AA Thought For Today - August

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

August 30

Essentials
Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of facing his problems in the light of our experience can
recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts.
He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.
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. 568

Thought to Ponder . . .
A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness.

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

Fear
"When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot,
then we found we could live at peace with ourselves
and show others who still suffered the same fears
that they could get over them, too.
We found that freedom from fear was more important
than freedom from want."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 122

Thought to Consider . . .
Courage is the willingness to accept fear and act anyway.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R = Face Everything And Recover

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

Others
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"A group of laymen whose combined religious training and experience had been small indeed had produced a volume
which described release from alcoholism by spiritual means. What would our Catholic friends think? We had not the slightest inkling.
"Then the good news came. By messenger we had sent the book Alcoholics Anonymous to the Catholic Committee
on Publications in the New York Archdiocese. Our messenger was Morgan R., released only a few weeks before from
Greystone asylum and himself the first Catholic to put in an appearance in New York [A.A.]. Not long after he returned
with wonderful things to tell us.
"The Committee, he said, had nothing but the best to say of our efforts. From their point of view the book was perfectly all right "
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 168-69

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Happiness or tragedy might just depend upon a slight sign of recognition, a nod of the head or perhaps a friendly smile."
Chappaqua, N.Y., December 1947
"Recognition"
AA Grapevine

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"...I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do
with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and
direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was
nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and
became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 13~

"We have no monopoly on God; we merely have an approach that worked with us."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 95~

"In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 101

“When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 91

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth reminded me of Professor William James's observation that
truly transforming spiritual experiences are nearly always rounded on calamity and collapse. 'Stop preaching at them,'
Dr. Silkworth said, 'and give them the hard medical facts first. This may soften them up at depth so that they will be
willing to do anything to get well. Then they may accept those spiritual ideas of yours, and even a Higher Power.'
We beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas, and
the result was nil - until we let go absolutely.

Prayer for the Day: Thank You, dear God, for another day, The chance to live in a decent way, To feel again the joy of living and happiness that comes from giving. Thank You for friends who can understand and the peace that flows from Your loving hand. Help me to wake with the morning sun, With the prayer today, "Thy will be done." For with Your help I will find the way. Thank You again, dear God, for another day.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

August 31

Rule #62
"Don't take yourself too **** seriously."
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 149

But we aren't a glum lot.
If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it.
We absolutely insist on enjoying life.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 132

Thought to Ponder . . .
Take time to laugh -- it is the music of the soul.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
T L C = Tears, Laughter, Caring.

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

A New World
"We have entered the world of the Spirit.
Our next function is to grow in understanding
and effectiveness.
This is not an overnight matter.
It should continue for our lifetime.
Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty,
resentment, and fear.
When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them.
We discuss them with someone immediately
and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone.
Then we resolutely turn our thoughts
to someone we can help."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 84

Thought to Consider . . .
Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom from our fatal obsession.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F I T = Faith, Intuition, and Trust

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

Pathway
>From "He Had Been Listening":
"In thinking all this over, it finally became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort. He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came. His answer was threefold: the opportunity for a life of sobriety; Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety; fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me each twenty-four- hour day.
"St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 11

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"My past sobriety is not a ticket to future sobriety. I have to pay that fare and make the decision to recover daily."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1953
"A Fragment of History: Origin of the Twelve Steps"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the
past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out
of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we
haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was
agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg.76~

"We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: 'Once an
alcoholic, always an alcoholic.' Commencing to drink after a period
of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33~

"If you both show a willingness to remedy your own defects, there will be little need to criticize each other."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 118 (To Wives)

"To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 78 (Step Eight)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Many newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a growing conviction that human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong assault powered only by the individual's will.
However, there are certain things which the individual alone can do. All by himself, and in the light of his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he acquires willingness, he is the only one who can then make the decision to exert himself along spiritual lines. Trying to do this is actually an act of his own will. It is a right use of this faculty.
Indeed, all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps require our sustained and personal exertion to conform to their principles and so, we trust, to God's will.

Prayer for the Day: Tomorrow is yet to be, but should God grant me another day, the hope, courage, and strength, through the working of the Twelve Steps and the Serenity Prayer, I shall be sufficiently provided for to meet my every need. This I believe.