*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 6, 2020* *Harmed Other People* We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have "harmed" other people. What kinds of "harm" do people do one another, anyway? To define the word "harm" in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to people. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) p. 80 Thought to Ponder I want the g ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) April 5, 2020 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Review Our Day* When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? . . . After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.  - Alcoholics ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 4, 2020* *Amends* Nevertheless, with a person we dislike, we take the bit in our teeth. It is harder to go to an enemy than to a friend, but we find it much more beneficial to us. We go to him in a helpful and forgiving spirit, confessing our former ill feeling and expressing our regret. Under no condition do we criticize such a person or argue. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 77 Thought to Ponder Don't mess up an amend with an excuse. AA-related 'Alc ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 3, 2020* *Willing* If we can answer to our satisfaction, 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, (More About Alcoholism) p. 30 Thought to Ponder The task ahead of us is never as ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 2, 2020* *Fully Concede* We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed. We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 30 Thought to Ponder When we try to control ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 1, 2020* *Unworkable Relations* Our demand for emotional security, for our own way, had constantly thrown us into unworkable relations with other people. Though we were sometimes quite unconscious of this, the result always had been the same. Either we had tried to play God and dominate those about us, or we had insisted on being overdependent upon them. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 115 Thought to Ponder One of the many differences bet ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 31 2020* *Freedom From 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. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 122 Thought to Ponder Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself. AA-related 'Alconym' *F E A R*  ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 30, 2020* *Complacency* It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 85 Thought to Ponder The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes sobriety for granted. AA-related 'Alconym' *S ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) March 29, 2020 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Willing to Believe* Circumstances made him willing to believe. He humbly offered himself to his Maker—then he knew. Even so has God restored us all to our right minds. To this man, the revelation was sudden. Some of us grow into it more slowly. But He has come to all who have honestly sought Him. When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us!  - Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 57  Thought to Ponder Hold ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 28, 2020* *Sick Too* Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done." - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 67 Thought to Ponder T ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 27, 2020* *First Major Test* When World War II broke out, this spiritual principle had its first major test. A.A.'s entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take discipline, stand up under fire, and endure the monotony and misery of war? Would the kind of dependence they had learned in A.A. carry them through? Well, it did. They had even fewer alcoholic lapses or emotional binges than A.A.'s safe at home did. - Twelve Ste ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 26, 2020* *Direct Our Thinking* On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleare ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 25, 2020* *Moment of Stress* If at these points our emotional disturbance happens to be great, we will more surely keep our balance, provided we remember, and repeat to ourselves, a particular prayer or phrase that has appealed to us in our reading or meditation. Just saying it over and over will often enable us to clear a channel choked up with anger, fear, frustration, or misunderstanding, and permit us to return to the surest help of all—our search for God's ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 24, 2020* *Outgrow Fear* The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 68 Thought to Ponder Fear is not an admission of weakness; fear is an opportunity ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 23, 2020* *Daily Inventory* 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. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 84 Thought to Ponder Sobriety is not a destination, but an everlasting journey. AA-related 'Alconym' *A A*  =  ...Continue Reading