AA Thought For Today - October

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AA Thought for the Day

October 5

Traditions
Our Traditions are set down on paper. But they were written first in our hearts.
For each of us knows, instinctively I think, that AA
is not ours to do with as we please.
We are but caretakers to preserve the spiritual quality of our Fellowship;
keep it whole for those who will come after us
and have need of what has so generously been given to us.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 124

Thought to Ponder . . .
The Twelve Steps tell us how it works; the Twelve Traditions tell us why it works.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering Together.

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

Virtues
"We of AA are apt to brag of the virtues of our fellowship.
Let us remember that none of these are earned virtues.
We have been forced into them, to begin with,
by the cruel lash of John Barleycorn.
We have adopted these attitudes, these practices,
this structure, not at first because we wished to
but because we had to.
And then, as time confirmed the seeming rightness
of our basic principles,
we began to conform because it was right to do so."
Bill W.,
c.1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 224

Thought to Consider . . .
Life didn't end when I got sober -- it started

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

Choices
From "The Seed of God":
"But my spiritual growth became stronger from the experiences of others. It was explained to me that I could freely choose a God of my understanding. At first, I thought I was committing a sin by trying to change God, but I soon realized that God was constant, and the only changes that had to be made were in my sick mind."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pgs. 59-60

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

"Each night, I think of the Tenth Step and ask myself, 'Have I, this day, helped more than I've harmed? Given more than I've taken? Created more than I've destroyed?'"
Minneapolis, Minn., December 1977
"It Takes Practice to Be Human,"
Step By Step

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

"Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling
them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking;
they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we
afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause
financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor
will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can we let
these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to
pay.We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go,
for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 78~

To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends--this is an experience you must not miss.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pg 89

Where were we to blame?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.67

Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame" from our speech and thought.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 47

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Few of us are anonymous so far as our daily contacts go. We have dropped anonymity at this level because we think our friends and associates ought to know about A.A. and what it has done for us. We also wish to lose the fear of admitting that we are alcoholics. Though we earnestly request reporters not to disclose our identities, we frequently speak before semipublic gatherings. We wish to convince audiences that our alcoholism is a sickness we no longer fear to discuss before anyone.
If, however, we venture beyond this limit, we shall surely lose the principle of anonymity forever. If every A.A. felt free to publish his own name, picture, and story, we would soon be launched upon a vast orgy of personal publicity.
'While the so-called public meeting is questioned by many A.A. members, I favor it myself providing only that anonymity is respected in press reports and that we ask nothing for ourselves except understanding.

Prayer for the Day: Language of the heart - Dear God, You know my needs before I ask, my heart before I pray, and my gratitude before I even offer my thanks. You understand me better than I understand myself, and I thank You for communicating with me in the language of the heart.