Thoughts For The Day~*~Meetings^*^*^*^*^November 24, 2013

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

"A 'spiritual experience' to me meant attending meetings,
seeing a group of people,
all there for the purpose of helping each other;
hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions
read at a meeting,
and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an AA meeting
has such great meaning --
'They will be done, not mine.'
A spiritual awakening soon came to mean
trying each day to be a little more thoughtful,
more considerate, a little more courteous to those
with whom I came in contact."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381
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Thought to Consider . . .

Seven days without a meeting makes one weak.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
Y A N A  =  You Are Not Alone

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

Alternatives

From: "We Agnostics"  

In the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.  

To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means disaster, especially if he is an alcoholic of the hopeless variety. To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face.

2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 44

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A UNIVERSAL SEARCH

Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

I do not claim to have all the answers in spiritual matters, any more than I claim to have all the answers about alcoholism.  There are others who are also engaged in a spiritual search.  If I keep an open mind about what others have to say, I have much to gain.  My sobriety is greatly enriched, and my practice  of the Eleventh Step more fruitful, when I use both the literature and practices of my Judeo-Christian tradition, and the resources of other religions.  Thus, I receive support from many sources in staying away from the first drink.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A New-Found Providence

When dealing with a prospect of agnostic or atheistic bent, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles. There is no use arousing any prejudice he may have against certain theological terms and conceptions, about which he may already be confused. Don't raise such issues, no matter what your own convictions are.

<<<>>>

Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three. Isn't it true that, in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care, protection, and guidance of A.A.?
Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's own will and one's own ideas about the alcohol problem in favor of those suggested by A.A. Now if this is not turning one's will and life over to a new-found "Providence," then what is it?

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 93 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 35
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Instead of pretending to be perfectionists, in A.A. we are content if we are making progress. The main thing is to be growing. We realize that perfectionism is only a result of false pride and an excuse to save our faces. In A.A. we are willing to make mistakes and to stumble, provided we are always stumbling forward. We are not so interested in what we are as in what we are becoming. We are on the way, not at the goal. And we will be on the way as long as we live. No A.A. has ever "arrived." But we are getting better. Am I making progress?

Meditation for the Day

Each new day brings an opportunity to do some little thing that will help to make a better world, that will bring God's kingdom a little nearer to being realized on earth. Take each day's happenings as opportunities for something you can do for God. In that spirit, a blessing will attend all that you do. Offering this day's service to God, you are sharing in His work. You do not have to do great things.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that today I may do the next thing, the unselfish thing, the loving thing. I pray that I may be content with doing small things as long as they are right.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Faith ^*^*^*^*^ November 23, 2013

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

"We had seen spiritual release,
but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true.
Actually we were fooling ourselves,
for deep down in every man, woman, and child,
is the fundamental idea of God.
It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp,
by worship of other things,
but in some form or other it is there. 
For faith in a Power greater than ourselves,
and miraculous demonstrations
of that power in human lives,
are facts as old as man himself."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 55
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Thought to Consider . . .

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket,
then counting your blessings before they hatch.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H  =  Finding Answers In The Heart

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

Reliable

From "God Is Good":

"Each day, God gives us a new challenge. Sometimes, it is prosperity; sometimes, adversity. Prosperity can lead to complacency; adversity, to self-pity. Either one of these reactions is a luxury I cannot afford. I do not always fully accept my adversities as good while I am going through them, but the mere fact that I am now able to write these words proves the logic in my faith that God is good."

 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 87

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"HOLD YOUR FACE TO THE LIGHT"

Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 3

One Sunday in October, during my morning meditation, I glanced out the window at the ash tree in our front yard.  At once I was overwhelmed by its magnificent, golden color!  As I stared in awe at God's work of art, the leaves began to fall and, within  minutes, the branches were bare.  Sadness came over me as I thought of the winter months ahead, but just as I was reflecting on autumn's annual process, God's message came through.  Like the trees, stripped of their leaves in the fall, sprout new blossoms in the spring,  I had my compulsive, selfish ways removed by God in order for me to blossom into a sober, joyful member of A.A. Thank you, God, for the changing seasons and for my ever-changing life.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Three Choices

The immediate object of our quest is sobriety-freedom from alcohol and from all its baleful consequences. Without this freedom, we have nothing at all.
Paradoxically, though, we can achieve no liberation from the alcohol obsession until we become willing to deal with those character defects which have landed us in that helpless condition. In this freedom quest, we are always given three choices.
A rebellious refusal to work upon our glaring defects can be an almost certain ticket to destruction. Or, perhaps for a time, we can stay sober with a minimum of self-improvement and settle ourselves into a comfortable but often dangerous mediocrity. Or, finally, we can continuously try hard for those sterling qualities that can add up to fineness of spirit and action - true and lasting freedom under God.

GRAPEVINE, NOVEMBER 1960
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
3rd Step Prayer:

"God, I offer myself to Thee to build with me and to do with
me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better
do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may
bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy
Way of life. May I do Thy will always!"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

I no longer refuse to do anything because I cannot do it to perfection. Many of us alcoholics use the excuse of not being able to do something perfectly to enable us to do nothing at all. We pretend to be perfectionists. We are good at telling people how a thing should be done, but when we come to the effort of doing it ourselves, we balk. We say to ourselves: "I might make a mistake so I'd better let the whole thing slide." In A.A. we set our goals high, but that does not prevent us from trying. The mere fact that we will never fully reach these goals does not prevent us from doing the best we can. Have I stopped hiding behind the smoke screen of perfectionism?

Meditation for the Day

"In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." Keep an undaunted spirit. Keep your spirit free and unconquered. You can be undefeated and untouched by failure and all its power, by letting your spirit overcome the world; rise above earth's turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember you have God's help and nothing can wholly defeat you.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have confidence and be of good cheer. I pray that I may not fear the power of failure.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Gratitude^*^*^*^*^ November 22, 2013

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

"A complete change takes place in our approach to life.
Where we used to run from responsibility,
we find ourselves accepting it
with gratitude that we can successfully shoulder it.
Instead of wanting to escape some perplexing problem,
we experience a thrill of challenge
in the opportunity it affords for another application
of AA techniques,
and we find ourselves tackling it with surprising vigor."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 311-12
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Thought to Consider . . .

When brimming with gratitude,
one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion we can ever know. 
Bill W., March 1962

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T H I N K  =  The Happiness I Never Knew

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Awareness

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"The [Saturday Evening Post] article appeared in the March 1, 1941, issue. Jack's [Alexander] extensive investigation and his remarkable capacity for sympathy and rapport with us produced a piece which had immense impact. By mail and telegram a deluge of pleas for help and orders for the book Alcoholics Anonymous, first in hundreds and then in thousands, hit Box 658.  Pawing at random through the incoming mass of heartbreaking appeals, we found ourselves crying. What on earth could we do with them? We were really swamped.

"We saw that we must have help. So we rounded up every A.A. woman and every A.A. wife who could use a typewriter. The upper floor of the Twenty-Fourth Street Club was converted into an emergency headquarters. For days [A.A. office manager] Ruth and the volunteers tried to answer the ever increasing tide of mail. They were almost tempted into using form letters. But experience had shown that this would not do at all. A warm personal communication must be sent to every prospect and his family."

 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 191

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ONLY TWO SINS

. . .there are only two sins; the first is to interfere with the growth of another human being, and the second is to interfere with one's own growth.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 542

Happiness is such an elusive state.  How often do my "prayers" for others involve "hidden" prayers for my own agenda?  How often is my search for happiness a boulder in the path of growth for another, or even myself?  Seeking growth through humility and acceptance brings things that appear to be anything but good, wholesome and vital.  Yet in looking back, I can see that pain, struggles and setbacks have all contributed eventually to serenity through growth in the program.

I ask my Higher Power to help me not cause another's lack of growth today -- or my own.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Welcome Criticism

"Thanks much for your letter of criticism. I'm certain that had it not been for its strong critics, A.A. would have made slower progress.
"For myself, I have come to set a high value on the people who have criticized me, whether they have seemed reasonable critics or unreasonable ones. Both have often restrained me from doing much worse than I actually have done. The unreasonable ones have taught me, I hope, a little patience. But the reasonable ones have always done a great job for all of A.A.-and have taught me many a valuable lesson."

LETTER, 1955
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor
do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders. When we see a man
sinking into the mire that is alcoholism, we give him first aid and
place what we have at his disposal."

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

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

I have gotten rid of most of my boredom. One of the hardest things that a new member of A.A. has to understand is how to stay sober and not be bored. Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring people or boring situations. But once you have taken up the interest of A.A., once you have given it your time and enthusiasm, boredom should not be a problem to you. A new life opens up before you that can be always interesting. Sobriety should give you so many new interests in life that you shouldn't have time to be bored. Have I gotten rid of the fear of being bored?

Meditation for the Day

"If I have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Charity means to care enough about other people to really want to do something for them. A smile, a word of encouragement, a word of love, goes winged on its way, simple though it may seem, while the mighty words of an orator fall on deaf ears. Use up the odd moments of your day in trying to do some little thing to cheer up another person. Boredom comes from thinking too much about yourself.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my day may be brightened by some little act of charity. I pray that I may try today to overcome the self-centeredness that makes me bored.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Unity ^*^*^*^*^ November 21, 2013

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

"The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous
is the most cherished quality our Society has.
Our lives, the lives of all to come,
depend squarely upon it.
We stay whole, or AA dies.
Without unity, the heart of AA would cease to beat;
our world arteries would no longer carry
the life-giving grace of God;
His gift to us would be spent aimlessly.
Back again in their caves, alcoholics would reproach us
and say, 'What a great thing AA might have been!' "
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 129
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Thought to Consider . . .

AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T E A M  =  Together Everyone Achieves More

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Complete Defeat

From:  "From the Taproot"  

The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole Society has sprung and flowered.

Twelve and Twelve, pages 21-22  

Every newcomer is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.  

So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time. A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once.

Twelve and Twelve, pages 72-73  

1967, AAWS, Inc., As Bill Sees It, page 305

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A CLASSIC PRAYER

Lord, make me a channel for thy peace -- that where there is hatred, I may bring love -- that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness -- that where there is discord, I may bring harmony -- that where there is error, I may bring truth -- that where there is doubt, I may bring faith -- that where there is despair, I may bring hope -- that where there are shadows, I may bring light - that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted - to understand, than to be understood - to love, than to be loved.  For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.  It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.  It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life.  Amen.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 99

No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, the St. Francis prayer helps me improve my conscious contact with the God of my understanding.  I think that one of the great advantages of my faith in God is that I do not understand Him, or Her, or It.  It may be that my relationship with my Higher Power is so fruitful that I do not have to understand.  All that I am certain of is that if I work the Eleventh Step regularly, as best I can, I will continue to improve my conscious contact, I will know His will for me, and I will have the power to carry it out.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Humility Brings Hope

Now that we no longer patronize bars and bordellos, now that we bring home the pay checks, now that we are so very active in A.A., and now that people congratulate us on these signs of progress - well, we naturally proceed to congratulate ourselves. Of course, we are not yet within hailing distance of humility.

<<<>>>

We ought to be willing to try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings, just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, and came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. If humility could enable us to find the grace by which the deadly alcohol obsession could be banished, then there must be hope of the same result respecting any other problem we can possibly have.

1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 76
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration,
and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have
carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of
His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We
have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further
and that means more action."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

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

I no longer waste money, but try to put it to good use. Like all of us, when I was drunk, I threw money around like I really had it. It gave me a feeling of importance-a millionaire for a day. But the morning after, with an empty wallet and perhaps also some indecipherable checks, was a sad awakening. How could I have been such a fool? How will I ever make it up? Thoughts like these get you down. When we are sober, we spend our hard earned money as it should be spent. Although perhaps some of us could be more generous in our A.A. giving, at least we do not throw it away. Am I making good use of my money?

Meditation for the Day

You were meant to be at home and comfortable in the world. Yet some people live a life of quiet desperation. This is the opposite of being at home and at peace in the world. Let your peace of mind be evident to those around you. Let others see that you are comfortable, and seeing it, know that it springs from your trust in a Higher Power. The dull, hard way of resignation is not God's way. Faith takes the sting out of the winds of adversity and brings peace even in the midst of struggle.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be more comfortable in my way of living. I pray that I may feel more at home and at peace within myself.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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