AA Thoughts For Today - October
 

AA Thought for the Day

October 1

Amazed

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,
we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are
going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will
not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will
comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 83 - 84

Thought to Ponder
In God's hands, the dark past is the
greatest possession you have.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A W O L = A A Way Of Life.

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

Flimsy Reed
"We sought escape with all the desperation
of drowning men.
What seemed at first a flimsy reed,
has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God.
A new life has been given us or, if you prefer,
a 'design for living' that really works."
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 28

Thought to Consider . . .
The task ahead of us is never as great
as the Power behind us.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

Chronic Slipper
From: "Safe Haven"
In Alcoholics Anonymous, I knew I had found a protective haven. But during the ensuing 4-1/2 years I fell into the category known, in AA parlance, as a "chronic slipper." I might get a good six months of sobriety under my belt, but then I would get a bottle to celebrate.
I did all the things that were suggested for me not to do. Within my first year around AA, I made some major decisions, like getting married, renting the most expensive apartment I could find, not using my sponsor, avoiding the steps, hanging around old haunts with my old drinking pals, and talking more than listening during meetings. In short, I wasn't responding to the miracle of AA. My disease progressed and I became a regular patient in detox hospitals, intensive care units, and treatment centers. Permanent insanity was drawing near, and the gates of death were in view.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 455

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

"Keeping a Tenth Step journal about my day-to-day life, my relations with other people, and the stuff that still roiled around in my head helped me see patterns in my thoughts and behavior, which I could discuss with my sponsor. And once I began to sit quietly, reflect on what I'd written, and pray, I began to sleep peacefully for the first time in my life."
Manchester, N.H., March 2001
"Peace at Last,"
In Our Own Words: Stories of Young AAs in Recovery

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

" I had always believed in a Power greater that myself. I had often
pondered these things. I was not an atheist. Few people really are, for
that means blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe
originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes no where."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 10~

"Outline the program of action, explaining how you
made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your
past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful
to him. It is important for him to realize that your
attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in
your own recovery. Actually, he may be helping you
more than you are helping him. Make it plain he is
under no obligation to you, that you hope only that
he will try to help other alcoholics when he escapes
his own difficulties. Suggest how important it is that
he place the welfare of other people ahead of his own.
Make it clear that he is not under pressure, that he
needn’t see you again if he doesn’t want to. You
should not be offended if he wants to call it off, for
he has helped you more than you have helped him.
If your talk has been sane, quiet and full of human
understanding, you have perhaps made a friend.
Maybe you have disturbed him about the question of
alcoholism. This is all to the good. The more hope*
less he feels, the better. He will be more likely to
follow your suggestions."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.94, Working With Others, 4th Edition~

We found it very desirable to take this spiritual step with an understanding person, such as our wife, best friend, or spiritual adviser.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.63

It is worth noting that people of very high spiritual development almost always insist on checking with friends or spiritual advisers the guidance they feel they have received from God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 60

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Going it alone in spiritual matters is dangerous. How many times have we heard well-intentioned people claim the guidance of God when it was plain that they were mistaken? Lacking both practice and humility, they had deluded themselves and so were able to justify the most arrant nonsense on the ground that this was what God had told them.
People of very high spiritual development almost always insist on checking with friends or spiritual advisers the guidance they feel they have received from God. Surely, then, a novice ought not lay himself open to the chance of making foolish, perhaps tragic, blunders. While the comment or advice of others may not be infallible, it is likely to be far more specific than any direct guidance we may receive while we are still inexperienced in establishing contact with a Power greater than ourselves.

Prayer for the Day: A Prayer for Tolerance - Higher Power, help me to know the most lovable quality I can possess is tolerance. It is the vision that enables me to see things from another's viewpoint. It is the generosity that concedes to others the right to their own opinions and their own peculiarities. It is the bigness that enables me to let people be happy in their own way instead of my way.

AA Thought for the Day

October 2

Three Pertinent Ideas

Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our
personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.
(c) That God could and would if He were sought.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 60

Thought to Ponder . . .
If I can't and God can, am I willing to ask Him to?

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

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

Amends
"Somehow, being alone with God doesn't seem so embarrassing
as facing up to another person.
Until we actually sit down and talk aloud
about what we have so long hidden,
our willingness to clean house is still largely
theoretical.
When we are honest with another person,
it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves
and with God."
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 60
Copyright 1952 by A.A.W.S. Inc.

Thought to Consider . . .
It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes
and to make amends for them.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O W = Honest, Open, and Willing

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

Hang Together Forever
From: "When AA Came of Age"
On Sunday morning “ the last day of the [1950 International] Convention “ I found those Twelve Traditions still on my mind. Each of them I saw is an exercise in humility that can guard us in everyday AA affairs and protect us from ourselves. If AA were really guided by the Twelve Traditions, we could not possibly be split apart by politics, religion, money, or by any old-timers who might take a notion to be big shots. With none of us throwing our weight around in public, nobody could possibly exploit AA for personal advantage, that is sure. For the first time I saw AA's anonymity for what it really is. It isn't just something to save us from alcoholic shame and stigma; its deeper purpose is actually to keep those fool egos of ours from running hog wild after money and public fame at AA's expense. It really means personal and group sacrifice for the benefit of all AA. Right then I resolved to learn our Twelve Traditions by heart, just as I had learned the Twelve Steps. If every AA did the same thing and really soaked up these principles we drunks could hang together forever.
1985, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, page 43

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

"We can always come up with a reason to drink. The secret is, how many reasons can we come up with to stay sober?"
Topeka, Kan., July 2001
An Important Secret
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

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

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

“My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, ‘Why don't you choose your own conception of God?’ That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous page 100

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. 'Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.47

For the time being, we who were atheist or agnostic discovered that our own group, or A.A. as a whole, would suffice as a higher power.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 107

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

For a new prospect, outline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past, and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. It is important for him to realize that your attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in your own recovery. Actually, he may be helping you more than you are helping him. Make it plain that he is under no obligation to you.
In the first six months of my own sobriety, I worked hard with many alcoholics. Not a one responded. Yet this work kept me sober. It wasn't a question of those alcoholics giving me anything. My stability came out of trying to give, not out of demanding that I receive.

Prayer for the Day: Changes - Today, I pray that I may understand there are some things I cannot change; I cannot change the weather. I cannot change the tick of the clock. I cannot change the past. I cannot change another person against their will. I cannot change what is right and wrong. I cannot change the fact that a relationship ended. I can stop worrying over that which I cannot change and enjoy living more! I can place those things into the hands of my Higher Power. Save energy. Let go. Instead of trying to change someone else: I can change my attitude. I can change my list of priorities. I can change my bad habits into good ones. I can move from the place of brokenness into wholeness, into the beautiful person God created me to become.

AA Thought for the Day

October 3

His Sanity Returned

Music and gay chatter still floated to him from the bar. But what about
his responsibilities—his family and the men who would die because
they would not know how to get well, ah—yes, those other alcoholics?
There must be many such in this town. He would phone a clergyman.
His sanity returned and he thanked God.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) pp. 154 - 155

Thought to Ponder . . .
Intensive work with other alcoholics works when other activities fail.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A L C O H O L I C S = A Life Consisting Of Helping Others Lived In Continuous Sobriety.

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

Demonstration
"Men and women who use alcohol as an escape
are not the only ones who are afraid of life,
hostile to the world, fleeing from it into loneliness.
Millions who are not alcoholics
are living today in illusory worlds,
nurturing the basic anxieties and insecurities
of human existence
rather than face themselves with courage and humility.
To these people, AA can offer as a cure no magic potion,
no chemical formula, no powerful drug.
But it can demonstrate to them how to use the tools
of humility, honesty, devotion, and love,
which indeed are the heart of the Twelve Steps
of our recovery."
c.1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 279

Thought to Consider . . .
AA Is like an adjustable wrench, it fits almost any nut.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Help Open People's Eyes

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

Searching for the Positives
From: "Changing Beliefs"
Slowly and painfully, I became aware of myself. I began to see it wasn't true that I didn't believe in anything. Rather, I had believed in the wrong things:
I had believed I needed a drink for confidence.
I had believed I was unattractive.
I had believed I was unworthy.
I had believed no one loved me.
I had believed I never had a break.
Someone said at a closed meeting, There is good in all of us. Seek it out, nurture it, tend it, and it will flourish. So I began searching for the positives within me. I realized that my feeling of inferiority was just one aspect of ego, and the arrogance I projected was the other. I must find the center median. So I tried to act as if:
AA was giving me confidence.
I had an attractive personality, even though I was not beautiful.
I was worthy, like all others.
I loved myself and could therefore love others.
Faith was freeing me from the fear that had always gripped me.
1973, AAWS, Inc., Came to Believe, pages 103-104

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

"The measure of my sobriety isn't the distance between now and the last drink -- the measure of my sobriety is the distance between now and the next drink."
White Rock, British Columbia, May 2005
"Life -- It Happens"
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

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

"Another principle we observe carefully is that we do not relate
intimate experiences of another person unless we are sure he would
approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own
stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect
others favorably, but criticism or ridicule coming from another often
produces the contrary effect."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125

We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink , as he may do for months or years , he reacts much like other men . We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system , something happens , both in the bodily and mental sense , which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop . The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this .
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 22-23

It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.566

For we had started to get perspective on ourselves, which is another way of saying that we were gaining in humility.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 48

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

I have had many experiences with atheists, mostly good. Everybody in A.A. has the right to his own opinion. It is much better to maintain an open and tolerant society than it is to suppress any small disturbances their opinions might occasion. Actually, 1 don't know of anybody who went off and died of alcoholism because of some atheist's opinions on the cosmos.
'But I do always entreat these folks to look to a 'Higher Power' - namely, their own group. When they come in, most of their A.A. group is sober, and they are drunk. Therefore, the group is a 'Higher Power.' That's a good enough start, and most of them do progress from there. I know how they feel, because I was once that way myself.

Prayer for the Day: Take Time - Take Time to think; it is the source of power. Take Time to play; it is the secret of perpetual young. Take Time to read; it is the foundation of wisdom. Take Time to pray; it is the greatest power on earth. Take Time to be friendly; it is the road to happiness. Take Time to laugh; it is the music of the soul. Take Time to give; it is too short a day to be selfish. Take Time to work; it is the price of success. Take Time to do charity; it is the key to heaven. Take Time to be quiet; it is the moment to seek God. Take Time to be aware; it is the opportunity to help others. Take Time to love and be loved; it is God's greatest gift. Take Time to dream; it is what the future is made of.

AA Thought for the Day

October 4

Unnatural Act

When men and women pour so much alcohol into themselves
that they destroy their lives, they commit a most unnatural act.
Defying their instinctive desire for self-preservation, they seem bent
upon self-destruction. They work against their own deepest instinct.
As they are humbled by the terrific beating administered by alcohol,
the grace of God can enter them and expel their obsession.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 64

Thought to Ponder . . .
God enters us through our wounds.

AA-related 'Alconym'
G I F T = God Is Forever There.

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

Ground Zero
"War fever ran high in the New England town
to which we new, young officers from Plattsburg
were assigned,
and we were flattered when the first citizens
took us to their homes, making us feel heroic.
Here was love, applause, war;
moments sublime with intervals hilarious.
I was part of life at last,
and in the midst of the excitement I discovered liquor.
I forgot the strong warnings and the prejudices
of my people concerning drink.
In time we sailed for "Over There."
We landed in England.
I visited Winchester Cathedral.
Much moved, I wandered outside.
My attention was caught by a doggerel on an old
tombstone:
'Here lies a Hampshire Grenadier
Who caught his death
Drinking cold small beer . . .'
Ominous warning -- which I failed to heed."
Bill W.,
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 1

Thought to Consider . . .
I have learned what the Grace of God feels like.

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

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

Endorsement
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The news wires carried the news of Mr. Rockefeller's [1940] dinner [planned by John D., Jr., but attended and moderated by his son, Nelson] all over the world. A few of the stories that appeared were somewhat lurid and ran under startling headlines. One headline informed the public: 'John D. Rockefeller dines tosspots.' But all the stories plugged A.A. just the same; even the tabloids gave us the glad hand. The total effect was to give Alcoholics Anonymous a public status of dignity and worth. Thus encouraged, considerable numbers of people went to their bookstores to buy the A.A. book. Orders poured in and our financial difficulties were much eased. Hundreds of requests for help came from alcoholics and their families all over the nation."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 185-86

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

"We AAs have had to learn that the kinds of freedom that we must possess cannot possibly be obtained by violence. As a Fellowship, we cannot fight anybody, anywhere or at any time. This has been proved. When we had directly attacked John Barleycorn, we had lost. Booze fighting had never worked. When we quarrel too much with each other, we get drunk."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1960
"Freedom Under God:
The Choice Is Ours"
The Language of the Heart

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

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

'For those who are unable to drink moderately the question is how to stop altogether. We are assuming, of course, that the reader desires to stop Whether such a person can quit upon a nonspiritual basis depends upon the extent to which he has already lost the power to choose whether he will drink or not. Many of us felt that we had plenty of character Then was a tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it--this utter inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or wish.'
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 34

Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.13

All of us, without exception, pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest exertion of will.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 105

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Only one consideration should qualify our desire for a complete disclosure of the damage we have done. That will arise where a full revelation would seriously harm the one to whom we are making amends. Or - quite as important - other people. We cannot, for example, unload a detailed account of extramarital adventuring upon the shoulders of our unsuspecting wife or husband.
It does not lighten our burden when we recklessly make the crosses of others heavier.
In making amends, we should be sensible, tactful, considerate, and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people, we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone.

Prayer for the Day: LIFE IS A CELEBRATION
Lord, help me today to:
Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a friendly letter.
Share a treasure.
Give a soft answer.
Encourage another.
Manifest my loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Find the time.
Forego a grudge.
Forgive an enemy.
Listen.
Acknowledge any wrong doing.
Try to understand.
Examine my demands on others.
Think of someone else first.
Be kind.
Be gentle.
Laugh a little.
Smile more.
Be happy.
Show my gratitude.
Welcome a stranger.
Speak Your love.
Speak it again.
Live it again.
LIFE IS A CELEBRATION!

AA Thought for the Day

October 5

The Debris

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, (Into Action) p. 76

Thought to Ponder . . .
It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes
and to make amends for them.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Accountable Actions.

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

Virtues
"We of AA are apt to brag of the virtues of our fellowship.
Let us remember that none of these are earned virtues.
We have been forced into them, to begin with,
by the cruel lash of John Barleycorn.
We have adopted these attitudes, these practices,
this structure, not at first because we wished to
but because we had to.
And then, as time confirmed the seeming rightness
of our basic principles,
we began to conform because it was right to do so."
Bill W.,
c.1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 224

Thought to Consider . . .
Life didn't end when I got sober -- it started

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

Choices
From "The Seed of God":
"But my spiritual growth became stronger from the experiences of others. It was explained to me that I could freely choose a God of my understanding. At first, I thought I was committing a sin by trying to change God, but I soon realized that God was constant, and the only changes that had to be made were in my sick mind."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 59-60

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

"Each night, I think of the Tenth Step and ask myself, 'Have I, this day, helped more than I've harmed? Given more than I've taken? Created more than I've destroyed?'"
Minneapolis, Minn., December 1977
"It Takes Practice to Be Human,"
Step By Step

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

"Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling
them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking;
they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we
afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause
financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor
will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can we let
these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to
pay.We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go,
for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 78~

To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends--this is an experience you must not miss.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pg 89

Where were we to blame?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.67

Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame" from our speech and thought.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 47

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Few of us are anonymous so far as our daily contacts go. We have dropped anonymity at this level because we think our friends and associates ought to know about A.A. and what it has done for us. We also wish to lose the fear of admitting that we are alcoholics. Though we earnestly request reporters not to disclose our identities, we frequently speak before semipublic gatherings. We wish to convince audiences that our alcoholism is a sickness we no longer fear to discuss before anyone.
If, however, we venture beyond this limit, we shall surely lose the principle of anonymity forever. If every A.A. felt free to publish his own name, picture, and story, we would soon be launched upon a vast orgy of personal publicity.
'While the so-called public meeting is questioned by many A.A. members, I favor it myself providing only that anonymity is respected in press reports and that we ask nothing for ourselves except understanding.

Prayer for the Day: Language of the heart - Dear God, You know my needs before I ask, my heart before I pray, and my gratitude before I even offer my thanks. You understand me better than I understand myself, and I thank You for communicating with me in the language of the heart.

AA Thought for the Day

October 6

True Ambition

That we need no longer be square pegs in round holes but can fit
and belong in God's scheme of things—these are the permanent
and legitimate satisfactions of right living for which no amount of
pomp and circumstance, no heap of material possessions, could
possibly be substitutes. True ambition is not what we thought it was.
True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly
under the grace of God.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) pp. 124 - 125

Thought to Ponder . . .
What lies behind us and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

AA-related 'Alconym'
B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

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

Self-will
"The first requirement is that we be convinced
that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success.
On that basis we are almost always in collision
with something or somebody,
even though our motives are good.
Most people try to live by self-propulsion.
Each person is like an actor
who wants to run the whole show;
is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery
and the rest of the players in his own way.
If his arrangements would only stay put,
if only people would do as he wished,
the show would be great.
Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. nbsp;
Life would be wonderful."
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 60-1

Thought to Consider . . .
Rule 62: "Don't take yourself too **** seriously."

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R I D E = Pretty Ridiculous Individual Directing Everything

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

Incredible Things
From: "To Employers"
Your man has probably been trying to conceal a number of scrapes, perhaps pretty messy ones. They may be disgusting. You may be at a loss to understand how such a seemingly above-board chap could be so involved. But these scrapes can generally be charged, no matter how bad, to the abnormal action of alcohol on his mind. When drinking, or getting over a bout, an alcoholic, sometimes the model of honesty when normal, will do incredible things. Afterward, his revulsion will be terrible. Nearly always, these antics indicate nothing more than temporary conditions.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 140-14

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

"The five H's combine into a powerful formula for success. Starting with Hope, passing through Honesty into a gracious Humility, we become Human again, taking our rightful places in society and, by living a well rounded life, develop an integrated personality free of the stresses that urge us to drink. Finally, through Helpfulness we express gratitude and pass on to others some of the blessings we have enjoyed these recent weeks, months, years. Truly a Magic Formula for Continued Sobriety...."
Scarsdale, N.Y., December 1957
"Continued Sobriety,"
AA Grapevine

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

"We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do
for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally
positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system,
something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes
it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any
alcoholic will abundantly confirm this."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~

"Since the home has suffered more than anything else, it is well that a man exert himself there. He is not likely to get far in any direction if he fails to show unselfishness and love under his own roof."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.127

Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.13

Then he asked for the grace to bring love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy to every human being he could.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 101

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The majority of A.A. members have suffered severely from self-justification during their drinking days. For most of us, self-justification was the maker of excuses for drinking and for all kinds of crazy and damaging conduct. We had made the invention of alibis a fine art.
We had to drink because times were hard or times were good. We had to drink because at home we were smothered with love or got none at all. We had to drink because at work we were great successes or dismal failures. We had to drink because our nation had won a war or lost a peace. And so it went, ad infinitum.
To see how our own erratic emotions victimized us often took a long time. Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word 'blame' from our speech and thought.

Prayer for the Day: Am I willing? - Dear Higher Power, help me: To forget what I have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for me. To ignore what the world owes me, and to think what I owes the world. To put my rights in the background, and my duties in the middle distance, and my chances to do a little more than my duty in the foreground. To see that my fellow members are just as real as I am, and to try to look behind their faces to their hearts, as hungry for joy as mine is. To own that probably the only good reason for my existence is not what I can get out of life, but what I can give to life. To close my book of complaints against the management of the universe and look for a place where I can sow a few seeds of happiness--am I willing to do these things even for today? Then I have a good chance of staying with the Program.

AA Thought for the Day

October 7

Rigorous Honesty

Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants
to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm
done? . . . No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the
extreme, doesn't care for this prospect—unless he has to
do these things in order to stay alive himself.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step One) p. 24

Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.

AA-related 'Alconym'
C H A N G E D = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Each Day.

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

Gratitude
"Another exercise that I practice is to try for a
full inventory of my blessings and then
for a right acceptance of the many gifts that are mine --
both temporal and spiritual. . .
I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart
cannot entertain great conceits.
When brimming with gratitude,
one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion that we can ever know." FONT face=Georgia>
Bill. W., March 1962
c.1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 271

Thought to Consider . . .
I have learned what a heart full of gratitude feels like.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H J F = Happy, Joyous, and Free

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

Best of Intentions
Step Eleven: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Of course, it is reasonable and understandable that the question is often asked: "Why can't we take a specific and troubling dilemma straight to God, and in prayer secure from Him sure and definite answers to our requests?"
This can be done, but it has hazards. We have seen AAs ask with much earnestness and faith for God's explicit guidance on matters ranging all the way from a shattering domestic or financial crisis to correcting a minor personal fault, like tardiness. Quite often, however, the thoughts that seem to come from God are not answers at all. They prove to be well-intentioned unconscious rationalizations. The AA, or indeed any man, who tries to run his life rigidly by this kind of prayer, by this self-serving demand of God for replies, is a particularly disconcerting individual. To any questioning or criticism of his actions he instantly proffers his reliance upon prayer for guidance in all matters great or small. He may have forgotten the possibility that his own wishful thinking and the human tendency to rationalize have distorted his so-called guidance. With the best of intentions, he tends to force his own will into all sorts of situations and problems with the comfortable assurance that he is acting under God's specific direction. Under such an illusion, he can of course create great havoc without in the least intending it.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 103-104

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

"Through doing the Steps and receiving love from my AA family, my perception of life has changed. Once my thoughts changed, so did
my actions, then, finally, the results."
Susanville, Calif., December 2007
"A Craving to Live,"
AA Grapevine

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

"Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in
a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!"
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100

"It is our great hope that all those who have as yet found no answer may begin to find one in the pages of this book and will presently join us on the highroad to a new freedom."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.xxi

We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.75

Having so considered our day, not omitting to take due note of things well done, and having searched our hearts with neither fear nor favor, we can truly thank God for the blessings we have received and sleep in good conscience.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 95

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

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. His only chance for sobriety would be some place like the Greenland icecap, and even there an Eskimo might turn up with a bottle of Scotch and ruin everything!

Prayer for the Day: The Way - Dear Lord, Today I pray: The way is long Let us go together. The way is difficult Let us help each other. The way is joyful Let us share it. The way is ours alone Let us go in love. The way grows before us Let us begin.

AA Thought for the Day

October 8

Faith

It works—it really does. We alcoholics are undisciplined.
So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just
outlined. But this is not all. There is action and more action.
"Faith without works is dead."
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 88

Thought to Ponder
If faith without works is dead;
then willingness without action is fantasy.

AA-related 'Alconym'
F A I T H = For All I Trust Him.

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

Single Purpose
"We enjoy certain advantages which should make
our task of self-restraint relatively easy.
There is really no good reason for anyone to object
if a great many drunks get sober.
Nearly everyone can agree that this is a good thing.
If, in the process, we are forced to develop
a certain amount of honesty, humility, and tolerance,
who is going to kick about that?
If we recognize that religion is the province of the clergy
and the practice of medicine is for doctors,
we can helpfully cooperate with both.
Certainly there is little basis for controversy in these areas.
It is a fact that AA has not the slightest reform
or political complexion.
We try to pay our own expenses,
and we strictly mind our single purpose."
Bill. W.,
c.1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th printing, p. 69

Thought to Consider . . .
While it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.

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

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

The Pervasive "We"
From: "He Lived Only To Drink"
More important, I came to believe that I cannot do this alone. From childhood, despite the love I experienced, I had never let people, even those closest to me, inside my life. All my life I had lived the deepest of lies, not sharing with anyone my true thoughts and feelings. I thought I had a direct line to God, and I built a wall of distrust around myself. In AA I faced the pervasive "we" of the Twelve Steps and gradually realized that I can separate and protect my sobriety from outside hazards only inasmuch as I rely on the sober experience of other AA members and share their journey through the steps to recovery.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 451

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

"As by some deep instinct, we AAs have known from the very beginning that we must never, no matter what the provocation, publicly take sides in any fight, even a worthy one."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., February 1953
"Tradition Ten"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our
drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the
difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while
there is yet time."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 32

"We don’t use this as an excuse for shying away from
the subject of God. When it will serve any good pur*
pose, we are willing to announce our convictions with
tact and common sense. The question of how to ap*
proach the man we hated will arise. It may be he has
done us more harm than we have done him and,
though we may have acquired a better attitude toward
him, we are still not too keen about admitting our
faults. Nevertheless, with a person we dislike, we take
the bit in our teeth. It is harder to go to an enemy
than to a friend, but we find it much more beneficial
to us. We go to him in a helpful and forgiving spirit,
confessing our former ill feeling and expressing our
regret."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.77

But those of us who have tried to shoulder the entire burden and trouble of others find we are soon overcome by them.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.132

It does not lighten our burden when we recklessly make the crosses of others heavier.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 86

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

There is only one sure test of all spiritual experiences: 'By their fruits, ye shall know them.'
This is why I think we should question no one's transformation - whether it be sudden or gradual. Nor should we demand anyone's special type for ourselves, because experience suggests that we are apt to receive whatever may be the most useful for our own needs.
Human beings are never quite alike, so each of us, when making an inventory, will need to determine what his individual character defects are. Having found the shoes that fit, he ought to step into them and walk with new confidence that he is at last on the right track.

Prayer for the Day: God direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God give me what I need to take care of any problems. I ask all these things that I may be of maximum service to you and my fellow man in the name of the Steps I pray. AMEN (p. 86 BB)

AA Thought for the Day

October 9

The Right Thing

At this stage of our progress we are under heavy pressure to do
the right thing. We are obliged to choose between the pains of
trying and the certain penalties of failing to do so. These initial
steps along the road are taken grudgingly, yet we do take them.
We may still have no very high opinion of humility as a desirable
personal virtue, but we do recognize it as a necessary aid to our survival.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 74

Thought to Ponder . . .
All of AA's suggestions are free. The ones I don't take
are the ones I end up paying for.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A C T I O N = Any Change To Improve Our Nature.

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

Emotional Sobriety
"If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small,
we will find at the root of it some unhealthy dependency
and its consequent unhealthy demand.
Let us, with God's help,
continually surrender these hobbling liabilities.
Then we can be set free to live and love;
we may then be able to twelfth-step ourselves,
as well as others, into emotional sobriety."
Bill. W., AAGrapevine, January 1958
c.1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 288

Thought to Consider . . .
Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

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

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

No Matter What
From: "Using the 24-hour plan"
Although we realize that alcoholism is a permanent, irreversible condition, our experience has taught us to make no long-term promises about staying sober. We have found it more realistic - and more successful - to say, "I am not taking a drink just for today."
Even if we drank yesterday, we can plan not to drink today. We may drink tomorrow "who knows whether we'll even be alive then? but for this 24 hours, we decide not to drink. No matter what the temptation or provocation, we determine to go to any extremes necessary to avoid a drink today.
1998, AAWS, Inc., Living Sober, page 6

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

"The slogans are simple things ... these AA tranquilizers do not solve our problems, but they can calm us down, remind us of a better way to proceed, and perhaps even put us in a mood to make better decisions."
New York, N.Y., November 1958
"Using the Slogans,"
Into Action

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

"In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we
could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God
can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you
have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser
handicaps, you have made a good beginning. That being so you have
swallowed and digested some big chunks of truth about yourself."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~

...when I was free from parental domination, I would never again darken the doors of a church. This resolution I kept steadfastly for the next forty years” ~Alcoholics Anonymous page 172 “If you think you are an atheist, an agnostic, a skeptic, or have any other form of intellectual pride which keeps you from accepting what is in this book, I feel sorry for you. If you still think you are strong enough to beat the, gamealone, that is your affair. But if you really and truly want to quit drinking liquor for good and all, and sincerely feel that you must have some help, we know that we have an answer for you.
Alcoholics Anonymous page 181

We realize we know only a little.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.164

Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 21

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Every time a person imposes his instincts unreasonably upon others, unhappiness follows. If the pursuit of wealth tramples upon people who happen to be in the way, then anger, jealousy, and revenge are likely to be aroused. If sex runs riot, there is a similar uproar.
Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can invite only domination or revulsion in the protectors themselves - two emotions quite as unhealthy as the demands which evoked them. When an individual's desire for prestige becomes uncontrollable, whether in the sewing circle or at the international conference table, other people suffer and often revolt. This collision of instincts can produce anything from a cold snub to a blazing revolution.

Prayer for the Day: A Morning Prayer: Good morning God, You are ushering in another day, all nice and freshly new. Here I come again, dear Lord. Please renew me too. Forgive the many errors I made yesterday and let me come again, dear God, to walk in Your own way. But, God, You know I cannot do it on my own. Please take my hand and hold it tight, for I cannot walk alone.

AA Thought for the Day

October 10

A Psychic Change Has Occurred

On the other hand—and strange as this may seem to those who
do not understand—once a psychic change has occurred, the very
same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems
he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily
able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary
being that required to follow a few simple rules.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctor's Opinion) p. xxix

Thought to Ponder . . .
The greatest gift that can come to anyone is a spiritual awakening.

AA-related 'Alconym'
G R O W T H = God Reveals Other Ways To Heal.

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

Sponsorship
"No satisfaction has been deeper and no joy greater
than in a Twelfth Step job well done.
To watch the eyes of men and women open with wonder
as they move from darkness into light,
to see their lives quickly fill with new purpose and meaning,
to see whole families reassembled,
to see the alcoholic outcast received back into his community
in full citizenship,
and above all to watch these people awaken to the
presence of a loving God in their lives --
these things are the substance of what we receive
as we carry AA's message to the next alcoholic."
c.1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 110

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

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

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

Under All Conditions
From: "The Acid Test"
As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our AA way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 88

I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I want to maintain and develop them by the daily application of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings. When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes. It isn't easy, but as long as I know I am progressing spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain gradually goes away.
1990, AAWS, Inc., Daily Reflections, page 284

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

"With the clock ticking like it is, I do not have time for anger, resentment, or self-pity. Time is far too precious."
Durham, N.C., April 2002
"Just an Attitude,"
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

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

"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~

In thinking about our day we may face indecision .We may not be able to determine which course to take . Here we ask God for inspiration , an intuitive thought or a decision . We relax and take it easy . We don't struggle . We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while . What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind . Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God , it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times . We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideals . Nevertheless , we find that our thinking will , as time passes , be more and more on the plane of inspiration . We come to rely upon it .
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 86-87

Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.86

We "constructively criticized" someone who needed it, when our real motive was to win a useless argument.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 94

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

I had gone steadily downhill, and on that day in 1934 I lay upstairs in the hospital, knowing for the first time that I was utterly hopeless.
Lois was downstairs, and Dr. Silkworth was trying in his gentle way to tell her what was wrong with me and that I was hopeless. 'But Bill has a tremendous amount of will power,' she said. 'He has tried desperately to get well. We have tried everything. Doctor, why can't he stop?'
He explained that my drinking, once a habit, had become an obsession, a true insanity that condemned me to drink against my will.
'In the late stages of our drinking, the will to resist has fled. Yet when we admit complete defeat and when we become entirely ready to try A.A. principles, our obsession leaves us and we enter a new dimension - freedom under God as we understand Him.

Prayer for the Day: Who, Me? - I need to be forgiven, Lord, so many times a day. So Often do I stumble and fall. Be merciful, I pray. Help me not to be critical when others' faults I see. For so often, Lord, the same faults are in me.

AA Thought for the Day

October 11

A Continuous Look

But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of
living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the
acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good
purpose under all conditions? A continuous look at our assets and liabilities,
and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 88

Thought to Ponder . . .
Inventory-taking is not always done in red ink.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A R T = Always Remain Teachable.

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

Trouble
"In AA, we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody--
a fact that had to be understood and dealt with.
Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could,
under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings.
Indeed, that was the essence of AA itself:
trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage,
trouble lessened and often transcended.
This was the AA story, and we became a part of it.
Such demonstrations became our stock in trade
for the next sufferer."
Bill W., Letter, 1966
As Bill Sees It, p. 110
Copyright 1967 A.A.W.S. Inc.
Thought to Consider . . .
God enters us through our wounds.

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

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

Independent
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"Money-wise, Dr. Bob and I were still in a rather bad way. We were therefore allotted $30 a week [in 1940], and enough was on hand to keep this up for a year. Thereafter the [Rockefeller] dinner guests were solicited annually and the proceeds were always divided in the same way. Four years later we were able to write Mr. Rockefeller and his friends of the Union Club dinner that we needed no more funds. By then royalties from the book were giving Dr. Bob and me the help we needed, and the A.A. groups had begun to pick up the load of supporting the Headquarters office. At that point the A.A. Tradition of 'no outside contributions' went into full force and effect. Mr. Rockefeller and his friends had given us something more valuable than money. They had put A.A. on the map."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 186-88

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

"One night, in a moment of desperation, I got down on my knees and remembered a prayer an old sponsor had given me. It said, 'God, help me be of service ... to something or someone...' I knew intuitively it was the answer."
Edmonton, Alberta, May 2010
"Sinking Fast,"
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ 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."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33

'God I offer myself to Thee -- To build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy Will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will Always.'
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 63

Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.13

We heard story after story of how humility had brought strength out of weakness.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'The idea of 'twenty-four-hour living' applies primarily to the emotional life of the individual. Emotionally speaking, we must not live in yesterday, nor in tomorrow.
'But I have never been able to see that this means the individual, the group, or A.A. as a whole should give no thought whatever to how to function tomorrow or even in the more distant future. Faith alone never constructed the house you live in. There had to be a blueprint and a lot of work to bring it into reality.
'Nothing is truer for us of A.A. than the Biblical saying 'Faith without works is dead.' A.A.'s services, all designed to make more and better Twelfth Step work possible, are the 'works' that insure our life and growth by preventing anarchy or stagnation.

Prayer for the Day: Let Go, Let God -
Higher Power, help me to understand:
To let go does not mean to stop caring; it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for but to care about.
To let go is not to fix but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to protect, it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue but instead to search about my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

AA Thought for the Day

October 12

A Genuine Reliance

We could actually have earnest religious beliefs which remained
barren because we were still trying to play God ourselves.
As long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine reliance upon
a Higher Power was out of the question. That basic ingredient
of all humility, a desire to seek and do God's will, was missing.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 72

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

AA-related 'Alconym'
E G O = Edging God Out.

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

Helpfulness
"Your job now is to be at the place where you may be
of maximum helpfulness to others,
so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful.
You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on earth
on such an errand.
Keep on the firing line of life with these motives
and God will keep you unharmed."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 102.

Thought to Consider . . .
We in AA don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Help Open People's Eyes

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

Basics
From "New Selves Unfolding":
"However, the First Step and I have always been great friends. I repeated it every five seconds and thanked God each day for my sobriety, the only grace, maybe, for that day.
"Gradually, I began to see another part of me emerging a grateful me, expecting nothing, but sure that another power was beginning to guide me, counsel me, and direct my ways. Barberton, Ohio, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 45

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

"The temptations of riches could sometimes be worse than the pains of poverty."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., December 1957
"The Greatest Gift of All"
The Language of the Heart

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

"If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste
for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his
recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If
their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis,
since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit
all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned
that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down.
Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for
living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Working With Others, Page 99

"If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He may choose any conception he likes, providing it makes sense to him. The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power greater than himself and that he live be spiritual principles."
Alcoholics Anonymous, pg 93

It is not the matter of giving that is in question, but when and how to give.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.98

We saw that we would need to give constantly of ourselves without demands for repayment.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 116

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The alarming thing about pride-blindness is the ease with which it is justified. But we need not look far to see that self-justification is a universal destroyer of harmony and of love. It sets man against man, nation against nation. By it, every form of folly and violence can be made to look right, and even respectable.
It would be a product of false pride to claim that A.A. is a cure-all, even for alcoholism.

Prayer for the Day: As I Think - Higher Power, today with Your help I'll remember: As I think, I travel; and as I love, I attract. I am today where my thoughts have brought me; I will be tomorrow where my thoughts take me. I cannot escape the result of my thoughts, but I can endure and learn; I can accept and be glad. I will realize the vision (not the idle wish) of my heart, be it base or beautiful, or a mixture of both, for I will always gravitate towards that which I, secretly, most love. Into my hands will be placed the exact result of my thoughts. I will receive that which I earn, no more, no less. Whatever my present environment may be, I will fall, remain, or rise with my thoughts, my wisdom, my attitudes. I will become as small as my controlling desire; as great as my dominant aspiration.

AA Thought for the Day

October 13

Power Of Our Instincts

Even then the best of us will discover to our dismay that there is always
a sticking point, a point at which we say, "No, I can't give this up yet."
And we shall often tread on even more dangerous ground when we cry,
"This I will never give up!" Such is the power of our instincts to overreach
themselves. No matter how far we have progressed, desires will always be
found which oppose the grace of God.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 66

Thought to Ponder . . .
Delay is dangerous, and rebellion may be fatal.

AA-related 'Alconym'
P U S H = Pray Until Something Happens.

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

Acceptance
"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed,
it is because I find some person, place, thing, situation --
some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me,
and I can find no serenity until I accept
that person, place, thing, or situation
as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake.
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms,
I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much
on what needs to be changed in the world
as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition p. 417
Copyright 1976 A.A.W.S. Inc.

Thought to Consider . . .
Acceptance is not submission;
it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation,
then deciding what you're going to do about it.

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

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

All You Will Need
From: "A Vision for You"
Thus we grow. And so can you, though you be but one man with this book in your hand. We believe and hope it contains all you will need to begin.
We know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself: "I'm jittery and alone. I couldn't do that." But you can. You forget that you have just now tapped a source of power much greater than yourself. To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience and labor.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 162-163

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

"My daily life is conducted in a manner that is far different from my drinking days. The places I go, the things I do, and the people I am with are a reflection of my spiritual progress. My life is conducted with the knowledge that God is always at my side and guides me through the day. For that, at the end of each day, I say, 'Thank You.'"
Fairfield, Conn., September 1978
"Spiritual Progress,"
AA Grapevine

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

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

"...it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn't do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.133

Patience and good temper are most necessary.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.111

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

We began to see that the world and its people had really dominated us. Under that unhappy condition, the wrongdoing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill us, because we could be driven back to drink through resentment. We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wish them away.
This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. So we asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend.
Today, we avoid retaliation or argument. We cannot treat sick people that way. If we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful. We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.

Prayer for the Day: Lead Me and Guide Me -
Almighty God, I humbly pray,
Lead me, guide me through this day.
Cast out my selfishness and sin,
Open my heart to let You in.
Help me now as I blindly stray
Over the pitfalls along the way.
Let me have courage to face each task,
Invest me with loving patience, I ask.
Care for me through each hour today,
Strengthen and guard me now, I pray.

As I forgive, forgive me too,
Needing Your mercy as I do.
Oh, give to me Your loving care,
Never abandon me to despair.
Yesterday's wrongs I would seek to right,
Make me more perfect in Your sight.
Oh, teach me to live the best I can,
Use me to help my fellow man.
Save me from acts of bitter shame,
I humbly ask it in Your name.

AA Thought for the Day

October 14

Happiness, Peace and Usefulness

How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was
the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be
catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension
of existence. I was to know happiness, peace, and
usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more
wonderful as time passes.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) p. 8

Thought to Ponder . . .
Happiness and peace of mind are always here,
open and free to anyone.

AA-related 'Alconym'
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.

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

Foundation
"Taking this book down from our shelf
we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps.
Carefully reading the first five proposals
we ask if we have omitted anything,
for we are building an arch through which
we shall walk free at last.
Is our work solid so far?
Are the stones properly in place?
Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation?
Have we tried to make mortar without sand?"
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 75

Thought to Consider . . .
This day I choose to spend in perfect peace.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G R A C E = Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations

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

Courtesy, Kindness, Justice and Love
Step Ten: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."
We can try to stop making unreasonable demands upon those we love. We can show kindness where we had shown none. With those we dislike we can begin to practice justice and courtesy, perhaps going out of our way to understand and help them.
Whenever we fail any of these people, we can promptly admit it - to ourselves always, and to them also, when the admission would be helpful. Courtesy, kindness, justice, and love are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony with practically anybody. When in doubt we can always pause, saying, "Not my will, but Thine, be done." And we can often ask ourselves, "Am I doing to others as I would have them do to me - today?"
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 93

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

"How does one tune in to the Higher Power? The answer I have learned from AA is to recharge my spiritual battery every day -- 'you can't pull today's load with yesterday's horse.'"
Joliet, Ill., July 1985
"Willingness to Grow,"
Into Action

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

"Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn't be shy
on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are using it constantly."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85

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

Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.68

Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 74

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Aspects of Spirituality
'Among A.A.'s there is still a vast amount of mix-up respecting what is material and what is spiritual. I prefer to believe that it is all a matter of motive. If we use our worldly possessions too selfishly, then we are materialists. But if we share these possessions in helpfulness to others, then the material aids the spiritual.'
'The idea keeps persisting that the instincts are primarily bad and are the roadblocks before which all spirituality falters. I believe that the difference between good and evil is not the difference between spiritual and instinctual man; it is the difference between proper and improper use of the instinctual. Recognition and right channeling of the instinctual are the essence of achieving wholeness.

Prayer for the Day: The Universal Prayer -
Eternal Reality,
You are everywhere.
You are infinite unity, truth, and love;
You permeate our souls,
Every corner of the universe, and beyond.

To some of us You are father, friend, or partner,
To others, Higher Power, Higher Self, or Inner Self.
To many of us You are all of these and more.
You are within us and we within You.

We know You forgive our trespasses
If we forgive ourselves and others.
We know You protect us from destructive temptation
If we continue to seek Your help and guidance.
We know You provide us food and shelter today
If we but place our trust in You and try to do our best.
Give us this day knowledge of Your will for us and the power to carry it out.
For Yours is infinite power and love, Forever.

AA Thought for the Day

October 15

A Spiritual Awakening

"It was only when I came fully to believe I was powerless over alcohol,
only when I appealed to a God who just might exist, that I experienced
a spiritual awakening. This freedom-giving experience came first, and
then faith followed afterward -- a gift indeed!"
- As Bill Sees It, (Miraculous Power) no. 152

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

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

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

The Gift
"Perhaps there is a better way -- we think so.
For we are now on a different basis of trusting
and relying upon God.
We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves.
We are in the world to play the role He assigns.
Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us,
and humbly rely on Him,
does He enable us to match calamity with serenity."
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 68

Thought to Consider . . .
What I am is God's gift to me.
What I make of myself is my gift to Him.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G I F T = God Is Forever There

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

Clothing Drop Box
From: "My Bottle, My Resentments and Me"
By this time I was so wild-eyed and filthy, people would shy away from me. I hated the look of fear on their faces when they saw me. They looked at me as if I were not human, and maybe I wasn't. In one large city I took to sleeping on the grates with a piece of plastic over me so I wouldn't freeze. One night I found a clothing drop box I could get into; it made a nice warm place to sleep and I could get new clothes in the morning. In the middle of the night someone threw in more clothes. I opened the top, looked out and shouted, "Thanks!" That woman threw up her hands and ran away screaming, "Lordy, Lordy!" She jumped in her car and screeched off.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 441

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

"I found I had to exert every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty emotional dependencies upon people, upon AA, indeed, upon any set of circumstances whatever. Then only could I be free to love."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1958
"The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental
defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither
he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense
must come from a Higher Power."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~

Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.
Alcoholics Anonymous p.98

Even though your protégé may not have entirely admitted his condition, he has become very curious to know how you got well.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.93

If I am unable to change the present state of affairs, am I willing to take the measures necessary to shape my life to conditions as they are? Questions like these, more of which will come to mind easily in each individual case, will help turn up the root causes.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 52

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small, we will find at the root of it some unhealthy dependency and its consequent unhealthy demand. Let us, with God's help, continually surrender these hobbling liabilities.
Then we can be set free to live and love; we may then be able to twelfth-step ourselves, as well as others, into emotional sobriety.

Prayer for the Day: Reliance on God - O Higher Power, Never let me think that I can stand by myself, and not need You.