~*~A

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Step One
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"No other kind of bankruptcy is like this one. Alcohol, now become the rapacious creditor, bleeds us all of self-sufficiency and all will
to resist its demands. Once this stark fact is accepted, our bankruptcy as going human concerns is complete. But upon entering AA we soon take quite another view of this absolute humiliation. We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps
toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which
happy and purposeful lives may be built."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21
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Thought to Consider . . .

Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

Reality I Had Feared

From: "No Man Is An Island"

I was spiritually bankrupt long before AA entered my life and long before alcoholism took over like a parasite under my skin. I had nothing, no faith at all to cling to. I had no faith in man, because along with my drinking I had lost faith in myself. I trusted no one, for others were but a mere reflection of my own self, and I could not trust me.

I got sober in AA, and, like a miracle, the warm flood of reality I had feared for so long flowed over me, and I was no longer afraid. I began to wonder why. Along with sobriety, something new had come into my life.

I began to have concern for others. This word “concern,” along with its sister consideration, was an alien thing to me. I had believed myself capable of falling in love; I had thought myself a loving mother; but these emotions, I now perceive, had been reflections of my own self-interest. Nothing penetrated beyond my self. I began, in early sobriety, to feel compassion for other drunks, then for my children, then for my ex-husband. This compassion, a feeling accompanied later by love, opened the door to a huge fortress within me which had been forever locked.

1973, AAWS, Inc., Came to Believe…, pages 118-119.

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
I CHOOSE ANONYMITY

We are sure that humility, expressed by anonymity, is the greatest safeguard
that Alcoholics Anonymous can ever have.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 187

Since there are no rules in A.A. I place myself where I want to be, and so I choose anonymity. I want my God to use me, humbly, as one of His tools in this program. Sacrifice is the art of giving of myself freely, allowing humility to replace my ego. With sobriety, I suppress that urge to cry out to the world, "I am a member of A.A." and I experience inner joy and peace. I let people see the changes in me and hope they will ask what happened to me. I place the principles of spirituality ahead of judging, fault-finding, and criticism. I want love and caring in my group, so I can grow.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Middle of the Road

"In some sections of A.A., anonymity is carried to the point of real
absurdity. Members are on such a poor basis of communication that they

don't even know each other's last names or where each lives. It's like the cell of

an underground. "In other sections, we see exactly the reverse. It is difficult to restrain
A.A.'s from shouting too much before the whole public, by going on
spectacular 'lecture tours' to play the big shot.
"However, I know that from these extremes we slowly pull ourselves onto a
middle ground. Most lecture-giving members do not last too long, and the
super anonymous people are apt to come out of hiding respecting their A.A.
friends, business associates, and the like. I think the long-time trend is
toward the middle of the road - which is probably where we should be."

LETTER, 1959
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society,
from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering
denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness
settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us
sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship
and approval. Momentarily we did, then would come oblivion and
the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen, Terror,
Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 151~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"We cannot get along without prayer and meditation. on awakening, let us
think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day.
Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking. Our thought lives will be
placed on a much higher plane when we start the day with prayer and
meditation. We conclude this period of meditation with a prayer that we will
be shown through the day what our next step is to be. The basis of all our
prayers is: Thy will be done in me and through me today." Am I sincere in my
desire to do God's will today?

Meditation for the Day

Breathe in the inspiration of goodness and truth. It is the spirit of
honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. It is readily available if we are
willing to accept it wholeheartedly. God has given us two things-His spirit
and the power of choice-to accept or not, as we will. We have the gift of
free will. When we choose the path of selfishness and geed and pride, we are
refusing to accept God's spirit. When we choose the path of love and service,
we accept God's spirit and it flows into us and makes all things new.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may choose the right way.

I pray that I may try to follow it to the end.