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AA Thoughts For Today - May
AA Thought for the Day
May 1 Road of Happy Destiny Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you—until then. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) p. 164 Thought to Ponder . . . Trust God. Clean house. Help others. AA-related 'Alconym' A A W O L = A A Way Of Life. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Choices "During the day, we can pause where situations must be met and decisions made, and renew the simple request: 'Thy will, not mine, be done.' If at these points our emotional disturbance happens to be great, we will more surely keep our balance, provided we remember, and repeat to ourselves, a particular prayer or phrase that has appealed to us in our reading or meditation. Just saying it over and over will often enable us to return to the surest help of all-- our search for God's will, not our own, in the moment of stress." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 102-3 As Bill Sees It, p. 78 Thought to Consider . . . "As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 87 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* FEAR False Evidence Appearing Real *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Conference >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": In the late 1940s "most of the nonalcoholics on the Board at the time had been institutional [non-profit organization] men. Bernard Smith on the other hand was a businessman and lawyer. From the time he had joined the Board, three years earlier, he had always favored corporate management for the A.A. office and an elected conference to sit with the Trustees as the final plan of service structure for Alcoholics Anonymous. " Chairman Leonard Harrison appointed "Bernard Smith Chairman of the Trustees' Committee on the proposed Conference [despite] their differences of opinion. "Bernard Smith has a remarkable faculty for persuasion and negotiation. Moreover, his ideas about a conference had already taken a deeper hold than any of us realized. [H]e took up the task of convincing the Trustees committee on the Conference. He put this question to the committee: Shall we set up this Conference of delegates, or shall we forget about it? To my astonishment the committee unanimously said, 'Let's give the Conference a try.' It seemed like a miracle." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 212 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I had been introverted and tense. I had been blocked by a fat ego that made sharing impossible, by a lack of communication, by a fear of love. The Fifth Step swept away all those barricades. With some humility, I could begin to find joy in the simple delights of life." Brooklyn, N.Y. June 1974 "The Fifth Step -- A Way to Stay High," Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis, since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down. Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 99 "If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 83~ We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 21 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We Are Not Fighting We have ceased fighting anything or anyone--even alcohol. For by this time sanity has returned. We can now react sanely and normally, and we find that this has happened almost automatically. We see that this new attitude toward liquor is really a gift of God. That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is how we react--so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 84-85 Prayer For The Day: Oh Heavenly Father, in whom I live and move and have my being, I humbly pray to you to guide and govern me by your Holy Spirit, that in all the joys, occupations, and cares of this day I may never forget you, but remember that I am ever walking in your sight. In Christ's name, I pray, Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 2 Our Next Step We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 87 Thought to Ponder . . . Life is fragile, handle with prayer. AA-related 'Alconym' P R A Y E R = Praying Regularly Allows Your Everyday Recovery. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Humility "I am still arrogant, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times, but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman. Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA. The word 'alcoholic' does not turn me off any more; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 463 Thought to Consider . . . "Many people haven't even a nodding acquaintance with humility as a way of life." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* KISS Keep It Simple, Surrender *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Strong >From "From Loneliness to Solitude": "A.A. members are not emotional cripples who need someone to hold their hands every moment of the day and night to prevent their falling. We grow up with the help of God, as we understand Him, and the fellowship of the group, and by applying the Twelve Steps to our lives." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 109 *~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~* God has given me this day to use as I wish; Alcoholics Anonymous shows me how to live it without a drink." Somerville, Mass., September 1995 "Changes for the Better," In Our Own Words ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in practically every case long before it is suspected." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~ "When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 64~ It is A.A.’s experience that particularly in these cases we ought to pray that God’s will, whatever it is, be done for others as well as for ourselves. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 104 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Willingness Is the Key No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is? A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 35 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, thank you for the life you have given me. Thank you for giving me a family that is so understanding and supportive of me in everything I do. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 3 Our Own Power Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God’s help. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 62 Thought to Ponder . . . I can't think my way into right acting, but I can act my way into right thinking. AA-related 'Alconym' F A I T H = Found Always In Trusting Him. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Troubles "So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying our own power. We had to have God's help." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62 Thought to Consider . . . The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* FINE Feeling Insecure, Numb and Empty *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Trust From "CONCEPT III:" "Our entire A.A. program rests squarely upon the principle of mutual trust. We trust God, we trust A.A., and we trust each other. Therefore we cannot do less than trust our leaders in service. The 'Right of Decision' that we offer them is not only the practical means by which they may act and lead effectively, but it is also the symbol of our implicit confidence." 1962, AAWS, Inc.; Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W., page 16 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Today, we enjoy a Fellowship which owes its ever-increasing membership of recovering alcoholics (unprecedented in human history) to the well-wishers and combined efforts of many outside agencies and services, as well as many professionals. To these folks, we surely owe a debt of gratitude. "Yet, the heart of AA remains the same, thank God, when one alcoholic reaches out to another, and we find that we can do together what none of us could do alone." Aberdeen, S.D., September 1991 "Sponsorship -- The Heart of AA," In Our Own Words ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people´s shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19 More than most people the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation but knows in his heart he doesnt deserve it. ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 73 Could we then foresee that troublesome people were to become our principal teachers of patience and tolerance? -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 141 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The New A.A. and His Family When alcoholism strikes, very unnatural situations may develop which work against marriage partnership and compatible union. If the man is affected, the wife must become the head of the house, often the breadwinner. As matters get worse, the husband becomes a sick and irresponsible child who needs to be looked after and extricated from endless scrapes and impasses. Very gradually, usually without any realization of the fact, the wife is forced to become the mother of an erring boy, and the alcoholic alternately loves and hates her maternal care. Under the influence of A.A.'[s Twelve Steps, these situations are often set right. Whether the family goes on a spiritual basis or not, the alcoholic member has to if he would recover. The others must be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt. Seeing is believing to most families who have lived with a drinker. 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 117-118 2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 135 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, I thank you for this beautiful day. I ask for your guidance and wisdom as I go into this day. Please grant me the strength and wisdom to overcome the problems I may encounter in this day. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 4 Humility It was only by repeated humiliations that we were forced to learn something about humility. It was only at the end of a long road, marked by successive defeats and humiliations, and the final crushing of our self-sufficiency, that we began to feel humility as something more than a condition of groveling despair. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 72 Thought to Ponder . . . Humility is born of the spirit, humiliation of the ego. AA-related 'Alconym' C H A N G E = Choosing Humility Allows New Gifts and Energy. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Inventory "A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64 Thought to Consider . . . In order to recover we have to uncover. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* WHO ME? Willingness,Honesty, Open-mindedness,Must Exist *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Peace From "To Handle Sobriety:" "The more I drank, the more I fantasized everything....I lived in a dream world. A.A. led me gently from this fantasizing to embrace reality with open arms. And I found it beautiful! For, at last, I was at peace with myself. And with others. And with God." 2001, AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous, page 559 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* They say love heals all, and I am confident the future is bright." San Diego, Calif., July 1992 "Bottom's Up," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~ "...with us, to drink is to die." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~ We shall want to speak with someone who is experienced, who not only has stayed dry but has been able to surmount other serious difficulties.” -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Freedom to Choose Looking back, we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom. When we choose because we 'must,' this was not a free choice, either. But it got us started in the right direction. When we choose 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, hold-out, or conflict, then we had our first view of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like. GRAPEVINE, MAY 1960 Prayer For The Day: Father in Heaven, Thank you for watching over me as I slept through the night. Your hands of comfort and strength held me as You watched over me. Father, I love You. You love me so much and I am in awe of how amazing You truly are. As I begin my day, I simply pray that you walk with me and lead me where you please. May Your will be done this day. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 5 Higher Power In our personal stories you will find a wide variation in the way each teller approaches and conceives of the Power which is greater than himself. Whether we agree with a particular approach or conception seems to make little difference. Experience has taught us that these are matters about which, for our purpose, we need not be worried. They are questions for each individual to settle for himself. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 50 Thought to Ponder . . . Willpower ... our will-ingness to use a Higher Power. AA-related 'Alconym' H O W = Honest, Open-minded, Willing. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Power "We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn't there. Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 45 Thought to Consider . . . Willpower ... our will-ingness to use a Higher Power. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* FAITH For An Instant Trust Him *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Destiny "A Vision For You" "Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 164 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "My sponsor taught me how to be of service with grace and gratitude. She taught me how to listen, how to be respectful, and most importantly, to mind my own business." Palm Springs, Calif., May 2012 "Stitch and Giggle," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Some drinkers have excuses with which they are satisfied part of the time. But in their hearts they really do not know why they do it. Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But they often suspect they are down for the count." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 23~ "Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 75 Only Step One, where we made the 100 percent admission we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 68 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Look Beyond the Horizon My workshop stands on a hill back of our home. Looking over the valley, I see the village community house where our local group meets. Beyond the circle of my horizon lies the whole world of A.A. The unity of A.A. is the most cherished quality our Society has. Our lives, the lives of all to come, depend squarely upon it. Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; our world arteries would no longer carry the life-giving grace of God. 1. A.A. TODAY, P. 7 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 129 Prayer For The Day: May the God of hope fill me and all of us with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that we may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 6 Holding Back Nothing We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves—the help of God and another human being. Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only by being willing to take advice and accept direction could we set foot on the road to straight thinking, solid honesty, and genuine humility. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Five) p. 59 Thought to Ponder . . . We need to share our problems to find our solutions. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Attitude Adjustment. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Control "Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30 Thought to Consider . . . When a person tries to control their drinking they have already lost control. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* STEPS Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Honesty From "Our Survival:" "The HONESTY expressed by the members of A.A. in meetings has the power to open my mind. Nothing can block the flow of energy that HONESTY carries with it. The only obstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then, no one will find a closed door if he or she has left and chooses to return. Once he or she has received the gift of sobriety, each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basis to accept a program of HONESTY." 1990, Daily Reflections, page 311 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* It doesn't matter who or what God is if I can just remember it's not me!" Ranchester, Wyo., May 2012 "Sunsets -- Not My Idea," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~ "Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God's help." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62 Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 42 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'Admitted to God . . . ' Provided you hold back nothing in taking the Fifth Step, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute. The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed. As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place. And when humility and serenity are so combined, something else of great moment is apt to occur. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 62 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, I thank you for helping me when I need it most. I pray you help me help others when they are in need. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 7 Inventory By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us. Without a searching and fearless moral inventory, most of us have found that the faith which really works in daily living is still out of reach. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 43 Thought to Ponder . . . In order to recover we have to uncover. AA-related 'Alconym' H O P E = Hold On, Peace Exists. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Control "Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30 Thought to Consider . . . When a person tries to control their drinking they have already lost control. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* STEPS Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Honesty From "Our Survival:" "The HONESTY expressed by the members of A.A. in meetings has the power to open my mind. Nothing can block the flow of energy that HONESTY carries with it. The only obstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then, no one will find a closed door if he or she has left and chooses to return. Once he or she has received the gift of sobriety, each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basis to accept a program of HONESTY." 1990, Daily Reflections, page 311 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Everyone's recipe for serenity is different. It's like vegetable soup -- nobody makes it quite the same." Chestertown, N.Y., January 2006 "Circles of Sobriety," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~ "Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God's help." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62 Having so considered our day, not omitting to take due note of things well done, and having searched our hearts with neither fear nor favor, we can truly thank God for the blessings we have received and sleep in good conscience. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 95 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Persistence in Prayer We often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer as something not really necessary. To be sure, we feel it is something that might help us to meet an occasional emergency, but at first many of us are apt to regard it as a somewhat mysterious skill of clergymen, from which we may hope to get a secondhand benefit. In A.A. we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question. They are matters of knowledge and experience. All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand in the face of difficult circumstances. TWELVE AND TWELVE- 1. P. 96 - 2. P. 104 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, You are my light and salvation. With you I am not afraid and have nothing to fear. Thank you for being there for me even when the hour is darkest. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 8 Indecision In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 86 Thought to Ponder . . . Life is fragile, handle with prayer. AA-related 'Alconym' P A U S E = Pray Actively Until Serenity Emerges. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Friendship "We commenced to make many fast friends and a fellowship has grown up among us of which it is a wonderful thing to feel a part of. The joy of living we really have, even under pressure and difficulty. I have seen hundreds of families set their feet in the path that really goes somewhere; have seen the most impossible domestic situations righted; feuds and bitterness of all sorts wiped out. I have seen men come out of asylums and resume a vital place in the lives of their families and communities. Business and professional men have regained their standing. There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery which has not been overcome among us." Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 15 Thought to Consider . . . "Most of us feel we need look no further for Utopia. We have it with us right here and now." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 16 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* EGO Easing God Out *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Psychology From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":": "As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to get behind our excuses and to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were and that we have been motivated by forces unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look with the deepest respect, interest, and profit upon the findings of psychiatry, remembering that up to now the psychiatrists have been far more tolerant of us than we have been of them. "Bill W." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 236 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Should our present success continue, people will commence to assert that AA is a brand new way of life, maybe a new religion, capable of saving the world. We shall be told it is our bounden duty to show modern society how it ought to live ... "Fortunately most of us are convinced that these are perilous speculations, alluring ingredients of that new heady wine we are now being offered, each bottle marked 'Success'! "Of this subtle vintage may we never drink too deeply." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., April 1948 "Tradition Five" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~ "No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 8 During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Back To Work It is possible for us to use the alleged dishonesty of other people as a plausible excuse for not meeting our own obligations. Once, some prejudiced friends exhorted me never to go back to Wall Street. They were sure that the rampant materialism and double-dealing down there would stunt my spiritual growth. Because this sounded so high-minded, I continued to stay away from the only business that I knew. When, finally, my household went broke, I realized I hadn't been able to face the prospect of going back to work. So I returned to Wall Street, and I have ever since been glad that I did. I needed to rediscover that there are many fine people in New York's financial district. Then, too, I needed the experience of staying sober in the very surroundings where alcohol had cut me down. A Wall Street business trip to Akron, Ohio, first brought me face to face with Dr. Bob. So the birth of A.A. hinged on my effort to meet my bread-and-butter responsibilities. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, thank you giving me the strength to face this day. I ask that you keep me from being caught up in the hidden dangers of the world and guide me so I make it home. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 9 An Easier, Softer Way At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 58 Thought to Ponder . . . If I always do what I've always done, I'll always get what I've always gotten. AA-related 'Alconym' S T E P S = Solutions Through Each Powerful Step. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Anonymity "We have denied ourselves personal government, professionalism, and the right to say who our members shall be. We have abandoned do-goodism, reform, and paternalism. We refuse charitable money and prefer to pay our own way. We will cooperate with practically everybody, yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone. We abstain from public controversy and will not quarrel among ourselves about those things that so rip society asunder-- religion, politics, and reform. We have but one purpose; to carry the AA message to the sick alcoholic who wants it." Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 211 Thought to Consider . . . AA is not something you join, it's a way of life. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* ANONYMOUS Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity & Service *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Psychology From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":": "As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to get behind our excuses and to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were and that we have been motivated by forces unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look with the deepest respect, interest, and profit upon the findings of psychiatry, remembering that up to now the psychiatrists have been far more tolerant of us than we have been of them. "Bill W." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 236 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "How will I know if I've really hit my bottom?' I asked at my home group. 'When you stop digging,' they told me." Chelsea, Mich., November 2002 "The Foundation," In Our Own Words ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~ "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~ Then he asked for the grace to bring love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy to every human being he could. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 101 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Way of Strength We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our belief in Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, life seems so hard at times and I can hardly get through. I close my eyes and hand you my troubles for I know you can do much better than I. Thank you Lord for your blessings and kindness. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 10 A Tornado The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others. Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil. We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don’t see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain’t it grand the wind stopped blowin’?" - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 82 Thought to Ponder . . . Without change I am just a non-drinking drunk. AA-related 'Alconym' N U T S = Not Using The Steps. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Sunlight "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 worthwhile. 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, p. 66 Thought to Consider . . . "I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, Jan. 1958. The Language of the Heart, p. 238 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* CALM Can Anger Leave Me *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "But at one of these [Trustee] meetings in the early fall of 1938, Frank Amos popped up with an idea which opened the door upon our real future. Frank said, 'One of my friends, Eugene Exman, is Religious Editor of Harper. Perhaps he would be interested in your [Bill W.'s] new book. Why don't you go down there and show him the few chapters you have done? I'll fix it up for you.' "So down I went to meet Gene Exman, another wonderful friend-to-be of our society. I related the tale of our struggles and handed over to him my first attempt at authorship. While I waited Gene thoughtfully scanned the two chapters. Then he asked, 'Could you do a whole book in this style? And how many months would it take you?' I was shaking, but I had an answer ready: 'I believe I can do it. It will probably take nine or ten months.' Thereupon he made a proposal that was surprising. 'If it would help things along,' he said, 'I think Harper might be willing to advance you $1,500 in royalties. This amount would be deducted from your account when the book is finished in 1939.' "Again in the clouds, I left Harper to break the great news to the gang." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 153-54 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "AA works on all kinds of nuts (including myself). I just needed to find the right wrench." Oceanside, Calif., November 2013 "The Right Wrench," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Many of us felt that we had plenty of character. There was a tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it this utter inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the wish." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 34~ "We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members identify themselves with as individuals. This should be an entirely personal affair which each one decides for himself in the light of past associations, or his present choice." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~ God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can, And wisdom to know the difference. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 125 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Our Problem Centers in the Mind We know as long as the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he usually reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, in both the bodily and the mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this. These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23 Prayer For The Day: We know, Lord, that throughout our lives each of us will experience problems and difficulties. Give us courage and strength at those times and prevent us then from looking only at ourselves. Keep our vision wide so that, even in times of difficulty, we may still be of help to others. Help us not to be bitter towards people or situations, but empower us to take the initiative and break the cycle of hatred, bitterness, and evil actions. Help us to transform the difficulties that come our way into opportunities for personal growth and service of others. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 11 Came to Believe The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Two) p. 27 Thought to Ponder . . . I saw, I felt, I believed. AA-related 'Alconym' A B C = Accept, Begin, Continue. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Maturity "Many oldsters who have put our AA 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must develop a real maturity and balance (which is to say humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, January 1958 As Bill Sees It, p. 244 Thought to Consider . . . "We must find a spiritual basis of life -- or else." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 44 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* AA Attitude Adjustment *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Inspiration From "This Spirit Touch": "At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God" the fleeting feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible in ordinary life." AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The AA program does not recognize walls. It is immune to the conditions which break down an individual relationship, the difference in social levels, of intellect, of experience. AA takes no heed of this. It has one primary law, help your fellow man and do it by example rather than by instruction." Walla Walla,Wash., February 1955 "Prisoner AA," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters if you get a full knowledge of your condition." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~ "Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are using it constantly." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85 It is worth noting that people of very high spiritual development almost always insist on checking with friends or spiritual advisers the guidance they feel they have received from God. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 60 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Obstacles in Our Path We live in a world riddled with envy. To a greater or lesser degree, everybody is infected with it. From this defect we must surely get a warped yet definite satisfaction. Else why would we consume so much time wishing for what we have not, rather than working for it, or angrily looking for attributes we shall never have, instead of adjusting to the fact, and accepting it? Each of us would like to live at peace with himself and with his fellows. We would like to be assured that the grace of God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We have seen that character defects based upon shortsighted or unworthy desires are the obstacles that block our path toward these objectives. We now clearly see that we have been making unreasonable demands upon ourselves, upon others, and upon God. TWELVE AND TWELVE 1. P. 67 2. P. 76 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, no matter how old I get I still feel young and naive. Grant me the wisdom to chose the right path. Guide me for I do not know the way. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 12 The Quick Inventory In all these situations we need self-restraint, honest analysis of what is involved, a willingness to admit when the fault is ours, and an equal willingness to forgive when the fault is elsewhere. We need not be discouraged when we fall into the error of our old ways, for these disciplines are not easy. We shall look for progress, not for perfection. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 91 Thought to Ponder . . . Forgiveness is another word for letting go. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Accountable Actions. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Forgiveness "The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. This is especially true if he has, in fact, behaved badly at all. Triumphantly, we seize upon his misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own. If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?" Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78 Thought to Consider . . . We are prisoners of our own resentments. Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* KISS Keep It Simple, Surrender *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Reborn >From "Bill's Story": "Trembling, I stepped from the hospital a broken man. Fear sobered me for a bit. Then came the insidious insanity of that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again. Everyone became resigned to the certainty that I would have to be shut up somewhere, or would stumble along to a miserable end. How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I'm still mystified by how I got sober, and the only answer that makes sense is that I stopped drinking through the grace of God. I was thinking about the difference between those of us who get sober and those who are still drinking, and I believe the difference is that we have accepted the grace that was offered. Every day, my Higher Power gives me the grace to be sober, and every day I make the choice not to drink, to accept the grace." La Crescenta, Calif., February 1993 "The Gift of Sobriety," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self- pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~ "In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86 Practically every A.A. member declares that no satisfaction has been deeper and no joy greater than in a Twelfth Step job well done. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 110 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Spot-Checking A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of disturbances can be of very great help in quieting stormy emotions. Today's spot check finds its chief application to situations which arise in each day's march. The consideration of long- standing difficulties had better be postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for that purpose. The quick inventory is aimed at our daily ups and downs, especially those where people or new events throw us off balance and tempt us to make mistakes. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 90-91 Prayer For The Day: The night has passed, the sun shines its light upon us, and the day lies open before me. As I rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence fill me with love for you and my fellow man, holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Abide with me, I pray, now and forever. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 13 Great Sense of Purpose This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 130 Thought to Ponder . . . Faith is our greatest gift; its sharing with others our greatest responsibility. AA-related 'Alconym' T R U S T = Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Disease "Some strongly object to the AA position that alcoholism is an illness. This concept, they feel, removes moral responsibility from alcoholics. As any AA knows, this is far from true. We do not use the concept of sickness to absolve our members from responsibility. On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation onto the sufferer, the obligation to use AA's Twelve Steps to get well." Bill W., Talk, 1960 As Bill Sees It, p. 32 Thought to Consider . . . The road to recovery is always under construction. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* STEPS Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Candor STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. "When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved. But we soon discovered that while we weren't alone any more in a social sense we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 57 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* While I have years of sobriety, I really only have this day." Mesa, Ariz., February 1993 "Overcoming Depression and Fear," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~ "...we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132 This all meant, of course, that we had substituted negative for positive thinking. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 30 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'Privileged People' I saw that I had been living too much alone, too much aloof from my fellows, and too deaf to that voice within. Instead of seeing myself as a simple agent bearing the message of experience, I had thought of myself as a founder of A.A. How much better it would have been had I felt gratitude rather than self-satisfaction--gratitude that I had once suffered the pains of alcoholism, gratitude that a miracle of recovery had been worked upon me from above, gratitude for the privilege of serving my fellow alcoholics, and gratitude for those fraternal ties which bound me ever closer to them in a comradeship such as few societies of men have ever known. Truly did a clergyman say to me, 'Your misfortune has become your good fortune. You A.A.'s are a privileged people.' GRAPEVINE, JULY 1946 Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I honor You as my King and Lord, I submit myself to You to do Your will. Thank you, for Your love for me. I am grateful that You are a loving and forgiving God. I want to thank You also for the abundant blessings that You have given me. One of those blessings is that I can lay my head down each night and enjoy sweet sleep, and at times, You even speak to me in my dreams. It is such a blessing to have Your love, peace and joy. No amount of money can buy these blessings. I just want to say a special thanks for these gifts. Bless my brothers and sisters with Your love and guidance and lead us all into more truth. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 14 Step Five “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn’t belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 57 Thought to Ponder . . . I am as sick as my secrets. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Awakening "Alcoholism is a grievous and often fatal malady of the mind and body. We have found that these awful conditions invariably bring on the third phase of our malady. This is the sickness of the spirit; a sickness for which there must necessarily be a spiritual remedy. We AA's recognize this in the first five words of Step Twelve. Those words are: 'Having had a spiritual awakening...' Here we name the remedy for our threefold sickness of body, mind, and soul." Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 297 Thought to Consider . . "When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64 . *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* P R O G R A M People Relying On God Relaying A Message. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Sabotage "From "Tightrope": "After a few years, I was a nightly blackout drinker. My lover drank heavily as well, and I began to compare my drinking with his. I argued to myself that I could not have a problem because his drinking was worse than mine at times. In fact, I suggested that he might try A.A. When he did try this Fellowship, I did all I could to undermine his efforts to get sober his recovery would present an obvious, if unacknowledged, threat to my drinking. Eventually, the stress became too much and we broke up, but not before I had succeeded in undermining his recovery." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 361 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Sometimes I wonder if this illness isn't a gift rather than a problem." Kingston, Ontario, July 1980 "A Reason for Living," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play, do not laugh much. So let each family play together or separately as much as their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~ Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make- believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 130~ All of A.A.’s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 55 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Individual's Rights We believe there isn't a fellowship on earth which devotes more care to its individual members; surely there is none which more jealously guards the individual's right to think, talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do anything; nobody can be punished or expelled. Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single 'Don't.' They repeatedly say, 'We ought . . .' but never 'You must! Though it is traditional that our Fellowship may not coerce anyone, let us not suppose even for an instant that we are not under constraint. Indeed, we are under enormous coercion--the kind that comes in bottles. Our former tyrant, King Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him. 'Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great 'must' that has to be achieved, else we go mad or die.' 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 129 2. LETTER, 1966 Prayer For The Day: Simple Thanks - For our restful sleep at night, for the rain and sunshine bright, For the love that Thou dost send, For our homes and for each friend, For the day and all its pleasures, Grateful thanks I render now. May our lives pass on the blessings, None can give to us, but Thou. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 15 Surrender When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 100 Thought to Ponder . . . Letting go is a process, not an event. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Always Awesome. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Conflict "My conflicts went right on mounting because I was simply loaded with excuses and refusals. When these troubles had finally exhausted me enough, there was yet another escape. I would commence to wallow in the bog of guilt. Here pride and rebellion would give way to depression. My main theme always was, 'How god-awful I am.' There was never a decent regret for the harms I had done, nor was there any serious thought of making such restitution as I could. The idea of asking God's forgiveness, let alone any forgiveness of myself, never occurred to me. My really big liability - spiritual pride and arrogance- was not examined at all. I had shut out the light by which I might have seen it." Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 257-8 Thought to Consider . . . Simply asking for help seems to be a help in itself. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* HOW Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness: that's how we do it *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Disease From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "We know of course that the alcoholic is a sick person. That is a very simple phrase. It is today a phrase that is widely and generally accepted, and yet you and I know that it was not so long ago that the alcoholic was regarded as a nuisance, a pest, a person who could snap out of it if he really wanted to. He was regarded as a spoiled brat and a no- good. Today we know that he is an individual who is sick, and we know that he is sick in an area of which our understanding is perhaps the least of any area in medicine, namely, illness of the emotions. “ Dr. W.W. Bauer, 1955" 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 239 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "During days and nights of darkness as I face the demons of self, the knowledge that my God is always in charge keeps me trudging to the end of each journey. With God, AA, and willingness I can meet the other me and begin putting my fractured self together again." Cleveland, Ohio, February 1993 "Facing the Truth," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we took other simple steps." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~ "Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~ During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 75 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Victory in Defeat Convinced I never could belong, and vowing I'd never settle for any second-rate status, I felt I simply had to dominate in everything I chose to do: work or play. As this attractive formula for the good life began to succeed, according to my then specifications of success, I became deliriously happy. But when an undertaking occasionally did fail, I was filled with resentment and depression that could be cured only by the next triumph. Very early, therefore, I came to value everything in terms of victory or defeat--'all or nothing.' The only satisfaction I knew was to win. Only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built. 1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 21 Prayer For The Day: Loving Lord, inspire me to bring out the best in others and “touch hearts” by being welcoming and generous and always positive in attitude, showing individuals that they matter and are important. May those who are part of my life this day treat me in the same way as I treat them. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 16 A Real Answer That the man who is making the approach has had the same difficulty, that he obviously knows what he is talking about, that his whole deportment shouts at the new prospect that he is a man with a real answer, that he has no attitude of Holier Than Thou, nothing whatever except the sincere desire to be helpful; that there are no fees to pay, no axes to grind, no people to please, no lectures to be endured—these are the conditions we have found most effective. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) pp. 18 - 19 Thought to Ponder . . . Trust God. Clean house. Help others. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Answer Available. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Martyrdom "Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and consuming defects that we know. It is a bar to all spiritual progress and can cut off all effective communication with our fellows because of its inordinate demands for attention and sympathy. It is a maudlin form of martyrdom, which we can ill afford." Bill W., Letter, 1966 As Bill Sees It, p. 238 Thought to Consider . . . I can't have a better tomorrow if I am thinking about yesterday all the time. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* PEACE Praying Energetically Always Creates Ease *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Real From "Because I'm an Alcoholic": "A.A. is my home now, and it is everywhere. I go to meetings when I travel here or in foreign countries, and the people are family I can know because of what we share. As I write this, in my twenty-eighth year of sobriety, I am amazed to look back and remember the woman or child. I was then, to see how far I've come out of that abyss. Alcoholics Anonymous has enabled me to move from fantasies about what I might do with my life into living it, one day at a time." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 346 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I believe most of us would agree that the general idea of anonymity is sound, because it encourages alcoholics and the families of alcoholics to approach us for help. Still fearful of being stigmatized, they regard our anonymity as an assurance their problems will be kept confidential; that the alcoholic skeleton in the family closet will not wander in the streets." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., March 1946 "Our Anonymity Is Both Inspiration and Safety" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~ "Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~ When our inventory is carefully taken, and we have made peace with ourselves, the conviction follows that tomorrow’s challenges can be met as they come. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 89 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Giving Up Defects Looking at those defects we are unwilling to give up, we ought to erase the hard and fast lines that we have drawn. Perhaps in some cases we shall say, 'This I cannot give up yet. . .' But we should not say to ourselves, 'This I will never give up!' The moment we say, 'No, never!' our minds close against the grace of God. Such rebellion may be fatal. Instead, we should abandon limited objectives and begin to move toward God's will for us. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 68-69 Prayer For The Day: Oh God, hold me in the palm of your hand. I pray that you will mold me into what you want me to be. May I joyfully fill the role you have given to me and feel your peace deep in my soul, today and always, Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 17 A Common Solution The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined. The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 17 Thought to Ponder . . . The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual. AA-related 'Alconym' F R O G = Fully Rely On God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Fear "This short word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve. But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble." Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 67-8. Thought to Consider . . . Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F E A R = Forever Escaping And Retreating *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Literature From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "My elation was disturbed by disquieting thoughts. Suppose our embryo book were someday to become the chief text for our fellowship. Our principal written asset would then be owned by an outside publisher, a fine and conservative one surely, but nevertheless an outsider. "Soon afterward, one of the most terrific power-drivers I have ever met got into the act. This was my friend Henry P., one-time Standard Oil executive and the very first alcoholic ever to stay sober even a little while in the New York group. ¦'Why don't we put this proposed book on a business basis and form a stock company? Let's sell shares to our own folks right here in New York.' . . . "I went back to [Harper's Editor and A.A. friend] Gene Exman and frankly explained to him what was about to happen. To my utter amazement, he agreed, quite contrary to his own interest, that a society like ours ought to control and publish its own literature." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 154-55 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "AA's greatest power is not in the program itself, but in the examples of the men [and women] who have followed it." Walla Walla,Wash., February 1955 "Prisoner AA," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions. Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~ "The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 83~ Most of us would declare that without a fearless admission of our defects to another human being we could not stay sober. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 57 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Beyond Agnosticism We of agnostic temperament 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. 'Many people soberly assure me that man has no better place in the universe than that of another completing organism, fighting its way through life only to perish in the end. Hearing this, I feel that I still prefer to cling to the so-called illusion of religion, which in my own experience has meaningfully told me something very different.' 1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 46 2. LETTER, 1946 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, there are times in my life when I seem to be getting no where, when I am forced to mark time. Help me to learn the hard lesson of patience, and to put my trust in You. ... Help me to use these times wisely, to sort out my relationship with You, and to gain a new perspective, that I may set more realistic goals, which will be pleasing to You. Give me patience to await Your timing. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 18 Our Choice 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. What was our choice to be? - Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 53 Thought to Ponder . . . No God, no peace --- know God, know peace. AA-related 'Alconym' W I L L I N G = When I Live Life, I Need God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Sponsor "If we are fooling ourselves, a competent adviser can see this quickly. And, as he skillfully guides us away from our fantasies, we are surprised to find that we have few of the usual urges to defend ourselves against unpleasant truths. In no other way can fear, pride, and ignorance be so readily melted. After a time, we realize that we are standing firm on a brand-new foundation for integrity, and we gratefully credit our sponsors, whose advice pointed the way." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, August 1961. As Bill Sees It, p. 248 Thought to Consider . . . A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor is much like leaving Dracula in charge of the blood bank. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C A R D S = Call your sponsor, Ask for help from your Higher Power, Read the Big Book, Do the Twelve Steps, Stay active in your group. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Roles From "Action and Patience": "I heard that we can't keep what we have unless we give it away. And so I found a woman someone a little newer than I was and I shared with her what you had shared with me. Looking back on it, I doubt that I helped this woman very much, but I helped myself beyond measure. I stayed sober, day by day, through sharing my experience, strength, and hope with her, through putting action into the A.A. program while, at the same time, waiting for her, not forcing my action on her. This was patience supporting the action, though I didn't call it patience at the time; the word was not a part of my emotional vocabulary." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 42 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevinek Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "My home group's primary purpose is to carry the AA message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Some of those have much sobriety, because the alcoholic who still suffers is not necessarily a newcomer. However, when newcomers do show up at our home group we try to focus our discussion on what's in the Big Book and how it can help them if they are willing to follow some simple suggestions." Paso Robles, Calif., May 1998 "The Cement That Binds Us," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "The minute we put our work on a service plane, the alcoholic commences to rely upon our assistance rather than upon God. He clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job, wife or no wife, we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~ "We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~ Every newcomer in Alcoholics Anonymous is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 72 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Two Roads for the Old-timer The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as 'elder statesmen' and 'bleeding deacons.' The elder statesman sees the wisdom of the group's decision to run itself and holds no resentment over his reduced status. His judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound; he is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments. The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him. He constantly connives for re-election to office and continues to be consumed with self-pity. Nearly every old-timer in our Society has gone through this process in some degree. Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statemen. They become the real and permanent leadership of A.A. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 135 Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you that I am well, and strong and able to work. I do appreciate the work You have called me to do. Lord, sometimes I do get weary, but help me not to complain. I am most blessed to be Your child and I thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, use each of us to reach out to those that do not have the blessings that we have. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 19 A.A.'s Simple Prayer With each passing day of our lives, may every one of us sense more deeply the inner meaning of A.A.'s simple prayer: God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can. And wisdom to know the difference. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 125 Thought to Ponder . . . Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm. AA-related 'Alconym' P A U S E = Pause Action Until Serenity Emerges. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Attitudes "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. 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 Thought to Consider . . . I have learned that my actions are far more important than my thoughts. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* EGO Easing God Out *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Open From "A Vision for You": "But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and securing jobs for each other, when justified these are everyday occurrences. No one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially if he means business. Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies these are laughed out of countenance. Being wrecked in the same vessel, being restored and united under one God, with hearts and minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things which matter so much to some people no longer signify much to them. How could they?" 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 161 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Each day I feel myself growing in recovery. I can honestly say I'm happier now than ever before in my adult life." Palmdale, Calif., July 1992 "An Unexpected Shot at Life," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "But my friend sat before me, and he made the pointblank declaration that God had done for him what he could not do for himself. His human will had failed. Doctors had pronounced him incurable. Society was about to lock him up. Like myself, he had admitted complete defeat. Then he had, in effect, been raised from the dead, suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than the best he had ever known!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 11~ 3rd Step Prayer: "God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~ So, practicing these Steps, we had a spiritual awakening about which finally there was no question. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 109 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Basis of All Humility For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible. This was true even when we believed that God existed. We could actually have earnest religious beliefs which remained barren because we were still trying to play God ourselves. As long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine reliance upon a Higher Power was out of the question. That basic ingredient of all humility, a desire to seek and do God's will, was missing. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 72 Prayer For The Day: Lord our God, we thank you that we have often felt you close to us. We thank you that you are near us and that you strengthen the weak. Remember us and give each one the help he needs to be true to his calling. Remember all mankind and grant that we may go forward in spirit and in truth. Give new light to the peoples who are still in great darkness. Let your kingdom and your reign be revealed and your name at last be honored by all. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 20 Freedom From 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. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 122 Thought to Ponder . . . Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself. AA-related 'Alconym' F E A R = Face Everything And Recover. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Communicate "From the beginning, communication in AA has been no ordinary transmission of helpful ideas and attitudes. It has been unusual and sometimes unique. Because of our kinship in suffering, and because our common means of deliverance are effective for ourselves only when constantly carried to others, our channels of contact have always been charged with the language of the heart." Bill W., July 1960 1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 243 Thought to Consider . . . To help each other, is to help ourselves. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* Y A N A = You Are Not Alone *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Honesty STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. "More realism and therefore more honesty about ourselves are the great gains we make under the influence of Step Five. As we took inventory, we began to suspect how much trouble self-delusion had been causing us. This had brought a disturbing reflection. If all our lives we had more or less fooled ourselves, how could we now be so sure that we weren't still self-deceived? How could we be certain that we had made a true catalog of our defects and had really admitted them, even to ourselves? Because we were still bothered by fear, self-pity, and hurt feelings, it was probable we couldn't appraise ourselves fairly at all. Too much guilt and remorse might cause us to dramatize and exaggerate our shortcomings. Or anger and hurt pride might be the smoke screen under which we were hiding some of our defects while we blamed others for them. Possibly, too, we were still handicapped by many liabilities, great and small, we never knew we had. "Hence it was most evident that a solitary self-appraisal, and the admission of our defects based upon that alone, wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves the help of God and another human being." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 58-59 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Through Step Five, God has removed my shame about being an alcoholic." Syracuse, N.Y., May 2001 "Lifting the Burden," Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time to outgrow that serious handicap." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~ "I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new found Friend take them away, root and branch." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 13~ “Beginning with Step Four, we commenced to search out the things in ourselves which had brought us to physical, moral, and spiritual bankruptcy.” -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 107 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Defects and Repairs More than most people, the alcoholics leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn't deserve it. Guilt is really the reverse side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of others. The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damages that occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to look at them in a true perspective. This has the effect of taking the ground glass out of us, the emotional substance that still cuts and inhibits. Prayer For The Day: Lord God, I do earnestly pray that thou wilt give me strength to break away, if I may be trying to free myself from habits that mar my character. May I not lose courage and fall back in the old ways, but by faith be led where I should go. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 21 The Root of Our Troubles Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt. So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 62 Thought to Ponder . . . .When I choose the behavior, I choose the consequences. AA-related 'Alconym' I S M = I, Self, Me. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Defiance "'As psychiatrists have often observed, defiance is the outstanding characteristic of many an alcoholic. When we encountered AA, the fallacy of our defiance was revealed. At no time had we asked what God's will was for us; instead we had been telling Him what it ought to be. No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. Belief meant reliance, not defiance. In AA we saw the fruits of this belief: men and women spared from alcohol's final catastrophe.'" Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 31 Thought to Consider . . . While it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* SIT Stay In Today *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Beginning From "Tightrope": "My sponsor was a living damper on my intolerance. But even more, he told me that it would be all right for me to doubt God, that A.A. was not a religious program and, to belong, I did not have to adhere to any set of beliefs. "He suggested that for me a good starting point would simply be recognition of the fact that I had failed in running the world in short, acceptance of the fact that I was not God. He also suggested that I might try occasionally to act as if I believed. Somewhere I had heard that it is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a new way of acting, and this made sense in the context of 'acting as if.'" 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 366 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I can recognize that I'm caught up in my will when I desperately struggle to slam a square peg into a round hole. That's the time for me to back off and trust that God's will is far better than mine." Elloree, S.C., November 2013 "Square Peg, Round Hole," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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~ "More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn't deserve it." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 73~ So, practicing these Steps, we had a spiritual awakening about which finally there was no question. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 109 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'Restore Us to Sanity' Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are, or, seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it. For example, some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,' but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill. They are abetted in this blindness by a world which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself. Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, grant me the strength to get through today. Grant me your wisdom to handle situations I cannot control. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 22 Recovered We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. For them, we hope these pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Foreword To First Edition) p. xiii Thought to Ponder . . . .Walk softly and carry a Big Book. AA-related 'Alconym' G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Daily Reprieve "It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 85 Thought to Consider . . . The road to recovery is always under construction. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* ACTION Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Inspiration From "This Spirit Touch": "At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God the fleeting feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible in ordinary life." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Over the years I've gone to different types of groups to meet different needs in my life or to share experience, strength, and hope about a particular problem I was struggling with. Some days I've been part of the solution for another suffering alcoholic; other days I've been the one who was suffering. "Thanks to our Fifth Tradition, no matter what my needs or my location I can find an AA group where I can talk about -- and listen to -- not drinking one day at a time, practicing the principles in all of my affairs, and being happily and usefully whole." Kensington, Md., May 1996 "A Consistent Message," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "It did not satisfy us to be told that we could not control our drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in full flight from reality, or were outright mental defectives. These things were true to some extent, in fact, to a considerable extent with some of us. But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as well. In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out this physical factor is incomplete." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxvi~ "We have begun to comprehend their futility and their fatality. We have commenced to see their terrible destructiveness. We have begun to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our enemies, for we look on them as sick people." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Pg. 70~ And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 97 Misc. AA Literature - Quote God-Given Instincts Creation gave us instincts for a purpose. Without them we wouldn't be complete human beings. If men and women didn't exert themselves to be secure in their persons, made no effort to harvest food or construct shelter, there would be no survival. If they didn't reproduce, the earth wouldn't be populated. If there were no social instinct, there would be no society. Yet these instincts, so necessary for our existence, often far exceed their proper functions. Powerfully, blindly, many times subtly, they drive us, dominate us, and insist upon ruling our lives. We tried to shape a sane ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test: Was it selfish or not? We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God- given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly nor to be despised and loathed. Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, thank you for all that you do. I ask you to forgive me when I judge others. Help me be more understanding and forgiving as no one is perfect, least of all me. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 23 Prayer Therefore, we ought to consider each request carefully to see what its real merit is. Even so, when making specific requests, it will be well to add to each one of them this qualification: "…if it be Thy will." We ask simply that throughout the day God place in us the best understanding of His will that we can have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which we may carry it out. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 102 Thought to Ponder . . . Life is fragile, handle with prayer. AA-related 'Alconym' P U S H = Pray Until Something Happens. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Acceptance "And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation - some fact of my life - unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 4th Edition Note: Dr. Paul O., author of these words, passed away 5.12.00. Thought to Consider . . . "My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance." Dr. Paul O., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* ABC Acceptance, Belief, Change *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Inspiration From "This Spirit Touch": "At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God, the fleeting feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible in ordinary life." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The word 'alcoholic' does not turn me off anymore; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me." July 1975 "One of Those Bad Cons Nobody Can Reach," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~ "First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~ Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only by being willing to take advice and accept direction could we set foot on the road to straight thinking, solid honesty, and genuine humility. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 59 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Within A.A., I suppose, we shall always quarrel a good bit. Mostly, I think, about how to do the greatest good for the greatest number of drunks. We shall have our childish spats and snits over small questions of money management and who is going to run our groups for the next six months. Any bunch of growing children (and that is what we are) would hardly be in character if they did less. These are the growing pains of infancy, and we actually thrive on them. Surmounting such problems, in A.A.'s rather rugged school of life, is a healthy exercise. Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you that You called me to be Your servant. Lord, give me the grace to serve You well. I do thank You for Your wisdom also. Guide me daily in the things that I must do and show me my priorities. Help me to be sensitive to the needs of those around me. Lord, I am looking to You to meet all of my needs. Give me peace and confidence when I must deal with situations that are difficult for me. May I speak the truth in love and be open myself for correction when You see something in my life that needs changing. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 24 We Trust God Perhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 68 Thought to Ponder . . . Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm. AA-related 'Alconym' F R O G = Fully Rely On God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Compulsion "It helped me a great deal to become convinced that alcoholism was a disease, not a moral issue; that I had been drinking as a result of a compulsion, even though I had not been aware of the compulsion at the time; and that sobriety was not a matter of willpower. I was afraid to let go of what I had in order to try something new; there was a certain sense of security in the familiar. At last, acceptance proved to be the key to my drinking problem. When I stopped living in the problem and began living in the answer, the problem went away." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417 4th Edition Thought to Consider . . . I have learned what a heart full of gratitude feels like. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* PACE Positive Attitudes Change Everything *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "To mollify the Trustees it was decided that the author's royalty [for the 'Big Book'] which would ordinarily be mine [Bill W.'s] could go to the Alcoholic Foundation. I have now forgotten just what his hopes were, but they were fantastic. I was not quite so optimistic, but I did feel sure that the proceeds of the book would enable several of us to become full- time workers and to set up a general headquarters for our society. Whether this worked out or not, I was nevertheless convinced that our fellowship ought to own and control its own literature." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 157 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "While wealth and authority lie at the foundation of many a noble institution, we of AA now apprehend, and thoroughly well, that these things are not for us. Have we not found that one man's meat is often another man's poison?" AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1947 "Will AA Ever Have a Personal Government?" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~ "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~ Surrounded by so many A.A. friends, these so-called loners tell us they no longer feel alone. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 120 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Most surely, there can be no trust where there is no love, nor can there be real love where distrust holds its malign sway. '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. 'However, this inventory needs to be taken in a spirit of understanding and love. Nothing can so much bias our judgment as the negative emotions of suspicion, jealousy, or anger. 'Having vested our confidence in another person, we ought to let him know of our full support. Because of this, more often than not he will respond magnificently, and far beyond our first expectations.' Prayer For The Day: Lord Jesus, you promised to be with your people always, and so we know that you are with us in good times and bad. Nothing that ever happens to us can separate us from your love. Help us always to be positive in our attitude that we may seek and find the best in people and in situations, and so draw good out of all that happens to us. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 25 A Priceless Gift We enjoy moments in which there is something like real peace of mind. To those of us who have hitherto known only excitement, depression, or anxiety—in other words, to all of us—this newfound peace is a priceless gift. Something new indeed has been added. Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 74 Thought to Ponder . . . I never imagined that the greatest achievement of my life would be peace of mind. AA-related 'Alconym' G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Choices "Our necessities are certainly immense and compelling. Each of us must conform reasonably well to AA's Steps and Traditions, or else we shall go mad or die of alcoholism. Therefore the compulsion among most of us to survive and grow soon becomes far stronger than the temptation to drink or misbehave. Literally, we must 'do or die.' So we make the choice to live. This, in turn, means the choice of AA principles, practices, and attitudes. This is our first great and critical choice. Admittedly, this is made under the fearful and immediate lash of John Barleycorn, the killer. Plainly enough, this first choice is far more a necessity than it is an act of virtue." Bill W., May 1960 1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 301-2 Thought to Consider . . . It was either AA or amen. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* AA Attitude Adjustment *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Healing From "We Walk This Way": "Our A.A. friends also had this positive belief in the child's recovery. They did their best to revive my fast-dying energies, and these positive forces of loving faith caused me to reassess my progress in the A.A. program. I was sober, but had I turned my will over to the care of God as I understood Him? What was I doing about 'conscious contact' with my Higher Power? Was the Tenth Step part of my daily life or only a once-tried effort? "Most of the answers were negative. This meant that, while my daughter might be in a hopeless situation physically, I was functioning in a way destined to retard any progress she might make spiritually and mentally. There was no other solution than to get out of the child's way and work on myself." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 107-08 *~*~*~*~*^Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~* "We are not a sociological entity, although sociologists find us fascinating. We are not a therapy group, although remarkable healing takes place among us. And we are not a religion, even though some people want to see us as such ... We are a spiritual entity." May 2006 "Tradition Five: What a Group 'Ought' to Be," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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~ "Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal consequences may be." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 79~ Almost from the beginning, we have been positive that face-to-face work with the alcoholic who suffers could be based only on the desire to help and be helped. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 166 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 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. But every A.A. has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake. The readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of others at the same time, is the very spirit of Step nine. TWELVE AND TWELVE 1. P. 77 2. P. 87 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, thank you for today and all that you do. I love you Lord with all my heart. Please help me show this love to others as I go about the day. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 26 We Carry A.A.'s Message To watch the eyes of men and women open with wonder as they move from darkness into light, to see their lives quickly fill with new purpose and meaning, to see whole families reassembled, to see the alcoholic outcast received back into his community in full citizenship, and above all to watch these people awaken to the presence of a loving God in their lives—these things are the substance of what we receive as we carry A.A.'s message to the next alcoholic. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 110 Thought to Ponder . . . In AA, we discover that it is impossible to give without receiving, or receive without giving. AA-related 'Alconym' H E A R T S = Helping Each Alcoholic Reach Their Sobriety. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Honesty "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58 Thought to Consider . . . Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* GOD Give Others Dignity *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Completeness From "Into Action": "This is perhaps difficult especially discussing our defects with another person. We think we have done well enough in admitting these things to ourselves. In actual practice, we usually find a solitary self-appraisal insufficient. Many of us thought it necessary to go much further. We will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves with another person when we see good reasons why we should do so. The best reason first: If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 72-73 *~*~*~*~*^Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~* AA is not a separate country, cut off from the mainland of the real world; it is the schoolroom I missed somewhere along the line ... a treasure house of other people's experience, strength and hope." Norman, Okla., July 1992 "Out of This World," AA Grapevine *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and business." Alcoholics Anonymous, To Employers, pg. 143 "Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164 “The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear – primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 76 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Perhaps more often than we think, we make no contact at depth with alcoholics who are suffering the dilemma of no faith. Certainly none are more sensitive to spiritual cocksureness, pride, and aggression than they are. I'm sure this is something we too often forget. In A.A.'s first years, I all but ruined the whole undertaking with this sort of unconscious arrogance. God as I understood Him had to be for everybody. Sometimes my aggression was subtle and sometimes it was crude. But either way it was damaging--perhaps fatally so--to numbers of nonbelievers. Of course this sort of thing isn't confined to Twelfth Step work. It is very apt to leak out into our relations with everybody. Even now, I catch myself chanting that same old barrier-building refrain: 'Do as I do, believe as I do--or else!' Prayer For The Day: Day by Day Day by day, dear Lord of you Three things I pray: To see you more clearly, To love you more dearly, To follow you more nearly, Day by day. - St. Richard of Chichester |
AA Thought for the Day
May 27 This Lifetime Job So Step Six—"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character"—is A.A.'s way of stating the best possible attitude one can take in order to make a beginning on this lifetime job. This does not mean that we expect all our character defects to be lifted out of us as the drive to drink was. A few of them may be, but with most of them we shall have to be content with patient improvement. The key words "entirely ready" underline the fact that we want to aim at the very best we know or can learn. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 65 Thought to Ponder . . . We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. AA-related 'Alconym' A R T = Always Remain Teachable. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Fact "The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows, and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25 Thought to Consider . . . Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* FEAR Failure Expected And Received *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Priorities From "He Lived Only to Drink": "I was also able to realize that this bonfire of resentment and rage was beckoning me to pick up a drink and plunge in to my death. Then I realized that I had to separate my sobriety from everything else that was going on in my life. No matter what happened or didn't happen, I couldn't drink. In fact, none of these things that I was going through had anything to do with my sobriety; the tides of life flow endlessly for better or worse, both good and bad, and I cannot allow my sobriety to become dependent on these ups and downs of living. Sobriety must live a life of its own." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 450-51 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I have learned in the program not to listen to the voice of my ego when it starts whispering things." Clayton, Calif., May 2012 "Uprooted," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard enough and long enough to drink like other people!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~ "The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~ Alcoholics especially should be able to see that instinct run wild in themselves is the underlying cause of their destructive drinking. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 44 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We can be grateful for every agency or method that tries to solve the problem of alcoholism--whether of medicine, religion, education, or research. We can be open-minded toward all such efforts and we can be sympathetic when the ill-advised ones fail. We can remember that A.A. itself ran for years on 'trial and error.' As individuals, we can and should work with those that promise success--even a little success. Every one of the pioneers in the total field of alcoholism will generously say that had it not been for the living proof of recovery in A.A., they could not have gone on. A.A. was the lodestar of hope and help that kept them at it. Prayer For The Day: Prayers for Those Torn by Alcohol and Drugs - I pray, O God of hope, for all persons and families whose lives are torn and disrupted by drugs and alcohol. Enable them to identify the illness. Strengthen them to seek help. Bless them with the power of your love, which imparts transformation and wholeness to those who trust in your name. Grant that as they walk this tortured road, they may journey together, bound close together in the bond of love. Shine your light upon them, Lord Christ, that they may see the path out of their misery, and give them the strength to follow it. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 28 Permanent Recovery But when the broker gave him Dr. Silkworth’s description of alcoholism and its hopelessness, the physician began to pursue the spiritual remedy for his malady with a willingness he had never before been able to muster. He sobered, never to drink again up to the moment of his death in 1950. This seemed to prove that one alcoholic could affect another as no nonalcoholic could. It also indicated that strenuous work, one alcoholic with another, was vital to permanent recovery. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Foreward To Second Edition) pp. xvi - xvii Thought to Ponder . . . To keep it, we have to give it away. AA-related 'Alconym' W O R K = What Our Recovery Knows. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Prayer "On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 86 Thought to Consider . . . Faith dares the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* CRAP Carry Resentments Against People *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Humility STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. "Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility a word often misunderstood. To those who have made progress in A.A., it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. Therefore, our first practical move toward humility must consist of recognizing our deficiencies." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 58 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The most beautiful gifts of my life come to me in packages I do not recognize at first glance. In fact, I often don't see them until I've stumbled over them. Yet I know that when I go about my business in service to AA and to others these gifts will appear, usually in the most unexpected places." Costa Mesa, Calif., February 1993 "The Gift of Sobriety," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "'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 ignorance, that principle is contempt prior to investigation.'" Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual Experience, pg. 568 "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. Love and tolerance of others is our code." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84 To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78 Misc. AA Literature - Quote When I am felling depressed, I repeat to myself statements such as these: 'Pain is the touchstone of progress.'...'Fear no evil....'This, too, will pass.'...'This experience can be turned to benefit.' These fragments of prayer bring far more than mere comfort. They keep me on the track of right acceptance; they break up my compulsive themes of guilt, depression, rebellion, and pride; and sometimes they endow me with the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, our time on earth is short. Please help me realize that it is not the amount of time, but the quality of the time I spend that counts. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 29 Neither Fear Nor Favor Having so considered our day, not omitting to take due note of things well done, and having searched our hearts with neither fear nor favor, we can truly thank God for the blessings we have received and sleep in good conscience. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 95 Thought to Ponder . . . Inventory-taking is not always done in red ink. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Always Aware. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Freedom "So far, upon the total problem of several million actual and potential alcoholics in the world, we have made only a scratch. In all probability, we shall never be able to touch more than a fair fraction of the alcohol problem in all its ramifications. Upon therapy for the alcoholic himself, we surely have no monopoly. Yet it is our great hope that all those who have as yet found no answer may begin to find one in the pages of this book and will presently join us on the highroad to a new freedom." Foreword to Second Edition Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. xx-xxi Thought to Consider.... "Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession." Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 139 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* SOBRIETY Stay Off Booze Recovery Is Everything To You *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Surrender From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "In medicine, we have learned a great deal about the physical treatment of the alcoholic. We have learned about nutrition and the importance of a fully rounded diet, and vitamins and minerals. But we do know that these things are necessary in the physical treatment and rehabilitation of the alcoholic. We know also that various kinds of drying out and other forms of therapy have failed. They are not enough by themselves. We need something more. "We know also that religious exhortation has failed, as has exhortation from people who have no grasp of the problem, who oversimplify, people in whose view an alcoholic is a person who is perpetually thirsty with a fierce craving for alcohol, people who do not know that a great many alcoholics hate alcohol worse than poison when they are sober, because they know that it is poison. "[A]s time went on I became less and less astonished as I saw the effectiveness of your work, as I saw a man of great talent, a close friend of mine, a man who was almost on the verge of genius. I saw alcohol make its insidious inroads upon his career, upon his relationships with his family and children, upon his standing in the community. "I saw him on the verge of losing his job, and I saw him lose his job; and then I saw him surrender. I saw him throw up his hands and quit, saying, 'I can't do it by myself. I've got to have help.' And with the spiritual help of his clergyman and A.A., I have seen that man come back to a commanding position in his field, a man who is as sober today, as clear- eyed and bright, as any person in this audience." Dr. W. W. Bauer, 1955 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 241-43 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Whatever strengthens the spirituality of the group strengthens my spirituality, and vice versa." May 2006 "Tradition Five: What a Group 'Ought' to Be" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones. Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery, followed always by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish this, but it hasn't done so yet." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 30~ "When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90 Meditation is something which can always be further developed. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 101 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confusion of shortcomings which the Steps require. But we saw that the program really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. Implicit throughout A.A.s Traditions is the confession that our Fellowship has its sins. We admit that we have character defects as a society and that these defects threaten us continually. our Traditions are a guide to better ways of working and living, and they are to group survival and harmony what A.A.s Twelve Steps are to each member's sobriety and peace of mind. Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I am thankful for the wonderful ways in which You take care of me. I do appreciate Your watchcare over my family and friends. Lord, I do desire to remain humble in my dealings with others who oppose me. Give me Your grace and wisdom when I must handle controversy. May I be humble when I am tested in this way and trust You to defend me instead of getting into contention with others. Lord, bless those who are reading this today and strengthen them to do Your will. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 30 Discovery I discovered a fellowship of human beings that I’d never seen before. I learned how to have self-respect through work that AA gave me to do. I learned how to be a friend. I learned how to go out and help other people—there was nowhere else I could have done that, I have learned that the more I give, the more I will have; the more I learn to give, the more I learn to live. - Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 218 Thought to Ponder . . . Learning is the very essence of humility. The two walk hand in hand. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Always Alive. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Unity " 'Practically never have I heard a heated religious, political, or reform argument among AA members. So long as we don't argue these matters privately, it's a cinch we never shall publicly.' As by some deep instinct, we AA's have known from the very beginning that we must never, no matter what the provocation, publicly take sides in any fight, even a worthy one. . . . . . We do not enter into public controversy, because we know that our Society will perish if it does. We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause." 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 176-77 Thought to Consider . . . Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching? *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* BUT Being Unconvinced Totally *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Messages From "Mathematical Miracle": "Finally, he found a basement bar on a quiet side street, practically deserted. He sat down on a bar stool and ordered a double bourbon on the rocks. "Then the bartender stopped in his tracks, took a long, hard look at the customer, leaned over the bar, and said in a low tone, 'I was in Milwaukee about four months ago, and one night I attended an open meeting. You were on the speaking platform, and you gave one of the finest A.A. talks I ever heard. "For a few minutes, the customer sat there probably in a state of shock. Then he picked his money off the bar with trembling hands and walked out, all desire for a drink drained out of him. Chicago, Illinois, USA" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 74 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I have learned to keep quiet when I disagree and to give others freedom to express opinions widely different from my own -- without giving in to the urge to enlighten them. I am grateful for all the voices of AA." Alexandria, Va., March 2007 "Humble Proportion," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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 about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you must not miss." Alcoholics Anonymous, Working With Others, pg. 89 "Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 152 Once we have a complete willingness to take inventory, and exert ourselves to do the job thoroughly, a wonderful light falls upon this foggy scene. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 49 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Meditation is something which can always be further developed. It has no boundaries, of width or height or depth. Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance. With it we can broaden and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we understand Him. Prayer For The Day: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for all you have done for me. You do so much and yet I still ask for more. Please forgive me and guide me to be appreciative for what I have and what is truly important. |
AA Thought for the Day
May 31 A Legitimate Reason So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking, if we have a legitimate reason for being there. . . Go or stay away, whichever seems best. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it. But if you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead! - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) pp. 101 - 102 Thought to Ponder . . . Life didn't end when I got sober, it started. AA-related 'Alconym' S O B E R = Spiritually On Beam; Everything's Right. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Sponsorship "Dr. Bob led me through all of these Steps. At the moral inventory, he brought up some of my bad personality traits or character defects, such as selfishness, conceit, jealousy, carelessness, intolerance, ill-temper, sarcasm and resentments. We went over these at great length and then he finally asked me if I wanted these defects of character taken away. When I said yes, we both knelt at his desk and prayed . . . If I live to be a hundred, this will always stand out in my mind. I wish that every AA could have the benefit of this type of sponsorship today." 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 292 Thought to Consider . . . A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor is much like a ship without a rudder. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S P O N S O R = Sober Person Offering Newcomer Support Of Recovery *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Funding From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "These New York drunks just do not believe it. Some take it as a joke, and the rest talk high and holy about mixing a spiritual enterprise with money and promotion. But if they really did think that the book would sell, they would buy the stock all right, and fast. So why don't we go up and see The Reader's Digest people and find out if they will print a piece about our fellowship and this book? If the Digest runs an article about us, we will sell those books by the carloads. Anybody can see this, even these tightwad drunks. So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" "Two days later at Pleasantville, New York, we sat in the office of Mr. Kenneth Payne, then managing editor of the Digest. 'When your book is ready next spring, let me know and I think we can put a feature writer to work. This should be a great story.' "Henry and I reached for our hats and sped for New York. Now we had real ammunition. That very night we started a fresh canvass, and the former doubters began to sign up." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 158 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Groups change, just like people do, and we AAs fight change. Although we can never go back to the way it once was, we will survive -- yea, even thrive -- as long as we remember Tradition Five, 'Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose -- that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers." Pittsburgh, Pa., May 1996 "Remember the Struggle," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone even alcohol." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~ "The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~ Having been granted a perfect release from alcoholism, why then shouldn’t we be able to achieve by the same means a perfect release from every other difficulty or defect? -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 64 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own. Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply. Let's remember that alcoholics are not the only ones bedeviled by sick emotions. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased. If we are about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all? Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, Thank you for this beautiful day. As I breath in the fresh air, please help me never forget that each day is a gift. |
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