~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Newcomers
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"Abandon yourself to God
as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and your fellows.
Clear away the wreckage
of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us.
We shall be with you in
the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us
as you trudge the Road
of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you - until then."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 164
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Thought to Consider . . .
Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program.
But our old-timers are
the arteries.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A
B C =
Acceptance, Belief, Change
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Impatient
From:
"Gutter Bravado"
Still very
impatient, I wanted the whole deal right away. That's why I related so well to
the story about a wide-eyed new person and an old-timer. When the newcomer
approached the old-timer, envying his accomplishments and many years of
sobriety, the old-timer slapped down his hand like a gavel and said, "I'll
trade you even! My thirty years for your thirty days - right now!" He knew
what the newcomer had yet to find out: that true happiness is found in the
journey, not the destination.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 510-511
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TOWARD EMOTIONAL FREEDOM
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.
TWELVE
STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.80
Willingness
is a peculiar thing for me in that, over a period of time, it seems to come,
first with awareness, but then with a feeling of discomfort, making me want to
want to take some action. As I reflected on taking the Eighth Step, my
willingness to make amends to others came as a desire for forgiveness, of
others and myself. I felt forgiveness toward others after I became aware
of my part in the difficulties of relationships. I wanted to feel the peace and
serenity described in the Promises. From working the first seven Steps, I
became aware of whom I had harmed and that I had been my own worst enemy.
In order to restore my relationships with my fellow human beings, I knew I would have to
change. I wanted to learn to live in harmony with myself and others so
that I could also live in emotional freedom. The beginning of the end to
my isolation - from my fellows and from God - came when I wrote my Eighth Step
list.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Value of Human Will
Many
newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a
growing conviction that
human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes
rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong
assault powered only by the individual's will. However, there are certain
things which the individual alone can do. All by himself, and in the light of
his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he
acquires willingness, he is the only one who can then make the decision to
exert himself along spiritual lines. Trying to do this
is actually an act of his own will. It is a right use
of this faculty.
Indeed, all of A.A.'s
Twelve Steps require our sustained and personal
exertion to conform to
their principles and so, we trust, to God's will.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 40
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
"When
many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness
of the presence of God is today the most important fact of
their
lives, they present a
powerful reason why one should have faith.
When we see others solve
their problems by simple reliance upon
some Spirit of the
universe, we have to stop doubting the power of
God.
Our ideas did not work, but the God-idea does. Deep down in
every man, woman, and
child is the fundamental idea of God. Faith
in a Power greater than ourselves and miraculous demonstrations of
that power in our lives
are facts as old as the human race." Am I
willing to rely on the
Spirit of the universe?
Meditation for the Day
You should not dwell too
much on the mistakes, faults, and failures
of the past. Be done
with shame and remorse and contempt for
yourself. With God's
help, develop a new self-respect. Unless you
respect yourself, others
will not respect you. You ran a race, you
stumbled and fell, you
have risen again, and now you press on
toward the goal of a
better life. Do not stay to examine the spot
where you fell, only
feel sorry for the delay, the shortsightedness
that prevented you from
seeing the real goal sooner.
Prayer
for the Day
I pray that I may not
look back.
I pray that I may keep picking myself up and making a fresh start each day.