bluidkiti
05-17-2023, 07:26 AM
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.
May 18
Daily Reflections
FREEDOM TO BE ME
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,
we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are
going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 83
My first true freedom is the freedom not to have to take
a drink today. If I truly want it, I will work the Twelve
Steps and the happiness of this freedom will come to me
through the Steps - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
Other freedoms will follow, and inventorying them is a
new happiness. I had a new freedom today, the freedom to
be me. I have the freedom to be the best me I have ever
been.
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
We're in A.A. for two main reasons: to keep sober ourselves
and to help others to keep sober. It's a well known fact
that helping others is a big part of keeping sober yourself.
It's also been proved that it's very hard to keep sober all
by yourself. A lot of people have tried it and failed. They
come to a few A.A. meetings and then stay sober alone for a
few months, but usually they eventually get drunk. Do I know
that I can't stay sober successfully alone?
Meditation For The Day
Look by faith into that place beyond space or time where God
dwells and whence you came and to which you shall eventually
return. "Look unto Him and be saved." To look beyond material
things is within the power of everyone's imagination. Faith's
look saves you from despair. Faith's look saves you from worry
and care. Faith's look brings a peace beyond all understanding.
Faith's look brings you all the strength you need. Faith's look
gives you a new and vital power and a wonderful peace and
serenity.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have faith's look. I pray that by faith I
may look beyond the now to eternal life.
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As Bill Sees It
Two Roads for the Oldtimer, p. 138
The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two classes
known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and "bleeding deacons."
The elder statesman sees the wisdom of the group's decision to run
itself and holds no resentment over his reduced status. His judgment,
fortified by considerable experience, is sound; he is willing to sit
quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments.
The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the group cannot
get along without him. He constantly connives for re-election to
office and continues to be consumed with self-pity. Nearly every
oldtimer in our Society has gone through this process in some degree.
Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statesmen.
They become the real and permanent leadership of A.A.
12 & 12, p. 135
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Walk in Dry Places
No Limits on our Higher power
The Spiritual Way
One ancient saying claims that "with God, all things are possible." That's quite a statement, one we may claim to believe without living as though we do.
What it really mens is that God exists outside the conditions and restrictions that make our own lives so limited. The more we can move into conscious contact with God, the more freedom and power we will experience.
It might be said that all real human progress is the same order. Every advancement in science really reveals more information about God and the universe. We are always discovering new possibilites for humankind as we stretch the frontiers of knowledge.
Our most serious lag is in learning to understand ourselves and each other. It is humbling to realize taht the ideas we're using in Twelve Step programs have been around for centuries. Fced with impossible problmes, we must remember that God can solve these problmes if only we ask.
I'll follow today the old idea of working as if everything depended on me and believing as if everything depended on God.
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Keep It Simple
You cannot plan the future by the past.---Edmund Burke
We got tried of how we were living. We honestly looked at our life. We saw that alcohol and other drugs controlled our life. We met others who understood us. And we came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could help us. We turned our will and our life over to this Power. In so doing, we learned that life doesn't take place in the past or in the future. We find our program in the present.
Prayer for the Day: I pray that I'll leave the past in the past.
I pray that I'll walk into each moment with my Higher Power.
Action for the Day: The only time we revisit the past is when we tell our story. Today, I'll tell my story to someone. I'll tell what really happened. I'll tell what life is like now.
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Each Day a New Beginning
. . . in order to feel anything you need strength . . . --Anna Maria Ortese
Strength for any task, to withstand any pressure, to find the solution to any problem, is always as close as our very breath. We expend all our energy, wearing ourselves down, even getting sick from worry when we fail to turn to the source of strength that is ours for the taking.
We are offered, moment by moment, opportunities to experience the rapture of life. We have the chance, with recovery, to trust our senses, to turn ourselves over to the moment, knowing we can survive every experience, knowing we are guaranteed new knowledge, a greater awareness of the meaning of our own lives when we're fully attuned to the experiences that are uniquely our own, right here, right now.
Our strength increases as we flex it, not unlike muscles. The more we turn to that greater power, the more available that source of strength becomes. With practice, it becomes habitual to let God help us withstand all pressures, solve every problem. In time, the pressures and problems seem to exist no more. We learn to let our higher power circumvent the difficulties in our lives. Free at last; we become free at last to feel the real joys of living.
All the strength I need to face anything that's worrying me is at hand. I will let go and let God help me today.
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Foreword To Third Edition
In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope.
p. xxii
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories
GROUNDED - Alcohol clipped this pilot's wings until sobriety and hard work brought him back to the sky.
It was almost beyond my ability to believe that the president of the airline could ever consider having me work for them again. I marveled at the courage of such a man and such an airline. What if I relapsed? What if I flew drunk again? The media would have a field day. For days afterward, as I awoke each morning, my first thought was that it had only been a dream, that it could not possibly have occurred.
p. 528
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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition One - "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. Unity."
Those who look closely soon have the key to this strange paradox. The A.A. member has to conform to the principles of recovery. His life actually depends upon obedience to spiritual principles. If he deviates too far, the penalty is sure and swift; he sickens and dies. At first he goes along because he must, but later he discovers a way of life he really wants to live. Moreover, he finds he cannot keep this priceless gift unless he gives it away. Neither he nor anybody else can survive unless he carries the A.A. message. The moment this Twelfth Step work forms a group, another discovery is made - that most individuals cannot recover unless there is a group. Realization dawns that he is but a small part of a great whole; that no personal sacrifice is too great for preservation of the Fellowship. He learns that the clamor of desires and ambitions within him must be silenced whenever these could damage the group. It becomes plain that the group must survive or the individual will not.
p. 130
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Self-esteem is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom,
while discouragement often nips it in the bud.
--Alex F. Osborn
There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always
the same.
--Chinese Proverb
"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does
bathing; that's why we recommend it daily."
--Zig Ziglar
"No matter what you have done to this moment, you get 24 brand-new
hours to spend every single day."
--Brian Tracy
"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has
finished listening."
--Dorothy Sarnoff
God says that each of us is worth loving.
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Father Leo's Daily Meditation
FAITH
"Faith has need of the whole truth."
--Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Faith is a journey that ends in God. Our understanding of imperfection
teaches us to look beyond ourselves into the truth that is yet to be
revealed. Our daily attitude adjustments bring us, step by step, to that
truth and freedom that awaits us in the future.
Sufficient today to know that we are not God and nobody has all the
answers. The hardest part of being a human being is accepting the
limitations of our lives. Things happen without our involvement. We
need not be there for existence to happen; there is life beyond me! God
holds the world together, not me. Truth is in me but also beyond me. In
this sense my faith is enriched by others, and at some point in the
future we will all become ONE in truth.
As I look to the future I see the Oneness of tomorrow.
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"I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and
want. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:12b-13
"Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is
infinite."
Psalms 147:5
Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39
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Daily Inspiration
If you are stressed, you are probably makings things more important than they really are. Lord, I pray for clarity of thought and calmness of spirit because I know that when my heart grows weary, You send me peace.
Joy does not depend on your circumstances, but rather on your triumph over your circumstances. Lord, my joy comes from within where Your spirit fills my soul and You bless me with Your strength.
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NA Just For Today
Friends And Amends—Keeping It Simple
"We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."
Step Nine
In every relationship, we don't always handle things the way we would have hoped. But friendships don't have to end when we make mistakes; instead, we can make amends. If we are sincerely willing to accept the responsibilities involved in friendship and make the amends we owe, those friendships can become stronger and richer than ever.
Making amends is simple. We approach the person we have harmed and say, "I was wrong." Sometimes we avoid getting to the point, evading an admission of our own part in the affair. But that frustrates the intent of the Ninth Step. To make effective amends, we have to keep it simple: we admit our part, and leave it at that.
There will be times when our friends won't accept our amends. Perhaps they need time to process what has happened. If that is the case, we must give them that time. After all, we were the ones in the wrong, not them. We have done our part; the rest is out of our hands.
Just for today: I want to be a responsible friend. I will strive to keep it simple when making amends.
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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.
--Thomas Fuller
We have all seen adventure movies in which the heroes or villains are caught on a bridge that collapses. As they fall to whatever lies below, they are perhaps able to climb to one side or the other. But for the time being, their ability to cross between the two sides is gone.
When we have been hurt by people in our lives, or when we have hurt others, mutual forgiveness is needed in order to rebuild the trust between us. It is very much like rebuilding a bridge--one piece at a time. We take cautious steps at first--testing the safety and strength of our bridge.
When two people have become separated by loss or anger, it is forgiveness that can rebuild the bridge between them. Forgiveness needs time and so does the rebuilding of trust.
Can I begin to rebuild a friendship today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
One should learn to enjoy the neighbor's garden, however small; the roses straggling over the fence, the scent of lilacs drifting across the road. --Henry Van Dyke
There are many gifts around us which we overlook when we're busy dealing with our anxieties and obligations. We talk about burning out from our high-intensity lifestyles. We act as though nothing would get done if we didn't do it ourselves. We get so engrossed in fighting with the frustrations of life that we fail to see the good things coming our way that took no effort on our part.
As we look around us this very moment, what good things do we find? Has a friend given a warm hello? Is the sun shining? The rain falling? Has the traffic flowed smoothly? We have no claim on these generous events, and we can't say God smiles on us when we have them or He frowns when we don't. We can say there are always generous forces coming our way which comfort and heal us. We only need to take time to enjoy them.
Today, I will take some quiet moments to notice the good things coming my way. I will be grateful for them.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
. . . in order to feel anything you need strength . . . --Anna Maria Ortese
Strength for any task, to withstand any pressure, to find the solution to any problem, is always as close as our very breath. We expend all our energy, wearing ourselves down, even getting sick from worry when we fail to turn to the source of strength that is ours for the taking.
We are offered, moment by moment, opportunities to experience the rapture of life. We have the chance, with recovery, to trust our senses, to turn ourselves over to the moment, knowing we can survive every experience, knowing we are guaranteed new knowledge, a greater awareness of the meaning of our own lives when we're fully attuned to the experiences that are uniquely our own, right here, right now.
Our strength increases as we flex it, not unlike muscles. The more we turn to that greater power, the more available that source of strength becomes. With practice, it becomes habitual to let God help us withstand all pressures, solve every problem. In time, the pressures and problems seem to exist no more. We learn to let our higher power circumvent the difficulties in our lives. Free at last; we become free at last to feel the real joys of living.
All the strength I need to face anything that's worrying me is at hand. I will let go and let God help me today.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Don't stop living your life!
So often, when a problem occurs, inside or around us, we revert to thinking that if we put our life on hold we can positively contribute to the solution. If a relationships isn't working, if we face a difficult decision, if were feeling depressed, we may put our life on hold and torment ourselves with obsessive thoughts.
Abandoning our life or routines contributes to the problem and delays us from finding the solution.
Frequently, the solution comes when we let go enough to live our life, return to our routine, and stop obsessing about the problem.
Sometimes, even if we don't feel like we have let go or can let go, we can act as if we have, and that will help bring about the letting go we desire.
You don't have to give up your power to problems. You can take your focus off your problem and direct it to your life, trusting that doing so will bring you closer to a solution.
Today, I will go on living my life and tending to my routine. I will decide, as often as I need to, to stop obsessing about whatever is bothering me. If I don't feel like letting go of a particular thing, I will act as if I have let go of it until my feelings match my behavior.
Today I look beyond the immediate moment of satisfaction and decide what is good for me in the larger picture of my life. Today I have faith and patience and can wait to make loving and positive choices. --Ruth Fishel
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Journey to the Heart
Love All of Yourself
Do more than just accept yourself, tolerate yourself, put up with yourself, endure who you are. Love yourself.
There came a time in my life when I simply could no longer put up with putting up with myself. I had talked about self-love. I had said aloud that I loved myself. The words were good, but they didn’t ring true. I had to actually begin experiencing and practicing love for myself. It became the next step on my path.
To live in a magical way, one in which you connect with the universe, loving yourself isn’t optional. It comes first. To hear the quiet voice of your heart so you know when you’re being led, to hear your thoughts so you can see what you really believe, to trust, and open your heart, you must first experience love for yourself.
Have you abandoned yourself? Let yourself see if that’s true, feel if that’s true. Then learn to experience love for yourself.
Learn to love the way you handle things. Love your unique way of learning, growing, and seeing things. Love where you’ve been. Love what you’ve done. Love where you are, and what you’re doing now.
Love how you look, smell, and feel. Love the color of your eyes, the color of your hair, and the radiance in your heart. Love how you laugh. Love how you cry. Love your mistakes, and love all the good you’ve done. Love it all. Love all of you.
Step into love for yourself, and the universe will reflect that love back to you.
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More language of letting go
Use your creativity in saying when
Grace was the single parent of a seventeen-year-old son– Shawn. Shawn was charismatic, powerful, strong-willed, intelligent, and chemically dependent.
Grace loved Shawn deeply. But she also felt trapped by his rebellious teenage years, coupled with his drug and alcohol usage. Shawn had been through treatment once, did well for a while, then had relapsed. Shawn had a driver’s license and a car. In his sober times, Shawn handled the responsibility of the car well. And the agreement was, if Shawn relapsed, he would relinquish the keys.
The problem with chemical dependency is that denial and lying go hand in hand with the disease. When Shawn began using again, he also began lying to his mother. It didn’t take long for Grace to see and understand what was going on. She knew what her boundary was. Take away the car.
Grace was clear about what she could and couldn’t do. She couldn’t make Shawn stay sober, but she could refuse to allow him to drive.
Grace took action. She grabbed a screwdriver, went outside, removed both license plates form Shawn’s car, and drove directly to the post office. She then mailed the license plates to a friend of the family and asked the friend to keep the plates until Shawn sobered up.
Shawn knew a boundary had just been clearly set. Six months later, when his plates were returned to him, he was sober and ready to respect the responsibility involved with driving an automobile.
Sometimes, it’s not enough just to stay when. We need to get creative in how we say it,too.
God, help me know that you will always be there to guide me in setting limits, when it is my responsibility and in my best interests to enforce a particular boundary.
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Putting Our Tools to Use
Bringing Inspiration into Form by Madisyn Taylor
We have all built up a toolbox of unique tools to help us navigate life, we just need to use them.
Every craftsperson has a toolbox full of tools and a number of techniques to help them bring inspiration into form. In the same way, throughout our lives, we have discovered our own life tools and techniques—the ways and means that have helped us create our lives up to this point. Sometimes we forget about the tools and skills we’ve acquired, and we wonder why we aren’t moving forward. At times like these, it might just be a matter of remembering what we already know, and rediscovering the tools we already have at our disposal.
In the process of becoming who we are and creating our lives, we have all gone through the experience of being inspired to do something and then finding the tools we needed to do it. If we look back, we may be able to remember that we used, for example, the tool of writing every day in order to clarify our intentions. We may also have used the tools of ritual, meditation, or visualization to make something happen. In addition, we may have been fueled by a new idea about how the universe works, which is what gave us the inspiration to use these tools.
In order for ideas to be powerful, they must be imbued with the energy of our engagement with them, and in order for tools to be effective they must be put to use. This sounds obvious, but often we fall into the habit of thinking we are engaging with ideas and using tools by virtue of the fact that we are reading about them, or listening to other people talk about them. In truth, using our tools is a very personal action, one we must take on behalf of ourselves. Like artists, we are each unique and no two of us will receive the same inspiration, nor will we bring it into form in the same two ways. To discover the truth of our own vision, we must take action by remembering our tools and putting them to use. Published with permission from Daily OM
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A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
I considered myself a “loner” in the days when I was actively addicted. Although I was often with other people — saw them, heard them, touched them–most of my important dialogues were with my inner self. I was certain that nobody else would ever understand. Considering my former opinion of myself, it’s likely that I didn’t want anybody to understand. I smiled through gritted teeth even as I was dying on the inside. Have my insides begun to match my outside since I’ve been in The Program?
Today I Pray
May my physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual selves become one, a while person again. I thank my Higher Power for showing me how to match my outside to my inside, to laugh when I feel like laughing, to cry when I feel sad, to recognize my own anger or fear or guilt. I pray for wholeness.
Today I Will Remember
I am becoming whole.
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One More Day
Pain is part of being alive, and we need to learn that. Pain does not last forever, nor is it necessarily unbearable, and we need to be taught that.
– Harold Kushner
Losing anything — a loved one, a favorite book, even a set of goals we thought were reachable — can hurt deeply. But the loss of good health is one of the greatest pains we can suffer, for it signifies the ending of what is familiar and what is expected. The pain of a long-term medical condition isn’t just physical, it’s also emotional. We are afraid that we will not be able to live through the change.
With time, however, we adjust to this latest loss, just as we have adjusted the others. We create new routines that allow for diminished health. As laughter filters through our days once again, we understand that even despair is not permanent.
I reach outward, extending my arms for hope. I turn inward with the thought of helping myself. I am getting stronger.
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Food For Thought
Safety
I am safe as long as I do not take the first compulsive bite. Abstinence is my security. If I break my abstinence, I lose my protection against the confusion, remorse, and pain of overeating.
To keep my abstinence strong, I need to use the OA tools of recovery each day. I need to build my program and to give it my best efforts. Remembering that my Higher Power has given me a new life, I will not endanger it by forgetting how much I need His care.
Temptation is always appearing in one form or another. Sometimes it may seem impossible not to give in. My strength lies not in myself but in God, and only by maintaining close contact with Him can I remain safe.
My Higher Power has led me to OA and has given me a safe place to be. When I am tempted or upset, I will use the telephone, go to a meeting, practice Step Eleven, and do whatever else it takes to maintain my abstinence.
Thank You for bringing me to a safe place.
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One Day At A Time
STEP ELEVEN
"Be like the bird that, passing on her flight
awhile on boughs too slight,
feels them give way beneath her,
and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings. "
Victor Hugo
Step eleven tells us to seek “through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” For me, that is a daily, some times, minute by minute task. As a food addict and compulsive overeater I face temptation daily and need to be in fit spiritual condition to resist. I do this by making a daily conscious contact with the God of my understanding. Then I am connected when I need the fox hole prayers like, “Help me!” or “I’m in trouble!”
Step eleven for me is a spiritual discipline to be practiced daily. I do not do that perfectly, but I aspire to connect daily with my God. As I connect I pray for His will for my life and the power to carry that out. It is easy to get selfish with my prayers and step eleven helps me with this. There are certain things that I know are His will, such as attending meetings, talking to my sponsor, using the tools and staying connected to my God. If I am unsure, I pray for God’s will and leave the rest to Him.
One Day at a Time . . .
I will maintain a fit spiritual condition by connecting with the God of my understanding.
~ Carolyn
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AA 'Big Book' - Quote
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 his physical factor is incomplete. - Pg. xxvi - 4th. Edition - The Doctor's Opinion
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
Often times we have fears that someone from the past might find us, evil is after us, or that our friends really hate us. At these times we must turn to our Higher Power, surrender our fears and our fate. In that surrender, we cease struggling, cease fear.
The Divine helps me ask for help when I need it.
Giving
Today I give with both hands. Giving for its own sake is the spiritual way and actually releases the gift. When I givewith one hand and take with the other, I give only half of what I haveand receive only half of what might be given to me. I limit myself intwo ways. Somehow the universe responds to clear intention. When I fully release a gift, it goes to where it is supposed to go and what returns to me comes when and how it is right.
I am able to give with both hands
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Our recovery has less to do with our thinking and much more to do with our actions. If you don't believe this, stop going to meetings, stop looking at where you're wrong, stop making amends, and stop doing service work. You will soon see that no matter how good your 'thoughts' are, your life won't be worth a hoot in very short order.
My recovery works better when I utilize, not analyze.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
If something is right, it can be done. If it is wrong it can be done without.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I look beyond the immediate moment of satisfaction and decide what is good for me in the larger picture of my life. Today I have faith and patience and can wait to make loving and positive choices.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
I didn't know who I was. I would be the type of person you wanted me to be at that particular time. A few minutes later I'd be the type of person someone else wanted me to be. I had so many personalities I could have gone into group therapy on my own. - Anon.
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AA Thought for the Day
May 18
Act of Providence
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.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21
Thought to Ponder . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Sponsor
"If we are fooling ourselves,
a competent adviser can see this quickly.
And, as he skillfully guides us away from our fantasies,
we are surprised to find that we have few
of the usual urges to defend ourselves
against unpleasant truths.
In no other way can fear, pride,
and ignorance be so readily melted.
After a time, we realize that we are standing firm
on a brand-new foundation for integrity,
and we gratefully credit our sponsors,
whose advice pointed the way."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, August 1961.
As Bill Sees It, p. 248
Thought to Consider . . .
A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor is much like leaving Dracula in charge of the blood bank.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R D S =
Call your sponsor,
Ask for help from your Higher Power,
Read the Big Book,
Do the Twelve Steps,
Stay active in your group.
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Roles
From "Action and Patience":
"I heard that we can't keep what we have unless we give it away. And so I found a woman someone a little newer than I
was and I shared with her what you had shared with me. Looking back on it, I doubt that I helped this woman very much,
but I helped myself beyond measure. I stayed sober, day by day, through sharing my experience, strength, and hope
with her, through putting action into the A.A. program while, at the same time, waiting for her, not forcing my action on
her. This was patience supporting the action, though I didn't call it patience at the time; the word was not a part of my
emotional vocabulary."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 42
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevinek Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"My home group's primary purpose is to carry the AA message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Some of those have
much sobriety, because the alcoholic who still suffers is not necessarily a newcomer. However, when newcomers do
show up at our home group we try to focus our discussion on what's in the Big Book and how it can help them if they
are willing to follow some simple suggestions."
Paso Robles, Calif., May 1998
"The Cement That Binds Us,"
AA Grapevine
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"The minute we put our work on a service plane, the alcoholic
commences to rely upon our assistance rather than upon God. He
clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until
his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job,
wife or no wife, we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of
dependence on God."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~
"We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth
dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~
Every newcomer in Alcoholics Anonymous is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of
powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 72
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
Two Roads for the Old-timer
The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as 'elder statesmen' and 'bleeding deacons.'
The elder statesman sees the wisdom of the group's decision to run itself and holds no resentment over his reduced
status. His judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound; he is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments.
The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him. He constantly connives for
re-election to office and continues to be consumed with self-pity. Nearly every old-timer in our Society has gone through
this process in some degree. Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statemen. They become the real
and permanent leadership of A.A. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 135
Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you that I am well, and strong and able to work. I do appreciate the work You have called me to do. Lord, sometimes I do get weary, but help me not to complain. I am most blessed to be Your child and I thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, use each of us to reach out to those that do not have the blessings that we have. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.
May 18
Daily Reflections
FREEDOM TO BE ME
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,
we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are
going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 83
My first true freedom is the freedom not to have to take
a drink today. If I truly want it, I will work the Twelve
Steps and the happiness of this freedom will come to me
through the Steps - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
Other freedoms will follow, and inventorying them is a
new happiness. I had a new freedom today, the freedom to
be me. I have the freedom to be the best me I have ever
been.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
We're in A.A. for two main reasons: to keep sober ourselves
and to help others to keep sober. It's a well known fact
that helping others is a big part of keeping sober yourself.
It's also been proved that it's very hard to keep sober all
by yourself. A lot of people have tried it and failed. They
come to a few A.A. meetings and then stay sober alone for a
few months, but usually they eventually get drunk. Do I know
that I can't stay sober successfully alone?
Meditation For The Day
Look by faith into that place beyond space or time where God
dwells and whence you came and to which you shall eventually
return. "Look unto Him and be saved." To look beyond material
things is within the power of everyone's imagination. Faith's
look saves you from despair. Faith's look saves you from worry
and care. Faith's look brings a peace beyond all understanding.
Faith's look brings you all the strength you need. Faith's look
gives you a new and vital power and a wonderful peace and
serenity.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have faith's look. I pray that by faith I
may look beyond the now to eternal life.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Two Roads for the Oldtimer, p. 138
The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two classes
known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and "bleeding deacons."
The elder statesman sees the wisdom of the group's decision to run
itself and holds no resentment over his reduced status. His judgment,
fortified by considerable experience, is sound; he is willing to sit
quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments.
The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the group cannot
get along without him. He constantly connives for re-election to
office and continues to be consumed with self-pity. Nearly every
oldtimer in our Society has gone through this process in some degree.
Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statesmen.
They become the real and permanent leadership of A.A.
12 & 12, p. 135
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
No Limits on our Higher power
The Spiritual Way
One ancient saying claims that "with God, all things are possible." That's quite a statement, one we may claim to believe without living as though we do.
What it really mens is that God exists outside the conditions and restrictions that make our own lives so limited. The more we can move into conscious contact with God, the more freedom and power we will experience.
It might be said that all real human progress is the same order. Every advancement in science really reveals more information about God and the universe. We are always discovering new possibilites for humankind as we stretch the frontiers of knowledge.
Our most serious lag is in learning to understand ourselves and each other. It is humbling to realize taht the ideas we're using in Twelve Step programs have been around for centuries. Fced with impossible problmes, we must remember that God can solve these problmes if only we ask.
I'll follow today the old idea of working as if everything depended on me and believing as if everything depended on God.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
You cannot plan the future by the past.---Edmund Burke
We got tried of how we were living. We honestly looked at our life. We saw that alcohol and other drugs controlled our life. We met others who understood us. And we came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could help us. We turned our will and our life over to this Power. In so doing, we learned that life doesn't take place in the past or in the future. We find our program in the present.
Prayer for the Day: I pray that I'll leave the past in the past.
I pray that I'll walk into each moment with my Higher Power.
Action for the Day: The only time we revisit the past is when we tell our story. Today, I'll tell my story to someone. I'll tell what really happened. I'll tell what life is like now.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
. . . in order to feel anything you need strength . . . --Anna Maria Ortese
Strength for any task, to withstand any pressure, to find the solution to any problem, is always as close as our very breath. We expend all our energy, wearing ourselves down, even getting sick from worry when we fail to turn to the source of strength that is ours for the taking.
We are offered, moment by moment, opportunities to experience the rapture of life. We have the chance, with recovery, to trust our senses, to turn ourselves over to the moment, knowing we can survive every experience, knowing we are guaranteed new knowledge, a greater awareness of the meaning of our own lives when we're fully attuned to the experiences that are uniquely our own, right here, right now.
Our strength increases as we flex it, not unlike muscles. The more we turn to that greater power, the more available that source of strength becomes. With practice, it becomes habitual to let God help us withstand all pressures, solve every problem. In time, the pressures and problems seem to exist no more. We learn to let our higher power circumvent the difficulties in our lives. Free at last; we become free at last to feel the real joys of living.
All the strength I need to face anything that's worrying me is at hand. I will let go and let God help me today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Foreword To Third Edition
In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope.
p. xxii
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories
GROUNDED - Alcohol clipped this pilot's wings until sobriety and hard work brought him back to the sky.
It was almost beyond my ability to believe that the president of the airline could ever consider having me work for them again. I marveled at the courage of such a man and such an airline. What if I relapsed? What if I flew drunk again? The media would have a field day. For days afterward, as I awoke each morning, my first thought was that it had only been a dream, that it could not possibly have occurred.
p. 528
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition One - "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. Unity."
Those who look closely soon have the key to this strange paradox. The A.A. member has to conform to the principles of recovery. His life actually depends upon obedience to spiritual principles. If he deviates too far, the penalty is sure and swift; he sickens and dies. At first he goes along because he must, but later he discovers a way of life he really wants to live. Moreover, he finds he cannot keep this priceless gift unless he gives it away. Neither he nor anybody else can survive unless he carries the A.A. message. The moment this Twelfth Step work forms a group, another discovery is made - that most individuals cannot recover unless there is a group. Realization dawns that he is but a small part of a great whole; that no personal sacrifice is too great for preservation of the Fellowship. He learns that the clamor of desires and ambitions within him must be silenced whenever these could damage the group. It becomes plain that the group must survive or the individual will not.
p. 130
************************************************** *********
Self-esteem is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom,
while discouragement often nips it in the bud.
--Alex F. Osborn
There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always
the same.
--Chinese Proverb
"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does
bathing; that's why we recommend it daily."
--Zig Ziglar
"No matter what you have done to this moment, you get 24 brand-new
hours to spend every single day."
--Brian Tracy
"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has
finished listening."
--Dorothy Sarnoff
God says that each of us is worth loving.
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
FAITH
"Faith has need of the whole truth."
--Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Faith is a journey that ends in God. Our understanding of imperfection
teaches us to look beyond ourselves into the truth that is yet to be
revealed. Our daily attitude adjustments bring us, step by step, to that
truth and freedom that awaits us in the future.
Sufficient today to know that we are not God and nobody has all the
answers. The hardest part of being a human being is accepting the
limitations of our lives. Things happen without our involvement. We
need not be there for existence to happen; there is life beyond me! God
holds the world together, not me. Truth is in me but also beyond me. In
this sense my faith is enriched by others, and at some point in the
future we will all become ONE in truth.
As I look to the future I see the Oneness of tomorrow.
************************************************** *********
"I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and
want. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:12b-13
"Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is
infinite."
Psalms 147:5
Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
If you are stressed, you are probably makings things more important than they really are. Lord, I pray for clarity of thought and calmness of spirit because I know that when my heart grows weary, You send me peace.
Joy does not depend on your circumstances, but rather on your triumph over your circumstances. Lord, my joy comes from within where Your spirit fills my soul and You bless me with Your strength.
************************************************** *********
NA Just For Today
Friends And Amends—Keeping It Simple
"We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."
Step Nine
In every relationship, we don't always handle things the way we would have hoped. But friendships don't have to end when we make mistakes; instead, we can make amends. If we are sincerely willing to accept the responsibilities involved in friendship and make the amends we owe, those friendships can become stronger and richer than ever.
Making amends is simple. We approach the person we have harmed and say, "I was wrong." Sometimes we avoid getting to the point, evading an admission of our own part in the affair. But that frustrates the intent of the Ninth Step. To make effective amends, we have to keep it simple: we admit our part, and leave it at that.
There will be times when our friends won't accept our amends. Perhaps they need time to process what has happened. If that is the case, we must give them that time. After all, we were the ones in the wrong, not them. We have done our part; the rest is out of our hands.
Just for today: I want to be a responsible friend. I will strive to keep it simple when making amends.
************************************************** *********
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.
--Thomas Fuller
We have all seen adventure movies in which the heroes or villains are caught on a bridge that collapses. As they fall to whatever lies below, they are perhaps able to climb to one side or the other. But for the time being, their ability to cross between the two sides is gone.
When we have been hurt by people in our lives, or when we have hurt others, mutual forgiveness is needed in order to rebuild the trust between us. It is very much like rebuilding a bridge--one piece at a time. We take cautious steps at first--testing the safety and strength of our bridge.
When two people have become separated by loss or anger, it is forgiveness that can rebuild the bridge between them. Forgiveness needs time and so does the rebuilding of trust.
Can I begin to rebuild a friendship today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
One should learn to enjoy the neighbor's garden, however small; the roses straggling over the fence, the scent of lilacs drifting across the road. --Henry Van Dyke
There are many gifts around us which we overlook when we're busy dealing with our anxieties and obligations. We talk about burning out from our high-intensity lifestyles. We act as though nothing would get done if we didn't do it ourselves. We get so engrossed in fighting with the frustrations of life that we fail to see the good things coming our way that took no effort on our part.
As we look around us this very moment, what good things do we find? Has a friend given a warm hello? Is the sun shining? The rain falling? Has the traffic flowed smoothly? We have no claim on these generous events, and we can't say God smiles on us when we have them or He frowns when we don't. We can say there are always generous forces coming our way which comfort and heal us. We only need to take time to enjoy them.
Today, I will take some quiet moments to notice the good things coming my way. I will be grateful for them.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
. . . in order to feel anything you need strength . . . --Anna Maria Ortese
Strength for any task, to withstand any pressure, to find the solution to any problem, is always as close as our very breath. We expend all our energy, wearing ourselves down, even getting sick from worry when we fail to turn to the source of strength that is ours for the taking.
We are offered, moment by moment, opportunities to experience the rapture of life. We have the chance, with recovery, to trust our senses, to turn ourselves over to the moment, knowing we can survive every experience, knowing we are guaranteed new knowledge, a greater awareness of the meaning of our own lives when we're fully attuned to the experiences that are uniquely our own, right here, right now.
Our strength increases as we flex it, not unlike muscles. The more we turn to that greater power, the more available that source of strength becomes. With practice, it becomes habitual to let God help us withstand all pressures, solve every problem. In time, the pressures and problems seem to exist no more. We learn to let our higher power circumvent the difficulties in our lives. Free at last; we become free at last to feel the real joys of living.
All the strength I need to face anything that's worrying me is at hand. I will let go and let God help me today.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Don't stop living your life!
So often, when a problem occurs, inside or around us, we revert to thinking that if we put our life on hold we can positively contribute to the solution. If a relationships isn't working, if we face a difficult decision, if were feeling depressed, we may put our life on hold and torment ourselves with obsessive thoughts.
Abandoning our life or routines contributes to the problem and delays us from finding the solution.
Frequently, the solution comes when we let go enough to live our life, return to our routine, and stop obsessing about the problem.
Sometimes, even if we don't feel like we have let go or can let go, we can act as if we have, and that will help bring about the letting go we desire.
You don't have to give up your power to problems. You can take your focus off your problem and direct it to your life, trusting that doing so will bring you closer to a solution.
Today, I will go on living my life and tending to my routine. I will decide, as often as I need to, to stop obsessing about whatever is bothering me. If I don't feel like letting go of a particular thing, I will act as if I have let go of it until my feelings match my behavior.
Today I look beyond the immediate moment of satisfaction and decide what is good for me in the larger picture of my life. Today I have faith and patience and can wait to make loving and positive choices. --Ruth Fishel
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Journey to the Heart
Love All of Yourself
Do more than just accept yourself, tolerate yourself, put up with yourself, endure who you are. Love yourself.
There came a time in my life when I simply could no longer put up with putting up with myself. I had talked about self-love. I had said aloud that I loved myself. The words were good, but they didn’t ring true. I had to actually begin experiencing and practicing love for myself. It became the next step on my path.
To live in a magical way, one in which you connect with the universe, loving yourself isn’t optional. It comes first. To hear the quiet voice of your heart so you know when you’re being led, to hear your thoughts so you can see what you really believe, to trust, and open your heart, you must first experience love for yourself.
Have you abandoned yourself? Let yourself see if that’s true, feel if that’s true. Then learn to experience love for yourself.
Learn to love the way you handle things. Love your unique way of learning, growing, and seeing things. Love where you’ve been. Love what you’ve done. Love where you are, and what you’re doing now.
Love how you look, smell, and feel. Love the color of your eyes, the color of your hair, and the radiance in your heart. Love how you laugh. Love how you cry. Love your mistakes, and love all the good you’ve done. Love it all. Love all of you.
Step into love for yourself, and the universe will reflect that love back to you.
**************************************************
More language of letting go
Use your creativity in saying when
Grace was the single parent of a seventeen-year-old son– Shawn. Shawn was charismatic, powerful, strong-willed, intelligent, and chemically dependent.
Grace loved Shawn deeply. But she also felt trapped by his rebellious teenage years, coupled with his drug and alcohol usage. Shawn had been through treatment once, did well for a while, then had relapsed. Shawn had a driver’s license and a car. In his sober times, Shawn handled the responsibility of the car well. And the agreement was, if Shawn relapsed, he would relinquish the keys.
The problem with chemical dependency is that denial and lying go hand in hand with the disease. When Shawn began using again, he also began lying to his mother. It didn’t take long for Grace to see and understand what was going on. She knew what her boundary was. Take away the car.
Grace was clear about what she could and couldn’t do. She couldn’t make Shawn stay sober, but she could refuse to allow him to drive.
Grace took action. She grabbed a screwdriver, went outside, removed both license plates form Shawn’s car, and drove directly to the post office. She then mailed the license plates to a friend of the family and asked the friend to keep the plates until Shawn sobered up.
Shawn knew a boundary had just been clearly set. Six months later, when his plates were returned to him, he was sober and ready to respect the responsibility involved with driving an automobile.
Sometimes, it’s not enough just to stay when. We need to get creative in how we say it,too.
God, help me know that you will always be there to guide me in setting limits, when it is my responsibility and in my best interests to enforce a particular boundary.
**************************************************
Putting Our Tools to Use
Bringing Inspiration into Form by Madisyn Taylor
We have all built up a toolbox of unique tools to help us navigate life, we just need to use them.
Every craftsperson has a toolbox full of tools and a number of techniques to help them bring inspiration into form. In the same way, throughout our lives, we have discovered our own life tools and techniques—the ways and means that have helped us create our lives up to this point. Sometimes we forget about the tools and skills we’ve acquired, and we wonder why we aren’t moving forward. At times like these, it might just be a matter of remembering what we already know, and rediscovering the tools we already have at our disposal.
In the process of becoming who we are and creating our lives, we have all gone through the experience of being inspired to do something and then finding the tools we needed to do it. If we look back, we may be able to remember that we used, for example, the tool of writing every day in order to clarify our intentions. We may also have used the tools of ritual, meditation, or visualization to make something happen. In addition, we may have been fueled by a new idea about how the universe works, which is what gave us the inspiration to use these tools.
In order for ideas to be powerful, they must be imbued with the energy of our engagement with them, and in order for tools to be effective they must be put to use. This sounds obvious, but often we fall into the habit of thinking we are engaging with ideas and using tools by virtue of the fact that we are reading about them, or listening to other people talk about them. In truth, using our tools is a very personal action, one we must take on behalf of ourselves. Like artists, we are each unique and no two of us will receive the same inspiration, nor will we bring it into form in the same two ways. To discover the truth of our own vision, we must take action by remembering our tools and putting them to use. Published with permission from Daily OM
************************************************** '
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
I considered myself a “loner” in the days when I was actively addicted. Although I was often with other people — saw them, heard them, touched them–most of my important dialogues were with my inner self. I was certain that nobody else would ever understand. Considering my former opinion of myself, it’s likely that I didn’t want anybody to understand. I smiled through gritted teeth even as I was dying on the inside. Have my insides begun to match my outside since I’ve been in The Program?
Today I Pray
May my physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual selves become one, a while person again. I thank my Higher Power for showing me how to match my outside to my inside, to laugh when I feel like laughing, to cry when I feel sad, to recognize my own anger or fear or guilt. I pray for wholeness.
Today I Will Remember
I am becoming whole.
**************************************************
One More Day
Pain is part of being alive, and we need to learn that. Pain does not last forever, nor is it necessarily unbearable, and we need to be taught that.
– Harold Kushner
Losing anything — a loved one, a favorite book, even a set of goals we thought were reachable — can hurt deeply. But the loss of good health is one of the greatest pains we can suffer, for it signifies the ending of what is familiar and what is expected. The pain of a long-term medical condition isn’t just physical, it’s also emotional. We are afraid that we will not be able to live through the change.
With time, however, we adjust to this latest loss, just as we have adjusted the others. We create new routines that allow for diminished health. As laughter filters through our days once again, we understand that even despair is not permanent.
I reach outward, extending my arms for hope. I turn inward with the thought of helping myself. I am getting stronger.
************************************
Food For Thought
Safety
I am safe as long as I do not take the first compulsive bite. Abstinence is my security. If I break my abstinence, I lose my protection against the confusion, remorse, and pain of overeating.
To keep my abstinence strong, I need to use the OA tools of recovery each day. I need to build my program and to give it my best efforts. Remembering that my Higher Power has given me a new life, I will not endanger it by forgetting how much I need His care.
Temptation is always appearing in one form or another. Sometimes it may seem impossible not to give in. My strength lies not in myself but in God, and only by maintaining close contact with Him can I remain safe.
My Higher Power has led me to OA and has given me a safe place to be. When I am tempted or upset, I will use the telephone, go to a meeting, practice Step Eleven, and do whatever else it takes to maintain my abstinence.
Thank You for bringing me to a safe place.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
STEP ELEVEN
"Be like the bird that, passing on her flight
awhile on boughs too slight,
feels them give way beneath her,
and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings. "
Victor Hugo
Step eleven tells us to seek “through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” For me, that is a daily, some times, minute by minute task. As a food addict and compulsive overeater I face temptation daily and need to be in fit spiritual condition to resist. I do this by making a daily conscious contact with the God of my understanding. Then I am connected when I need the fox hole prayers like, “Help me!” or “I’m in trouble!”
Step eleven for me is a spiritual discipline to be practiced daily. I do not do that perfectly, but I aspire to connect daily with my God. As I connect I pray for His will for my life and the power to carry that out. It is easy to get selfish with my prayers and step eleven helps me with this. There are certain things that I know are His will, such as attending meetings, talking to my sponsor, using the tools and staying connected to my God. If I am unsure, I pray for God’s will and leave the rest to Him.
One Day at a Time . . .
I will maintain a fit spiritual condition by connecting with the God of my understanding.
~ Carolyn
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AA 'Big Book' - Quote
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 his physical factor is incomplete. - Pg. xxvi - 4th. Edition - The Doctor's Opinion
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
Often times we have fears that someone from the past might find us, evil is after us, or that our friends really hate us. At these times we must turn to our Higher Power, surrender our fears and our fate. In that surrender, we cease struggling, cease fear.
The Divine helps me ask for help when I need it.
Giving
Today I give with both hands. Giving for its own sake is the spiritual way and actually releases the gift. When I givewith one hand and take with the other, I give only half of what I haveand receive only half of what might be given to me. I limit myself intwo ways. Somehow the universe responds to clear intention. When I fully release a gift, it goes to where it is supposed to go and what returns to me comes when and how it is right.
I am able to give with both hands
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Our recovery has less to do with our thinking and much more to do with our actions. If you don't believe this, stop going to meetings, stop looking at where you're wrong, stop making amends, and stop doing service work. You will soon see that no matter how good your 'thoughts' are, your life won't be worth a hoot in very short order.
My recovery works better when I utilize, not analyze.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
If something is right, it can be done. If it is wrong it can be done without.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I look beyond the immediate moment of satisfaction and decide what is good for me in the larger picture of my life. Today I have faith and patience and can wait to make loving and positive choices.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
I didn't know who I was. I would be the type of person you wanted me to be at that particular time. A few minutes later I'd be the type of person someone else wanted me to be. I had so many personalities I could have gone into group therapy on my own. - Anon.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
May 18
Act of Providence
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.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21
Thought to Ponder . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Sponsor
"If we are fooling ourselves,
a competent adviser can see this quickly.
And, as he skillfully guides us away from our fantasies,
we are surprised to find that we have few
of the usual urges to defend ourselves
against unpleasant truths.
In no other way can fear, pride,
and ignorance be so readily melted.
After a time, we realize that we are standing firm
on a brand-new foundation for integrity,
and we gratefully credit our sponsors,
whose advice pointed the way."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, August 1961.
As Bill Sees It, p. 248
Thought to Consider . . .
A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor is much like leaving Dracula in charge of the blood bank.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R D S =
Call your sponsor,
Ask for help from your Higher Power,
Read the Big Book,
Do the Twelve Steps,
Stay active in your group.
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Roles
From "Action and Patience":
"I heard that we can't keep what we have unless we give it away. And so I found a woman someone a little newer than I
was and I shared with her what you had shared with me. Looking back on it, I doubt that I helped this woman very much,
but I helped myself beyond measure. I stayed sober, day by day, through sharing my experience, strength, and hope
with her, through putting action into the A.A. program while, at the same time, waiting for her, not forcing my action on
her. This was patience supporting the action, though I didn't call it patience at the time; the word was not a part of my
emotional vocabulary."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 42
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevinek Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"My home group's primary purpose is to carry the AA message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Some of those have
much sobriety, because the alcoholic who still suffers is not necessarily a newcomer. However, when newcomers do
show up at our home group we try to focus our discussion on what's in the Big Book and how it can help them if they
are willing to follow some simple suggestions."
Paso Robles, Calif., May 1998
"The Cement That Binds Us,"
AA Grapevine
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"The minute we put our work on a service plane, the alcoholic
commences to rely upon our assistance rather than upon God. He
clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until
his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job,
wife or no wife, we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of
dependence on God."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~
"We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth
dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~
Every newcomer in Alcoholics Anonymous is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of
powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 72
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
Two Roads for the Old-timer
The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as 'elder statesmen' and 'bleeding deacons.'
The elder statesman sees the wisdom of the group's decision to run itself and holds no resentment over his reduced
status. His judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound; he is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments.
The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him. He constantly connives for
re-election to office and continues to be consumed with self-pity. Nearly every old-timer in our Society has gone through
this process in some degree. Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statemen. They become the real
and permanent leadership of A.A. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 135
Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, thank you that I am well, and strong and able to work. I do appreciate the work You have called me to do. Lord, sometimes I do get weary, but help me not to complain. I am most blessed to be Your child and I thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, use each of us to reach out to those that do not have the blessings that we have. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7