~*~Step Eleven Group~*~: 5/21/23

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Fact ^^*^ May 28

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~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
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(_ /AA\ _)
/ AA \
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Fact

"The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows, and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25

Thought to Consider . . .

Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

F E A R
Failure Expected And Received

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

Priorities

From "He Lived Only to Drink":

"I was also able to realize that this bonfire of resentment and rage was beckoning me to pick up a drink and plunge in to my death. Then I realized that I had to separate my sobriety from everything else that was going on in my life. No matter what happened or didn't happen, I couldn't drink. In fact, none of these things that I was going through had anything to do with my sobriety; the tides of life flow endlessly for better or worse, both good and bad, and I cannot allow my sobriety to become dependent on these ups and downs of living. Sobriety must live a life of its own."

2001 AAWS Inc. Fourth Edition
Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 450-451

*^Daily Reflections^*

EQUAL RIGHTS

At one time or another most A.A. groups go on rule making benders . . . After a time fear and intolerance subside. [and we realize] 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.
A.A. TRADITION
HOW IT DEVELOPED, pp. 10, 11, 12

A.A. offered me complete freedom and accepted me into the Fellowship for myself. Membership did not depend upon conformity, financial success or education and I am so grateful for that. I often ask myself if I extend the same equality to others or if I deny them the freedom to be different. Today I try to replace my fear and intolerance with faith, patience, love and acceptance. I can bring these strengths to my A.A. group, my home and my office. I make an effort to bring my positive attitude everywhere that I go.

I have neither the right, nor the responsibility, to judge others. Depending on my attitude I can view newcomers to A.A., family members and friends as menaces or as teachers. When I think of some of my past judgments, it is clear how my self-righteousness caused me spiritual harm.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

More than Comfort

"When I am feeling depressed, I repeat to myself statements such as these: 'Pain is the touchstone of progress.' . . . 'Fear no evil.' . . . 'This, too, will pass.' . . . 'This experience can be turned to benefit.' These fragments of prayer bring far more than mere comfort. They keep me on the track of right acceptance; they break up my compulsive themes of guilt, depression, rebellion, and pride; and sometimes they endow me with the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore non-alcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard enough and long enough to drink like other people!"
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
More About Alcoholism, pg. 31

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

In A.A. we learn that since we are alcoholics we can be uniquely useful people. That is, we can help other alcoholics when perhaps somebody who has not had our experience with drinking could not help them. That makes us uniquely useful. The A.A.s are a unique group of people because they have taken their own greatest defeat and failure and sickness and used it as a means of helping others. We who have been through the same thing are the ones who can best help other alcoholics. Do I believe that I can be uniquely useful?

Meditation for the Day

I should try to practice the presence of God. I can feel that He is with me and near me, protecting and strengthening me always. In spite of every difficulty, every trial, every failure, the presence of God suffices. Just to believe that He is near me brings strength and peace. I should try to live as though God were beside me. I cannot see Him because I was not made with the ability to see Him else there were no room for faith. But I can feel His spirit with me.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to practice the presence of God. I pray that by doing so I may never feel alone or helpless again.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Friday, May 26, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Prayer ^^*^ May 27

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~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

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Prayer

"On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 86

Thought to Consider . . .

Faith dares the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

C R A P
Carrying Resentments Against People

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

Humility

STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

"Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility - a word often misunderstood. To those who have made progress in A.A., it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. Therefore, our first practical move toward humility must consist of recognizing our deficiencies."

1952, AAWS Inc. Printed 2005
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 58

*^Daily Reflections^*

NO MAUDLIN GUILT

Day by day, we try to move a little toward God's perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt . . .
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 15

When I first discovered that there is not a single "don't" in the Twelve Steps of A.A., I was disturbed because this discovery swung open a giant portal. Only then was I able to realize what A.A. is for me:

A.A. is not a program of "don'ts", but of "do's".

A.A. is not martial law; it is freedom.
A.A. is not tears over defects, but sweat over fixing them.
A.A. is not penitence; it is salvation.
A.A. is not "Woe to me" for my sins, past and present.
A.A. is "Praise God" for the progress I am making today.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

A.A. - the Lodestar

"We can be grateful for every agency or method that tries to solve the problem of alcoholism - whether of medicine, religion, education, or research. We can be open-minded toward all such efforts and we can be sympathetic when the ill-advised ones fail. We can remember that A.A. itself ran for years on 'trial and error.' As individuals, we can and should work with those that promise success - even a little success.
<<< >>>
Every one of the pioneers in the total field of alcoholism will generously say that had it not been for the living proof of recovery in A.A., they could not have gone on. A.A. was the lodestar of hope and help that kept them at it."
GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1958

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance, that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual
Experience, pg. 568

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

In twelfth-step work, the fifth thing is Continuance. Continuance means our staying with prospects after they have started on the new way of living. We must stick with them and not let them down. We must encourage them to go to meetings regularly for fellowship and help. They will learn that keeping sober is a lot easier in the fellowship of others who are trying to do the same thing. We must continue to help prospects by going to see them regularly or telephoning them or writing them so that they don't get out of touch with A.A. Continuance means good sponsorship. Do I care enough about other alcoholics to continue with them as long as necessary?

Meditation for the Day

Every strong and beautiful flower must have a strong root in the ground. It must send a root down so that it may be rooted and grounded while at the same time it sends a shoot up to be the flower that shall gladden the world. Both growths are necessary. Without a strong root, it would soon wither. The higher the growth upward, the deeper must be the rooting. My life cannot flower into success and helpfulness unless it is rooted in a strong faith, or unless it feels deeply secure in the goodness and purpose of the universe.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my life may be deeply rooted in faith. I pray that I may feel deeply secure.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Honesty ^^*^ May 26

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~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

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Honesty

"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58

Thought to Consider . . .

Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

G O D
Give Others Dignity

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

Completeness

From "Into Action":

"This is perhaps difficult - especially discussing our defects with another person. We think we have done well enough in admitting these things to ourselves. In actual practice, we usually find a solitary self-appraisal insufficient. Many of us thought it necessary to go much further. We will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves with another person when we see good reasons why we should do so. The best reason first: If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story."

2001 AAWS, Inc. Fourth Edition
Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 72-73

*^Daily Reflections^*

TURNING NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE

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.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 184

In keeping with the pain and adversity which our founders encountered and overcame in establishing A.A., Bill W. sent us a clear message: a relapse can provide a positive experience toward abstinence and a lifetime of recovery. A relapse brings truth to what we hear repeatedly in meetings - "Don't take that first drink!" It reinforces the belief in the progressive nature of the disease, and it drives home the need for, and beauty of, humility in our spiritual program. Simple truths come in complicated ways to me when I become ego driven.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

"Do as I Do . . ."

"Perhaps more often than we think, we make no contact at depth with alcoholics who are suffering the dilemma of no faith. Certainly none are more sensitive to spiritual cocksureness, pride, and aggression than they are. I'm sure this is something we too often forget.
<<< >>>
In A.A.'s first years, I all but ruined the whole undertaking with this sort of unconscious arrogance. God as I understood Him had to be for everybody. Sometimes my aggression was subtle and sometimes it was crude. But either way it was damaging - perhaps fatally so - to numbers of nonbelievers.
<<< >>>
Of course this sort of thing isn't confined to Twelfth Step work. It is very apt to leak out into our relations with everybody. Even now, I catch myself chanting that same old barrier-building refrain: 'Do as I do, believe as I do - or else!'"
GRAPEVINE, APRIL 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, To Employers, pg. 143

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

In twelfth-step work, the fourth thing is conversion. Conversion means change. Prospects must learn to change their way of thinking. Until now, everything they've done has been connected with drinking. Now they must face a new kind of life, without liquor. They must see and admit that they cannot overcome drinking by their own willpower, so they must turn to a Higher Power for help. They must start each day by asking this Higher Power for the strength to stay sober. This conversion to belief in a Higher Power comes gradually, as they try it and find that it works. Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them to make this conversion?

Meditation for the Day

Discipline of yourself is absolutely necessary before the power of God is given to you. When you see others manifesting the power of God, you probably have not seen the discipline that went before. They made themselves ready. All your life is a preparation for more good to be accomplished when God knows that you are ready for it. So keep disciplining yourself in the spiritual life every day. Learn so much of the spiritual laws that your life cannot again be a failure. Others will see the outward manifestation of the inward discipline in your daily living.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may manifest God's power in my daily living. I pray that I may discipline myself so as to be ready to meet every opportunity.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Choices ^^*^ May 25

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~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

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Choices

"Our necessities are certainly immense and compelling. Each of us must conform reasonably well to A.A.'s Steps and Traditions, or else we shall go mad or die of alcoholism. Therefore the compulsion among most of us to survive and grow soon becomes far stronger than the temptation to drink or misbehave. Literally, we must 'do or die.' So we make the choice to live. This, in turn, means the choice of A.A. principles, practices, and attitudes. This is our first great and critical choice. Admittedly, this is made under the fearful and immediate lash of John Barleycorn, the killer. Plainly enough, this first choice is far more a necessity than it is an act of virtue."
Bill W., May 1960
1988 A.A. Grapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 301-302

Thought to Consider . . .

It was either A.A. or amen (so be it).

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

A A
Attitude Adjustment

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

Healing

From "We Walk This Way":

"Our A.A. friends also had this positive belief in the child's recovery. They did their best to revive my fast-dying energies, and these positive forces of loving faith caused me to reassess my progress in the A.A. program. I was sober, but had I turned my will over to the care of God as I understood Him? What was I doing about 'conscious contact' with my Higher Power? Was the Tenth Step part of my daily life or only a once-tried effort? Most of the answers were negative. This meant that, while my daughter might be in a hopeless situation physically, I was functioning in a way destined to retard any progress she might make spiritually and mentally. There was no other solution than to get out of the child's way and work on myself."

1973 AAWS, Inc.
Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 107-108

*^Daily Reflections^*

PROGRESSIVE GRATITUDE

Gratitude should go forward, rather than backward.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 29

I am very grateful that my Higher Power has given me a second chance to live a worthwhile life. Through Alcoholics Anonymous, I have been restored to sanity. The promises are being fulfilled in my life. I am grateful to be free from the slavery of alcohol. I am grateful for peace of mind and the opportunity to grow, but my gratitude should go forward rather than backward. I cannot stay sober on yesterday's meetings or past Twelfth-Step calls; I need to put my gratitude into action today. Our co-founder said our gratitude can best be shown by carrying the message to others. Without action, my gratitude is just a pleasant emotion. I need to put it into action by working Step Twelve, by carrying the message and practicing the principles in all my affairs. I am grateful for the chance to carry the message today!
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

To Take Responsibility

"Learning how to live in the greatest peace, partnership, and brotherhood with all men and women, of whatever description, is a moving and fascinating adventure. But every A.A. has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake."
<<< >>>
"The readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of others at the same time, is the very spirit of Step nine."
TWELVE AND TWELVE
1. P. 77, 2. P. 87

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it. After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to!"
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
Working With Others, pg. 103

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

In twelfth-step work, the third thing is conviction. The prospect must be convinced that he honestly wants to stop drinking. He must see and admit that his life is unmanageable. He must face the fact that he must do something about his drinking. He must be absolutely honest with himself and face himself as he really is. He must be convinced that he must give up drinking and he must see that his whole life depends on this conviction. Do I care enough about another alcoholic to help him reach this conviction?

Meditation for the Day

There is no limit to what you can accomplish in helping others. Keep that thought always. Never relinquish any work or give up the thought of any accomplishment because it seems beyond your power. God will help you all in good work. Only give it up if you feel that it's not God's will for you. In helping others, think of the tiny seed under the dark, hard ground. There is no certainty that, when it has forced its way up to the surface, sunlight and warmth will greet it. Often a task seems beyond your power, but there is no limit to what you can accomplish with God's help.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may never become discouraged in helping others. I pray that I may always rely on the power of God to help me.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Fact ^^*^ May 28

Friday, May 26, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Prayer ^^*^ May 27

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Honesty ^^*^ May 26

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~~Choices ^^*^ May 25

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~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~*~Fact ^*^*^ May 28

Friday, May 26, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~*~Prayer ^*^*^ May 27

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~*~Honesty ^*^*^ May 26

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Thoughts For The Day~*~Choices ^*^*^ May 25

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Thoughts For The Day~~Fact ^^*^ May 28

Thoughts For The Day~~Prayer ^^*^ May 27

Thoughts For The Day~~Honesty ^^*^ May 26

Thoughts For The Day~~Choices ^^*^ May 25