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

(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (
AA)/   )
(_   /
AA\ _)
  /
AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Fact
^*^*^
"The explanation that alcoholism was a disease of a two fold nature,
an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind, cleared up a number of puzzling questions for me.
The allergy we could do nothing about. Somehow our bodies had reached the point
where we could no longer absorb alcohol in our systems. The why is not important;
the fact is that one drink will set up a reaction in our system which requires more;
that one drink was too much and one hundred drinks were not enough."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 380
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

I've only given up one drink ... the next one.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B O G G L E  =  Bad Or Good, God Loves Everyone

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

Life on Life's Terms

From: "Grounded" 

I was found guilty and sentenced to sixteen months in federal prison. My two codefendants received twelve-month sentences and chose to remain free pending appeals, while I chose to go into prison and get it over. I had learned how to live life on life's terms and not my own. From somewhere back in my high school days, I remembered a poem that says something to the effect of, "Cowards die a thousand deaths, a brave man only once," and I wanted to do what had to be done. I was terrified of walking into prison but told my children that I could not come out the back door until I walked through the front. I remembered that courage was not the absence of fear; it was the ability to continue in the face of it.

2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 526  

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
DRIVEN  

Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS,  p. 62

My selfishness was the driving force behind my drinking.  I drank to celebrate success and I drank to drown my sorrows.  Humility is the answer.  I learn to turn my will and my life over to the care of God.  My sponsor tells me that service keeps me sober.  Today I ask myself:  Have I sought knowledge of  God's will for me?  Have I done service for my A.A. group?

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*
~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Happy - When We're Free

For most normal folks, drinking means release from care, boredom, and worry. It means joyous intimacy with friends and a feeling that life is good. But not so with us in those last days of heavy drinking. The old pleasures
were gone. There was an insistent yearning to enjoy life as we once did and a heartbreaking delusion that some new miracle of control would enable us to do it. There was always one more attempt -- and one more failure.

<<<>>>
We are sure God would like to see us happy, joyous, and free. Hence, we
cannot subscribe to the belief that this life necessarily has to be a vale of
tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it became clear that
most of the time we had made our own misery.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - 1. p. 151 - 2. p. 133
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"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."


~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

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

Psychologists are turning to religion because just knowing
about ourselves is not enough. We need the added dynamic of
faith in a power outside of ourselves on which we can rely.
Books on psychology and psychiatric treatments are not
enough without the strength that comes from faith in God.
And clergy and rabbis are turning to psychology because
faith is an act of the mind and will. Religion must be
presented in psychological terms to some extent in order
to satisfy the modern person. Faith must be built largely
on our own psychological experience. Have I taken what I
need from both psychology and religion when I live the AA. way?

Meditation for the Day

Refilling with the spirit is something you need every day.
For this refilling with the spirit, you need these times of
quiet communion, away, alone, without noise, without
activity. You need this dwelling apart, this shutting
yourself away in the very secret place of your being, away
alone with your Maker. From these times of communion you
come forth with new power. This refilling is the best
preparation for effective work. When you are spiritually
filled, there is no work too hard for you.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be daily refilled with the right spirit.
I pray that I may be full of the joy of true living.