Thoughts For The Day~*~Carrying the Message^*^*^ December 12, 2010

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Carrying the Message

"Alcoholics simply will not listen to a paid
twelfth-stepper.
Almost from the beginning,
we have been positive that face-to-face work
with the alcoholic who suffers could be based only
on the desire to help and be helped.
When an AA talks for money,
whether at a meeting or to a single newcomer,
it can have a very bad effect on him, too.
The money motive compromises him
and everything he says and does for his prospect.
This has always been so obvious
that only a very few AA's have ever worked the Twelfth Step
for a fee."
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 166
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Thought to Consider . .

There is no materialism in AA -- just spirituality.
.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E A R T =  Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together

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

Decline

From "To Handle Sobriety":

"So when my liver had recovered after ten months, I resumed drinking. At first, just one drink, on occasion. Then drinks came more frequently but were carefully spaced out. Soon my drinking was as bad as ever all day long every day. But I was trying frantically to control it. And it had gone underground now, because everyone knew I shouldn't be drinking. Instead of drinking in fancy bars and clubs, I had to carry a bottle of vodka in my briefcase, duck into public toilets, and gulp from the bottle"

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 556

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A COMMON SOLUTION

The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution.  We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action.  This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.

                                ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  17

The most far-reaching Twelfth Step work was the publication of our Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.  Few can equal that book for carrying the message.  My idea is to get out of myself and simply do what I can.  Even if I haven't been asked to sponsor and my phone rarely rings, I am still able to do Twelfth Step work.  I get involved in "brotherly and harmonious action." At meetings I show up early to greet people and to help set up, and to share my experience, strength and hope.  I also do what I can with service work.  My Higher Power gives me exactly what He wants me to do at any given point in my recovery and, if I let Him, my willingness will bring Twelfth Step work automatically.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

PS      On this date in 1937, Bill W. met with trustees of the Rockefeller
Foundation in an attempt to get money to support his "new idea to cure
drunks."  Our cofounders were not the only ones divinely guided.  John D. RockefellerJr., sent a representative (Frank Amos) to Akron to assess the new movement.  Amos returned with a recommendation that $50,000 be granted the as-yet-unnamed organization. 

But Rockefeller had the foresight to see that outside money would corrupt this fledgling fellowship.  In February of '38, he offered only $5,000-- enough seed money to set up a small office and pay a secretary and postage to respond to mail queries.
One of the reasons the Big Book was written was as a money maker to offset this disappointment.

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

"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."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
AA Thought for the Day

The clergy speak of the spiritual fellowship of the church. This is much closer to the A.A. way than mere group therapy. Such a fellowship is based on a common belief in God and a common effort to live a spiritual life. We try to do this in A.A. We also try to get down to the real problems in each others lives. We try to open up to each other. We have a real desire to be of service to each other. We try to go deep down into the personal lives of our members. Do I appreciate the deep personal fellowship of A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

Love and fear cannot dwell together. By their very natures, they cannot exist side by side. Fear is a very strong force. And therefore a weak and vacillating love can soon be routed by fear. But a strong love, a love that trusts in God, is sure eventually to conquer fear. The only sure way to dispel fear is to have the love of God more and more in your heart and soul.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that love will drive out the fear in my life. I pray that my fear will flee before the power of the love of God.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Show Business ^*^*^*^*^ December 11, 2010

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Show Business

"The first requirement is that we be convinced
that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success.  
On that basis we are almost always in collision
with something or somebody,
even though our motives are good. 
Most people try to live by self-propulsion. 
Each person is like an actor
who wants to run the whole show;
is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet,
the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. 
If his arrangements would only stay put,
if only people would do as he wished,
the show would be great. 
Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. 
Life would be wonderful."
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 60-1
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Thought to Consider . . .
I can't do His will my way.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R I D E =  Pretty Ridiculous Individual Directing Everything

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

Promoter among Promoters

AA History 

In The Doctor's Opinion, Dr. Silkworth described a patient brought to him for treatment of chronic alcoholism who had only partially recovered from a gastric hemorrhage, and seemed to be in a pathological state of mental deterioration. 

This man was Hank P. His story in the first edition of the Big Book was titled "The Unbeliever" (Experience, Strength & Hope, page 5). Hank worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey. He was a high-pressure kind of guy. He was called a "promoter among promoters". He was a partner with Bill W in the Honor Dealers Car Polish Company, which they started to earn some money while AA was still being developed. Hank also wrote

Chapter 7 of the Big Book, "Working with Others.

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"A GENUINE HUMILITY"

. . . we are actually to practice a genuine humility.  This is to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us, that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him who presides over us all.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  192

Experience has taught me that my alcoholic personality tends to be grandiose.  While having seemingly good intentions, I can go off on tangents in pursuit of my "causes."  My ego takes over and I lose sight of my primary purpose.  I may even take credit for God's handiwork in my life.  Such an overstated feeling of my own importance is dangerous to my sobriety and could cause great harm to A.A. as a whole.

My safeguard, the Twelfth Tradition, serves to keep me humble.  I realize, both as an individual and as a member of the Fellowship, that I cannot boast of my accomplishments, and that "God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Random Quote - To Deepen Our Insight

It is necessary that we extricate from an examination of our personal relations every bit of information about ourselves and our fundamental difficulties that we can. Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one.
Calm, thoughtful reflection upon personal relations can deepen our insight. We can go far beyond those things which were superficially wrong with us, to see those flaws which were basic, flaws which sometimes were responsible for the whole pattern of our lives. Thoroughness, we have found, will pay - and pay handsomely.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 80
Copyright®1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a
seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't
we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help
others."

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

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

Doctors think of the A.A. fellowship as group therapy. This is a very narrow conception of the depth of the A.A. fellowship. Looking at it purely as a means of acquiring and holding sobriety, it is right as far as it goes. But it doesn't go far enough. Group therapy is directed toward the help that the individual receives from it. It is essentially selfish. It is using the companionship of other alcoholics only in order to stay sober ourselves. But this is only the beginning of real A.A. fellowship. Do I deeply feel the true AA. fellowship?

Meditation for the Day

Most of us have had to live through the dark part of our lives, the time of failure, the nighttime of our lives, when we were full of struggle and care, worry and remorse, when we felt deeply the tragedy of life. But with our daily surrender to a Higher Power comes a peace and joy that make all things new. We can now take each day as a joyous sunrise-gift from God to use for Him and for other people. The night of the past is gone, this day is ours,

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may take this day as a gift from God. I pray that I may thank God for this day and be glad in it.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Selfishness ^*^*^*^*^ December 10, 2010

Visit  ~~~~~~ AA Christmas ~~~~~~~~

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

"So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.
They arise out of ourselves,
and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot,
though he usually doesn't think so.
Above everything,
we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness.
We must, or it kills us!"
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62
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Thought to Consider . . .

The smallest package in the world
is an alcoholic all wrapped up in himself.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P A C E  =  Positive Attitudes Change Everything

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

Giving

From "A Vision for You":

"He [Bill W.] now returned home, leaving behind his first acquaintance [Dr. Bob], the lawyer and the devil-may-care chap. These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 159

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
CARRYING THE MESSAGE

Now, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step?  The wonderful energy it releases and the eager action by which it carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic and which finally translates the Twelve Steps into action upon all our affairs is the payoff, the magnificent reality, of Alcoholics Anonymous.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, P- 109

To renounce the alcoholic world is not to abandon it, but to act upon principles I have come to love and cherish, and to restore in others who still suffer the serenity I have come to know.  When I am truly committed to this purpose, it matters little what clothes I wear or how I make a living.  My task is to carry the message, and to lead by example, not design.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Random Quote - Day of Homecoming

"As sobriety means long life and happiness for the individual, so does unity mean exactly the same thing to our Society as a whole. Unified we live; disunited we shall perish."

<<<>>>

"We must think deeply of all those sick ones still to come to A.A. As they try to make their return to faith and to life, we want them to find everything in A.A. that we have found, and yet more, if that be possible. No care, no vigilance, no effort to preserve A.A.'s constant effectiveness and spiritual strength will ever be too great to hold us in full readiness for the day of their homecoming."

1. LETTER, 1949 - 2. TALK, 1959
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family
back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come
back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his
recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his
relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have
not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came
back too soon."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Our drinking fellowship was a substitute one, for lack of something better. At the time, we did not realize what real fellowship could be. Drinking fellowship has a fatal fault. It is not based on a firm foundation. Most of it is on the surface. It is based mostly on the desire to use your companions for your own pleasure, and using others is a false foundation. Drinking fellowship has been praised in song and story. The "cup that cheers" has become famous as a means of companionship. But we realize that the higher centers of our brains are dulled by alcohol and such fellowship cannot be on the highest plane. It is at best only a substitute. Do I see my drinking fellowship in its proper light?

Meditation for the Day

Set for yourself the task of growing daily more and more into the consciousness of a Higher Power. We must keep trying to improve our conscious contact with God. This is done by prayer, quiet times, and communion. Often all you need to do is sit silent before God and let Him speak to you through your thought. Try to think God's thoughts after Him. When the guidance comes, you must not hesitate, but go out and follow that guidance in your daily work, doing what you believe to be the right thing.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be still and know that God is with me. I pray that I may open my mind to the leading of the Divine Mind.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Belonging ^*^*^*^*^ December 9, 2010

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

"Perhaps one of the greatest rewards
of meditation and prayer
is the sense of belonging that comes to us. 
We no longer live in a completely hostile world. 
We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless. 
The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will,
the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love
as the real and eternal things in life,
we are no longer deeply disturbed
by all the seeming evidence to the contrary
that surrounds us in purely human affairs."
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105
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Thought to Consider . . .

Veni, vidi, velcro ... I came, I saw, I stuck around.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A  = Adventurers Anonymous

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

Not-Worrying

From "A Practical Philosophy:"

"None of us has to understand God or worry
about things beyond our control.  We can indulge
ourselves in the luxury of not-worrying.  Any of
us can handle just one day; all each of us has to
try at is our own job, our own family life.  We
don't have to try fixing up the whole world or
understanding what no theologian of any faith
has ever understood.
"We simply stop messing in God's business."

c. 1973, Came to Believe..., page 116
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
LOVE WITH NO PRICE TAG

When the Twelfth Step is seen in its full implication, it is really talking about the kind of love that has no price tag on it.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  106

In order for me to start working the Twelfth Step, I had to work on sincerity, honesty, and to learn to act with humility.  Carrying the message is a gift of myself, no matter how many years of sobriety I may have accumulated.  My dreams can become reality.  I solidify my sobriety by sharing what I have received freely.  As I look back to that time when I began my recovery, there was already a seed of hope that I could help another drunk pull himself out of his alcoholic mire.  My wish to help another drunk is the key to my spiritual health.  But I never forget that God acts through me.  I am only His instrument.

Even if the other person is not ready, there is success, because my effort in his behalf has helped me to remain sober and to become stronger.  To act, to never grow weary in my Twelfth Step work, is the key.  If I am capable of laughing today, let me not forget those days when I cried.  God reminds me that I can feel compassion!

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Random Quote - Key to Sobriety

The unique ability of each A.A. to identify himself with, and bring recovery to, the newcomer in no way depends upon his learning, his eloquence, or any special individual skills. The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic who has found a key to sobriety.

<<<>>>

In my first conversation with Dr. Bob, I bore down heavily on the medical hopelessness of his case, freely using Dr. Silkworth's words describing the alcoholic's dilemma, the "obsession plus allergy" theme. Though Bob was a doctor, this was news to him, bad news. And the fact that I was an alcoholic and knew what I was talking about from personal experience made the blow a shattering one.
You see, our talk was a completely mutual thing. I had quit preaching. I knew that I needed this alcoholic as much as he needed me.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 150-151 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 69-70
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed
people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships,(including sex) were hurt or threatened."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~
*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

The way of A.A. is the way of fellowship. We have read a good deal about fellowship and yet it is such an important part of the A.A. program that it seems we cannot think too much about it. Human beings were not meant to live alone. A hermit's life is not a normal or natural one. We all need to be by ourselves at times, but we cannot really live without the companionship of others. Our natures demand it. Our lives depend largely upon it. The fellowship of A.A. seems to us to be the best in the world. Do I fully appreciate what the fellowship of A.A. means to me?

Meditation for the Day

We are all seeking something, but many do not know what they want in life. They are seeking something because they are restless and dissatisfied, without realizing that faith in God can give an objective and a purpose to their lives. Many of us are at least subconsciously seeking for a Power greater than ourselves because that would give a meaning to our existence. If you have found that Higher Power, you can be the means of leading others aright, by showing them that their search for a meaning to life will end when they find faith and trust in God as the answer.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my soul will lose its restlessness by finding rest in God. I pray that I may find peace of mind in the thought of God and His purpose for my life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012