Thoughts For The Day~*~Freedom ^*^*^ July 4, 2007

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Freedom
^*^*^
"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 view of what
perfect freedom under God's will could be like."
Bill W., May 1960
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 302
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F I N E  =  Free, Independent, New and Energetic

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

Independence

From "Window of Opportunity":

"People suggested that I find a Higher Power. I was not fooled. I knew when they said Higher Power they meant God. And I knew that God waited for me to step out of line just once so that he could take his revenge. I wanted no part of God.

"With this resistance I plodded along for a few months. Whenever people asked me how I was going, I would say, 'Fine, just fine,' no matter how hard I was crying inside. …

"When I had finished talking, he told me something simple: 'You don't have to drink over it.' What an idea! I had thought that situations made me drink. If I was angry, I drank. If I was happy, I drank. Bored or excited, elated or depressed, I drank. Here was a man telling me that, in- dependent of my life situation, I did not have to drink. If I stuck with A.A., I could stay sober under any and all conditions. He gave me hope, and in many ways, he symbolized the door through which I finally walked into Alcoholics Anonymous."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 427-29

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A NATURAL FAITH

. . . deep down in every man, woman and child, is the fundamental idea of
God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than
ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are
facts as old as man himself.                    

                               ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 55

I have seen the workings of the unseen God in A.A. rooms around the country. Miracles of recovery are everywhere in evidence. I now believe that God is in these rooms and in my heart. Today faith is as natural to me, a former agnostic, as breathing, eating and sleeping. The Twelve Steps have helped to change my life in many ways, but none is more effective than the acquisition of a Higher Power.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

When I was ten, I was tall and gawky, and smaller kids could push me around in quarrels. I remember being very depressed for a year or more, and then I began to develop a fierce resolve to win.
One day, my grandfather came along with a book about Australia and told me, "This book says that nobody but an Australian bushman knows how to make and throw the boomerang." "Here's my chance," I thought. "I will be the first man in America to make and throw a boomerang." Well, any kid could have had a notion like that. It might have lasted two days or two weeks. But mine was a power drive that kept on for six months, till I made a boomerang that swung around the church yard in front of the house and almost hit my grandfather in the head when it came back.
Emotionally, I had begun the fashioning of another sort of boomerang, one
that almost killed me later on.

A.A. comes of age, P. 53
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to
do is to keep sober. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be
no home if he doesn't. But he is yet a long way from making good to
the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 82~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought For The Day

In Alcoholics Anonymous there is no thought of individual
profit.  No greed or gain.  No membership fees, no dues.  
Only voluntary contributions of our money and ourselves.  
All that we hope for is sobriety and regeneration, so that
we can live normal, respectable lives and can be recognized
by others as men and women willing to do unto others as we
would be done by.  These things we accomplish by the help
of each other, by following the twelve steps and by the
grace of God.  Am I willing to work for A.A. without
material gain to myself?

Meditation For The Day

What is sometimes called by religion as conversion is often
only the discovery of God as a friend in need.  What is
sometimes called religion is often only the experiencing of
the help and strength of God's power in our lives.  What is
sometimes called holiness is often only the invitation of
God to be our Friend.  As God becomes your friend, you
become a friend of others.  We experience true human
friendship and from this experience we can imagine what
kind of Great Friend God can be.  We believe Him to be a
tireless, selfless, all conquering, miracle-working Friend.  
We can reach out to the Great Friend and figuratively take
His hand in ours.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may think of God as a Great Friend in need.  
I pray that I may go along with Him.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Discovery ^*^*^ July 3, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Discovery
^*^*^
"I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. 
I saw that will power and self-knowledge
would not help in those strange mental blank spots.
I had never been able to understand people
who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated.
I knew then.  It was a crushing blow."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S W A T  =  Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, and Trust

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Humility

Step Seven : Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

"Since this Step so specifically concerns itself with humility, we should pause here to consider what humility is and what the practice of it can mean to us.

"Indeed, the attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.'s Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. Nearly all A.A.'s have found, too, that unless they develop much more of this precious quality than may be required just for sobriety, they still haven't much chance of becoming truly happy. Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency."

© 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 70

 

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
EXPERIENCE: THE BEST TEACHER

Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

Some say that experience is the best teacher, but I believe that experience is the only teacher.  I have been able to learn of God's love for me only by the experience of my dependence on that love.  At first I could not be sure of His direction in my life, but now I see that if I am to be bold enough to ask for His guidance, I must act as if He has provided it.  I frequently ask God to help me remember that He has a path for me.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Meeting Adversity

"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. "We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us."
<<<>>>
"Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we are angered and
hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet we can restrain ourselves
and then probe ourselves, asking whether our critics were really right. If
so, we can admit our defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual
understanding.
"Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try calm persuasion. If
they continue to rant, it is still possible for us--in our hearts--to forgive
them. Maybe a sense of humor can be our saving grace--thus we can both
forgive and forget."

1. LETTER, 1958
2. LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once.
Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find
someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We
find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not
work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become
convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time
on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity
to live and be happy."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 96~

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

In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous there were only two
persons. Now there are many groups and thousands of members.
True, the surface has only been scratched. There are probably
ten million or more persons in America alone who need our
help. More and more people are making a start in A.A. each
day. In the case of individual members, the beginning has
been accomplished when they admit they are powerless and turn
to a Power greater than them- selves, admitting that their
lives have become unmanageable. That Higher Power works for
good in all things and helps us to accomplish much in
individual growth and in the growth of A.A. groups. Am I
doing my part in helping AA. to grow?

Meditation for the Day

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled. Only in the fullness of faith can the
heart-sick and faint and weary be satisfied, healed, and rested.
Think of the wonderful spiritual revelations still to be found
by those who are trying to live the spiritual life. Much of life
is spiritually unexplored country. Only to the consecrated and
loving people who walk with God in spirit can these great
spiritual discoveries be revealed. Keep going forward and keep
growing in righteousness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be held back by the material things of the
world. I pray that I may let God lead me forward.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Prayer ^*^*^ July 2, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Prayer
^*^*^
"All of us, without exception,
pass through times when we can pray
only with the greatest exertion of will.
Occasionally we go even further than this.
We are seized with a rebellion so sickening
that we simply won't pray.
When these things happen we should not think
too ill of ourselves.
We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can,
doing what we know to be good for us."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105

^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Trying to pray is praying.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
 H O P E  =  Hang On; Pray Every day

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

Blame

From "How It Works":

"Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man's. When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 67

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE HEART OF TRUE SOBRIETY

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the
program. Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of
recovery. But these are indispensable. 

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 570

Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let this be the "me" that I
let others see?  Do I have the willingness to go to any length, to do
whatever is necessary to stay sober?   Do I have the open-mindedness to hear what I have to hear, to think what I have to think, and to feel what I have
to feel?

If my answer to these questions is "Yes," I know enough about the
spirituality of the program to stay sober. As I continue to work the Twelve
Steps, I move on to the heart of true sobriety: serenity with myself, with
others, and with God as I understand Him.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A Viewer-with-Alarm

"I went through several fruitless years in a state called ‚“viewing with alarm for the good of the movement. I thought it was up to me to be always
correcting conditions. Seldom has anybody been able to tell me what I
ought to do, and nobody had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I
must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own experience.
"When setting out to check others, I found myself often motivated by fear
of what they were doing, self-righteousness, and even downright intolerance.
Consequently, I seldom succeeded in correcting anything. I just raised
barriers of resentment that cut off any suggestion, example, understanding,
or love."
<<<>>>
"A.A.s often say, Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by
example. If we would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice
what we preach and forget the preaching, too. The quiet good example
speaks for itself."

1. LETTER, 1945 - 2. LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is
that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust
their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him
demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our
fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once,
we commence to outgrow fear."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

In the association with members of the A.A. group to which we belong, we have the advantage of sincere friendship and understanding of the other members who, through social and personal contact, take us away from our old haunts and environments and help to remove in large measure the occasions of alcoholic suggestion. We find in this association a sympathy and a willingness on the part of most members to do everything in their power to help us. Do I appreciate the wonderful fellowship of A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

"Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." In this saying it is urged that all who seek heaven on earth or in the
hereafter' should become like little children. In seeking things of the
spirit and in our faith, we should try to become childlike. Even as we grow
older, the years of seeking can give us the attitude of the trusting child.
Not only for its simple trust should we have the childlike spirit, but also
for its joy in life, its ready laughter, its lack of criticism, and its
desire to share. In Charles Dickens's story, A Christmas Carol, even old
Scrooge changed when he got the child-spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may become like a child in faith and hope. I pray that I may,
like a child, be friendly and trusting.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Puzzle ^*^*^ July 1, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Puzzle
^*^*^
"By nature touchy and suspicious,
the alcoholic likes to be left alone to work out his puzzle,
and he has a convenient way of ignoring the tragedy
which he inflicts meanwhile upon those
who are close to him.
He holds desperately to a conviction that,
although he has not been able to handle alcohol in the past,
he will ultimately succeed in becoming a controlled drinker.
One of medicine's queerest animals,
he is, as often as not, an acutely intelligent person.
He fences with professional men and relatives
who attempt to aid him and he gets a perverse satisfaction
out of tripping them up in argument."
The Jack Alexander Article
From the March 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

There is no such thing as being 'a little bit alcoholic.'

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D E N I A L  =  Don't Even Notice I Am Lying.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For TToday!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Love and Service

From "Biographical Sketches:"

 

"In 1950 Dr. Bob was able to marshal his strength for a brief appearance at the First International Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.  There he stressed the simplicity of our program, pleading, 'Let's not louse this all up with Freudian complexes and things that are interesting to the scientific mind, but have little to do with our actual A.A. work.  Our Twelve Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words 'love' and 'service.'"

 

c. 1972, The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous
(A.A. Pamphlet P-53), page 9
c. 1980, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, page 338

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE BEST FOR TODAY

The principles we have set down are guides to progress.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60

Just as a sculptor will use different tools to achieve
desired effects in creating a work of art, in Alcoholics
Anonymous the Twelve Steps are used to bring about results
in my own life. I do not overwhelm my self with life's
problems, and how much more work needs to be done. I let
myself be comforted in knowing that my life is now in the
hands of my Higher Power, a master craftsman who is shaping
each part of my life into a unique work of art. By working
my program I can be satisfied, knowing that "in doing the
best that we can for today, we are doing all that God
asks of us."

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
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 ^*~*~*~*~*
"The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy,
envy, frustration, and fear."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~

"Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more
alcoholics than anything else."

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

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

In following the A.A. program with its twelve steps, we
have the advantage of a better understanding of our problems.
Day after day our sobriety results in the formation of new
habits, normal habits. As each twenty-four-hour period ends,
we find that the business of staying sober is a much less
trying and fearsome ordeal than it seemed in the beginning.
Do I find it easier as I go alone?

Meditation for the Day

Learn daily the lesson of trust and calm in the midst of the
storms of life. Whatever of sorrow or difficulty the day may
bring, God's command to you is the same. Be grateful, humble,
calm, and loving to all people. Leave each soul the better
for having met you or heard you. For all kinds of people,
this should be your attitude: a loving desire to help and an
infectious spirit of calmness and trust in God. You have the
answer to loneliness and fear, which is calm faith in the
goodness and purpose in the universe.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may he calm in the midst of storms. I pray that
I may pass on this calmness to others who are lonely and full
of fear.

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

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