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#16 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
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![]() February 16 Entire Psychic Change After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctors Opinion) p. xxix Thought to Ponder . . . If you want to drink, that's your business. If you want to stop A.A. can help. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Alcoholic's Answer. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Cheerfulness But we aren't a glum lot. . . We absolutely insist on enjoying life. . . So we think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 132 Thought to Consider . . . Laughter is the sound of recovery. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today? *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Change From "A Glacier Melts": "I had thought I was happy in that first eighteen months of sobriety, but now everything began to look brighter; people seemed nicer; and I had moments of tremendous insight. It was as if words and sentences I had heard all my life had a deeper meaning and were reaching my feelings, rather than my intellect. It was as if my head and my heart finally had gotten glued together. I no longer seemed like two people in one, engaging in a tug of war. I experienced within this six- week period a feeling of being totally forgiven, and never since have I felt the guilt that I had throughout my life prior to that time. More than once, I had as sense of Presence which I can describe only as being marvelously warm, uplifting, and comfortable." 1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 58 *~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quotes ^*~*~*~*~* "Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it. After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~ "Since the home has suffered more than anything else, it is well that a man exert himself there. He is not likely to get far in any direction if he fails to show unselfishness and love under his own roof. We know there are difficult wives and families, but the man who is getting over alcoholism must remember he did much to make them so." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~ Could we then foresee that troublesome people were to become our principal teachers of patience and tolerance? -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 141 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Wright brothers' almost childish faith that they could build a machine which would fly was the mainspring of their accomplishment. Without that, nothing could have happened. We agnostics and atheists were sticking to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems. When others showed us that God-sufficiency worked with them, we began to feel like those who had insisted the Wrights would never fly. We were seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems. Prayer for the Day: Lord Jesus, as you touched the eyes of the blind man, touch us so that our eyes may be opened so that we can “really see” the many wonderful things around us and in our own lives. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#17 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,649
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AA Thought for the Day
February 17 Stand Together Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Two) p. 33 Thought to Ponder . . . Let go and let God. AA-related 'Alconym' F A I T H = For All I Trust Him. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ A New Life Life will take on a new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89 Thought to Consider . . . Break out of your shell and join us! *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* F E E L = Feel, Experience, Express, Let go *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* God's Help From "Another Prodigal Story": "I know I am an alcoholic and while I used to call on God to help me, my conclusion is that I was simply asking God to help me drink alcohol without its hurting me, which is a far different thing than asking him [sic] to help me not to drink at all." 2005, AAWS, Inc.; Experience, Strength & Hope, pg. 113 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am a student of life just trying to learn how the universe works. The most powerful lesson I have learned is that it all happens inside me. My perception of any situation is in my control -- I have a choice about which way my mind will react." Pinellas Park, Fla., November 2006 From: "How the Universe Works" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired. If what we have learned and felt and seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are the children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~ "Whether the family goes on a spiritual basis or not, the alcoholic member has to if he would recover. The others must be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt. Seeing is believing to most families who have lived with a drinker." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 135~ All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 34 Misc. AA Literature - Quote When a drunk has a terrific hangover because he drank heavily yesterday, he cannot live well today. But there is another kind of hangover which we all experience whether we are drinking or not. That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterday's and sometimes today's excesses of negative emotion - anger, fear, jealousy, and the like. If we would live serenely today and tomorrow, we certainly need to eliminate these hangovers. This doesn't mean we need to wander morbidly around in the past. It requires an admission and correction of errors - now. Prayer for the Day: Dear Father, thank you for today. Please be grant me the wisdom to help those who are in need. Give me the wisdom so I may help guide them in their journey.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#18 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,649
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AA Thought for the Day
February 18 Useful to Others Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people’s shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others. Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) pp. 19 - 20 Thought to Ponder Sobriety is not a destination, but an everlasting journey. AA-related 'Alconym' A C T = Action Changes Things. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ AA Unity Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still "do not know" might never get their chance. Bill W., Letter, 1949 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 297 Thought to Consider . . . We can make a difference. Without you, there is no 'we.' *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A's - R - U S = Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Unity Service ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ AA Unity Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still "do not know" might never get their chance. Bill W., Letter, 1949 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 297 Thought to Consider . . . We can make a difference. Without you, there is no 'we.' *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A's - R - U S = Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Unity Service *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Paybacks >From "Into Action": "Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking; they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us. ... [W]e let these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 78 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Recovery is something like the restoration of a very old painting, covered over by layers and layers of darkening, distorted varnish ... Not all of the underlying pattern can be revealed at one time. What is uncovered, bit by bit and layer by slow, careful layer, are the things which are necessary and appropriate for me to know about myself right now." Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, August 1992 From: "An Indescribable Benevolence" Step By Step ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?' That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that point." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 12~ "The very practical approach to his problems, the absence of intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the uncanny understanding which these people had were irresistible." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, Page 160 We began to fear pain less, and desire humility more than ever. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 Misc. AA Literature - Quote If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that some day we will be immune to alcohol. Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding a new one. Prayer for the Day: God , Give us the power of your Spirit that we may see and love in others what you see and love in them. We want to see the positive in people and bring out the best in each other. It’s easy to say that, but not always easy to live it out, and so we ask you to help and inspire us to live as you would like us to live this day. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#19 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,649
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AA Thought for the Day
February 19 Intensive Work Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Remember they are very ill. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 89 Thought to Ponder . . . Get it - Give it - Grow in it. AA-related 'Alconym' W O R K = What Our Recovery Knows. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Entirely Ready It is plain for everybody to see that each sober AA member has been granted a release from this very obstinate and fatal obsession. So in a very complete and literal way, all AA's have "become entirely ready" to have God remove the mania for alcohol from their lives. And God has proceeded to do just that. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 64 Thought to Consider . . . I stood in the sunlight at last. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Faith Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 33 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Drinking is no longer a problem, but my thinking sure is. Writing a gratitude list puts the brakes on negative thoughts, turns me back toward the light, and helps me to see the beauty in everyday life." New York, N.Y., January 2006 From: "Tools for Life" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis, since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down. Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 99 We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. Alcoholics Anonymous page 60 And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 104 Misc. AA Literature - Quote A.A.: Benign Anarchy and Democracy When we come into A.A. we find a greater personal freedom than any other society knows. We cannot be compelled to do anything. In that sense our Society is a benign anarchy. The word 'anarchy' has a bad meaning to most of us. But I think that the idealist who first advocated the concept felt that if only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled to obey no one, they would then voluntarily associate themselves in the common interest. A.A. is an association of the benign sort he envisioned. But when we had to go into action - to function as groups - we discovered that we also had to become a democracy. As our oldtimers retired, we therefore began to elect our trusted servants by majority vote. Each group in this sense became a town meeting. All plans for group action had to be approved by the majority. This meant that no single individual could appoint himself to act for his group or for A.A. as a whole. Neither dictatorship nor paternalism was for us. Prayer for the Day: Prayer for One's Home by Edgar Guest Peace, unto this house, I pray, Keep terror and despair away; Shield it from evil and let sin Never find lodging room within. May never in these walls be heard The hateful or accusing word. Grant that its warm and mellow light May be to all a beacon bright, A flaming symbol that shall stir The beating pulse of him or her Who finds this door and seems to say, “Here end the trials of the day.“ Hold us together, gentle Lord, Who sit about this humble board; May we be spared the cruel fate Of those whom hatreds separate; Here let love bind us fast, that we May know the joys of unity. Lord, this humble house we'd keep Sweet with play and calm with sleep. Help us so that we may give Beauty to the lives we live. Let Thy love and let Thy grace Shine upon our dwelling place. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#20 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,649
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AA Thought for the Day
February 20 Somehow, Someday The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death. We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 30 Thought to Ponder . . . When we try to control our drinking, we have already lost control. AA-related 'Alconym' I S M = I Sabotage Myself. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Steps & Traditions AA's Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. AA's Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which AA maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 15 Thought to Consider . . . The Steps protect me from myself; the Traditions protect AA from me. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T R U S T = Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Publications From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The year 1944 brought a vital development. In New York City a few literary and newsminded A.A.'s began to issue a monthly publication. They called their magazine the Grapevine. It was by no means the first local A.A. bulletin or magazine. The Cleveland Central Bulletin, the Los Angeles Eye-Opener, and several others had preceded it. But the Grapevine caught on nationally. "After the first few months it encountered a strange kind of difficulty. It turned out that the FBI for a long time had published a [news]sheet called the Grapevine devoted to keeping FBI men up to date. Things were finally ironed out when we began to call our monthly magazine the A.A. Grapevine. With this minor difficulty overcome, our Grapevine grew and grew." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 201-02 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "In the meetings I attend, newcomers sometimes ask me how I've been able to stay sober so long. My answer is always the same: every morning, the first thing I do is say three magic words -- God, help me." Kissimmee, Fla., March 2006 From: "Small but Mighty" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "The basic principles of the A.A. program, it appears, hold good for individuals with many different lifestyles, just as the program has brought recovery to those of many different nationalities. The Twelve Steps that summarize the program may be called los Doce Pasos in one country, les Douze Etapes in another, but they trace exactly the same path to recovery that was blazed by the earliest members of Alcoholics Anonymous." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Foreward To Third Edition, Page xxii~ "If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~ All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 34 Misc. AA Literature - Quote The Coming of Faith In my own case, the foundation stone of freedom from fear is that of faith: a faith that, despite all worldly appearances to the contrary, causes me to believe that I live in a universe that makes sense. To me, this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, and a destiny to grow, however little and haltingly, toward His own likeness and image. Before the coming of faith I had lived as an alien in a cosmos that too often seemed both hostile and cruel. In it there could be no inner security for me. 'When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was made ready to ask for the gift of faith. And all was changed. Never again, my pains and problems notwithstanding, would I experience my former desolation. I saw the universe to be lighted by God's love; I was alone no more.' 1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 - 2. LETTER, 1966 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, Please grant me peace so I can face the day with a clear mind and calm heart.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#21 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,649
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AA Thought for the Day
February 21 Willing to Believe Stress the spiritual feature freely. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes, provided 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 by spiritual principles. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 93 Thought to Ponder . . . I came; I came to; I came to believe. AA-related 'Alconym' W I L L I N G = When I Live Life, I Need God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Steps & Traditions AA's Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. AA's Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which AA maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 15 Thought to Consider . . . The Steps protect me from myself; the Traditions protect AA from me. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T R U S T = Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Publications From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The year 1944 brought a vital development. In New York City a few literary and newsminded A.A.'s began to issue a monthly publication. They called their magazine the Grapevine. It was by no means the first local A.A. bulletin or magazine. The Cleveland Central Bulletin, the Los Angeles Eye-Opener, and several others had preceded it. But the Grapevine caught on nationally. "After the first few months it encountered a strange kind of difficulty. It turned out that the FBI for a long time had published a [news]sheet called the Grapevine devoted to keeping FBI men up to date. Things were finally ironed out when we began to call our monthly magazine the A.A. Grapevine. With this minor difficulty overcome, our Grapevine grew and grew." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 201-02 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I use notes to remind me to seek my Higher Power ... On my desk, in front of my computer is the note: 'Good morning, this is God, I will be handling all your worries and concerns for today. I will not need your help!'" Buffalo Grove, Ill., November 2013 From: "Note to Self" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "The basic principles of the A.A. program, it appears, hold good for individuals with many different lifestyles, just as the program has brought recovery to those of many different nationalities. The Twelve Steps that summarize the program may be called los Doce Pasos in one country, les Douze Etapes in another, but they trace exactly the same path to recovery that was blazed by the earliest members of Alcoholics Anonymous." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Foreward To Third Edition, Page xxii~ When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~ It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 92 Misc. AA Literature - Quote To Guard Against a Slip Suppose we fall short of our chosen ideals and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives. If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. These are facts out of our experience. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 70 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Give me the wisdom to know that even if I am on the right path I won't go anywhere if I don't move.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#22 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 72,649
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AA Thought for the Day
February 22 Much Knowledge He had much knowledge about himself as an alcoholic. Yet all reasons for not drinking were easily pushed aside in favor of the foolish idea that he could take whiskey if only he mixed it with milk! Whatever the precise definition of the word may be, we call this plain insanity. How can such a lack of proportion, of the ability to think straight, be called anything else? - Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) pp. 36 - 37 Thought to Ponder . . . Nobody ever found recovery as a result of an intellectual awakening. AA-related 'Alconym' I F = Imaginary Fantasy. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Acceptance Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as we are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives. Bill W., AAGrapevine, March 1962 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 44 Thought to Consider . . . My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Philosophy From "Happiness": "It appears to me that most of the wrenching turmoil in people's lives whether or not they are alcoholic derives from too stubborn persistence in trying to resolve insoluble problems. That is why the philosophy contained in the Serenity Prayer is one of the most important guidelines I've found in A.A." 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 111 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Consider the problem of the fast-growing overseas centers just now emerging from their pioneering time -- how they have slowly gained the confidence of medicine, religion, and the press; how they have finally grown into unity through an ever better application of our Twelve Traditions; how they have tried to make good their desperate lack of language translations; and how they have well begun to cross all barriers of race, creed, or social condition." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1960 From: "Our Pioneers Overseas" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132 "I have seen hundreds of families set their feet in the path that really goes somewhere; have seen the most impossible domestic situations righted; feuds and bitterness of all sorts wiped out. I have seen men come out of asylums and resume a vital place in the lives of their families and communities. Business and professional men have regained their standing. There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery which has not been overcome among us." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, Page 15~ When the Twelfth Step is seen in its full implication, it is really talking about the kind of love that has no price tag on it. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 106 Misc. AA Literature - Quote 'Loners' - but Not Alone What can be said of many A.A. members who, for a variety of reasons, cannot have a family life? At first many of these feel lonely, hurt, and left out as they witness so much domestic happiness about them. If they cannot have this kind of happiness, can A.A. offer them satisfactions of similar worth and durability? Yes - whenever they try hard to seek out these satisfactions. Surrounded by so many A.A. friends, the so-called loners tell us they no longer feel alone. In partnership with others - women and men - they can devote themselves to any number of ideas, people, and constructive projects. They can participate in enterprises which would be denied to family men and women. We daily see such members render prodigies of service, and receive great joys in return. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 120 Prayer for the Day: Dear Father, thank you for always hearing my prayers. I ask only that you grant me wisdom to follow your will so I do not head down the wrong path.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#23 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 23 A Free Gift He finds himself in possession of a degree of honesty, tolerance, unselfishness, peace of mind, and love of which he had thought himself quite incapable. What he has received is a free gift, and yet usually, at least in some small part, he has made himself ready to receive it. A.A.’s manner of making ready to receive this gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in our program. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 107 Thought to Ponder . . . God will do for me what I can't do. God will not do for me what I won't do. AA-related 'Alconym' S T E P S = Solutions Through Each Powerful Step. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Hope He had lain awake all night. Down in the pit of his depression, new hope had suddenly been born. The thought flashed through his mind, "If they can do it, I can do it!" Over and over he said this to himself. Finally, out of his hope, there burst conviction. Now he was sure. Then came a great joy. At length peace stole over him, and he slept. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 189 Thought to Consider . . . Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Whole From "A Living Part of A.A.": "God is a living part of A.A. I feel His presence each time I look into the concerned eyes around me. His greatest commandment is 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' This seems to me to be the entire purpose of A.A." Marysville, Ohio, USA 1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 89 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote^*~*~*~*~* "The welcome I received in AA was real. Neither my youth, my race, my newness, nor my foreignness concerned them. All they appeared to see was that I finally admitted my powerlessness over alcohol. That was enough for them." Port of Spain, March 2003 From: "What Do I Like Best?" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone even alcohol." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~ "The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, Page 30~ "Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, Page 30~ Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote To Deepen Our Insight It is necessary that we extricate from an examination of our personal relations every bit of information about ourselves and our fundamental difficulties that we can. Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one. Calm, thoughtful reflection upon personal relations can deepen our insight. We can go far beyond those things which were superficially wrong with us, to see those flaws which were basic, flaws which sometimes were responsible for the whole pattern of our lives. Thoroughness, we have found, will pay - and pay handsomely. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 80 Prayer for the Day: Lord Jesus, I ask you to enter my life in a new way this day that I may grow in stature and wisdom and grace as the person you call me to be. Inspire me to follow you more closely and help me to live in such a way that I encourage others and bring life to them. No one is small in your eyes; let no one be small in mine. Amen.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#24 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 24 Futility and Unhappiness It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while. But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 66 Thought to Ponder . . . We are prisoners of our own resentments. AA-related 'Alconym' F E A R = Frustration, Ego, Anxiety, Resentment. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Resentment Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten our mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened. c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 64-5 Thought to Consider . . . Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* P A C E = Positive Attitudes Change Everything. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Reborn >From "Riding the Rods": "That was two years ago. The way has not been easy. The new way of life was strange at first, but all my thoughts were on it. The going was sometimes slow; halting were my steps among the difficulties of the path. But always, when troubles came, when doubts assailed and temptation was strong and the old desire returned, I knew where to go for aid. Helping others also strengthened me and helped me to grow." 2005, AAWS, Inc.; Experience, Strength & Hope, pg. 74 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "The Italians have a neat way of telling someone 'I love you.' Their expression is 'Ti voglio bene' -- 'I wish you well.' It just seems to put things on a tangible level ... Quite often my prayer is nothing more than this little Italian phrase, 'Ti voglio bene.'" Humbolt, Saskatchewan, February 1996 From: "I Wish You Well" AA Grapevine ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking; they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can we let these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 78~ "Some people cannot be seen--we send them an honest letter. And there may be a valid reason for postponement in some cases. But we don't delay if it can be avoided. We should be sensible, tactful, considerate and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 83~ Belief meant reliance, not defiance. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 31 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Seeking Guidance 'Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn't made in God's image to be an automaton. 'My own formula along this line runs as follows: First, think through every situation pro and con, praying meanwhile that I be not influenced by ego considerations. Affirm that I would like to do God's will. 'Then, having turned the problem over in this fashion and getting no conclusive or compelling answer, I wait for further guidance, which may come into the mind directly or through other people or through circumstances. 'If I feel I can't wait, and still get no definite indication, I repeat the first measure several times, try to pick out the best course, and then proceed to act. I know if I am wrong, the heavens won't fall. A lesson will be learned, in any case.' LETTER, 1950 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, please help me to remember that it is not what I say, but what I do that speaks the loudest.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#25 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 25 You Are Ready Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 58 Thought to Ponder . . . When I got busy, I got better. AA-related 'Alconym' A C T I O N = Any Change To Improve Our Nature ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Powerlessness Who cares to admit complete defeat? Practically no one, of course. Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness. It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21 Thought to Consider . . . We surrender to win. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Insanity From "Bill's Story": "Shortly afterward I came home drunk. There had been no fight. Where had been my high resolve? I simply didn't know. It hadn't even come to mind. Someone had pushed a drink my way, and I had taken it. Was I crazy? I began to wonder, for such an appalling lack of perspective seemed near being just that." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 5 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I expect to be 'on tap' but never again 'on top,' this being precisely the stance that AA hopes all its old-timers will take." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1961 From: "Again at the Crossroads" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing get well, little charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the wrong track." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 97 "To be gravely affected, one does not necessarily have to drink a long time nor take the quantities some of us have. This is particularly true of women. Potential female alcoholics often turn into the real thing and are gone beyond recall in a few years." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~ We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 98 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Facing Criticism Sometimes, we register surprise, shock, and anger when people find fault with A.A. We are apt to be disturbed to such an extent that we cannot benefit by constructive criticism. This sort of resentment makes no friends and achieves no constructive purpose. Certainly, this is an area in which we can improve. It is evident that the harmony, security, and future effectiveness of A.A. will depend largely upon our maintenance of a thoroughly nonaggressive and pacific attitude in all our public relations. This is an exacting assignment, because in our drinking days we were prone to anger, hostility, rebellion, and aggression. And, even though we are now sober, the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with us, always threatening to explode on any good excuse. But we now know this, and therefore I feel confident that in the conduct of our public affairs we shall always find the grace to exert restraint. 1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965 - 2. TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 69 Prayer for the Day: Lord God, help me to lay my life in the rocks of thy foundation, and not in moving sands which are tossed from shore to shore. May I cling to the rock that was cleft for me and trust for thy care. Amen.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#26 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 26 Hadn't Cleaned House The fact was we really hadn’t cleaned house so that the grace of God could enter us and expel the obsession. In no deep or meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves, made amends to those we had harmed, or freely given to any other human being without any demand for reward. We had not even prayed rightly. We had always said, “Grant me my wishes” instead of “Thy will be done.” - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Two) p. 32 Thought to Ponder . . . I can't do God's will my way. AA-related 'Alconym' A A A = Awareness, Acceptance, Action. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Neighbors Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people in a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of "Love Thy neighbor as thyself." c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3 Thought to Consider . . . Sobriety is a journey, not a destination. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* T E A M = Together Everyone Achieves More. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Illness Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are, or seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it. Some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,' but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill. They are abetted in this blindness by a world which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself." 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 32-33 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I was told by a sober member of AA that if I wanted to stay sober I would need to do three things: get a sobriety date and don't change it, get a sponsor, and get a home group." Glendale, Calif., March 2002 From: "Three Essentials" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~ "...we were at Step Three, which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood Him. Just what do we mean by that, and just what do we do? The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. On that basis we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good. Most people try to live by self-propulsion." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 60~ "It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 92 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Better than Gold As newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, we saw our pick strike gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. The newcomer feels he has struck something better than gold. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp . 128-129 Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, Please grant me the wisdom to understand that failing at something is just another opportunity to start again. Please help me to never give up.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#27 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 27 Step Seven When ready, we say something like this: "My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen." We have then completed Step Seven. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 76 Thought to Ponder . . . I don’t get to choose which defects God will remove. AA-related 'Alconym' K I S S = Keep It Simple; Surrender. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Foundation There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. but when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 98 Thought to Consider . . . Prayer is asking a question. Meditation is listening for the answer. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A S A P = Always Say A Prayer. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Hope From "Tightrope": "He put me in contact with an individual who took me to my first meeting. Although I can barely recall anything about that meeting, I heard two things I have never forgotten. The first was 'You don't have to drink again.' This was a total revelation to me. For a long time I had believed that alcohol was one of the few positive things left in my life. I looked forward to my first drink every evening and thought that alcohol was holding my life together. I had to drink to survive, let alone to have any comfort. Yet here, people who had been in the same boat were telling me that I didn't have to drink. I don't think I believed them that night, but it gave me enough hope to avoid drinking the rest of the day." 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 364-65 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "Today, I don't have the home, the husband, the three cars in the garage. I have one old clunker that takes me to meetings. I am not financially well off, but I have a peace of mind I never dreamed possible. My needs are always met -- and even some of my wishes. I am truly happy for the first time in my life. Thank you AA." Milwaukee, Ore., June 1999 From: "A Lady After All" Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while there is yet time." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 32 "Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we took other simple steps." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~ "Perhaps we shall need to share with this person facts about ourselves which no others ought to know. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 61 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Righteous Indignation 'The positive value of righteous indignation is theoretical - especially for alcoholics. It leaves every one of us open to the rationalization that we may be as angry as we like provided we can claim to be righteous about it.' When we harbored grudges and planned revenge for defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others. We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our very first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it. 1. LETTER, 1954 - 2 .TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 47 Prayer for the Day: God, I pray that I may not neglect my soul in trying to fathom immortal life. If I may be hesitating between comfort and work, remind me of the greatness of the place which I started to reach. May I not grow weary of climbing and falter on the stair. Breathe upon me thy inspiration and love, that I may continue in faith all the way. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#28 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 28 Causes and Conditions Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) pp. 63 - 64 Thought to Ponder . . . In order to recover we have to uncover. AA-related 'Alconym' A A = Accountable Actions. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Self-appraisal "I used to be a champ at unrealistic self-appraisal. I wanted to look only at the part of my life which seemed good. Then I would greatly exaggerate whatever virtues I supposed I had attained. Next I would congratulate myself on the grand job I was doing. So my unconscious self-deception never failed to turn my few good assets into serious liabilities. This astonishing process was always a pleasant one. . . I was falling straight back into the pattern of my drinking days. . . I shall forever regret the damage I did to people around me. Indeed, I still tremble when I realize what I might have done to AA and to its future." Bill W., June 1961 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 256-7 Thought to Consider . . . When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* A A = Altered Attitudes *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* Renewed From "An Open Heart": "I had nothing to do with this gift coming to me, so my gratitude is beyond description. It did not take me back to the person I was before drinking. It gave me a new life rather, life itself, because I had attempted suicide and had been hospitalized in private and state mental hospitals. It must have been spiritual; it was neither intellectual nor physical, that's for sure. I believe it was God as I understand Him, working through the love and understanding available in A.A. May I keep my heart open. The joy which can come to an open heart is unlimited.--New York, New York, USA" 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 51 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "We found that all progress, material or spiritual, consisted of finding out what our responsibilities actually were and then proceeding to do something about them ... We found that we didn't always have to be driven by our own discomforts as, more willingly, we picked up the burdens of living and growing ... We discovered that full acceptance and action upon any clear-cut responsibility almost invariably made for true happiness and peace of mind." AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965 From: "Responsibility Is Our Theme" The Language of the Heart ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* "Without knowing it, had we not been brought to where we stood by a certain kind of faith? For did we not believe in our own reasoning? Did we not have confidence in our ability to think? What was that but a sort of faith? Yes, we had been faithful, abjectly faithful to the God of Reason. So, in one way or another, we discovered that faith had been involved all the time!" ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~ "Highly competent psychiatrists who have dealt with us have found it sometimes impossible to persuade an alcoholic to discuss his situation without reserve. Strangely enough, wives, parents and intimate friends usually find us even more unapproachable than do the psychiatrist and the doctor. But the ex-problem drinker who has found this solution, who is properly armed with facts about himself, can generally win the entire confidence of another alcoholic in a few hours. Until such an understanding is reached, little or nothing can be accomplished." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 18~ And as we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward our instincts need to undergo drastic revisions. -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 114 Misc. AA Literature - Quote Conviction and Compromise One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us 'all or nothing' drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving compromises. Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination. TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 40-41 Prayer for the Day: May the God of hope fill me and all of us with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that we may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
__________________
![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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#29 |
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AA Thought for the Day
February 29 Casting Aside Besides a seeming inability to accept much on faith, we often found ourselves handicapped by obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice. Many of us have been so touchy that even casual reference to spiritual things made us bristle with antagonism. This sort of thinking had to be abandoned. Though some of us resisted, we found no great difficulty in casting aside such feelings. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) pp. 47 - 48 Thought to Ponder . . . Willpower ... our will-ingness to use a Higher Power. AA-related 'Alconym' W I L L I N G = When I Live Life, I Need God. ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~ Meetings A "spiritual experience" to me meant attending meetings, seeing a group of people, all there for the purpose of helping each other; hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at a meeting, and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an AA meeting has such great meaning -- "Thy will be done, not mine." A spiritual awakening soon came to mean trying each day to be a little more thoughtful, more considerate, a little more courteous to those with whom I came in contact. c. 1976, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381 c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 356 Thought to Consider . . . The ankle-biters of everyday struggles will eat away at me unless I go to meetings and share. *~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* C A R E = Comforting And Reassuring Each other. *~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~* From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "Even as early as 1945, the solution of group problems by correspondence had put a large volume of work on Headquarters. Letters to metropolitan A.A. centers filled our bulging files. It seemed as if every contestant in every group argument wrote us during this confused and exciting period. "The basic ideas for the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous came directly out of this vast correspondence. In late 1945 a good A.A. friend suggested that all this mass of experience might be codified into a set of principles which could offer tested solutions to all our problems of living and working together and of relating our society to the world outside. If we had become sure enough of where we really stood on such matters as membership, group autonomy, singleness of purpose, nonendorsement of other enterprises, professionalism, public controversy, and anonymity in its several aspects, then such a set of principles could be written. A code of traditions could not, of course, ever become rule or law. But it might act as a guide for our Trustees, Headquarters people, and especially for A.A. groups with growing pains." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 203 *~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~* "I am glad for everything that has happened to me. I have found a way of life that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world." Magnolia, Ark., January 1978 "When I Was Sixteen, I Was Ready" Young & Sober: Stories By Those Who Found AA Early ~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~* 3rd Step Prayer: "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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~ Misc. AA Literature - Quote "The beauty of A.A. lies in knowing that my life, with God's help, will improve. The A.A. journey becomes richer, the understanding becomes truth, the dreams become realities -- and today becomes forever." From "Long-term Hope:" c. 1990, Daily Reflections, page 167 Prayer for the Day: Stop Fixing Others: Dear Higher Power, When I am overly dependent on others, I try to fix them. I have a real talent in pinpointing what is wrong with other people. But the very thing that enables me to see their defects most often blinds me to the same, sometimes even worse, shortcomings in myself. Help me stop fretting about others and instead focus on correcting my own character defects.
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![]() "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy
AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving. |
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