~*~Step Eleven Group~*~: 4/5/20

Saturday, April 11, 2020

During the Pandemic

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

"In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. xxii

Thought to Consider . . .

We need each others experience, strength, and hope, regardless of age or length of sobriety.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

H O P E
Help Open People's Eyes

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

Money

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"An aide quickly took the glowing report to his friend, Mr. Rockefeller, who we thought would surely be interested. Here was medicine, here was religion, and here was a great good work, all in one package. Mr. Rockefeller listened intently. He was tremendously impressed and said so. He has repeatedly stated that his connection with Alcoholics Anonymous is numbered among the finest and most moving experiences of his life.

Nevertheless, Mr. Rockefeller flatly turned down this plea for a large sum [$50,000], despite the fact that the project appealed to his every charitable inclination. After a rereading of [the aide's] report, he said 'I am afraid that money will spoil this thing.' When he gave his reasons, they were identical with those advanced by the Akron group's minority [at an earlier meeting]. John D. Rockefeller Jr., was guided then and there to save the A.A. fellowship from itself and from unnecessary hazards of money, property, and professionalism. It was one of the turning points in A.A.'s history.

[The aide then] described the desperate financial plight of Dr. Bob and myself. On hearing of this, Mr. Rockefeller said, 'I will place $5,000 for their use in the treasury of the Riverside Church [NYC, NY]. You may draw on this as you like. This will give these men some temporary assistance. But this fellowship should soon become self-supporting.'" An account by Bill W. of events which took place in December, 1937
2001 AAWS, Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 150-51

*^Daily Reflections^*

GIVING UP INSANITY

. . . where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 38

Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted to or not. Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of my disease. It robbed me of the freedom of choice over drinking and, therefore, robbed me of all other choices. When I drank, I was unable to make effective choices in any part of my life, and life became unmanageable.

I ask God to help me understand and accept the full meaning of the disease of alcoholism.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Healing Talk

"When we consult an A.A. friend, we should not be reluctant to remind him of our need for full privacy. Intimate communication is normally so free and easy among us that an A.A. adviser may sometimes forget when we expect him to remain silent. The protective sanctity of this most healing of human relations ought never be violated. Such privileged communications have priceless advantages. We find in them the perfect opportunity to be as honest as we know how to be. We do not have to think of the possibility of damage to other people, nor need we fear ridicule or condemnation. Here too, we have the best possible chance of spotting self-deception."
GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and business."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
To Employers, pg. 143

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

This sober world is a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in. Once you've gotten out of your alcoholic fog, you find that the world looks good. You find real friends in A.A. You get a job. You feel good in the morning. You eat a good breakfast and you do a good day's work at home or outside. And your family loves you and welcomes you because you're sober. Am I convinced that this sober world is a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in?

Meditation for the Day

Our need is God's opportunity. First we must recognize our need. Often this means helplessness before some weakness or sickness and an admission of our need for help. Next comes faith in the power of God's spirit, available to us to meet that need. Before any need can be met, our faith must find expression. That expression of faith is all God needs to manifest His power in our lives. Faith is the key that unlocks the storehouse of God's resources.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may first admit my needs. I pray that then I may have faith that God will meet those needs, in the way which is best for me.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Friday, April 10, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Progress ^^*^ April 11

Click Here For

Recovery Resources

During the Pandemic

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

"We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.
(c) That God could and would if He were sought."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 60

Thought to Consider . . .

Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

B I G B O O K
Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge

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

Surrender

From "God Is Good":

"Before A.A., I could not, or would not, admit I was wrong. My pride would not let me. And yet I was ashamed of me. Caught in this conflict, I banished God from my life because I felt He asked me to adhere to a behavior pattern too high for a man of my human frailty. Somehow, I believed that there could be no forgiveness of any failure, that God required me to be all good. The moral of the story of the Prodigal Son eluded me.

Since I thought trying was not enough, I stopped trying. That made me feel guilty. For a while, alcohol blotted out the guilt. Then alcohol became the greatest cause of my guilt. I had to be beaten to a pulp physically, mentally and emotionally, become bankrupt in all facets of my being, before I could give up my pride and admit defeat. Unfortunately, admitting was not sufficient. My situation got worse until I had to surrender completely. From the depths of my hell, I called out, 'Oh God, help,' and He led me to a place where I could find a way out of the maze and then sent me a group of people to lead the way."
1973 AAWS, Inc.
Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg.86

*^Daily Reflections^*

A WORD TO DROP: "BLAME"

To see how erratic emotions victimized us often took a long time. We could perceive them quickly in others, but only slowly in ourselves. First of all, we had to admit that we had many of these defects, even though such disclosures were painful and humiliating. Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame" from our speech and thought.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47

When I did my Fourth Step, following the Big Book guidelines, I noticed that my grudge list was filled with my prejudices and my blaming others for my not being able to succeed and to live up to my potential. I also discovered I felt different because I was black. As I continued to work on the Step, I learned that I always had drunk to rid myself of those feelings. It was only when I sobered up and worked on my inventory, that I could no longer blame anyone.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

"The Spiritual Angel"

"How often do we sit in A.A. meetings and hear the speaker declare, 'But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle.' Prior to this statement, he has described a miracle of transformation which has occurred in him - not only his release from alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward life and the living of it. It is apparent to everyone else present that he has received a great gift, and that this gift is all out of proportion to anything that may be expected from simple A.A. participation. So we in the audience smile and say to ourselves, 'Well, that guy is just reeking with the spiritual angle - except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!'"
GRAPEVINE, JULY 1962

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
More About Alcoholism, pg. 43

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

In that alcoholic world, one drink always leads to another and you can't stop till you're paralyzed. And the next morning it begins all over again. You eventually land in a hospital or jail. You lose your job. Your home is broken up. You're always in a mess. You're on the merry-go-round and you can't get off. You're in a squirrel cage and you can't get out. Am I convinced that the alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for me to live in?

Meditation for the Day

I must learn to accept self-discipline. I must try never to yield one point that I have already won. I must not let myself go in resentments, hates, fears, pride, lust, or gossip. Even if the discipline keeps me separated from some people who are without discipline, nevertheless I will carry on. I may have different ways and a different standard of living than some others. I may be actuated by different motives than some people. But I will try to live the way I believe God wants me to live, no matter what others say.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be an example to others of a better way of living. I pray that I may carry on in spite of hindrances.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

1. Receive a daily email from Transitions Daily: send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with "Join" in the subject line. You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.

The members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members. You are completely 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. You will then receive one topic email daily.

2. Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group: send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with "Join Facebook Group" in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message. You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place. Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group. It is suggested that you turn on your notifications to be reminded of new posts.

3. Subscribe to the Transitions Daily Podcast: We cannot sign you up for a podcast. Depending on your phone, you will need to pick a podcast provider. There are many free options. You will have to investigate yourself or ask a friend that listens to podcasts to explain the process.

For iPhone

For iPhone, most use iTunes. You should have a podcast icon on your phone. It is recommended searching "how to sign up for podcasts on an iPhone" in your favorite search engine or in iTunes for more information.

For Android

Android is not that simple. There are several different podcast apps. We know several who use the free version of the Stitcher app. It is recommended searching "how to sign up for podcasts on android" in your favorite search engine.

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

Thursday, April 09, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Earnestness ^^*^ April 10

Click Here For

Recovery Resources

During the Pandemic

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

Earnestness

"An alcoholic in his cups is an unlovely creature. Our struggles with them are variously strenuous, comic, and tragic. One poor chap committed suicide in my home. He could not, or would not, see our way of life. There is, however, a vast amount of fun about it all. I suppose some would be shocked at our seeming worldliness and levity. But just underneath there is deadly earnestness. Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish."
Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 16

Thought to Consider....

Laughter is the sound effect of recovery.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

D E A D
Drinking Ends All Dreams

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

Message

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Three blocks away from the main office we have a good-sized loft space where all shipping and mailing is done. This activity now runs into tons of material a month. Six busy lads spend full time at it. Last year they shipped about 40,000 books and hundreds of thousands of pamphlets, many of them newly designed and edited largely through the work of Ralph, our consultant on pamphlet literature. They mailed about 30,000 letters and bulletins and did huge quantities of mimeographing. [c. 1959]"
2001 AAWS, Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 207

*^Daily Reflections^*

GROWING UP

The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 115

Sometimes when I've become willing to do what I should have been doing all along, I want praise and recognition. I don't realize that the more I'm willing to act differently, the more exciting my life is. The more I am willing to help others, the more rewards I receive. That's what practicing the principles means to me. Fun and benefits for me are in the willingness to do the actions, not to get immediate results. Being a little kinder, a little slower to anger, a little more loving makes my life better day by day.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

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^*~*

"Thus was I convinced that God is concerned with us humans when we want Him enough. At long last I saw, I felt, I believed. Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A new world came into view."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
Bill's Story, pg. 12

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

When I came into A.A., I came into a new world. A sober world. A world of sobriety, peace, serenity, and happiness. But I know that if I take just one drink, I'll go right back into that old world. That alcoholic world. That world of drunkenness, conflict, and misery. That alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in. Looking at the world through the bottom of a whiskey glass is no fun after you've become an alcoholic. Do I want to go back to that alcoholic world?

Meditation for the Day

Pride stands sentinel at the door of the heart and shuts out the love of God. God can only dwell with the humble and the obedient. Obedience to God's will is the key unlocking the door to God's Kingdom. You cannot obey God to the best of your ability without in time realizing God's love and responding to that love. The rough stone steps of obedience lead up to where the mosaic floor of love and joy is laid. Where God's spirit is, there is your home. There is heaven for you.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that God may make His home in my humble and obedient heart. I pray that I may obey His guidance to the best of my ability.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

For iPhone

For Android

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Vigilance ^^*^ April 9

Click Here For

Recovery Resources

During the Pandemic

To Drop a Dollar
in the Virtual Basket
Click Here

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

Vigilance

"Now that we're in A.A. and sober, winning back the esteem of our friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance. As an insurance against the dangers of big-shot-ism, we can often check ourselves by remembering that we are today sober only by the grace of God and that any success we may be having is far more His success than ours."
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 92
As Bill Sees It, p. 19

Thought to Consider . . .

"Vigilance will always be the price of survival."
Bill W., Box 1980: The A.A. Grapevine, November 1960.
The Language of the Heart, p. 317

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

B U T
Being Unconvinced Totally

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

ODAAT

From "The Missing Link":

"Exactly how was I supposed to not drink if my girlfriend breaks up with me, or if my best friend dies, or even through happy times like graduations, weddings, and birthdays. They suggested I could just stay sober one day at a time. They explained that it might be easier to set my sights on the twenty-four hours in front of me and to take on these other situations when and if they ever arrived. I decided to give sobriety a try, one day at a time, and I've done it that way ever since."
2001 AAWS, Inc.
Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 286-287

*^Daily Reflections^*

FREEDOM FROM "KING ALCOHOL"

. . . let us not suppose even for an instant that we are not under constraint . . . Our former tyrant, King Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him. Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great "must" that has to be achieved, else we go mad or die.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 134

When drinking, I lived in spiritual, emotional, and sometimes, physical confinement. I had constructed my prison with bars of self-will and self-indulgence, from which I could not escape. Occasional dry spells that seemed to promise freedom would turn out to be little more than hopes of a reprieve. True escape required a willingness to follow whatever right actions were needed to turn the lock. With that willingness and action, both the lock and the bars themselves opened for me. Continued willingness and action keep me free - in a kind of extended daily probation - that need never end.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

The "Slipper" Needs Understanding

"Slips can often be charged to rebellion; some of us are more rebellious than others. Slips may be due to the illusion that one can be 'cured' of alcoholism. Slips can also be charged to carelessness and complacency. Many of us fail to ride out these periods sober. Things go fine for two or three years - then the member is seen no more. Some of us suffer extreme guilt because of vices or practices that we can't or won't let go of. Too little self-forgiveness and too little prayer - well, this combination adds up to slips. Then some of us are far more alcohol-damaged than others. Still others encounter a series of calamities and cannot seem to find the spiritual resources to meet them. There are those of us who are physically ill. Others are subject to more or less continuous exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. These conditions often play a part in slips - sometimes they are utterly controlling."
TALK, 1960

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
Into Action, pg. 86

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

Third, alcoholics recover their proper relationship with other people. They think less about themselves and more about others. They try to help other alcoholics. They make new friends so that they're no longer lonely. They try to live a life of service instead of selfishness. All their relationships with other people are improved. They solve their personality problems by recovering their personal integrity, their faith in a Higher Power, and their way of fellowship and service to others. Is my drink problem solved as long as my personality problem is solved?

Meditation for the Day

All that depresses you, all that you fear, is really powerless to harm you. These things are but phantoms. So arise from earth's bonds, from depression, distrust, fear, and all that hinders your new life. Arise to beauty, joy, peace, and work inspired by love. Rise from death to life. You do not even need to fear death. All past sins are forgiven if you live and love and work with God. Let nothing hinder your new life. Seek to know more and more of that new way of living.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may let God live in me as I work for Him. I pray that I may go out into the sunlight and work with God.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

For iPhone

For Android

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Sharing ^^*^ April 12

Friday, April 10, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Progress ^^*^ April 11

Thursday, April 09, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Earnestness ^^*^ April 10

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Vigilance ^^*^ April 9

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Sharing ^*^*^ April 12

Friday, April 10, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Progress ^*^*^ April 11

Thursday, April 09, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Earnestness ^*^*^ April 10

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Vigilance ^*^*^ April 9

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Thoughts For The Day~~Sharing ^^*^ April 12

Thoughts For The Day~~Progress ^^*^ April 11

Thoughts For The Day~~Earnestness ^^*^ April 10

Thoughts For The Day~~Vigilance ^^*^ April 9