~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Faith

"We had seen spiritual release, but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true.
Actually we were fooling ourselves,  for deep down in every man, woman, and child,
is the fundamental idea of God.  It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp,
by worship of other things,  but in some form or other it is there. 
For faith in a Power greater than ourselves,  and miraculous demonstrations
of that power in human lives,  are facts as old as man himself."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 55
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Thought to Consider . . .

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket,
then counting your blessings before they hatch.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H  =  Finding Answers In The Heart

 

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Wrong

From "When A.A. Came of Age":

"After a long interval we heard from the promoter. He wrote, 'You told us that outside enterprises can be fine and very helpful. But you also said that they could not be mixed with A.A. I figured that they could be, and should be. Well, you folks at Headquarters were right and I was wrong.'

"With his letter, the promoter sent us a card, which he had already mailed to every group in the United States. It was folded like a golf score card, and on the outside was printed, 'Group so-and-so, place so-and-so. Rule No. 62.' When the card was unfolded a single pungent sentence met the eye: 'Don't take yourself too damned seriously.'"

© 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 104

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"HOLD YOUR FACE TO THE LIGHT"

Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see.


AS BILL SEES IT, p. 3

One Sunday in October, during my morning meditation, I glanced out the window at the ash tree in our front yard.  At once I was overwhelmed by its magnificent, golden color!  As I stared in awe at God's work of art, the leaves began to fall and, within  minutes, the branches were bare.  Sadness came over me as I thought of the winter months ahead, but just as I was reflecting on autumn's annual process, God's message came through.  Like the trees, stripped of their leaves in the fall, sprout new blossoms in the spring,  I had my compulsive, selfish ways removed by God in order for me to blossom into a sober, joyful member of A.A. Thank you, God, for the changing seasons and for my ever-changing life.


©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Three Choices

The immediate object of our quest is sobriety-freedom from alcohol and from all its baleful consequences. Without this freedom, we have nothing at all. Paradoxically, though, we can achieve no liberation from the alcohol obsession until we become willing to deal with those character defects which have landed us in that helpless condition. In this freedom quest, we are always given three choices. A rebellious refusal to work upon our glaring defects can be an almost certain ticket to destruction. Or, perhaps for a time, we can stay sober with a minimum of self-improvement and settle ourselves into a comfortable but often dangerous mediocrity. Or, finally, we can continuously try hard for those sterling qualities that can add up to fineness of spirit and action - true and lasting freedom under God.

GRAPEVINE, NOVEMBER 1960
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We, in our turn, sought the same escape with all the desperation of
drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be
the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us
or, if you prefer, "a design for living" that really works."


~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

I no longer refuse to do anything because I cannot do it to perfection. Many of us alcoholics use the excuse of not being able to do something perfectly to enable us to do nothing at all. We pretend to be perfectionists. We are good at telling people how a thing should be done, but when we come to the effort of doing it ourselves, we balk. We say to ourselves: "I might make a mistake so I'd better let the whole thing slide." In A.A. we set our goals high, but that does not prevent us from trying. The mere fact that we will never fully reach these goals does not prevent us from doing the best we can. Have I stopped hiding behind the smoke screen of perfectionism?

Meditation for the Day

"In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." Keep an undaunted spirit. Keep your spirit free and unconquered. You can be undefeated and untouched by failure and all its power, by letting your spirit overcome the world; rise above earth's turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember you have God's help and nothing can wholly defeat you.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have confidence and be of good cheer.

 I pray that I may not fear the power of failure.