Saturday, May 15, 2010

Thoughts For The Day~*~Martyrdom ^*^*^*^*^ May 16, 2010

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

"Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and
consuming defects that we know.
It is a bar to all spiritual progress
and can cut off all effective communication
with our fellows
because of its inordinate demands
for attention and sympathy.
It is a maudlin form of martyrdom,
which we can ill afford."

Bill W., Letter, 1966
As Bill Sees It, p. 238

Thought to Consider . . .

I can't have a better tomorrow
if I am thinking about yesterday all the time.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
PEACE
Praying Energetically Always Creates E
ase


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

Real
From "Because I'm an Alcoholic":

"A.A. is my home now, and it is everywhere. I go to meetings when I travel here or in foreign countries, and the people are family I can know because of what we share. As I write this, in my twenty-eighth year of sobriety, I am amazed to look back and remember the woman or child. I was then, to see how far I've come out of that abyss. Alcoholics Anonymous has enabled me to move from fantasies about what I might do with my life into living it, one day at a time."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 346

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WE FORGIVE

Often it was while working on this Step with our sponsors or spiritual advisers that we first felt truly able to forgive others, no matter how deeply we felt they had wronged us.  Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-round forgiveness was desirable, but it was only when we resolutely tackled Step Five that we inwardly knew we'd be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  58

What a great feeling forgiveness is!  What a revelation about my emotional, psychological and spiritual nature.  All it takes is willingness to forgive; God will do the rest.


Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Start by Forgiving

The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own.

Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply. Let's remember that alcoholics are not the only ones bedeviled by sick emotions. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased.

If we are about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 78
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for
the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his
spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could
not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not
work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely
die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

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

In the story of the Good Samaritan, the wayfarer fell among robbers and was left lying in the gutter, half dead. And a priest and a Levite both passed by on the other side of the road. But the Good Samaritan was moved with compassion and came to him and bound up his wounds and brought him to an inn and took care of him. Do I treat another alcoholic like the priest and the Levite or like the Good Samaritan?

Meditation for the Day

Never weary in prayer. When one day you see how unexpectedly your prayer has been answered, then you will deeply regret that you have prayed so little. Prayer changes things for you. Practice praying until your trust in God has become strong. And then pray on, because it has become so much a habit that you need it daily. Keep praying until prayer seems to become communion with God. That is the note on which true times of prayer should end.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may form the habit of daily prayer. I pray that I may find the strength I need, as a result of this communion.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Conflict ^*^*^*^*^ May 15, 2010

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

"My conflicts went right on mounting
because I was simply loaded with excuses and refusals.
When these troubles had finally exhausted me enough,
there was yet another escape.
I would commence to wallow in the bog of guilt.
Here pride and rebellion would give way to depression.
My main theme always was, 'How god-awful I am.'
There was never a decent regret for the harms I had done,
nor was there any serious thought of making such
restitution as I could.
The idea of asking God's forgiveness,
let alone any forgiveness of myself,
never occurred to me.
My really big liability - spiritual pride and arrogance-
was not examined at all.
I had shut out the light by which I might have seen it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 257-8


Thought to Consider . . .

Simply asking for help seems to be a help in itself.



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
HOW
Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness: that's how we do it

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

Disease
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"We know of course that the alcoholic is a sick person. That is a very simple phrase. It is today a phrase that is widely and generally accepted, and yet you and I know that it was not so long ago that the alcoholic was regarded as a nuisance, a pest, a person who could snap out of it if he really wanted to. He was regarded as a spoiled brat and a no-good. Today we know that he is an individual who is sick, and we know that he is sick in an area of which our understanding is perhaps the least of any area in medicine, namely, illness of the emotions. “ Dr. W.W. Bauer, 1955"

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 239

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
KNOW GOD; KNOW PEACE

It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. . . . But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.age  66

Know God;
Know peace. 
No God;
No peace.

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

Within A.A., I suppose, we shall always quarrel a good bit. Mostly, 1 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
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider
another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate,
was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with
Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative
Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of
things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and
direction, provided we took other simple steps."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~



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

In A.A. we find a new strength and peace from the realization that there must be a Power greater than ourselves that is running the universe and that is on our side when we live a good life. So the A.A. program really never ends. You begin by overcoming drink and you go on from there to many new opportunities for happiness and usefulness. Am I really enjoying the full benefits of A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." We should not seek material things first, but seek spiritual things first and material things will come to us, as we honestly work for them. Many people seek material things first and think they can then grow into knowledge of spiritual things. You cannot serve God and Mammon at the same time. The first requisites of an abundant life are the spiritual things: honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. Until you have these qualities, quantities of material things are of little real use to YOU.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may put much effort into acquiring spiritual things. I pray that I may not expect good things until I am right spiritually.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Friday, May 14, 2010

Thoughts For The Day~*~Awakening ^*^*^*^*^ May 14, 2010

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

"Alcoholism is a grievous and often fatal malady
of the mind and body.
We have found that these awful conditions invariably
bring on the third phase of our malady.
This is the sickness of the spirit;
a sickness for which there must necessarily
be a spiritual remedy.
We AA's recognize this in the first five words
of Step Twelve.
Those words are:
'Having had a spiritual awakening...'
Here we name the remedy for our threefold sickness
of body, mind, and soul."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 297

Thought to Consider . .

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

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64
.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M 
  People Relying On God Relaying A Message.


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

Sabotage
"From "Tightrope":

"After a few years, I was a nightly blackout drinker. My lover drank heavily as well, and I began to compare my drinking with his. I argued to myself that I could not have a problem because his drinking was worse than mine at times. In fact, I suggested that he might try A.A. When he did try this Fellowship, I did all I could to undermine his efforts to get sober  his recovery would present an obvious, if unacknowledged, threat to my drinking. Eventually, the stress became too much and we broke up, but not before I had succeeded in undermining his recovery."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 361

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
IT'S OKAY TO BE ME

Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives.  .  .  .  they have turned to easier methods . . . But they had not learned enough humility . . . 

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp.  72-73

Humility sounds so much like humiliation, but it really is the ability to look at myself --  and honestly accept what I find.  I no longer need to be the "smartest" or "dumbest" or any other "est."  Finally, it is okay to be me.  It is easier for me to accept myself if I share my whole life.  If I cannot share in meetings, then I had better have a sponsor -- someone with whom I can share those "certain facts" that could lead me back to a drunk, to death.  I need to take all the Steps.  I need the Fifth Step to learn true humility.  Easier methods do not work.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
"The Spiritual Angle"

How often do we sit in A.A. meetings and hear the speaker declare, "But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle." Prior to this statement, he has described a miracle of transformation which has occurred in him - not only his release from alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward life and the living of it.

It is apparent to everyone else present that he has received a great gift, and that this gift is all out of proportion to anything that may be expected from simple A.A. participation. So we in the audience smile and say to ourselves, "Well, that guy is just reeking with the spiritual angle - except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!"


GRAPEVINE, JULY 1962
Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play, do not laugh much. So let each family play together or separately as much as their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants us to be
happy, joyous, and free."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

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

Having gotten over drinking, we have only just begun to enjoy the benefits of A.A. We find new friends, so that we are no longer lonely. We find new relationships with our families, so that we are happy at home. We find release from our troubles and worries through a new way of looking at things. We find an outlet for our energies in helping other people. Am I enjoying these benefits of A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

The kingdom of heaven is within you. God sees, as no one can see, what is within you. He sees you growing more and more like Himself. That is your reason for existence, to grow more and more like God, to develop more and more the spirit of God within you. You can often see in others those qualities and aspirations that you yourself possess. So also can God recognize His own spirit in you. Your motives and aspirations can only be understood by those who have attained the same spiritual level as you have.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not expect complete understanding from others. I pray that I may only expect this from God, as I try to grow more like Him.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thoughts For The Day~*~Disease ^*^*^*^*^ May 13, 2010

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

"Some strongly object to the AA position
that alcoholism is an illness.
This concept, they feel, removes
moral responsibility from alcoholics.
As any AA knows, this is far from true.
We do not use the concept of sickness
to absolve our members from responsibility.
On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness
to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation
onto the sufferer,
the obligation to use AA's Twelve Steps to get well."
Bill W., Talk, 1960 As Bill Sees It, p. 32

Thought to Consider . . .

The road to recovery is always under construction.



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
STEPS
Solutions To Every Problem in S
obriety

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

Candor
STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

"When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved. But we soon discovered that while we weren't alone any more in a social sense we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 57

 *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE EASIER, SOFTER WAY

If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  72

I certainly didn't leap at the opportunity to face who I was, especially when the pains of my drinking days hung over me like a dark cloud.  But I soon heard at the meetings about the fellow member who just didn't want to take Step Five and kept coming back to meetings, trembling from the horrors of reliving his past.  The easier, softer way is to take these Steps to freedom from our fatal disease, and to put our faith in the Fellowship and our Higher Power.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Seeking Fool's Gold

Pride is the basic breeder of most human difficulties, the chief block to true progress. Pride lures us into making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God-given instincts. When the satisfaction of our instincts for sex, security, and a place in society becomes the primary object of our lives, then pride steps in to justify our excesses.

***  ***

I may attain "humility for today" only to the extent that I am able to avoid the bog of guilt and rebellion on one hand and, on the other hand, that fair but deceiving land which is strewn with the fool's-gold coins of pride. This is how I can find and stay on the highroad to humility, which lies between these extremes. Therefore, a constant inventory which can reveal when I am off the road is always in order.

1.TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 48-49
2. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no
middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was
becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives:
One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of
our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept
spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were
willing to make the effort."


~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

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

In A.A. we find fellowship and release and strength. And having found these things, the real reasons for our drinking are taken away. Then drinking has no more justification in our minds. We no longer need to fight against drink. Drink just naturally leaves us. At first, we are sorry that we can't drink, but we get so that we are glad that we don't have to drink. Am I glad that I don't have to drink?

Meditation for the Day

Try never to judge. The human mind is so delicate and so complex that only its Maker can know it wholly. Each mind is so different, actuated by such different motives, controlled by such different circumstances, influenced by such different sufferings, you cannot know all the influences that have gone to make up a personality. Therefore, it is impossible for you to judge wholly that personality. But God knows that person wholly and He can change it. Leave to God the unraveling of the puzzles of personality. And leave it to God to teach you the proper understanding.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not judge other people. I pray that I may be certain that God can set right what is wrong in every personality.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012