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AA Thoughts For Today - February
AA Thought for the Day
February 1 A New Self Gradually, I began to see another part of me emerging -- a grateful me, expecting nothing, but sure that another power was beginning to guide me, counsel me, and direct my ways. And I was not afraid. - Came To Believe. . ., p. 45 Thought to Ponder . . . A new world came into view. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Fear Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble. We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us? Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn't go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn't fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 67-8 Thought to Consider . . . Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F E A R = Forgetting Everything's All Right *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Surrender >From "A Practical Philosophy": "We simply stop messing in God's business. And in my opinion, when we stop messing and stop worrying, we have turned our will and our lives over to God (or Good) as we understand (or don't understand) Him. "San Jose, California, USA" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 116 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "While I may be powerless to solve the globe's problems, I am given all the power I need to make a difference to my community, my family, my job, my friends, and most importantly, to stay sober and help other alcoholics." Woodinville, Wash., November 2013 "From: "The Scoop" " AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and securing jobs for each other, when justified these are everyday occurrences. No one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially if he means business." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 161~ "Nearly every modern employer feels a moral responsibility for the well-being of his help, and he tries to meet these responsibilities. That he has not always done so for the alcoholic is easily understood. To him the alcoholic has often seemed a fool of the first magnitude. Because of the employee's special ability, or of his own strong personal attachment to him, the employer has sometimes kept such a man at work long beyond a reasonable period. Some employers have tried every known remedy. In only a few instances has there been a lack of patience and tolerance. And we, who have imposed on the best of employers, can scarcely blame them if they have been short with us." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 137~ It mattered little whether our resentments were justified or not. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Some strongly object to the A.A. position that alcoholism is an illness. This concept, they feel, removes moral responsibility from alcoholics. As any A.A. knows, this is far from true. We do not use the concept of sickness to absolve our members from responsibility. On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation onto the sufferer, the obligation to use A.A.'s Twelve Steps to get well. 'In the early days of his drinking, the alcoholic is often guilty of irresponsibility. But once the time of compulsive drinking has arrived, he can't very well be held fully accountable for his conduct. He then has an obsession that condemns him to drink, and a bodily sensitivity to alcohol that guarantees his final madness and death. 'But when he is made aware of this condition, he is under pressure to accept A.A.'s program of moral regeneration. Prayer for the Day: Lord, cleanse me from all impurities and put a new heart and a new spirit within me. Remove my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh that will be sensitive and compassionate to the needs of others. In Jesus’ name, help me to see others as you see them and to hear and answer their cries just as you would. Today, I will look for opportunities to bless others. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 2 Double-edged Sword The tyrant alcohol wielded a double-edged sword over us: first we were smitten by an insane urge that condemned us to go on drinking, and then by an allergy of the body that insured we would ultimately destroy ourselves in the practice. Few indeed were those who, so assailed, had ever won through in singlehanded combat. It was a statistical fact that alcoholics almost never recovered on their own resources. And this had been true, apparently, ever since man had first crushed grapes. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 22 Thought to Ponder . . . I couldn't recover from alcoholism by fighting intoxication; but rather by choosing sobriety. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Defeating Ego. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Juggernaut We who are alcoholics can consider ourselves fortunate indeed. Each of us has had his own near-fatal encounter with the juggernaut of self-will, and has suffered enough under its weight to be willing to look for something better. So it is by circumstance rather than by any virtue that we have been driven to AA, have admitted defeat, have acquired the rudiments of faith, and now want to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to a Higher Power. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 37-8 Thought to Consider . . . If faith without works is dead, then willingness without action is fantasy. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Self-concern >From "'Selfish?'" "Some A.A. speakers say, 'A.A. is a selfish program.' The word 'selfish' ordinarily implies that one is acquisitive, demanding, and thoughtless of the welfare of others. Of course, the A.A. way of lifedoes not at all imply such undesirable traits. "If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now. Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first -- a right and necessary kind of self-concern." c. 1967, As Bill Sees It, page 81 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "It's a waste of time to take God's inventory." November 1991 From: "Trusting the Silence" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "The alcoholic may find it hard to re-establish friendly relations with his children. Their young minds were impressionable while he was drinking. Without saying so, they may cordially hate him for what he has done to them and to their mother. The children are sometimes dominated by a pathetic hardness and cynicism. They cannot seem to forgive and forget. This may hang on for months, long after their mother has accepted dad's new way of living and thinking. In time they will see that he is a new man and in their own way they will let him know it." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 134~ 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. Alcoholics Anonymous, II Spiritual Experience, p. 568 It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 92 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We discover that we receive guidence 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. In praying, we ask simply that throughout the day God place in us the best understanding of His will that we can have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which we may carry it out. There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. Prayer for the Day: Father, I humble myself before You, Your will not mine be done. I will mediate on your Word day and night. By the grace of God I will be an obedient doer of your Word. I renew my mind to your Word, and pray that your Word will dominate my thoughts, words and actions. I am strong in you, Lord, and in the power of your might. Today, I choose Life. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 3 Guidance With the guidance of the program and the encouragement and examples within the Fellowship, I could begin to find out about myself and be prepared to accept what I found. I learned in the Fellowship that if others could love me, then I should love myself as I was -- not for what I was, but for what I could become. So I have learned a little about my mind and about my will and about my emotions and passions. - Came To Believe. . ., p. 3 Thought to Ponder . . . The storm has passed. I've learned a little more about peace. It was inside all the time. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Accept, Begin, Continue. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Resentments In AA we slowly learned that something had to be done about our vengeful resentments, self-pity, and unwarranted pride. We had to see that every time we played the big shot, we turned people against us. We had to see that when we harbored grudges and planned revenge for such defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others. We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 47 Thought to Consider . . . Resentment is like acid, eating away at the vessel it is stored in. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C A L M = Can Anger Leave Me? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Service Tradition Two: "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as he may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. "The group now has a so-called rotating Committee, very sharply limited in its authority. In no sense whatever can its members govern or direct the group. They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group's chores." (c) 1981, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 134 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "Nearly all of us, when we think about it, agree that we are a long, long way from being anywhere near grown up, from almost any point of view. We can clearly see that our job as individuals and as a Fellowship is to keep right on growing by the constant use of our Twelve Steps." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1960 From: "AA Tomorrow" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "As each member of a resentful family begins to see his shortcomings and admits them to the others, he lays a basis for helpful discussion. These family talks will be constructive if they can be carried on without heated argument, self-pity, self-justification or resentful criticism." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~ "When drinking, or getting over a bout, an alcoholic, sometimes the model of honesty when normal, will do incredible things. Afterward, his revulsion will be terrible. Nearly always, these antics indicate nothing more than temporary conditions." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 140~ Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We discover that we 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. In praying, we ask simply that throughout the day God place in us the best understanding of His will that we can have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which we may carry it out. There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. Prayer for the Day: Lord, there are times when we are so concerned about ourselves that we don’t think of others. We ask for the gift of your Spirit that we may grow in awareness of others: - noticing when someone is unhappy, - sensing when there’s something wrong for somebody, - seeing when someone feels cut off or isolated, - knowing when to say the right word, - expressing thanks and compliments, - being thoughtful when someone is ill, - giving words of encouragement, - helping someone to feel welcome, - realizing when someone needs the opportunity to talk. May we grow in sensitivity towards others. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 4 A Spiritual Experience As I work the Steps in everything I do, practicing these principles in all my affairs, now I find that I am awake to God, to others, and to myself. The spiritual awakening I have enjoyed as the result of working the Steps is the awareness that I am no longer alone. - Daily Reflections, p. 345 Thought to Ponder . . . A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Resentments In AA we slowly learned that something had to be done about our vengeful resentments, self-pity, and unwarranted pride. We had to see that every time we played the big shot, we turned people against us. We had to see that when we harbored grudges and planned revenge for such defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others. We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 47 Thought to Consider . . . Resentment is like acid, eating away at the vessel it is stored in. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C A L M = Can Anger Leave Me? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Service Tradition Two: "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as he may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. "The group now has a so-called rotating Committee, very sharply limited in its authority. In no sense whatever can its members govern or direct the group. They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group's chores." (c) 1981, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 134 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "Nearly all of us, when we think about it, agree that we are a long, long way from being anywhere near grown up, from almost any point of view. We can clearly see that our job as individuals and as a Fellowship is to keep right on growing by the constant use of our Twelve Steps." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1960 From: "AA Tomorrow" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "As each member of a resentful family begins to see his shortcomings and admits them to the others, he lays a basis for helpful discussion. These family talks will be constructive if they can be carried on without heated argument, self-pity, self-justification or resentful criticism." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~ "When drinking, or getting over a bout, an alcoholic, sometimes the model of honesty when normal, will do incredible things. Afterward, his revulsion will be terrible. Nearly always, these antics indicate nothing more than temporary conditions." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 140~ Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We discover that we 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. In praying, we ask simply that throughout the day God place in us the best understanding of His will that we can have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which we may carry it out. There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. Prayer for the Day: Lord, there are times when we are so concerned about ourselves that we don’t think of others. We ask for the gift of your Spirit that we may grow in awareness of others: - noticing when someone is unhappy, - sensing when there’s something wrong for somebody, - seeing when someone feels cut off or isolated, - knowing when to say the right word, - expressing thanks and compliments, - being thoughtful when someone is ill, - giving words of encouragement, - helping someone to feel welcome, - realizing when someone needs the opportunity to talk. May we grow in sensitivity towards others. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 5 Sanity "Sanity" is defined as "soundness of mind." Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim "soundness of mind" for himself. . . and every AA meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 33 Thought to Ponder . . . I sit at a meeting until the bus of sanity comes by; then, I climb aboard. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A R T = Always Remain Teachable. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Faith People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices when we might have observed that many spiritually-minded persons of all races, colors and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness and usefulness which we should have sought ourselves. c. 2002 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 49 Thought to Consider . . . Feed your faith and starve your doubt. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F A I T H = Finding Answers In The Heart. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Faith Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "'When we encountered A.A., the fallacy of our defiance was revealed. At no time had we asked what God's will was for us; instead we had been telling Him what it ought to be. No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. Belief meant reliance, not defiance. In A.A. we saw the fruits of this belief: men and women spared from alcohol's final catastrophe. We saw them meet and transcend their other pains and trials. We saw them calmly accept impossible situations, seeking neither to run nor to recriminate. This was not only faith; it was faith that worked under all conditions. We soon concluded that whatever price in humility we must pay, we would pay.'" 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 31 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "What matters is what works, not my opinion of what works." November 1991 From: "Trusting the Silence" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66 "If we skip this vital step (5th Step), we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Trying to avoid this humbling experience, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 72~ It was only by repeated humiliations that we were forced to learn something about humility. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 72 Misc. AA Literature - Quote A.A. is no success story in the ordinary sense of the word. It is a story of suffering transmuted, under grace, into spiritual progress.' For Dr. Bob, the insatiable craving for alcohol was evidently a physical phenomenon which bedeviled several of his first years in A.A., a time when only days and nights of carrying the message to other alcoholics could cause him to forget about drinking. Although his craving was hard to withstand, it doubtless did account for some part of the intense incentive that went into forming Akron's Group Number One. Bob's spiritual release did not come easily; it was to be painfully slow. It always entailed the hardest kind of work and the sharpest vigilance. Prayer for the Day: For Healing - Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You. Allow Your healing hand to heal me. Touch my soul with Your compassion for others. Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all. Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise. Teach me to reach out to You in my need, and help me to lead others to You by my example. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength. Touch gently this life which You have created, now and forever. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 6 Sobriety Sobriety is nothing like I thought it would be. At first it was one big emotional roller coaster, full of sharp highs and deep lows. My emotions were new, untested, and I wasn't entirely certain I wanted to deal with them. I cried when I should have been laughing. I laughed when I should have cried. Events I thought were the end of the world turned out to be gifts. It was all very confusing. Slowly things began to work out. As I began to take the steps of recovery, my role in the pitiful condition of my life became clear. - Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 316-317 Thought to Ponder . . . Sobriety is a journey, not a destination. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Money Matters Money gradually became our servant and not our master. It became a means of exchanging love and service with those about us. When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot, then we found we could live at peace with ourselves and show others who still suffered the same fears that they could get over them, too. We found that freedom from fear was more important than freedom from want. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 122 Thought to Consider . . . It's more important to feel happy about who I am than who I think I should be. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* P A C E = Positive Attitudes Change Everything. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Hope >From "The Keys of the Kingdom": "I stayed up all night reading that [Big] book. For me it was a wonderful experience. It explained so much I had not understood about myself, and, best of all, it promised recovery if I would do a few simple things and be willing to have the desire to drink removed. Here was hope. Maybe I could find my way out of this agonizing existence. Perhaps I could find freedom and peace, and be able once again to call my soul my own." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 273 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Change happens in sobriety and, big or small, I try to see where God wants me to fit in each day." Monaca, Pa., April 2011 "An Unmade Bed," AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164~ We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience. The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly. We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe. ~Alcoholics Anonymous page 75 And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 101 Misc. AA Literature - Quote One exercise that I practice is to try for a full inventory of my blessings and then for a right acceptance of the many gifts that are mine - both temporal and spiritual. Here I try to achieve a state of joyful gratitude. When such a brand of gratitude is repeatedly affirmed and pondered, it can finally displace the natural tendency to congratulate myself on whatever progress I may have been enabled to make in some areas of living. I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know. Prayer for the Day: Lord God, may I not only feel the need of thee when I am burdened with sorrow and care, but may I have need of thee in my pleasures and joys. I thank thee for thy gracious kindness, thy mercy and thy protection. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 7 Discovery AA has accomplished so many things in my life today. It has given me my sanity and an all-around sense of balance. Now willing to listen and take suggestions, I have found that the process of discovering who I really am begins with knowing who I really don't want to be. And although the disease of alcoholism inside of me is like gravity, just waiting to pull me down, AA and the Twelve Steps are like the power that causes an airplane to become airborne: It only works when the pilot is doing the right things to make it work. - Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 456-457 Thought to Ponder . . . Recovery is discovery. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Language of the Heart >From the beginning, communication in AA has been no ordinary transmission of helpful ideas and attitudes. It has been unusual and sometimes unique. Because of our kinship in suffering, and because our common means of deliverance are effective for ourselves only when constantly carried to others, our channels of contact have always been charged with the language of the heart. Bill W., July 1960 c. 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 243 Thought to Consider . . . Walk softly and carry a Big Book. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S O B E R = Simply Observe Bill's Exemplary Recovery. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Altogether >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "In something of the same fashion this idea began to work out with other kinds of prospects. In the beginning we could not sober up women. They were different, they said. But when they saw other women get well, they slowly followed suit. The derelict, the rich man, the socialite, all these once thought A.A. was not for them. So did certain people of other races and tongues and creeds. But when they clearly saw the alcoholic tragedy for which they were headed, they could forget their differences and join A.A." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 199 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "Be willing to be willing to follow directions and you will find your life changing in all areas." Milwaukie, Ore., June 1999 From: "A Lady After All" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Both you and the new man must walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100~ "Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Remember they are very ill." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~ We found that freedom from fear was more important than freedom from want. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 122 Misc. AA Literature - Quote I am a firm believer in both guidance and prayer. But I am fully aware, and humble enough, I hope, to see there may be nothing infallible about my guidance. 'The minute I figure I have got a perfectly clear pipeline to God, I have become egotistical enough to get into real trouble. Nobody can cause more needless grief than a power-driver who thinks he has got it straight from God. Prayer for the Day: Praying for Others - Lord, even though others misunderstand and talk about me, I will keep right on praying for them. Thank you for giving me the strength to love my enemies, to do good to those who hate me. I ask you to bless those who have hurt me, and pray for their happiness. For now is the time—you are bending down to hear! You are ready with a plentiful supply of love and kindness. Thank you for answering my prayer, for your loving kindness is wonderful; your mercy is so plentiful, so tender and so kind. Nothing – no activity, work, or relationship – has meaning without you as the center of my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 8 Willingness A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness. - As Bill Sees It, p. 122 Thought to Ponder . . . If I have the courage to begin, I have the courage to succeed. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Vigilance Now that we're in AA and sober, and winning back the esteem of our friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance. As an insurance against "big-shot-ism" we can often check ourselves by remembering 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. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 92 Thought to Consider . . . Always remember you're unique ... just like everyone else. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H A L T = Honestly, Actively, Lovingly, Tolerant. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Today >From "Getting Ahead": "I think that one of the main differences between an active alcoholic and a recovering alcoholic can be expressed as a matter of tense. The active alcoholic tends to live in the future or in the past. The sober alcoholic, using part of the philosophy he learns in his A.A. experience, lives or strives to live in the present." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 113 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "If you need a friend who understands, look no further than the rooms of AA and the Big Book. They always hold an answer and some faith for me." Santa Rosa, Calif, October 2006 From: "Imperfect Progress" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it. After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~ "Many a man, yet dazed from his hospital experience, has stepped over the threshold of that home into freedom. Many an alcoholic who entered there came away with an answer. He succumbed to that gay crowd inside, who laughed at their own misfortunes and understood his. Impressed by those who visited him at the hospital, he capitulated entirely when, later, in an upper room of this house, he heard the story of some man whose experience closely tallied with his own. The expression on the faces of the women, that indefinable something in the eyes of the men, the stimulating and electric atmosphere of the place, conspired to let him know that here was haven at last." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 160 We should avoid extreme judgments, both of ourselves and of others involved. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 82 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Resentment is the Number One offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have also been spiritually ill. When our spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. In dealing with our resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions, or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened. 'The most heated bit of letter-writing can be a wonderful safety valve - providing the wastebasket is somewhere nearby. Prayer for the Day: Lord, we ask you to open our eyes that we may value and appreciate all people, recognizing what we have in common rather than focusing on what our differences might be. Inspire us to distinguish between what is important and what is not, and open our minds and hearts that we may always be people of good will who bring life and joy to others. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 9 Selfishness So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62 Thought to Ponder . . . Reliance on God enables me to match calamity with serenity. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H E L P = His Ever - Loving Presence. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Martyrdom Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and consuming defects that we know. It is a bar to all spiritual progress and can cut off all effective communication with our fellows because of its inordinate demands for attention and sympathy. It is a maudlin form of martyrdom; which we can ill afford. Bill W., Letter, 1966 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 238 Thought to Consider . . . Poor me! Poor me! Pour me a drink. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* N U T S = Not Using The Steps *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Peace >From "Infinite Need": "In practice, I have always found it rather difficult to let Allah's superior and flawless will prevail in my life and govern my will. However, when I make humble efforts, serenely accepting His will for me at some moment in my life, I feel absolutely relieved of the load I have carried on my shoulders. The mind does not wander any more [sic], and the heart is full of happiness at every breath I take." Karachi, Pakistan 1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 21 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The Secret is, there is no Secret! Working the Steps with a sponsor, going to meetings, helping others, and above all, keeping God and sobriety first have kept me sober almost five years now. I always had heard that things in plain sight are the hardest to find!" Vandalia, Ill., February 2001 From: "The Secret" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ 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 "When people presented us with spiritual approaches, how frequently did we all say, "I wish I had what that man has. Im sure it would work if I could only believe as he believes. But I cannot accept as surely true the many articles of faith which are so plain to him." So it was comforting to learn that we could commence at a simpler level." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 47~ 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 No member of A.A. wants to deprecate material achievement. Nor do we enter into debate with the many who cling to the belief that to satisfy our basic natural desires is the main object of life. But we are sure that no class of people in the world ever made a worse mess of trying to live by this formula than alcoholics. We demanded more than our share of security, prestige, and romance. When we seemed to be succeeding, we drank to dream still greater dreams. When we were frustrated, even in part, we drank for oblivion. In all these strivings, so many of them well-intentioned, our crippling handicap was our lack of humility. We lacked the perspective to see that character-building and spiritual values had to come first, and that material satisfactions were simply by-products and not the chief aims of life. Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, please help me through today. Help me share your wisdom and glory with others so they may benefit from your love. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 10 Tolerance I try to practice tolerance in small ways, putting aside the little resentments, making light of that stealthy foe, self-pity, which will keep creeping in. I know if I succeed, then I'm more likely to beat that great big resentment which nothing has been able to pry from its roots deep in my soul. - Thank You For Sharing, pp. 42-43 Thought to Ponder . . . Flexible people do not get bent out of shape. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . P U T = Patience, Understanding, Tolerance. Presence. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Let Go If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it -- then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58 Thought to Consider . . . When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Stereotypes Tradition Two: For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority- a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. "Former group leaders divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as 'elder statesmen' and 'bleeding deacons.' The elder statesman is the one who sees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines awaiting developments. The bleeding deacon is one who is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for reelection to office, and who continues to be consumed with self-pity." Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, 2005, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., pg. 135 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "A vast communications net now covers the earth, even to its remotest reaches ... Nothing can matter more to the future welfare of AA than the manner in which we use this colossus of communication. Used unselfishly and well, the results can surpass our present imagination. Should we handle this great instrument badly, we shall be shattered by the ego demands of our own people -- often with the best of intention on their part." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1960 From: "Freedom Under God: The Choice Is Ours" 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~ "We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders. When we see a man sinking into the mire that is alcoholism, we give him first aid and place what we have at his disposal." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132 "What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~ Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Around 1943 or 1944, the Central Office asked the groups to list their membership rules and send them in. After they arrived we set them all down. A little reflection upon these many rules brought us to an astonishing conclusion. If all of these edicts had been in force everywhere at once it would have been practically impossible for any alcoholic to have ever joined A.A. About nine-tenths of our oldest and best members could never have got by! At last experience taught us that to take away any alcoholic's full chance for sobriety in A.A. was sometimes to pronounce his death sentence, and often to condemn him to endless misery. Who dared to be judge, jury, and executioner of his own sick brother? Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, please help me through today. Help me share your wisdom and glory with others so they may benefit from your love. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 11 Clear Ideas 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 Ponder . . . Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Accept, Begin, Continue. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Miracles 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. The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that! c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 153 Thought to Consider . . . Don't give up before the miracle happens. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H O P E = Happy Our Program Exists *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Request From "Into Action": "On awakening, let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 86 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "From the moment I pulled open the doors to my very first meeting, I felt something different, something good was going to happen. Those doors, which at the time I believed to be the heaviest ever made, allowed me to walk into a new way of life." New York, N.Y., January 2006 From: "Attitude Adjustment" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~ "Thus we grow. And so can you, though you be but one man with this book in your hand. We believe and hope it contains all you will need to begin." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 162 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 When first challenged to admit defeat, most of us revolted. We had approached A.A. expecting to be taught self- confidence. Then we had been told that so far as alcohol was concerned, self-confidence was no good whatever; in fact, it was a total liability. There was no such thing as personal conquest of the alcoholic compulsion by the unaided will. It is when we try to make our will conform with God's that we begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was a most wonderful revelation. Our whole trouble had been the misuse of will power. We had tried to bombard our problems with it instead of attempting to bring it into agreement with God's intention for us. To make this increasingly possible is the purpose of A.A.'s Twelve Steps. Prayer for the Day: As we travel through the rest of our day, may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 12 Infallible Heartbeat We need each other's experience, strength, and hope, regardless of age or length of sobriety. The shining grace of God doesn't come like a bolt out of the blue. It comes through, in, and from other suffering, as well as rescued, souls like you and me. I am happy to be part of a living and growing fellowship with an infallible heartbeat. Divine power is the pulse of AA, and it doesn't change, no matter how foolish and errant we mortals be. - Came To Believe . . ., p. 94 Thought to Ponder . . . Together we can do what we could never do alone. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . E S H = Experience, Strength and Hope. *~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~* Faith We had seen spiritual release, but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true. 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. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 55 Thought to Consider . . . We found the Great Reality deep down within us. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F A I T H = Found Always In Trusting Him. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* HP? Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "'You can, if you wish, make A.A. itself your "higher power." Here's a very large group of people who have solved their alcohol problem. In this respect they are certainly a power greater than you, who have not even come close to a solution. Surely you can have faith in them. Even this minimum of faith will be enough. You will find many members who have crossed the threshold just this way. All of them 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.'" 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 27-28 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Clearly, the chief mark of restoration to sanity is our not taking the first drink." March 1981 From: "Sanity" Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, 'This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.'" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~ "We, who have recovered from serious drinking, are miracles of mental health." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~ We eat, drink, and grab for more of everything than we need, fearing we shall never have enough. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 49 Misc. AA Literature - Quote As a rule, the average newcomer wanted his family to know immediately what he was trying to do. He also wanted to tell others who had tried to help him - his doctor, his minister, and close friends. As he gained confidence, he felt it right to explain his new way of life to his employer and business associates. When opportunities to be helpful came along, he found he could talk easily about A.A. to almost anyone. These quiet disclosures helped him to lose his fear of the alcoholic stigma, and spread the news of A.A.'s existence in his community. Many a new man and woman came to A.A. because of such conversations. Since it is only at the top public level that anonymity is expected, such communications were well within its spirit. Prayer for the Day: Dear Father, thank you for today. Please give me wisdom and guidance to help those who are in need. Please grant me the patience and understanding to deal with those who are less forgiving, for they are the ones who need help the most. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 13 Humility Humility is a personal achievement, it cannot be given away. It comes in glimmers and grows like an ice crystal. It is fragile, too, thus requiring constant care and protection. Maintaining anonymity insures that the focus of our efforts is on the program and not the personalities. - The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA, p. 126 Thought to Ponder . . . Humility is not a station we arrive at; it's a way of traveling. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Always Aware. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Carry the Message Taking advantage of technological advances, AA members with computers can participate in meetings online, sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country or around the world. Fundamentally, though, the difference between an electronic meeting and the home group around the corner is only one of format. In any meeting, anywhere, AA's share experience, strength, and hope with each other, in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics. Modem-to-modem or face-to-face, AA's speak the language of the heart in all its power and simplicity. c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, Foreword to Fourth Edition, p. xxiv Thought to Consider . . . We in AA don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together. * * * F A I T H = Finding Answers In The Heart *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Rewards >From "He Lived Only to Drink": "The rewards of sobriety are bountiful and as progressive as the disease they counteract. Certainly among these rewards for me are release from the prison of uniqueness, and the realization that participation in the A.A. way of life is a blessing and privilege beyond estimate' a blessing to live a life free from the pain and degradation of drinking and filled with the joy of useful, sober living, and a privilege to grow in sobriety one day at a time and bring the message of hope as it was brought to me." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 451 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The day we begin working the Steps, the bottom becomes the foundation." Chelsea, Mich., November 2002 "The Foundation," In Our Own Words ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance, "that principle is contempt prior to investigation.'" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual Experience, pg. 568~ 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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62 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. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 69 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say, 'If it weren't for him (or her), how happy I'd be!' Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives. Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy or defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built. Prayer for the Day: God our Father, the Bible reminds us that your love for each of us is great and that you are faithful for ever, never letting us down or forgetting your promises to us. Inspire us to value friendship and loyalty, that we may be faithful to those who love and trust us. We pray that we may live in such a way that we may make others feel welcome and secure. Show us how to look upon other people in the same generous way that you look upon each of us. Extend our horizons that we may understand better those who are far from us. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 14 Love The spiritual growth we enjoy in AA is a product of the never-ending school for living which our Fellowship provides. The subject in that school that opened my eyes most quickly and filled my heart most fully was love. I never knew what true love was until I began my recovery in AA. My schooling in that emotion began early and led me to the conclusion that love is what creates in a sober AA member the outer show of an inner glow. - The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 294 Thought to Ponder . . . Great love is the sunlight of AA's tree of life. 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~*~ Results 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. c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 46 Thought to Consider . . . God seldom becomes a reality until God becomes a necessity. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* G I F T = God Is Forever There *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Overseas >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "Maybe A.A. was just a Yankee gadget that would be no good for Ireland, England, Holland, Scandinavia, Australia, and the Pacific. Since their countries were so different, maybe their alcoholics were different too. 'Will A.A. work in our cultures"' they asked. We became heavily involved in correspondence, much helped by our American members in New York who could translate for us. We searched out and briefed A.A. travelers going abroad. Gradually headway was made. It was a long time, however, before we knew for sure that A.A. could cross the barriers of distance, race, creed, and language. But today [1957], the A.A. map shows our society in more than seventy countries and the U.S. possessions." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 200 *~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~* "With respect to its own affairs, the collective conscience of the group will, given time, almost surely demonstrate its perfect dependability. The group conscience will, in the end, prove a far more infallible guide for group affairs than the decision of any individual member, however good or wise he may be." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1948 From: "Tradition Two" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners. A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~ "This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not, and when the occasion requires, each member of it should be only too willing to bring former mistakes, no matter how grievous, out of their hiding places. Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 124~ With clear understanding and right, grown-up attitudes, very happy results do follow. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 120 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Today, the vast majority of us welcome any new light that can be thrown on the alcoholic's mysterious and baffling malady. We welcome new and valuable knowledge whether it issues from a test tube, from a psychiatrist's couch, or from revealing social studies. We are glad of any kind of education that accurately informs the public and changes its age-old attitude toward the drunk. More and more we regard all who labor in the total field of alcoholism as our companions on a march from darkness into light. We see that we can accomplish together what we could never accomplish in separation and in rivalry. Prayer for the Day: Lord, help us to do your will and open our spiritual ears to always listen to your voice as we make all our plans and decisions. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 15 Seeing Is Believing The Wright brothers' almost childish faith that they could build a machine which would fly was the mainspring of their accomplishment. Without that, nothing could have happened. . . When others showed us that God-sufficiency worked with them, we began to feel like those who had insisted the Wrights would never fly. We were seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems. - As Bill Sees it, p. 47 Thought to Ponder . . . I saw, I felt, I believed. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Children of Chaos Over the years, every conceivable deviation from our Twelve Steps and Traditions has been tried. That was sure to be, since we are largely a band of ego-driven individuals. Children of chaos, we have definitely played with every brand of fire, only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser. These very deviations created a vast process of trial and error which, under the grace of God, has brought us to where we stand today. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 146 Thought to Consider . . . Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C H A O S = Can't Handle Another Overwhelming Situation *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Accept >From "'The Belief Will Come'": "I don't recall any immediate, dramatic change in my life. I began rereading the Big Book and the Twelve Steps, and now I found in these much that I had never found before. I didn't reject any of it. I accepted it just as it was written. Nor did I read into it anything that wasn't there. "Again, nothing changed overnight. But, as time has passed, I have acquired a blind and, yes, childlike faith that, by accepting a God I don't understand and the program of A.A. just as it is written, I can maintain my sobriety one day at a time." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 47 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~* "One night after a Step Two meeting, I decided to find out what those courageous early members who put our Twelve Steps together really meant by sanity. I was a little surprised to find that my dictionary defined it as the quality of being sound of mind, sound of judgment, reasonable and rational in one's thoughts ... As I sat there mulling over the definition, an idea occurred to me: 'This is what I'm to be restored to -- sound, reasonable, rational thinking.'" Shenandoah, Iowa, February 1982 From: "Sanity Clause" Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ 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~ "There is action and more action. 'Faith without works is dead.'" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 88~ It brought a measure of humility, which we soon discovered to be a healer of pain. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 Misc. AA Literature - Quote We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those about us. We have seen that we were prodded by unreasonable fears or anxieties into making a life business of winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership. So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin marked 'Fear.' We simply had to be Number One people to cover up our deep-lying inferiorities. True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the profound desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God. Prayer for the Day: God, There are many difficulties and challenges in life, and we see or experience more of them each day we live. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may have courage and determination, and may live in such a way that we encourage one another. Enable us to transform whatever is negative, and remain positive in attitude throughout our lives. Lighten our darkness and keep us safe. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 16 Making Coffee All I thought about as I was making the coffee was making the coffee and how people could enjoy it. At my sponsor's suggestion, I stood near the coffeepot and welcomed everyone who came by. I must have experienced a million smiles in a very short time. And when I pushed the broom all I concentrated on was the dust rising from it as I moved across the floor. My troubles were gone for the time that I was doing these things. And so it can be for you. If you can't live and you can't die, make coffee. - The Home Group; Heartbeat of AA, p. 43 Thought to Ponder . . . Into service out of self. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Ashtrays, Brooms, Coffee. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Cheerfulness But we aren't a glum lot. . . We absolutely insist on enjoying life. . . So we think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 132 Thought to Consider . . . Laughter is the sound of recovery. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Change >From "A Glacier Melts": "I had thought I was happy in that first eighteen months of sobriety, but now everything began to look brighter; people seemed nicer; and I had moments of tremendous insight. It was as if words and sentences I had heard all my life had a deeper meaning and were reaching my feelings, rather than my intellect. It was as if my head and my heart finally had gotten glued together. I no longer seemed like two people in one, engaging in a tug of war. I experienced within this six- week period a feeling of being totally forgiven, and never since have I felt the guilt that I had throughout my life prior to that time. More than once, I had as sense of Presence which I can describe only as being marvelously warm, uplifting, and comfortable." 1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 58 *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it. After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~ "Since the home has suffered more than anything else, it is well that a man exert himself there. He is not likely to get far in any direction if he fails to show unselfishness and love under his own roof. We know there are difficult wives and families, but the man who is getting over alcoholism must remember he did much to make them so." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~ Could we then foresee that troublesome people were to become our principal teachers of patience and tolerance? -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 141 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Wright brothers' almost childish faith that they could build a machine which would fly was the mainspring of their accomplishment. Without that, nothing could have happened. We agnostics and atheists were sticking to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems. When others showed us that God-sufficiency worked with them, we began to feel like those who had insisted the Wrights would never fly. We were seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems. Prayer for the Day: Lord Jesus, as you touched the eyes of the blind man, touch us so that our eyes may be opened so that we can “really see” the many wonderful things around us and in our own lives. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 17 Obsession It is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30 Thought to Ponder . . . When we try to control our drinking, we have already lost control. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Always Alive. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ A New Life 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. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89 Thought to Consider . . . Break out of your shell and join us! *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F E E L = Feel, Experience, Express, Let go *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* God's Help >From "Another Prodigal Story": "I know I am an alcoholic and while I used to call on God to help me, my conclusion is that I was simply asking God to help me drink alcohol without its hurting me, which is a far different thing than asking him [sic] to help me not to drink at all." 2005, AAWS, Inc.; Experience, Strength & Hope, pg. 113 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am a student of life just trying to learn how the universe works. The most powerful lesson I have learned is that it all happens inside me. My perception of any situation is in my control -- I have a choice about which way my mind will react." Pinellas Park, Fla., November 2006 From: "How the Universe Works" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired. If what we have learned and felt and seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are the children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~ "Whether the family goes on a spiritual basis or not, the alcoholic member has to if he would recover. The others must be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt. Seeing is believing to most families who have lived with a drinker." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 135~ All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 34 Misc. AA Literature - Quote When a drunk has a terrific hangover because he drank heavily yesterday, he cannot live well today. But there is another kind of hangover which we all experience whether we are drinking or not. That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterday's and sometimes today's excesses of negative emotion - anger, fear, jealousy, and the like. If we would live serenely today and tomorrow, we certainly need to eliminate these hangovers. This doesn't mean we need to wander morbidly around in the past. It requires an admission and correction of errors - now. Prayer for the Day: Dear Father, thank you for today. Please be grant me the wisdom to help those who are in need. Give me the wisdom so I may help guide them in their journey. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 18 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 apparent in an individual, in a group, or AA as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way. - As Bill Sees it, p. 115 Thought to Ponder . . . If nothing changes, nothing changes. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . N O W = No Other Way. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ AA Unity Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still "do not know" might never get their chance. Bill W., Letter, 1949 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 297 Thought to Consider . . . We can make a difference. Without you, there is no 'we.' *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A's - R - U S = Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Unity Service ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ AA Unity Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still "do not know" might never get their chance. Bill W., Letter, 1949 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 297 Thought to Consider . . . We can make a difference. Without you, there is no 'we.' *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A's - R - U S = Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Unity Service *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Paybacks >From "Into Action": "Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking; they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us. ... [W]e let these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 78 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Recovery is something like the restoration of a very old painting, covered over by layers and layers of darkening, distorted varnish ... Not all of the underlying pattern can be revealed at one time. What is uncovered, bit by bit and layer by slow, careful layer, are the things which are necessary and appropriate for me to know about myself right now." Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, August 1992 From: "An Indescribable Benevolence" Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. 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 was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that point." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 12~ "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 We began to fear pain less, and desire humility more than ever. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 Misc. AA Literature - Quote If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that some day we will be immune to alcohol. Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding a new one. Prayer for the Day: God , Give us the power of your Spirit that we may see and love in others what you see and love in them. We want to see the positive in people and bring out the best in each other. It’s easy to say that, but not always easy to live it out, and so we ask you to help and inspire us to live as you would like us to live this day. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 19 Powerless I did not know that my body's drinking machinery had worn out, and that the parts could not be replaced. I did not know that just one drink made it impossible for me to control my behavior and conduct and my future drinking. I did not know, in short, that I was powerless over alcohol. My family and friends knew these things about me long before I did. - Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 153 Thought to Ponder . . . Alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful! AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Always Aware. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Entirely Ready It is plain for everybody to see that each sober AA member has been granted a release from this very obstinate and fatal obsession. So in a very complete and literal way, all AA's have "become entirely ready" to have God remove the mania for alcohol from their lives. And God has proceeded to do just that. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 64 Thought to Consider . . . I stood in the sunlight at last. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Faith Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 33 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Drinking is no longer a problem, but my thinking sure is. Writing a gratitude list puts the brakes on negative thoughts, turns me back toward the light, and helps me to see the beauty in everyday life." New York, N.Y., January 2006 From: "Tools for Life" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ 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 We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. Alcoholics Anonymous page 60 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 A.A.: Benign Anarchy and Democracy When we come into A.A. we find a greater personal freedom than any other society knows. We cannot be compelled to do anything. In that sense our Society is a benign anarchy. The word 'anarchy' has a bad meaning to most of us. But I think that the idealist who first advocated the concept felt that if only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled to obey no one, they would then voluntarily associate themselves in the common interest. A.A. is an association of the benign sort he envisioned. But when we had to go into action - to function as groups - we discovered that we also had to become a democracy. As our oldtimers retired, we therefore began to elect our trusted servants by majority vote. Each group in this sense became a town meeting. All plans for group action had to be approved by the majority. This meant that no single individual could appoint himself to act for his group or for A.A. as a whole. Neither dictatorship nor paternalism was for us. Prayer for the Day: Prayer for One's Home by Edgar Guest Peace, unto this house, I pray, Keep terror and despair away; Shield it from evil and let sin Never find lodging room within. May never in these walls be heard The hateful or accusing word. Grant that its warm and mellow light May be to all a beacon bright, A flaming symbol that shall stir The beating pulse of him or her Who finds this door and seems to say, “Here end the trials of the day.“ Hold us together, gentle Lord, Who sit about this humble board; May we be spared the cruel fate Of those whom hatreds separate; Here let love bind us fast, that we May know the joys of unity. Lord, this humble house we'd keep Sweet with play and calm with sleep. Help us so that we may give Beauty to the lives we live. Let Thy love and let Thy grace Shine upon our dwelling place. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 20 Challenges Life is meant to be lived by facing the challenges it brings. Otherwise, I'm not living, just existing. God didn't give me this gift of sobriety to sit in a rocking chair, imagining myself as some wise old woman who has arrived somewhere. There is no easier, softer way. . . The teaching I receive in AA about courage and love helps me to continue to grapple with the challenges of life as they are given to me, one day at a time. - The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 320 Thought to Ponder . . . Courage is fear in action. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Achieve Anything. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Steps & Traditions AA's Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. AA's Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which AA maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 15 Thought to Consider . . . The Steps protect me from myself; the Traditions protect AA from me. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T R U S T = Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Publications >From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The year 1944 brought a vital development. In New York City a few literary and newsminded A.A.'s began to issue a monthly publication. They called their magazine the Grapevine. It was by no means the first local A.A. bulletin or magazine. The Cleveland Central Bulletin, the Los Angeles Eye-Opener, and several others had preceded it. But the Grapevine caught on nationally. "After the first few months it encountered a strange kind of difficulty. It turned out that the FBI for a long time had published a [news]sheet called the Grapevine devoted to keeping FBI men up to date. Things were finally ironed out when we began to call our monthly magazine the A.A. Grapevine. With this minor difficulty overcome, our Grapevine grew and grew." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 201-02 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "In the meetings I attend, newcomers sometimes ask me how I've been able to stay sober so long. My answer is always the same: every morning, the first thing I do is say three magic words -- God, help me." Kissimmee, Fla., March 2006 From: "Small but Mighty" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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~ "If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~ All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 34 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Coming of Faith In my own case, the foundation stone of freedom from fear is that of faith: a faith that, despite all worldly appearances to the contrary, causes me to believe that I live in a universe that makes sense. To me, this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, and a destiny to grow, however little and haltingly, toward His own likeness and image. Before the coming of faith I had lived as an alien in a cosmos that too often seemed both hostile and cruel. In it there could be no inner security for me. 'When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was made ready to ask for the gift of faith. And all was changed. Never again, my pains and problems notwithstanding, would I experience my former desolation. I saw the universe to be lighted by God's love; I was alone no more.' 1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 - 2. LETTER, 1966 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, Please grant me peace so I can face the day with a clear mind and calm heart. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 21 A Beginning My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, "Why don't you choose your own conception of God?" That statement 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 was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12 Thought to Ponder . . . Don't fear tomorrow. God is already there. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . G O D = Good Orderly Direction. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Steps & Traditions AA's Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. AA's Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which AA maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 15 Thought to Consider . . . The Steps protect me from myself; the Traditions protect AA from me. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T R U S T = Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Publications From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The year 1944 brought a vital development. In New York City a few literary and newsminded A.A.'s began to issue a monthly publication. They called their magazine the Grapevine. It was by no means the first local A.A. bulletin or magazine. The Cleveland Central Bulletin, the Los Angeles Eye-Opener, and several others had preceded it. But the Grapevine caught on nationally. "After the first few months it encountered a strange kind of difficulty. It turned out that the FBI for a long time had published a [news]sheet called the Grapevine devoted to keeping FBI men up to date. Things were finally ironed out when we began to call our monthly magazine the A.A. Grapevine. With this minor difficulty overcome, our Grapevine grew and grew." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 201-02 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I use notes to remind me to seek my Higher Power ... On my desk, in front of my computer is the note: 'Good morning, this is God, I will be handling all your worries and concerns for today. I will not need your help!'" Buffalo Grove, Ill., November 2013 From: "Note to Self" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "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~ When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~ It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 92 Misc. AA Literature - Quote To Guard Against a Slip Suppose we fall short of our chosen ideals and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives. 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. These are facts out of our experience. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 70 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Give me the wisdom to know that even if I am on the right path I won't go anywhere if I don't move. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 22 Fantasy Above all, we reject fantasizing and accept reality. The more I drank, the more I fantasized everything. . . In my mind's eye I played and replayed scenes in which I was plucked magically from the bar where I stood nursing a drink and was instantly exalted to some position of power and prestige. I lived in a dream world. AA led me gently from this fantasizing to embrace reality with open arms. And I found it beautiful! - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 559 Thought to Ponder . . . Few people have the imagination to see reality. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Always Awesome. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Acceptance Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as we are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives. Bill W., AAGrapevine, March 1962 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 44 Thought to Consider . . . My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Philosophy >From "Happiness": "It appears to me that most of the wrenching turmoil in people's lives whether or not they are alcoholic derives from too stubborn persistence in trying to resolve insoluble problems. That is why the philosophy contained in the Serenity Prayer is one of the most important guidelines I've found in A.A." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 111 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Consider the problem of the fast-growing overseas centers just now emerging from their pioneering time -- how they have slowly gained the confidence of medicine, religion, and the press; how they have finally grown into unity through an ever better application of our Twelve Traditions; how they have tried to make good their desperate lack of language translations; and how they have well begun to cross all barriers of race, creed, or social condition." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1960 From: "Our Pioneers Overseas" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132 "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~ When the Twelfth Step is seen in its full implication, it is really talking about the kind of love that has no price tag on it. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 106 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'Loners' - but Not Alone What can be said of many A.A. members who, for a variety of reasons, cannot have a family life? At first many of these feel lonely, hurt, and left out as they witness so much domestic happiness about them. If they cannot have this kind of happiness, can A.A. offer them satisfactions of similar worth and durability? Yes - whenever they try hard to seek out these satisfactions. Surrounded by so many A.A. friends, the so-called loners tell us they no longer feel alone. In partnership with others - women and men - they can devote themselves to any number of ideas, people, and constructive projects. They can participate in enterprises which would be denied to family men and women. We daily see such members render prodigies of service, and receive great joys in return. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 120 Prayer for the Day: Dear Father, thank you for always hearing my prayers. I ask only that you grant me wisdom to follow your will so I do not head down the wrong path. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 23 Open-mindedness Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect, alcohol was the great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will be as prejudiced for as long as some of us were. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 48 Thought to Ponder . . . Recovery is not an event; it is a process. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Hope He had lain awake all night. Down in the pit of his depression, new hope had suddenly been born. The thought flashed through his mind, "If they can do it, I can do it!" Over and over he said this to himself. Finally, out of his hope, there burst conviction. Now he was sure. Then came a great joy. At length peace stole over him, and he slept. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 189 Thought to Consider . . . Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Whole >From "A Living Part of A.A.": "God is a living part of A.A. I feel His presence each time I look into the concerned eyes around me. His greatest commandment is 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' This seems to me to be the entire purpose of A.A." Marysville, Ohio, USA 1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 89 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~* "The welcome I received in AA was real. Neither my youth, my race, my newness, nor my foreignness concerned them. All they appeared to see was that I finally admitted my powerlessness over alcohol. That was enough for them." Port of Spain, March 2003 From: "What Do I Like Best?" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ 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 delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, Page 30~ "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~ Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote To Deepen Our Insight It is necessary that we extricate from an examination of our personal relations every bit of information about ourselves and our fundamental difficulties that we can. Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one. Calm, thoughtful reflection upon personal relations can deepen our insight. We can go far beyond those things which were superficially wrong with us, to see those flaws which were basic, flaws which sometimes were responsible for the whole pattern of our lives. Thoroughness, we have found, will pay - and pay handsomely. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 80 Prayer for the Day: Lord Jesus, I ask you to enter my life in a new way this day that I may grow in stature and wisdom and grace as the person you call me to be. Inspire me to follow you more closely and help me to live in such a way that I encourage others and bring life to them. No one is small in your eyes; let no one be small in mine. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 24 Coming to Believe It wasn't AA that had the closed mind, it was me. The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of AA's program as enthusiastically as I could. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 27 Thought to Ponder . . . I came; I came to; I came to believe. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Resentment Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. >From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten our mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 64-5 Thought to Consider . . . Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* P A C E = Positive Attitudes Change Everything. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Reborn >From "Riding the Rods": "That was two years ago. The way has not been easy. The new way of life was strange at first, but all my thoughts were on it. The going was sometimes slow; halting were my steps among the difficulties of the path. But always, when troubles came, when doubts assailed and temptation was strong and the old desire returned, I knew where to go for aid. Helping others also strengthened me and helped me to grow." 2005, AAWS, Inc.; Experience, Strength & Hope, pg. 74 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The Italians have a neat way of telling someone 'I love you.' Their expression is 'Ti voglio bene' -- 'I wish you well.' It just seems to put things on a tangible level ... Quite often my prayer is nothing more than this little Italian phrase, 'Ti voglio bene.'" Humbolt, Saskatchewan, February 1996 From: "I Wish You Well" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking; they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can we let these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 78~ "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~ Belief meant reliance, not defiance. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 31 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Seeking Guidance 'Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn't made in God's image to be an automaton. 'My own formula along this line runs as follows: First, think through every situation pro and con, praying meanwhile that I be not influenced by ego considerations. Affirm that I would like to do God's will. 'Then, having turned the problem over in this fashion and getting no conclusive or compelling answer, I wait for further guidance, which may come into the mind directly or through other people or through circumstances. 'If I feel I can't wait, and still get no definite indication, I repeat the first measure several times, try to pick out the best course, and then proceed to act. I know if I am wrong, the heavens won't fall. A lesson will be learned, in any case.' LETTER, 1950 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, please help me to remember that it is not what I say, but what I do that speaks the loudest. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 25 Came To Believe . . . What I have come to believe is profound, and my concept and understanding of the program are quite different from what they were before. My AA way of life now demands constant action -- an active self-honesty and recognition of the necessity for living in day-tight compartments. In gratitude, I must humbly come to believe every moment of every day. - Came To Believe . . ., p. 96 Thought to Ponder . . . What are you coming to believe? Belief is a continuing action. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A B C = Action, Belief, Continue. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Powerlessness Who cares to admit complete defeat? Practically no one, of course. Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness. It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21 Thought to Consider . . . We surrender to win. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Insanity >From "Bill's Story": "Shortly afterward I came home drunk. There had been no fight. Where had been my high resolve? I simply didn't know. It hadn't even come to mind. Someone had pushed a drink my way, and I had taken it. Was I crazy? I began to wonder, for such an appalling lack of perspective seemed near being just that." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 5 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I expect to be 'on tap' but never again 'on top,' this being precisely the stance that AA hopes all its old-timers will take." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1961 From: "Again at the Crossroads" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing get well, little charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the wrong track." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 97 "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." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~ 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 Facing Criticism Sometimes, we register surprise, shock, and anger when people find fault with A.A. We are apt to be disturbed to such an extent that we cannot benefit by constructive criticism. This sort of resentment makes no friends and achieves no constructive purpose. Certainly, this is an area in which we can improve. It is evident that the harmony, security, and future effectiveness of A.A. will depend largely upon our maintenance of a thoroughly nonaggressive and pacific attitude in all our public relations. This is an exacting assignment, because in our drinking days we were prone to anger, hostility, rebellion, and aggression. And, even though we are now sober, the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with us, always threatening to explode on any good excuse. But we now know this, and therefore I feel confident that in the conduct of our public affairs we shall always find the grace to exert restraint. 1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965 - 2. TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 69 Prayer for the Day: Lord God, help me to lay my life in the rocks of thy foundation, and not in moving sands which are tossed from shore to shore. May I cling to the rock that was cleft for me and trust for thy care. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 26 An Open Channel I no longer allow others to make decisions for me and then criticize me for it. Today -- and every day -- with a heart full of gratitude, and a desire for God's will to be done through me, my life is worth sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make a religion out of anything, even AA, then I can be an open channel for God's expression. - Daily Reflections, p. 92 Thought to Ponder . . . True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Neighbors Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people in a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of "Love Thy neighbor as thyself." c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3 Thought to Consider . . . Sobriety is a journey, not a destination. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T E A M = Together Everyone Achieves More. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Illness Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are, or seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it. Some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,' but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill. They are abetted in this blindness by a world which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 32-33 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I was told by a sober member of AA that if I wanted to stay sober I would need to do three things: get a sobriety date and don't change it, get a sponsor, and get a home group." Glendale, Calif., March 2002 From: "Three Essentials" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~ "...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~ "It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 92 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Better than Gold As newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a gaunt 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 . 128-129 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, Please grant me the wisdom to understand that failing at something is just another opportunity to start again. Please help me to never give up. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 27 Convincing Evidence My abuse of alcohol was the exterior manifestation of a disease much more complex and consuming than simple drunkenness, and similarly, my abstinence is the exterior manifestation of a wellness much more rewarding than simple sobriety. The most convincing evidence I have today that I'm an alcoholic is not how much or how long I drank, nor how drunk I got; the most convincing evidence I have is that Alcoholics Anonymous is working for me. - Thank You For Sharing, p. 181 Thought to Ponder . . . It works -- it really does. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A A = Absolute Abstinence. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Foundation There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. but when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 98 Thought to Consider . . . Prayer is asking a question. Meditation is listening for the answer. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A S A P = Always Say A Prayer. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Hope >From "Tightrope": "He put me in contact with an individual who took me to my first meeting. Although I can barely recall anything about that meeting, I heard two things I have never forgotten. The first was 'You don't have to drink again.' This was a total revelation to me. For a long time I had believed that alcohol was one of the few positive things left in my life. I looked forward to my first drink every evening and thought that alcohol was holding my life together. I had to drink to survive, let alone to have any comfort. Yet here, people who had been in the same boat were telling me that I didn't have to drink. I don't think I believed them that night, but it gave me enough hope to avoid drinking the rest of the day." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 364-65 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Today, I don't have the home, the husband, the three cars in the garage. I have one old clunker that takes me to meetings. I am not financially well off, but I have a peace of mind I never dreamed possible. My needs are always met -- and even some of my wishes. I am truly happy for the first time in my life. Thank you AA." Milwaukie, Ore., June 1999 From: "A Lady After All" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while there is yet time." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 32 "Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we took other simple steps." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~ "Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Righteous Indignation 'The positive value of righteous indignation is theoretical - especially for alcoholics. It leaves every one of us open to the rationalization that we may be as angry as we like provided we can claim to be righteous about it.' When we harbored grudges and planned revenge for defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others. We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our very first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it. 1. LETTER, 1954 - 2 .TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 47 Prayer for the Day: God, I pray that I may not neglect my soul in trying to fathom immortal life. If I may be hesitating between comfort and work, remind me of the greatness of the place which I started to reach. May I not grow weary of climbing and falter on the stair. Breathe upon me thy inspiration and love, that I may continue in faith all the way. Amen. |
AA Thought for the Day
February 28 'Live And Let Live' It is very easy to use other people's actions as an alibi for drinking. We used to be experts at it. But in sobriety, we have learned a new technique: We never let ourselves get so resentful toward someone else that we allow that person to control our lives -- especially to the extent of causing us to drink. We have found we have no desire to let any other person run, or ruin, our lives. - Living Sober, p. 12 Thought to Ponder . . . Those who anger me, conquer me. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . A N G E R = Any New Grudge Endangers Recovery. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Self-appraisal "I used to be a champ at unrealistic self-appraisal. I wanted to look only at the part of my life which seemed good. Then I would greatly exaggerate whatever virtues I supposed I had attained. Next I would congratulate myself on the grand job I was doing. So my unconscious self-deception never failed to turn my few good assets into serious liabilities. This astonishing process was always a pleasant one. . . I was falling straight back into the pattern of my drinking days. . . I shall forever regret the damage I did to people around me. Indeed, I still tremble when I realize what I might have done to AA and to its future." Bill W., June 1961 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 256-7 Thought to Consider . . . When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A = Altered Attitudes *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Renewed >From "An Open Heart": "I had nothing to do with this gift coming to me, so my gratitude is beyond description. It did not take me back to the person I was before drinking. It gave me a new life rather, life itself, because I had attempted suicide and had been hospitalized in private and state mental hospitals. It must have been spiritual; it was neither intellectual nor physical, that's for sure. I believe it was God as I understand Him, working through the love and understanding available in A.A. May I keep my heart open. The joy which can come to an open heart is unlimited.--New York, New York, USA" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 51 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "We found that all progress, material or spiritual, consisted of finding out what our responsibilities actually were and then proceeding to do something about them ... We found that we didn't always have to be driven by our own discomforts as, more willingly, we picked up the burdens of living and growing ... We discovered that full acceptance and action upon any clear-cut responsibility almost invariably made for true happiness and peace of mind." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965 From: "Responsibility Is Our Theme" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Without knowing it, had we not been brought to where we stood by a certain kind of faith? For did we not believe in our own reasoning? Did we not have confidence in our ability to think? What was that but a sort of faith? Yes, we had been faithful, abjectly faithful to the God of Reason. So, in one way or another, we discovered that faith had been involved all the time!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~ "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~ And as we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward our instincts need to undergo drastic revisions. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 114 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Conviction and Compromise One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us 'all or nothing' drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving compromises. Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination. TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 40-41 Prayer for the Day: May the God of hope fill me and all of us with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that we may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
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