Thoughts For The Day~*~Cordial Welcome^*^*^*^*^ December 14, 2014

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 Visit ~~~~~~ AA Christmas ~~~~~~~~

 

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Cordial Welcome

But life among Alcoholics Anonymous
is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals.
Cleaning up old scrapes,
helping to settle family differences,
explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents,
lending money and securing jobs for each other,
when justified -- these are everyday occurrences.
No one is too discredited or has sunk too low
to be welcomed cordially -- if he means business.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 161
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Thought to Consider . . .

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light.
Take off all your envies, jealousies,
unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E A R T =  Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together

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

Search

From "Changing Beliefs":

"Slowly and painfully, I became aware of myself. I began to see it wasn't true that I didn't believe in anything. Rather, I had believed in the wrong things  'There is good in all of us. Seek it out, nurture it, tend it, and it will flourish.' So I began searching for the positives within me."

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 103

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
REACHING OUT

Never talk down to an alcoholic from any moral or spiritual hilltop; simply lay out the kit of spiritual tools for his inspection. Show him how they worked with you.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 95

When I come into contact with a newcomer, do I have a tendency to look at him from my perceived angle of success in A.A.?  Do I compare him with the large number of acquaintances I have made in the Fellowship? Do I point out to him in a magisterial way the voice of A.A.?  What is my real attitude toward him?  I must examine myself whenever I meet a newcomer to make sure that I am carrying the message with simplicity, humility and generosity. The one who still suffers from the terrible disease of alcoholism must find in me a friend who will allow him to get to know the A.A. way, because I had such a friend when I arrived in A.A. Today it is my turn to hold out my hand, with love, to my sister or brother alcoholic, and to show her or him the way to happiness.

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

"Not all large decisions can be well made by simply listing the pros and cons of a given situation, helpful and necessary as this process is. We cannot always depend on what seems to us to be logical. When there is doubt about our logic, we wait upon God and listen for the voice of intuition. If, in meditation, that voice is persistent enough, we may well gain sufficient confidence to act upon that, rather than upon logic. "If, after an exercise of these two disciplines, we are still uncertain, then we should ask for further guidance and, when possible, defer important decisions for a time. By then, with more knowledge of our situation, logic and intuition may well agree upon a right course. "But if the decision must be now, let us not evade it through fear. Right or wrong, we can always profit from the experience."

LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We, in our turn, sought the same escape with all the desperation of
drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be
the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us
or, if you prefer, "a design for living" that really works."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

The way of A.A. is the way of service. Without that, it would not work. We have been "on the wagon" and hated it. We have taken the pledge and waited for the time to be up with impatience. We have tried in all manner of ways to help ourselves. But not until we begin to help other people do we get full relief. it is an axiom that the A.A. program has to be given away in order to be kept. A river flows into the Dead Sea and stops. A river flows into a clear pool and flows out again. We get and then we give. If we do not give, we do not keep. Have I given up all ideas of holding A.A. for myself alone?

Meditation for the Day

Try to see the life of the spirit as a calm place, shut away from the turmoil of the world. Think of your spiritual home as a place full of peace, serenity, and contentment. Go to this quiet, meditative place for the strength to carry you through today's duties and problems. Keep coming back here for refreshment when you are weary of the hubbub of the outside world. From this quietness and communion comes our strength.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may keep this resting place where I can commune with God. I pray that I may find refreshment in meditation on the Eternal.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Anger^*^*^*^*^ December 13, 2014

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Visit  ~~~~~~ AA Christmas ~~~~~~~~  

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

It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed,
there is something wrong with us.
If somebody hurts us and we are sore,
we are in the wrong also.
But are there no exceptions to this rule?
What about "justifiable" anger?
If somebody cheats us, aren't we entitled to be mad?
Can't we be properly angry with self-righteous folk?
For us of AA these are dangerous exceptions.
We have found that justified anger
ought to be left to those better qualified to handle it.
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 90
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Thought to Consider . . .

Anger is the hot wind that extinguishes the light of reason.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A N G E R  =  Any No-Good Energy Rising

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

Traditions

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Then in one of our larger centers the amazing story got around that the Foundation and the New York office and the book Alcoholics Anonymous were nothing but a huge racket. They had heard that the book Alcoholics Anonymous was making vast sums of money, that Dr. Bob and I [Bill W.] shared profits of $64,000 the year before.

"The investigating committee's accountant read our modest financial statement aloud and testified to its correctness. The committee was crestfallen and we received an apology.

"This was one of the test cases out of which A.A.'s Tradition respecting professionalism and paid workers was evolved. It was certain that I could not continue full time nor Bob devote more than half his working hours to A.A. unless we both had some definite source of steady income.  That would be contrary to the then-forming Tradition of no contributions from the outside world."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 193-94

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THINKING OF OTHERS

Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 20

Thinking of others has never come easily to me.  Even when I try to work the A.A. program, I'm prone to thinking, "How do I feel today. Am I happy, joyous and free?"

The program tells me that my thoughts must reach out to those around me: "Would that newcomer welcome someone to talk to?"  "That person looks a little unhappy today, maybe I could cheer him up."  It is only when I forget my problems, and reach out to contribute something to others that I can begin to attain the serenity and God-consciousness I seek.

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

Our attitude toward the giving of time when compared with our attitude toward giving money presents an interesting contrast. We give a lot of our time to A.A. activities for our own protection and growth, but also for the sake of our groups, our areas, A.A. as a whole, and, above all, the newcomer. Translated into terms of money, these collective sacrifices would add up to a huge sum.
But when it comes to the actual spending of cash, particularly for A.A. service overhead, many of us are apt to turn a bit reluctant. We think of the loss of all that earning power in our drinking years, of those sums we might have laid by for emergencies or for education of the kids.
In recent years, this attitude is everywhere on the decline; it quickly disappears when the real need for a given A.A. service becomes clear. Donors can seldom see what the exact result has been. They well know, however, that countless thousands of other alcoholics and their families are being helped.

TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 64-65
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to
let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and
will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct
continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We are not
theorizing. These are facts out of our experience."

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

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

We come now to A.A. fellowship. It is partly group therapy. It is partly spiritual fellowship. But it is even more. it is based on a common illness, a common failure, a common problem. It goes deep down into our personal lives and our personal needs. it requires a full opening up to each other of our inmost thoughts and most secret problems. All barriers between us are swept aside. They have to be. Then we try to help each other get well. The A.A. fellowship is based on a sincere desire to help each other get well. The A.A. fellowship is based on a sincere desire to help the other person. In A.A. we can be sure of sympathy, understanding, and real help. These things make the A.A. fellowship the best that we know. Do I fully appreciate the depth of the A.A. fellowship?

Meditation for the Day

The Higher Power can guide us to the right decisions if we pray about them. We can believe that many details of our lives are planned by God and planned with a wealth of forgiving love for the mistakes we have made. We can pray today to be shown the right way. We can choose the good, and when we choose it, we can feel that the whole power of the universe is behind us. We can achieve a real harmony with God's purpose for our lives.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may choose aright today. I pray that I may be shown the right way to live today.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Carrying the Message^*^*^ December 12, 2014

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~*~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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Show Business ^*^*^*^*^ December 11, 2014

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~*~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

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