*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 29, 2013* *Self-restraint* *This carries a top priority rating.  When we act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot. One unkind tirade or one willful snap judgment can ruin our relation with another person for a whole day, or maybe a whole year. Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 91 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Anger is the wind that bl ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 28, 2013* *Forgiveness* *When I forgive someone I guess what I really mean to say is that I admit I judge others. Forgiving and condemning are God's business, not mine. Only He has the mercy to judge and to accept at the same time. My job is to achieve enough humility to see myself in others and to accept both myself and others, by identifying. The willingness to make amends will grow from this act of love.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 2 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 27, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Came to Believe I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now.  To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of AA's program as enthusiastically as I could.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 27 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I saw, I felt, I believed.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* ** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 26, 2013* *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 a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 25, 2013* *Spiritual Awakening* *So, then, what is this "spiritual awakening," this "transforming experience"? How do we receive it and what does it do? 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 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 24, 2013* *Silent Revolution* *Almost imperceptibly my whole life underwent a silent revolution. I lost many worries and gained confidence. I found myself saying and thinking things that a short time ago I would have condemned as platitudes! A belief in the basic spirituality of life has grown and with it belief in a supreme and guiding power for good.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 107 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What are you coming t ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 23, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Step Twelve "Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 106 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **K I S S** = **K**eeping **I**t **S**imple, **S**piritually. ** *A ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 22, 2013* *Discipline* *Unless each AA member follows to the best of his ability our suggested Twelve Steps to recovery, he almost certainly signs his own death warrant. His drunkenness and dissolution are not penalties inflicted by people in authority; they result from his personal disobedience to spiritual principles.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 174 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Great suffering and great love are AA's disciplina ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 21, 2013* *Pickles* *Alcoholism is incurable -- just like some other illnesses. It cannot be "cured" in this sense:  We cannot change our body chemistry and go back to being the normal, moderate social drinkers lots of us seemed to be in our youth. As some of us put it, we can no more make that change than a pickle can change itself back into a cucumber.* /Living Sober,/ p. 8 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The privilege of a lifeti ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 20, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Gratitude I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can never know.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 37 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H J F** = **H**appy, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 19, 2013* *Surrender* *In one form or another, many of my character defects appear daily: self-condemnation, anger, running away, being prideful, wanting to get even, or acting out of grandiosity. Attempting half measures to eliminate these defects merely paralyzes my effort to change. It is only when I ask God for help, with complete abandon, that I become willing -- and able -- to change.* /Daily Reflections,/ p. 15 *Thought to Ponder . . . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 18, 2013* *Attitudes* *Accepting my Higher Power did not fully change my attitude of resistance. It just made yielding to instruction a more rational and acceptable mode of behavior. . . I had to realize that if I did want sobriety, I had better do the Steps whether I liked them or not. Every time I ran into trouble, I ultimately found that I was resisting change.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 541 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Learn to listen; list ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 17, 2013* *Anger* *It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what, there is something wrong /with us./ If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also. But are there no exceptions to this rule? What about "justifiable" anger?  If somebody cheats us, aren't we entitled to be mad? Can't we be properly angry with self-righteous folk? For us of AA these are dangerous exceptions.  We have fo ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 16, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Service In AA Whenever I go to a meeting, I like to arrive early and stay late. I like the face-to-face sharing before and after the meetings. That way, I get to meet the new members and give them a warm welcome, a handshake, and a smile.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 139 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Service is gratitude in action.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H E A R T** = **H**ealing, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 15, 2013* *Reprieve* *It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism.  What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 85 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Refresh your spirit with everyday miracles.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *B E S T ...Continue Reading