Thoughts For The Day~*~Discovery ^*^*^ July 3, 2010

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Discovery
^*^*^
"I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. 
I saw that will power and self-knowledge
would not help in those strange mental blank spots.
I had never been able to understand people
who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated.
I knew then.  It was a crushing blow."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

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

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Egoism

From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":

"The fact of hitting bottom to produce a surrender which cut the ego to size was evident fairly soon. In time two additional facts manifested themselves. The first was that a reduced ego has marvelous recuperative powers. The second was that surrender is an essential disciplinary function and experience.

"It is common knowledge that a return of the full-fledged ego can happen at any time. Years of sobriety are no insurance against its resurgence. No A.A., regardless of his veteran status, can ever relax his guard against the encroachments of a reviving ego. Recently one A.A., writing to another, reported that he was suffering, he feared, from 'halo-tosis,' a reference to the smugness and self-complacency which so easily can creep into the individual with years of sobriety behind him. Dr. Harry Tiebout, M.D."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 249

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
EXPERIENCE: THE BEST TEACHER

Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

Some say that experience is the best teacher, but I believe that experience is the only teacher.  I have been able to learn of God's love for me only by the experience of my dependence on that love.  At first I could not be sure of His direction in my life, but now I see that if I am to be bold enough to ask for His guidance, I must act as if He has provided it.  I frequently ask God to help me remember that He has a path for me.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Meeting Adversity

"Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down. "We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us."
<<<>>>
"Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we are angered and hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet we can restrain ourselves and then probe ourselves, asking whether our critics were really right. If so, we can admit our defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual understanding. "Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try calm persuasion. If they continue to rant, it is still possible for us--in our hearts--to forgive them. Maybe a sense of humor can be our saving grace--thus we can both forgive and forget."

1. LETTER, 1958
2. LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once.
Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find
someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We
find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not
work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become
convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time
on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity
to live and be happy."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 96~

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

In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous there were only two
persons. Now there are many groups and thousands of members.
True, the surface has only been scratched. There are probably
ten million or more persons in America alone who need our
help. More and more people are making a start in A.A. each
day. In the case of individual members, the beginning has
been accomplished when they admit they are powerless and turn
to a Power greater than them- selves, admitting that their
lives have become unmanageable. That Higher Power works for
good in all things and helps us to accomplish much in
individual growth and in the growth of A.A. groups. Am I
doing my part in helping AA. to grow?

Meditation for the Day

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled. Only in the fullness of faith can the
heart-sick and faint and weary be satisfied, healed, and rested.
Think of the wonderful spiritual revelations still to be found
by those who are trying to live the spiritual life. Much of life
is spiritually unexplored country. Only to the consecrated and
loving people who walk with God in spirit can these great
spiritual discoveries be revealed. Keep going forward and keep
growing in righteousness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be held back by the material things of the
world. I pray that I may let God lead me forward.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Prayer ^*^*^ July 2, 2010

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Prayer
^*^*^
"All of us, without exception,
pass through times when we can pray
only with the greatest exertion of will.
Occasionally we go even further than this.
We are seized with a rebellion so sickening
that we simply won't pray.
When these things happen we should not think
too ill of ourselves.
We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can,
doing what we know to be good for us."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105

^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Trying to pray is praying.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
 H O P E  =  Hang On; Pray Every day

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

Alike

From "Because I'm an Alcoholic":

"That sense of being different, which had long plagued me, disappeared when I saw the threads that run through all of us. Sharing our stories, our feelings, it is the areas where we are the same that impress me. The differences are but delightful flourishes on the surface, like different-colored costumes, and I enjoy them. But the basic ways we are human, the basic ways we simply are, stand out to me now. I came to see that we all are really one, and I no longer feel alone."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 347

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE HEART OF TRUE SOBRIETY

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the
program. Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of
recovery. But these are indispensable. 

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 570

Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let this be the "me" that I
let others see?  Do I have the willingness to go to any length, to do
whatever is necessary to stay sober?   Do I have the open-mindedness to hear what I have to hear, to think what I have to think, and to feel what I have
to feel?

If my answer to these questions is "Yes," I know enough about the
spirituality of the program to stay sober. As I continue to work the Twelve
Steps, I move on to the heart of true sobriety: serenity with myself, with
others, and with God as I understand Him.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A Viewer-with-Alarm

"I went through several fruitless years in a state called viewing with alarm for the good of the movement. I thought it was up to me to be always
correcting conditions. Seldom has anybody been able to tell me what I
ought to do, and nobody had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I
must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own experience.
"When setting out to check others, I found myself often motivated by fear
of what they were doing, self-righteousness, and even downright intolerance.
Consequently, I seldom succeeded in correcting anything. I just raised
barriers of resentment that cut off any suggestion, example, understanding,
or love."
<<<>>>
"A.A.s often say, Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by
example. If we would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice
what we preach and forget the preaching, too. The quiet good example
speaks for itself."

1. LETTER, 1945 - 2. LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is
that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust
their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him
demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our
fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once,
we commence to outgrow fear."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

In the association with members of the A.A. group to which we belong, we have the advantage of sincere friendship and understanding of the other members who, through social and personal contact, take us away from our old haunts and environments and help to remove in large measure the occasions of alcoholic suggestion. We find in this association a sympathy and a willingness on the part of most members to do everything in their power to help us. Do I appreciate the wonderful fellowship of A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

"Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." In this saying it is urged that all who seek heaven on earth or in the hereafter' should become like little children. In seeking things of the spirit and in our faith, we should try to become childlike. Even as we grow older, the years of seeking can give us the attitude of the trusting child. Not only for its simple trust should we have the childlike spirit, but also for its joy in life, its ready laughter, its lack of criticism, and its
desire to share. In Charles Dickens's story, A Christmas Carol, even old
Scrooge changed when he got the child-spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may become like a child in faith and hope. I pray that I may, like a child, be friendly and trusting.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Puzzle ^*^*^ July 1, 2010

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Puzzle
^*^*^
"By nature touchy and suspicious,
the alcoholic likes to be left alone to work out his puzzle,
and he has a convenient way of ignoring the tragedy
which he inflicts meanwhile upon those
who are close to him.
He holds desperately to a conviction that,
although he has not been able to handle alcohol in the past,
he will ultimately succeed in becoming a controlled drinker.
One of medicine's queerest animals,
he is, as often as not, an acutely intelligent person.
He fences with professional men and relatives
who attempt to aid him and he gets a perverse satisfaction
out of tripping them up in argument."
The Jack Alexander Article
From the March 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

There is no such thing as being 'a little bit alcoholic.'

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D E N I A L  =  Don't Even Notice I Am Lying.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For TToday!^*~*~*~*~*
 Blindness

Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

"This lack of anchorage to any permanent values, this blindness to the true purpose of our lives, produced another bad result. For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 72

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE BEST FOR TODAY

The principles we have set down are guides to progress.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60

Just as a sculptor will use different tools to achieve
desired effects in creating a work of art, in Alcoholics
Anonymous the Twelve Steps are used to bring about results
in my own life. I do not overwhelm my self with life's
problems, and how much more work needs to be done. I let
myself be comforted in knowing that my life is now in the
hands of my Higher Power, a master craftsman who is shaping
each part of my life into a unique work of art. By working
my program I can be satisfied, knowing that "in doing the
best that we can for today, we are doing all that God
asks of us."
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Reality of Spiritual Experiences

"Perhaps you raise the question of hallucination verses the divine imagery of a genuine spiritual experience. I doubt if anyone has authoritatively defined what an hallucination really is. However, it is certain that all recipients of spiritual experiences declare for their reality. The best evidence of that reality is in the subsequent fruits. Those who receive these gifts of grace are very much changed people, almost invariably for the better. This can scarcely be said of those who hallucinate.
"Some might think me presumptuous when I say that my own experience is real. Nevertheless, I can surely report that in my own life and in the lives of
countless others, the fruits of that experience have been real, and the
benefactions beyond reckoning."

TALK, 1960
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy,
envy, frustration, and fear."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~

"Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more
alcoholics than anything else."

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

*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

In following the A.A. program with its twelve steps, we
have the advantage of a better understanding of our problems.
Day after day our sobriety results in the formation of new
habits, normal habits. As each twenty-four-hour period ends,
we find that the business of staying sober is a much less
trying and fearsome ordeal than it seemed in the beginning.
Do I find it easier as I go alone?

Meditation for the Day

Learn daily the lesson of trust and calm in the midst of the
storms of life. Whatever of sorrow or difficulty the day may
bring, God's command to you is the same. Be grateful, humble,
calm, and loving to all people. Leave each soul the better
for having met you or heard you. For all kinds of people,
this should be your attitude: a loving desire to help and an
infectious spirit of calmness and trust in God. You have the
answer to loneliness and fear, which is calm faith in the
goodness and purpose in the universe.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may he calm in the midst of storms. I pray that
I may pass on this calmness to others who are lonely and full
of fear.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Anonymity ^*^*^ June 30, 2010

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Anonymity
^*^*^
"We now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity
before the public is just as vital to the life of AA
as 100 percent sobriety is to the life
of each and every member.
This is not the counsel of fear;
it is the voice of long experience."
1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 293
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Walk softly and carry a Big Book.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A N O N Y M O U S  =  
Actions, Not Our Names, Yield Maintenance Of Unity and Service.

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

Aware

From "Bill's Story":

"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."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 12

~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SACRIFICE UNITY SURVIVAL

The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A.A. will always depend upon our continued willingness to give up some of our personal ambitions and desires for the common safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice means survival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice mean unity and survival for the group and for A.A.'s entire Fellowship.                                 
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 220

I have learned that I must sacrifice some of my personality traits for the good of A.A. and, as a result, I have been rewarded with many gifts. False pride can be inflated through prestige but, by living Tradition Six, I receive the gift of humility instead. Cooperation without affiliation is often deceiving. If I remain unrelated to outside interests, I am free to keep A.A. autonomous. Then the Fellowship will be here, healthy and strong for generations to come.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Imaginary Perfection

When we early A.A.'s got our first glimmer of how spiritually prideful we could be, we coined this expression: "Don't try to be a saint by Thursday!" That oldtime admonition may look like another of those handy alibis that can excuse us from trying for our best. Yet a closer view reveals just the contrary. This is our A.A. way of warning against pride-blindness, and the imaginary perfections that we do not posses.
<<<>>>
Only Step One, where we made the 100 per cent admission that we were
powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection. The
remaining eleven Steps state perfect ideals. They are goals toward which we look, and the measuring sticks by which we estimate our progress.

1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 68
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"...we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as
being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all
the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take
them all-every one? If we still cling to something we will not let
go, we ask God to help us be willing."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~

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

Alcoholics are unable or unwilling, during their addiction
to alcohol, to live in the present. The result is that they
live in a constant state of remorse and fear because of
their unholy past and its morbid attraction, or the uncertain
future and its vague foreboding. So the only real hope for
the alcoholic is to face the present. Now is the time. Now is
ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain
as life itself. Only the now belongs to us. Am I living in
the now?

Meditation for the Day

I must forget the past as much as possible. The past is over
and gone forever. Nothing can be done about the past, except
to make what restitution I can. I must not carry the burden of
my past failures. I must go on in faith. The clouds will clear
and the way will lighten. The path will become less stony with
every forward step I take. God has no reproach for anything
that He has healed. I can be made whole and free, even though
I have wrecked my life in the past. Remember the saying:
"Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not carry the burden of the past. I pray that
I may cast it off and press on in faith.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012