Saturday, May 03, 2014

Thoughts For The Day~*~Inventory^*^*^*^*^ May 4, 2014


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

"A business which takes no regular inventory
usually goes broke.
Taking a commercial inventory is
a fact-finding and a fact-facing process.
If the owner of the business is to be successful,
he cannot fool himself about values.
We did exactly the same thing with our lives.
We took stock honestly.
Being convinced that self,
manifested in various ways,
was what had defeated us,
we considered its common manifestations."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64

Thought to Consider . . .

In order to recover we have to uncover.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
WHO ME?
Willingness,Honesty, Open-mindedness,Must E
xist

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Peace
From "To Handle Sobriety:"
 
"The more I drank, the more I fantasized everything....I lived in a dream world.  A.A. led me gently from this fantasizing to embrace reality with open arms.  And I found it beautiful!  For, at last, I was at peace with myself.  And with others.  And with God."
2001, AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous, page 559
 
 *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"ENTIRELY HONEST"

We must be entirely honest with somebody if we expect to live long or happily in this world.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  73-74

Honesty, like all virtues, is to be shared.  It began after I shared ".  .  .  [my] whole life's story with someone .  .  .  " in order to find my place in the Fellowship.  Later I shared my life in order to help the newcomer find his place with us.  This sharing helps me to learn honesty in all my dealings and to know that God's plan for me comes true through honest openness and willingness.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Freedom to Choose

Looking back, we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom.
When we choose because we "must," this was not a free choice, either. But it got us started in the right direction.
When we choose because we "ought to," we were really doing better. This time we were earning some freedom, making ourselves ready for more.
But when, now and then, we could gladly make right choices without rebellion, hold-out, or conflict, then we had our first view of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like.

GRAPEVINE, MAY 1960

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the
brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal
men, but for alcoholics these things are poison."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

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

When I was drinking, I always tried to build myself up. I used to tell tall stories about myself. I told them so often that I half believe some of them now, even though I know they aren't true. I used to hang around the lowbrow barrooms so I could feel superior to the other customers. The reason I always tried to build myself up was that I knew deep down in my heart that I really didn't amount to anything. It was a kind of defense against my feeling of inferiority. Do I still build myself up?

Meditation for the Day


God thought about the universe and brought it into being. His thought brought me into being. I must think God's thought after Him. I must often keep my mind occupied with thoughts about God and meditate on the way He wants me to live. I must train my mind constantly in quiet times of communion with God. It is the work of a lifetime to develop to full stature spiritually. This is what I am on earth for. it gives meaning to my life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may think God's thoughts after Him. I pray that I may live as lie wants me to live.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012


Friday, May 02, 2014

Thoughts For The Day~*~Troubles ^*^*^*^*^ May 3, 2014


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

"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!
Many of us had moral and philosophical
convictions galore,
but we could not live up to them
even though we would have liked to.
Neither could we reduce our
self-centeredness much by wishing
or trying our own power.
We had to have God's help."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62

Thought to Consider . . .

The task ahead of us
is never as great as the Power behind us.



*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FINE
Feeling Insecure, Numb and E
mpty


*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Trust
From "CONCEPT III:"
 
"Our entire A.A. program rests squarely upon the principle of mutual trust.  We trust God, we trust A.A., and we trust each other.  Therefore we cannot do less than trust our leaders in service.  The 'Right of Decision' that we offer them is not only the practical means by which they may act and lead effectively, but it is also the symbol of our implicit confidence."
 
1962, AAWS, Inc.; Twelve Concepts  for World Service by Bill W., page 16

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
CLEANING HOUSE

Somehow, being alone with God doesn't seem as embarrassing as facing up to another person.  Until we actually sit down and talk aloud about what we have so long hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largely theoretical.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  60

It wasn't unusual for me to talk to God, and myself, about my character defects.  But to sit down, face to face, and openly discuss these intimacies with another person was much more difficult.  I recognized in the experience, however, a similar relief to the one I had experienced when I first admitted I was an alcoholic.  I began to appreciate the spiritual significance of the program and that this Step was just an introduction to what was yet to come in the remaining seven Steps.

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

The New A.A. and His Family When alcoholism strikes, very unnatural situations may develop which work against marriage partnership and compatible union. If the man is affected, the wife must become the head of the house, often the breadwinner. As matters get worse, the husband becomes a sick and irresponsible child who needs to be looked after and extricated from endless scrapes and impasses. Very gradually, usually without any realization of the fact, the wife is forced to become the mother of an erring boy, and the alcoholic alternately loves and hates her maternal care.
Under the influence of A.A.'s Twelve Steps,
these situations are often set right.
<<<>>>
Whether the family goes on a spiritual basis or not, the alcoholic member has to if he would recover. The others must be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt. Seeing is believing to most families who have lived with a drinker.


1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 117-118
2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 135

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people´s shortcomings
and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which
make us more useful to others."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19~

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

A.A. teaches us to take it easy. We learn how to relax and to stop worrying about the past or the future, to give up our resentments and hates and tempers, to stop being critical of people, and to try to help them instead. That's what "Easy Does It" means. So in the time that's left to me to live, I'm going to try to take it easy, to relax and not to worry, to try to be helpful to others, and to trust God. For what's left of my life, is my motto going to be "Easy Does It"?

Meditation for the Day

I must overcome myself before I can truly forgive other people for injuries done to me. The self in me cannot forgive injuries. The very thought of wrongs means that my self is in the foreground. Since the self cannot forgive, I must overcome my selfishness. I must cease trying to forgive those who fretted and wronged me. it is a mistake for me even to think about these injuries. I must aim at overcoming myself in my daily life and then I will find there is nothing in me that remembers injury, because the only thing injured, my selfishness, is gone.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may hold no resentments. I pray that my mind may be washed clean of all past hates and fears.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012


Thursday, May 01, 2014

Thoughts For The Day~*~Humility^*^*^*^*^ May 2, 2014


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

"I am still arrogant, self-righteous,
with no humility, even phony at times,
but I'm trying to be a better person
and help my fellowman.
Guess I'll never be a saint,
but whatever I am,
I want to be sober and in AA.
The word 'alcoholic' does not turn me off any more;
in fact, it is music to my ears
when it applies to me."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 463
Thought to Consider . . .

"Many people haven't even a nodding acquaintance
with humility as a way of life."

Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
KISS
Keep It Simple, Surrender

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Strong
From "From Loneliness to Solitude":

"A.A. members are not emotional cripples who need someone to hold their hands every moment of the day and night to prevent their falling. We grow up with the help of God, as we understand Him, and the fellowship of the group, and by applying the Twelve Steps to our lives."

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 109


*
~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
LIGHTING THE DARK PAST

Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have -- the key to life and happiness for others.  With it you can avert death and misery for them.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  124

No longer is my past an autobiography; it is a reference book to be taken down, opened and shared.  Today as I report for duty, the most wonderful picture comes through.  For, though this day be dark as some days must be -- the stars will shine even brighter later.  My witness that they do shine will be called for in the very near future.  All my past will this day be a part of me, because it is the key, not the lock.

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

Willingness Is the Key

No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is?
A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more.
Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 35

*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*
"At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes
into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of
absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in
practically every case long before it is suspected."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~

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

In A.A. we often hear the slogan "Easy Does It." Alcoholics always do everything to excess. They drink too much. They worry too much. They have too many resentments. They hurt themselves physically and mentally by too much of everything. So when they come into A.A., they have to learn to take it easy. None of us knows how much longer we have to live. Ifs probable that we wouldn't have lived very long if we had continued to drink the way we used to. By stopping drinking, we have increased our chances of living for a while longer. Have I learned to take it easy?

Meditation for the Day

You must be before you can do. To accomplish much, be much. In all cases, the doing must be the expression of the being. It is foolish to think that we can accomplish much in personal relationships without first preparing ourselves by being honest, pure, unselfish, and loving. We must choose the good and keep choosing it, before we are ready to be used by God to accomplish anything worthwhile. We will not be given the opportunities until we are ready for them. Quiet times of communion with the Higher Power are good preparation for creative action.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may constantly prepare myself for better things to come. I pray that I may only have opportunities when I am ready for them.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 5555012


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Thoughts For The Day~*~Choices^*^*^*^*^ May 1, 2014


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

"During the day, we can pause
where situations must be met and decisions made,
and renew the simple request:
'Thy will, not mine, be done.'
If at these points our emotional disturbance
happens to be great,
we will more surely keep our balance,
provided we remember,
and repeat to ourselves,
a particular prayer or phrase that has appealed to us
in our reading or meditation.
Just saying it over and over will often enable us
to return to the surest help of all--
our search for God's will, not our own,
in the moment of stress."

Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 102-3
As Bill Sees It, p. 78

Thought to Consider . . .

"As we go through the day we pause,
when agitated or doubtful,
and ask for the right thought or action."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 87


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FEAR
False Evidence Appearing Real

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Conference
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

In the late 1940s "most of the nonalcoholics on the Board at the time had been institutional [non-profit organization] men. Bernard Smith on the other hand was a businessman and lawyer. From the time he had joined the Board, three years earlier, he had always favored corporate management for the A.A. office and an elected conference to sit with the Trustees as the final plan of service structure for Alcoholics Anonymous. "

Chairman Leonard Harrison appointed "Bernard Smith Chairman of the Trustees' Committee on the proposed Conference [despite] their differences of opinion.

"Bernard Smith has a remarkable faculty for persuasion and negotiation. Moreover, his ideas about a conference had already taken a deeper hold than any of us realized.  [H]e took up the task of convincing the Trustees committee on the Conference.  He put this question to the committee: Shall we set up this Conference of delegates, or shall we forget about it? To my astonishment the committee unanimously said, 'Let's give the Conference a try.' It seemed like a miracle."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 212

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
HEALING HEART AND MIND

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

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  55

Since it is true that God comes to me through people, I can see that by keeping people at a distance I also keep God at a distance.  God is nearer to me than I think and I can experience Him by loving people and allowing people to love me.  But I can neither love nor be loved if I allow my secrets to get in the way.

It's the side of myself that I refuse to look at that rules me.  I must be willing to look at the dark side in order to heal my mind and heart because that is the road to freedom.  I must walk into darkness to find the light and walk into fear to find peace.

By revealing my secrets -- and thereby ridding myself of guilt -- I can actually change my thinking; by altering my thinking, I can change myself. My thoughts create my future.  What I will be tomorrow is determined by what I think today.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
We Are Not Fighting

We have ceased fighting anything or anyone--even alcohol. For by this time sanity has returned. We can now react sanely and normally, and we find that this has happened almost automatically. We see that this new attitude toward liquor is really a gift of God.
That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid.
That is how we react--so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 84-85

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste
for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his
recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If
their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis,
since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit
all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned
that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down.
Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for
living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 99

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

The A.A. program is one of charity because the real meaning of the word charity is to care enough about other people to really want to help them. To get the full benefit of the program, we must try to help other alcoholics. We may try to help somebody and think we have failed, but the seed we have planted may bear fruit some time. We never know the results even a word of ours might have. But the main thing is to have charity for others, a real desire to help them, whether we succeed or not. Do I have real charity?

Meditation for the Day

All material things, the universe, the world, even our bodies, may be Eternal Thought expressed in time and space. The more the physicists and astronomers reduce matter, the more it becomes a mathematical formula, which is thought. In the final analysis, matter is thought. When Eternal Thought expresses itself within the framework of space and time, it becomes matter. Our thoughts, within the box of space and time, cannot know anything firsthand, except material things. But we can deduce that outside the box of space and time is Eternal Thought, which we can call God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be a true expression of Eternal Thought. I pray that God's thoughts may work through my thoughts.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Thoughts For The Day~*~Compromise^*^*^*^*^ April 30, 2014


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

"One qualification for a useful life is
'give-and-take,'
the ability to compromise cheerfully.
Compromise comes hard to us 'all-or-nothing' drunks.
Nevertheless we must never lose sight of the fact
that progress is nearly always characterized by
a series of improving compromises.
There are circumstances in which it is necessary
to stick flat-footed to one's convictions.
Deciding when to compromise
and when not to compromise always calls for
the most careful discrimination."

Bill W., Twelve Concepts for World Service, pp. 39-40
As Bill Sees It, p. 59

Thought to Consider . . .

Wisdom in its purest form is sometimes
knowing what to overlook.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
BATH
Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, and H
abits


*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Inspiration
From "Alcoholics Anonymous Number Three":

"I thought, I think I have the answer. Bill was very, very grateful that he had been released from this terrible thing and he had given God the credit for having done it, and he's so grateful about it he wants to tell other people about it. That sentence, 'The Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep telling people about it,' has been a sort of a golden text for the A.A. program and for me."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 191


*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A GREAT PARADOX

These legacies of suffering and of recovery are easily passed among alcoholics, one to the other.  This is our gift from God, and its bestowal upon others like us is the one aim that today animates A.A.'s all around the globe. 

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, P.  151

The great paradox of A.A. is that I know I cannot keep the precious gift of sobriety unless I give it away.

My primary purpose is to stay sober.  In A.A. I have no other goal, and the importance of this is a matter of life or death for me.  If I veer from this purpose I lose.  But A.A. is not only for me; it is for the alcoholic who still suffers.  The legions of recovering alcoholics stay sober by sharing with fellow alcoholics.  The way to my recovery is to show others in A.A. that when I share with them, we both grow in the grace of the Higher Power, and both of us are on the road to a happy destiny.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*

~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Word of Mouth

"In my view, there isn't the slightest objection to groups who wish to remain strictly anonymous, or to people who think they would not like their membership in A.A. known at all. That is their business, and this is a very natural reaction.
"However, most people find that anonymity to this degree is not necessary, or even desirable. Once one is fairly sober, and sure of this, there seems no reason for failing to talk about A.A. membership in the right places. This has a tendency to bring in other people. Word of mouth is one of our most important communications.
"So we should criticize neither the people who wish to remain silent, nor even the people who wish to talk too much about belonging to A.A., provided they do not do so at the public level and thus compromise our whole Society."

LETTER, 1962
*~*~*~*~*^ 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 A.A. program is one of faith because we find that we must have faith in a Power greater than ourselves if we are going to get sober. We're helpless before alcohol, but when we turn our drink problem over to God and have faith that He can give us all the strength we need, then we have the drink problem licked. Faith in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God is the essential part of the A.A. program. Is faith still strong in me?

Meditation for the Day

Each one of us is a child of God, and as such, we are full of the promise of spiritual growth. A young person is like the springtime of the year. The full time of the fruit is not yet, but there is promise of the blossom. There is a spark of the Divine in every one of us. Each has some of God's spirit that can be developed by spiritual exercise. Know that your life is full of glad promise. Such blessings can be yours, such joys, such wonders, as long as you develop in the sunshine of God's love.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may develop the divine spark within me. I pray that by so doing I may fulfill the promise of a more abundant life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012