~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Working With Others


"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.
Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other
is the bright spot of our lives."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89

Thought to Consider . . .

Service is spirituality in action.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
HELP
Hope, Encouragement, Love and Patience

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

Need

From "An Open Heart":

"Each day that I try to have a desire to be sober and to remember to keep an open heart, love and help flow into me. These bounties are unlimited in A.A. if we are fortunate enough to have the desire."

© 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 51

 

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A LIFETIME PROCESS

We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn't control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn't make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn't seem to be of real help to other people.  .  .  .

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  52

These words remind me that I have more problems than alcohol, that alcohol is only a symptom of a more pervasive disease.  When I stopped drinking I began a lifetime process of recovery from unruly emotions, painful relationships, and unmanageable situations.  This process is too much for most of us without help from a Higher Power and our friends in the Fellowship.  When I began working the Steps of the A.A. program, many of these tangled threads unraveled but, little by little, the most broken places of my life straightened out.  One day at a time, almost imperceptibly, I healed.  Like a thermostat being turned down, my fears diminished.  I began to experience moments of contentment.  My emotions became less volatile.  I am now once again a part of the human family.

 

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
When Defects Are Less than Deadly

Practically everybody wishes to be rid of his most glaring and destructive handicaps. No one wants to be so proud that he is scorned as a braggart, nor so greedy that he is labeled a thief. No one wants to be angry enough to ruin his health. No one wants to be agonized by chronic envy or paralyzed by sloth.
Of course, most human beings don't suffer these defects at these rock-bottom levels, and we who have escaped such extremes are apt to congratulate ourselves. Yet can we? After all, Hasn't it been self-interest that has enabled most of us to escape? Not much spiritual effort is involved in avoiding excesses which will bring us punishment anyway. But when we face up to the less violent aspects of these very same defects, where do we stand then?

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 66
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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~


*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

All alcoholics have personality problems. They drink to escape from life, to counteract feelings of loneliness or inferiority, or because of some emotional conflict within them, so that they cannot adjust themselves to life. Alcoholics cannot stop drinking unless they find a way to solve their personality problems. That's why going on the wagon doesn't solve anything. That's why taking the pledge usually doesn't work. Was my personality problem ever solved by going on the wagon or taking the pledge?

Meditation for the Day

God irradiates your life with the warmth of His spirit. You must open up like a flower to this divine irradiation. Loosen your hold on earth, its cares, and its worries. Unclasp your hold on material things, relax your grip, and the tide of peace and serenity will flow in. Relinquish every material thing and receive it back again from God. Do not hold on to earth's treasures so firmly that your hands are too occupied to clasp God's hands as He holds them out to you in love.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be open to receive God's blessing.

I pray that I may be willing to relinquish my hold on material things and receive them back from God