*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 6, 2014* *Beginning* *I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here.  I could not start anywhere else. I had to let go of the past and forget the future. As long as I held on to the past with one hand and grabbed at the future with the other hand, I had nothing to hold on to today with.  So I had to begin here, now.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 46 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Fear not for the future, weep not for the past ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 5, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Acceptance Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. . . This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 44 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The Three A's .. Awareness, Acceptance, Action.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A B C** = **A**cceptance, **B**elief, **C**hange. ** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 4, 2014* *Meditation* *Meditation belongs and grows with daily life and daily growth, for it is in daily life that analytical thought binds us into the dilemma of opposites and consequently into sorrow, pleasure-seeking, and loss of freedom. In a life that often may seem onerous, boring, and senseless, meditation can free us to its beauty, its joy beyond pleasure, its passion beyond sorrow.* /- The Best Of The Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 172 *Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 4, 2014* *Meditation* *Meditation belongs and grows with daily life and daily growth, for it is in daily life that analytical thought binds us into the dilemma of opposites and consequently into sorrow, pleasure-seeking, and loss of freedom. In a life that often may seem onerous, boring, and senseless, meditation can free us to its beauty, its joy beyond pleasure, its passion beyond sorrow.* /- The Best Of The Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 172 *Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 3, 2014* *Minding Our Own Business* *We saw that the more AA minded its own business the greater the general influence would become. Medicine and religion and psychiatry began to borrow some of our ideas and experience. So did research, rehabilitation, and education.  All sorts of therapeutic groups began to spring up. They dealt with gambling, divorce, delinquency, dope addiction, mental illness and the like. They, too, borrowed from AA but they made t ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 2, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Moral Responsibility Some strongly object to the AA position that alcoholism is an illness. This concept, they feel, removes moral responsibility from alcoholics. As any AA knows, this is far from true. . . We use the fact of fatal illness to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation onto the sufferer, the obligation to use AA's Twelve Steps to get well.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 32 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *It's not you ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *November 1, 2014* *Serenity Prayer* *In 1941, a news clipping was called to our attention by a New York member. In an obituary notice from a local paper, there appeared these words: "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference."  Never had we seen so much AA in so few words. With amazing speed the Serenity Prayer came into general use.* /- As Bill Sees I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 31, 2014* *Perfection* *Perfection would limit me; imperfection offers me the freedom of a million potentials. All the excitement and interest and 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 me the courage ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 30, 2014* *Fear* *Fear has caused suffering when I could have had more faith. There are times when fear suddenly tears me apart, just when I'm experiencing feelings of joy, happiness and a lightness of heart. Faith -- and a feeling of self-worth toward a Higher Power -- helps me endure tragedy and ecstasy. When I choose to give all my fears over to my Higher Power, I will be free.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 181 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Situations I fear ar ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 29, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Choice Before I learned of the AA program, I was a slave to the behavior patterns of alcoholism. I was chained to negativity, with no hope of cutting loose. . . The Steps assured me I was not alone. My Higher Power led me to this door and gave me the gift of choice.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 114 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *When I choose the behavior, I choose the consequences.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **G I F T S** = ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 28, 2014* *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 while drinking.* /- Living Sober,/ foreword *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I have learned that I did not get here a day early or a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 27, 2014* *Spirituality* *I woke up the Saturday morning following the beginners meeting with the answer absolutely clear: Religion was something taught me, acquired, an external experience, while spirituality welled up from within, and required no education, no Torah or Bible, no shaman or priest. I believe my Higher Power led me to this explanation, as it was too clear and bright an idea for so early in the morning!* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p.199 *Thoug ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 26, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Into Action Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal consequences may be.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 79 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Happiness is the result doing our next right thing in spite of hurt, in spite, even, of good fortune.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 25, 2014* *Laughter* *I began to see the miracles that happen only in AA. People who would nearly crawl in the doors, sick and broken, and who in a few weeks of meetings and not drinking one day at a time would get their health back, find a little job and friends who really cared, and then discover a God in their lives. But the most compelling part of AA, the part that made me want to try this sober thing, was the laughter, the pure joy of the laughter that I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 24, 2014* *Self-will* *I can recognize that I'm caught up in my will when I desperately struggle to slam a square peg into a round hole. That's the time for me to back off and trust that God's will is far better than mine.* - © The AA Grapevine, November, 2013 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I can't do His will my way.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**ware. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and ...Continue Reading