*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 3, 2013* *Recycling* *Meditation is the path by which I cease being caught up in my own mental "garbage in/garbage out recycling. It is the path by which I walk out of the turmoil, trouble, pain, depression, and frustration that I create in and around me.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 217 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Meditation is our step out into the sun.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *K I S S* = **K**eeping **I**t **S**erenely **S**imple. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 2, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Faith True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every AA meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 33 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Breathe in faith, breathe out fear.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **F A I T H** = **F**inding **A**nswers **I**n **T**he **H**eart. * A Member Shares: I'm Jenny, and I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 1, 2013* *The Ladder* *No one who drank as I did wakes up on the edge of the abyss 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 me the tools to construct a ladder, with Twelve St ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 31, 2013* *Anonymity* *It isn't just something to save us from alcoholic shame and stigma; its deeper purpose is to keep those fool egos of ours from running hog wild after money and public fame at AA's expense. It really means personal and group sacrifice for the benefit of all AA.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age,/ p. 43 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Anonymity is real humility at work.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**dventurers **A**nonymous. Th ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 30, 2013* *Attitudes* *Whatever is done is over. It cannot be changed. . . I can wish the past never was, but if I change my actions in regard to what I have done, my attitude will change. I won't have to wish the past away.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 141 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**ltered **A**ttudes. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 29, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Honesty The perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one permeates human affairs from top to bottom. This subtle and elusive kind of self-righteousness can undermine the smallest act or thought. Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct those flaws is the essence of character-building and good living.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 17 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Honesty isn't an event -- it's a proce ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 28, 2013* *Foundation Stones* *One thing I've learned in AA is not to be an alarmist. Still, around the groups I attend, it /does/ seem that we AA's sometimes get a little funny about the Traditions. That's what prompted me to wonder: What would happen if we /all/ decided to let somebody else safeguard these twelve foundation stones? If you woke up one morning, and found there was simply /no more/ AA, where would that leave you? Yeah, that's the feeling I got, to ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 27, 2013* *Self-centeredness* *Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past, we have made decisions based on self which later put us in a position to be hurt.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 62 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 26, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Love Love is the cement for the unity we need in AA. It joins the power of the mind and the heart for emotional growth. It promotes lasting attachments, never divisive controversy. The love we find in AA is always warm, never cold. It is firm, never loose. Companionship is a result of love.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 297 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Love is what creates in a sober AA member th ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 25, 2013* *Courage* *When fear persisted, we knew it for what it was, and became able to handle it. We began to see the opportunity to develop the kind of courage which is born of humility, rather than of bravado.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 91 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Courage is fear in action.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *F E A R* = **F**ace **E**verything **A**nd **R**ecover. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and h ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 24, 2013* *Pass It On* *". . . I'll never forget the first time I met Bill Wilson. I was a couple of months sober and so excited, so thrilled to actually meet the co-founder that I gushed all over him with what my sobriety meant to me and my undying gratitude for his starting AA. When I ran down, he took my hand in his and said simply, 'Pass It On.' "* /- 'Pass It On' the story of Bill Wilson and how the AA message reached the world,/ Preface *Thought ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 23, 2013* *Paradox* *It is the great paradox of AA that we know we can seldom keep the precious gift of sobriety unless we give it away. . . . . . if we neglect those who are still sick, there is unremitting danger to our own lives and sanity.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 151 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *We surrender to win; we give away to keep.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *P R O G R A M* = **P**eople **R**elying **O**n **G**od **R**elaying **A* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 22, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Belonging When we reached AA, and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 57 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I'm not alone anymore.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **T L C** = **T**ears, **L**aughter, **C**aring. * A Member Shares: Hi, my name is Candace, and I'm an alcoholic. I just wa ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 21, 2013* *Listening* *Sometimes, the body can speak an eloquent language all its own. I see that and feel that in meetings. So coming to regular meetings of AA is a priceless experience for me in a great many levels -- mental, spiritual, social, emotional, and now possibly physical. Listening quietly is already a joy to me, and if it calms me down and lowers my blood pressure in the process, that's just another great reason to keep coming back.* /- Thank You For ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 20, 2013* *Complacency* *Alcoholism is deadly, ugly, and tough. It is also cunning, baffling, and powerful. . . It wants me to believe that self-indulgence is fine, as long as I call it self-forgiveness. . . It wants me to forget that it is a snake in the brain, hoping to catch my eye, watching, waiting. The gritty pain of alcoholism is the traction of recovery. I cannot afford to sell off the principles for an easier, softer way.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [ ...Continue Reading