Thoughts For The Day~*~Serenity ^*^*^*^*^ December 7, 2014

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

"So, here I am, sober.  Successful.  Serene.
Just a few of the gifts of the program for surrendering,
suiting up, and showing up for life every day.
Good days and bad days, reality is a wild ride,
and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I don't question how this program works.
I trust in my God, stay involved in AA service,
go to lots of meetings, work with others,
and practice the principles of the Steps
to the best of my willingness each day.
I don't know which of these keeps me sober,
and I'm not about to try to find out.
It's worked for quite a few days now,
so I think I'll try it again tomorrow."
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous (Fourth Edition),  p. 337
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Thought to Consider . . .

Serenity isn't freedom from the storm;
it is peace within the storm.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
K I S S =  Keep It Simple; Surrender

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

Normal

From "Ecstasy":

"I think now that this thoroughly unsuccessful Twelfth Step effort (I pray H. may be in A.A. somewhere by now) helped me. I've never since stopped being aware of the fact that as an alcoholic I had better not set my sights on being just like everybody else, just as ordinary, just as unleavened. As a matter of fact, I don't really know anything about being ordinary that is, nonalcoholic so I ought not to set up some phony idea in my mind about normal living."

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 117

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TRUE AMBITION

True ambition is not what we thought is was. True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 124-125

During my drinking years, my one and only concern was to have my fellow man think highly of me.  My ambition in everything I did was to have the power to be at the top.  My inner self kept telling me something else but I couldn't accept it.  I didn't even allow myself to realize that I wore a mask continually.  Finally, when the mask came off and I cried out to the only God I could conceive, the Fellowship of A.A., my group and the Twelve Steps were there.  I learned how to change resentments into acceptance, fear into hope and anger into love.  I have learned also, through loving without undo expectations, through sharing my concerns and caring for my fellow man, that each day can be joyous and fruitful.  I begin and end my day with thanks to God, who has so generously shed His grace on me.

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

"Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say, 'If it weren't for him (or her), how happy I'd be!'"

<<<>>>

Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives.
Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy or defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built.

1. LETTER, 1966 - 2. GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc
*~*~*~*~*^ 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

When people come back to A.A. after having a slip, the temptation is strong to say nothing about it. No other A.A. member should force them to declare themselves. It is entirely up to them. If they are well grounded in A.A., they will realize that ifs up to them to speak up at the next meeting and tell about their slip. There is no possible evasion of this duty, if they are thoroughly honest and really desirous of living the A.A. way again. When they have done it, their old confidence returns. They are home again. Their slip should not be mentioned again by others. They are again a good member of A.A. Am I tolerant of other people's mistakes?

Meditation for the Day

It is in the union of a soul with God that strength, new life, and spiritual power come. Bread sustains the body but we cannot live by bread alone. To try to do the will of God is the meat and support of true living. We feed on that spiritual food. Soul starvation comes from failing to do so. The world talks about bodies that are undernourished. What of the souls that are undernourished? Strength and peace come from partaking of spiritual food.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not try to live by bread alone. I pray that my spirit may live by trying to do the will of God as I understand it.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~A New Life ^*^*^*^*^ December 6, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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A New Life

"Is sobriety all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening?
No, sobriety is only a bare beginning;
If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on.
As it does go on, we find that bit by bit
we can discard the old life -- the one that did not work --
for a new life that can and does work
under any conditions whatever."
Bill W., Grapevine, December 1957
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 8
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Thought to Consider . . .

Action conquers fear.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C  =  Acceptance, Belief, Change

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

Growth

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"At the end of 1941, when the group secretaries made their reports, we found that the membership had jumped to 8,000, an increase of 6,000 over 1940. We had begun to reach into Canada and into foreign lands. Everywhere we were growing rapidly. In many ways 1941 can be reckoned as the most exciting year in our history.

"The pins on our office wall map showed scores of new groups springing up every week."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 192

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN

When we developed still more, we discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself.  We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would.  If  we really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our fellows nor would we feel the urge wholly to rely on human  protection and care.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 116

It has been my experience that, when all human resources appear to have failed, there is always One who will never desert me.  Moreover, He is always there to share my joy, to steer me down the right path, and to confide in when no one else will do.  While my well-being and happiness can be added to, or diminished, by  human efforts, only God can provide the loving nourishment upon which I depend for my daily spiritual health.

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

Few indeed are those who, assailed by the tyrant alcohol, have ever won through in singlehanded combat. It is a statistical fact that alcoholics almost never recover on their personal resources alone.

<<<>>>

'Way up toward Point Barrow in Alaska, a couple of prospectors got themselves a cabin and a case of Scotch. The weather turned bitter, fifty below, and they got so drunk they let the fire go out. Barely escaping death by freezing, one of them woke up in time to rekindle the fire. He was prowling around outside for fuel, and he looked into an empty oil drum filled with frozen water. Down in the ice cake he saw a reddish-yellow object. When thawed out, it was seen to be an A.A. book. One of the pair read the book and sobered up. Legend has it that he became the founder of one of our farthest north groups.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 22 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 82-83
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we
could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God can
remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you have
already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps,
you have made a good beginning. That being so you have swallowed and
digested some big chunks of truth about yourself."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~


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

People who have had a slip are ashamed of themselves-sometimes so ashamed that they fear to go back to A.A. They develop the old inferiority complex and tell themselves that they are no good, that they have let down their friends in A.A., that they are hopeless, and that they can never make it. This state of mind is perhaps worse than it was originally. They have probably been somewhat weakened by their slip. But their A.A. training cannot ever be entirely lost. They always know they can go back if they want to. They know there is still God's help for them if they will again ask for it. Do I believe that I can never entirely lose what I have learned in A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

Nobody entirely escapes temptation. You must expect it and be ready for it when it comes. None of us is entirely safe. You must try to keep your defenses up by daily thought and prayer. That is why we have these daily meditations. You must be able to recognize temptation when it comes. The first step toward conquering temptation always is to see it clearly as temptation and not to harbor it in your mind. Dissociate yourself from it, put it out of your mind as soon as it appears. Do not think of excuses for yielding to it. Turn at once to the Higher Power for help.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be prepared for whatever temptation may come to me. I pray that I may see it clearly and avoid it with the help of God.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~A New Notion ^*^*^*^*^ December 5, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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A New Notion

"The idea that religion and spirituality
were not one and the same was a new notion.
My sponsor asked that I merely remain open-minded
to the possibility that there was a Power greater than myself,
one of my own understanding.
He assured me that no person was going to impose
a belief system on me, that it was a personal matter.
Reluctantly, I opened my mind to the fact that maybe,
just maybe, there was something to this spiritual lifestyle.
Slowly, but surely, I realized there was indeed
a Power greater than myself,
and I soon found myself with a full-time God in my life
and following a spiritual path that didn't conflict
with my personal religious convictions."
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 287
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Thought to Consider . . .

God enters us through our wounds.

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

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

Hope

From "Window of Opportunity":

"I once knew a woman who was crying before a meeting. She was approached by a five-year-old girl who told her, 'You don't have to cry here. This is a good place. They took my daddy and they made him better.' That is exactly what A.A. did for me; it took me and it made me better. For that I am eternally grateful."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 431

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A NEW STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS

He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being.            
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p 107

Many of us in A.A. puzzle over what is a spiritual awakening.  I tended to look for a miracle, something dramatic and earth shattering.  But what usually happens is that a sense of well-being, a feeling of peace, transforms us into a new level of awareness.  That's what happened to me.  My insanity and inner turmoil disappeared and I entered into a new dimension of hope, love and peace.  I think the degree to which I continue to experience this new dimension is in direct proportion to the sincerity, depth and devotion with which I practice the Twelve Steps of A.A.

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

When I was a child, I acquired some of the traits that had a lot to do with my insatiable craving for alcohol. I was brought up in a little town in Vermont, under the shadow of Mount Aeolus. An early recollection is that of looking up at this vast and mysterious mountain, wondering what it meant and whether I could ever climb that high. But I was presently distracted by my aunt who, as a fourth-birthday present, made me a plate of fudge. For the next thirty-five years I pursued the fudge of life and quite forgot about the mountain.
<<< >>>
When self-indulgence is less than ruinous, we have a milder word for it. We call it "taking our comfort."

1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, PP. 52-53 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 67
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He
isn't."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

In spite of all we have learned in A.A., our old way of thinking comes back on us, sometimes with overwhelming force, and occasionally some of us have slips. We forget or refuse to call on the Higher Power for help. We seem to deliberately make our minds a blank so far as A.A. training goes, and we take a drink. We eventually get drunk. We are temporarily right back where we started from. Those who have had slips say unanimously that they were no fun. They say A.A. had taken all the pleasure out of drinking. They knew they were doing the wrong thing. The old mental conflict was back in full force. They were disgusted with themselves. Am I convinced that I can never get anything more out of drinking?

Meditation for the Day

Give something to those who are having trouble, to those whose thoughts are confused, something of your sympathy, your prayers, your time, your love, your thought, your self. Then give of your own confidence, as you have had it given to you by the grace of God. Give of yourself and of your loving sympathy. Give your best to those who need it and win accept it. Give according to need, never according to deserts. Remember that the giving of advice can never take the place of giving of yourself.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that as I have received, so may I give. I pray that I may have the right answer for those who are confused.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Rewards^*^*^*^*^December 4, 2014

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

"The rewards of sobriety are bountiful
and as progressive as the disease they counteract.
Certainly among these rewards for me
are release from the prison of uniqueness,
and the realization that participation in the AA way of life
is a blessing and a privilege beyond estimate --
a blessing to live a life free from the
pain and degradation of drinking
and filled with the joy of useful, sober living,
and a privilege to grow in sobriety one day at a time
and bring the message of hope as it was brought to me."
From the new Fourth Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous
AAGrapevine, December 2001, p. 47
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Thought to Consider . . .

Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G I F T S =  Getting It From The Steps.

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

Gift

Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

"When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone. He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being. He has been set on a path which tells him he is really going somewhere, that life is not a dead end, not something to be endured or mastered."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 106-07

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
INTO ACTION

A.A. is more than a set of principles; it is a society of alcoholics in action.  We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who haven't been given the truth may die.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 13

I desperately wanted to live, but if I was to succeed, I had to become active in our God-given program.  I joined what became my group, where I opened the hall, made coffee, and cleaned up.  I had been sober about three months when an old-timer told me I was doing Twelfth-Step work.  What a satisfying realization that was!  I felt I was really accomplishing something.  God had given me a second chance, A.A. had shown me the way, and these  gifts were not only free -- they were also priceless!  Now the joy of seeing newcomers grow reminds me of where I have come from, where I am now, and the limitless possibilities that lie ahead.  I need to attend meetings because they recharge my batteries so that I have light when it's needed.  I'm still a beginner in service work, but already I am receiving more than I'm giving.  I can't keep it unless I give it away.  I am responsible when another reaches out for help.  I want to be there -- sober.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Random Quote - Never the Same Again

It was discovered that when one alcoholic had planted in the mind of another the true nature of his malady, that person could never be the same again. Following every spree, he would say to himself, "Maybe those A.A.'s were right." After a few such experiences, often before the onset of extreme difficulties, he would return to us convinced.
<<<>>>
In the first years, those of us who sobered up in A.A. had been grim and utterly hopeless cases. But then we began to have success with milder alcoholics and even some potential alcoholics. Younger folks appeared. Lots of people turned up who still had jobs, homes, health, and even good social standing.
Of course, it was necessary for these newcomers to hit bottom emotionally. But they did not have to hit every possible bottom in order to admit that they were licked.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 23-24 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 199
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

If we allow an alcoholic thought to lodge in our minds for any length of time, we are in danger of having a slip. Therefore we must dispel such thoughts at once, by refusing their admittance and by immediately putting constructive thoughts in their place. Remember that alcohol is poison to you. Remember that it is impossible for you to drink normally. Remember that one drink will lead to others and you will eventually be drunk. Remember what happened to you in the past as a result of your drinking. Think of every reason you have learned in A.A. for not taking that drink. Fill your mind with constructive thoughts. Am I keeping my thoughts constructive?

Meditation for the Day

Always seek to set aside the valuations of the world that seem wrong and try to judge only by those valuations that seem right to you. Do not seek the praise and notice of the world. Be one of those who, though sometimes scoffed at, have a serenity and peace of mind that the scoffers never know. Be one of that band who feel the Divine Principle in the universe, though He be often rejected because He cannot be seen.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not heed too much the judgment of the world. I pray that I may test things by what seems right to me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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