~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Letting Go ^^*^ December 23

Visit
AA Night Before Christmas

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

^*^*^*^*^
(\   ~~   /)
(     \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
   ^*^*^*^*^
Letting Go

Letting go of everything at once was both painful and terrifying. I could never have accomplished this alone. It took the help, understanding and wonderful companionship that was given so freely to me by my ex-alkie friends. This and the program of recovery embodied in the Twelve Steps. In learning to practice these steps in my daily living, I began to acquire faith and a philosophy to live by. Whole new vistas were opened up for me, new avenues of experience to be explored, and life began to take on color and interest.
c. 2001 AAWS, Big Book, p. 275

Thought to Consider . . .

The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle rolling hills.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

F E A R
Few Ever Arrive Rejoicing

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

Sharing

From "Aspects of Spirituality:"

"Among A.A.'s there is still a vast amount of mix-up respecting what is material and what is spiritual. I prefer to believe that it is all a matter of motive. If we use our worldly possessions too selfishly, then we are materialists. But if we share these possessions in helpfulness to others, then the material aids the spiritual."

c. 1967, As Bill Sees It, page 287

*^Daily Reflections^*

RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE

Our Twelfth Step - carrying the message - is the basic service that A.A.'s Fellowship gives; this is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, P. 160

I thank God for those who came before me, those who told me not to forget the Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity and Service. In my home group, the Three Legacies were described on a sign which said: "You take a three-legged stool, try to balance it on only one leg, or two. Our Three Legacies must be kept intact. In Recovery, we get sober together; in Unity, we work together for the good of our Steps and Traditions; and through Service - we give away freely what has been given to us."

One of the chief gifts of my life has been to know that I will have no message to give, unless I recover in unity with A.A. principles.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

MERRY CHRISTMAS! - Random Quote
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 ^*~*

". . . we were at Step Three, which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood Him. Just what do we mean by that, and just what do we do?

The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. On that basis we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good. Most people try to live by self-propulsion."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition

How It Works, pg. 60

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

We have definitely left that dream world behind. It was only a sham. It was a world of our making and it was not the real world. We are sorry for the past, yes, but we learned a lot from it. We can put it down to experience, valuable experience, as we see it now, because it has given us the knowledge necessary to face the world as it really is. We had to become alcoholics in order to find the A.A. program. We would not have gotten it any other way. In a way, it was worth it. Do I look at my past as valuable experience?

Meditation for the Day

Shed peace, not discord, wherever you go. Try to be part of the cure of every situation, not part of the problem. Try to ignore evil, rather than to actively combat it. Always try to build up, never to tear down. Show others by your example that happiness comes from living the right way. The power of your example is greater than the power of what you say.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to bring something good into every situation today. I pray that I may be constructive in the way I think and speak and act today.

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 the 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!

--
TransitionsDaily.org is an Open A.A. Online Meeting Service #000720350.

Did someone forward this message to you? For more Information and to join go to http://www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Feel free to share http://www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!

You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://www.transitionsdaily.org/images/Transitions-Daily.pdf to use in your service work!

To Donate Go to: https://transitionsdaily.org/support-transitions-daily

To unsubscribe, it is best to email us at TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with your request.
---
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.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/b4f128a8-7b38-b3ed-38d8-788ee4fad97b%40gmail.com.

Monday, December 21, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Help is Available^^*^ December 22

Click Here For
Recovery Resources
During the Pandemic

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

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

Help is Available

If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it - then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember we deal with alcohol - cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power - that One is God. May you find Him now!
c. 1976, 2001 AAWS
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58

Thought to Consider . . .
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

H O P E
Heart Open; Please Enter

*~*^Just For Today!^*~*
Safe
From "Good Housekeeping" article, 1954:

"When you stand outside a room where a group of Alcoholics Anonymous is meeting, the most frequent sound you hear is laughter. Mellow laughter, which can come only from people who have looked destruction and catastrophe in the face, not once but continuously over long years, and now are free and unafraid. The laughter, in short, of people who hold God's hand and feel safe."
c. Letter to a Woman Alcoholic
(A.A. Pamphlet P-14)

*~Daily Reflections~*

PRINCIPLES, NOT PERSONALITIES

The way our "worthy" alcoholics have sometimes tried to judge the "less worthy" is, as we look back on it, rather comical. Imagine, if you can, one alcoholic judging another!
THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 37

Who am I to judge anyone? When I first entered the Fellowship I found that I liked everyone. After all, A.A. was going to help me to a better way of life without alcohol. The reality was that I couldn't possibly like everyone, nor they me. As I've grown in the Fellowship, I've learned to love everyone just from listening to what they had to say. That person over there, or the one right here, may be the one God has chosen to give me the message I need for today. I must always remember to place principles above personalities.

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

Recovery Through Giving

"For a new prospect, outline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past, and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. It is important for him to realize that your attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in your own recovery. Actually, he may be helping you more than you are helping him. Make it plain that he is under no obligation to you."
<<< >>>
"In the first six months of my own sobriety, I worked hard with many alcoholics. Not a one responded. Yet this work kept me sober. It wasn't a question of those alcoholics giving me anything. My stability came out of trying to give, not out of demanding that I receive."
1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 94
2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958

*~*^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

As we look back over our drinking careers, we must realize that our lives were a mess because we were a mess inside. The trouble was in us, not in life itself. Life itself was good enough, but we were looking at it the wrong way. We were looking at life through the bottom of a whiskey glass, and it was distorted. We could not see all the beauty and goodness and purpose in the world because our vision was blurred. We were in a house with one-way glass in the windows. People could see us but we could not look out and see them and see what life meant to them and should mean to us. We were blind then, but now we can see. Can I now look at life as it really is?

Meditation for the Day

Fear no evil, because the power of God can conquer evil. Evil has power to seriously hurt only those who do not place themselves under the protection of the Higher Power. This is not a question of feeling, it is an assured fact of our experience. Say to yourself with assurance that whatever it is, no evil can seriously harm you as long as you depend on the Higher Power. Be sure of the protection of God's grace.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that fear of evil will not get me down. I pray that I may try to place myself today under the protection of God's grace.
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 Private Facebook Group: Search for Transitions Daily in Facebook and request to join or click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransitionsDaily/. Every day the topic email is also posted in the private Facebook group. It is suggested that you turn on your notifications to be reminded of new posts.

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!

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Freedom ^^*^ December 21

Click Here For
Recovery Resources
During the Pandemic

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

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

"Through A.A., we can experience freedom from self. After all, it was self (you, me) that stood in our own way, that ran the show and ran ourselves into bankruptcy, that hurt the ones we loved. All Twelve Steps of A.A. are designed to kill the old self (deflate the old ego) and build a new, free self."
1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 459

Thought to Consider . . .

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

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

B S
Before Sobriety

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

Honesty
From "Inner Voice"

"Long before nagging and pressures from others concerning my excessive use of alcohol made any impression on me, the nagging voice of conscience -my own inner voice of truth and right - apprised me of the irrevocable fact that I had lost control of alcohol, that I was powerless. I know now that the inner voice was God, as I understand Him, speaking. For, as I had been taught from earliest memory and as A.A. has emphasized, God - or good - emanates from within each of us."
Lakewood, Ohio, USA
1973 AAWS, Inc.
Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 83

*^Daily Reflections^*

LISTEN, SHARE AND PRAY

When working with a man and his family, you should take care not to participate in their quarrels. You may spoil your chance of being helpful if you do.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 100

When trying to help a fellow alcoholic, I've given in to an impulse to give advice, and perhaps that's inevitable. But allowing others the right to be wrong reaps its own benefits. The best I can do - and it sounds easier than it is to put into practice - is to listen, share personal experience, and pray for others.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

When and How to Give

"Men who cry for money and shelter as a condition of their sobriety are on the wrong track. Yet we sometimes do provide a new prospect with these very things - when it becomes clear that he is willing to place his recovery first. It is not whether we shall give that is the question, but when and how to give. Whenever we put our work on a material plane, the alcoholic commences to rely upon alms rather than upon a Higher Power and the A.A. group. He continues to insist that he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for. Nonsense! Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: that, job or no job, wife or no wife, we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place material dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God."
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

". . . we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
The Family Afterward, pg. 132

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

Have I ceased being inwardly defeated, at war with myself? Have I given myself freely to A.A. and to the Higher Power? Have I gotten over being sick inside? Am I still wandering mentally or am I "on the beam"? I can face anything if I am sure I am on the way. When I am sure, I should bet my life on A.A. I have learned how the program works. Now will I follow it with all I have, with all I can give, with all my might, with all my life? Am I going to let A.A. principles guide the rest of my life?

Meditation for the Day

In this time of quiet meditation, follow the pressure of the Lord's leading. In all decisions to be made today, yield to the gentle pressure of your conscience. Stay or go as that pressure indicates. Take the events of today as part of God's planning and ordering. He may lead you to a right decision. Wait quietly until you have an inner urge, a leading, a feeling that a thing is right, a pressure on your will by the spirit of God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that today I may try to follow the inner pressure of God's leading. I pray that I may try to follow my conscience and do what seems right today.
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 Private Facebook Group: Search for Transitions Daily in Facebook and request to join or click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransitionsDaily/. Every day the topic email is also posted in the private Facebook group. It is suggested that you turn on your notifications to be reminded of new posts.

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!

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Choices ^^*^ December 20

Click Here For
Recovery Resources
During the Pandemic

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

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

Choices

Looking back we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom. When we chose because we "must," this was not a free choice either. But it got us started in the right direction. When we chose because we "ought to" we were really doing better. This time we were earning some freedom, making ourselves ready for more. But when, now and then, we could gladly make right choices without rebellion, holdout, or conflict, then we had our first glimpse of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like.
Bill W., May 1960
c. 1988 AA Grapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 302

Thought to Consider . . .

We live life in the moment but understand it looking back with the tool of gratitude.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

O D A A T
One Day At A Time

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

Compensation
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous"

"Shortly after the financial investigation episode, Father Ed Dowling, our Jesuit friend from St. Louis, turned up in New York. Still puzzled, I put the case up to him. He asked, 'Do you think A.A. requires your full-time efforts?' I replied, 'Yes, I think it does, perhaps indefinitely.' Then he inquired, 'Could you become a paid therapist, taking money for Twelfth Step work?' I told him that this issue had been settled long since. Most emphatically I could not, regardless of the consequences, nor could any other A.A. member. This meant that Dr. Bob and I must certainly never accept money for Twelfth Step work but that we could be recompensed for special services. We both accepted Father Ed's down-the-middle advice and have stuck by it ever since, and I am glad to say this status for Dr. Bob and me was later accepted as correct in principle by our entire fellowship."
2001 AAWS, Inc.

Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 195

*~Daily Reflections~*

THE REWARDS OF GIVING

This is indeed the kind of giving that actually demands nothing. He does not expect his brother sufferer to pay him, or even to love him. And then he discovers that by the divine paradox of this kind of giving he has found his own reward, whether his brother has yet received anything or not.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 109

Through experience with Twelfth Step work, I came to understand the rewards of giving that demands nothing in return. At first I expected recovery in others, but I soon learned that this did not happen. Once I acquired the humility to accept the fact that every Twelfth Step call was not going to result in a success, then I was open to receive the rewards of selfless giving.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Random Quote - The Reality of Spiritual Experiences

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

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
There Is A Solution, pg. 22

*~Twenty Fours A Day~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

Our faith should control the whole of our life. We alcoholics were living a divided life. We had to find a way to make it whole. When we were drinking, our lives were made up of a lot of scattered and unrelated pieces. We must pick up our lives and put them together again. We do it by recovering faith in a Divine Principle in the universe that holds us together and holds the whole universe together and gives it meaning and purpose. We surrender our disorganized lives to that Power, we get into harmony with the Divine Spirit, and our lives are made whole again. Is my life whole again?

Meditation for the Day

Avoid fear as you would a plague. Fear, even the smallest fear, is a hacking at the cords of faith that bind you to God. However small the fraying, in time those cords will wear thin, and then one disappointment or shock will make them snap. But for the little fears, the cords of faith would have held firm. Avoid depression, which is allied to fear. Remember that all fear is disloyalty to God. It is a denial of His care and protection.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have such trust in God today that I will not fear anything too greatly. I pray that I may have assurance that God will take care of me in the long run.
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 Private Facebook Group: Search for Transitions Daily in Facebook and request to join or click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransitionsDaily/. Every day the topic email is also posted in the private 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 the 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!

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Letting Go ^^*^ December 23

Monday, December 21, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Help is Available^^*^ December 22

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Freedom ^^*^ December 21

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Choices ^^*^ December 20

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Letting Go ^*^*^ December 23

Monday, December 21, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Help is Available^*^*^ December 22

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Freedom ^*^*^ December 21

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Choices ^*^*^ December 20

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Thoughts For The Day~~Letting Go ^^*^ December 23

Thoughts For The Day~~Help is Available^^*^ December 22

Thoughts For The Day~~Freedom ^^*^ December 21

Thoughts For The Day~~Choices ^^*^ December 20