*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 6, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Slogans When one of us is in a dither to get something done or get somewhere in a hurry, a friend may gently remonstrate, "'Easy Does It,'" remember?" Then there's often a flash of annoyance at the adviser. And that indicates the advice must have hit home, wouldn't you say?* /- Living Sober,/ p. 44 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *It works ~ it really does!* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 5, 2013* *Traditions* *Our Traditions are set down on paper.  But they were written first in our hearts. For each of us knows, instinctively I think, that AA is not ours to do with as we please. We are but caretakers to preserve the spiritual quality of our Fellowship; keep it whole for those who will come after us and have need of what has so generously been given to us.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 124 *Thought to Ponder . . .* * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 4, 2013* *Vigilance* *Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter.  It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. . . Love and tolerance of others is our code.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 84 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Sobriety is a gift, the price of which is eternal vigi ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 3, 2013* *Emotional Balance* *We commence to put our AA way of life to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance and live to good purpose under all conditions? A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to grow are necessities for us. We alcoholics have learned this the hard way.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 87 *Thought to P ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 2, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Growing Up Change is the characteristic of all growth.  From drinking to sobriety, from dishonesty to honesty, from conflict to serenity, from hate to love, from childish dependence to adult responsibility -- all this and infinitely more represent change for the better.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 76 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Serenity is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with it.* *A ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *October 1, 2013* *Fallible* *I have never been and never can be perfect. As that realization became a part of me -- and it took time -- it brought me one of the greatest of the many blessings that have come to me from AA. I learned to accept myself as a fallible human being. I do not have to strive for perfection.  Mistakes are permissible. I have the right to be wrong.  And what a comfort that thought is to me, as I make my bemused way through ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 30, 2013* *Insecurity* *The most common symptoms of emotional insecurity are worry, anger, self-pity, and depression. These stem from causes which sometimes seem to be within us, and other times to come from without. . . It should be remembered that this kind of insecurity may arise in any area where instincts are threatened.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 52 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Worry is negative meditation.* *AA-rela ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 29, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Fellowship It is a design for living that works in rough going. We commenced to make many fast friends and a fellowship has grown up among us of which it is a wonderful thing to feel a part of. The joy of living we really have, even under pressure and difficulty.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 15 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *It works -- it really does.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H O W** = **H**o ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 28, 2013* *Communication* *Because of our kinship in suffering, and because our common means of deliverance are effective for ourselves only when constantly carried to others, our channels of contact have always been charged with /the language of the heart./* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 243 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Keep an open heart.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H E A R T* = **H**ealing, **E**njoying, **A**nd **R**ecovering **T ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 27, 2013* *No Cop-outs* *We have to keep our sobriety independent of everything else, not entangled with any people, and not hedged in by any cop-outs or conditions. . . Independent, unaffiliated with anything else, our sobriety can grow strong enough to enable us to cope with anything -- and everybody. And, as you'll see, we start liking /that/ feeling, too.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 64 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Keep your sobriety first to m ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 26, 2013* *The Ladder* *No one who drank as I did wakes up on the edge of the abyss one morning and says:  Things look pretty scary, I think I'd better stop drinking before I fall in. I was convinced I could go as far as I wanted, and then climb back out when it wasn't fun anymore.  What happened was, I found myself at the bottom of the canyon thinking I'd never see the sun again. AA didn't pull me out of that hole.  It did give m ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 25, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Steps If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it -- then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked.  We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 58 *Thought to Ponder . . .* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 24, 2013* *No Reservations* *We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic." Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever.  If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 33 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *If we want t ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 23, 2013* *Happiness* *We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free. We cannot subscribe to the belief that life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery.  God didn't do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize on it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 133 *Th ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 22, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ This Matter of Fear When fear persisted, we knew it for what it was, and under God's grace we became able to handle it. We began to see each adversity as a God-given opportunity to develop the kind of courage which born of humility, rather than of bravado.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 268 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A fear faced is a fear erased.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **F E A R** = **F* ...Continue Reading