AA Thoughts For Today - November

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 1

My Master

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, p. 8

Thought to Ponder
The gritty pain of alcoholism is the traction of recovery.

AA-related 'Alconym'
H O P E = Hold On, Pain Ends.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Companionship
"Letting go of everything at once
was both painful and terrifying.
I could never have accomplished this alone.
It took the help, understanding and wonderful companionship that was given so freely to me by my 'ex-alkie' friends.
This and the program of recovery
embodied in the Twelve Steps . . .
Whole new vistas were opened up for me,
new avenues of experience to be explored,
and life began to take on color and interest."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 311

Thought to Consider . . .
This is a great day to be sober, patient, tolerant,
kindly and loving.

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

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

Accountable
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"By 1940 we had begun to see that the A.A. book should belong to our society itself. Its shares should not be forever scattered among forty-nine subscribers, Ruth Hock, Henry, and me [Bill W.]. If the Foundation could acquire these outstanding shares, the book could be placed in trust for A.A. as a whole. They could no longer kick about the book's income being used to run the A.A. office.
"Trustee A. LeRoy Chipman conceived the idea of borrowing enough money from Mr. [John D., Jr.] Rockefeller, two of his sons [including then-future US Vice President Nelson], and the dinner guests to clear away certain debts and to buy all Works Publishing's shares (except Henry's and mine) from the cash subscribers at par. Every one of the cash subscribers gladly consented to this; they were happy to get out even. Mr. Chipman thereupon raised a total of $8,000 dollars, to be repaid to Mr. Rockefeller and the others out of book profits at a later date."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 189

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"No prophet can presume to say whether the world outcome will be blazing destruction or the beginning, under God's intention, of the brightest era yet known to mankind. I am sure we AAs well comprehend this scene. In microcosm, we have experienced this identical state of terrifying uncertainty, each in his own life."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1962
"This Matter of Fear"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely,
or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take,
you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be
suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will
conquer."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 44~

The very practical approach to his problems, the absence of
intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the
uncanny understanding which these people had were irresistible.
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, Page 160

It may be that both will decide that the way of good sense and loving kindness is to let by-gones be by-gones.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.82

With those we dislike we can begin to practice justice and courtesy, perhaps going out of our way to understand and help them.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.93

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole Society has sprung and flowered.
Every newcomer 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.
So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time. A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once.

Prayer for the Day: Please Lord - Please Lord, teach us to laugh again; but God, Don't ever let us forget that we cried.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 2

Misdirected Instincts

Nearly every serious emotional problem can be seen as a case of
misdirected instinct. When that happens, our great natural assets,
the instincts, have turned into physical and mental liabilities.
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

Thought to Ponder
Uncover to Recover.

AA-related 'Alconym'
G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps.

*~*~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~~*

Oldtimers
"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 real maturity and balance
(which is to say humility)
in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows,
and with God."
Bill W., AA Grapevine, January 1958
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 244

Thought to Consider . . .
Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program,
but our oldtimers are the arteries.

*~*~*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A N G E = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day

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

Spirituality
>From "In His Own Individual Right":
"Spirituality is an awakening or is it all the loose ends woven together into a mellow fabric? It's understanding or is it all the knowledge one need ever know? It's freedom if you consider fear slavery. It's confidence or is it the belief that a higher power will see you through any storm or gale? It's adhering to the dictates of your conscience or is it a deep, genuine, living concern for the people and the planet? I's peace of mind in the face of adversity. It's a keen and sharpened desire for survival. " New York, New York, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 5

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"In despair, I had cried out, 'Now I am willing to do anything. If there is a God, will he show himself?' And he did. This was my first conscious contact, my first awakening. I asked from the heart, and I received."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1960
The Language of the Heart

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"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~

'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 p.164

The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.60

We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.98

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge?
'In my view, we of this world are pupils in a great school of life. It is intended that we try to grow, and that we try to help our fellow travelers to grow in the kind of love that makes no demands. In short, we try to move toward the image and likeness of God as we understand Him.
'When pain comes, we are expected to learn from it willingly, and help others to learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and thank God for it.

Prayer for the Day: My Prayer For You -
I thought of you so much today
I went to God in prayer.
To ask Him to watch over you
and show you that I care.
My prayer for you was not for rewards
ones that you can touch or feel.
But true rewards for happiness
that are so very real.
Like love and understanding
in all the things you do.
For guidance when you need it most
to see your troubles through.
I asked Him for good health for you
so your future could be bright.
And faith to accept life's challenges
with courage to do what's right.
I gave thanks to Him for granting my prayer
to bring you peace and love.
May you feel the warmth in your life
with Gods blessings from above.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 3

Listed and Analyzed

If we have been thorough about our personal inventory, we have written down a lot.
We have listed and analyzed our resentments. 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, p. 70

Thought to Ponder
We are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A N G E R = Any New Grudge Endangers Recovery.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Recovery
"Most emphatically we wish to say
that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems
in the light of our experience can recover,
provided he does not close his mind to spiritual concepts.
He can only be defeated by an attitude
of intolerance or belligerent denial.
We find that no one need have difficulty
with the spirituality of the program.
Willingness, honesty and open mindedness
are the essentials of recovery.
But these are indispensable"
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 570

Thought to Consider . . .
The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness

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

Undertaker or the Asylum
From: "Bill's Story"
It relieved me somewhat to learn that in alcoholics the will is amazingly weakened when it comes to combating liquor, though it often remains strong in other respects. My incredible behavior in the face of a desperate desire to stop was explained. Understanding myself now, I fared forth in high hope. For three or four months the goose hung high. I went to town regularly and even made a little money. Surely this was the answer - self-knowledge.
But it was not, for the frightful day came when I drank once more. The curve of my declining moral and bodily health fell off like a ski-jump. After a time I returned to the hospital. This was the finish, the curtain, it seemed to me. My weary and despairing wife was informed that it would all end with heart failure during delirium tremens, or I would develop a wet brain, perhaps within a year. She would soon have to give me over to the undertaker or the asylum.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 7

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I've got a brand new feeling, gratitude -- a feeling that has visited me more and more frequently -- sometimes with the rush of cleansing tears -- sometimes with just a serene flow of mental thank-yous for some small, God-given bonus in a routine day."
Spiritual Awakenings Vol. 1
Minneapolis, Minn., April 1983
"A Rush of Gratitude,"

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man,
woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured
by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form
or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and
miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as
old as man himself."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55~

The basic principles of the A.A. program, it appears, hold good for
individuals with many different lifestyles, just as the program has
brought recovery to those of many different nationalities. The
Twelve Steps that summarize the program may be called los Doce Pasos
in one country, les Douze Etapes in another, but they trace exactly
the same path to recovery that was blazed by the earliest members of
Alcoholics Anonymous.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Foreward To Third Edition, Page xxii~

I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.14

We all need the light of God's reality, the nourishment of His strength, and the atmosphere of His grace.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.97

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Above us, at the International Convention at St. Louis in 1955, floated a banner on which was inscribed the then new symbol for A.A., a circle enclosing a triangle. The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity, and Service.
It is perhaps no accident that priests and seers of antiquity regarded this symbol as a means of warding off spirits of evil.
When, in 1955, we oldtimers turned over our Three Legacies to the whole movement, nostalgia for the old days blended with gratitude for the great day in which I was now living. No more would it be necessary for me to act for, decide for, or protect A.A.
For a moment, I dreaded the coming change. But this mood quickly passed. The conscience of A.A. as moved by the guidance of God could be depended upon to insure A.A.'s future. Clearly my job henceforth was to let go and let God.

Prayer for the Day: Self-respect Prayer - O God, teach me that self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It comes to me when I am alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when I suddenly realize that, knowing the good, I have done it; knowing the beautiful, I have served it; knowing the truth, I have spoken it.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 4

Change in Attitude

During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound
result of all was the change in our attitude toward God. And this was true
whether we had been believers or unbelievers. We began to get over the
idea that the Higher Power was a sort of bush-league pinch hitter, to be
called upon only in an emergency. The notion that we would still live our
own lives, God helping a little now and then, began to evaporate.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 75

Thought to Ponder
The difference between pride and humility:
Pride is who is right. Humility is what is right.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Amazing Adventure.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Peace of Mind
"AA has taught me that I will have peace of mind
in exact proportion to the peace of mind
I bring into the lives of other people,
and it has taught me the true meaning of the admonition
'happy are ye who know these things and do them.'
For the only problems I have now are those I create
when I break out in a rash of self-will."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 551

Thought to Consider . . .
I never imagined that the greatest achievement of my life
would be peace of mind.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P E A C E = Providing Experienced Attitude Changes Every day.

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

Turning Point
Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
We saw we needn't always be bludgeoned and beaten into humility. It could come quite as much from our voluntary reaching for it as it could from unremitting suffering. A great turning point in our lives came when we sought for humility as something we really wanted, rather than as something we must have. It marked the time when we could commence to see the full implication of Step Seven: "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 75

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Regardless of what happened before or what may happen tomorrow, what is the very best thing I can possibly do, right now?"
Santa Monica, Calif., May 2007
"A Life Without Problems,"
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society,
from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering
denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness
settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us
sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship
and approval. Momentarily we did�then would come oblivion and
the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen�Terror,
Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 151~

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.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, Page 15~

We want to leave you with the feeling that no situation is too difficult and no unhappiness too great to be overcome.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.104

And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.104

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

During acute depression, avoid trying to set your whole life in order all at once. If you take on assignments so heavy that you are sure to fail in them at the moment, then you are allowing yourself to be tricked by your unconscious. Thus you will continue to make sure of your failure, and when it comes you will have another alibi for still more retreat into depression.
In short, the 'all or nothing' attitude is a most destructive one. It is best to begin with whatever the irreducible minimums of activity are. Then work for an enlargement of these day by day. Don't be disconcerted by setbacks - just start over.

Prayer for the Day: Do It Now - Dear God, I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to a fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 5

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, p. 86

Thought to Ponder
With God's help, intuition and inspiration are possible.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Service
"Service, gladly rendered, obligations squarely met,
troubles well accepted or solved with God's help,
the knowledge that at home or in the world outside
we are partners in a common effort,
the well-understood fact that in God's sight
all human beings are important,
the proof that love freely given surely brings a full return,
the certainty that we are no longer isolated and alone
in self-constructed prisons,
the surety that we need no longer be square pegs
in round holes
but can fit and belong in God's scheme of things --
these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions
of right living
for which no amount of pomp and circumstance,
no heap of material possessions,
could possibly be substitutes."
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 124

Thought to Consider . . .
Service is spirituality in action.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Helping Other People Every day

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

Test That Theory
From: "A Drunk Like You"
Now somehow, between the time I lost my job and my flight to the convention, I decided maybe I was not an alcoholic and I needed to test that theory. After all, I was a researcher, and things had to be tested. I decided that on the plane (it seemed like a safe place) I would put the question to the test. If I could have one drink and no more, I was not an alcoholic - alcoholics can't do that. So when the stewardess came by to ask me if I wanted a drink, I said, "Yes." She put two little bottles' worth in a glass ("No ice, thank you very much") and went up the aisle. On her way back she asked if I wanted another, and I said, "Yes." I drank for the whole flight - before dinner, during dinner, and after dinner. As we approached our destination, I searched my pocket for a pen to fill out the in-flight magazine response card. I found this large coin. I took it out to see what it was. It was my ninety-day pocket piece, and I was reminded of what I was doing. And the thought came to me: Wow, those guys at the meeting were right - I am powerless over alcohol. I put that coin back in my pocket and from that day to this, some 15-1/2 years later, I have had no urge to drink.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 404

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"One of the truly great gifts in this Fellowship of mutually concerned people is the gift of the art of listening ... But our need to listen goes beyond meetings and talks with friends ... We need Step Eleven and our greater conscious contact with the Divine Listener. Then will our serenity emerge; then will our help to others have quality."
Spiritual Awakenings Vol. 1
Anonymous, May 1960
"Where the Words Come From,"

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

THE PROMISES
"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~

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, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, Page 30~

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 p.70

A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.88

Misc. AA Literature - Quote
It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong, too.
But are there no exceptions to this rule? What about 'justifiable' anger? If somebody cheats us, aren't we entitled to be mad? And shouldn't we be properly angry with self-righteous folks?
For us of A.A. these adventures in anger are sometimes very dangerous. We have found that even justified anger ought to be left to those better qualified to handle it.

Prayer for the Day: Change - I pray that I might continue to change, and I appreciate You for investing in me Your time, Your patience, Your understanding, and for seeing in me someone worthwhile. I am sorry for the past---but I will change for the better, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
AA-related 'Alconym'
F A I T H = Facing All, Intuitively Trusting Him.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 6

Astonished

To be gravely affected, one does not necessarily have to drink a long time
nor take the quantities some of us have. This is particularly true of women.
Potential female alcoholics often turn into the real thing and are gone
beyond recall in a few years. Certain drinkers, who would be greatly
insulted if called alcoholics, are astonished at their inability to stop.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 33

Thought to Ponder
When we try to control our drinking, we have already lost control.

AA-related 'Alconym'
F R E E = Fortunately, Recovery Enhances Everything.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Criticism
"Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism.
When we are angered and hurt,
it's difficult not to retaliate in kind.
Yet we can restrain ourselves
and then probe ourselves,
asking whether our critics were really right.
If so, we can admit our defects to them.
This usually clears the air for mutual understanding. . .
Maybe a sense of humor can be our saving grace --
thus we can both forgive and forget."
Bill W., Letter, 1966
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 184

Thought to Consider . . .
The best way to get even is to forget.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R = Son Of a Basket, Everything's Real

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

Every AA Ought to Know
From: "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous"
Dr. Bob was essentially a far more humble person than I. In some ways he was a sort of spiritual natural, and this anonymity business came rather easily to him. He could not understand why some people should want so much publicity. In the years before he died, his personal example respecting anonymity did much to help me keep my own lid on. I think of one affecting instance in particular, one that every AA ought to know. When it was sure that Dr. Bob was mortally afflicted, some of his friends suggested that there should be a suitable monument or mausoleum erected in honor of him and his wife Anne - something befitting a founder and his lady. Of course this was a very natural and moving tribute. The committee went so far as to show him a sketch of the proposed edifice. Telling me about this, Dr. Bob grinned broadly and said, God bless them. They mean well. But for heaven's sake, Bill, let's you and I get buried just like other folks.
A year after his passing, I visited the Akron cemetery where Dr. Bob and Anne lie. The simple stone says not a word about Alcoholics Anonymous. Some people may think that this wonderful couple carried personal anonymity too far when they so firmly refused to use the words "Alcoholics Anonymous" even on their own burial stone. For one, I do not think so. I think that this moving and final example of self-effacement will prove of more permanent worth to AA than any amount of public attention or any great monument.
1985, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pages 136-137

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The Twelve Steps ... are simple in language, plain in meaning. They are also workable by any person having a sincere desire to obtain and keep sobriety. The results are the proof. Their simplicity and workability are such that no special interpretations, and certainly no reservations, have ever been necessary. And it has become increasingly clear that the degree of harmonious living which we achieve is in direct ratio to our earnest attempt to follow them literally under divine guidance to the best of our ability."
AA Co-Founder, Dr. Bob, September 1948
"The Fundamentals in Retrospect"
The Best of the Grapevine, Volume 2

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"One of the many doctors who had the opportunity of reading this
book in manuscript form told us that the use of sweets was often
helpful, of course depending upon a doctor's advice. He thought all
alcoholics should constantly have chocolate available for its quick
energy value at times of fatigue. He added that occasionally in the
night a vague craving arose which would be satisfied by candy. Many
of us have noticed a tendency to eat sweets and have found this
practice beneficial."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~

Some people cannot be seen--we send them an honest letter. And there
may be a valid reason for postponement in some cases. But we don't
delay if it can be avoided. We should be sensible, tactful, considerate
and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people we stand
on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 83~

The power of God goes deep!
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.114

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 p.105

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Our entire A.A. program rests upon the principle of mutual trust. We trust God, we trust A.A., and we trust each other. Therefore, we trust our leaders in world 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.
If you arrive at A.A. with no religious convictions, you can, if you wish, make A.A. itself or even your A.A. group your 'Higher Power.' Here's a large group of people who have solved their alcohol problem. In this respect they are certainly a power greater than you. Even this minimum of faith will be enough.
Many members who have crossed the threshold just this way will tell you that, once across, their faith broadened and deepened. Relieved of the alcohol obsession, their lives unaccountably transformed, they came to believe in a Higher Power, and most of them began to talk of God.

Prayer for the Day: Unselfishness Prayer - Higher Power, guide me as I walk the narrow way between being selfish and unselfish. I know I must be selfish, to concentrate on my own recovery, so I do not slip and be of no use to myself or anyone else. Yet I must also be unselfish, reaching out to others, sensitive to their needs, and willing to meet them at any time. With Your help, I can do both, and keep a balance that will give me a right perspective in my life.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 7

Our First Attempt

Therefore our problem now becomes just how and by what specific means
shall we be able to let Him in? Step Three represents our first attempt
to do this. In fact, the effectiveness of the whole A.A. program will rest
upon how well and earnestly we have tried to come to “a decision to turn
our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 34 - 35

Thought to Ponder
Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door.

AA-related 'Alconym'
B I G B O O K = Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Possibility
"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.
We found that God does not make too hard terms
for those who seek Him.
To us, the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive,
never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek.
It is open, we believe, to all men."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 46

Thought to Consider . . .
Take a walk with God. He will meet you at the Steps.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H = Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him.

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

Very Precious Thing
From: "Loneliness to Solitude"
There are two sides of man's being alone. In our language, loneliness expresses the pain of being alone. Solitude expresses the glory of being alone.
What happens to us in AA that makes it possible for us, not only to endure, but to enjoy moments of solitude? What changes our loneliness to solitude?
The love and understanding we find in AA are a protective curtain between ourselves and the aching aloneness of our drinking days. The first few weeks, some of us spend most of our time in an AA club talking with others. Then it becomes evident that we must go to work and somehow meet the demands and responsibilities of our daily lives. We are afraid. Will the old loneliness hit us again when we are out of the actual presence of other AA members?
Sooner or later, by practicing the principles of the Twelve Steps, we find in ourselves a very precious thing, something inside that we can be comfortable with regardless of whether we are at home by ourselves or anywhere else that life takes us.
AA 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, page 109

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Our Twelve Traditions ... represent the sum of our experience as individuals, as groups within AA, and similarly with our fellows and other organizations in the great fellowship of humanity under God throughout the world. They are all suggestions, yet the spirit in which they have been conceived merits their serious, prayerful consideration as the guideposts of AA policy for the individual, the group, and our various committees, local and national."
AA Co-Founder, Dr. Bob, September 1948
"The Fundamentals in Retrospect"
The Best of the Grapevine, Volume 2

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"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~

..we were at Step Three, which is that we decided to turn our will
and our life over to God as we understood Him. Just what do we mean
by that, and just what do we do?

The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on
self-will can hardly be a success. On that basis we are almost
always in collision with something or somebody, even though our
motives are good. Most people try to live by self-propulsion.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 60~

The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.145

No one wants to be agonized by the chronic pain of envy or to be paralyzed by sloth.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.66

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Though the variations were many, my main theme was always 'How godawful I am!' Just as I often exaggerated my modest attainments by pride, so I exaggerated my defects through guilt. I would race about, confessing all (and a great deal more) to whoever would listen. Believe it or not, I took this widespread exposure of my sins to be great humility on my part, and considered it a great spiritual asset and consolation!
But later on I realized at depth that the great harms I had done others were not truly regretted. These episodes were merely the basis for storytelling and exhibitionism. With this realization came the beginning of a certain amount of humility.

Prayer for the Day: Light a Candle - O God of my understanding, light a candle within my heart, that I may see what is therein and remove the wreckage of the past.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 8

Willingness to Believe

Let us make haste to reassure you. 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, p. 46

Thought to Ponder
God seldom becomes a reality until God becomes a necessity.

AA-related 'Alconym'
W I L L I N G = When I Live Life, I Need God.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Authority
"Many people wonder how AA can function
under such a seeming anarchy.
Other societies have to have law and force and sanction
and punishment, administered by authorized people.
Happily for us,
we found we need no human authority whatever.
We have two authorities which are far more effective.
One is benign, the other malign.
There is God, our Father, who very simply says,
'I am waiting for you to do my will.'
The other authority is named John Barleycorn,
and he says, 'You had better do God's will or I will kill you.'
And sometimes he does kill.
So, when all the chips are down,
we conform to God's will or perish.
At this level, the death sentence hangs over the AA member,
his group, and AA as a whole."
Bill W., St. Louis, July 1955
c. 1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 105

Thought to Consider . . .
Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
and the evidence of things not seen.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F I T = Faith, Intuition, Trust.

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

Growth
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"Thus A.A. rolled along until the spring of 1941, when we could count 2,000 members, a gain of 1,200 in a single year. We thought this was good going, but actually we had not seen anything yet. We were on the threshold of the event that made Alcoholics Anonymous a national institution overnight.
"Dr. A. Wiese Hammer, already champion of A.A. in Philadelphia, had drawn our fellowship to the attention of Curtis Bok, one of the owners of the Saturday Evening Post [an extremely popular magazine of the time]. At first the editorial board of the Post was dubious. But Mr. Bok had seen some of our Philadelphia members and had heard about their recovery at first hand; he knew whereof he spoke. And the next thing we knew Mr. Jack Alexander, a star feature writer for the Post, appeared at our Vesey Street office [in New York City]."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 190

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Spiritual progress isn't what gets us sober, it's what keeps us sober."
Spiritual Awakenings Vol. 1
State College, Pa.,April 1994
"Working Incognito,"

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

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

"'How can I best serve thee--Thy will (not mine) be done."
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 85

Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.77

Even the newest of newcomers finds undreamed rewards as he tries to help his brother alcoholic, the one who is even blinder than he.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.109

Misc. AA Literature - Quote
Honesty with ourselves and others gets us sober, but it is tolerance that keeps us that way.
'Experience shows that few alcoholics will long stay away from a group just because they don't like the way it is run. Most return and adjust themselves to whatever conditions they must. Some go to a different group, or form a new one.
'In other words, once an alcoholic fully realizes that he cannot get well alone, he will somehow find a way to get well and stay well in the company of others. It has been that way from the beginning of A.A. and probably always will be so.'

Prayer for the Day: What Is Best - O Lord, You know what is best for me. Let this or that be done, as you please. Give what You will, how much You will, and when You will.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 9

Results of Prayer

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
firm in the face of difficult circumstances.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 104

Thought to Ponder
Trying to pray is praying.

AA-related 'Alconym'
P R A Y E R = Praying Regularly Allows Your Everyday Recovery.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Growth
"It seems to me that the primary object
of any human being is to grow, as God intended,
that being the nature of all growing things.
Our search must be for what reality we can find,
which includes the best definition and feeling
of love that we can acquire.
If the capability of loving is in the human being,
then it must surely be in his Creator.
Theology helps me in that many of its concepts
cause me to believe that I live in a rational universe
under a loving God,
and that my own irrationality can be chipped away,
little by little.
This is, I suppose, the process of growth
for which we are intended."
Bill W., Letter, 1958
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 295

Thought to Consider . . .
All you have to do to change your life is change your mind.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A N G E = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day

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

Response
>From "A Small White Card":
"Yet I had a spiritual experience the night I called A.A., though I didn't realize it until later. Two angels came, carrying a real message of hope, and told me about A.A. My sponsor laughed when I denied that I had prayed for help. I told him that the only time I had mentioned God was when, in my despair at being unable to get either drunk or sober, I had cried out, 'God! What am I going to do?'
"He replied, 'I believe that prayer was a pretty good one for a first one from an atheist. It got an answer, too.. "Brighton, Colorado, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 25

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Full consciousness ... implies not only the willingness to receive the love and benefits AA has to offer, but also to surrender to the equally painful experience of exposure to ourselves, and others, of ourselves."
Spiritual Awakenings Vol. 1
Pleasantville, N.Y., August 1959
"The Sense of Sobriety,"

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"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

Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider
anothers 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~

A kindly act once in a while isn't enough.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.97

Looking at Step Five, we decided that an inventory, taken alone, wouldn't be enough.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.108

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When the thought was expressed 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.
It may be possible to find explanations of spiritual experiences such as ours, but I have often tried to explain my own and have succeeded only in giving the story of it. I know the feeling it gave me and the results it has brought, but I realize I may never fully understand its deeper why and how.

Prayer for the Day: Prayer for Healing - Higher Power, You have told us to ask and we will receive, to seek and we will find, to knock and You will open the door to us. I trust in Your love for me and in the healing power of Your compassion. I praise You and thank You for the mercy You have shown to me. Higher Power, I am sorry for all my mistakes. I ask for Your help in removing the negative patterns of my life. I accept with all my heart Your forgiving love. And I ask for the grace to be aware of the character defects that exist within myself. Let me not offend You by my weak human nature, or by my impatience, resentment, or neglect of people who are a part of my life. Rather, teach me the gift of understanding and the ability to forgive, just as You continue to forgive me. I seek Your strength and Your peace so that I may become Your instrument in sharing those gifts with others. Guide me in my prayer that I might know what needs to be healed and how to ask You for that healing. It is You, Higher Power, whom I seek. Please enter the door of my heart and fill me with the presence of Your Spirit now and forever. I thank You, God, for doing this.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 10

Opportunity to Recover

Many could recover if they had the opportunity we have enjoyed.
How then shall we present that which has been so freely given us?
We have concluded to publish an anonymous volume setting forth
the problem as we see it. We shall bring to the task our combined
experience and knowledge. This should suggest a useful program
for anyone concerned with a drinking problem.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 19

Thought to Ponder
When all else fails, the directions are in the Big Book.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Answer Available.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Today
"I realize that all I'm guaranteed in life is today.
The poorest person has no less
and the wealthiest has no more --
each of us has but one day.
What we do with it is our own business;
how we use it is up to us individually.
I feel that I have been restored to health and sanity
these past years not through my own efforts
nor as a result of anything I may have done,
but because I've come to believe
-- to really believe --
that alone I can do nothing.
That my own innate selfishness and stubbornness
are the evils which, if left unguarded,
can drive me to alcohol.
I have come to believe that my illness is spiritual
as well as physical and mental,
and I know that for help in the spiritual sphere
I have to turn to a Higher Power."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 473

Thought to Consider . . .

I can't have a better tomorrow
if I am thinking about yesterday all the time.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S I T = Stay In Today

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

Design for Living
From: "There Is A Solution"
Here was the terrible dilemma in which our friend found himself when he had the extraordinary experience, which as we have already told you, made him a free man.
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.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 28

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We measure our progress in AA by two words, 'humility' and 'responsibility.' May I ever keep my eye on these yardsticks as I continue to seek only knowledge of his will for me."
Spiritual Awakenings Vol. 1
Tulsa, Okla., July 1978
"The Power of the Program,"

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"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~

Highly competent psychiatrists who have dealt with us have found it
sometimes impossible to persuade an alcoholic to discuss his
situation without reserve. Strangely enough, wives, parents and
intimate friends usually find us even more unapproachable than do the
psychiatrist and the doctor.
But the ex-problem drinker who has found this solution, who is
properly armed with facts about himself, can generally win the entire
confidence of another alcoholic in a few hours. Until such an
understanding is reached, little or nothing can be accomplished.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 18~

When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.52

The answer, now seen in Tradition Three, was simplicity itself.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.141

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When our membership was small, we dealt with 'low-bottom cases' only. Many less desperate alcoholics tried A.A., but did not succeed because they could not make the admission of their hopelessness.
In the following years, this changed. Alcoholics who still had their health, their families, their jobs, and even two cars in the garage, began to recognize their alcoholism. As this trend grew, they were joined by young people who were scarcely more than potential alcoholics. How could people such as these take the First Step?
By going back in our own drinking histories, we showed them that years before we realized it we were out of control, that our drinking even then was no mere habit, that it was indeed the beginning of a fatal progression.

Prayer for the Day: THINGS TO GIVE -
Today, I pray I may give:
To my enemy: Forgiveness
To my opponent: Tolerance
To my customer: Service
To a friend: Kindness
To all people: Charity
To my family: My heart.
To every child: A good example.
To myself: Respect
To You, Higher Power: LOVE
With all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 11

Straighten out the Past

Under no condition do we criticize such a person or argue.
Simply we tell him that we will never get over drinking until
we have done our utmost to straighten out the past. We are
there to sweep off our side of the street, realizing that nothing
worth while can be accomplished until we do so, never trying to
tell him what he should do. His faults are not discussed.
We stick to our own.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 77 - 78

Thought to Ponder
Don't mess up an amend with an excuse.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A G O = Another Growth Opportunity.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Amends
"Though the variations were many,
my main theme was always 'How godawful I am!'
Just as I often exaggerated my modest attainments by pride,
so I exaggerated my defects through guilt.
I would race about, confessing all (and a great deal more)
to whoever would listen.
Believe it or not, I took this widespread exposure
of my sins to be great humility on my part,
and considered it a great spiritual asset and consolation!
But later on I realized at depth that
the great harms I had done others were not truly regretted.
These episodes were merely the basis for
storytelling and exhibitionism."
Bill W., AAGrapevine, June 1961
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 311

Thought to Consider . . .
Don't mess up an amends with an excuse.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
W H O M E ? =
Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Must Exist

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

Aim Toward Perfection
Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
Let's dispose of what appears to be a hazardous open end we have left. It is suggested that we ought to become entirely willing to aim toward perfection. We note that some delay, however, might be pardoned. That word, in the mind of a rationalizing alcoholic, could certainly be given a long term meaning. He could say, "How very easy! Sure, I'll head toward perfection, but I'm certainly not going to hurry any. Maybe I can postpone dealing with some of my problems indefinitely." Of course, this won't do. Such a bluffing of oneself will have to go the way of many another pleasant rationalization. At the very least, we shall have to come to grips with some of our worst character defects and take action toward their removal as quickly as we can.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 69

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We can't grow without giving ourselves space for silence and the voice within."
Greenwich Village, N.Y., December 1997
"Oh God, You Again?"
I Am Responsible: The Hand of AA

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to
let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and
will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct
continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We are not
theorizing. These are facts out of our experience."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~

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~

We alcoholics see that we must work together and hang together, else most of us will finally die alone.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.561

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

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. 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 power needed for change wasn't there. Our human resources, as marshaled 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.

Prayer for the Day: Your Gift - Thank You, Higher Power, for Your gift of recovery; that through this Program I have come to know myself better than ever before, and that I have come to know others better as well. I pray that I may be eternally grateful for this, Your blessing.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 12

Perspective

Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word “blame”
from our speech and thought. This required great willingness even to begin.
But once over the first two or three high hurdles, the course ahead began
to look easier. 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, pp. 47 - 48

Thought to Ponder
Learning is the very essence of humility. The two walk hand in hand.

AA-related 'Alconym'
F A I T H = Facing An Inner Truth Heals.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Practice
"God willing, we members of AA may never again
have to deal with drinking,
but we do have to deal with sobriety every day.
How do we do it?
By learning -- through practicing the Twelve Steps
and through sharing at meetings --
how to cope with the problems
that we looked to booze to solve, back in our drinking days."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 560

Thought to Consider . . .
There's no elevator, you have to take the Steps.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

Red Flags
From: "The Perpetual Quest"
Many years later, although alcohol is not part of my life and I no longer have the compulsion to drink, it can still occur to me what a good drink tastes like and what it can do for me, from my stand-at-attention alcoholic taste buds right down to my stretched out tingling toes. As my sponsor used to point out, such thoughts are like red flags, telling me that something is not right, that I am stretched beyond my sober limit. It's time to get back to basic AA and see what needs changing. That special relationship with alcohol will always be there, waiting to seduce me again. I can stay protected by continuing to be an active member of AA.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 396-397

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Our Serenity Prayer ... brings a new light to us that can dissipate our old-time and nearly fatal habit of fooling ourselves." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., March 1962
"What Is Acceptance?"
The Language of the Heart

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"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

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.84

Or, if my disturbance was seemingly caused by the behavior of others, why do I lack the ability to accept conditions I cannot change?
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.52

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Almost every newspaper reporter who covers A.A. complains, at first, of the difficulty of writing his story without names. But he quickly forgets this difficulty when he realizes that here is a group of people who care nothing for acclaim.
Probably this is the first time in his life he has ever reported on an organization that wants no personalized publicity. Cynic though he may be, this obvious sincerity quickly transforms him into a friend of A.A.
Moved by the spirit of anonymity, we try to give up our natural desires for personal distinction as A.A. members, both among fellow alcoholics and before the general public. As we lay aside these very human aspirations, we believe that each of us takes part in the weaving of a protective mantle which covers our whole Society and under which we may grow and work in unity.

Prayer for the Day: I Promise Myself: Today I pray:
To promise myself to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind;
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet;
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true....
To think only of the best, to work only for the best & to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past, and press on to do the greater achievement of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times, and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 13

Prayer

Prayer, as commonly understood, is a petition to God. Having opened
our channel as best we can, we try to ask for those right things of which
we and others are in the greatest need. And we think that the whole
range of our needs is well defined by that part of Step Eleven which says:
". . . knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."
A request for this fits in any part of our day.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 102

Thought to Ponder
The Three "P's" -- Pause, Pray, Proceed.

AA-related 'Alconym'
P A U S E = Pay Attention, Use Step Eleven.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Spiritual Life
"The spiritual life is not a theory.
We have to live it.
Unless one's family expresses a desire to live upon
spiritual principles
we think we ought not to urge them.
We should not talk incessantly to them about spiritual matters.
They will change in time.
Our behavior will convince them more than our words.
We must remember that ten or twenty years
of drunkenness would make a skeptic out of anyone."
Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 83

Thought to Consider . . .
Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P A C E =Positive Attitudes Change Everything

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

Unconditional
From: "Getting our of the "if trap"
But then, after a sober while, for some of us there comes a time when - plop! - a new discovery slaps us in the face. That same old eiffy thinking habit of our tippling days has, without our seeing it, attached itself to not drinking. Unconsciously, we have placed conditions on our sobriety. We have begun to think sobriety is just fine - if everything goes well, or if nothing goes askew.
In effect, we are ignoring the biochemical, unchangeable nature of our ailment. Alcoholism respects no ifs. It does not go away, not for a week, for a day, or even for an hour, leaving us nonalcoholic and able to drink again on some special occasion or for some extraordinary reason - not even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, or if a big sorrow hits us, or if it rains in Spain or the stars fall on Alabama. Alcoholism is for us unconditional, with no dispensations available at any price.
1998, AAWS, Inc., Living Sober, page 63

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"When I first started in AA, I began each day asking God to help keep me sober that day, and ended each night by thanking him for another day of sobriety. I still end each day that way, as I have done almost every night during the past forty-one years. It is a routine for me, but every once in a while I pause to reflect on what it truly means. I do it every night so that God won't change his mind, as I truly believe he helped lead me from the pits of alcoholism to the AA way of life."
Alexandria, Va., April 2002
"A Real War Story,"
Voices of Long-Term Sobriety

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity
from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~

So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking, if we
have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars,
nightclubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary whoopee
parties. To a person who has had experience with an alcoholic, this
may seem like tempting Providence, but it isn't.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore,
ask yourself on each occasion, Have I any good social, business, or
personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a
little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere of such places?' If you
answer these questions satisfactorily, you need have no
apprehension. 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, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 101

This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.26

Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.43

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates, both for the immediate and for the more distant future. Some might feel this sort of striving to be heresy against 'One day at a time.' But that valuable principle really refers to our mental and emotional lives and means chiefly that we are not foolishly to repine over the past nor wishfully to daydream about the future.
As individuals and as a fellowship, we shall surely suffer if we cast the whole job of planning for tomorrow onto a fatuous idea of providence. God's real providence has endowed us human beings with a considerable capability for foresight, and He evidently expects us to use it. Of course, we shall often miscalculate the future in whole or in part, but that is better than to refuse to think at all.

Prayer for the Day: My Worth - I pray to remember that my worth is not determined by my show of outward strength, or the volume of my voice, or the thunder of my accomplishments. It is to be seen, rather, in terms of the nature and depths of my commitments, the genuineness of my friendships, the sincerity of my purpose, the quiet courage of my convictions, my capacity to accept life on life's terms, and my willingness to continue "growing up." This I pray.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 14, 2018

Powerful Reason

Leaving aside the drink question, they tell why living was so unsatisfactory.
They show how the change came over them. When many hundreds of people are
able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important
fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 51

Thought to Ponder
Hope leads to faith if you let it.

AA-related 'Alconym'
F A I T H = Found Always In Trusting Him.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Sanity
"My actions drunk or sober, before AA,
were not those of a sane person.
My desire to be honest with myself made it necessary
for me to realize that my drinking was irrational.
It had to be, or I could not have justified
my erratic behavior as I did.
I've been benefited from a dictionary definition I found
that reads: 'rationalization is giving
a socially acceptable reason for
socially unacceptable behavior,
and socially unacceptable behavior is a form of insanity."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 550-1

Thought to Consider . . .
Let the lunatic out of the attic.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
K I S S = Keep It Simple, Surrender

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

Balance Today's Books
From: "Yesterday's Baggage"
For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong.
Twelve and Twelve, page 88

I have more than enough to handle today, without dragging along yesterday's baggage too. I must balance today's books, if I am to have a chance tomorrow. So I ask myself if I have erred and how I can avoid repeating that particular behavior. Did I hurt anyone, did I help anyone, and why? Some of today is bound to spill over into tomorrow, but most of it need not if I make an honest daily inventory.
1990, AAWS, Inc., Daily Reflections, page 287

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I have always carried a meeting list and quarter for a phone call because I don't know when I am going to want another drink."
Cornwall, Ontario, January 2005
"From Rags to Riches,"
Voices of Long-Term Sobriety

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from
it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will
find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new
attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or
effort on our part. It just comes!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84

We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths
may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions.
People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about.
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 49

Were we kind and loving toward all?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.86

Courtesy, kindness, justice, and love are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony with practically anybody.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.93

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Through the vital Fifth Step, we began to get the feeling that we could be forgiven, no matter what we had thought or done.
Often it was while working on this Step with our sponsors or spiritual advisers that we first felt truly able to forgive others, no matter how deeply we felt they had wronged us.
Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-round forgiveness was desirable, but it was only when we resolutely tackled Step Five that we inwardly knew we'd be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too.

Prayer for the Day: Right Living - Higher Power, deliver me: From the cowardice that dare not face new truth; From the laziness that is contented with half-truth; >From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth; These things, good Lord, I pray for, Give me the strength to work for.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

November 15

Fellowship

Still you may say: "But I will not have the benefit of contact with you
who write this book." We cannot be sure. God will determine that,
so you must remember that your real reliance is always upon Him.
He will show you how to create the fellowship you crave.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 164

Thought to Ponder
God grant that AA may ever stay simple.

AA-related 'Alconym'
F E L L O W S H I P = Faith, Empathy, Learning, Love, Openness, Wisdom, Self-worth, Hope, Insight, Peace.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Pain
"Though I still find it difficult to accept
today's pain and anxiety with any great degree of serenity
-- as those more advanced in the spiritual life
seem able to do --
I can give thanks for present pain nevertheless.
I find the willingness to do this
by contemplating the lessons learned from past suffering
-- lessons which have led to the blessings I now enjoy.
I can remember how the agonies of alcoholism,
the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride,
have often led me to God's grace, and so to a new freedom."
Bill W., Grapevine, March 1962
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 266

Thought to Consider . . .
Joy isn't the absence of pain -- it's the presence of God.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change

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

Wrong
From "When A.A. Came of Age":
"After a long interval we heard from the promoter. He wrote, 'You told us that outside enterprises can be fine and very helpful. But you also said that they could not be mixed with A.A. I figured that they could be, and should be. Well, you folks at Headquarters were right and I was wrong.'
"With his letter, the promoter sent us a card, which he had already mailed to every group in the United States. It was folded like a golf score card, and on the outside was printed, 'Group so-and-so, place so-and-so. Rule No. 62.' When the card was unfolded a single pungent sentence met the eye: 'Don't take yourself too damned seriously.'"
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 104

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"More than a million of us who suffer from the disease of alcoholism have found not just the ability to live with or survive this insidious disease, but a joyful way of life as new as this morning and as old as mankind. We can gain sobriety, aspire to serenity, at no greater price than caring for our fellow sufferers and sharing with them what has been freely given to us. We can experience the true joy of love that we once tried to destroy by not giving it away, and we can learn the truth that the more we give away, the more we will have."
Brick Town, N.J., January 1977
"Because One Man Was Lonely,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is
that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust
their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him
demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our
fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once,
we commence to outgrow fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~

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~

We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.84

Can we accept poverty, sickness, loneliness, and bereavement with courage and serenity?
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.112

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Many people wonder how A.A. can function under a seeming anarchy. Other societies have to have law and force and sanction and punishment, administered by authorized people. Happily for us, we found that we need no human authority whatever. We have two authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other malign.
There is God, our Father, who very simply says, 'I am waiting for you to do my will.' The other authority is named John Barleycorn, and he says, 'You had better do God's will or I will kill you.'
The A.A. Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. We obey them willingly because we ought to and because we want to. Perhaps the secret of their power lies in the fact that these life-giving communications spring out of living experience and are rooted in love.

Prayer for the Day: Against Temptations - May the strength of my Higher Power guide me. May the power of my Higher Power preserve me. May the wisdom of my Higher Power instruct me. May the hand of God protect me. May the way of God direct me. May the shield of God defend me. And may the presence of, and belief in, my Higher Power guard me against the temptations of the world.