~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Defects
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"What we must recognize
now is that we exult in some of our defects.
We really love them. Who,
for example, doesn't like to feel
just a little superior
to the next fellow, or even quite a lot superior?
Isn't it true that we
like to let greed masquerade as ambition?
To think of liking lust
seems impossible.
But how many men and
women speak love with their lips, and believe what they say,
so they can hide lust in
a dark corner of their minds?
And even while staying
within conventional bounds, many people have to admit
that their imaginary sex
excursions are apt to be all dressed up as dreams of romance."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 66-7
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Thought to Consider . . .
If I want God to remove my character defects, I'll have to stop
doing them.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B A
T H =
Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, and Habits
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Control the Situation
From:
"Bill’s Story"
Liquor ceased to be a luxury; it became a necessity.
"Bathtub" gin, two bottles a day, and often three, got to be routine.
Sometimes a small deal would net a few hundred dollars, and I would pay my
bills at the bars and delicatessens. This went on endlessly, and I began to
waken very early in the morning shaking violently. A tumbler full of gin
followed by half a dozen bottles of beer would be required if I were to eat any
breakfast. Nevertheless, I still thought I could control the situation, and
there were periods of sobriety which renewed my wife's hope.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 5
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
PRICELESS GIFT
By this time in all probability
we have gained some measure of release from our more devastating handicaps. We
enjoy moments in which there is something like real peace of mind. To those of
us who have hitherto known only excitement, depression, or anxiety -- in other
words, to all of us -- this newfound peace is a priceless gift.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, P. 74
I am learning to let go and let God,
to have a mind that is open and a heart that is willing to receive
God's grace in all
my affairs; in this way I can experience the peace and freedom that come as a
result
of
surrender. It has been proven that an act of surrender, originating in
desperation and defeat, can grow
into
an ongoing act of faith, and that faith means freedom and victory.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Hour of
Decision
"Not all large decisions can be
well made by simply listing the pros and cons of a given situation, helpful and
necessary as this process is. We cannot always depend on what seems to us to be
logical. When there is doubt about our logic, we wait upon God and listen for
the voice of intuition. If, in meditation, that voice is persistent enough, we
may well gain sufficient confidence to act upon that, rather than upon logic.
"If, after an exercise of these two disciplines, we are still uncertain,
then we should ask for further guidance and, when possible, defer important
decisions for a time. By then, with more knowledge of our situation, logic and
intuition may well agree upon a right course. "But if the decision must be
now, let us not evade it through fear. Right or wrong, we can always profit
from the experience."
LETTER, 1966
A continuous look at our assets and
liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means are necessities
for us. We alcoholics have learned this the hard way. More experienced people,
of course, in all times and places have practiced unsparing self-survey and
criticism.
12x12 p. 88
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"When ready, we say
something like this: 'My Creator, I am now
willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you
now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in
the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as
I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.' We have then
completed Step Seven."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th
Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for
the Day
If
we feel the need to say something to put another member on the right track, we
should try to say it with understanding and sympathy, not with a critical
attitude. We should keep everything out in the open and aboveboard. The A.A.
program is wonderful, but we must really follow it. We must all pull together
or we'll all be sunk. We enjoy the privilege of being associated with A.A. and
we are entitled to all its benefits. But gossip and criticism are not
tolerance, and tolerance is an A.A. principle that is absolutely necessary to
group unity. Am I truly tolerant of all my group's members?
Meditation for the Day
"Faith can move
mountains." That expression means that faith can change any situation in
the field of personal relationships. If you trust Him, God shows you the way to
"move mountains." If you are humble enough to know that you can do
little by yourself to change a situation, if you have enough faith to ask God
to give you the power you need, and if you are grateful enough for the grace He
gives you, you can, "move mountains." Situations will be changed for
the better by your presence.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may have
enough faith to make me really effective.
I pray that I may learn to depend less on myself and more on God.