Thoughts For The Day~*~Responsibility ^*^*^ August 2, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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Responsibility
^*^*^
"Our spiritual way of life is safe for future generations if,
as a Society, we resist the temptation to receive money
from the outside world.
But this leaves us with a responsibility -
one that every member ought to understand.
We cannot skimp when the treasurer of our group
passes the hat.
Our groups, our areas, and AA as a whole
will not function unless our services are sufficient
and their bills are paid.
When we meet and defeat the temptation to take large gifts,
we are only being prudent.
But when we are generous with the hat
we give a token that we are grateful for our blessings
and evidence that we are eager to share what we have found with all those who
still suffer."
Bill W., November 1957
©1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 221
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E  =  Happy Our Program Exists

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

Clean-up

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

 

"Steps Eight and Nine are concerned with
personal relations.  First, we take a
look backward and try to discover where
we have been at fault; next we make a
vigorous attempt to repair the damage we
have done; and third, having thus cleaned
away the debris of the past, we consider
how...we may develop the best possible
relations with every human being we know.

"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."

 

c. 1952, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,
   page 77

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WE BECOME WILLING. . .

At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself.                        
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 77

How easily I can become misdirected in approaching the Eighth Step!  I wish to be free, somehow transformed by my Sixth and Seventh Step work.  Now, more than ever, I am vulnerable to my own self-interest and hidden agenda.  I am careful to remember that self-satisfaction, which sometimes comes through the spoken forgiveness of those I have harmed, is not my true objective.  I become willing to make amends, knowing that through this process I am mended and made fit to move forward, to know and desire God's will for me.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Only Try

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 the president of my
class in boarding school. I had to be first in everything because m 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.
<<<>>>

"I'm glad you are going to try that new job. But make sure that you are only
going to 'try.' If you approach the project in the attitude that 'I must
succeed, I must not fail, I cannot fail,' then you practically guarantee the
flop which in turn will guarantee a drinking relapse. But if you look at the
venture as a constructive experiment only, then all should go well."

1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 53 - 2. LETTER, 1958

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Another principle we observe carefully is that we do not relate
intimate experiences of another person unless we are sure he would
approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own
stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect
others favorably, but criticism or ridicule coming from another often
produces the contrary effect."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125

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

Alcoholics Anonymous has no quarrel with medicine, psychiatry, or religion.
We have great respect for the methods of each.  And we are glad for any
success they may have had with
alcoholics. We are desirous always of cooperating with them
in every way. The more doctors, the more psychiatrists, the
more clergy and rabbis we can get to work with us, the better
we like it. We have many who take a real interest in our
program and we would like many more. Am I ready to cooperate
with those who take a sincere interest in A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in
generous measure. But like the seed-sowing, the ground must
be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to
prepare the soil. It is God's to drop the seed.
This preparation of the soil means many days of right living,
choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along,
each day you are better prepared for God's planting, until
you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest
with God -- the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my way of living may be properly prepared day by
day. I pray that I may strive to make myself ready for the
harvest which God has planted in my heart.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Growing Up ^*^* September 1, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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Growing Up

"As we grow spiritually,
we find that our old attitudes toward our instincts
need to undergo drastic revisions.
Our desires for emotional security and wealth,
for personal prestige and power,
for romance, and for family satisfactions -
all these have to be tempered and redirected.
We have learned that the satisfaction of instincts
cannot be the sole end and aim of our lives.
If we place instincts first, we have got the cart before the horse;
we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment.
But when we are willing to place spiritual growth first -
then and only then do we have a real chance."
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 114,
Copyright © 1952 A.A.W.S. Inc.

Thought to Consider . . .

The program has helped me grow up enough
to be a kid again.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A N G E =
Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day.

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

Balance

From "Helping Others":

'Self-centeredness was my problem. All my life people had been doing things for me and I not only expected it, but I was ungrateful and resentful they didn't do more. Why should I help others, when they were supposed to help me? If others had troubles, didn't they deserve them? I was filled with self-pity, anger and resentment. Then I learned that by helping others, with no thought of return, I could overcome this obsession with selfishness, and if I understood humility, I would know peace and serenity. No longer do I need to drink."

© 1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 214

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WILLINGNESS TO GROW

"If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on."

- AS BILL SEES IT, p. 8

Sobriety fills the painful "hole in the soul" that my alcoholism created.  Often I feel so physically well that I believe my work is done.  However, joy is not just the absence of pain; it is the gift of continued spiritual awakening.  Joy comes from ongoing and active study, as well as application of the principles of recovery in my everyday life, and from sharing that experience with others.  My Higher Power presents many opportunities for deeper spiritual awakening.  I need only to bring into my recovery the willingness to grow.  Today I am ready to grow.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Toward Maturity

Many oldsters who have put our A.A. "booze cure" to severe but successful
tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must
develop real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our
relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God.

<<<>>>

Let A.A. never be a closed corporation; let us never deny our experience, for
whatever it may be worth, to the world around us. Let our individual members heed the call to every field of human endeavor. Let them carry the experience and spirit of A.A. into all these affairs, for whatever good they may accomplish. For not only has God saved us from alcoholism; the world has received us back into its citizenship.

1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 232-233
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"...with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a
spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely
grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings
we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity
of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to
die."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"Be careful not to brand new prospects as alcoholics. Let them draw their own conclusion. But talk to them about the hopelessness of alcoholism. Tell them exactly what happened to you and how you recovered. Stress the spiritual feature freely. If they are agnostics or atheists, make it emphatic that they do not have to agree with your conception of God. They can choose any
conception they like, provided it makes sense to them. The main thing is that
they be willing to believe in a Power greater than themselves and that they
live by spiritual principles." Do I hold back too much in speaking of the
spiritual principles of the program?

Meditation for the Day

"I will never leave nor forsake Thee." Down through the centuries, thousands
have believed in God's constancy, untiringness, and unfailing love. God has
love. Then forever you are sure of His love. God has power. Then forever you
are sure, in every difficulty and temptation, of His strength. God has
patience. Then always there is One who can never tire. God has understanding. Then always you will understand and be understood. Unless you want Him to go, God will never leave you. He is always ready with power.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel that God's love will never fail. I pray that I may
have confidence in His unfailing power.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~A New World ^*^*^ August 31, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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A New World
^*^*^
"We have entered the world of the Spirit. 
Our next function is to grow in understanding
and effectiveness. 
This is not an overnight matter. 
It should continue for our lifetime. 
Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty,
resentment, and fear. 
When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. 
We discuss them with someone immediately
and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. 
Then we resolutely turn our thoughts
to someone we can help."
©1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 84
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F I T  =  Faith, Intuition, and Trust

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

Abroad

From "When A.A. Came of Age":

"[Henk] Krauweel, in whose home we [Bill and Lois]
we were guests while in Holland [in 1950] . . .
[was] a social worker and nonalcoholic . . . engaged
by the city of Amsterdam to see what he could do for
the drunks there. He had been able to do very little
until one day he came across A.A.'s Twelve Steps.
Translating them into Dutch, he handed them to some
of his charges. To his astonishment, several tough
cases went dry. . . . [He] has since become of one
of Europe's leading authorities on the total alcohol
problem.

"In Paris we found several scattered American A.A.'s
who acted mostly as a reception committee for A.A.
travelers, some dry and some in deep trouble. The
Frenchmen at Paris were still pretty shy about A.A.
and they were possessed of the wonderful rationalization
that wine was not liquor at all and was therefore quite harmless!"

©  2001 AAWS, Inc.;
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 26-27

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A UNIQUE PROGRAM

"Alcoholics Anonymous will never have a professional class. We  have gained some understanding of the ancient words "Freely ye have received, freely give." We have discovered that at the point of professionalism, money and spirituality do not mix.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 166

I believe that Alcoholics Anonymous stands alone in the treatment of alcoholism because it is based solely on the principle of one alcoholic sharing with another alcoholic. This is what makes the program unique.  When I decided that I wanted to stay sober, I called a woman who I knew was a sober member of A.A., and she carried the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to me.  She received no monetary compensation, but rather was paid by staying sober another day herself.  Today I could ask for no payment other than another day free from alcohol, so in that respect, I am generously paid for my labor.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Morning Thoughts

Many newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a
growing conviction that human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong assault powered only by the individual's will. However, there are certain things which the individual alone can do. All by himself, and in the light of his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he acquires willingness, he is the only one who can then make the decision to exert himself along spiritual lines. Trying to do this is actually an act of his own will. It is a right use of this faculty.
Indeed, all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps require our sustained and personal
exertion to conform to their principles and so, we trust, to God's will.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 40
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter
you from honestly asking yourself what they 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 then
seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth, but if we wished to
grow we had to begin somewhere. So we used our own conception, however
limited it was."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 47~

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

"Call on new prospects while they are still jittery. They may be more
receptive when depressed. See them alone if possible. Tell them enough about
your drinking habits and experiences to encourage them to speak of
themselves. if they wish to talk, let them do so. If they are not
communicative, talk about the troubles liquor has caused you, being careful
not to moralize or lecture. When they see you know all about the drinking
game, commence to describe yourself as an alcoholic and tell them how you
learned you were sick." Am I ready to talk about myself to new prospects?

Meditation for the Day

Try not to give way to criticism, blame, scorn, or judgment of others when
you are trying to help them. Effectiveness in helping others depends on
controlling yourself. You may be swept away by a temporary natural urge to
criticize or blame, unless you keep a tight rein on your emotions. You should
have a firm foundation of spiritual living which makes you truly humble, if
you are going to really help other people. Go easy on them and be hard on
yourself. That is the way you can be used most to uplift a despairing spirit.
And seek no personal recognition for what you are used by God to accomplish.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to avoid judgment and criticism. I pray that I may
always try to build up others instead of tearing them down.

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

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Fear ^*^*^ August 30, 2006

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Fear
^*^*^
"When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot,
then we found we could live at peace with ourselves
and show others who still suffered the same fears
that they could get over them, too.
We found that freedom from fear was more important
than freedom from want."
©1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,  p. 122
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Courage is the willingness to accept fear and act anyway.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R  =  Face Everything And Recover

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

Relief

From "He Lived Only to Drink":

"The people at the meetings gathered around me in kindness in those early days, and I did not drink. But the spiritual demons of withdrawal descended on me. I was black, and these people were white. What did they know about suffering? What could they tell me? I was black and bright, and the world had consistently rejected me for it. I hated this world, its people, and its punishing God. Yet I believed the people in A.A. were sincere and whatever they believed in was working for them. I just did not believe that A.A. would work for me as a black drunk.

"I genuinely believed that I was different until much later, when I had what I now know to be my first spiritual awakening: that I was an alcoholic and I didn't have to drink! I also learned that alcoholism, as an equal opportunity illness, does not discriminate – is not restricted to race, creed, or geography. At last I was released from the bondage of my uniqueness."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 305

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE ONLY REQUIREMENT. . .

"At one time. . .every A.A. group had many membership rules.   Everybody was scared witless that something or somebody would capsize the boat. . .The
total list was a mile long.   If all those rules had been in effect
everywhere, nobody could have possibly joined A.A. at all,. . ."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS,   p. 139-140

I'm grateful that the Third Tradition only requires of me a desire to stop
drinking.   I had been breaking promises for years.   In the Fellowship I
didn't have to make promises, I didn't have to concentrate. It only required
my attending one meeting, in a foggy condition, to know I was home.   I
didn't have to pledge undying love.   Here, strangers hugged me.   "It gets
better," they said, and "One day at a time, you can do it."   They were no
longer strangers, but caring friends. I ask God to help me to reach out to
people desiring sobriety, and to, please keep me grateful!

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

Let Go Absolutely

After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth reminded me of
Professor William James's observation that truly transforming spiritual
experiences are nearly always rounded on calamity and collapse. "Stop
preaching at them," Dr. Silkworth said, "and give them the hard medical facts
first. This may soften them up at depth so that they will be willing to do
anything to get well. Then they may accept those spiritual ideas of yours,
and even a Higher Power."

<<<>>>

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.

1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 13 - 2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 58

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"A body badly burned by alcohol does not often recover overnight nor
do twisted thinking and depression vanish in a twinkling. We are
convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health
restorative."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from
drinking as extensive work with other alcoholics. Carry the message to other
alcoholics. You can help when no one else can. You can secure their
confidence when others fail. Life will take on a new meaning for you. To
watch people recover, to see them help others in turn, to watch loneliness
vanish, to see a fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends, this
is an experience you must not miss." Am I always ready and willing to help
other alcoholics?

Meditation for the Day

One secret of abundant living is the art of giving. The paradox of life is
that the more you give, the more you have. If you lose your life in the
service of others, you will save it. You can give abundantly and so live
abundantly. You are rich in one respect-you have a spirit that is
inexhaustible. Let no mean or selfish thought keep you from sharing this
spirit. Of love, of help, of understanding, and of sympathy, give and keep
giving. Give your personal ease and comfort, your time, your money, and most
of all, yourself. And you will be living abundantly.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live to give. I pray that I may learn this secret of
abundant living.

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

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