*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 16, 2017* *Expectations* Until I could honestly look at myself and see that I was the problem in many situations and react appropriately inside and out; until I could discard my expectations and understand that my serenity was directly proportional to them, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety. /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 71 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Expectations are resentments 'under construction.' *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *G R A C E* = ** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 15, 2017* *Surrender* I became willing to face the pain of my life without a drink; the fear of drinking became bigger than the fear of life without drink. When I surrendered to the fact that alcohol was bigger than myself, accepted life without ever drinking again, the compulsion was removed, left me, as if it had never been there. /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 186 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door. * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 14, 2017 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Healing** Provided you hold back nothing, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute. The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed. As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place. /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 62 *Thought to Ponder . . .* The gritty pain of alcoholism is the traction of recovery. *AA-related 'Alcon ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 13, 2017* *An Unchangeable Fact* We try never to lose sight of the unchangeable fact of our alcoholism, but we learn not to brood or feel sorry for ourselves or talk about it all the time. We accept it as a characteristic of our body like our height or our need for glasses, or like any allergies we may have. /- Living Sober,/ p. 9 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Alcohol cunning, baffling, powerful! *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *T H I N K* = **T**hank ** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 12, 2017* *Just One Day* Any of us can handle just one day; all each of us has to try at is our own job, our own family life. We don’t have to try fixing up the whole world or understanding what no theologian of any faith has ever understood. We simply stop messing in God’s business. /- Came to Believe . . .,/ p. 116 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Live each day with a little less fear and a little more faith. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *O D A A T* = **O**ne ** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 11, 2017 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Conscious Contact** Almost any experienced AA will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable and unexpected turns for the better as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God. /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/pp. 104-105 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Take a walk with God.  He will meet you at the Steps. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . . *G O D** = **G**ood **O**rderly **D**irection. **A Member Shares:** Hi, De ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 10, 2017* *Resentment* It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while. But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.  We found that it is fatal. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 66 *Thought to Ponder . . .* We are pr ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 9, 2017* *Fear* At heart we had all been abnormally fearful. It mattered little whether we had sat on the shore of life drinking ourselves into forgetfulness or had plunged in recklessly and willfully beyond our depth and ability. The result was the same—all of us had nearly perished in a sea of alcohol. But today, in well-matured AA's, these distorted drives have been restored to something like their true purpose and direction. /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Tra ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 8, 2017 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Knowing Peace** We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ pp. 83-84 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Happiness and peace of mind are always here, open and free to anyone. * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 7, 2017* *Peace of Mind* AA has taught me that I will have peace of mind in exact proportion to the peace of mind I bring into the lives of other people, and it has taught me the true meaning of the admonition "happy are ye who know these things and do them." For the only problems I have now are those I create when I break out in a rash of self-will. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ pp. 550-551 *Thought to Ponder . . .* A candle loses nothing by lighting ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 6, 2017* *Obsession* The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.  Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 30 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**wesome. Thanks to all ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 5, 2017* *Acceptance* Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to be cast aside. This had not been done with old-fashioned willpower; it was instead a matter of developing the willingness to /accept/ these new facts of living. We neither ran nor fought.  But /accept/ we did.  And then we were free. There had been no irretrievable disaster. /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 198 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Acceptance is the answe ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 4, 2017 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Recovery** If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it —then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked.  We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not.  With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 58 *Thought to Ponder . . .* If you think you ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 3, 2017* *The Language of the Heart* From the beginning, communication in AA has been no ordinary transmission of helpful ideas and attitudes.  It has been unusual and sometimes unique. Because of our kinship in suffering, and because our common means of deliverance are effective for ourselves only when constantly carried to others, our channels of contact have always been charged with /the language of the heart./ /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 243 * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *January 2, 2017* *Living Sober* Somewhat to our surprise, staying sober turns out not to be the grim, wet-blanket experience we had expected! While we were drinking, a life without alcohol seemed like no life at all. But for most members of AA, living sober is really living—a joyous experience. We much prefer it to the troubles we had with drinking. One more note: anyone can get sober.  We have all done it lots of times. /- Living Sober,/ Foreword *Thought to P ...Continue Reading