*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 13, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ A New Perspective As long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine reliance upon a Higher Power was out of the question. . . For us, the process of gaining a new perspective was unbelievably painful. It was only by repeated humiliations that we were forced to learn something about humility.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 72 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *My perspective will change my perception.* *AA-related ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 12, 2015* *Surrender* *When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned.* /~ Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 100 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *S W A T* = **S**urrender, **W**illingness, **A**ction, **T**rust. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 11, 2015* *Forgiveness* *I must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matter of form, but in my heart. I do this not for the other persons' sake, but for my own sake. Resentment, anger, or a desire to see someone punished, are things that rot my soul. Such things fasten my troubles to me with chains.* /~ Daily Reflections,/ p. 88 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Forgiveness is the final form of love.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *T G I F* = **T**hank * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 10, 2015* *Gratitude* *Sometimes, I've lacked the discernment to be grateful, and I see this now. . . Often in the past, my prayers for help have been answered in ways that I have not recognized as answers. Indeed, I have cursed my fate instead of thanking God. I have prayed and prayed, sometimes in desperation, but I haven't thanked Him as much as I've implored Him.* ~ The AA Grapevine, September 1979 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Gratitude /has/ to be prac ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 9, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Listening 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 put /action/ into the program. . . I heard that I should forget about yesterday and instead concentrating on today and staying away from the first drink -- now. I tried it, and it worked.* /- Ca ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 8, 2015* *Change* *The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.* /~ As Bill Sees It/ p. 115 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *In order to change the way I feel, I need to change the way I act.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *F E E L* = **F**eel, **E**xperience, **E**xpress, **L**et go. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, str ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 7, 2015* *Infallible Heartbeat* *We need each other's experience, strength, and hope, regardless of age or length of sobriety. The saving grace of God doesn't come like a bolt out of the blue. It comes through, in, and from other suffering, as well as rescued, souls like you and me. I am happy to be part of a living and growing fellowship with an infallible heartbeat. Divine power is the pulse of AA, and it doesn't change, no matter how errant and foolish w ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 6, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Carrying the Message For us, if we neglect those who are still sick, there is an unremitting danger to our own lives and sanity. Under these compulsions of self-preservation, duty, and love it is not strange that our Society has concluded that it has but one high mission -- to carry the AA message to those who don't know there's a way out.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 151 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Service ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 5, 2015* *Acceptance* *And acceptance is the answer to /all/ my problems today.  When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 5, 2015* *Acceptance* *And acceptance is the answer to /all/ my problems today.  When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 4, 2015* *Amends* *In making amends, we should be sensible, tactful, considerate, and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people, we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 277 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H O W* = **H**onesty, **O**pen-mindedness, **W**illingness. Thanks to all of you for sha ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 3, 2015* *Control* *We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic /ever/ recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals -- usually brief -- were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 30 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *When we try to control our drink ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 2, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Spirituality We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. . . We never apologize for God.  Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.* - /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 68 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see. *AA-relat ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 1, 2015* *Self-searching* *The wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 216 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *There is only one corner of the universe I can be certain of improving, and that's my own self.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *N O W* = **N** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 31, 2015* *Trading* *I was ready to admit I was just another drunk whose life was unmanageable. Now I could lead a sober life.  But how does one do that? I traded dependence on puny self for dependence on God. I traded resentment for understanding, fear for trust, selfishness for love. I traded dissatisfaction for hope, dishonesty for truth.  I traded retaliation for amendment, taking for giving. I traded leaning upon others for serving others.  ...Continue Reading