*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 10, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Control We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn't control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn't make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn't seem to be of real help to other people -- was not a basic solution of these bedevilments more important than whether we should see newsreels of lunar flight? Of course i ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 9, 2014* *Acceptance* *And acceptance is the answer to /all/ my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake.  Until I could accept my alcoholism, I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 8, 2014* *Fudge* *I was brought up in a little Yankee town of about fifty houses, East Dorset, Vermont. I was born under the shadow of a mountain there called Mount Aeolus. An early recollection is one of looking up and seeing that vast and mysterious mountain and wondering what it was and whether I would ever climb that high. But I was presently distracted by my aunt who, as a fourth-birthday present, made me a plate of fudge. For the next thirty-five year ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 7, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Faith If what we have learned and felt and seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our race, creed, or color, are the children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try. Those who have religious affiliations will find here nothing disturbing to their beliefs or ceremonies. There is no friction among ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 6, 2014* *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 those old ones. . . After we spent a few months practicing these new, sober habits or ways of acting and thinking, they became almost second nature to mos ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 5, 2014* *The Haven* *Hopelessness has been replaced by abundant hope and sincere faith. The people of AA have provided a haven where, if I remain aware and keep my mind quiet enough, my Higher Power leads me to amazing realizations. I find joy in my daily life, in being of service, in simply being. I have found rooms full of wonderful people, and for me each and every one of the Big Book's promises have come true.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 475 *Thoug ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 4, 2014* *Twelve Steps* *Only Twelve Steps.  In a day when we are exposed to fantastic statistics, a mere dozen doesn't seem to rate much. But what is involved in the Twelve Steps makes a great difference. . . That first step is very important, whether it is the first step of a beloved child learning to walk -- or the First Step, taken by a man on his way to a new life. Looking into my little ones' faces, I can see the same qualities the we need for th ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 3, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond to moment we again pick up the key of willingness.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 35 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 3, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond to moment we again pick up the key of willingness.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 35 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 2, 2014* *Relief* *At first it was a shock to realize I was an alcoholic, but the realization that there was hope made it easier. The baffling problem of getting drunk when I had every intention of staying sober was simplified. It was a great relief to know I didn't /have/ to drink any more.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous /[Third Edition], p. 379 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful!* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H O P E* = **H**e ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 1, 2014* *Isolation* *Isolation creeps up on us.  We can mask it with familiar props that are not in themselves bad. We can isolate ourselves in an attempt to clean up our apartments (and then not do the cleaning); we can isolate ourselves in churches or in sleep; we can use family, sweethearts, compulsive working, television.  The list is long. Reach out -- people can't read your mind.  Say ouch!  Someone hears.  Always. * /- The B ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 31, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Rule #62 "Don't take yourself too damn seriously."* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 149 *But we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 132 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Take time to laugh -- it is the music of the soul.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **T L C** = **T**ears, **L**au ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 30, 2014* *Essentials* *Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial. We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. /Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery.  But these are ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 29, 2014* *Control* *We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic /ever/ recovers control. All of us felt at times we were regaining control, but such intervals -- usually brief -- were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. . . . Over any considerable period we get worse, never better. * /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 30 *T ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 28, 2014* *Sunlight* *He said, /"Why don't you choose your own conception of God?"/  That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. /It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning./ * /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 12 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I have been ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 26, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 35 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 26, 2014* *Spirituality* *Spirituality is an awakening -- or is it all the loose ends woven together into a mellow fabric? It's understanding -- or is it all the knowledge one need ever to know? It's freedom -- if you consider fear slavery. It's confidence -- or is it the belief that a higher power will see you through any storm or gale? It's adhering to the dictates of your conscience -- or is it a deep, genuine, living concern for the people and the planet? ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 25, 2014* *Understanding* *God began to clear my channels so the real understanding began to come. Then was the time when full realization and acknowledgement came to me. It was the realization and acknowledgement of the fact that I was full of self-pity and resentment, realization of the fact that I had not fully given my problems to God. /I was still trying to do my own fixing./* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 22 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *God can on ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 24, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Making Peace with the Past If we have come to know how wrong thinking and action have hurt us and others, 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 . . .* *Fear not for the future; weep not for the past.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **P E A C E** = ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 23, 2014* *Serenity* *That word "serenity" looked like an impossible goal when we first saw the prayer. In fact, if serenity meant apathy, bitter resignation, or stolid endurance, then we didn't even want to aim at it. But we found that serenity meant no such thing. . . Serenity is like a gyroscope that lets us keep our balance no matter what turbulence swirls around us. And that is a state of mind worth aiming for.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 19 *Thought ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 22, 2014* *Demands* *The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear -- primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands. The difference between a demand and a simple request is plain to anyone.* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 21, 2014* *Humility* *To those who have made progress in AA, humility amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 156 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Humility is not a station we arrive at; it's a way of traveling.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *O D A A T* = **O**ne **D**ay **A**t **A** **T**ime. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 20, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Carrying the Message To watch the eyes of men and women open with wonder as they move from darkness to light, to see their lives quickly fill with new purpose and meaning, to see whole families reassembled, to see the alcoholic outcast received back into his community in full citizenship, and above all to watch these people awaken to the presence of a loving God in their lives -- these things are the substance of what we rec ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 19, 2014* *Spiritual Fitness* *I know when I am spiritually fit because at such times I have no desire to escape life, but feel strengthened to deal with everything I am called upon to face.* - The AA Grapevine, June 1960 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Smile!  It's a free facelift.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**ltered **A**ttitudes. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 18, 2014* *Listening* *Sometimes, the body can speak an eloquent language all its own.  I see and feel that in meetings. So coming to regular meetings of AA is a priceless experience for me on 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 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 17, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 115 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *If faith without works is dead; then willingness without action is fantasy.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **W H O** = **W**illlingness, **H**onesty, **O**pen-mindedness. ** *A Member Shares: I'm Peyton, a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 16, 2014* *Damage Repairs* *Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the beginning /we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol./* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 76 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Don't mess up an amend with ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 15, 2014* *First Things First* *Using "First Things First," we have found it helpful to concentrate first on sobriety alone, steering clear of /any/ risky emotional entanglements. Immature or premature liaisons are crippling to recovery. Only after we have had time to mature somewhat beyond merely not drinking are we equipped to relate maturely to other people.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 62 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Keep your sobriety first to make it l ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 14, 2014* *Philosophy* *A religion, properly, is of divine origin; governs the person in his relationship with his Higher Power; and promises its rewards and punishment after death. A philosophy is of human origin; governs the person in his relationship with his fellowman; and promises its rewards and punishments during life. AA, I submit, is a philosophy.  If we alcoholics follow the philosophy of AA, we can gain an understanding of our several religions ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 13, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Defects I am no longer willing to live with the multitude of defects that characterized my life while I was drinking. Step Seven is my vehicle to freedom from these defects.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p.196 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H J F** = **H**appy, **J**oyous, **F**ree. ** *A Member Shares: Hi everyone, I'm Shawn, and I'm an alcoholic.  One thing that u ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 12, 2014* *Letting Go* *"Letting go" had always meant self-indulgence: polishing off the rest of the bottle, eating the whole cake, sleeping until noon. Now, I heard that letting go meant acquiring discipline. . . The renewal of discipline is a process that I must set in motion every day. * /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 2], p. 187 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Get a grip on letting go.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *O D A A T* = **O**ne **D**ay ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 11, 2014* *Amends* *It is important for me to realize that, as an alcoholic, I not only hurt myself, but also those around me. Making amends to my family, and to the families of alcoholics still suffering, will always be important. Understanding the havoc I created and trying to repair the destruction, will be a lifelong endeavor. The example of my sobriety may give others hope, and faith to help themselves. * /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 173 *Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 10, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Friendships Life will take on new meaning.  To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 89 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A friend is one who sees through you and still enjoys the view.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 9, 2014* *Sunlight* *He said, /"Why don't you choose your own conception of God?"/  That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. /It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning./* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 12 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I saw, I fel ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 8, 2014* *Self-concern* *If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now. We are of no value to anyone, including ourselves, until we find salvation from alcohol. Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first -- a right and necessary kind of self-concern.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 81 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go throug ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 7, 2014* *Time* *And what is time to me now?  It is a most precious asset. I have the luxury of being able to cherish the memory of yesterday, to live today with serenity, to wait for tomorrow. I find contentment in just knowing where I was and where I am.  And I am grateful; grateful for the existence of Alcoholics Anonymous; grateful to my God for leading me to the doors of AA and to Himself, grateful for hope. I am grateful for this minute.  ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 6, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Principles Before Personality We of Alcoholics Anonymous believe that the principle of anonymity has an immense spiritual significance. It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are actually to practice a genuine humility. This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us; that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him who presides over us all.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 5, 2014* *Expectations* *We had approached AA expecting to be taught self-confidence. Then we had been told that so far as alcohol is concerned, self-confidence was no good whatever; in fact, it was a total liability.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 22 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What I am is God's gift to me.  What I make of myself is my gift to Him.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *W O W* = **W**illingness **O**ver **W**illpower. Thanks to ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 4, 2014* *Step Eight* */"Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all."/* *This is a very large order.  It is a task which we may perform with increasing skill, but never really finish. . . . Every AA has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake.* /- Twelve Steps ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 3, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Action Action is the magic word! With a positive, helpful attitude and regular AA action, I can stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety. My attitude now is that I am willing to go to any length to stay sober!* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 161 320 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The Three A's .. Awareness, Acceptance, Action.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**ccountable **A**ctions. ** *A Member Shares: Hi Family, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 2, 2014* *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 . . .* *Walk softly and carry a Big Book.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *S T E P S* = **S**olutions **T**hro ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 1, 2014* *The Tyrant* *The truth is, that in the life of each AA member, there still lurks a tyrant. His name is alcohol.  And his weapons are misery, insanity, and death. No matter how long we may be sober, he always stands at each man's elbow, ever watchful of an opportunity to resume his destruction.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 34 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes sobriety for granted.* *AA-rel ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 31, 2014* *Fear* *When I face a fear, I am given courage; when I support a brother or sister, my capacity to love myself is increased; when I accept pain as part of the growing experience of life, I realize a greater happiness; when I look at my dark side, I am brought into new light; when I accept my vulnerability and surrender to a Higher Power, I am graced with unforeseen strength.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 62 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A fear faced is a f ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 30, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Growing Up in AA Life is meant to be lived by facing the challenges it brings.  Otherwise, I'm not living, just existing. God didn't give me this gift of sobriety to sit in a rocking chair, imagining myself as some old wise woman who has arrived somewhere. There is no easier, softer way.* /- The Best Of The Grapevine/ [Vol.3], p. 320 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional, growing sp ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 29, 2014* *Honesty* *I know the biggest word for me in AA is "honesty." I don't believe this program would work for me if I didn't get honest with myself about everything. Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand because it is the exact opposite of what I've been doing all my life. Therefore, it will be the hardest to work on. But I will never be totally honest -- that would make me perfect, and none of us can claim to be perfect. Only God is.* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 28, 2014* *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 me the tools to construct a ladder, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 27, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ How It Works Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. . . . 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 sta ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 27, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ How It Works Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. . . . 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 sta ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 26, 2014* *Emotional Sobriety* *Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for top approval, perfect security, and perfect romance -- urges quite appropriate to age seventeen -- prove to be an impossible way of life when we are at age forty-seven or fifty-seven. Since AA began, I've taken immense wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually. My God, how painful it is to keep demanding the impossible, and how very p ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 25, 2014* *Expectations* *Peace is possible for me only when I let go of expectations. When I am trapped in thoughts about what I want and what should be coming to me, I'm in a state of fear or anxious anticipation and this is not conducive to emotional sobriety. I must surrender -- over and over -- to my dependence on God, for then I find peace, gratitude and spiritual security.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 197 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *My disappointments are ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 23, 2014* *Helping Others* *We realize now that we were excessively self-centered, chiefly concerned about /our/ feelings, /our/ problems, other people's reactions to /us,/ and /our/ own past and future. Therefore, trying to get into communication with and help other people is a recovery measure for us, because it helps take us out of ourselves. Trying to heal ourselves by helping others works, even when it is an insincere gesture. Try it some time.* /- Living S ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 23, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ A New Life When we work at our Twelve Steps, the old life of guzzling and fuzzy thinking, and all that goes with it, gradually dies, and we acquire a different and better way of life. As our shortcomings are removed, one of us dies, and another life of us lives. We in AA die to live.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 156 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = ** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 22, 2014* *Humility* *The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA's Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. . . Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 70 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of my self less. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 21, 2014* *Today* *But today is always here.  Life /is/ daily; today is all we have; and anybody can go one day without drinking. First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works. Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24-hour segments is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well. * /- Living Sober,/ p. 7 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Just for today, I choose not to d ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 21, 2014* *Today* *But today is always here.  Life /is/ daily; today is all we have; and anybody can go one day without drinking. First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works. Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24-hour segments is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well. * /- Living Sober,/ p. 7 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Just for today, I choose not to d ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 20, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Instincts Creation gave us instincts for a purpose.  Without them we wouldn't be complete human beings. . . Yet, these instincts, so necessary for our existence, often far exceed their proper functions. . . Nearly every serious emotional problem can be seen as a case of misdirected instinct. When that happens, our great natural assets, the instincts, have turned into physical and mental liabilities.* /- Twelve Steps and T ...Continue Reading

Dear Gentle Reader, Please excuse the error in our previous message. The text is from /The Home Group: Heartbeat Of AA,/ p. 69. In loving service and fellowship, joanna b. *AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 19, 2014* *Requirements* *What if the doors to AA could really be locked against me? What if it was possible to take away my membership? Maybe because I hadn't paid my dues, or because I didn't meet some ethical or ethnic standards, or maybe because I "broke the rules" by going out an ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 19, 2014* *Requirements* *What if the doors to AA could really be locked against me? What if it was possible to take away my membership? Maybe because I hadn't paid my dues, or because I didn't meet some ethical or ethnic standards, or maybe because I "broke the rules" by going out and getting drunk, as I have a few times during my long association with the Fellowship? But then I recall the Preamble, and the Third Tradition . . . "The only require ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 18, 2014* *Fundamental* *Deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there.  For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself. * /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 55 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *People of faith have a logical idea of what life is ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 17, 2014* *Sponsorship* *Every sponsor is necessarily a leader.  The stakes are huge. A human life and usually the happiness of a whole family hang in the balance. What a sponsor does and says, how well he estimates the reactions of his prospect, . . . how well he handles criticisms, and how well he leads his prospect on by personal spiritual example -- well, these attributes of leadership can make all the difference, often the difference between life and d ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 16, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Freedom We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ pp. 83-84 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H J F** = **H**appy, **J**oyous, **F**ree. ** *A Member Shares: I'm Bobbie Jo ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 15, 2014* *Complacency* *Following the principles laid out in the Big Book has not always been comfortable, nor will I claim perfection. I have yet to find a place in the Big Book that says, "Now that you have completed the Steps; have a nice life." The program is a plan for a lifetime of daily living. There have been occasions when the temptation to slack off has won. I view each of these as learning opportunities.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 317 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 14, 2014* *Turning Points* *Every day I stand at turning points. My thoughts and actions can propel me toward growth or turn me down the road to old habits and to booze. Sometimes turning points are beginnings, as when I decide to start praising, instead of condemning someone. . . At other times turning points are endings, such as when I see clearly the need to stop festering resentments or crippling self-seeking.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 15 *Thought to Pond ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 13, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Step Seven* /"Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."/ *To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 73 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Humility is not thinkin ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 12, 2014* *Anonymity* *It should be a privilege, even the right, of each member or group to handle anonymity as they wish. . . Each individual will have to decide where he ought to draw the line -- how far he ought to carry the principle in his own affairs, how far he may go in dropping his own anonymity without injury to Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 15 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Anonymity is real humility at work.* *AA- ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 11, 2014* *Here-and-Now* *The nondrinking alcoholic discovers in AA that you cannot Get Ahead until you learn to be Here. We discover from our Serenity Prayer that one of the things we cannot change is time. The Here-and-Now is the only reality, whereas in the unreal world of the drinking alcoholic there was only yesterday-and-tomorrow.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 113 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Tomorrow, and all the tomorrows to come, are but extensions of ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 10, 2014* *Ego* *I am still arrogant, egocentric, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times, but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman. Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA. The word "alcoholic" does not turn me off any more; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 382 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The ego seeks the destination; the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 9, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Acceptance And acceptance is the answer to /all/ my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 417 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *My serenity is directly prop ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 8, 2014* *Humility* *On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility: "Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble.  It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 7, 2014* *"If"* *Alcoholism respects no ifs.  It does not go away, not for a week, for a day, or even for an hour, leaving us nonalcoholic and able to drink again on some special occasion, or for some extraordinary reason -- not even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, or if a big sorrow hits us, or if it rains in Spain or the stars fall on Alabama. Alcoholism is for us unconditional, with no dispensations available at any price.* /- Living ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 6, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Higher Power Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress.  If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better that anything we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter your present circumstances.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 1 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 5, 2014* *Character-building* *Whenever we had to choose between character and comfort, the character-building was lost in the dust of our chase after what we thought was happiness. Seldom did we look at character-building as something desirable in itself, something we would like to strive for whether our instinctual needs were met or not. We never thought of making honesty, tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of living.* /- Twelve Steps and ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 4, 2014* *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 we can ever know.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 37 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I have learned how a heart full of gratitude feels.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *T H I N K* = **T**he **H**appiness **I** **N**ever **K**new. Thanks to all of you for ...Continue Reading

a *AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 3, 2014* *Choice* *Like so many, I do not always surrender completely; I allow the cares and worries of the day to distort my thinking. But as soon as I get back on the right track, I realize I have everything I need. Whatever problems confront me, large or small, they can be solved wisely. Or they can be solved my way.  The choice is mine.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 60 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The solution is simple.  The solution is spiritua ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 2, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Self-esteem In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened. So we were "burned up." . . .  Was it our self-esteem, our security, our ambitions, our personal, or sex relations, which had been interfered with? . . . We went back through our lives.  Nothing counted but thoroughness and honesty.* /- Alcoholics An ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 1, 2014* *Challenges* *There is no easier, softer way. To bring the great escape act into sobriety is to travel with a companion that led me to despair long ago. The teaching I receive in Alcoholics Anonymous about courage and love helps me to continue to grapple with the challenges of life as they are given to me, one day at a time.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 320 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle r ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 30, 2014* *Radical Formula* *We AA's tried out a radical and old-time formula, one rather out of fashion nowadays, and it had worked.  "We admitted we were powerless -- that our lives had become unmanageable." and "we made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to God /as we understood Him."/ Every one of us who could make and fairly well maintain this humbling admission and sweeping decision had found relief from obsession and ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 29, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Meditation Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of the first fruits is emotional balance.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Tr ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 29, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Meditation Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of the first fruits is emotional balance.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Tr ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 28, 2014* *Progress* *Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen.  When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 100 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Walk softly and carry a Big Book.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *G O D* = **G**ood **O**rderly **D**irection. Thanks to all of ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 27, 2014* *New Friends* *I had found friends -- understanding friends who often knew what I was thinking and feeling better than I knew myself -- and who didn't allow me to retreat into my prison of loneliness and fear over a fancied slight or hurt. Talking things over with them, great floods of enlightenment showed me myself as I really was -- and I was like them.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ pp. 206-207 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A friend is one who sees throu ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 26, 2014* *Now* *Now is the time, the only time there is. And if we are not kind to ourselves right now, we certainly cannot rightfully expect respect or consideration from others. We have found we can enjoy, sober, every good thing we enjoyed while drinking -- and many, many more. It takes a little practice, but the rewards more than make up for the effort. . . Unless we cherish our own recovery, we cannot survive to become unselfish, ethical, and socially resp ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 25, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 115 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What have I been given today Am I willing to reach out and grasp it?* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **W H O** = **W**illingness, **H**onesty, **O**pen-mindedness. ** *A Member Shares: Hi all, Claudia here, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 24, 2014* *24-hour Plan* *Getting away from the pull of the first drink is like putting a space vehicle in orbit. It takes a lot of thrust to overcome the pull of gravity and get the vehicle off the ground. But once it gets in orbit, all that's required is a small correction from time to time. That's how the 24-hour plan works -- a small daily checkup and correction to keep us away from the pull of that first drink. The 24-hour plan is a discipline whose yield i ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 23, 2014* *Inner Resource* *I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills -- it is the un-suspected Inner Resource. . . I trust it today and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the right thought or action today.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 28 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I asked from the heart, and I received.* *AA- ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 22, 2014* *Rewards* *The rewards of sobriety are bountiful and as progressive as the disease they counteract. Certainly among these rewards for me are the release from the prison of uniqueness, and the realization that participation in the AA way of life is a blessing and a privilege beyond estimate -- a blessing to live a life free from the pain and degradation of drinking and filled with the joy of useful, sober living, and a privilege to grow in sobriety one ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 21, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Why AA? Life will take on new meaning.  To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 89 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Every recovery, though it may go unnoticed, improves the world in some way.* *AA-related 'Alconym' ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 20, 2014* *Fact* */The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink./* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 24 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The first drink h ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 19, 2014* *Character Defects* *If I drew a line between active alcoholism on one side and life as God wants me to live and has equipped me to on the other, then I'm somewhere in the middle, striving toward the ideal. If I allow my character defects to rule my life again and forget the AA program, forget where the power to change for the better comes from, I will, in the long run, inevitably drink again.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 187 *Thought ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 18, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Faith We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was a part of our make-up, just as the feeling we have for a friend. Sometimes we had to search fearlessly, but He was there. He was as much a fact as we were.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 55 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **F A I T H** = **F**inding **A**nswers **I**n **T**he **H**ear ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 17, 2014* *Changing* *I am changing, and there are more like me starting this process every day, so AA must be changing. Yet the process and direction in which we are moving is the same. The more it changes, the more it stays the same. . . This Fellowship is like a diamond whose message flashes toward me every time I hold it up to the light and turn it around.* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p. 182 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Times change, alcoholism doesn't.* *AA ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 16, 2014* *Solitude* *In solitude, we take our inventories. In solitude, we admit to ourselves the exact nature of our wrongs. In solitude, our spirits seek that Power greater than we are; in solitude, we seek through prayer and meditation to be aware of God's will for us. . . We are alone, but not lonely.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 109 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *An open heart is never a lonely one.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *G R A C E* = **G**ently * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 15, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Miracles How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute and hopelessness? The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us, they can happen with you. Should you wish them above all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure they will come. The age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 153 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Don't giv ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 14, 2014* *Stay Here* *If you want to Get Ahead with any degree of peace, you must first learn to Stay Here. It takes guts to Stay Here; it takes self-discipline and resolution. Anyone with a one-track mind can Get Ahead. . . But to Stay Here, you must know where you are before you can know where you are going. You must seek before you can find, and you must ask before you really learn to seek. It takes humility to ask, patience to wait for the answer, and faith ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 14, 2014* *Stay Here* *If you want to Get Ahead with any degree of peace, you must first learn to Stay Here. It takes guts to Stay Here; it takes self-discipline and resolution. Anyone with a one-track mind can Get Ahead. . . But to Stay Here, you must know where you are before you can know where you are going. You must seek before you can find, and you must ask before you really learn to seek. It takes humility to ask, patience to wait for the answer, and faith ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 13, 2014* *A New Direction* *Where my life had been full of mental turmoil there is now an ever-increasing depth of calmness. Where there was a hit or miss attitude toward living there is now new direction and force.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 134 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**ttitude **A**djustment. Thanks to all of you ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 12, 2014* *Defects* *We shall have to come to grips with some of our worst character defects and take action toward their removal as quickly as we can.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 69 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Make a change, move a muscle.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *S W A T* = **S**urrender, **W**illingness, **A**ction, **T**rust. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA messa ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 11, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Powerlessness Every newcomer in AA is told, and soon learns for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ pp. 72-73 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Learning is the very essence of humility; the two walk hand in hand.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **O D A A T** = **O**ne **D**ay **A**t **A** **T**ime. ** *A ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 10, 2014* *Action* *In shame and despair, I went to my first AA meeting. By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgment, and criticism, and instead to listen and hear. I heard someone say that AA works for those who work for it, those who put /action/ into the program. . . I heard that I should forget about yesterday and instead concentrate on today and staying away from the first drink today -- now. I tried it and it worked.* /- Came T ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 9, 2014* *Responsibility* *We found that all progress, material or spiritual, consisted of finding out what our responsibilities actually were and then proceeding to do something about them.  These activities began to pay off. We found that we didn't always have to be /driven/ by our own discomforts as, more willingly, we picked up the burdens of living and growing.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 329 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I am responsible for the ...Continue Reading