack of integrity, it would not be honest to seek prestige, even for the justifiable purpose of promoting the A.A. message of recovery.  Is the publicity that centers around the A.A. Fellowship and the miracles it produces not worth much more?  Why not let the people around us appreciate by themselves the changes that A.A. has brought in us, for that will be a far better recommendation for the Fellowship than any I could make.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
To Grow Up

Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance - urges quite appropriate to age seventeen - prove to be an impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven.
Since A.A. began, I've taken huge wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.

<<<>>>

As we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward our instinctual drives need to undergo drastic revisions. Our demands for emotional security and wealth, for personal prestige and power all have to be tempered and redirected.
We learn that the full satisfaction of these demands cannot be the sole end and aim of our lives. We cannot place the cart before the horse, or we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment. But when we are willing to place spiritual growth first - then and only then do we have a real chance to grow in healthy awareness and mature love.

1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 114
*~*~*~*~*^ 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

Continuing our thoughts about the rewards that have come to us as a result of our new way of living, we have found that we have gotten rid of any of our fears, resentments, inferiority complexes, negative points of view, self-centeredness, criticism of others, over sensitiveness, inner conflicts, the habits of procrastination, undisciplined sex, wasting money, boredom, false perfectionism, jealousy, and envy of others. We are glad to be rid of our drinking, and we are also very glad to be rid of these other things. We can now go forward in the new way of life, as shown us by A.A. Am I ready to go forward in the new life?

Meditation for the Day

"He that has eyes to see, let him see." To the Seeing Eye, the world is good. Pray for a Seeing Eye, to see the purpose of God in everything good. Pray for enough faith to see God's care in His dealings with you. Try to see how He has brought you safely through your past life so that now you can be of use in the world. With the eyes of faith you can see God's care and purpose everywhere.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have a Seeing Eye. I pray that with the eye of faith I may see God's purpose everywhere.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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