~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Prayer
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"All of us, without
exception, pass through times when we can pray
only with the greatest
exertion of will. Occasionally we go even further than this.
We are seized with a
rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray.
When these things happen
we should not think too ill of ourselves.
We should simply resume
prayer as soon as we can,
doing what we know to be
good for us."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105
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Thought to Consider . . .
Trying to pray is praying.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H
O P E = Hang
On; Pray Every day
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Alike
From
"Because I'm an Alcoholic":
"That sense of being different, which
had long plagued me, disappeared when I saw the threads that run through all of
us. Sharing our stories, our feelings, it is the areas where we are the same
that impress me. The differences are but delightful flourishes on the surface,
like different-colored costumes, and I enjoy them. But the basic ways we are
human, the basic ways we simply are, stand out to me now. I came to see that we
all are really one, and I no longer feel alone."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition;
Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 347
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE HEART OF TRUE SOBRIETY
We find that no one need have difficulty
with the spirituality of the
program. Willingness,
honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of
recovery. But these are
indispensable.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 570
Am
I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let this be the "me"
that I let others see?
Do I have the
willingness to go to any length, to do whatever is necessary to stay
sober?
Do I have the
open-mindedness to hear what I have to hear, to think what I have to think,
and to feel what I
have to feel?
If my answer to these
questions is "Yes," I know enough about the
spirituality of the program
to stay sober. As I continue to work the Twelve
Steps, I move on to the
heart of true sobriety: serenity with myself, with
others, and with God as
I understand Him.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A Viewer-with-Alarm
"I
went through several fruitless years in a state called “viewing with alarm for
the good of the movement. I thought it was up to me to be always correcting
conditions. Seldom has anybody been able to tell me what I
ought to do, and nobody
had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I
must do. I had to learn
the hard way out of my own experience.
"When setting out
to check others, I found myself often motivated by fear
of what they were doing,
self-righteousness, and even downright intolerance.
Consequently, I seldom
succeeded in correcting anything. I just raised
barriers of resentment
that cut off any suggestion, example, understanding, or love."
<<<>>>
"A.A.s often say, our
leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by
example. If we would
favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice
what we preach and
forget the preaching, too. The quiet good example speaks for itself."
1. LETTER, 1945 - 2. LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our
Creator. We can
laugh at those who think
spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the
way of strength. The verdict of the ages is
that faith means
courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust
their God. We never
apologize for God. Instead we let Him
demonstrate, through us,
what He can do. We ask Him to remove our
fear and direct our
attention to what He would have us be. At once,
we commence to outgrow
fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought
for the Day
In the association with members of
the A.A. group to which we belong, we have the advantage of sincere friendship
and understanding of the other members who, through social and personal
contact, take us away from our old haunts and environments and help to remove
in large measure the occasions of alcoholic suggestion. We find in this
association a sympathy and a willingness on the part
of most members to do everything in their power to help us. Do I appreciate the
wonderful fellowship of A.A.?
Meditation for the Day
"Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven." In this saying it is urged that all who seek heaven on
earth or in the hereafter' should become like little children. In seeking
things of the
spirit and in our faith, we should try to become childlike. Even as we
grow
older, the years of seeking can give us the attitude of the trusting
child.
Not only for its simple trust should we have the childlike spirit, but
also
for its joy in life, its ready laughter, its lack of criticism, and its
desire to share. In Charles Dickens's story, A Christmas Carol, even
old
Scrooge changed when he got the child-spirit.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may become like a child in faith and hope.
I pray that I may, like a child, be friendly and trusting.