Saturday, May 30, 2009

Thoughts For The Day~*~Unity ^*^*^*^*^ May 30, 2009

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

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

^*^*^*^*^

Unity
^*^*^
" 'P
ractically never have I heard a heated religious, political,
or reform argument among AA members. 
So long as we don't argue these matters privately,
it's a cinch we never shall publicly.'
As by some deep instinct, we AA's have known
from the very beginning that we must never,
no matter what the provocation,
publicly take sides in any fight, even a worthy one. . .
. . . We do not enter into public controversy,
because we know that our Society will perish if it does.
We conceive the survival and spread
of Alcoholics Anonymous to be
something of far greater importance
than the weight we could collectively
throw back of any other cause."

1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 176-77
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

A
ttitudes are contagious.
Is yours worth catching?


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
BUT
Being Unconvinced T
otally


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

 
 
Messages
From "Mathematical Miracle":

"Finally, he found a basement bar on a quiet side street, practically deserted. He sat down on a bar stool and ordered a double bourbon on the rocks.

"Then the bartender stopped in his tracks, took a long, hard look at the customer, leaned over the bar, and said in a low tone, 'I was in Milwaukee about four months ago, and one night I attended an open meeting. You were on the speaking platform, and you gave one of the finest A.A. talks I ever heard.

"For a few minutes, the customer sat there probably in a state of shock. Then he picked his money off the bar with trembling hands and walked out, all desire for a drink drained out of him.  Chicago, Illinois, USA"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 74

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE

The more A.A. sticks to its primary purpose, the greater will be its helpful influence everywhere.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, p.109

It is with gratitude that I reflect on the early days of our Fellowship and those wise and loving "foresteppers" who proclaimed that we should not be diverted from our primary purpose, that of carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

I desire to impart respect to those who labor in the field of alcoholism, being ever mindful that A.A. endorses no causes other than its own. I must remember that A.A. has no monopoly on miracle-making and I remain humbly grateful to a loving God who made A.A. possible.


Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
No Boundaries

Meditation is something which can always be further developed. It has no boundaries, of width or height or depth. Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love.
And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance. With it we can broaden and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we understand Him.


TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 101-102
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*


"Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you must not miss."

Alcoholics Anonymous,  Working With Others, pg. 89
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

I am part of A.A., one among many, but I am one. I need the A.A. principles for the development of the buried life within me. A.A. may be human in its organization, but it is Divine in its purpose. The purpose is to point me toward God and a better life. Participating in the privilege of the movement, I shall share in the responsibilities, taking it upon myself to carry my fair share of the load, not grudgingly but joyfully. To the extent that I fail in my responsibilities, A.A. fails. To the extent that I succeed, A.A. succeeds.
Do I accept this as my AA. credo?

Meditation for the Day


"Praise the Lord." What does praising God mean? It means being grateful for all the wonderful things in the universe and for all the blessings in your life. So praise God by being grateful and humble. Praise of this kind has more power to vanquish evil than has mere resignation. The truly grateful and humble person, who is always praising God, is not tempted to do wrong. You will have a feeling of security because you know that fundamentally all is
well. So look up to God and praise Him.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be grateful for all my blessings. I pray that I may be
humble because I know that I do not deserve them.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012


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Friday, May 29, 2009

Corrected: Thoughts For The Day~*~Freedom^*^*^*^*^ May 29, 2009

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

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

^*^*^*^*^

Freedom


"So far, upon the total problem of several million
actual and potential alcoholics in the world,
we have made only a scratch.
In all probability, we shall never be able to touch
more than a fair fraction of the alcohol problem
in all its ramifications.
Upon therapy for the alcoholic himself,
we surely have no monopoly.
Yet it is our great hope that all those
who have as yet found no answer
may begin to find one in the pages of this book
and will presently join us on
the highroad to a new freedom."



Foreword to Second Edition
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. xx-xxi

Thought to Consider....

"Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom from our fatal obsession."


Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 139



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
SOBRIETY
Stay Off Booze Recovery Is Everything To Y
ou


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

Surrender
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"In medicine, we have learned a great deal about the physical treatment of the alcoholic. We have learned about nutrition and the importance of a fully rounded diet, and vitamins and minerals.  But we do know that these things are necessary in the physical treatment and rehabilitation of the alcoholic. We know also that various kinds of drying out and other forms of therapy have failed. They are not enough by themselves. We need something more.

"We know also that religious exhortation has failed, as has exhortation from people who have no grasp of the problem, who oversimplify, people in whose view an alcoholic is a person who is perpetually thirsty with a fierce craving for alcohol, people who do not know that a great many alcoholics hate alcohol worse than poison when they are sober, because they know that it is poison.

"[A]s time went on I became less and less astonished as I saw the effectiveness of your work, as I saw a man of great talent, a close friend of mine, a man who was almost on the verge of genius. I saw alcohol make its insidious inroads upon his career, upon his relationships with his family and children, upon his standing in the community.

"I saw him on the verge of losing his job, and I saw him lose his job; and then I saw him surrender. I saw him throw up his hands and quit, saying, 'I can't do it by myself. I've got to have help.' And with the spiritual help of his clergyman and A.A., I have seen that man come back to a commanding position in his field, a man who is as sober today, as clear-eyed and bright, as any person in this audience." Dr. W. W. Bauer, 1955

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 241-43



*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TRUE TOLERANCE

The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  139

I first heard the short form of the Third Tradition in the Preamble.  When I came to A.A.  I could not accept myself, my alcoholism, or a Higher Power.  If there had been any physical, mental, moral, or religious requirements for membership, I would be dead today.  Bill W. said in his tape on the Traditions that the Third Tradition is a charter for individual freedom.  The most impressive thing to me was the feeling of acceptance from members who were practicing the Third Tradition by tolerating and accepting me.  I feel acceptance is love and love is God's will for us.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Guide to a Better Way

Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.  But we saw that it really worked in others, and had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it.

 When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet.
<<<>>>
Implicit throughout A.A.'s Traditions is the confession that our Fellowship has its sins. We admit that we have character defects as a society and that these defects threaten us continually. our Traditions are a guide to better ways of working and living, and they are to group survival and harmony what A.A.'s Twelve Steps are to each member's sobriety and peace of mind.

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 25
2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 96



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

"We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones.
Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will
make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every
imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery,
followed always by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are
familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a
normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish
this, but it hasn't done so yet."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 30~

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

We who have learned to put our drink problem in God's hands
can help others to do so. We can be used as a connection
between an alcoholic's need and God's supply of strength. We
in Alcoholics Anonymous can be uniquely useful, just because
we have the misfortune or fortune to be alcoholics ourselves.
Do I want to be a uniquely useful person? Will I use my own
greatest defeat and failure and sickness as a weapon to help
others?

Meditation for the Day


I will try to help others. I will try not to let a day pass
without reaching out an arm of love to someone. Each day I
will try to do something to lift another human being out of
the sea of discouragement into which he or she has fallen. My
helping hand is needed to raise the helpless to courage, to
strength, to faith, to health. In my own gratitude, I will
turn and help other alcoholics with the burden that is
pressing too heavily upon them.


Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be used by God to lighten many burdens.
I pray that many souls may be helped through my efforts.



Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012


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Thoughts For The Day~*~Freedom^*^*^*^*^ May 29, 2009

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

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

^*^*^*^*^

Freedom


"So far, upon the total problem of several million
actual and potential alcoholics in the world,
we have made only a scratch.
In all probability, we shall never be able to touch
more than a fair fraction of the alcohol problem
in all its ramifications.
Upon therapy for the alcoholic himself,
we surely have no monopoly.
Yet it is our great hope that all those
who have as yet found no answer
may begin to find one in the pages of this book
and will presently join us on
the highroad to a new freedom."



Foreword to Second Edition
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. xx-xxi

Thought to Consider....

"Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom from our fatal obsession."


Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 139



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
SOBRIETY
Stay Off Booze Recovery Is Everything To Y
ou


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

Surrender
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"In medicine, we have learned a great deal about the physical treatment of the alcoholic. We have learned about nutrition and the importance of a fully rounded diet, and vitamins and minerals.  But we do know that these things are necessary in the physical treatment and rehabilitation of the alcoholic. We know also that various kinds of drying out and other forms of therapy have failed. They are not enough by themselves. We need something more.

"We know also that religious exhortation has failed, as has exhortation from people who have no grasp of the problem, who oversimplify, people in whose view an alcoholic is a person who is perpetually thirsty with a fierce craving for alcohol, people who do not know that a great many alcoholics hate alcohol worse than poison when they are sober, because they know that it is poison.

"[A]s time went on I became less and less astonished as I saw the effectiveness of your work, as I saw a man of great talent, a close friend of mine, a man who was almost on the verge of genius. I saw alcohol make its insidious inroads upon his career, upon his relationships with his family and children, upon his standing in the community.

"I saw him on the verge of losing his job, and I saw him lose his job; and then I saw him surrender. I saw him throw up his hands and quit, saying, 'I can't do it by myself. I've got to have help.' And with the spiritual help of his clergyman and A.A., I have seen that man come back to a commanding position in his field, a man who is as sober today, as clear-eyed and bright, as any person in this audience." Dr. W. W. Bauer, 1955

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 241-43



*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TRUE TOLERANCE

The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  139

I first heard the short form of the Third Tradition in the Preamble.  When I came to A.A.  I could not accept myself, my alcoholism, or a Higher Power.  If there had been any physical, mental, moral, or religious requirements for membership, I would be dead today.  Bill W. said in his tape on the Traditions that the Third Tradition is a charter for individual freedom.  The most impressive thing to me was the feeling of acceptance from members who were practicing the Third Tradition by tolerating and accepting me.  I feel acceptance is love and love is God's will for us.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Guide to a Better Way

Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confusion of shortcomings which the Steps require. But we saw that the program really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness of life as we had been living it.  When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet.
<<<>>>
Implicit throughout A.A.'s Traditions is the confession that our Fellowship has its sins. We admit that we have character defects as a society and that these defects threaten us continually. our Traditions are a guide to better ways of working and living, and they are to group survival and harmony what A.A.'s Twelve Steps are to each member's sobriety and peace of mind.

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 25
2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 96



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

"We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones.
Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will
make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every
imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery,
followed always by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are
familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a
normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish
this, but it hasn't done so yet."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 30~

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

We who have learned to put our drink problem in God's hands
can help others to do so. We can be used as a connection
between an alcoholic's need and God's supply of strength. We
in Alcoholics Anonymous can be uniquely useful, just because
we have the misfortune or fortune to be alcoholics ourselves.
Do I want to be a uniquely useful person? Will I use my own
greatest defeat and failure and sickness as a weapon to help
others?

Meditation for the Day


I will try to help others. I will try not to let a day pass
without reaching out an arm of love to someone. Each day I
will try to do something to lift another human being out of
the sea of discouragement into which he or she has fallen. My
helping hand is needed to raise the helpless to courage, to
strength, to faith, to health. In my own gratitude, I will
turn and help other alcoholics with the burden that is
pressing too heavily upon them.


Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be used by God to lighten many burdens.
I pray that many souls may be helped through my efforts.



Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012


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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Thoughts For The Day~*~Fact^*^*^*^*^ May 28, 2009

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

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

^*^*^*^*^

Fact

"The great fact is just this, and nothing less:
That we have had deep and effective
spiritual experiences which have revolutionized
our whole attitude toward life,
toward our fellows, and toward God's universe.
The central fact of our lives today
is the absolute certainty
that our Creator has entered our hearts and lives
in a way which is indeed miraculous.
He has commenced to accomplish those things for us
which we could never do by ourselves."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25

Thought to Consider . . .

Patience with others is Love,
Patience with self is Hope,
Patience with God is Faith.



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FEAR
Failure Expected And R
eceived



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

Priorities
From "He Lived Only to Drink":

"I was also able to realize that this bonfire of resentment and rage was beckoning me to pick up a drink and plunge in to my death. Then I realized that I had to separate my sobriety from everything else that was going on in my life. No matter what happened or didn't happen, I couldn't drink. In fact, none of these things that I was going through had anything to do with my sobriety; the tides of life flow endlessly for better or worse, both good and bad, and I cannot allow my sobriety to become dependent on these ups and downs of living. Sobriety must live a life of its own."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 450-51


*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
EQUAL RIGHTS

At one time or another most A.A. groups go on rule making benders.  .  .  .  After a time fear and intolerance subside.  [and we realize] We do not wish to deny anyone his chance to recover from alcoholism.  We wish to be just as inclusive as we can, never exclusive.

A.A. TRADITION: HOW IT DEVELOPED," pp.  10, 11, 12

A.A. offered me complete freedom and accepted me into the Fellowship for myself.  Membership did not depend upon conformity, financial success or education and I am so grateful for that.  I often ask myself if I extend the same equality to others or if I deny them the freedom to be different.  Today I try to replace my fear and intolerance with faith, patience, love and acceptance.  I can bring these strengths to my A.A. group, my home and my office.  I make an effort to bring my positive attitude everywhere that I go.

I have neither the right, nor the responsibility, to judge others.  Depending on my attitude I can view newcomers to A.A., family members and friends as menaces or as teachers.  When I think of some of my past judgments, it is clear how my self-righteousness caused me spiritual harm.


Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
More than Comfort

When I am felling depressed, I repeat to myself statements such as these:
"Pain is the touchstone of progress."..."Fear no evil."..."This, too, will
pass."..."This experience can be turned to benefit."
These fragments of prayer bring far more than mere comfort. They keep me on the track of right acceptance; they break up my compulsive themes of guilt, depression, rebellion, and pride; and sometimes they endow me with the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.


GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*


"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going
to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception
and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to
the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability
to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a
gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard
enough and long enough to drink like other people!"

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


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

In A.A. we learn that since we are alcoholics we can be
uniquely useful people. That is, we can help other alcoholics
when perhaps somebody who has not had our experience with
drinking could not help them. That makes us uniquely useful.
The A.A.s are a unique group of people because they have taken
their own greatest defeat and failure and sickness and used it
as a means of helping others. We who have been through the
same thing are the ones who can best help other alcoholics. Do
I believe that I can be uniquely useful?

Meditation for the Day


I should try to practice the presence of God. I can feel that
He is with me and near me, protecting and strengthening me
always. In spite of every difficulty, every trial, every
failure, the presence of God suffices. just to believe that
He is near me brings strength and peace. I should try to live
as though God were beside me. I cannot see Him because I was
not made with the ability to see Him else there were no room
for faith. But I can feel His spirit with me.

Prayer for the Day


I pray that I may try to practice the presence of God. I
pray that by doing so I may never feel alone or helpless
again.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012


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