~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Sanity
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"Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are,
or seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it. Some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,'
but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill. They are abetted in this blindness by a world
which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the
dining room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself."

1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 32-3
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Thought to Consider . . .

If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you probably do.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D U E S  =  Desperately Using Everything but Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Consensus

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"At first they wanted the word 'God' deleted from the book entirely. Henry had come to believe in some sort of 'universal power,' but Jimmy still flabbergasted us by denouncing God at our meetings. Some members had been so angered that they wanted to throw him out of the group. But most of us thought it better to let him talk on, believing that eventually he would change his mind, which he later did. What Henry [P.], Jimmy [B.], and company wanted was a psychological book which would lure the alcoholic in. Once in, the prospect could take God or leave Him alone as he wished. To the rest of us this was a shocking proposal, but happily we listened and eventually learned something of great value. Actually our group conscience was at work to construct the most acceptable and effective book possible. Every voice in it was playing its appointed part to create an outcome that was to be nothing less than providential."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 162-163

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
GRATEFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE

During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God.         

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 75

Today my prayers consist mostly of saying thank you to my Higher Power for my sobriety and for the wonder of God's abundance, but I need to ask also for help and the power to carry out His will for me.  I no longer need God each minute to rescue me from the situations I get myself into by not doing His will. Now my gratitude seems to be directly linked to humility.  As long as I have the humility to be grateful for what I have, God continues to provide for me.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Source of Strength

When World War II broke out, our A.A. dependence on a Higher Power had its first major test. A.A.'s entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take discipline, stand up under fire, and endure the monotony and misery of war? Would the kind of dependence they had learned in A.A. carry them through? Well, it did. They had even fewer alcoholic lapses or emotional binges than A.A.'s safe at home did. They were just as capable of endurance and valor as any other soldiers. Whether in Alaska or on the Salerno beachhead, their dependence upon a Higher Power worked. Far from being a weakness, this dependence was their chief source of strength.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 38-39
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people´s shortcomings
and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which
make us more useful to others."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19~

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

Gossip about or criticism of personalities has no place in an A.A. clubroom.
Every man in A.A. is a brother and every woman is a sister, as long as he or
she is a member of A.A. We ought not to gossip about the relationships of any man or woman in the group. And if we say about another member, "I think she or he is taking a few drinks on the side," it's the worst thing we could do to that person. If a woman or a man is not living up to A.A. principles or has a slip, it's up to her or him to stand up in a meeting and say so. If they don't do that, they are only hurting themselves. Do I talk about other members behind their backs?

Meditation for the Day

To God, a miracle of change in a person's life is only a natural happening.
But it is a natural happening operated by spiritual forces. There is no
miracle in personalities too marvelous to be an everyday happening. But
miracles happen only to those who are fully guided and strengthened by God. Marvelous changes in people's natures happen so simply, and yet they are free from all other agencies than the grace of God. But these miracles have been prepared for by days and months of longing for something better. They are always accompanied by a real desire to conquer self and to surrender one's life to God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may expect miracles in the lives of people.

I pray that I may be used to help people change.