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#1 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 1 Arch to Freedom This is the how and why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 62 Thought to Ponder . . . When I change the way I look at things, the things I look at change. AA-related 'Alconym' G O D = Good Orderly Direction ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Prayer "In AA 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 firm in the face of difficult circumstances." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 104 As Bill Sees It, p. 127 Thought to Consider . . . Trying to pray is praying. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* PUSH Pray Until Something Happens *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Depression Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. "If temperamentally we are on the depressive side, we are apt to be swamped with guilt and self-loathing. We wallow in this messy bog, often getting a misshapen and painful pleasure out of it. As we morbidly pursue this melancholy activity, we may sink to such a point of despair that nothing but oblivion looks possible as a solution. Here, of course, we have lost all perspective, and therefore all genuine humility. For this is pride in reverse. This is not a moral inventory at all; it is the very process by which the depressive has so often been led to the bottle and extinction." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 45 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Despite the happy transcendence of the difficulties of yesterday and of today, we nevertheless deeply realize that our negative traits are still with us, and always will be. Therefore our constant responsibility should be that of taking a fearless inventory of our defects as we go along, the better to undertake their mending." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965 "Responsibility Is Our Theme" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 8 Modem-to-modem or face-to-face, A.A.’s speak the language of the heart in all its power and simplicity. Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. xxiv With a proper display of honesty and morality, we’d stand a better chance of getting what we really wanted. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 72 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'Courage and Prudence' When fear persisted, we knew it for what it was and we became able to handle it. We began to see each adversity as a God-given opportunity to develop the kind of courage which is born of humility, rather than of bravado. Prudence is a workable middle ground, a channel of clear sailing between the obstacles of fear on the one side and of recklessness on the other. Prudence in practice creates a definite climate, the only climate in which harmony, effectiveness, and consistent spiritual progress can be achieved. 'Prudence is rational concern without worry.' 1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 - 2. TWELVE CONCEPTS, P. 65 - TALK, 1966 Prayer For The Day - Lord, Help me to remember that nothing is going to happen today that you and I together can't handle. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
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AA Thought for the Day
April 2 Fundamental Idea of God Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 55 Thought to Ponder . . . People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. AA-related 'Alconym' A R T = Always Remain Teachable. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Humility "Our AA program is spiritually centered. Most of us have found enough humility to believe in and depend upon God. We have found that humility by facing the fact that alcoholism is a fatal malady over which we are individually powerless." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, September 1945 The Language of the Heart, p. 7 Thought to Consider . . . Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* YET You'll End UpThere *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Powerless From "The Vicious Cycle": "When I finally got Hank on the telephone he fired me right then. This was when I really took my first good look at myself. My loneliness was worse than it had ever been before, for now even my own kind had turned against me. This time it really hurt, more than any hangover ever had. My brilliant agnosticism vanished, and I saw for the first time that those who really believed, or at least honestly tried to find a Power greater than themselves, were much more composed and contented than I had ever been, and they seemed to have a degree of happiness I had never known." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 228-29 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "For all the slow mornings, there are just as many when I arise with an open mind, willing to see what God has in store for me that day. Every chapter of self-pity ends when I am willing to abandon my pride and reach out to another alcoholic." Xian, China, October 1994 "Distilled Spirits," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~ "It may seem incredible that these men are to become happy, respected, and useful once more. How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute and hopelessness? The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us, they can happen with you. Should you wish them above all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure they will come." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 153~ Even the chief architect, standing in the ruins of his dream, could laugh at himself – and that is the very acme of humility. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 149 Misc. AA Literature - Quote When I was tired and couldn't concentrate, I used to fall back on an affirmation toward life that took the form of simple walking and deep breathing. I sometimes told myself that I couldn't do even this--that I was too weak. But I learned that this was the point at which I could not give in without becoming still more depressed. So I would set myself a small stint. I would determine to walk a quarter of a mile. And I would concentrate by counting my breathing--say, six steps to each slow inhalation and four to each exhalation. Having done the quarter-mile, I found that I could go on, maybe a half-mile more. Then another half-mile, and maybe another. This was encouraging. The false sense of physical weakness would leave me (this feeling being so characteristic of depressions). The walking and especially the breathing were powerful affirmations toward life and living and away from failure and death. The counting represented a minimum discipline in concentration, to get some rest from the wear and tear of fear and guilt. LETTER, 1960 Prayer For The Day: Guide me Lord. You are my heart. You are my strength. You are my hope. Teach me Lord, and guide my way. I love You more each passing day. Amen.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#3 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,636
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AA Thought for the Day
April 3 Reviewed Our Own Conduct We reviewed our own conduct over the years past. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate? Whom had we hurt? Did we unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion or bitterness? Where were we at fault, what should we have done instead? We got this all down on paper and looked at it. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 69 Thought to Ponder . . . The first step in overcoming mistakes is to admit them. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Accountable Actions ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Open Mind "To get sober and to stay sober, all you really need is a truly open mind. Just resign from the debating society and quit bothering yourself with such deep questions as whether it was the hen or the egg that came first. Again I say, all you need is the open mind." Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 26 Thought to Consider . . . Minds are like parachutes - they won't work unless they're open. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* ABC Acceptance, Belief, Change *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Publicity From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "Meanwhile, a great tide of public approval, stimulated by A.A.'s friends of press, radio, and in recent times television, began to sweep in upon us and it has never ceased. Each month a clipping service feeds our Headquarters scrapbooks with a very large amount of material. Writers constantly ask Headquarters to check their manuscripts. A.A. members are helped to appear anonymously on radio and TV programs. The making of arrangements for publicity has become a constantly increasing activity of our A.A. office. How many lives have been saved, how many years of misery have thus been averted for thousands of alcoholics and their families, only God knows." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 206-07 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "In AA ... I was once again able to hear the sounds of nature. I looked at a pine tree one day and began to cry at how beautiful it was. I learned to laugh again." Marina, California, October 1994 "Birches," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We, in our turn, sought the same escape with all the desperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, "a design for living" that really works." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~ "An alcoholic in his cups is an unlovely creature." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 16~ For it is only by accepting and solving our problems that we can begin to get right with ourselves and with the world about us and with Him who presides over us all. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 125 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Atmosphere of Grace Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul. We all need the light of God's reality, the nourishment of His strength, and the atmosphere of His grace. To an amazing extent the facts of A.A. life confirm this ageless truth. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 97-98 Prayer For The Day: A Prayer for Being Grateful - Lord God, may we be grateful for our lot, and compassionate toward all those who are suffering every kind of distress at this difficult time. May we hold back nothing, and hasten to be the ministers of prayer and mercy, like the disciples of Him who went about doing good in times of need.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,636
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AA Thought for the Day
April 4 Insanity and Denial They are always "going on the wagon for keeps." They are over- remorseful and make many resolutions, but never a decision. There is the type of man who is unwilling to admit that he cannot take a drink. He plans various ways of drinking. He changes his brand or his environment. There is the type who always believes that after being entirely free from alcohol for a period of time he can take a drink without danger. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctor's Opinion) p. xxx Thought to Ponder . . . We are either working on recovery or we're working on a relapse. AA-related 'Alconym' D E N I A L = Don't Even Notice It's A Lie. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Sunlight "When the thought was expressed to me that there might be a God personal to me, I didn't like the idea. So my friend Ebby made what then seemed a novel suggestion. He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?' That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last." Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12 As Bill Sees It, p. 313 Thought to Consider . . . Joy isn't the absence of pain-- it's the presence of God. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* LET GO Leave Everything To God, Okay? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Release From "On a Winter Day": "I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here. I could not start anywhere else. I had to let go of the past and forget the future. As long as I held on to the past with one hand and grabbed at the future with the other hand, I had nothing to hold on to today with. So I had to begin here, now. "The next time I went back to my A.A. group, the "happy hypocrites" looked different to me. I began to see love in their eyes, a greater warmth than I had ever seen before. I mentioned it to my sponsor, and he said, 'The reason you see love in these people's eyes is because you are beginning to love them. The love that we see in their eyes is the reflection of our own love. We have got to love to be loved.'--Decatur, Georgia" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 46 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am responsible as a trusted servant to be informed -- my group expects and deserves that. That responsibility requires me to take action, to do some reading, and to find out what the principles say -- not what I think ... The beautiful thing about AA is that we don't have to reinvent the wheel. We have directions and guidelines that we can follow; they were hammered out on the anvil of experience by those who have gone before us." San Carlos, California, October 1994 "The Anvil of Experience," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* 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. Pg. 85 - Into Action "God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons. Most of them give freely of themselves, that their fellows may enjoy sound minds and bodies." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~ Prayer is the raising of the heart and mind to God – and in this sense it includes meditation. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 102 Misc. AA Literature - Quote ...In All Our Affairs The chief purpose of A.A. is sobriety. We all realize that without sobriety we have nothing. However, it is possible to expand this simple aim into a great deal of nonsense, so far as the individual member is concerned. Sometimes we hear him say, in effect, 'Sobriety is my sole responsibility. After all, I'm a pretty fine chap, except for my drinking. Give me sobriety, and I've got it made!' As long as our friend clings to this comfortable alibi, he will make so little progress with his real life problems and responsibilities that he stands in a fair way to get drunk again. This is why A.A.'s Twelfth Step urges that we 'practice these principles in all our affairs.' We are not living just to be sober; we are living to learn, to serve, and to love. LETTER, 1966 Prayer For The Day: May all I do today begin with you, O Lord. Plant dreams and hopes within my soul and revive my tired spirit: be with me today. Be at my side and walk with me; be my support, that your hand may be seen in every action I take, that your goodness may be in every word I speak, and that your spirit may inhabit my every thought. Make my thoughts, my work, and my very life blessings for your kingdom. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#5 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 5 Nonsense 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, (Working With Others) p. 98 Thought to Ponder . . . In AA we don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message. AA-related 'Alconym' F R O G = Fully Rely On God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Virtues "We of AA are apt sometimes to brag of the virtues of our fellowship. Let us remember that none of these are earned virtues. We have been forced into them, to begin with, by the cruel lash of John Barleycorn. We have adopted these attitudes, these practices, this structure, not at first because we wished to but because we had to. But today I think we stand willing to conform permanently and gladly to the principles which experience, under the grace of God, has taught us." Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 224 Thought to Consider . . . Unless I accept my virtues, I will be overwhelmed with my faults. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* LET GO Leave Everything To God, Okay? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Traditions From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "You will remember that episode back in our living room on Clinton Street. That was the time when my group told me I [Bill W.] could never become an A.A. professional. With nearly every Tradition much the same thing has happened. At first, I obeyed because I had to; I would have lost my standing in A.A. if I had not. After a while I began to obey because I saw that the Traditions were wise and right. While I conformed because it was right to do, I still resisted inwardly. "This was particularly true of anonymity. Today I hope I have come to a time in my A.A. life when I can obey because I really want to obey, because I really want the Traditions for myself as well as for A.A. as a whole." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 136 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "My basic flaw had always been dependence -- almost absolute dependence -- on people or circumstances to supply me with prestige, security, and the like. Failing to get these things according to my perfectionist dreams and specifications, I had fought for them. And when defeat came, so did my depression." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1958 "The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety" 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~ "Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 20 We become as open-minded to conviction and as willing to listen as the dying can be. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 24 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Spiritual Kindergarten We are only operating a spiritual kindergarten in which people are enabled to get over drinking and find the grace to go on living to better effect. Each man's theology has to be his own quest, his own affair. When the Big Book was being planned, some members thought that it ought to be Christian in the doctrinal sense. Others had no objection to the use of the word 'God,' but wanted to avoid doctrinal issues. Spirituality, yes. Religion, no. Still others wanted a psychological book, to lure the alcoholic in. Once in, he could take God or leave Him alone as he wished. To the rest of us this was shocking, but happily we listened. Our group conscience was at work to construct the most acceptable and effective book possible. Every voice was playing its appointed part. Our atheists and agnostics widened our gateway so that all who suffer might pass through, regardless of their belief or lack of belief. 1. LETTER, 1954 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, PP. 162, 163, 167 Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I praise you for all of Your goodness to us as Your children. I am blessed to know You and to follow You. Lord, help me to make wise decisions in all the things that I daily face. Give me Your love for all that I meet. Lord, in all of my affairs, help me not to procrastinate in dealing with the responsibilities that are before me. I do need Your guidance to know the things that should be priorities in my life, as sometime I do not know what needs to be taken care of first. Help me, in all my daily activities at home and at the office, to demonstrate Your nature. I ask this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#6 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 6 Continue to Watch 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, (Into Action) p. 84 Thought to Ponder . . . The 3 A’s -- Awareness, Acceptance, Action. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Always Aware. *~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Working With Others "Life will take on a new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends-- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89 Thought to Consider . . . Service is spirituality in action. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* HELP Hope, Encouragement, Love and Patience *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Need From "An Open Heart": "Each day that I try to have a desire to be sober and to remember to keep an open heart, love and help flow into me. These bounties are unlimited in A.A. if we are fortunate enough to have the desire." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 51 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The good news is that anyone can become an old-timer if they're willing to be willing to change and follow some direction." Menifee, California, July 2011 "A Matter of Time," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ 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~ " I had always believed in a Power greater that myself. I had often pondered these things. I was not an atheist. Few people really are, for that means blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes no where." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 10~ They do not drive by mandate; they lead by example. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 135 Misc. AA Literature - Quote When Defects Are Less than Deadly Practically everybody wishes to be rid of his most glaring and destructive handicaps. No one wants to be so proud that he is scorned as a braggart, nor so greedy that he is labeled a thief. No one wants to be angry enough to ruin his health. No one wants to be agonized by chronic envy or paralyzed by sloth. Of course, most human beings don't suffer these defects at these rock-bottom levels, and we who have escaped such extremes are apt to congratulate ourselves. Yet can we? After all, Hasn't it been self-interest that has enabled most of us to escape? Not much spiritual effort is involved in avoiding excesses which will bring us punishment anyway. But when we face up to the less violent aspects of these very same defects, where do we stand then? TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 66 Prayer For The Day: Lord, inspire me to give of my best and make good use of the talents you have given me. Show me how to be positive in attitude, appreciating and valuing others, always being ready to encourage and give praise. Sometimes I draw conclusions about people in terms of what I think is meant by “success” and “failure”, but the “failure” of one person might count as a great “success” of someone with other talents. Lead me never to judge people but to accept others as they are, knowing that it is together, each with our differences, that we build up your Kingdom. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
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AA Thought for the Day
April 7 Moments of Triumph To conclude that others were wrong was as far as most of us ever got. The usual outcome was that people continued to wrong us and we stayed sore. Sometimes it was remorse and then we were sore at ourselves. But the more we fought and tried to have our own way, the worse matters got. As in war, the victor only seemed to win. Our moments of triumph were short-lived. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 66 Thought to Ponder . . . It takes strength and courage to admit the truth. AA-related 'Alconym' C H A N G E D = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Each Day. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Fear "At heart we had all been abnormally fearful. It mattered little whether we had sat on the shore of life drinking ourselves into forgetfulness or had plunged in recklessly and willfully beyond our depth and ability. The result was the same - all of us had nearly perished in a sea of alcohol." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 123-4 Thought to Consider . . . I didn't make it all the way to the beach to drown in the sand. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F E A R Fools Every Alcoholic Repeatedly. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Choices From "The Family Afterward": "Many alcoholics are enthusiasts. They run to extremes. At the beginning of recovery a man will take, as a rule, one of two directions. He may either plunge into a frantic attempt to get on his feet in business, or he may be so enthralled by his new life that he talks or thinks of little else. In either case certain family problems will arise." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 126-26 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "May those who come to know the truth never forget it." Mulberry, Florida, June 2011 "This Wasted Life," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ 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~ "At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 77~ For we had started to get perspective on ourselves, which is another way of saying that we were gaining in humility. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 48 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Self-Respect Through Sacrifice At the beginning we sacrificed alcohol. We had to, or it would have killed us. But we couldn't get rid of alcohol unless we made other sacrifices. We had to toss self-justification, self-pity, and anger right out the window. We had to quit the crazy contest for personal prestige and big bank balances. We had to take personal responsibility for our sorry state and quit blaming others for it. Were these sacrifices? Yes, they were. To gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all, we had to give up what had really been our dearest possessions--our ambition and our illegitimate pride. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 287 Prayer For The Day: Lord God, you are my strength. Hold my hand in my weakness and teach my heart to fly. With you, there's nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. Hold me tight in your embrace, so that I can be stronger than the challenges in my life. Amen.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#8 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 8 Do Not Hesitate God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons. Most of them give freely of themselves, that their fellows may enjoy sound minds and bodies. Try to remember that though God has wrought miracles among us, we should never belittle a good doctor or psychiatrist. Their services are often indispensable in treating a newcomer and in following his case afterward. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 133 Thought to Ponder . . . Asking for help is a case of humility and not a cause for humiliation. AA-related 'Alconym' F R E E = Fortunately, Recovery Enhances Everything. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Change "Let us never fear needed change. Certainly we have to discriminate between changes for worse and changes for better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in AA as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, July 1965 As Bill Sees It, p. 115 Thought to Consider . . . We're responsible for the effort - not the outcome. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C H A N G E Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Everyday. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Objectivity Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. "They comfort the melancholy one by first showing him that his case is not strange or different, that his character defects are probably not more numerous or worse than those of anyone else in A.A. This the sponsor promptly proves by talking freely and easily, and without exhibitionism, about his own defects, past and present. This calm, yet realistic, stocktaking is immensely reassuring. The sponsor probably points out that the newcomer has some assets which can be noted along with his liabilities. This tends to clear away morbidity and encourage balance. As soon as he begins to be more objective, the newcomer can fearlessly, rather than fearfully, look at his own defects." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 46 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Awareness is the most accessible doorway to spirituality." Emotional Sobriety II Ames, Iowa, July 2010 "Binge Thinker," Emotional Sobriety II: The Next Frontier ~*~*~*~*^ 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. Pg. 33 - More About Alcoholism "We know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself: "I'm jittery and alone. I couldn't do that." But you can. You forget that you have just now tapped a source of power much greater than yourself. To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience and labor." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 163~ Whenever our pencil falters, we can fortify and cheer ourselves by remembering what A.A. experience in this Step has meant to others. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 82 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Anger--Personal and Group Enemy 'As the book 'Alcoholics Anonymous' puts it, 'Resentment is the Number One offender,' It is a primary cause of relapses into drinking. How well we of A.A. know that for us 'To drink is eventually to go mad or die.' 'Much the same penalty overhangs every A.A. group. Given enough anger, both unity and purpose are lost. Given still more 'righteous' indignation, the group can disintegrate; it can actually die. This is why we avoid controversy. This is why we prescribe no punishments for any misbehavior, no matter how grievous. Indeed, no alcoholic can be deprived of his membership for any reason whatever. 'Punishment never heals. Only love can heal.' LETTER, 1966 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, thank you for this day. Help me better myself and those around me.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#9 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 9 Receive Guidance We discover that we do receive guidance for our lives to just about the extent that we stop making demands upon God to give it to us on order and on our terms. Almost any experienced A.A. will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable and unexpected turns for the better as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) pp. 104 - 105 Thought to Ponder . . . Relationships are built with communication; so we pray. AA-related 'Alconym' A S A P = Always Say A Prayer. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Vigilance "Now that we're in AA and sober, winning back the esteem of our friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance. As an insurance against the dangers of big-shot-ism, we can often check ourselves by remembering that we are today sober only by the grace of God and that any success we may be having is far more His success than ours." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 92 As Bill Sees It, p. 19 Thought to Consider . . . "Vigilance will always be the price of survival." Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, November 1960. The Language of the Heart, p. 317 *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* BUT Being Unconvinced Totally *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* ODAAT From "The Missing Link": "Exactly how was I supposed to not drink if my girlfriend breaks up with me, or if my best friend dies, or even through happy times like graduations, weddings, and birthdays. They suggested I could just stay sober one day at a time. They explained that it might be easier to set my sights on the twenty-four hours in front of me and to take on these other situations when and if they ever arrived. I decided to give sobriety a try, one day at a time, and I've done it that way ever since." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 286-87 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Success is more a state of heart and mind than a sum total of material assets." February 2007 "Change to Spare," Emotional Sobriety II: The Next Frontier ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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 "Many doctors and psychiatrists agree with our conclusions. One of these men, staff member of a world-renowned hospital, recently made this statement to some of us: 'What you say about the general hopelessness of the average alcoholic's plight is, in my opinion, correct. As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help. Had you offered yourselves as patients at this hospital, I would not have taken you, if I had been able to avoid it. People like you are too heartbreaking. Though not a religious person, I have profound respect for the spiritual approach in such cases as yours. For most cases, there is virtually no other solution.'" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~ 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. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 74 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The 'Slipper' Needs Understanding 'Slips can often be charged to rebellion; some of us are more rebellious than others. Slips may be due to the illusion that one can be 'cured' of alcoholism. Slips can also be charged to carelessness and complacency. Many of us fail to ride out these periods sober. Things go fine for two or three years--then the member is seen no more. Some of us suffer extreme guilt because of vices or practices that we can't or won't let go of. Too little self-forgiveness and too little prayer--well, this combination adds up to slips. 'Then some of us are far more alcohol-damaged than others. Still others encounter a series of calamities and cannot seem to find the spiritual resources to meet them. There are those of us who are physically ill. Others are subject to more or less continuous exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. These conditions often play a part in slips--sometimes they are utterly controlling.' TALK, 1960 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, know with all thy heart that I love you and thank you for each day. Grant me mercy and forgive me when I am wrong.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#10 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 10 The Only Condition 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, (Working With Others) p. 98 Thought to Ponder . . . Who we are is not dependent upon someone else's opinion. AA-related 'Alconym' T R U S T = Try Really Using Step Three. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Earnestness "An alcoholic in his cups is an unlovely creature. Our struggles with them are variously strenuous, comic, and tragic. One poor chap committed suicide in my home. He could not, or would not, see our way of life. There is, however, a vast amount of fun about it all. I suppose some would be shocked at our seeming worldliness and levity. But just underneath there is deadly earnestness. Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish." Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 92 Thought to Consider.... Laughter is the sound effect of recovery. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* DEAD Drinking Ends All Dreams *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Message From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "Three blocks away from the main office we have a good-sized loft space where all shipping and mailing is done. This activity now runs into tons of material a month. Six busy lads spend full time at it. Last year they shipped about 40,000 books and hundreds of thousands of pamphlets, many of them newly designed and edited largely through the work of Ralph, our consultant on pamphlet literature. They mailed about 30,000 letters and bulletins and did huge quantities of mimeographing. [c. 1959]" 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 207 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Finally came April 1939. The book was done. Tales of recovery for its story section had been supplied by Dr. Bob and his Akron brethren. Others were supplied by New Yorkers, New Jerseyites. One came in from Cleveland and another from Maryland. Chapters had been read and discussed at meetings. I had thought myself the author of the text until I discovered I was just the umpire of the differences of opinion. After endless voting on a title for the new work we had decided to call it The Way Out. But inquiry by Fitz M., our Maryland alcoholic, at The Library of Congress disclosed the fact that 12 books already bore that title. Surely we couldn't make our book the 13th. So we named it Alcoholics Anonymous instead! Though we didn't know it, our movement then got its name -- a name which because of the implication of humility and modesty has given us our treasured spiritual principle of anonymity." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1947 "Book Publication Proved Discouraging Venture" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Thus was I convinced that God is concerned with us humans when we want Him enough. At long last I saw, I felt, I believed. Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A new world came into view." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 12~ I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. -Alcoholics Anonymous p. 13 (Bill’s Story) Many of us also like the experience of an occasional retreat from the outside world where we can quiet down for an undisturbed day or so of self-overhaul and meditation. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 89 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Forgotten Mountain When I was a child, I acquired some of the traits that had a lot to do with my insatiable craving for alcohol. I was brought up in a little town in Vermont, under the shadow of Mount Aeolus. An early recollection is that of looking up at this vast and mysterious mountain, wondering what it meant and whether I could ever climb that high. But I was presently distracted by my aunt who, as a fourth-birthday present, made me a plate of fudge. For the next thirty-five years I pursued the fudge of life and quite forgot about the mountain. When self-indulgence is less than ruinous, we have a milder word for it. We call it 'taking our comfort.' 1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, PP. 52-53BR>2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 67 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, please protect me in my journey and light my way. Forgive me when I do wrong for I am trying.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#11 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 11 The Bedevilments We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn’t seem to be of real help to other people—was not a basic solution of these bedevilments more important than whether we should see newsreels of lunar flight? Of course it was. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 52 Thought to Ponder . . . If I always do what I've always done, I'll always get what I've always gotten. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Answer Available. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Progress "We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 60 Thought to Consider . . . Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* BIG BOOK Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Surrender From "God Is Good": "Before A.A., I could not, or would not, admit I was wrong. My pride would not let me. And yet I was ashamed of me. Caught in this conflict, I banished God from my life because I felt He asked me to adhere to a behavior pattern too high for a man of my human frailty. Somehow, I believed that there could be no forgiveness of any failure, that God required me to be all good. The moral of the story of the Prodigal Son eluded me. "Since I thought trying was not enough, I stopped trying. That made me feel guilty. For a while, alcohol blotted out the guilt. Then alcohol became the greatest cause of my guilt. I had to be beaten to a pulp physically, mentally and emotionally, become bankrupt in all facets of my being, before I could give up my pride and admit defeat. Unfortunately, admitting was not sufficient. My situation got worse until I had to surrender completely. From the depths of my hell, I called out, "Oh God, help," and He led me to a place where I could find a way out of the maze and then sent me a group of people to lead the way." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg.86 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I cannot afford to take sobriety for granted ... I count my blessings and enjoy them all, large and small." Green Valley, Arizona, February 1978 "Summer of Discontent," Spiritual Awakenings II ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~ "We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations and affairs." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19 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. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 74 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'The Spiritual Angel' How often do we sit in A.A. meetings and hear the speaker declare, 'But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle.' Prior to this statement, he has described a miracle of transformation which has occurred in him--not only his release from alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward life and the living of it. It is apparent to everyone else present that he has received a great gift, and that this gift is all out of proportion to anything that may be expected from simple A.A. participation. So we in the audience smile and say to ourselves, 'Well, that guy is just reeking with the spiritual angle--except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!' GRAPEVINE, JULY 1962 Prayer For The Day: Lord help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I together can't handle. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#12 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 12 Human Failings Let's take a universally recognized list of major human failings—the Seven Deadly Sins of pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. It is not by accident that pride heads the procession. For pride, leading to self-justification, and always spurred by conscious or unconscious fears, is the basic breeder of most human difficulties, the chief block to true progress. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 48 Thought to Ponder . . . Swallowing my pride will not get me drunk. AA-related 'Alconym' P R I D E = Pretty Ridiculous Individual Directing Everything. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Sharing "In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. xxii Thought to Consider . . . We need each other's experience, strength, and hope, regardless of age or length of sobriety. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H O P E Help Open People's Eyes *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Money From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": An aide "quickly took the glowing report to his friend, Mr. Rockefeller, who we thought would surely be interested. Here was medicine, here was religion, and here was a great good work, all in one package. Mr. Rockefeller listened intently. He was tremendously impressed and said so. He has repeatedly stated that his connection with Alcoholics Anonymous is numbered among the finest and most moving experiences of his life. "Nevertheless, Mr. Rockefeller flatly turned down this plea for a large sum [$50,000], despite the fact that the project appealed to his every charitable inclination. After a rereading of [the aide's] report, he said 'I am afraid that money will spoil this thing.' When he gave his reasons, they were identical with those advanced by the Akron group's minority [at an earlier meeting]. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was guided then and there to save the A.A. fellowship from itself and from unnecessary hazards of money, property, and professionalism. It was one of the turning points in A.A.'s history. "[The aide then] described the desperate financial plight of Dr. Bob and myself. On hearing of this, Mr. Rockefeller said, 'I will place $5,000 for their use in the treasury of the Riverside Church [NYC, NY]. You may draw on this as you like. This will give these men some temporary assistance. But this fellowship should soon become self-supporting.'" An account by Bill W. of events which took place in December, 1937 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 150-51 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am not my disease; I just have it." San Jose, California, December 2010 "Four Years," Emotional Sobriety II: The Next Frontier ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 143~ "Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!" Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100 Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Healing Talk When we consult an A.A. friend, we should not be reluctant to remind him of our need for full privacy. Intimate communication is normally so free and easy among us that an A.A. adviser may sometimes forget when we expect him to remain silent. The protective sanctity of this most healing of human relations ought never be violated. Such privileged communications have priceless advantages. We find in them the perfect opportunity to be as honest as we know how to be. We do not have to think of the possibility of damage to other people, nor need we fear ridicule or condemnation. Here, too. we have the best possible chance of spotting self-deception. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961 Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, thank you for the love you have shown me. Help me carry that love to others so they may benefit from your love.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#13 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 13 Free of Anger 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. 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, (How It Works) p. 66 Thought to Ponder . . . Those who anger me, conquer me. AA-related 'Alconym' C A L M = Cause Anger Left Me. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Amends "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. Every AA 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." Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 77 As Bill Sees It, p. 145 Thought to Consider . . . We are as sick as our secrets. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* DENIAL Don't Even Notice I Am Lying *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Setback >From "Evidence of a Miracle": "Now I see how monumental my self-deception was. During that first thirteen years, my sobriety was not of the high quality it seemed to be. During the two years that followed, I actually convinced myself that it was a privilege to be able to drink. When I returned to A.A., its precepts seemed entirely new to me, particularly the meaning of the First Step, the 'atom bomb of the program.' Instead of taking the Steps and forgetting them, this time I began living them daily, finding new meaning in each one." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 96 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I've been told to shake hands and have started doing so, even though it feels awkward ... I know one thing and one thing only: Today I'm sober and loved by members of my home group, even though I might not love myself yet." Waukesha, Wisconsin, March 2006 "Head Full of AA and a Belly Full of Beer," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "When working with a man and his family, you should take care not to participate in their quarrels. You may spoil your chance of being helpful if you do. But urge upon a man's family that he has been a very sick person and should be treated accordingly. You should warn against arousing resentment or jealousy. You should point out that his defects of character are not going to disappear over night. Show them that he has entered upon a period of growth. Ask them to remember, when they are impatient, the blessed fact of his sobriety." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100~ "Doubtless you are curious to discover how and why, in the face of expert opinion to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body. If you are an alcoholic who wants to get over it, you may already be asking What do I have to do?" It is the purpose of this book to answer such questions specifically. We shall tell you what we have done. ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, Page 20~ 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 Principle Before Expediency Most of us thought good character was desirable. Obviously, good character was something one needed to get on with the business of being self-satisfied. With a proper display of honesty and morality, we'd stand a better chance of getting what we really wanted. But whenever we had to choose between character and comfort, character-building was lost in the dust of our chase after what we thought was happiness. Seldom did we look at character-building as something desirable in itself. We never thought of making honesty, tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of living. How to translate a right mental conviction into a right emotional result, and so into easy, happy, and good living, is the problem of life itself. 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 71-72 2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958 Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, as I go out into the world guide me so that I may be helpful and understanding. Help me represent your grace and love so that others may understand.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#14 |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 14 Priceless Assets Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets. We heard story after story of how humility had brought strength out of weakness. In every case, pain had been the price of admission into a new life. But this admission price had purchased more than we expected. It brought a measure of humility, which we soon discovered to be a healer of pain. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) pp. 74 - 75 Thought to Ponder AA is not something we join; it's a way of life. AA-related 'Alconym' A R T = Always Remain Teachable. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Selfishness "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, p. 62 Thought to Consider . . . Spirituality is the ability to get our minds off ourselves. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* BUT Being Unconvinced Totally *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Health From "The Family Afterward": "A body badly burned by alcohol does not often recover overnight nor do twisted thinking and depression vanish in a twinkling. We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative. We, who have recovered from serious drinking, are miracles of mental health. Hardly one of our crowd now shows any mark of dissipation. "But this does not mean that we disregard human health measures. God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 133 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Part of the magic of AA is that the Fellowship, like the loving God who presides over us all, never gives up hope for the suffering alcoholic." West Palm Beach, Fla., September 1986 "The Kid Who Came In from the Cold," In Our Own Words ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~ "If God can solve the age-old riddle of alcoholism, He can solve your problems too." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Wives, Page 116~ And the facts seem to be these: The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 36 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Our New Employer We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing, we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life. As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow, or the hereafter. We were reborn. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 63 Prayer For The Day: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for showing me the lighted way when my path was so very dark. Please continue to guide me with your light and be my hope in the darkness.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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AA Thought for the Day
April 15 Emotional Stability When we developed still more, we discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 116 Thought to Ponder . . . No God, no peace — know God, know peace. AA-related 'Alconym' F R O G = Fully Rely On God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Intoxication "As newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, we saw our pick strike gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. The newcomer feels he has struck something better than gold. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product." Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 128-9 As Bill Sees It, p. 57 Thought to Consider . . . We give it away to keep it. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Excuses Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. "The majority of A.A. members have suffered severely from self-justification during their drinking days. For most of us, self-justification was the maker of excuses; excuses, of course, for drinking, and for all kinds of crazy and damaging conduct. We had made the invention of alibis a fine art. We had to drink because times were hard or times were good. We had to drink because at home we were smothered with love or got none at all. We had to drink because at work we were great successes or dismal failures. We had to drink because our nation had won a war or lost a peace. And so it went, ad infinitum." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 46-47 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Every day will bring me challenges, but now I have the spiritual tools to cope with life on life's terms. I am no longer the prisoner of my past, my wants, my sorrows, my addictions" October 2002 "On My Knees into the World Wide Web of Recovery," Spiritual Awakenings II ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste no time. We have a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk. We explain to our partner what we are about to do and why we have to do it. He should realize that we are engaged upon a life-and-death errand. Most people approached in this way will be glad to help; they will be honored by our confidence." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 75 "Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventure before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 60~ We A.A.‘s cannot pretend to offer full answers to age-old perplexities, but our own experience does provide certain answers that work for us. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 117 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Move Ahead To spend too much time on any one alcoholic is to deny some other an opportunity to live and be happy. One of our Fellowship failed entirely with his first half-dozen prospects. He often says that if he had continued to work on them, he might have deprived many others, who have since recovered, of their chance. 'Our chief responsibility to the newcomer is an adequate presentation of the program. If he does nothing or argues, we do nothing but maintain our own sobriety. If he starts to move ahead, even a little, with an open mind, we then break our necks to help in every way we can.' 1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 96 2. LETTER, 1942 Prayer For The Day: Let me not forget you as I go forth into the world this day, blessed Lord; may my every word be a prayer, and my every act be testimony to your love and truth, and my I know your presence every second of this day. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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