*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 17, 2016* *The Ladder* No one who drank as I did wakes up on the edge of the abyss one morning and says: Things look pretty scary; I think I’d better stop drinking before I fall in. I was convinced I could go as far as I wanted, and then climb back out when it wasn’t fun anymore.  What happened was, I found myself at the bottom of the canyon thinking I’d never see the sun again. AA didn’t pull me out of that hole. It did give me the tools to construct ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 16, 2016* *Grace* May we never forget that we live by the grace of God -- on borrowed time; that anonymity is better than acclaim; that for us as a movement poverty is better than wealth. And may we reflect with ever deepening conviction, that we shall never be at our best except when we hew only to the primary spiritual aim of AA. /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 83 *Thought to Ponder . . .* The will of God will never take me where the grace of God will ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 15, 2016* *Awakening* To begin with, a spiritual awakening is our means of finding sobriety. And to us of AA sobriety means life itself. We know that a spiritual experience is the key to survival from alcoholism and that for most of us it is the only key. We must awake or we die. /- The Language of the Heart,/ pp. 233-234 *Thought to Ponder . . .* A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**ware. Thank ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 14, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Carry The Message Carry this message to other alcoholics!  You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 89 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *In AA we don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . *W E** = **W**alls **E**vaporate. ** *A Member Shares: Hi, Maureen here, alcoholic.  I love this reading and topic.  An ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 13, 2016* *One Day At A Time* At first, I was like a lot of others on a pink cloud for two or three weeks. Then, all of a sudden, I came crashing down to earth and began to feel that awful, apprehensive, depressive pain that said if I wanted to stay stopped, I would have to change. Thank goodness, I was told at meetings that I could now live one day at a time. I didn’t need to project the future or cry about the past. Just live to the best of my ability, on ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 12, 2016* *Courage* Courage to face each day has replaced the fears and uncertainty of earlier years. Acceptance of things as they are has replaced the old impatient champing at the bit to conquer the world. I have stopped tilting at windmills and, instead, have tried to accomplish the little daily tasks, unimportant in themselves, but tasks that are an integral part of living fully. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 266 *Thought to Ponder . . .* Courage is fea ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 11, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Change It never occurred to us that we needed to change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 47 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Learn to change, change to learn. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . *A B C** = **A**cceptance, **B**elief, **C**hange. ** *A Member Shares: My name is Pammy, and I have alcoholism.  When I came in AA I was just an observer, looking for reasons a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 10, 2016* *No Loop Hole* He (Bill W) had a great fear that the message might be misunderstood by alcoholics in distant places.  It was one thing to pass on the message face-to-face, when one could personally observe the other’s reactions and be present to respond to objections, questions, or confusion. In print, there was no second chance.  What was printed on the page might well be the only information the suffering alcoholic would have access to ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 9, 2016* *Advice or Approval?* After I went into AA, I found that I had not been trying to quit drinking; all my efforts were devoted to trying to learn to drink normally. Not until I really had a desire to quit did I have any success. A sincere desire for knowledge of God’s will for me to carry it out must be my daily prayer. A reluctant decision to live by God’s will—as amended by myself—is not enough. A good question to ask myself frequently is: What am ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 6, 2016* *Friendship* The fellowship in AA is unique. Ties are made overnight that it would take years to develop elsewhere. No one needs a false front.  All barriers are down. Some who have felt outcasts all their lives now know they really belong. From feeling as if they were dragging anchor through life, they suddenly sail free before the wind. /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 2], p. 259 *Thought to Ponder . . .* We cannot direct the wind, but w ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 7, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ God’s Children If what we have learned and felt and seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are the children of a loving Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 28 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 6, 2016* *Spirituality* I finally began to separate the religious aspects of my life from AA's spiritual program. Now the big difference for me is that religion is the ritual, and we all differ there, and spirituality is the way we feel about what we do. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 406 *Thought to Ponder . . .* AA is spiritual, is the eye of the hurricane, is my refuge and my comfort. *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *K I S S* = **K**eeping **I**t **S**imple ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 5, 2016* *The Gift* When I am willing to do the right thing, I am rewarded with an inner peace no amount of liquor could ever provide. When I am unwilling to do the right thing, I become restless, irritable, and discontent. It is always my choice. Through the Twelve Steps, I have been granted the gift of choice. I am no longer at the mercy of a disease that tells me the only answer is to drink. /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 317 *Thought to Ponder . . .* The ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 4, 2016 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Prayer In AA we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question. They are matters of knowledge and experience. All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 104 *Thou ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 3, 2016* *Decision* 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. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely ...Continue Reading