~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Miracles
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"How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute
and hopelessness?
The practical answer is that since these things
have happened among us,
they can happen with you.
Should you wish them above all else,
and be willing to make use of our experience,
we are sure they will come.
The age of miracles is still with us.
Our own recovery proves that!"
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 153
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Thought to Consider . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Where does AA get its direction? Who runs it? This, too, is a puzzler for every friend and newcomer. When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, no board of directors who can cast an erring member into outer darkness, when indeed no AA can give another a directive and enforce obedience, our friends gasp and exclaim, "This simply can't be. There must be an angle somewhere." These practical folk then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authority in AA is a loving God as He may express Himself in the group conscience. They dubiously ask an experienced AA member if this really works. The member, sane to all appearances, immediately answers, "Yes! It definitely does." The friends mutter that his looks vague, nebulous, pretty naive to them. Then they commence to watch us with speculative eyes, pick up a fragment of AA history, and soon have the solid facts
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WE STAND - OR FALL - TOGETHER
. . . no society of men and women ever had a more urgent need for continuous effectiveness and permanent unity. We alcoholics see that we must work together and hang together, else most of us will finally die alone.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 563
Just as the Twelve Steps of A.A. are written in a specific sequence for a reason, so it is with the Twelve Traditions. The First Step and the First Tradition attempt to instill in me enough humility to allow me a chance at survival. Together they are the basic foundation upon which the Steps and Traditions that follow are built. It is a process of ego deflation which allows me to grow as an individual through the Steps, and as a contributing member of a group through the Traditions. Full acceptance of the first Tradition allows me to set aside personal ambitions, fears, and anger when they are in conflict with the common good, thus permitting me to work with others for our mutual survival. Without Tradition One I stand little chance of maintaining the unity required to work with others effectively, and I also stand to lose the remaining Traditions, the Fellowship, and my life.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Servant, Not Master
In A.A., we found that it did not matter too much what our material condition was, but it mattered greatly what our spiritual condition was. As we improved our spiritual outlook, money gradually became our servant and not our master. It became a means of exchanging love and service with those about us.
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One of A.A.'s Loners is an Australian sheepman who lives two thousand miles from the nearest town, where yearly he sells his wool. In order to be paid the best prices he has to get to town during a certain month. But when he heard that a big regional A.A. meeting was to be held at a later date when wool prices would have fallen, he gladly took a heavy financial loss in order to make his journey then. That's how much an A.A. meeting means to him.
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 122 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 31
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
Today, let us begin a short study of the Twelve Suggested Steps of
A.A. These Twelve Suggested Steps seem to embody five principles.
The first step is the membership requirement step. The second,
third, and eleventh steps are the spiritual steps of the program.
The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and tenth steps are the personal
inventory steps. The eighth and ninth steps are the restitution
steps. The twelfth step is the passing on of the program, or
helping others, step. So the five principles are membership
requirement, spiritual basis, personal inventory, restitution,
and helping others. Have I made all these steps a part of me?
Meditation for the Day
We seem to live not only in time but also in eternity. If we
abide with God and He abides with us, we may bring forth
spiritual fruit which will last for eternity. If we live with
God, our lives can flow as some calm river through the dry land
of earth. This can cause the trees and flowers of the spiritual
life-love and service-to spring forth and yield abundantly.
Spiritual work may be done for eternity, not just for now. Even
here on earth we can live as though our real lives were eternal.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may try to make my life like a cool river in a
thirsty land. I pray that I may give freely to all who ask my help.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012
