*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

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 14, 2013* */Living Sober/* *In the earliest days of my sobriety, I needed a lifeline that was easy to grasp and hold on to. I needed the very basics, the emergency exit placard, and that’s what /Living Sober/ became for me. I know I owe my ability to weather the intense difficulty I experienced in the first few days, weeks, and months of my sobriety in large part to that skinny yellow book. “You can do it,” the book said to me. “And here’s exactly ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 13, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Forgiveness What a great feeling forgiveness is! What a revelation about my emotional, psychological and spiritual nature. All it takes is willingness to forgive; God will do the rest.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 145 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Forgiveness is the final form of love.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **T G I F** = **T**hank **G**od **I**'m **F**orgiven. ** *A Member Shares: Hi, I'm Terri, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 12, 2013* *Honesty* *Having troubles with the First Step?  Relax. All the program asks is enough honesty to get started -- just what we are capable of at the moment. At the beginning, that's very little honesty. Each day, there will be a little more.  It will come. Because, you see, the AA program works for anyone who wants it.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 2], p. 34 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Honesty isn't an event -- it's a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 11, 2013* *Spiritual Resources* *The things I thought I needed for so many years no longer seem important, now that I have become aware of the spiritual resources God has given me. With these, I don't need alcohol to function. What a joy to stay sober on love instead of fear!* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 35 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Joy is in knowing there is an answer.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**wesome. Thank ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 10, 2013* *Prodigal* *I know I am an alcoholic and while I used to call on God to help me, my conclusion is that I was simply asking God to help me drink alcohol without its hurting me, which is a far different thing than asking Him to help me not to drink at all. So here I stand, living day to day, in His presence, and it is wonderful -- this prodigal came home.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 113 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Good thing ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 9, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Tolerance We begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and then we approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows really means.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 92 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **B ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 8, 2013* *A Common Solution* *The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 17 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H E L P* = * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 7, 2013* *Compulsions* *I began with blind faith, but the proof of truth is that /it works./ I believed those who said they had suffered from alcoholism, but, through AA were now enjoying sobriety. So the truth was there for me to see. But shortly I knew the truth from my own experience. I was not only released from the compulsion to drink; I was guided toward a compulsion to live!* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 3 *Thought to Ponder . . .* * ...Continue Reading