*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

*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

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 21, 2013* *Faith* *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 . . .* *Faith is mighty.  Action with faith is mi ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 20, 2013* *Simple* *One day, after sitting alone, soaked in tears and feeling empty, worthless, and crippled in the smallest task, I reached out and gave my phone number to someone else -- they were hurting, too. In that simplest of acts, my world changed. I thank AA for helping me live my life instead of my regrets.* - The AA Grapevine, July 2007 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Trust God.  Clean house.  Help others.* *AA-related 'A ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 19, 2013* *Prayer* *If you have a resentment you want to be free of, if you will pray for the person or the thing you want to be free of, you will be free. If you ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free. Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness, and you will be free. Even when you don't really want it for them and your prayers are only words and you don't mean it, go ahead and do i ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 18, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Growing Up Regardless of worldly success or failure, regardless of pain or joy, regardless of sickness or health or even of death itself, a new life of endless possibilities can be lived if we are willing to continue our awakening, through the practice of AA's Twelve Steps.* /- As Bill Sees it,/ p. 8 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Trying to grow oak trees that won't blow over when the winds come takes tim ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 17, 2013* *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.* /- Living Sober,/ preface *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Learn to change, change to learn.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 16, 2013* *Grace* *May we never forget that we live by the grace of God -- on borrowed time; that anonymity is better than acclaim; that for us as a movement poverty is better than wealth. And may we reflect with ever deepening conviction, that we shall never be at our best except when we hew to the primary spiritual aim of AA.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 83 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The will of God will never take me where the grac ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 15, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Relations It is from our twisted relations with family, friends and society at large that many of us have suffered the most. We have been especially stupid and stubborn about them.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 53 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Ask yourself, "What would an adult do in this situation?"* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**ltered **A**ttitudes. ** *A Member ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 14, 2013* *Willingness* *We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to define or comprehend that Power, which is God.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 46 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Minds are like parachutes ~ they won't work unless they're open.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *September 13, 2013* *Fear * *Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn't go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn't fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse. Perhaps there is a better way -- we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 68 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A fear faced is a fear erased ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 15, 2013* *Discovery* *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 for those who suffer from alcoholism.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 17 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 14, 2013* *Good Idea* *The first step toward feeling better, and getting over our sickness is quite simply not drinking. Try the idea on for size. Wouldn't you rather have a health condition which can be successfully treated, than spend a lot of time miserably wondering what's wrong with you?* /- Living Sober,/ p. 10 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Make a change, move a muscle.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**chieve **A**nything. Thanks to all of you ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 13, 2013* *Forgiveness* *I must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matter of form, but in my heart. I do this not for the other persons' sake, but for my own sake. Resentment, anger, or a desire to see someone punished, are things that rot my soul. Such things fasten my troubles to me with chains.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 88 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Forgiveness is the final form of love.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *T G I F* = **T**hank **G** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 12, 2013* *Release* *Joining AA released me from my most self-destructive patterns and gave me direction in day-to-day living. AA encouraged me to continually seek growth in maturity, improve my relations with others, and seek God's will for me.* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p. 170 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I listen for direction now.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**wesome. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experie ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 11, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ A New Attitude We have ceased fighting anything or anyone -- even alcohol. For by this time sanity has returned. We can now react sanely and normally, and we find that this new attitude toward liquor is really a gift of God.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 121 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**ltered **A**ttitudes. * A Mem ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 10, 2013* *Gratitude* *Sometimes, I've lacked the discernment to be grateful, and I see this now. . . Often in the past, my prayers for help have been answered in ways that I have not recognized as answers. Indeed, I have cursed my fate instead of thanking God. I have prayed and prayed, sometimes in desperation, but I haven't thanked Him as much as I've implored Him.* The AA Grapevine, September, 1979 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Gratitude has to be /practiced. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 9, 2013* *Paradox #4* *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 life of us dies, and another life of us lives. We in AA die to live.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 156 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *We surrender to win; we give away to keep; we suffer to get well; we die to live. * *AA-re ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 8, 2013* *Paradox #3* *There is no way to escape the terrible /suffering/ of remorse and regret and shame and embarrassment which starts us on the road to getting well from our affliction. There is no new way to shake off a hangover. It's painful. And for us, necessarily so. . . . We suffer to get well.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ p. 156 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *We suffer to get well.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *N O W* = **N**o **O**ther **W**ay ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 7, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Principles Before Personalities We of AA 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.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 192 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The Steps are there to protect me from myself; the Traditions are there to protect AA from me ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 6, 2013* *Paradox #2* *How can you keep anything if you give it away? It seems absurd and untrue. But in order to keep whatever it is we get in AA, we must go about giving it away to others, for no fee or rewards of any kind. When we cannot afford to give away what we have received so freely in AA, we had better get ready for our next "drunk." It will happen every time. We've got to continue giving it away in order to keep it.* /- Experience, Strengt ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 5, 2013* *Paradox #1* *On the face of it, /surrendering/ certainly does not seem like /winning./ But it is in AA. Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish sobriety, which we could never accomplish before. We must, and we do, surrender in order to win.* /- Experience, Strength and Hope,/ pp. 155-1 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 4, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Change 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 . . .* *In order to change the way I feel, I need to change the way I act.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **F E E L** = **F**eel, **E**xperience, **E**xpress, **L**et go. * A Member Shares: Hello. I'm ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 3, 2013* *Faith* *If all I have is a dollar in my pocket and I'm at a meeting, logic tells me to save it for myself for later. If I give it to AA, and have faith in the process, it will come back to me in ways I can't even imagine. Spirituality is not based on logic, it is faith-driven. Faith makes the impossible possible.* The AA Grapevine, September 2005 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Faith dares the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see.* *AA-related 'Alcon ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 2, 2013* *A New Beginning* *I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here. I could not start anywhere else. I had to let go of the past and forget the future. As long as I held on to the past with one hand and grabbed at the future with the other hand, I had nothing to hold on to today with. So I had to begin here, now.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 46 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *If I have the courage to begin, I have the courage to ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *August 1, 2013* *Fellowship* *In AA, afflicted men and woman have recaptured the lost art of fellowship. We came together because we were in trouble. We leave our references and credentials at the door. We learn that we can recover from this trouble through the most powerful remedy in the world for sick souls -- the face-to-face relation, respect for one another as human beings, and the right to live well as complete persons.* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p. 58 *Thoug ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 31, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Promises We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us -- sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 84 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *It works ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 30, 2013* *Merry-Go-Round* *I began to feel like a clown juggling too many balls. Each ball represented a problem I was keeping up in the air. My arms were weary and I knew I couldn't keep on much longer, but I was not about to give up. My pride and ego wouldn't let me. Bosses, judges, co-workers, lawyers, car notes, bar tabs, loan sharks . . . I looked to all these as the source of my problems, while overlooking the most basic problem: my drinking and myself. I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 30, 2013* *Merry-Go-Round* *I began to feel like a clown juggling too many balls. Each ball represented a problem I was keeping up in the air. My arms were weary and I knew I couldn't keep on much longer, but I was not about to give up. My pride and ego wouldn't let me. Bosses, judges, co-workers, lawyers, car notes, bar tabs, loan sharks . . . I looked to all these as the source of my problems, while overlooking the most basic problem: my drinking and myself. I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 29, 2013* *Laughter* *Once we recognize self-pity for what it is, we can start doing something about it other than drink. . . Some of the biggest belly laughs at AA meetings erupt when a member describes his or her own latest orgy of self-pity, and we listeners find ourselves looking into a fun-house mirror. There we are -- grown men and women tangled up in the emotional diaper of an infant. It can be a shock, but the shared laughter takes the pain out of it.* / ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 28, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Step Four 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. Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are. . . Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 27, 2013* *Priceless* *One looks in one's mirror to powder, shave, or admire. But the good AA is apt to look deeper. Every morning he gives thanks for a sober countenance. . . At nightfall he takes another look, saying, "Well, my friend, how did we do today? Thanks be to thee for the privilege of living." Thus the AA's mirror reflects not rouge, but gratitude; not conceit, but humility; not froth, but reality. It reflects a priceless experience.* /- Th ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 26, 2013* *Truth* *As I began to look more closely, I noticed serious flaws: I was an alcoholic; I was neurotic; I was brimful of character defects. But these were things that, in time and with help, could be dealt with. No longer did I have to run with nightmarish terror from an inner monster. I had seen the truth, and the truth had freed me to do less hiding and more seeking.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 134 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The effor ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 25, 2013* *Self-centeredness* *A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once. Rebellion dogs our every step at first. When we have finally admitted without reservation that we are powerless over alcohol, we are apt to breathe a great sigh of relief, saying, "Well, thank God that's over! I'll never have to go through /that/ again!" Then we learn, often to our consternation, that this is only the first milestone on the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 24, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Expectations How amazing the revelation that the world, and everyone in it, can get along just fine with or without me. What a relief to know that people, places and things will be perfectly okay without my control and direction.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 51 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Expectations are premeditated resentments.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **S I T** = **S**tay **I**n **T**oday. * A Membe ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 23, 2013* *Relationships* *I have learned how to be a friend, a gentleman, be honest, communicate, go on dates, and not take myself too seriously. I thought the whole time I was on a search to find the perfect lover or relationship. What I have found is a deeper relationship with myself and my Higher Power. I see I am not the unworthy, inferior, awkward teenager I once felt I was. I am a sober man, a child of God. And each day I get the opportunity to show mysel ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 22, 2013* *Changing* *Alcoholics Anonymous 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. . . There are always parts of the first five chapters in the Big Book that seem new to me. 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 . . .* *When I change ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 21, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ 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. * A Member Shares: My name is Hope, alcoholic. Sometimes I feel "in the g ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 20, 2013* *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 fe ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 19, 2013* *Honesty* *I always thought honesty had something to do with telling other people the truth. I spent most of my life worrying about myself, thinking that I was unwanted, unloved. I've learned since being in AA that the more I worry about me loving you, and the less I worry about you loving me, the happier I will be. . . I have learned that the more I give, the more I will have; the more I learn to give, the more I learn to live.* /- Experience, Strengt ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 18, 2013* *Responsibility* *Newcomers are approaching AA at the rate of tens of thousands yearly. They represent almost every belief and attitude imaginable. We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture and religion. In AA we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a common suffering. . . . Let us not, therefore, pressure anyone with our individual or even our collective views. Let us instead accord each other the resp ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 17, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ House Cleaning Somehow, being alone with God doesn't seem as embarrassing as facing up to another person. Until we actually sit down and talk aloud about what we have so long hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largely theoretical. When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 60 *Thought to P ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 16, 2013* *Forgiveness* *Forgiving and condemnation 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 and others, by identifying. The willingness to make amends will grow from this act of love. When I become "willing to make amends to them all" I am saying to them, "your pain is my pain; when I hurt you, I hurt myself; I will try not to hurt you anymore.& ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 15, 2013* *Highway to Humility* *As I get down to my right size and stature, my self-concern and importance become amusing. Then faith grows that I do have a place on this Highway; that I can advance upon it with deepening peace and confidence. Once more I know that God is good; that I fear no evil. This is a great gift, this knowledge that I do have a destiny.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 259 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Humility is not a station we arrive ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 14, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Rigorous Honesty Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer? . . . . . . No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect -- unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself.* /- Twelve Steps and Twel ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 13, 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 life, one foot in a bucket ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 12, 2013* *The Lesson* *Within the Fellowship, I could learn about myself and be prepared to accept what I found. I learned in the Fellowship that if others could accept me and love me as I was, then I should love myself as I was -- not for what I was, but for what I could become.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 3 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I have learned how a heart full of gratitude feels.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**ware. Thanks to ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 11, 2013* *Bankruptcy* *No other kind of bankruptcy is like this one. Alcohol, now become the rapacious creditor, bleeds us of all self-sufficiency and all will to resist its demands. Once this stark fact is accepted, our bankruptcy as going human concerns is complete. But upon entering AA we soon take quite another view of this absolute humiliation. We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength.* / ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 10, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Getting Involved I understand that service is a vital part of recovery but I often wonder, "What can I do?" I look around to see where there is a need. . . Suddenly, I'm involved! The best speaker may make the worst coffee; the member who's best with newcomers may be unable to read; the one willing to clean up may make a mess of the bank account -- these people and jobs are essential to an active gr ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 9, 2013* *Pride* *We alcoholics return to drink far more often because of petty difficulties than because of life's serious setbacks and tragedies. For God to remove our shortcomings, we need to identify the defect for what it is. Thus we attain the humility required by Step Seven. And certainly the most difficult fault to see in ourselves is pride, aptly termed the first deadly sin.* /The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 208 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Swall ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 8, 2013* *Humility* *Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity. This improved perception of humility starts another revolutionary change in our outlook. Our eyes begin to open to the immense values which have come straight out of painful ego-puncturing.* /Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 74 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Humility is not a station we arrive ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 7, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Surrender 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 . . .* *Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **S W A T** = **S**urrender, **W**illingness, **A**ction, **T**rust. * A Member Shares: My name is Lance and I ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 6, 2013* *This Precious Gift* *None of us can ever fathom the glories and the uncharted regions of the universe. But we /can/ live on earth and love one another. We can let in the beginnings of /concern, compassion, consideration,/ and watch ourselves grow. With the tools and guideposts of Alcoholics Anonymous, we can learn a little of this precious gift -- our gateway to human spirituality.* /Came to Believe . . .,/ p. 120 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The Three ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 5, 2013* *Today* *Today my thoughts are not consumed with craving for the next drink or regret for the damage I did on the last drunk. Today I reside among the living, no better, no worse than any of God's children. Today I look in the mirror when putting on my makeup and smile, rather than shy away from looking myself in the eye. Today I fit in my skin. I am at peace with myself and the world around me.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 318 *Thought to Ponder . . .* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 4, 2013* *Firecrackers* *When we first go into AA we are firecrackers with short wicks and when those short wicks get lighted with resentment or self-pity or any of the things that cause us to go off on a tangent, it doesn't take long before we explode. The longer we go to meetings, the longer the wick becomes.* /Thank You for Sharing,/ p. 61 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Meetings ... a spiritual gathering with a spiritual goal.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *K C ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 3, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Fear I no longer pray to have my fear removed. Today, I pray that my love grow bigger than my fear, and that my humility becomes greater than my shame.* The AA Grapevine, May, 1999 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *A fear faced is a fear erased.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **F E A R** = **F**ace **E**verything **A**nd **R**ecover. * A Member Shares: Hiya, AA Family, I'm Peyton, a grateful alcoholic. Back when I w ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 2, 2013* *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.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 417 *Thought to Pond ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 1, 2013* *The Mask* *Sometimes, I don't even realize that I'm thinking about alcohol when I'm justifying resentments, enjoying self-pity, or nourishing fear. Because I'm an alcoholic, that's exactly what I'm doing, and AA makes those connections for me. I need AA to strip the mask from alcohol. There it lurks behind my character defects and negative feelings -- "cunning, baffling, powerful!"* The AA Grapevine, November 2004, p. 47 *Thought to Ponder . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 30, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ The "If" Trap 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 availabl ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 29, 2013* *Challenges* *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 wise old woman who has arrived somewhere. There is no easier, softer way.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 3], p. 320 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Courage is fear in action.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *G I F T* = **G**od **I**s **F**oreve ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 28, 2013* *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, st ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 26, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Fellowship 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 . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H E A R T** = **H**ealing, **E**njoying, **A**nd ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 25, 2013* *No Reservations* *We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: "Once and 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 I think I am an alcoholic, chances ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 24, 2013* *The Journey* *Sobriety is a journey of joyful discovery. Each day brings new experience, awareness, greater hope, deeper faith, broader tolerance. I must maintain these attributes or I will have nothing to pass on. Great events for this recovering alcoholic are the normal everyday joys found in being able to live another day in God's grace.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 126 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Sobriety is a journey, not a destination.* *AA-relat ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 23, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Powerlessness Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness. It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 21 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircas ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 22, 2013* *Sponsorship* *A sponsor is simply a sober alcoholic who can help solve only one problem: how to stay sober. And the sponsor has only one tool to use -- personal experience, not scientific wisdom. Sponsors have /been/ there, and they often have more concern, hope, compassion, and confidence for us than we have for ourselves.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 27 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Don't look for a sponsor, listen for one.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *S ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 21, 2013* *Self-awareness* *Everyone has the capacity for growth, and for self-awareness, through an honest encounter with reality. When I don't avoid issues but meet them directly, always trying to resolve them, they become fewer and fewer.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 100 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Few people have the imagination to see reality.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**ware. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 20, 2013* *A Whole New Life* *There's nothing remarkable about being an alcoholic. We're a dime a dozen. the good word is that we're /sober/ alcoholics. I'm an alcoholic, sober today, thanks to my Higher Power and the fellowship of AA. That's my good news for you. It's not a very fancy statement. There's a lot more to be said -- words about my Higher Power, about the incredible love AA people have for one another, about struggling with the Steps, about black bat ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 19, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Growing Up /It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make a beginning./ I saw that growth could start from that point.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 12 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I stood in the sunlight at last.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **H O W** = **H**onesty, **O**pen-mindedness, **W**illingness. * A Member Shares: I'm Thomas, ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 18, 2013* *Hope* *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,/ p. 354 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *If I don't drink today, I have the hope of a tomorrow.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H O P E* = **H**eart **O* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 17, 2013* *Concepts* *Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. . . /Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable./* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 568 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Every recovery, though it may go unnoticed, improves the world in some way.* * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 16, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Faith We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality is the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 68 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Faith dares the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **F A I T H** = **F**ear **A**nd **I**nsecurity? **T**rust **H**im! * A Member Shares ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 15, 2013* *Make Coffee* *All I thought about as I was making the coffee was making the coffee and how people can enjoy it. At my sponsor's suggestion, I stood near the coffeepot and welcomed everyone who came by. I must have experienced a million smiles in a very short time. And when I pushed the broom all I concentrated on was the dust rising from it as I moved across the floor. My troubles were gone for the time that I was doing these things. And so it can be ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 14, 2013* *Self-pity* *Poor little old me. I had the Ploms and almost died from them. Sober, I would probably have survived with a few new scars on an already badly dented ego, and my life would have been a different one. Yet I had survived many a maudlin drinking bout without resorting to suicide attempts. It was alcohol /plus/ the Ploms that almost did me in.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 27 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Self-pity is followed by is ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 13, 2013* *A Simple Contrast* *The simple contrast between active alcoholism and active sobriety has helped me to seek, to listen, and to apply the good principles of living, and I am rewarded with much more excitement and joy than was mine before AA sobriety. By accepting this sobriety gratefully, as a gift, and using it willingly, I have become aware of other gifts available to me as a human being. To get the benefits, I need only to ask and then use.* /- Came ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 12, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Allergy The tyrant alcohol wielded a double-edged sword over us: first we were smitten by an insane urge that condemned us to go on drinking, and then by an allergy of the body that insured we would ultimately destroy ourselves in the process. Few indeed were those who, so assailed, had ever won through in singlehanded combat.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 22 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Withi ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 11, 2013* *Courage* *The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 68 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Courage is fear in action.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *F A I T H* = **F**inding **A**nswers ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 10, 2013* *Belonging* *We discover -- but can hardly dare to believe right at first -- that /we are not alone./ We are /not/ totally unlike /everybody,/ after all. The brittle shell of protective and fearful egocentricity we have dwelled in so long is cracked open by the honesty of other recovered alcoholics. We sense, almost before we can articulate it, that we do belong somewhere, and the loneliness starts rapidly leaking away.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 34 *Thoug ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 9, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Online Taking advantage of technological advances, for example, AA members with computers can participate in meetings online, sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country or around the world.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. xxiv *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Modem-to modem or face-to-face, AA's speak the language of the heart in all its power and simplicity.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**lwa ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 8, 2013* *Expectations* *Until I could look at myself and see that I was the problem in many situations and react appropriately inside and out; until I could discard my expectations and understand that my serenity was directly proportional to them, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 71 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Expectations are premeditated resentments.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *G R A C E* = **G**ently **R**ele ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 7, 2013* *Tornado!* *The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring through the lives of others. Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil. We feel a man is unthinking when he says sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don't see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain't it grand ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 6, 2013* *Step Six* /"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."/ *I picture my defects as leaves on a large branch extending from the trunk of a tree. The trunk is who I really am, the branch is the fear and the leaves are individual defects. Plucking the defective leaf off the branch may help for the moment, but eventually another leaf will grow back. Making changes at the branch will affect the entire tree.* - The AA Gra ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 5, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Progress We shall look for progress, not for perfection.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 91 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**ttitude **A**djustment. * A Member Shares: Hi, my name is Ana, and I am an alcoholic. When I was a little girl, I always felt I had to be perfect. I tried for years, and then it became even more difficult to ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 4, 2013* *Visualization* *Whenever I start climbing the walls for some reason -- usually because I'm unable to have things my way, like the behavior of my boss, my son's attitude, or even my country's politics -- I have an instant cure. I close my eyes and visualize one of the many moments of past horror and humiliation: waking up in the street, begging a stranger for money, talking my way into buying a bottle on credit, or (worst of all) trying to convince a do ...Continue Reading

*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