*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 16, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Online AA** Taking advantage of technological advances, for example, AA members with computers can participate in meetings online, sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country or around the world. In any meeting, anywhere, AA’s share experience, strength, and hope with each other, in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. xxiv *Thought to Ponder . . .* Modem-to-modem or face-to-f ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 15, 2016* *Solitude* We realize a little solitude is necessary to think and to try to work some of the Steps. In solitude, we take our inventories. In solitude, we admit to ourselves the exact nature of our wrongs. In solitude, our spirits seek that Power greater than we are; in solitude, we seek through prayer and meditation to be aware of God’s will for us. - /Came to Believe . . .,/ p. 109 *Thought to Ponder . . .* We can't grow without giving ourselves ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 14, 2016* *Hope* Hope is the priceless ingredient for recovery. This, AA gives, most frequently not in mere words.  Upon the alcoholic’s first contact with AA, as he looks around the room and sees men and women respectably clothed and in their right minds, enjoying themselves, that flicker of hope begins to burn. And he says to himself, “If these jokers can do it, I can.” The first need, beyond any other, is hope.  Without it, there is nothing. - / ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 13, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ *Making Amends** Do we lay the matter before our sponsor or spiritual adviser, earnestly asking God’s help and guidance—meanwhile resolving to do the right thing when it becomes clear, cost what it may?  Of course, there is no pat answer which can fit all such dilemmas. But all of them do require a complete willingness to make amends as fast and as far as may be possible in a given set of conditions. /- Twelve Steps a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 12, 2016* *New Lessons* Out of every season of grief or suffering, when the hand of God seemed heavy or even unjust, new lessons for living were learned, new resources of courage were uncovered, and that finally, inescapably, the conviction came that God /does/ “move in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.” - /Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 105 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Pain nourishes courage. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *F A I T H* = **F**ur ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 11, 2016* *Failure* “In God’s economy, nothing is wasted.  Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is.” - /As Bill Sees It,/ p. 31 *Thought to Ponder . . .* This thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *F A I L U R E* = **F**earful, **A**rrogant, **I**nsecure, **L**onely, **U**ncertain, **R**esentful, **E**mpty. Thanks to all of yo ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 10, 2016* *Faith* I am grateful for whatever faith I have now, even though it is little more than a seedling — far, so very far, from the kind of faith that moves mountains. There is so much more to know, and no limit to the growth of faith. So I shall continue trying to work the Eleventh Step, trying to improve my conscious contact with God as I understand him. - /The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 2], p. 177 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Faith isn't believing t ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 9, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Staying Away from the First Drink* If we do not take the first drink, we never get drunk. Therefore, instead of planning never to get drunk, or trying to limit the number of drinks or the amount of alcohol, we have learned to concentrate on avoiding only one drink: the first one. /- Living Sober,/ p. 5 *Thought to Ponder . . .* The first drink has the last say. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**bsolute **A**bsti ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 8, 2016* *Choice* At this stage of our progress we are under heavy pressure to do the right thing. We are obliged to choose between the pains of trying and the certain penalties of failing to do so. These initial steps along the road are taken grudgingly, yet we do take them. - /Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 74 *Thought to Ponder . . .* When I choose the behavior, I choose the consequences. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**ltered **A**t ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 7, 2016* *Step Eleven* /“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”/ We recoiled from meditation and prayer as obstinately as the scientist who refused to perform a certain experiment lest it prove his pet theory wrong. Of course, we finally did experiment, and when unexpected results followed, we felt different; in fact w ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 6, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Ask for Help* Reach out—people can’t read your mind. Say ouch! Someone hears.  Always. /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 85 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Simply asking for help seems to be a help in itself. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H E L P** = **H**ope, **E**ncouragement, **L**ove, **P**atience. ** *A Member Shares:* I'm Bill, an alcoholic who needs God and others to stay sober.  I acquired the idea s ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 5, 2016* *Humility* On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility: "Perpetual quietness of heart.  It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 4, 2016* *On Target* In my case at least, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It took me a long time to discover this and I suffered somewhat; but again it had the desired effect. When the truth finally became apparent to me, I was ready to accept it. Now that I know what I am, I am attempting to be what I am, instead of what I think I should be. Essentially this has meant a lowering of my sights. Instead of sighting on the moon and bemoaning eve ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 3, 2016* *Acceptance* Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 417 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Ask yourself--"What would an adult do in this situation?" *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A B C* = **A**ccepta ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 2, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Aloneness* “When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was made ready to ask for the gift of faith. And all was changed.  Never again, my pains and problems notwithstanding, would I experience my former desolation. I saw the universe to be lighted by God’s love; I was alone no more.” /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 51 *Thought to Ponder . . .* I'm not alone anymore. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **Y A N A** = **Y**ou **A**re ...Continue Reading