Thoughts For The Day~*~A New Life^*^*^*^*^ February 17, 2012

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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A New Life
Life will take on a new meaning.
To watch people recover, to see them help others,
to watch loneliness vanish,
to see a fellowship grow up about you,
to have a host of friends --
this is an experience you must not miss.
We know you will not want to miss it.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 89
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Thought to Consider . . .

Break out of your shell and join us!

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E E L  =  Feel, Experience, Express, Let go

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

God's Help

From "Another Prodigal Story":

"I know I am an alcoholic and while I used to call on God to help me, my conclusion is that I was simply asking God to help me drink alcohol without its hurting me, which is a far different thing than asking him [sic] to help me not to drink at all."

2005, AAWS, Inc.; Experience, Strength & Hope, pg. 113

 

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

THE LOVE IN THEIR EYES

Some of us won't believe in God, others can't, and still others who do believe that God exists have no faith whatever He will perform this miracle.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  25

It was the changes I saw in the new people who came into the Fellowship that helped me lose my fear, and change my negative attitude to a positive one.  I could see the love in their eyes and I was impressed by how much their "One Day at a Time" sobriety meant to them.  They had looked squarely at Step Two and came to believe that a power greater than themselves was restoring them to sanity.  That gave me faith in the Fellowship, and hope that it could work for me too.  I found that God was a loving God, not that punishing God I feared before coming to A.A.  I also found that He had been with me during all those times I had been in trouble before I came to A.A.  I know today that He was the one who led me to A.A. and that I am a miracle.

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

When a drunk has a terrific hangover because he drank heavily yesterday, he cannot live well today. But there is another kind of hangover which we all experience whether we are drinking or not. That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterday's and sometimes today's excesses of negative emotion - anger, fear, jealousy, and the like.
If we would live serenely today and tomorrow, we certainly need to eliminate these hangovers. This doesn't mean we need to wander morbidly around in the past. It requires an admission and correction of errors - now.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 88-89
Copyright®1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by
which faith can be acquired. If what we have learned and felt and
seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our
race, creed, or color are the children of a living Creator with whom
we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as
soon as we are willing and honest enough to try."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~
*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Alcohol is poison to the alcoholic. Poison is not too strong a word, because alcoholism leads eventually to the death of the alcoholic. It may be a quick death or a slow death. When we go by package stores and see various kinds of liquor all dressed up in fancy packages to make it look attractive, we should always make it a point to say to ourselves so we'll never forget it: "That stuffs all poison to me." And it is. Alcohol poisoned our lives for a long time. Do I know that since I'm an alcoholic all liquor is poison to me?

Meditation for the Day

I must somehow find the means of coming nearer to God. That is what really matters. I must somehow seek the true bread of life, which is communion with Him. I must grasp for the truth at the center of all worship. This central truth is all that matters. All forms of worship have this communion with God as their purpose and goal.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may meet God in quiet communion. I pray that I may partake of the soul-food that God has provided for me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Cheerfulness^*^*^*^*^ February 16, 2012

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Cheerfulness
But we aren't a glum lot. . .
We absolutely insist on enjoying life. . .
So we think cheerfulness and laughter
make for usefulness.
Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we
burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic
experience out of the past.
But why shouldn't we laugh?
We have recovered,
and have been given the power to help others.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 132
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Thought to Consider . . .

Laughter is the sound of recovery.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B E S T  =  Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

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

Change

From "A Glacier Melts":

"I had thought I was happy in that first eighteen months of sobriety, but now everything began to look brighter; people seemed nicer; and I had moments of tremendous insight. It was as if words and sentences I had heard all my life had a deeper meaning and were reaching my feelings, rather than my intellect. It was as if my head and my heart finally had gotten glued together. I no longer seemed like two people in one, engaging in a tug of war. I experienced within this six-week period a feeling of being totally forgiven, and never since have I felt the guilt that I had throughout my life prior to that time. More than once, I had as sense of Presence which I can describe only as being marvelously warm, uplifting, and comfortable."

1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 58

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
COMMITMENT

Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes, and right action is the key to good living.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  125

There came a time in my program of recovery when the third stanza of the Serenity Prayer -- "The wisdom to know the difference" -- became indelibly imprinted in my mind.  From that time on, I had to face the ever-present knowledge that my every action, word and thought was within, or outside, the principles of the program.  I could no longer hide behind self-rationalization, nor behind the insanity of my disease.  The only course open to me, if I was to attain a joyous life for myself (and subsequently for those I love), was one in which I imposed on myself an effort of commitment, discipline, and responsibility.

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

The Wright brothers' almost childish faith that they could build a machine which would fly was the mainspring of their accomplishment. Without that, nothing could have happened.
We agnostics and atheists were sticking to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems. When others showed us that God-sufficiency worked with them, we began to feel like those who had insisted the Wrights would never fly. We were seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 52-53, 55
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ 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

One drink started a train of thought that became an obsession, and from then on, we couldn't stop drinking. We developed a mental compulsion to keep drinking until we got good and drunk. People generally make two mistakes about alcoholism. One mistake is that it can be cured by physical treatment only. The other mistake is that it can be cured by willpower only. Most alcoholics have tried both of these ways and have found that they don't work. But we members of A.A. have found a way to arrest alcoholism. Have I gotten over my obsession by following the A.A. program?

Meditation for the Day

I will try to be unruffled, no matter what happens. I will keep my emotions in check, although others about me are letting theirs go. I will keep calm in the face of disturbance, keep that deep, inner calm through all the experiences of the day. In the rush of work and worry, the deep, inner silence is necessary to keep me on an even keel. I must learn to take the calm with me into the most hurried days.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be still and commune with God. I pray that I may learn patience, humility, and peace.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Children of Chaos^*^*^*^*^ February 15, 2012

View  *-=| Best Home Groups |=-

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Children of Chaos
Over the years, every conceivable deviation
from our Twelve Steps and Traditions has been tried.
That was sure to be,
since we are largely a band of ego-driven individuals.
Children of chaos, we have definitely played
with every brand of fire,
only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser.
These very deviations created a vast process
of trial and error which, under the grace of God,
has brought us to where we stand today.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,  p. 146
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Thought to Consider . . .

Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A O S =  Can't Handle Another Overwhelming Situation

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

 

Accept

From "'The Belief Will Come'":

"I don't recall any immediate, dramatic change in my life.  I began rereading the Big Book and the Twelve Steps, and now I found in these much that I had never found before. I didn't reject any of it. I accepted it just as it was written. Nor did I read into it anything that wasn't there.

"Again, nothing changed overnight. But, as time has passed, I have acquired a blind and, yes, childlike faith that, by accepting a God I don't understand and the program of A.A. just as it is written, I can maintain my sobriety one day at a time."

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 47

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TAKING ACTION

Are these extravagant promises?  We think not.  They are being fulfilled among us-sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.  They will always materialize if we work for them.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  84

One of the most important things A.A.  has given me, in addition to freedom from booze, is the ability to take "right action."  It says the promises will always materialize if I work for them.  Fantasizing about them, debating them, preaching about them and faking them just won't work.  I'll remain a miserable, rationalizing dry drunk.  By taking action and working the Twelve Steps in all my affairs, I'll have a life beyond my wildest dreams.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
True Ambition - and False

We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those about us. We have seen that we were prodded by unreasonable fears or anxieties into making a life business of winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership. So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin marked "Fear." We simply had to be Number One people to cover up our deep-lying inferiorities.

<<<>>>

True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the profound desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God

TWELVE AND TWELVE1. p. 123 - 2. pp. 124-125
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Actually we were fooling ourselves, for 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, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55~

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

If alcoholism were just a physical allergy, like asthma or hay fever, it would be easy for us, by taking a skin test with alcohol, to find out whether or not we're alcoholics. But alcoholism is not just a physical allergy. It's also a mental allergy or obsession. After we've become alcoholics, we can still tolerate alcohol physically for quite a while, although we suffer a little more after each binge and each time it takes a little longer to get over the hangovers. Do I realize that since I have become an alcoholic, I cannot tolerate alcohol mentally at all?

Meditation for the Day

The world doesn't need super men or women, but supernatural people. People who will turn the self out of their lives and let Divine Power work through them. Let inspiration take the place of aspiration. Seek to grow spiritually, rather than to acquire fame and riches. Our chief ambition should be to be used by God. The Divine Force is sufficient for all the spiritual work in the world. God only needs the instruments for His use. His instruments can remake the world.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be an instrument of the Divine Power. I pray that I may do my share in remaking the world.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Results^*^*^*^*^ February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Results
We found that as soon as we were able
to lay aside prejudice
and express even a willingness
to believe in a Power greater than ourselves,
we commenced to get results,
even though it was impossible for any of us
to fully define or comprehend that Power,
which is God.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 46
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Thought to Consider . . .

God seldom becomes a reality
until God becomes a necessity.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G I F T =  God Is Forever There

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

Overseas

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Maybe A.A. was just a Yankee gadget that would be no good for Ireland, England, Holland, Scandinavia, Australia, and the Pacific. Since their countries were so different, maybe their alcoholics were different too. 'Will A.A. work in our cultures"' they asked. We became heavily involved in correspondence, much helped by our American members in New York who could translate for us. We searched out and briefed A.A. travelers going abroad. Gradually headway was made. It was a long time, however, before we knew for sure that A.A. could cross the barriers of distance, race, creed, and language. But today [1957], the A.A. map shows our society in more than seventy countries and the U.S. possessions."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 200;

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
EXPECTATIONS  vs. DEMANDS

Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone.  The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  98

Dealing with expectations is a frequent topic at meetings.  It isn't wrong to expect progress of myself, good things from life, or decent treatment from others.  Where I get into trouble is when my expectations become demands.  I will fall short of what I wish to be and situations will go in ways I do not like, because people will let me down sometimes.  The only question is: "What am I going to do about it?"  Wallow in self-pity or anger; retaliate and make a bad situation worse; or will I trust in God's power to bring blessings on the messes in which I find myself?  Will I ask Him what I should be learning; do I keep on doing the right things I know how to do, no matter what; do I take time to share my faith and blessings with others?

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

Today, the vast majority of us welcome any new light that can be thrown on the alcoholic's mysterious and baffling malady. We welcome new and valuable knowledge whether it issues from a test tube, from a psychiatrist's couch, or from revealing social studies. We are glad of any kind of education that accurately informs the public and changes its age-old attitude toward the drunk.
More and more we regard all who labor in the total field of alcoholism as our companions on a march from darkness into light. We see that we can accomplish together what we could never accomplish in separation and in rivalry.

GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1958
Copyright®1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc

*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*
"We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as
an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not
helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among
us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners.
A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could
have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~

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

After that first drink, we had a single track mind. It was like a railroad train. The first drink started it off and it kept going on the single track until it got to the end of the line, drunkenness. We alcoholics knew this was the inevitable result when we took the first drink, but still we couldn't keep away from liquor. Our willpower was gone. We had become helpless and hopeless before the power of alcohol. It's not the second drink or the tenth drink that does the damage. It's the first drink. Will I ever take that first drink again?

Meditation for the Day

I must keep a time apart with God every day. Gradually I will be transformed mentally and spiritually. It is not the praying so much as just being in God's presence. The strengthening and curative powers of this I cannot understand, because such knowledge is beyond human understanding, but I can experience them. The poor, sick world would be cured if every day each soul waited before God for the inspiration to live aright. My greatest spiritual growth occurs in this time apart with God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may faithfully keep a quiet time apart with God. I pray that I may grow spiritually each day.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Carry the Message ^*^*^*^*^ February 13, 2012

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Carry the Message
Taking advantage of technological advances,
AA members with computers
can participate in meetings online,
sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country
or around the world.
Fundamentally, though, the difference
between an electronic meeting
and the home group around the corner
is only one of format. 
In any meeting, anywhere, AA's share experience,
strength, and hope with each other,
in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics. 
Modem-to-modem or face-to-face,
AA's speak the language of the heart
in all its power and simplicity.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, Foreword to Fourth Edition, p. xxiv
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Thought to Consider . . .

We in AA don't carry the alcoholic;
we carry the message.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E A R T =  Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together.
* * *
F A I T H = Finding Answers In  The  Heart

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

Rewards

From "He Lived Only to Drink":

"The rewards of sobriety are bountiful and as progressive as the disease they counteract. Certainly among these rewards for me are release from the prison of uniqueness, and the realization that participation in the A.A. way of life is a blessing and privilege beyond estimate' a blessing to live a life free from the pain and degradation of drinking and filled with the joy of useful, sober living, and a privilege to grow in sobriety one day at a time and bring the message of hope as it was brought to me."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 451

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WE CAN'T THINK OUR WAY SOBER

To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many A.A.'s can say, "Yes, we were like you -- far too smart for our own good . . .  Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of the folks on our brain power alone."

AS BILL SEES IT, p.  60

Even the most brilliant mind is no defense against the disease of alcoholism.  I can't think my way sober.  I try to remember that intelligence is a God-given attribute that I may use, a joy -- like having a talent for dancing or drawing or carpentry.  It does not make me better than anyone else, and it is not a particularly reliable tool for recovery, for it is a power greater than myself who will restore me to sanity -- not a high IQ or a college degree.

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

"Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say, 'If it weren't for him (or her), how happy I'd be!'"

<<<>>>

Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives.
Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy or defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built.

1. LETTER, 1966 - 2. GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc
*~*~*~*~*^ 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 ignoranceâ€"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

Sometimes we can't help thinking: Why can't we ever drink again? We know it's because we're alcoholics, but why did we have to get that way? The answer is that at some time in our drinking careers, we passed what is called our "tolerance point." When we passed this point, we passed from a condition in which we could tolerate alcohol to a condition in which we could not tolerate it at all. After that, if we took one drink, we would sooner or later end up drunk. When I think of liquor now, do I think of it as something that I can never tolerate again?

Meditation for the Day

In a race, it is when the goal is in sight that heart and nerves and muscles and courage are strained almost to the breaking point. So with us. The goal of the spiritual life is in sight. All we need is the final effort. The saddest records are made by people who ran well, with brave, stout hearts, until the sight of the goal and then some weakness or self indulgence held them back. They never knew how near the goal they were or how near they were to victory.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may press on until the goal is reached. I pray that I may not give up in the final stretch.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012