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

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
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
^*^*^*^*^
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

--
For more Information about this distribution go to www.DailyAAEmails.com.
 
To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line. Unless you specify a different email in the message, your return email address will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.
 
The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24  48 hours for entry.
 
Feel free to share www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!
 
To Donate Go to: www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/transitionsdaily.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/1449375303293-b0359d1b-1fc35f43-5531d2e6%40gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
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
^*^*^*^*^
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

--
For more Information about this distribution go to www.DailyAAEmails.com.
 
To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line. Unless you specify a different email in the message, your return email address will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.
 
The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24  48 hours for entry.
 
Feel free to share www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!
 
To Donate Go to: www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/transitionsdaily.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/1449288903253-39803ff9-5dced1f0-caa3c7bb%40gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
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
AA Grapevine, December 2001, p. 47
^*^*^*^*^
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, pages. 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

--
For more Information about this distribution go to www.DailyAAEmails.com.
 
To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line. Unless you specify a different email in the message, your return email address will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.
 
The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24  48 hours for entry.
 
Feel free to share www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!
 
To Donate Go to: www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/transitionsdaily.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/1449202503679-bf59a915-314f2593-3e8978ac%40gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Thoughts For The Day~*~Fear ^*^*^ December 3

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Fear

"We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those about us. We have seen that we were prodded by unreasonable fears and anxieties into making a life business of winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership. So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin marked 'Fear.' We simply had to be Number One people to cover up our deep-lying inferiorities."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 123
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

F E A R =  Frantic Efforts to Appear Recovered

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

An Avocation

From: "Foreword"  

It is important that we remain anonymous because we are too few, at present to handle the overwhelming number of personal appeals which may result from this publication. Being mostly business or professional folk, we could not well carry on our occupations in such an event. We would like it understood that our alcoholic work is an avocation.  

When writing or speaking publicly about alcoholism, we urge each of our Fellowship to omit his personal name, designating himself instead as "a member of Alcoholics Anonymous."  

Very earnestly we ask the press also, to observe this request, for otherwise we shall be greatly handicapped.
1989, Carry the Message, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, [First Edition facsimile], page vii

*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

. . . we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106

I find that carrying the message of recovery to other alcoholics is easy because it helps me to stay sober and it provides me with a sense of well-being about my own recovery.  The hard part is practicing these principles in all my affairs.  It is important that I share the benefits I receive from A.A., especially at home.  Doesn't my family deserve the same patience, tolerance and understanding I so readily give to the alcoholic?  When reviewing my day I try to ask, "Did I have a chance to be a friend today and miss it?"  "Did I have a chance to rise above a nasty situation and avoid it?"  "Did I have a chance to say 'I'm sorry,' and refuse to?

Just as I ask God for help with my alcoholism each day, I ask for help in extending my recovery to include all situations and all people!
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Random Quote - Servant, Not Master

In A.A., we found that it did not matter too much what our material condition was, but it mattered greatly what our spiritual condition was. As we improved our spiritual outlook, money gradually became our servant and not our master. It became a means of exchanging love and service with those about us.
<<<>>>
One of A.A.'s Loners is an Australian sheepman who lives two thousand miles from the nearest town, where yearly he sells his wool. In order to be paid the best prices he has to get to town during a certain month. But when he heard that a big regional A.A. meeting was to be held at a later date when wool prices would have fallen, he gladly took a heavy financial loss in order to make his journey then. That's how much an A.A. meeting means to him.
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 122 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 31

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90

*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

There is some alcoholic thought, conscious or unconscious, that comes before every slip. As long as we live, we must be on the lookout for such thoughts and guard against them. In fact, our A.A. training is mostly to prepare us, to make us ready to recognize such thoughts at once and to reject them at once. The slip comes when we allow such thoughts to remain in our minds, even before we actually go through the motions of lifting the glass to our lips. The A.A. program is largely one of mental training. How well is my mind prepared?

Meditation for the Day

Fret not your mind with puzzles that you cannot solve. The solutions may never be shown to you until you have left this life. The loss of dear ones, the inequality of life, the deformed and the maimed, and many other puzzling things may not be known to you until you reach the life beyond. "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." Only step by step, stage by stage, can you proceed in your journey into greater knowledge and understanding.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be content that things that I now see darkly will someday be made clear. I pray that I may have faith that someday I will see face to face.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

--
For more Information about this distribution go to www.DailyAAEmails.com.
 
To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line. Unless you specify a different email in the message, your return email address will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.
 
The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24  48 hours for entry.
 
Feel free to share www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!
 
To Donate Go to: www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/transitionsdaily.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/1449116103215-a1ff52ba-24216468-cf24b938%40gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Thoughts For The Day~*~Grandiosity ^*^*^ December 2

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Grandiosity

"In my teens, I had to be an athlete because I was not an athlete. I had to be a musician because I could not carry a tune. I had to be first in everything because in my perverse heart I felt myself the least of God's creatures. I could not accept my deep sense of inferiority, and so I strove to become captain of the baseball team, and I did learn to play the fiddle. Lead I must -- or else. This was the 'all or nothing' kind of demand that later did me in."
- Bill W., AA Comes of Age, p. 53
1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 214
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

N U T S =  Not Using The Steps.

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

December 1944

AA History  

The New York World-Telegram reported on the dinner held in honor of the tenth anniversary of Bill W's sobriety (December 11, 1934). That newspaper erroneously called it the 10th anniversary of the founding of AA. There were 1500 members in attendance that night at the Commodore Hotel.  

The New York Herald Tribune recounted that Bill's report of AA's 10 year history was impressive. AA went from 15 alcoholics released from the "drinking habit" in the first year to 40 "conversions" after 3 years. At the end of 4 years there were 100 members, and the book Alcoholics Anonymous had been written. After nearly 10 years there were more than 12,000 members in 370 groups throughout the United States and Canada and a "new unit" functioning successfully in Hawaii (Hawaii would not become a state for another 15 years - in August of 1959).

*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

SERENITY

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106

As I continued to go to meetings and work the Steps, something began to happen to me.  I felt confused because I wasn't sure what it was that I was feeling, and then I realized I was experiencing serenity.  It was a good feeling, but where had it come from?  Then I realized it had come ". . .as the result of these steps."  The program may not always be easy to practice, but I had to acknowledge that my serenity had come to me after working the Steps.  As I work the Steps in everything I do, practicing these principles in all my affairs, now I find that I am awake to God, to others, and to myself.  The spiritual awakening I have enjoyed as the result of working the Steps is the awareness that I am no longer alone.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Random Quote - Freedom through Acceptance

We admitted we couldn't lick alcohol with our own remaining resources, and so we accepted the further fact that dependence upon a Higher Power (if only our A.A. group) could do this hitherto impossible job. The moment we were able to accept these facts fully, our release from the alcohol compulsion had begun. For most of us, this pair of acceptances had required a lot of exertion to achieve. Our whole treasured a lot of exertion to achieve. Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to be cast aside. This had not been done with sheer will power; it came instead as the result of developing the willingness to accept these new facts of living. We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we began to be free.
GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127

"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 thoughts that come before having a slip seem to be partly subconscious. And yet it is likely that at least part of these thoughts get into our consciousness. An idle thought connected with drinking casualty pops into our mind. That is the crucial moment. Will I harbor that thought even for one minute or will I banish it from my mind at once? If I let it stay, it may develop into a daydream. I may begin to see a cool glass of beer or a Manhattan cocktail in my mind's eye. If I allow the daydream to stay in my mind, it may lead to a decision, however unconscious, to take a drink. Then I am headed for a slip. Do I let myself daydream?

Meditation for the Day

Many of us have a sort of vision of the kind of person God wants us to be. We must be true to that vision, whatever it is, and we must try to live up to it, by living the way we believe we should live. We can all believe that God has a vision of what He wants us to be like. In all people there is a good person whom God sees in us, the person we could be and that God would like us to be. But many a person fails to fulfill that promise and God's disappointments must be many.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may strive to be the kind of a person that God would have me be. I pray that I may try to fulfill God's vision of what I could be.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

--
For more Information about this distribution go to www.DailyAAEmails.com.
 
To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line. Unless you specify a different email in the message, your return email address will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.
 
The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24  48 hours for entry.
 
Feel free to share www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!
 
To Donate Go to: www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/transitionsdaily.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/1449029702866-aef3a256-7c24c931-c0e58c92%40gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Thoughts For The Day~*~Action ^*^*^ December 1

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Action

"But the program of action, though entirely sensible, was pretty drastic. It meant I would have to throw several lifelong conceptions out of the window. That was not easy. But the moment I made up my mind to go through with the process, I had the curious feeling that my alcoholic condition was relieved, as in fact it proved to be. Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 42
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Never mistake motion for action.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

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

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

Friendship
From "Learning To Love Ourselves":

"When I did my personal inventory I found that I had unhealthy relationships with most people in my life  my friends and family, for example. I always felt isolated and lonely. I drank to dull emotional pain. "It was through staying sober, having a good sponsor and working the Twelve Steps that I was able to build up my low self-esteem. First the Twelve Steps taught me to become my own best friend, and then, when I was able to love myself, I could reach out and love others." 
1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 123

*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

"SUGGESTED" STEPS

Our Twelfth Step also says that as a result of practicing all the Steps, we have each found something called a spiritual awakening. . . A.A.'s manner of making ready to receive this gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in our program.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106-107

I remember my sponsor's answer when I told him that the Steps were "suggested."  He replied that they are "suggested" in the  same way that, if you were to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, it is "suggested" that you pull the ripcord to save your life.  He pointed out that it was "suggested" I practice the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to save my life.  So I try to remember daily that I have a whole program of recovery based on all Twelve of the "suggested" Steps.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Random Quote - Start by Forgiving

The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own. Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply. Let's remember that alcoholics are not the only ones bedeviled by sick emotions. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased. If we are about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 78

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~

*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

The thoughts that come before having a slip are often largely subconscious. It is a question whether or not our subconscious minds ever become entirely free from alcoholic thoughts as long as we live. For instance, some of us dream about being drunk when we are asleep, even after several years of sobriety in A.A. During the period of our drinking days, our subconscious minds have been thoroughly conditioned by our alcoholic way of thinking and it is doubtful if they ever become entirely free of such thoughts during our lifetime. But when our conscious minds are fully conditioned against drinking, we can stay sober and our subconscious minds do not often bother us. Am I still conditioning my conscious mind?

Meditation for the Day

Having sympathy and compassion for all who are in temptation, a condition that we are sometimes in, we have a responsibility toward them. Sympathy always includes responsibility. Pity is useless because it does not have a remedy for the need. But wherever our sympathy goes, our responsibility goes too. When we are moved with compassion, we should go to the one in need and bind up his wounds as best we can. 

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have sympathy for those in temptation. I pray that I may have compassion for others' trials.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

--
For more Information about this distribution go to www.DailyAAEmails.com.
 
To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line. Unless you specify a different email in the message, your return email address will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.
 
The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24  48 hours for entry.
 
Feel free to share www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!
 
To Donate Go to: www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/transitionsdaily.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/1448943303950-66605d87-3d859d63-60cc4e43%40gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.