~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~*
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(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Skeletons
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"Now and then the family
will be plagued by spectres from the past,
for the drinking career
of almost every alcoholic has been marked by escapades, funny,
humiliating, shameful or
tragic. The first impulse will be to bury these skeletons
in a dark closet and
padlock the door. The family may be possessed by the idea
that future happiness
can be based only upon forgetfulness of the past.
We think that such a
view is self-centered and in direct conflict with the new way of living."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 123-4
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Thought to Consider . . .
It's not making a mistake that will kill me.
It's defending it that
does the damage.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F
E A R =
Forever Escaping And Retreating
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Todaay!^*~*~*~*~*
Revelation
From
"Shattered Glass":
"The crest of this experience lasted
several hours. When I fell into an exhausted sleep, it was with the knowledge
that I had at last begun my adjustment to life as an alcoholic. From that
moment, things seemed to change from within. Gradually, I could recognize when
I was getting in my own way, and I could step aside, for 'Thy will, not mine'
had become more than mere words. There have been many times when this
revelation has been hard to hold on to, but, little by little, it seems easier
every day. My course has become two steps forward, one step backward, two more
forward, instead of always complete retreat. The days are too short, and they
are seldom dull. Each day is a new challenge to stay sober and to keep moving
straight ahead. -
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe,
30th printing 2004, pg. 37
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~~*~*
A RIPPLING EFFECT
Having learned to live so
happily, we'd show everyone else how. . . . Yes, we of A.A. did dream those
dreams. How natural that was, since most alcoholics are bankrupt
idealists. . . . So why shouldn't we share our way of life with everyone?
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 156
The great discovery of sobriety led me to feel the need to spread
the "good news" to the world around me. The grandiose thoughts
of my drinking days returned. Later, I learned that concentrating on my
own recovery was a full-time process. As I became a sober citizen in this
world, I observed a rippling effect which, without any conscious effort on my
part, reached any "related facility or outside enterprise," without
diverting me from my primary purpose of staying sober and helping other
alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Community Problem
The
answer to the problem of alcoholism seems to be in education in schoolrooms, in
medical colleges, among clergymen and employers, in families, and in the public
at large. From cradle to grave, the drunk and the potential alcoholic will have
to be completely surrounded by a true and deep understanding and by a
continuous barrage of information. This means factual education, properly
presented. Heretofore, much of this education has attacked the immorality of
drinking rather than the illness of
alcoholism. Now who is
going to do all this education? Obviously, it is both a community job and a job
for specialists. Individually, we A.A.'s can help, but A.A. as such cannot, and
should not, get directly into this field. Therefore, we must
rely on other agencies,
on outside friends and their willingness to supply great amounts of money and
effort.
GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1958
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous,
find out all
you can about him. If he
does not want to stop drinking, don't
waste time trying to
persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
The program of
Alcoholics Anonymous involves a continuous
striving for
improvement. There can be no long resting
period. We must try to
work at it all the time. We must
continually keep in mind
that it is a program not to be
measured in years,
because we never fully reach our goals
nor are we ever cured.
Our alcoholism is only kept in
abeyance by daily living
of the program. It is a timeless
program in every sense.
We live it day by day, or more
precisely, moment by
moment - now.
Am I always striving for
improvement?
Meditation for the Day
Life is all a
preparation for something better to come.
God has a plan for your
life and it will work out, if you
try to do His will. God
has things planned for you, far
beyond what you can
imagine now. But you must prepare
yourself so that you
will be ready for the better things
to come. Now is the time
for discipline and prayer. The
time of expression will
come later. Life can be flooded
through and through with
joy and gladness. So prepare
yourself for those
better things to come.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may
prepare myself for better things that God has in store for me.
I pray that I may trust God for the future.