AA Thoughts For Today - September

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

September 16

Making Amends
We are there to sweep off our side of the street, realizing that nothing
worth while can be accomplished until we do so, never trying to tell him
what he should do. His faults are not discussed. We stick to our own.
If our manner is calm, frank, and open, we will be gratified with the result.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 77 - 78

Thought to Ponder . . .
It is the highest form of self-respect to
admit mistakes and to make amends for them.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A G O = Another Growth Opportunity.

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

Miracles
"How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute
and hopelessness?
The practical answer is that since these things
have happened among us,
they can happen with you.
Should you wish them above all else,
and be willing to make use of our experience,
we are sure they will come.
The age of miracles is still with us.
Our own recovery proves that!"
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 153

Thought to Consider . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together

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

Sole Authority
Tradition Two: For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.
Where does AA get its direction? Who runs it? This, too, is a puzzler for every friend and newcomer. When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, no board of directors who can cast an erring member into outer darkness, when indeed no AA can give another a directive and enforce obedience, our friends gasp and exclaim, "This simply can't be. There must be an angle somewhere." These practical folk then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authority in AA is a loving God as He may express Himself in the group conscience. They dubiously ask an experienced AA member if this really works. The member, sane to all appearances, immediately answers, "Yes! It definitely does." The friends mutter that his looks vague, nebulous, pretty naive to them. Then they commence to watch us with speculative eyes, pick up a fragment of AA history, and soon have the solid facts
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 132

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

"Am I strong enough? Am I willing to commit my life and my heart at an even deeper level to doing whatever it takes to keep moving forward?"
North Hollywood, Calif., September 2005
"Where's My Reward?"
Spiritual Awakenings II

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

"Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to
Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give
freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the
Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you
trudge the Road of Happy Destiny."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164

As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and
ask for the right thought or action.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~

We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 88

It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 192

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

In A.A., we found that it did not matter too much what our material condition was, but it mattered greatly what our spiritual condition was. As we improved our spiritual outlook, money gradually became our servant and not our master. It became a means of exchanging love and service with those about us.
One of A.A.'s Loners is an Australian sheepman who lives two thousand miles from the nearest town, where yearly he sells his wool. In order to be paid the best prices he has to get to town during a certain month. But when he heard that a big regional A.A. meeting was to be held at a later date when wool prices would have fallen, he gladly took a heavy financial loss in order to make his journey then. That's how much an A.A. meeting means to him.

Prayer for the Day: God of My Understanding - This is the dawn of a new day in the Program. I shall thank you, my Higher Power, for last night's rest, a blessed gift from you. Yesterday is gone, except for what I have learned from it, good or bad. Today, I have the same choice, a divine privilege which swells in my heart with hope and purpose. This is my day, the purity of a new beginning. I will receive from this day exactly what I give to it. As I do good things, good will be done to me. It is my gift to mold into something everlasting and do those things which will affect the people around me in an ever-widening circle. The worthiness of this effort rest entirely with me. This is my day for love, because I know that as I love, I will be loved. Hate and jealously cannot exist in the presence of love. I will be sustained by this miracle of your creation and this day will be lightened by my love for others and especially love for my fellow travelers in the journey of recovery. Today I will do my best without thought of failures of the past or anxieties for the future. When this day is ended, I will have no regrets nor remorse. Upon ending my day I shall thank you, my Higher Power, for this wonderful day.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

September 17

Step Ten

More experienced people, of course, in all times and places have practiced
unsparing self-survey and criticism. For the wise have always known that no
one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit,
until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and
persistently tries to correct what is wrong.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 88

Thought to Ponder . . .
I can’t fix something if I don’t know what’s wrong.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A R T = Always Remain Teachable.

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

Restraint
"Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint.
This carries a top priority rating.
When we speak or act hastily or rashly,
the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.
One unkind tirade or one willful snap judgment
can ruin or relation with another person for a whole day,
or maybe a whole year.
Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen."
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 91

Thought to Consider . . .
The tongue must be heavy indeed,
because so few people can hold it.

*~*~*AARONYMS*~*~*
H A L T = Honestly, Actively, Lovingly, Tolerant

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

Found the Door
From: "Twice-Gifted"
My physical being has certainly undergone a transformation, but the major transformation has been spiritual. The hopelessness has been replaced by abundant hope and sincere faith. The people of Alcoholics Anonymous have provided a haven where, if I remain aware and keep my mind quiet long enough, my Higher Power leads me to amazing realizations. I find joy in my daily life, in being of service, in simply being. I have found rooms full of wonderful people, and for me each and every one of the Big Book's promises have come true. The things that I have learned from my own experience, from the Big Book, and from my friends in AA - patience, acceptance, honesty, humility, and true faith in a Power greater than myself - are the tools I use today to live my life, this precious life.
Today my life is filled with miracles big and small, not one of which would ever have come to pass had I not found the door of Alcoholics Anonymous.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 475

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

"Though all alone out there, an AA from the Marshall Islands still claimed his group had three members, to wit: 'God, the book Alcoholics Anonymous, and me.'"
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., September 1950
"We Came of Age"
The Language of the Heart

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

"If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the
brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal
men, but for alcoholics these things are poison."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum
helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you
can be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot
on earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with
these motives and God will keep you unharmed.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 102~

Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 25

Calm, thoughtful reflection upon personal relations can deepen our insight.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 80

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

It is being constantly revealed, as mankind studies the material world, that its outward appearance is not inward reality at all. The prosaic steel girder is a mass of electrons whirling around each other at incredible speed, and these tiny bodies are governed by precise laws. Science tells us so. We have no reason to doubt it.
When, however, the perfectly logical assumption is suggested that, infinitely beyond the material world as we see it, there is an all powerful, guiding, creative Intelligence, our perverse streak comes to the surface and we set out to convince ourselves that this isn't so. Were our contention true, it would follow that life originated out of nothing, means nothing, and proceeds nowhere.

Prayer for the Day: The Acceptance Prayer - God grant me the serenity to accept my addiction gracefully and humbly. Grant me also the ability to absorb the teachings of the Program which by it's past experience is trying to help me. Teach me to be grateful for the help I receive. Guide me, Higher Power, in the path of tolerance and understanding of my fellow members and fellow man, guide me away from the path of criticism, intolerance, jealousy and envy of my friends. Let me not prejudge, let me not become a moralist, keep my tongue and thoughts from malicious idle gossip. Help me to grow in stature spiritually, mentally, and morally. Grant me that greatest of all rewards, that of being able to help my fellow sufferers in their search out of the addiction that has encompassed them. Above all, help me to be less critical and impatient with myself.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

September 18

Prayer and Meditation

Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no
more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for
the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers.
And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive
our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.
As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 97

Thought to Ponder . . .
Relationships are built with communication; so we pray.

AA-related 'Alconym'
P A U S E = Pay Attention, Use Step Eleven.

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

Fellowship
"Today, I'm counting my blessings instead of my troubles.
When I walked into the friendly atmosphere
of my first AA meeting, I knew I was where I belonged.
Here were people who had thought and felt as I had.
Here was the understanding I'd been searching for all my life.
These people were my friends,
and I felt their sincere interest in me.
With these new and enlightening doors opening up to me,
I was able to make the eventual decision to stop drinking,
a day at a time -- because I, too, was an alcoholic.
And with this came the only real freedom,
the freedom of truth."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 355

Thought to Consider . . .
If you love someone, tell them now.
Eternity is time enough for silence.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R E = Comforting And Reassuring Each other

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

Camel Metaphor
From: "As Dr. Bob said"
According to Ed, Dr. Bob would explain prayer by telling how the camels in a caravan would kneel down in the evening, and the men would unload their burdens. In the morning, they would kneel down again, and the men would put the burdens back on. It's the same with prayer, Dr. Bob said. We get on our knees to unload at night. And in the morning when we get on our knees again, God gives us just the load we are able to carry for that day.
1980, AAWS, Inc., DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, page 229

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

"The inner energy that is love connects all the parts of us - our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual selves."
Calif., March 1984
"Powerful Simplicity"
Emotional Sobriety II

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

"Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them
help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up
about you, to have a host of friends‚ this is an experience you
must not miss."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~

...we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as
being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us
all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now
take them all-every one? If we still cling to something we will not
let go, we ask God to help us be willing.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~

We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 87

Having opened our channel as best we can, we try to ask for those right things of which we and others are in the greatest need.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 102

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

My self-analysis has frequently been faulty. Sometimes I've failed to share my defects with the right people; at other times, I've confessed their defects, rather than my own; and at still other times, my confession of defects has been more in the nature of loud complaints about my circumstances and my problems.
When A.A. suggests a fearless moral inventory, it must seem to every newcomer that more is being asked of him than he can do. Every time he tries to look within himself, Pride says, 'You need not pass this way,' and Fear says, 'You dare not look!'
But pride and fear of this sort turn out to be bogymen, nothing else. Once we have a complete willingness to take inventory, and exert ourselves to do the job thoroughly, a wonderful light falls upon this foggy scene. As we persist, a brand-new kind of confidence is born, and the sense of relief at finally facing ourselves is indescribable.

Prayer for the Day: The Twelve Steps Prayer - Power, greater than myself, as I understand You, I willingly admit that without Your help I am powerless over my addiction and my life has become unmanageable. I believe You can restore me to sanity. I turn my life and my will over to You. I have made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself and I admit to You, to myself, and to another the exact nature of my wrongs. I am entirely ready to have You remove these defects of character. I humbly ask You to remove my shortcomings. I have made direct amends to all persons I have harmed, except when to do so would injure them or others. I will continue to take personal inventory and when I am wrong I will promptly admit it. I seek through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with You and pray only for knowledge of Your will for me and the power to carry it out. Grant me the grace to carry the message of Your help unto others and to practice the principles of the Twelve Steps in all my affairs.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

September 19

A Spiritual Awakening

In a very real sense he has been transformed, because he has
laid hold of a source of strength which, in one way or another, he
had hitherto denied himself. He finds himself in possession of a
degree of honesty, tolerance, unselfishness, peace of mind, and
love of which he had thought himself quite incapable.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 107

Thought to Ponder . . .
The greatest gift that can come to
anyone is a spiritual awakening.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Amazing Awakening.

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

Working With Others
"Life will take on new meaning.
To watch people recover, to see them help others,
to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship
grow up about you, to have a host of friends -
this is an experience you must not miss.
We know you will not want to miss it."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 89

Thought to Consider . . .
Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together

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

Re-examination
From: "Educated Agnostic"
That was with me the beginning of a new life. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for me to put into words the change that has taken place in me. I have since learned that with many members the change has been almost instantaneous. This was not the case with me. I was tremendously inspired at first, but my basic thinking was not altered that evening nor did I expect any profound change. I felt that while the spiritual aspect of what these men had was not for me, I did believe strongly in the emphasis they put on the need to help others. I felt that if I could have the inspiration of these gatherings and if I could have an opportunity to try to help others that the two together would reinforce my own will power and thus be of tremendous assistance. But gradually, in a manner I cannot explain, I began to re-examine the beliefs I had thought beyond criticism. Almost imperceptibly my whole attitude toward life underwent a silent revolution. I lost many worries and gained confidence. I found myself saying and thinking things that a short time ago I would have condemned as platitudes! A belief in the basic spirituality of life has grown and with it belief in a supreme and guiding power for good.
2003, AAWS, Inc., Experience, Strength & Hope - Stories from the first three editions of Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 106-107

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

"One day, after sitting alone, soaked in tears and feeling empty, worthless, and crippled in the smallest task, I reached out and gave my phone number to someone else – they were hurting, too. In that simplest of acts, my world changed."
Salt Lake City, Utah, July 2007
"Life, Not Regrets"
Spiritual Awakenings II

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

"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family
back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come
back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his
recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his
relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have
not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came
back too soon."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~

When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us
when
we put ourselves in Gods hands were better than anything we could
have planned.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others pg. 100~

We grow by our willingness to face and rectify errors and convert them into assets.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 124

Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Let us emphasize that our reluctance to fight one another, or anybody else, is not counted as some special virtue which entitles us A.A.'s to feel superior to other people. Nor does this reluctance mean that the members of A.A. are going to back away from their individual responsibilities as citizens. Here they should feel free to act as they see the right upon the public issues of our times.
But when it comes to A.A. as a whole, that's quite a different matter. As a group we do not enter into public controversy, because we are sure that our Society will perish if we do.

Prayer for the Day: The Victims of Addiction - O blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love.