AA Thought For Today - March

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 1

Step Three
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

I was at one of my meetings when I suddenly realized that the pivotal word in this Step is .. care.
So I looked it up. Foremost, the word has no shame to it.
There is no control, servitude, or any other form of denigration, humiliation or degradation implied by that word.
But I had chosen to infer that there was. I realize now that I was just unwilling.
- AA Grapevine, March 2014

Thought to Ponder . . .
Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

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

Selfishness
Selfishness, self-centeredness!
That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear,
self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.
Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation,
but we invariably find that at some time in the past
we have made decisions based on self
which later placed us in a position to be hurt.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62

Thought to Consider . . .
Swallowing your pride will not get you drunk.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A = Altered Attitudes

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

Opinion
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"As by some deep instinct, we have known from the very beginning that, no matter what the provocation, we must never
publicly take sides, as A.A.s, in any fight, even a worthy one. All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and
groups finally torn asunder because they were designed for, or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because of
sheer self-righteousness while trying to force upon the rest of mankind some millennium of their own specification. In
our own times we have seen millions die in political and economic wars often spurred by religious and racial differences."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 123

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

"If I want to be of some use to someone (my family, my employer, my community) then I can be a leader by becoming a
servant. This is one of those crazy paradoxes we find all over the AA program: being a servant to be a leader."
Humbolt, Saskatchewan, February 1996
"I Wish You Well"
AA Grapevine

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

"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can
quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try
some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it
more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are
honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters
if you get a full knowledge of your condition."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg.31

"Many of us keep liquor in our homes. We often need it to carry
green recruits through a severe hangover. Some of us still serve it
to our friends provided they are not alcoholic. But some of us think
we should not serve liquor to anyone. We never argue this question.
We feel that each family, in the light of their own circumstances,
ought to decide for themselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 102~

His sponsor probably says, “Take it easy.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 26

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Brain Power Alone?
To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many A.A.'s can say, 'Yes, we were like you - far too smart for our
own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful
balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others. Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of the folks on
our brain power alone.
'Scientific progress told Us there was nothing man couldn't do. Knowledge was all powerful. Intellect could conquer
nature. Since we were brighter than most folks (so we thought), the spoils of victory would be ours for the thinking. The
god of intellect displaced the God of our fathers.
'But John Barleycorn had other ideas. We who had won so handsomely in a walk turned into alltime losers. We saw that
we had to reconsider or die.' TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 29-30

Prayer for the Day: Father, As we quietly wait in your presence this early morning, we give you praise for a new day. The storms of life may rage around us, but if we are grounded in you, we will not lose our footing. As we listen to the storm with the wind and rain, we know that we dwell in your peace, for we are surrounded with shelter. So it is in the midst of the many issues that so many are facing, your are their stillness, comfort, hope, and peace. May we draw from your strength today and know that you alone see our heart, and know us. How we praise you for your forgiving love and grace.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 2

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."
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 132

Thought to Ponder . . .
The Twelve Steps tell us how it works; the Twelve Traditions tell us why it works.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
T R U S T = Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions.

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

Why Worry?
"There are many short phrases and expressions in AA
which make sound sense.
'First Things First': solving our immediate problems
before we try to solve all the others . . .
'Easy Does it.' Relax a little.
Try for inner contentment. No one individual
can carry all the burdens of the world.
Everyone has problems. Getting drunk won't solve them.
'Twenty-four hours a day.'
Today is the day. Doing our best,
living each day to the fullest is the art of living.
Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether
we will be here tomorrow.
If we do a good job of living today,
and if tomorrow comes for us,
then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives -
so why worry about it?"
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 382

Thought to Consider . . .
Every day is a gift.
That is why we call it the present.

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

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

Within
>From "Inner Voice":
"Long before nagging and pressures from others concerning my excessive use of alcohol made any impression on me,
the nagging voice of conscience my own inner voice of truth and right apprised me of the irrevocable fact that I had lost
control of alcohol, that I was powerless. I know now that the inner voice was God, as I understand Him, speaking. For,
as I had been taught from earliest memory and as A.A. has emphasized, God or good emanates from within each of
us. Lakewood, Ohio, USA
1973 AAWS, Inc.; 30th Printing 2004, Came to Believe, pg. 83

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

"I started to understand that while I didn't believe in churches, I had to see that something or someone was working in
my life that hadn't been there before."
Naples, Italy, January 1994
"Get With the Program"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA

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

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found
we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always
followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~

"So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking, if we
have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars,
nightclubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary whoopee
parties. To a person who has had experience with an alcoholic, this
may seem like tempting Providence, but it isn't.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore,
ask yourself on each occasion, 'Have I any good social, business, or
personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a
little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere of such places?' If you
answer these questions satisfactorily, you need have no
apprehension. Go or stay away, whichever seems best. But be sure
you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your
motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of what you will
get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it. But if
you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead"
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 101

These fears are the termites that ceaselessly devour the foundations of whatever sort of life we try to build.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 49

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Resolving Fear
Fear somehow touched about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence
was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve.
But did not we often set the ball rolling ourselves?
The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible for us
to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courage and the grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.
1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 67-68 - 2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962

Prayer for the Day: Dear Father in heaven, we ask you from our hearts to give us your peace. Grant that nothing may take your peace from us, and protect us from all that is evil. May we always be mindful that we should serve you in self-denial. May we be faithful on all our ways, looking to the great promise you have given each one of us. Keep us under your protection, as you have always done. We praise and thank you for all that comes to our hearts from you, making us full of trust and certain of your further help. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 3

Communication
>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.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 243

Thought to Ponder . . .
Modem-to-modem or face-to-face, AA's speak the language of the heart.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter.

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

Meetings
"We have also found that going to meetings is not something to
be done only when we feel the temptation to drink. We often
get more good from the meetings by attending them when we
feel fine and haven't so much as thought of drinking. And
even a meeting which is not totally, instantly satisfying, is
better than no meeting at all.
"Living Sober, p. 81

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ALCOHOLICS = A Life Centered On Helping Others Live In Complete Sobriety

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

Bottom
>From "Bill's Story":
"No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me
in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8

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

"Ever deepening humility, accompanied by an ever greater willingness to accept and to act upon clear obligations --
these are truly our touchstones for all growth in the life of the spirit."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1966
"The Guidance of AA's World Affairs"
The Language of the Heart

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

"We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: 'Once an
alcoholic, always an alcoholic.' Commencing to drink after a period
of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever."
"We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths
may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions.
People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 49

"Many of us keep liquor in our homes. We often need it to carry
green recruits through a severe hangover. Some of us still serve it
to our friends provided they are not alcoholic. But some of us think
we should not serve liquor to anyone. We never argue this question.
We feel that each family, in the light of their own circumstances,
ought to decide for themselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 102~

The idea that we can be possessively loving of a few, can ignore the many, and can continue to fear or hate anybody,
has to be abandoned, if only a little at a time.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 93

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

A Different Swinging Door
When a drunk shows up among us and says that he doesn't like the A.A. principles, people, or service management, when he declares that he can do better elsewhere - we are not worried. We simply say, 'Maybe your case really is different. Why don't you try something else?'
If an A.A. member says he doesn't like his own group, we are not disturbed. We simply say, 'Why don't you try another one? Or start one of your own.' To those who wish to secede from A.A. altogether, we extend a cheerful invitation to do just that. If they can do better by other means, we are glad. If after a trial they cannot do better, we know they face a choice: They can go mad or die or they can return to A.A. The decision is wholly theirs. ( As a matter of fact, most of them do come back. ) TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 72 - 73

Prayer For The Day: Lord, protect me as I strive everyday to draw closer to You! Remind me that I am not alone for You are my help. You are my strong shelter that I know I can trust and rely on. Thank you for never leaving me.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 4

Perfection
I never have been and never can be perfect.
As that realization became a part of me -- and it took time --
it brought me one of the greatest of the many blessings that have come to me from AA.
I learned to accept myself as a fallible human being.
I do not have to strive for perfection. Mistakes are permissible. I have the right to be wrong.
And what a comfort that thought is to me, as I make my bemused way through life,
one foot in a bucket, pushing on doors marked "Pull."
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], pp. 167-168

Thought to Ponder . . .
Give me the courage to be imperfect.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Awesome.

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

Motives
"Suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal 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 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.
"Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 70

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
TRUST Try Relying Upon The Steps

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

Fear
>From "Fear of Fear":
"Many women who have reached the stage that I had reached in my drinking have lost husbands, children, homes,
everything they hold dear. I have been very fortunate in many ways. The important thing I lost was my own self-respect. I
could feel fear coming into my life. I couldn't face people. I couldn't look them straight in the eyes, although I had always
been a self-possessed, brazen person. I'd brazen anything out. I lied like a trooper to get out of many scrapes.
"But I felt a fear coming into my life, and I couldn't cope with it. I got so that I hid quite a bit of the time, wouldn't answer
the phone, and stayed by myself as much as I could. I noticed that I was avoiding all my social friends, except for my
bridge club. I couldn't keep up with many of my other friends, and I wouldn't go to anyone's house unless I knew they
drank as heavily as I did. I never knew it was the first drink that did it. I thought I was losing my mind when I realized that I
couldn't stop drinking. That frightened me terribly."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 291-92

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

"Alcoholics have short memories."
Paradise, Calif., October 2003
"'How It Works Works for Me"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA

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

"When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste no time. We have
a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk. We explain
to our partner what we are about to do and why we have to do it. He
should realize that we are engaged upon a life-and-death errand.
Most people approached in this way will be glad to help; they will be
honored by our confidence."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 75

"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going
to believe they are in that class. By every form of self deception
and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to
the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability
to control his drinking can do the right about face and drink like a
gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard
enough and long enough to drink like other people!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

For alcoholism had been a lonely business, even though we had been surrounded by people who loved us.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 116

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Free of Dependence
I asked myself, 'Why can't the Twelve Steps work to release me from this unbearable depression?' By the hour, I stared
at the St. Francis Prayer: 'It is better to comfort than to be comforted .'
Suddenly I realized what the answer might be. My basic flaw had always been dependence on people or circumstances
to supply me with prestige, security, and confidence. Failing to get these things according to my perfectionist dreams
and specifications, I fought for them. And when defeat came, so did my depression.
Reinforced by what grace 1 could find in prayer, I had to exert every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty
emotional dependencies upon people and upon circumstances. Then only could I be free to love as Francis had loved.
GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, please help me to do what I can, and understand that I cannot do everything. Help me make what I can do count.

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AA Thought for the Day

March 5

Service to Others
Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others
and how we may help to meet their needs.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 20

Thought to Ponder . . .
Into service out of self.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H E L P = Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience.

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

Self-will
"No matter how one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God
he thinks there is? A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in
the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may
slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness.
"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 35As Bill Sees It, p. 35

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
EDI not DIE Easy Does It not Does It Easy

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

Explanation
>From "More about Alcoholism":
"We learned we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery.
The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
"We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever
recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals usually brief were inevitably
followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 30

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

"I still don't have answers for all the eternal questions, like why bad things happen to good people, or why babies die. But
I have found that life works better when I focus more on how I am contributing to God's world than musing about what he
is or is not doing in mine."
Woodinville, Wash., November 2013
"The Scoop"
AA Grapevine

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

"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He
isn't."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~

"Assuming we are spiritually fit, we can do all sorts of things
alcoholics are not supposed to do. People have said we must not go
where liquor is served; we must not have it in our homes; we must
shun friends who drink; we must avoid moving pictures which show
drinking scenes; we must not go into bars; our friends must hide
their bottles if we go to their houses; we mustn't think or be
reminded about alcohol at all. Our experience shows that this is not
necessarily so.
We meet these conditions every day. An alcoholic who cannot meet
them, still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with
his spiritual status."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100~

Next came the expression of an aspiration and a hope for himself.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 101

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Search for Motives
Some of us clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves. Our families didn't suffer, because we always paid the bills and seldom drank at home. Our business associates didn't suffer, because we were usually on the job. Our reputations didn't suffer, because we were certain few knew of our drinking. Those who did would sometimes assure us that, after all, a lively bender was only a good man's fault. What real harm, therefore, had we done? No more, surely, than we could easily mend with a few casual apologies.
This attitude, of course, is the end result of purposeful forgetting. It is an attitude which can be changed only by a deep and honest search of our motives and actions. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 79

Prayer For The Day: Father as we come to you in prayer today, we give you praise once again for your word of comfort. So often we go through the day filled with anxiety and pain. We carry our burdens around with us, and they consume us. We are filled with fear and uncertainty, and are searching for answers that never come. Will you lead us today to a place of rest and comfort? Will you forgive us and teach us how to listen with our heart to your word of truth?

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 6

Challenges
There is no easier, softer way.
To bring the great escape act into sobriety is to travel with a companion
that led me to despair long ago.
The teaching I receive in Alcoholics Anonymous 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 . . .
Life is a steady drizzle of small things -- carry an umbrella.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust.

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

Lessons
"I find the willingness to give thanks by contemplatingthe lessons learned from past suffering--lessons which have led to
blessings I now enjoy. I can remember how the agonies of alcoholism,the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride,have often
led me to God's grace,and so to a new freedom.
"Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, March 1962As Bill Sees It, p. 266

Thought to Consider . . .
Remember that we deal with alcohol --
cunning, baffling, powerful!

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
TRUST
Try Relying Upon The Steps

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

Self-sufficient
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"At the Foundation, meanwhile, we had taken a significant action that was incorporated in these Traditions. In 1945 we
wrote [our early supporters] Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the 1940 dinner guests that we would no longer need their
financial help. The book royalties could now look after Dr. Bob and me; group contributions could pay the general office
expenses. If these were insufficient, the reserve accumulated out of literature sales could meet the deficit. This meant
that we had finally declared for full self-support. Since that time A.A.'s Board of Trustees has steadfastly refused outside
contributions."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 203-04

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

"Today, my short version of the Third Step is this: Keep taking care of me, Lord, because I appreciate it now."
Berrien Springs, Mich., April 1991
"Dear God: Keep Coming Back"
AA Grapevine

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

We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show,
humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We
are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-
pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do
not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we
did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~

"Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We
must, or it kill us! God makes that possible. And there often seems
no way of entirely getting rid of self without His aid. Many of us
had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live
up to them even though we would have liked to."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~

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 willpower. 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, and Step Three opens the door.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 40

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Growth by the Tenth Step
In the years ahead A.A. will, of course, make mistakes. Experience has taught us that we need have no fear of doing this, providing that we always remain willing to admit our faults and to correct them promptly. Our growth as individuals has depended upon this healthy process of trial and error. So will our growth as a fellowship.
Let us always remember that any society of men and women that cannot freely correct its own faults must surely fall into decay if not into collapse. Such is the universal penalty for the failure to go on growing. Just as each A.A. must continue to take his moral inventory and act upon it, so must our whole Society if we are to survive and if we are to serve usefully and well. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 231

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Please give me the strength to move in the direction I need to go. Help me realize that if I just stay were I am I will get no where.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 7

No Reservation
We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again:
"Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic."
Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever.
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, p. 33

Thought to Ponder . . .
If we want to quit drinking, we are going to have to quit drinking.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K C B = Keep Coming Back.

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

Obsession
"Under the lash of alcoholism, we are driven to AA, and there we discover the fatal nature of our situation. Then, and only
then, do we become as open-minded and as willing to listen as the dying can be. We stand ready to do anything which
will lift the merciless obsession from us.

Thought to Consider . . .
The best things in life aren't things.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
NUTS Not Using The Steps

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

Illogical
>From "I Must Learn":
"'Man is ready to die for an idea, provided that idea is not quite clear to him,' Paul Eldridge wrote. That is the way the
spiritual side of the A.A. program appears to me. I'm in trouble if I attempt to parse it: I don't attempt to understand it."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 101

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

"AA gives us a Ph.D. in life and a black belt in common sense."
Keego Harbor, Mich., June 1998
"Paradoxes of Sobriety"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA

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

"Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to
Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give
freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the
Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you
trudge the Road of Happy Destiny."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164~

"It did not satisfy us to be told that we could not control our
drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in
full flight from reality, or were outright mental defectives. These
things were true to some extent, in fact, to a considerable extent
with some of us. But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as
well. In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out
this physical factor is incomplete."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxvi~

Then, in Step Seven, we humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings such as He could or would under the
conditions of the day we asked. In step Eight, we continued our house-cleaning, for we saw that we were not only in
conflict with ourselves, but also with people and situations in the world in which we lived. We had to begin to make our peace.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 108

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

For Emergencies Only?
Whether we had been believers or unbelievers, we began to get over the idea that the Higher Power was a sort of bush-
league pinch hitter, to be called upon only in an emergency.
The notion that we would still live our own lives, God helping a little now and then, began to evaporate. Many of us who
had thought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of this attitude. Refusing to place God first, we had deprived
ourselves of His help.
But now the words 'Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth the works' began to carry bright promise and meaning.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 75

Prayer For The Day: Holy God, as I face another day, I know I am going to face many challenges: to my faith, to my
patience, to my love for others. I am going to have constant temptations to lapse into sin. Come to me now, Lord, and
stay with me all day. Let your Spirit encompass my mind. Let me know your presence. Steer my hand, direct my words,
guide my thoughts in everything I think and say and do. I resolve to live this day as a beacon of your glory, the best I can,
with your help. I commit myself to give this day to you. In the name of Christ, be with me and help me. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 8

If
Alcoholism respects no ifs. It does not go away, not for a week, for a day, or even for an hour,
leaving us nonalcoholic and able to drink again on some special occasion
or for some extraordinary reason -- not even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration,
or if a big sorrow hits us, or if it rains in Spain or the stars fall on Alabama.
Alcoholism is for us unconditional, with no dispensation available at any price.
- Living Sober, p. 63

Thought to Ponder . . .
Nothing is so bad, that a drink won't make worse.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Absolute Abstinence.

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

Inventory
"We continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously
commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to
grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to
look for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 84

Thought to Consider . . .
When I am too busy to pray - I am just too busy.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CHANGE Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Everyday

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

Focus
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The Washingtonian Society, a movement among alcoholics which started in Baltimore a century ago [the 1850s],
almost discovered the answer to alcoholism. At first the society was composed entirely of alcoholics trying to help one
another. The early members foresaw that they should dedicate themselves to this one aim. In many respects the
Washingtonians were akin to A.A. Their membership passed the five hundred thousand mark. Had they stuck to their
one goal, they might have found the full answer. Instead, the Washingtonians permitted politicians and reformers, both
alcoholic and nonalcoholic, to use the society for their own purposes. Abolition of slavery, for example, was a stormy
political issue then. Soon Washingtonian speakers violently and publicly took sides on this question. Maybe the society
could have survived the abolition controversy, but it did not have a chance from the moment it decided to reform all
America's drinking habits. Some of the Washingtonians became temperance crusaders. Within a very few years they
had completely lost their effectiveness in helping alcoholics, and the society collapsed."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 124-25

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

"Great love is the sunlight of AA's tree of life."
Jackson, Miss., November 1964
"Let Go and Let God"
AA Grapevine

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

"Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the
past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show
ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was
agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg.76~

"We meet frequently so that newcomers may find the fellowship they seek."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 15~

Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food,
or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away
from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.
As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 97

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Thousands of 'Founders'
'While I thank God that I was privileged to be an early member of A.A., I honestly wish that the word 'founder' could be
eliminated from the A.A. vocabulary.
'When you get right down to it, everyone who has done any amount of successful Twelfth Step work is bound to be the
founder of a new life for other alcoholics.'
'A.A. was not invented! Its basics were brought to us through the experience and wisdom of many great friends. We
simply borrowed and adapted their ideas.'
'Thankfully, we have accepted the devoted services of many nonalcoholics. We owe our very lives to the men and
women of medicine and religion. And, speaking for Dr. Bob and myself,I gratefully declare that had it not been for our
wives, Anne and Lois, neither of us could have lived to see A.A.'s beginning.' 1. LETTER, 1945 - 2. LETTER, 1966 - 3.

LETTER, 1966

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, I ask for strength, and You give me difficulties that require strength. I pray for courage, and You give me dangers to overcome. I ask for favors, and You give me opportunities. I pray for patience, and You lead me into a traffic tie-up, but You never forsake me. Your love surrounds me, and You give me both encouragement and hope. ... Help me to remember times in the past when You have stood by me, comforted me, strengthened me, healed me, and blessed me. Thank You, Lord, and help me to be a blessing to others, that they may want to know You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 9

Choice
The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink.
Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent.
We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force
the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago.
We are without defense against the first drink.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p.24

Thought to Ponder . . .
Just for today, I choose not to drink.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
N E W = Nothing Else Worked.

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

The Light
"To what extent I was personally responsible for my drinking, I don't know. Yet I'm not one to take complete refuge in the
idea that I was a sick man only. In earlier years, I certainly had some degree of free will. That free will I used badly, to the
great misery of my mother and countless others. I am deeply ashamed. As one who knows me a little, you may have
heard how, ten years ago, a friend, himself a liberated alcoholic, came to me bearing the light which finally led me out of
the toils. There will come a day like that for you and yours--I'm so confident!"
Bill W., Letter to the Mother of an Alcoholic, Dec. Language of the Heart, p. 102

Thought to Consider . . .
It's impossible for me to love God and hate myself.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ISM = I, Self, Me

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

Substitute
>From "Stay Sober on Love":
"The things I thought I needed for so many years no longer seem important, now that I have become aware of the
spiritual resources God has given me. With these, I don't need alcohol to function. What a joy to stay sober on love on
love instead of fear!" Toronto, Ontario/Canada
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 35

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

"If there are challenges to be met today, I remember other days when what seemed impossible was made possible."
Huntington, W.V., August 2006
"Never Sober Today Before"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA

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

"We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much
more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our
respective homes, occupations and affairs."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19

"When people presented us with spiritual approaches, how frequently
did we all say, "I wish I had what that man has. I'm 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~

True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grave of God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 124

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Renew Your Effort
'Though I know how hurt and sorry you must be after this slip, please do not worry about a temporary loss of your inner
peace. As calmly as you can, just renew your effort on the A.A. program, especially those parts of it which have to do
with meditation and self-analysis.
'Could I also suggest that you look at excessive guilt for what it is? Nothing but a sort of reverse pride. A decent regret
for what has happened is fine. But guilt - no.
'Indeed, the slip could well have been brought about by unreasonable feelings of guilt because of other moral failures, so
called. Surely, you ought to look into this possibility. Even here you should not blame yourself for failure; you can be
penalized only for refusing to try for better things.' LETTER, 1958

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, please grant me the wisdom to understand that I do make a difference in the world.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 10

A New Beginning
I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here.
I could not start anywhere else. I had to let go of the past and forget the future.
As long as I held on to the past with one hand and grabbed at the future with the other hand,
I had nothing to hold on today with. So I had to begin here, now.
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 46

Thought to Ponder . . .
There are no endings ... only new beginnings.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Accept Begin, Continue.

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

Life on Life's Terms
"For years, I was sure the worst thing that could happen to a nice guy like me would be that I would turn out to be an
alcoholic. Today, I find it's the best thing that has ever happened to me. This proves I don't know what's good for me.
And if I don't know what's good for me, then I don't know what's good or bad for you or for anyone. So I'm better off if I
don't give advice, don't figure I know what's best, and just accept life on life's terms, as it is today--especially my own
life, as it actually is. Before AA, I judged myself by my intentions, while the world was judging me by my actions.
"Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 449-50

Thought to Consider . . .
I am liberated from dreaming the impossible dream
and free, finally, to start living the possible dream.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
TRUST Try Relying Upon the Steps and Traditions

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

Agnostics
>From "We Agnostics":
"Some of us have been violently anti-religious. To others, the word 'God' brought up a particular idea of Him with which
someone had tried to impress them during childhood. With that rejection we imagined we had abandoned the God idea
entirely. We were bothered with the thought that faith and dependence upon a Power beyond ourselves was somewhat
weak, even cowardly. We look upon this world of warring individuals, warring theological systems, and inexplicable
calamity, with deep skepticism. How could a Supreme Being have anything to do with it all? And who could
comprehend a Supreme Being anyhow? Yet, in other moments, we found ourselves thinking, when enchanted by a
starlit night, 'Who, then, made all this?' There was a feeling of awe and wonder, but it was fleeting and soon lost.
"Yes, we of agnostic temperament have had these thoughts and experiences. 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."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 45-46.

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

"Trial and error produces group experience, and out of corrected experience comes custom. When a customary way of
doing things is definitely proved to be best, then that custom forms into AA Tradition."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1948
"Tradition Two"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Try to remember that though God has wrought miracles among us, we
should never belittle a good doctor or psychiatrist. Their services
are often indispensable in treating a newcomer and in following his
case afterward."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~

"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~

"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 (Step Eleven)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Giving Without Demand
Watch any A.A. of six months working with a Twelfth Step prospect. If the newcomer says, 'To the devil with you,' the
twelfth-stepper only smiles and finds another alcoholic to help. He doesn't feel frustrated or rejected. If his next drunk
responds, and in turn starts to give love and attention to other sufferers, yet gives none back to him, the sponsor is
happy about it anyway. He still doesn't feel rejected; instead he rejoices that his former prospect is sober and happy.
And he well knows that his own life has been made richer, as an extra dividend of giving to another without any demand
for a return. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me through the difficulties, so that my victory over them may bear witness to those I will help.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 11

Keep Coming Back
I've found that my experience can be of help to other people.
I have come to believe that hard times are not just meaningless suffering
and that something good might turn up at any moment.
That's a big change for someone who used to come to in the morning feeling sentenced to another day of life.
When I wake up today, there are lots of possibilities. I can hardly wait to see what's going to happen next.
I keep coming back because it works.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 374

Thought to Ponder . . .
That light at the end of the tunnel may be you.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K C B = Keep Coming Back.

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

Willpower
"We AA's know the futility of trying to break the drinking obsession by will power alone. However, we do know that it
takes great willingness to adopt AA's Twelve Steps as a way of life that can restore us to sanity.
"Bill W., Letter, 1966 As Bill Sees It, p. 88

Thought to Consider . . .
Willingness is doing what I have to,
whether I want to or not.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
LET GO
Leave Everything To God, Okay?

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

Powerlessness
Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
"Isn''t it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care,
protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's own will
and one's own ideas about the alcohol problem in favor of those suggested by A.A. A willing newcomer feels sure A.A. is
the only safe harbor for the foundering vessel he has become. Now if this is not turning one's will and life over to a
newfound Providence, then what is it?"
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 35

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

"I have come to believe that my drinking insanity is only one form of the craziness to which we AAs are prone. I call it
Insanity A. Insanity B is finding out what works for you -- and then not doing it."
Prague, Czechoslovakia, February 2005
"Insanity B"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA

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

"Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more
alcoholics than anything else."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

"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 these failings generate fear, a soul-sickness in its own right. Then fear, in turn, generates more character defects.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 49

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Truth, the Liberator
How truth makes us free is something that we A.A.'s can well understand. It cut the shackles that once bound us to alcohol. It continues to release us from conflicts and miseries beyond reckoning; it banishes fear and isolation. The unity of our Fellowship, the love we cherish for each other, the esteem in which the world holds us - all of these are products of the truth which, under God, we have been privileged to perceive.
Just how and when we tell the truth - or keep silent - can often reveal the difference between genuine integrity and none at all.
Step Nine emphatically cautions us against misusing the truth when it states: 'We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.' Because it points up the fact that the truth can be used to injure as well as to heal, this valuable principle certainly has a wide-ranging application to the problem of developing integrity. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, I thank you for all you have done. I feel sometimes as if I ask to much. Today I just want to say thank you.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 12

Turning It Over
Step Three became a cheerful acceptance of my place in the world:
"I have no idea Who or What is running the show, but I know I'm not!"
And I could also see Step Three as a good attitude, an effective approach to life:
"If I am swimming in salt water and I panic and start thrashing around and fighting it, it will drown me.
But if I relax and have faith in it, it will hold me afloat."
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 84

Thought to Ponder . . .
I can't do His will my way.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

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

Fear
"Unreasonable fear that our instincts will not be satisfied drives us to covet the possessions of others, to lust for sex and
power, to become angry when our instinctive demands are threatened, to be envious when the ambitions of others
seem to be realized while ours are not. These fears are the termites that cease lessly devour the foundations of
whatever sort of life we try to build.
"Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 49

Thought to Consider . . .
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the action in spite of the fear.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ANONYMOUS
Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity & Service

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

Awakening
>From Fear of Fear":
"As we walked back through the hall, I, for the first time in my life, said to another human being, 'I'm having trouble with
my drinking too.' She took me by the hand and introduced me to the woman that I'm very proud to call my sponsor. This
woman and her husband are both in A.A., and she said to me, 'Oh, but you're not the alcoholic; it's your husband.' I said,
'Yes.' She said, 'How long have you been married?' I said, 'Twenty-seven years.' She said "Twenty-seven years to an
alcoholic! How did you ever stand it?' I thought, now here's a nice sympathetic soul! This is for me. I said, "Well, I stood
it to keep the home together, and for the children's sake.' She said, 'Yes, I know. You're just a martyr, aren't you?' I
walked away from that woman grinding my teeth and cursing under my breath. But that night I tried to go to sleep. And I
thought, 'You're some martyr, Jane! Let's look at the record.' And when I looked at it, I knew I was just as much a drunk
as George was, if not worse. I nudged George next morning, and I said I'm in,' and he said, 'Oh, I knew you'd make it.'
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 289-90

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

"Some days are harder than others, but I have been told a person is not measured by what she has achieved but by what she has overcome."
Toledo, Ohio, September 2008
"The Measure of Success"
AA Grapevine

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

"The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered
a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree,
and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This
is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 17

"When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

The philosophy of self-sufficiency is not paying off. Plainly enough, it is a bone-crushing juggernaut whose final achievement is ruin.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 37

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'How Can You Roll With A Punch?'
On the day that the calamity of Pearl Harbor fell upon our country, a great friend of A.A. was walking along a St. Louis
street. Father Edward Dowling was not an alcoholic, but he had been one of the founders of the struggling A.A. group in
his city. Because many of his usually sober friends had already taken to their bottles that they might blot out the
implications of the Pearl Harbor disaster, Father Ed was anguished by the thought that his cherished A.A. group would
probably do the same.
Then a member, sober less than a year, stepped alongside and engaged Father Ed in a spirited conversation - mostly
about A.A. Father Ed saw, with relief, that his companion was perfectly sober.
'How is it that you have nothing to say about Pearl Harbor? How can you roll with a punch like that?'
''Well,' replied the yearling, 'each of us in A.A. has already had his own private Pearl Harbor. So why should we drunks
crack up over this one?' GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962

Prayer For The Day: God our Father, you call each of us by name and you know the innermost thoughts that we keep to
ourselves. Stay with us, day by day, in good times and in bad. Empower us with your Spirit that we may grow in
character and develop a true sense of values and ideals through following Jesus. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 13

Dependency
Plainly, I could not avail myself of God's love until I was able to offer it back to Him
by loving others as He would have me.
And I couldn't possibly do that as long as I was victimized by false dependencies.
For my dependency meant demand -- a demand for the possession and control
of the people and the conditions surrounding me.
- The Best of Bill, p. 56

Thought to Ponder . . .
What I am is Gods gift to me. What I make of myself is my gift to Him.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G R A C E = Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations.

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

Spiritual Growth
"When we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God. Do not let any prejudice you may have against
spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to
commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. If we wished to grow
we had to begin somewhere. So we used our own conception, however limited it was."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 47

Thought to Consider . . .
Spirituality is the ability to get our minds off ourselves.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
WISDOM
When Into Self, Discover Our Motives

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

Traditions
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"'Please don't talk any more about those damned Traditions.' [in the late 1940s]
"Time has changed all that. Several years later it was recognized that the Twelve Traditions were going to be just as
necessary to the life of our society as the Twelve Steps were to the life of each member. We saw that the A.A.
Traditions were the key to the unity, the functioning, and even the survival of Alcoholics Anonymous."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 204

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

"Because of this program I am starting to love myself again. I still get urges to 'drink and drug' but I don't let them run my
life. I value good friends today. I value my serenity, and I value life today."
Thornton, Penn., April 1993
"A Valuable Commodity"
AA Grapevine

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

"...the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception,
will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self
knowledge. This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to
smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it has been revealed to us
out of bitter experience."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 39~

"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~

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

Dependence - Unhealthy or Healthy
We discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His
perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would.
If we really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our fellows, nor would we feel the urge to rely wholly
on human protection and care. 1. LETTER, 1966 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 116

Prayer For The Day: Lord, inspire us to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with you, our God. Breathe upon us
your Spirit of peace that we may be bearers of reconciliation wherever you place us. May there be peace in our hearts, in
our homes, in our land, and between all people. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

March 14

Responsibility
In the last analysis, as a recovering alcoholic I need only have two concerns.
The first is to maintain my sobriety on a daily basis and to practice the program of AA one day at a time.
The second is to ensure that what was here yesterday will be here tomorrow
for the next alcoholic who walks through the doors of the Fellowship.
And for that I am responsible.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 181

Thought to Ponder . . .
Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

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

Humility
"The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA's Twelve Steps. For without some degree of
humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all.
"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70

Thought to Consider . . .
As I thus get down to my right size and stature,
my self-concern and importance become amusing.
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, June 1961
As Bill Sees It, p. 106

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FEAR
False Expectations Appearing Real

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

Spirituality
>From "In His Own Individual Right":
"When people look at you and wonder what's with you, the look in your eyes will answer them: 'Because I can cut it!'
"The singular thing that is spirituality cannot be given to a fellowman by word of mouth. If every man is to have it, then
every man must earn it, in his own way, by his own hand, stamped by the seal of himself, in his own individual right.--
New York, New York, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 6

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

"My heart sings with each new day."
Cleveland, Ohio, February 1993
"Facing the Truth"
AA Grapevine

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

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

"Many of us keep liquor in our homes. We often need it to carry
green recruits through a severe hangover. Some of us still serve it
to our friends provided they are not alcoholic. But some of us think
we should not serve liquor to anyone. We never argue this question.
We feel that each family, in the light of their own circumstances,
ought to decide for themselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 102~

These were some of the ways in which fear conspired with pride to hinder our making a list of all the people we had harmed.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 79

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Two-Way Tolerance
'Your point of view was once mine. Fortunately, A.A. is constructed so that we need not debate the existence of God; but
for best results, most of us must depend upon a Higher Power. You say the group is your Higher Power, and no right-
minded A.A. would challenge your privilege to believe precisely that way. We should all be glad that good recoveries can
be made even on this limited basis.
'But turnabout is fair play. If you would expect tolerance for your point of view, I am sure you would be willing to
reciprocate. I try to remember that, down through the centuries, lots of brighter people than 1 have been found on both
sides of this debate about belief. For myself, of late years, I am finding it much easier to believe that God made man,
than that man made God.' LETTER, 1950

Prayer For The Day: Father, preserve in us a sense of wonder at the marvels of life. May all that we see around us lead us to you. Amen

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

March 15

Awareness
Yes, we're alcoholics. Yes, it was vitally important that we come to that awareness.
Yes, we've got to be honest with ourselves and one another.
But we're more than alcoholics. Much more.
We're alcoholics who are living sober lives!
Alcoholics who have a choice whether or not to take that first drink.
For the first time in our lives, we are really alive!
Our message is good news, and we need to say so.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], p. 24

Thought to Ponder . . .
In AA we carry the message ... not the mess.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Aware.

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

Procrastination
"After a preliminary trial at making amends, we may enjoy such a sense of relief that we conclude our task is finished.
We will want to rest on our laurels. The temptation to skip the more humiliating and dreaded meetings that still remain
may be great. We may just procrastinate, telling ourselves the time is not yet, when in reality we have already passed up
many a fine chance to right a serious wrong. Let's not talk prudence while practicing evasion.
"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 85

Thought to Consider . . .
Procrastination is really sloth in five syllables.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 67

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ISM
I Sponsor Myself

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

Generosity
>From "Thousands of 'Founders:'""A.A. was not invented! Its basics were brought to us through the experience and
wisdom of many great friends. We simply borrowed and adapted their ideas."Thankfully, we have accepted the devoted services
of many nonalcoholics. We owe our very lives to the men and women of medicine and religion. And, speaking
for Dr. Bob and myself, I gratefully declare that had it not been for our wives, Anne and Lois, neither of us
could have lived to see A.A.'s beginning."
c. 1967, As Bill Sees It, page 67

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

"Each AA has been an individual who, because of his alcoholism, could seldom govern himself. Nor could any other human being govern the alcoholic's obsession to drink, his drive to have things his own way ... Yet we alcoholics can be led, we can be inspired."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1947
"Will AA Ever Have a Personal Government?"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found
we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always
followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~

"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going
to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception
and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to
the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability
to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a
gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard
enough and long enough to drink like other people!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

Since recovery from alcoholism is life itself to us, it is imperative that we preserve in full strength our means of survival.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 177

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Breach the Walls of Ego
People who are driven by pride of self unconsciously blind themselves to their liabilities. Newcomers of this sort scarcely need comforting. The problem is to help them discover a chink in the walls their ego has built, through which the light of reason can shine.
The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.'s Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all.
Nearly all A.A.'s have found, too, that unless they develop much more of this precious quality than may be required just for sobriety, they still haven't much chance of becoming truly happy. Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency. TWELVE AND TWELVE - 1. p. 46 - 2. p. 70

Prayer For The Day: Today’s Prayer: Lord, I ask that You help me to be aware of those people that You have put in my life today. Help me minister to them today. I ask that You give me the words to say to them. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!