Thoughts For The Day~*~Tolerance ^*^*^ August 7, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Tolerance
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"Honesty with ourselves and others gets us sober,
but it is tolerance that keeps us that way.
Experience shows that few alcoholics
will long stay away from a group because
they don't like the way it is run.
Most return and adjust themselves
to whatever conditions they must.
Some go to a different group, or form a new one.
In other words, once an alcoholic fully realizes
that he cannot get well alone,
he will somehow find a way to get well and stay well
in the company of others.
It has been that way from the beginning of AA
and probably always will be so."
Bill W., Letter, 1943
©1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 312
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Thought to Consider . . .

What does it benefit me to not like another human being?

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

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

Defects

Step Eight: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

"While the purpose of making restitution to others is paramount, it is equally necessary that we extricate from an examination of our personal relations every bit of information about ourselves and our fundamental difficulties that we can. Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one."

© 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 80

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A "DESIGN FOR LIVING"

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

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 28

I try each day to raise my heart and hands in thanks to God for showing me a "design for living" that really works through our beautiful Fellowship.  But what, exactly, is this "design for  living" that "really works"?   For me, it is the practice of the Twelve Steps to the best of my ability, the continued awareness of a God who loves me unconditionally, and the hope that, in each new day, there is a purpose for my being.  I am truly, truly  blessed in the Fellowship.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Willing to Believe

Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from
honestly asking yourself what they might mean to you. At the start, this was
all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious
relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves
accepting many things which had seemed entirely out of reach. That was
growth. But if we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere. So at first we
used our own conceptions of God, however limited they were.
We needed to ask ourselves but one short question: "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?'' As soon
as a man can say that he does believe, even in this small degree, or is
willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 47
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family
back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come
back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his
recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his
relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have
not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came
back too soon."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

We in A.A. are offering an intangible thing, a
psychological and spiritual program. Its a wonderful
program. When we learn to turn to a Higher Power, with
faith that that Power can give us the strength we need,
we find peace of mind. When we reeducate our minds by
learning to think differently, we find new interests that
make life worthwhile. We who have achieved sobriety
through faith in God and mental reeducation are modem
miracles. it is the function of our A.A. program to
produce modem miracles. Do I consider the change in my
life a modern miracle?

Meditation for the Day

You should never doubt that God's spirit is always with
you, wherever you are, to keep you on the right path.
God's keeping power is never at fault, only your
realization of it. You must try to believe in God's
nearness and availability of His grace. It is not a
question of whether God can provide a shelter from the
storm, but of whether or not you seek the security of
that shelter. Every fear, worry, or doubt is disloyalty
to God. You must endeavor to trust God wholly. Practice
saying: "All is going to be well." Say it to yourself
until you feel it deeply.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel deeply that all is well. I pray
that nothing will be able to move me from that deep conviction.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Fact ^*^*^ August 6, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Fact
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"The explanation that alcoholism was a disease
of a two fold nature,
an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind,
cleared up a number of puzzling questions for me.
The allergy we could do nothing about.
Somehow our bodies had reached the point
where we could no longer absorb alcohol in our systems.
The why is not important;
the fact is that one drink will set up a reaction in our system
which requires more;
that one drink was too much
and one hundred drinks were not enough."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 380
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Thought to Consider . . .

I've only given up one drink ... the next one.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B O G G L E  =  Bad Or Good, God Loves Everyone

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Family

From "Working with Others":

"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 99-100

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
DRIVEN  

Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS,  p. 62

My selfishness was the driving force behind my drinking.  I drank to celebrate success and I drank to drown my sorrows.  Humility is the answer.  I learn to turn my will and my life over to the care of God.  My sponsor tells me that service keeps me sober.  Today I ask myself:  Have I sought knowledge of  God's will for me?  Have I done service for my A.A. group?

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Happy - When We're Free

For most normal folks, drinking means release from care, boredom, and worry. It means joyous intimacy with friends and a feeling that life is good.
But not so with us in those last days of heavy drinking. The old pleasures
were gone. There was an insistent yearning to enjoy life as we once did and a heartbreaking delusion that some new miracle of control would enable us to do it. There was always one more attempt -- and one more failure.

<<<>>>
We are sure God would like to see us happy, joyous, and free. Hence, we
cannot subscribe to the belief that this life necessarily has to be a vale of
tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it became clear that
most of the time we had made our own misery.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - 1. p. 151 - 2. p. 133
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed
people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked
ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our
self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal
relationships,(including sex) were hurt or threatened."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

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

Psychologists are turning to religion because just knowing
about ourselves is not enough. We need the added dynamic of
faith in a power outside of ourselves on which we can rely.
Books on psychology and psychiatric treatments are not
enough without the strength that comes from faith in God.
And clergy and rabbis are turning to psychology because
faith is an act of the mind and will. Religion must be
presented in psychological terms to some extent in order
to satisfy the modem person. Faith must be built largely
on our own psychological experience. Have I taken what I
need from both psychology and religion when I live the
AA. way?

Meditation for the Day

Refilling with the spirit is something you need every day.
For this refilling with the spirit, you need these times of
quiet communion, away, alone, without noise, without
activity. You need this dwelling apart, this shutting
yourself away in the very secret place of your being, away
alone with your Maker. From these times of communion you
come forth with new power. This refilling is the best
preparation for effective work. When you are spiritually
filled, there is no work too hard for you.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be daily refilled with the right spirit.
I pray that I may be full of the joy of true living.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Fellowship ^*^*^ August 5, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Fellowship
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"The fellowship I found in AA enabled me
to face my problem honestly and squarely.
I couldn't do it among my relatives,
I couldn't do it among my friends.
No one likes to admit they're a drunk,
that they can't control this thing.
But when we come into AA,
we can face our problem honestly and openly.
I went to closed meetings and open meetings.
And I took everything that AA had to give me.
It was at that point I reached surrender."
©1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 340
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Thought to Consider . . .

We honor the spirit in other people when we listen to them.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R E  =  Comforting And Reassuring Each other.

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

Gradually 

From "How Do We Stay away from Drinking?"

 

"We change ourselves, gradually, day
to day.  We help other alcoholics.  And,
by helping, we stay sober, sane and happy. 
For the first time in our lives, we've
found real freedom.  For we have broken
out of the dim prison of alcoholic
drinking that was closing in around us. 
Now we are free to discover who we are,
who we hope to become, who we were meant
to be."

 

c. 1992, Young People and A.A.
(A.A. Pamphlet P-4), page 8

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
LISTENING DEEPLY

How persistently we claim the right to decide all by
ourselves just what we shall think and just how we shall act.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 37

If I accept and act upon the advice of those who have
made the program work for themselves, I have a chance to
outgrow the limits of the past. Some problems will shrink
to nothingness, while others may require patient, well-thought-out action.
Listening deeply when others share
can develop intuition in handling problems which arise
unexpectedly. It is usually best for me to avoid impetuous
action. Attending a meeting or calling a fellow A. A.
member will usually reduce tension enough to bring relief
to a desperate sufferer like me. Sharing problems at
meetings with other alcoholics to whom I relate, or
privately with my sponsor, can change aspects of the
positions in which I find myself. Character defects are
identified and I begin to see how they work against me.
When I put my faith in the spiritual power of the program,
when I trust other to teach me what I need to do to have a
better life, I find that I can trust myself to do what is
necessary.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Hope Born from Hopelessness
Letter to Dr. Carl Jung:

"Most conversion experiences, whatever their variety, do have a common
denominator of ego collapse at depth. The individual faces an impossible
dilemma.
"In my case the dilemma had been created by my compulsive drinking, and the deep feeling of hopelessness had been vastly deepened by my doctor. It was deepened still more by my alcoholic friend when he acquainted me with your verdict of hopelessness respecting Rowland H. "In the wake of my spiritual experience there came a vision of a society of
alcoholics. If each sufferer were to carry the news of the scientific
hopelessness of alcoholism to each new prospect, he might be able to lay
every newcomer wide open to a transforming spiritual experience. This concept proved to be the foundation of such success as A.A. has since achieved."

GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1963
*~*~*~*~*^ 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

"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

We in A.A. are offering a spiritual program. The fundamental
basis of A.A. is belief in some Power greater than ourselves.
This belief takes us off the center of the universe and
allows us to transfer our problems to some power outside of
ourselves. We turn to this Power for the strength we need to
get sober and stay sober. We put our drink problem in God's
hands and leave it there. We stop trying to run our own life
and seek to let God run it for us. Do I do my best to give
spiritual help?

Meditation for the Day

God is your healer and your strength. You do not have to ask
Him to come to you. He is always with you in spirit. At your
moment of need He is there to help you. Could you know God's
love and His desire to help you, you would know that He needs
no pleading for help. Your need is God's opportunity. You must
learn to rely on God's strength whenever you need it. Whenever
you feel inadequate to any situation, you should realize that
the feeling of inadequacy is disloyalty to God. Just say to
yourself. I know that God is with me and wild help me to think
and say and do the right thing,

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may never feel inadequate to any situation. I pray
that I may be buoyed up by the feeling that God is with me.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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