Thoughts For The Day~*~Belonging^*^*^ June 25, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Belonging
^*^*^
"There is no more 'aloneness,' with that awful ache,
so deep in the heart of every alcoholic
that nothing, before, could ever reach it.
That ache is gone and never need return again.
Now there is a sense of belonging,
of being wanted and needed and loved.
In return for a bottle and a hangover,
we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 312
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

If I'm not comfortable within myself,
I can't be comfortable with others.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A C T I O N  = Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature

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

Plan

From "The Missing Link":

"Following this spiritual path made a major difference in my life. It seemed to fill that lonely hole that I used to fill with alcohol. My self-esteem improved dramatically, and I knew happiness and serenity as I had never known it before. I started to see the beauty and usefulness in my own existence, and tried to express my gratitude through helping others in whatever ways I could. A confidence and faith entered my life and unraveled a plan for me that was bigger and better than I could have ever imagined.

"It wasn't easy, and it has never been easy, but it gets so much better."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 287-88

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A TWO-WAY STREET

If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS,   p. 65

When I prayed, I used to omit a lot of things for which I needed to be forgiven. I thought that if I didn't mention those things to God, He would never know about them. I did not know that if I had just forgiven myself for some of my past deeds, God would forgive me also. I was always taught to prepare for the journey through life, never realizing until I came to A.A. when I honestly became willing to be taught forgiveness and forgiving that life itself is the journey. The journey of life is a very happy one, as long as I am willing to accept change and responsibility.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*

~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Domination and Demand

The primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a
true partnership with another human being. Our egomania digs two disastrous pitfalls. Either we insist upon dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much.
If we lean too heavily on people, they will sooner or later fail us, for they
are human, too, and cannot possibly meet our incessant demands. In this way our insecurity grows and festers. When we habitually try to manipulate others to our own willful desires, they revolt, and resist us heavily. Then we develop hurt feelings, a sense of persecution, and a desire to retaliate.
<<<>>>
My dependency meant demand--a demand for the possession and control of the people and the conditions surrounding me.

2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"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."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 67~


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

One of the most encouraging facts of life is that your
weakness can become your greatest asset. Kites and airplanes
rise against the wind. In climbing up a high mountain, we
need the stony crags and rough places to aid us in our climb.
So your weakness can become an asset if you will face it,
examine it, and trace it to its origin. Set it in the very
center of your mind. No weakness, such as drinking, ever
turned into an asset until it was first fairly faced. Am I
making my weakness my greatest asset?

Meditation For The Day

Whenever we seek to worship God, we think of the great
universe that God rules over, of creation, of mighty law
and order throughout the universe. Then we feel the awe
that precedes worship. I too must feel awe, feel the desire
to worship God in wondering amazement. My mind is in a box
of space and time and it is so made that I cannot conceive
of what is beyond space or time, the limitless and the eternal.
But I know that there must be something beyond space and time,
and that something must be the limitless and eternal Power
behind the universe. I also know that I can experience that
Power in my life.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may accept the limitless and eternal Spirit.
I pray that It may express Itself in my life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Friendship ^*^*^ June 24, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Friendship
^*^*^
"Carry this message to other alcoholics!
You can help when no one else can.
You can secure their confidence when others fail.
Remember they are very ill.
Life will take on new meaning.
To watch people recover, to see them help others,
to watch loneliness vanish,
to see a fellowship grow up around you,
to have a host of friends -
this is an experience you must not miss.
Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other
is the bright spot of our lives."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

I keep my sobriety by giving it away.


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

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Progress

Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

"If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation. That is something we are supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks only that we try as best we know how to make progress in the building of character."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 65

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A SPIRITUAL KINDERGARTEN

We are only operating a spiritual kindergarten in which people are enabled to get over drinking and find the grace to go on living to better effect.                           
                               
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 95

When I came to A.A., I was run down by the bottle and wanted to lose the obsession to drink, but I didn't really know how to do that.  I decided to stick around long enough to find out from the ones who went before me.  All of a sudden I was thinking about God! I was told to get a Higher Power and I had no idea what one looked like.  I found out there are many Higher Powers. I was told to find God, as I understand Him, that there was no doctrine of the Godhead in A.A.  I found what worked for me and then asked that Power to restore me to sanity.  The obsession to drink was removed and one day at a time my life went on, and I learned how to live sober.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*

~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Aspects of Tolerance

All kinds of people have found their way into A.A. Not too long ago, I sat
talking in my office with a member who bears the title of Countess. That same night, I went to an A.A. meeting. It was winter, and there was a mild-looking little gent taking the coats. I said, "Who's that?"
And somebody answered, "Oh, he's been around for a long time. Everybody likes him. He used to be one of Al Capone's mob." That's how universal A.A. is today.
<<<>>>
We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired. 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.

1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 102
2.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 28 

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

"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn't."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~
*~*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Alcohol is our weakness. We suffer from mental conflicts
from which we look for escape by drowning our problems in
drink. We try through drink to push away from the realities
of life. But alcohol does not feed, alcohol does not build,
it only borrows from the future and it ultimately destroys.
We try to drown our feelings in order to escape life's
realities, little realizing or caring that in continued
drinking we are only multiplying our problems. Have I got
control over my unstable emotions?

Meditation for the Day

When I let personal piques and resentments interfere with
what I know to be my proper conduct, I am on the wrong track
and I am undoing all I have built up by doing the right
thing. I must never let personal piques interfere with
living the way I know God wants me to live. When I have no
clear guidance from God, I must go forward quietly along the
path of duty. The attitude of quiet faith will receive its
reward as surely as acting upon God's direct guidance. I must
not weaken my spiritual power by letting personal piques
upset me.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not let myself become too upset. I pray that
I may go quietly along the path I have chosen.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Obedience ^*^*^ June 23, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Obedience
^*^*^
"We of AA obey spiritual principles,
at first because we must,
then because we ought to,
and ultimately because we love the kind of life
such obedience brings.
Great suffering and great love
are AA's disciplinarians;
we need no others."
1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 27
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Thought to Consider . . .

The spiritual approach to recovery
is not about relinquishing responsibility for our lives
to some Cosmic Butler.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H A L T  =  Hope, Acceptance, Love, Tolerance

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

Before

From "The Family Afterward":

"This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not, and when the occasion requires, each member of it should be only too willing to bring former mistakes, no matter how grievous out of their hiding places. Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 124

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TRUSTING OTHERS

But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own?  Not at all; this would be folly.  Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would trust.  Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 144

I am not a victim of others, but rather a victim of my expectations, choices and dishonesty.  When I expect others to be what I want them to be and not who they are, when they fail to meet my expectations, I am hurt.  When my choices are based on self-centeredness, I find I am lonely and distrustful.  I gain confidence in myself, however, when I practice honesty in all my affairs.  When I search my motives and am honest and trusting, I am aware of the capacity for harm in situations and can avoid those that are harmful.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Constructive Forces

Mine was exactly the kind of deep-seated block we so often see today in new people who say they are atheistic or agnostic. Their will to disbelieve is so powerful that apparently they prefer a date with the undertaker to an open-minded and experimental quest for God.
Happily for me, and for most of my kind who have since come along in A.A., the constructive forces brought to bear in our Fellowship have nearly always overcome this colossal obstinacy. Beaten into complete defeat by alcohol, confronted by the living proof of release, and surrounded by those who can speak to us from the heart, we have finally surrendered. And then, paradoxically, we have found ourselves in a new dimension, the real world of spirit and faith. Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness--and there it is!

A.A. TODAY, P. 9
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to
futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit
these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66

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

No chain is stronger than its weakest link. Likewise, if
you fail in the day-by-day program, in all probability it
will be at your weakest point. Great-faith and constant
contact with God's power can help you discover, guard, and
undergird your weakest point with a strength not your own.
Intelligent faith in God's power can be counted on to help
you master your emotions, help you to think kindly of
others, and help you with any task that you undertake, no
matter how difficult. Am I master of my emotions?

Meditation for the Day

You need to be constantly recharged by the power of the
spirit of God. Commune with God in quiet times until the
life from God, the Divine life, by that very contact, flows
into your being and revives your fainting spirit. When weary,
take time out and rest. Rest and gain power and strength
from God, and then you will be ready to meet whatever
opportunities come your way. Rest until every care and worry
and fear have gone and then the tide of peace and serenity,
love and joy, will flow into your consciousness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rest and become recharged. I pray that I
may pause and wait for the renewing of my strength.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Spirituality ^*^*^ June 22, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Spirituality
^*^*^
"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."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 47
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Thought to Consider . . .

The solution is simple.
The solution is spiritual.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R  =  Spiritually On Beam; Everything's Right

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

Realization

From "An Open Heart":

"Suddenly, the words on the page hit me: 'The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try.' For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. '... That you try.' I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking , New York, New York"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 50

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*^*~*~*~*~*
TODAY, I'M FREE

This brought me to the good healthy realization that there
were plenty of situations left in the world over which I
had no personal power- that if I was so ready to admit that
to be the case with alcohol, so I must make the same
admission with respect to much else. I would have to be
still and know that He, not I, was God.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 114

I am learning to practice acceptance in all circumstances
of my life, so that I may enjoy peace of mind. At one time
life was a constant battle because I felt I had to go through
each day fighting myself, and everyone else. Eventually, this
became a losing battle. I ended up getting drunk and crying
over my misery. When I began to let go and let God take over
my life I began to have peace of mind. Today, I am free. I
do not have to fight anybody or anything anymore.

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

We started upon a personal inventory, Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock in trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We has to do exactly the same thing with our lives. We had to take stock honestly.
<<<>>>
"Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritual serenity, as I have excellent reason to know. Roots of reality, supplanting the neurotic underbrush, will hold fast despite the high winds of the forces which would destroy us, or which we would use to destroy ourselves."

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 64
2. LETTER, 1949
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He
isn't."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~

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

If you have any doubt, just ask any of the older members of
the A.A. group, and they will readily tell you that since they
turned their lives over to the care of God as they understand
Him, many of their problems have been banished into the
forgotten yesterdays. When you allow yourself to be upset over
one thing, you succeed only in opening the door to the coming
of hundreds of other upsetting things. Am I allowing myself to
be upset over little things?

Meditation for the Day

I would do well not to think of the Red Sea of difficulties
that lies ahead. I am sure that when I come to that Red Sea,
the waters will part and I will be given all the power I need
to face and overcome many difficulties and meet what is in
store for me with courage. I believe that I will pass through
that Red Sea to the promised land, the land of the spirit where
many souls meet in perfect comradeship. I believe that when
that time comes, I will be freed of all the dross of material
things and find peace.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may face the future with courage. I pray that I
may be given strength to face both life and death fearlessly.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Change^*^*^June 21, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Change
^*^*^
"Let us never fear needed change.
Certainly we have to discriminate between
changes for worse and changes for better.
But once a need becomes clearly apparent
in an individual, in a group, or in AA as a whole,
it has long since been found out
that we cannot stand still and look the other way.
The essence of all growth is a willingness
to change for the better
and then an unremitting willingness
to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails."
Bill W., Grapevine, July 1965
1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 115
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

God used two people to create me;
He used a whole Fellowship to change me.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A C T I O N  =  Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature.

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

Steps

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Though subject to considerable variation, it all boiled down into a pretty consistent procedure which comprised six steps. These were approximately as follows: 

  1. "We admitted that we were licked, that we were powerless  over alcohol.

 

  2.  "We made a moral inventory of our defects or sins.

 

  3.   "We confessed or shared our shortcomings with another person in confidence.

 

  4.   "We made restitution to all those we have harmed by our drinking.

 

  5.  "We tried to help other alcoholics, with no thought of reward in money or prestige.

  6.    We prayed to whatever God we thought there was for power to practice these precepts.

"This was the substance of what, by the fall of 1938, we were telling newcomers. Several of the Oxford Groups other ideas and attitudes had been definitely rejected, including any which could involve us in theological controversy."

 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 160

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^s^*~*~*~*~*
FEAR AND FAITH

The achievement of freedom from fear is a lifetime undertaking, one that can never be wholly completed.  When under heavy attack, acute illness, or in other conditions of serious insecurity, we shall all react to this emotion -- well or badly, as the case may be.  Only the self-deceived will claim perfect freedom from fear.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 263

Fear has caused suffering when I could have had more faith.  There are times when fear suddenly tears me apart, just when I'm experiencing feelings of joy, happiness and a lightness of heart.  Faith and a feeling of self-worth toward a Higher Power -- helps me endure tragedy and ecstasy.  When I choose to give all of my fears over to my Higher Power, I will be free.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
This Matter of Honesty

"Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is. Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be--to the best or our ability. "Fallible as we all are, and will be in this life, it would be presumption to suppose that we could ever really achieve absolute honesty. The best we can do is to strive for a better quality of honesty.
"Sometimes we need to place love ahead of indiscriminate 'factual honesty.' We cannot, under the guise of 'perfect honesty,' cruelly and unnecessarily hurt others. Always one must ask, 'What is the best and most loving thing I can do?' "

LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found
we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always
followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Intelligent faith in that Power greater than ourselves can
be counted on to stabilize our emotions. It has an
incomparable capacity to help us look at life in balanced
perspective. We look up, around, and away from ourselves,
and we see that nine out of ten things that at the moment
upset us will shortly disappear. Problems solve themselves,
criticism and unkindness vanish as though they had never
been. Have I got the proper perspective toward life?

Meditation for the Day

A truly spiritual man or woman would like to have a serene
mind. The only way to keep calm in this troubled world is to
have a serene mind. The calm and sane mind sees spiritual
things as the true realities and material things as only
temporary and fleeting. That sort of mind you can never obtain
by reasoning, because your reasoning powers are limited by
space and time. That kind of a mind you can never obtain by
reading, because other minds are also limited in the same way.
You can only have that mind by an act of faith, by making the
venture of belief.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have a calm and sane mind. I pray that I may
look up, around, and away from myself.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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