*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 23, 2014* *One Day At A Time* *I was a very good student of alcoholism.  I studied for twenty-four years. My habit patterns became totally based on how to continue drinking day in and day out. I became a past master of denial, an artist with self-pity, and by the time I heard the thumping of dirt and pebbles as they would soon be shoveled onto the lid of my coffin, the habit patterns had become permanent and I couldn't stop drinking even when I wanted to. . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 22, 2014* *The Book* *By 1937, some of us realized that AA needed a standard literature. There would have to be a book. . . Well, we did quarrel violently over the preparation and distribution of that AA Book. In fact, it took five years for the clamor to die down. Should any AA's dream that the old-timers who put the Book together went about in serene meditation and white robes, then they had best forget it. The inspiration that readers now say they find in the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 21, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Anger If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 66 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Anger rules nothing except itself.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**void **A**nger. ** *A Member Shares: I'm Donna, an alcoholic.  Just about three years ago, I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 20, 2014* *Change* *I tried to change the time and place and amount of my drinking. I tried to change my environment, my place of living -- like most of us who at one time or another think that our trouble is geography rather than whiskey. I even entertained the idea of changing wives. I tried to change everything and everybody, /except myself/ -- the only thing I /could/ change.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 153 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *If nothing ch ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 19, 2014* *Prayer* *Prayer has become a habit with me.  Anytime is the time for prayer: in the street, in the factory, sitting still, walking about, or actively engaged upon some task. I must always bear in mind that, like a good parent, God often says no. And the simplest prayer is "God, thank you, thank you." I have so much to be thankful for, and sobriety tops the list.* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p. 192 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *God never ans ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 18, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Act of Providence It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 21 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Don't give up before the miracle happens.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**lways **A**live. ** *A Member Shares: Hello, I'm Charlie J., and I have Alc ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 17, 2014* *Blessings* *Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past.  Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you Trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you -- until then.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 164 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Trust God.  Clean hou ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 16, 2014* *The Answer* *It finally became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort. He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came. His answer was threefold:  the opportunity for a life of sobriety; Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety; fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me each twenty-four hour day.* /- Came To Believe . . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 15, 2014* *An Open Mind* *Reluctantly, I opened my mind to the fact that maybe, just maybe, there was something to this spiritual lifestyle. Slowly, but surely, I realized there was indeed a Power greater than myself, and I soon found myself with a full-time God in my life and following a spiritual path that didn't conflict with my personal religious convictions.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 287 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-re ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 14, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Challenges Like most people, we have found we can take our big lumps as they come. But also like others we often discover a greater challenge in the lesser and more continuous problems of life. Our answer is in still more spiritual development. Only by this means can we improve our chances for really happy and useful living.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 144 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life is a steady drizzle of ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 13, 2014* *Grace* *I'm still mystified by how I got sober, and the only answer that makes sense is that I stopped drinking through the grace of God. I was thinking about the difference between those of us who get sober and those who are still drinking, and I believe the difference is that we have accepted the grace that was offered.* - The AA Grapevine, February, 1993 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Joy is in knowing there is an answer.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 12, 2014* *Absolute Certainty* *The central part of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 25 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life is an ongoing miracle.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *G I F T* = **G**od **I**s **F**orever **T**here. Thanks to all of you ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 11, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Steps Four and Five If we have swept the searchlight of Step Four back and forth over our careers, and it has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember, . . then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever.  We have to talk to somebody about them.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 55 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Trust God.  ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 10, 2014* *New Habits* *Our drinking was connected with many habits -- big and little. Some of them were thinking habits, or things we felt inside ourselves. Others were doing habits -- things we did, actions we took. In getting used to not drinking, we have found that we needed new habits to take the place of the old ones.* /- Living Sober,/ Preface *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Habits are like cork or lead -- they tend to keep you up or hold you down.* *AA-relat ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 9, 2014* *Surrender* *On the face of it, /surrendering/ certainly doesn't sound like /winning./ But it is in AA. . . We must, and we do, surrender to win.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ pp. 155-156 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *K I S S* = **K**eep **I**t **S**imple; **S**urrender. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying ...Continue Reading