Saturday, July 04, 2015

Thoughts For The Day~*~Simplicity^*^*^ July 5

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Simplicity
^*^*^
"A
willingness to do whatever I was told to do simplified the program for me. Study the AA book - don't just read it. They told me to go to meetings, and I still do at every available opportunity, whether I am at home or in some other city. Attending meetings has never been a chore for me. Nor have I attended them with a feeling of just doing my duty. Meetings are both relaxing and refreshing to me after a hard day. They said 'Get active," so I helped whenever I could, and still do."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

T
he ankle-biters of everyday struggles will eat away at me unless I go to meetings and share.


*~*AACRONYMS*~*

A C T I O N  =  Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature

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

Steps
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"It might be a long time before readers of the book in distant places and lands could be personally contacted. Therefore our literature would have to be as clear and comprehensive as possible. Our steps would have to be more explicit. There must not be a single loophole through which the rationalizing alcoholic could wiggle out.

"Finally I [Bill W.] started to write. I set out to draft more than six steps; how many more I did not know. I relaxed and asked for guidance. With a speed that was astonishing, considering my jangling emotions, I completed the first draft. It took perhaps half an hour. The words kept right on coming. When I reached a stopping point, I numbered the new steps. They added up to twelve."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 161

*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

A NEW DIRECTION


Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. . . Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all our activities.   
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS,  p.45,85

I hear talk of the "weak-willed" alcoholic, but I am one of the strongest-willed people on earth!  I now know that my incredible strength of will is not enough to save my life.  My problem is not one of "weakness," but rather of direction.  When I, without falsely diminishing myself, accept my honest limitations and turn to God's guidance, my worst faults become my greatest assets.  My strong will, rightly directed, keeps me working until the promises of the program become my daily reality.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*


"The Only Requirement. . ."


In Tradition Three, A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so. You can declare yourself in; nobody can keep you out. No matter how low you've gone, no matter how grave your emotional complications--even your crimes--we don't want to keep you out. We just want to be sure that you get the same chance for sobriety that we've had."
<<<>>>
We do not wish to deny anyone his chance to recover from alcoholism. We wish to be just as inclusive as we can. never exclusive.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 139
2. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1946


*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*

"Those having religious affiliations will find here nothing disturbing to their beliefs or ceremonies. There is no friction among us over such matters."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, Page 28~

*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

Until we came into A.A. most of us had tried desperately to stop drinking. We were filled with the delusion that we could drink like our friends. We tried time and again to take it or leave it, but we could do neither. We always lapsed into ceaseless, unhappy drinking. Families, friends, and employers threw up their hands in hurt bewilderment, in despair, and finally in disgust. We wanted to stop. We realized that every reason for drinking was only a crazy excuse. Have I given up every excuse for drinking.?

Meditation for the Day

Many things can upset you and you can easily get off the track. But remember that God is near you all the time, ready to help you if you call on Him. You cannot forever stand against God's will for you, nor can you, forever upset God's plan for your life, even though Gods plan may be postponed by your willfulness and deliberate choice of evil. A whole world of men and women cannot permanently change God's laws nor His purpose for the universe. The sea of life may took very rough to us, but we can believe that our Captain steers the boat on a straight course.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to steer a straight course. I pray that I may accept God's direction in my life's journey.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Friday, July 03, 2015

Thoughts For The Day~*~Freedom^*^*^ July 4

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Freedom
^*^*^
"L
ooking back we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom. When we chose because we 'must,' this was not a free choice either. But it got us started in the right direction. When we chose 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, holdout, or conflict, then we had our first view of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like."
Bill W., May 1960
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 302
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

W
ithin our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*


F I N E  
=  Free, Independent, New and Energetic


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


Acceptance
From "Happiness":

"Accept the things you cannot change. So simple. If the problem cannot be solved today why, simply drop it. I grant that this is not always easy; it takes self-discipline, a faculty infrequently found in newly sober alcoholics. " New Hartford, New York, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 111


*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

A NATURAL FAITH


. . . 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.                    
                               ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 55

I have seen the workings of the unseen God in A.A. rooms around the country. Miracles of recovery are everywhere in evidence. I now believe that God is in these rooms and in my heart. Today faith is as natural to me, a former agnostic, as breathing, eating and sleeping. The Twelve Steps have helped to change my life in many ways, but none is more effective than the acquisition of a Higher Power.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*


Boomerang


When I was ten, I was tall and gawky, and smaller kids could push me around in quarrels. I remember being very depressed for a year or more, and then I began to develop a fierce resolve to win. One day, my grandfather came along with a book about Australia and told me, "This book says that nobody but an Australian bushman knows how to make and throw the boomerang." "Here's my chance," I thought. "I will be the first man in America to make and throw a boomerang." Well, any kid could have had a notion like that. It might have lasted two days or two weeks. But mine was a power drive that kept on for six months, till I made a boomerang that swung around the church yard in front of the house and almost hit my grandfather in the head when it came back.
Emotionally, I had begun the fashioning of another sort of boomerang, one that almost killed me later on.
A.A. comes of age, P. 53

*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*

"Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to do is to keep sober. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be no home if he doesn't. But he is yet a long way from making good to the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 82~

*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*


A.A. Thought For The Day


In Alcoholics Anonymous there is no thought of individual profit.  No greed or gain.  No membership fees, no dues.  Only voluntary contributions of our money and ourselves.  All that we hope for is sobriety and regeneration, so that we can live normal, respectable lives and can be recognized by others as men and women willing to do unto others as we would be done by.  These things we accomplish by the help of each other, by following the twelve steps and by the grace of God.  Am I willing to work for A.A. without material gain to myself?

Meditation For The Day

What is sometimes called by religion as conversion is often only the discovery of God as a friend in need.  What is sometimes called religion is often only the experiencing of the help and strength of God's power in our lives.  What is sometimes called holiness is often only the invitation of God to be our Friend.  As God becomes your friend, you become a friend of others.  We experience true human friendship and from this experience we can imagine what kind of Great Friend God can be.  We believe Him to be a tireless, selfless, all conquering, miracle-working Friend. We can reach out to the Great Friend and figuratively take His hand in ours.

Prayer For The Day


I pray that I may think of God as a Great Friend in need. I pray that I may go along with Him.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thursday, July 02, 2015

Thoughts For The Day~*~Discovery^*^*^ July 3

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Discovery
^*^*^
"I
knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind.  I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots. I had never been able to understand people who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated. I knew then.  It was a crushing blow."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.


*~*AACRONYMS*~*


S W A T  
=  Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, and Trust

*~*^Just For Today!^*~*
 
Egoism
From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":


"The fact of hitting bottom to produce a surrender which cut the ego to size was evident fairly soon. In time two additional facts manifested themselves. The first was that a reduced ego has marvelous recuperative powers. The second was that surrender is an essential disciplinary function and experience.

"It is common knowledge that a return of the full-fledged ego can happen at any time. Years of sobriety are no insurance against its resurgence. No A.A., regardless of his veteran status, can ever relax his guard against the encroachments of a reviving ego. Recently one A.A., writing to another, reported that he was suffering, he feared, from 'halo-tosis,' a reference to the smugness and self-complacency which so easily can creep into the individual with years of sobriety behind him. Dr. Harry Tiebout, M.D."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 249


*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*


EXPERIENCE: THE BEST TEACHER


Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87


Some say that experience is the best teacher, but I believe that experience is the only teacher.  I have been able to learn of God's love for me only by the experience of my dependence on that love.  At first I could not be sure of His direction in my life, but now I see that if I am to be bold enough to ask for His guidance, I must act as if He has provided it.  I frequently ask God to help me remember that He has a path for me.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.


*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*


Meeting Adversity


"Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down. "We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us."
<<<>>>

"Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we are angered and hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet we can restrain ourselves and then probe ourselves, asking whether our critics were really right. If so, we can admit our defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual understanding. "Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try calm persuasion. If they continue to rant, it is still possible for us--in our hearts--to forgive them. Maybe a sense of humor can be our saving grace--thus we can both forgive and forget."
1. LETTER, 1958
2. LETTER, 1966


*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*


"Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once. Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity to live and be happy."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 96~


*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day


In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous there were only two persons. Now there are many groups and thousands of members. True, the surface has only been scratched. There are probably ten million or more persons in America alone who need our help. More and more people are making a start in A.A. each day. In the case of individual members, the beginning has been accomplished when they admit they are powerless and turn to a Power greater than them- selves, admitting that their lives have become unmanageable. That Higher Power works for good in all things and helps us to accomplish much in individual growth and in the growth of A.A. groups. Am I doing my part in helping AA. to grow?

Meditation for the Day

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Only in the fullness of faith can the heart-sick and faint and weary be satisfied, healed, and rested. Think of the wonderful spiritual revelations still to be found by those who are trying to live the spiritual life. Much of life is spiritually unexplored country. Only to the consecrated and loving people who walk with God in spirit can these great spiritual discoveries be revealed. Keep going forward and keep growing in righteousness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be held back by the material things of the world. I pray that I may let God lead me forward.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Thoughts For The Day~*~Prayer^*^*^ July 2

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Prayer
^*^*^
"A
ll of us, without exception, pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest exertion of will. Occasionally we go even further than this. We are seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray. When these things happen we should not think too ill of ourselves. We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we know to be good for us."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105

^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

Trying to pray is praying.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*
 
H O P E 
=  Hang On; Pray Every day


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

Alike
From "Because I'm an Alcoholic":

"That sense of being different, which had long plagued me, disappeared when I saw the threads that run through all of us. Sharing our stories, our feelings, it is the areas where we are the same that impress me. The differences are but delightful flourishes on the surface, like different-colored costumes, and I enjoy them. But the basic ways we are human, the basic ways we simply are, stand out to me now. I came to see that we all are really one, and I no longer feel alone."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 347


*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

THE HEART OF TRUE SOBRIETY


We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable. 
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 570

Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let this be the "me" that I let others see?  Do I have the willingness to go to any length, to do whatever is necessary to stay sober?   Do I have the open-mindedness to hear what I have to hear, to think what I have to think, and to feel what I have to feel?

If my answer to these questions is "Yes," I know enough about the spirituality of the program to stay sober. As I continue to work the Twelve Steps, I move on to the heart of true sobriety: serenity with myself, with others, and with God as I understand Him.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

A Viewer-with-Alarm


"I went through several fruitless years in a state called viewing with alarm for the good of the movement. I thought it was up to me to be always correcting conditions. Seldom has anybody been able to tell me what I ought to do, and nobody had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own experience. "When setting out to check others, I found myself often motivated by fear of what they were doing, self-righteousness, and even downright intolerance. Consequently, I seldom succeeded in correcting anything. I just raised barriers of resentment that cut off any suggestion, example, understanding, or love."
<<<>>>
"A.A.s often say, Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by example. If we would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice what we preach and forget the preaching, too. The quiet good example speaks for itself."
1. LETTER, 1945 - 2. LETTER, 1966

*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*


"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~

*~*^Twenty Four HourS A Day^*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day


In the association with members of the A.A. group to which we belong, we have the advantage of sincere friendship and understanding of the other members who, through social and personal contact, take us away from our old haunts and environments and help to remove in large measure the occasions of alcoholic suggestion. We find in this association a sympathy and a willingness on the part of most members to do everything in their power to help us. Do I appreciate the wonderful fellowship of A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

"Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." In this saying it is urged that all who seek heaven on earth or in the hereafter' should become like little children. In seeking things of the spirit and in our faith, we should try to become childlike. Even as we grow older, the years of seeking can give us the attitude of the trusting child. Not only for its simple trust should we have the childlike spirit, but also for its joy in life, its ready laughter, its lack of criticism, and its desire to share. In Charles Dickens's story, A Christmas Carol, even old Scrooge changed when he got the child-spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may become like a child in faith and hope. I pray that I may, like a child, be friendly and trusting.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Thoughts For The Day~*~Puzzle^*^*^ July 1

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Puzzle
^*^*^
"B
y nature touchy and suspicious, the alcoholic likes to be left alone to work out his puzzle, and he has a convenient way of ignoring the tragedy which he inflicts meanwhile upon those who are close to him. He holds desperately to a conviction that, although he has not been able to handle alcohol in the past, he will ultimately succeed in becoming a controlled drinker. One of medicine's queerest animals, he is, as often as not, an acutely intelligent person. He fences with professional men and relatives who attempt to aid him and he gets a perverse satisfaction out of tripping them up in argument."
The Jack Alexander Article
From the March 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post

^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

There is no such thing as being 'a little bit alcoholic.'

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

D E N I A L  
=  Don't Even Notice I Am Lying.

*~*^Just For Today!^*~*
 
Blindness
Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

"This lack of anchorage to any permanent values, this blindness to the true purpose of our lives, produced another bad result. For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 72


*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*


THE BEST FOR TODAY


The principles we have set down are guides to progress.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60

Just as a sculptor will use different tools to achieve desired effects in creating a work of art, in Alcoholics Anonymous the Twelve Steps are used to bring about results in my own life. I do not overwhelm my self with life's problems, and how much more work needs to be done. I let myself be comforted in knowing that my life is now in the hands of my Higher Power, a master craftsman who is shaping each part of my life into a unique work of art. By working my program I can be satisfied, knowing that "in doing the best that we can for today, we are doing all that God asks of us."
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*


The Reality of Spiritual Experiences


"Perhaps you raise the question of hallucination verses the divine imagery of a genuine spiritual experience. I doubt if anyone has authoritatively defined what an hallucination really is. However, it is certain that all recipients of spiritual experiences declare for their reality. The best evidence of that reality is in the subsequent fruits. Those who receive these gifts of grace are very much changed people, almost invariably for the better. This can scarcely be said of those who hallucinate. "Some might think me presumptuous when I say that my own experience is real. Nevertheless, I can surely report that in my own life and in the lives of countless others, the fruits of that experience have been real, and the benefactions beyond reckoning."
TALK, 1960

*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*

"The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~

"Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*


A.A. Thought for the Day


In following the A.A. program with its twelve steps, we have the advantage of a better understanding of our problems. Day after day our sobriety results in the formation of new habits, normal habits. As each twenty-four-hour period ends, we find that the business of staying sober is a much less trying and fearsome ordeal than it seemed in the beginning. Do I find it easier as I go alone?

Meditation for the Day

Learn daily the lesson of trust and calm in the midst of the storms of life. Whatever of sorrow or difficulty the day may bring, God's command to you is the same. Be grateful, humble, calm, and loving to all people. Leave each soul the better for having met you or heard you. For all kinds of people, this should be your attitude: a loving desire to help and an infectious spirit of calmness and trust in God. You have the answer to loneliness and fear, which is calm faith in the goodness and purpose in the universe.

Prayer for the Day


I pray that I may he calm in the midst of storms. I pray that I may pass on this calmness to others who are lonely and full of fear.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Monday, June 29, 2015

Thoughts For The Day~*~Anonymity^*^*^ June 30

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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA
\ _)
  /
AA\

^*^*^*^*^

Anonymity
^*^*^
"W
e now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity before the public is just as vital to the life of AA as 100 percent sobriety is to the life of each and every member. This is not the counsel of fear; it is the voice of long experience."
1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 293
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to C
onsider . . .

Walk softly and carry a Big Book.


*~*AACRONYMS*~*

A N O N Y M O U S  =  
Actions, Not Our Names, Yield Maintenance Of Unity and Service.

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

Aware
From "Bill's Story":

"My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?'

"That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 12

*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

SACRIFICE UNITY SURVIVAL

The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A.A. will always depend upon our continued willingness to give up some of our personal ambitions and desires for the common safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice means survival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice mean unity and survival for the group and for A.A.'s entire Fellowship.                                 
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 220

I have learned that I must sacrifice some of my personality traits for the good of A.A. and, as a result, I have been rewarded with many gifts. False pride can be inflated through prestige but, by living Tradition Six, I receive the gift of humility instead. Cooperation without affiliation is often deceiving. If I remain unrelated to outside interests, I am free to keep A.A. autonomous. Then the Fellowship will be here, healthy and strong for generations to come.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

Imaginary Perfection

When we early A.A.'s got our first glimmer of how spiritually prideful we could be, we coined this expression: "Don't try to be a saint by Thursday!" That oldtime admonition may look like another of those handy alibis that can excuse us from trying for our best. Yet a closer view reveals just the contrary. This is our A.A. way of warning against pride-blindness, and the imaginary perfections that we do not posses.
<<<>>>

Only Step One, where we made the 100 per cent admission that we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection. The remaining eleven Steps state perfect ideals. They are goals toward which we look, and the measuring sticks by which we estimate our progress.
1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 68

*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*


"...we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all-every one? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day


Alcoholics are unable or unwilling, during their addiction to alcohol, to live in the present. The result is that they live in a constant state of remorse and fear because of their unholy past and its morbid attraction, or the uncertain future and its vague foreboding. So the only real hope for the alcoholic is to face the present. Now is the time. Now is ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain as life itself. Only the now belongs to us. Am I living in the now?

Meditation for the Day


I must forget the past as much as possible. The past is over and gone forever. Nothing can be done about the past, except to make what restitution I can. I must not carry the burden of my past failures. I must go on in faith. The clouds will clear and the way will lighten. The path will become less stony with every forward step I take. God has no reproach for anything that He has healed. I can be made whole and free, even though I have wrecked my life in the past. Remember the saying: "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."

Prayer for the Day


I pray that I may not carry the burden of the past. I pray that I may cast it off and press on in faith.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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