~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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"We have entered the world
of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding
and effectiveness.
This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our
lifetime.
Continue to watch for
selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask
God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and
make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our
thoughts to someone we can help."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 84
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Thought to Consider . . .
Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom
from our fatal obsession.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F
I T =
Faith, Intuition, and Trust
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Pathway
From
"He Had Been Listening":
"In thinking all this over, it finally
became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort. He had been listening, and
in His own good time His answer came. His answer was threefold: the opportunity
for a life of sobriety; Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and
maintain that life of sobriety; fellowship within the program, ever ready to
sustain and help me each twenty-four- hour day.
“ St. John's, Newfoundland,
Canada"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe,
30th printing 2004, pg. 11
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A UNIQUE PROGRAM
"Alcoholics
Anonymous will never have a professional class. We have
gained some understanding of the ancient words "Freely ye have received,
freely give." We have discovered that at the point of professionalism,
money and spirituality do not mix.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 166
I
believe that Alcoholics Anonymous stands alone in the treatment of alcoholism
because it is based solely on the principle of one alcoholic sharing with
another alcoholic. This is what makes the program unique. When I decided
that I wanted to stay sober, I called a woman who I knew was a sober member of
A.A., and she carried the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to me. She
received no monetary compensation, but rather was paid by staying sober another
day herself. Today I could ask for no payment other than another day free
from alcohol, so in that respect, I am generously paid for my labor.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Morning Thoughts
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 ^*~*~*~*~*
"Do
not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter
you from honestly asking
yourself what they mean to you. At the
start, this was all we
needed to commence spiritual growth, to
effect our first
conscious relation with God as we understood Him.
Afterward, we found
ourselves accepting many things which then
seemed entirely out of
reach. That was growth, but if we wished to
grow we had to begin
somewhere. So we used our own conception, however limited it was."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 47~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought
for the Day
"Call
on new prospects while they are still jittery. They may be more
receptive when
depressed. See them alone if possible. Tell them enough about your drinking habits and experiences to encourage them to
speak of
themselves. if they wish to talk, let them do so. If they are not
communicative, talk
about the troubles liquor has caused you, being careful
not to moralize or
lecture. When they see you know all about the drinking
game, commence to
describe yourself as an alcoholic and tell them how you
learned you were
sick." Am I ready to talk about myself to new prospects?
Meditation for the Day
Try not to give way to
criticism, blame, scorn, or judgment of others when
you are trying to help
them. Effectiveness in helping others depends on
controlling yourself.
You may be swept away by a temporary natural urge to
criticize or blame,
unless you keep a tight rein on your emotions. You should
have a firm foundation
of spiritual living which makes you truly humble, if
you are going to really
help other people. Go easy on them and be hard on
yourself. That is the
way you can be used most to uplift a despairing spirit.
And seek no personal
recognition for what you are used by God to accomplish.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may try to
avoid judgment and criticism.
I pray that I may always try to build up others instead of tearing them down.