AA Thoughts For Today - May

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AA Thought for the Day

May 31

A Legitimate Reason

So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking,
if we have a legitimate reason for being there. . .
Go or stay away, whichever seems best. But be sure you are on solid spiritual
ground before you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do
not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring
to it. But if you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead!
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) pp. 101 - 102

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life didn't end when I got sober, it started.

AA-related 'Alconym'
S O B E R = Spiritually On Beam; Everything's Right.

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

Sponsorship
"Dr. Bob led me through all of these Steps.
At the moral inventory,
he brought up some of my bad personality traits
or character defects, such as selfishness,
conceit, jealousy, carelessness, intolerance,
ill-temper, sarcasm and resentments.
We went over these at great length and then
he finally asked me if I wanted these defects of character
taken away.
When I said yes, we both knelt at his desk and prayed . . .
If I live to be a hundred, this will always stand out in my mind.
I wish that every AA could have the benefit of this type
of sponsorship today."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 292

Thought to Consider . . .
A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor
is much like a ship without a rudder.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S P O N S O R =
Sober Person Offering Newcomer Support Of Recovery

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

Funding
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"These New York drunks just do not believe it. Some take it as a joke, and the rest talk high and holy about mixing a
spiritual enterprise with money and promotion. But if they really did think that the book would sell, they would buy the
stock all right, and fast. So why don't we go up and see The Reader's Digest people and find out if they will print a piece
about our fellowship and this book? If the Digest runs an article about us, we will sell those books by the carloads.
Anybody can see this, even these tightwad drunks. So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Two days later at Pleasantville, New York, we sat in the office of Mr. Kenneth Payne, then managing editor of the
Digest. 'When your book is ready next spring, let me know and I think we can put a feature writer to work. This should
be a great story.'
"Henry and I reached for our hats and sped for New York. Now we had real ammunition. That very night we started a
fresh canvass, and the former doubters began to sign up."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 158

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

"Groups change, just like people do, and we AAs fight change. Although we can never go back to the way it once was, we will survive -- yea, even thrive -- as long as we remember Tradition Five, 'Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose -- that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers."
Pittsburgh, Pa., May 1996
"Remember the Struggle,"
AA Grapevine

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

"...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone even alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~

"The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy,
envy, frustration, and fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~

Having been granted a perfect release from alcoholism, why then shouldn’t we be able to achieve by the same means a perfect release from every other difficulty or defect?
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 64

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own.
Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply. Let's remember that alcoholics are not the only ones bedeviled by sick emotions. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased.
If we are about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, Thank you for this beautiful day. As I breath in the fresh air, please help me never forget that each day is a gift.