*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *February 23, 2013* *Easier, Softer Way* *When I couldn't find an easier, softer way, I looked for a person with the magic wand, the one person in AA who could make me all better, right now. This was a frustrating task . . . I finally realized that if I wanted this life, I was going to have to do what the others had done. No one made me drink, and no one was going to make me sober. This program is for people who want it, not people who need it.* /- Alcoholics Ano ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 9, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Insanity It is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. 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 Pond ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 8, 2015* *A Simple Program* *You are free to disagree or disregard any or all portions of this simple program.  That's your choice. But if you cannot stay sober or have not found happiness, joy, and freedom outlined in chapter five of the Big Book, I offer this suggestion: "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple prog ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 7, 2015* *Suggestions* *I remember my sponsor's answer when I told him that the Steps were "suggested." He replied that they are "suggested" in the same way that, if you were to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, it is "suggested" that you pull the ripcord to save your life. So I try to remember daily that I have a whole program of recovery based on all Twelve of the "suggested" Steps.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 6, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ A Paradox On the face of it, /surrendering/ certainly does not seem like /winning./  But it is in A.A. Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish sobriety which we could never accomplish before. We must, and we do, surrender in order to win.* /- Alcoholics ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 5, 2015* *Pass It On* *". . . I'll never forget the first time I met Bill Wilson.  I was a couple of months sober, and so excited, so thrilled to actually meet the co-founder that I gushed all over him with what my sobriety meant to me and my un-dying gratitude for his starting AA. When I ran down, he took my hand in his and said simply, 'Pass it on.' "* /- 'Pass It On",/ Foreword *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A candle loses nothing by ligh ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 4, 2015* *The Turning Point* *Remember that we deal with alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful!  Without help, it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power -- that One is God.  May you find Him now! Half-measures availed us nothing.  We stood at the turning point. We asked His care and protection with complete abandon.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ pp. 58-59 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *We were at the jumping-off place.* *AA-related ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 3, 2015* *An Unshakable Foundation* *There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakeable foundation for life.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 98 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What is now proved was once only imagined.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *P U S H* = **P**ray **U**ntil ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 2, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Awakening When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do on his unaided strength and resources alone. He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ pp. 106-107 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *December 1, 2015* *Action* *In shame and despair, I went to my first AA meeting.  By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgment, and criticism, and instead to listen and hear. I heard someone say that AA works for those who work for it, those who put /action/ into the program. . . I heard that I should forget about yesterday and instead concentrate on today and staying away from the first drink today -- now.  I tried it and it wor ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 30, 2015* *The Gift* *When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was ready to ask for the gift of faith. 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 . . .* *A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *F A I T H* = **F**inding **A**nswers **I**n **T**he **H**eart. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 29, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ The Light "Believe more deeply.  Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see."* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 3 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *From darkness comes light. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . *H O P E** = **H**eart **O**pen; **P**lease **E**nter. ** *A Member Shares: Hi all, I'm Kim and have alcoholism.  In 1988, I was in AA for the first time.  I don't know for how long, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 28, 2015* *Meditation* *Whatever I learn during meditation applies to me in my life, not necessarily to anyone else. The messages are usually what I need to hear at a particular time, whether I agree or not.  For example: /Help yourself by helping someone else first. When in doubt, be silent. Grow where you are planted./* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 219 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Meditation is our step out into the sun.* *AA-related 'Al ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 27, 2015* *Perfection* *Perfection would limit me; imperfection offers me the freedom of a million potentials. All the excitement and interest and wonder of adventure are mine to explore, ever-new, ever-changing, ever-becoming. Thank God, as a result of AA and sobriety, I am liberated from dreaming the /impossible/ dream and free, finally, to start living the /possible/ dream.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], .p. 61 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Give m ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 26, 2015* *Acceptance* *It was not apparent to me that admitting I was an alcoholic and accepting it as a fact of life were two very different things. After acceptance, my shame melted into the new interest that I soon took in my recovery, knowing that at last I was working in the right direction. With acceptance of my disease of alcoholism came a full-fledged effort to work in all aspects of the recovery program.* /- The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA,/ p. 124 ...Continue Reading