*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

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *June 1, 2013* *The Ladder* *No one who drank as I did wakes up on the edge of the abyss and says: Things look pretty scary; I think I'd better stop drinking before I fall in. I was convinced I could go as far as I wanted, and then climb back out when it wasn't fun anymore. What happened was I found myself at the bottom of the canyon thinking I'd never see the sun again. AA didn't pull me out of that hole. It did give me the tools to construct a ladder, with Twelve St ...Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 19, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Step Three* /"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him."/ *To every worldly and practical-minded beginner, this Step looks hard, even impossible. No matter how much one wishes to try, how /can/ he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is? Fortunately, we who have tried it, and with equal misgivings, can tes ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 18, 2013* *Persuasion* *Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 48 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H O W* = **H**onesty, **O**pen-mindedness, **W**illingness. Thanks to all ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 17, 2013* *Fact* */The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory and 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 has the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 17, 2013* *Fact* */The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory and 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 has the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 16, 2013* *Surprise!* *Somewhat to our surprise, staying sober turns out not to be the grim, wet-blanket experience we had expected! While we were drinking, a life without alcohol seemed like no life at all. but for most members of AA, living sober is /really/ living -- a joyous experience. We much prefer it to the troubles we had with drinking. One more note: anyone can /get/ sober. We have done it lots of times. The trick is to stay and /live/ sober. That is wh ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 15, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Anger If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the sudden rage were not for us. Anger is dubious luxury of normal men, but for us it is poison.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 5 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Anger is the wind that blows out the light of reason. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **A A** = **A***void **A**nger. * A Member Shares: I'm Erin, and I'm an alcoholic. This topic seems like a loa ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 14, 2013* *Character Defects* *If I drew a line between active alcoholism on one side and life as God wants me to live it 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) *May 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.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 88 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *To be forgiven we must forgive.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *T U F* = **T**olerance, **U**nderstanding, **F**orgiveness. Thanks to all of you for ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 12, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ A New Freedom If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. 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.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 83 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 11, 2013* *Responsibility* *As a recovering alcoholic I need only have two concerns. The first is to maintain my sobriety on a daily basis and to practice the program of AA one day at a time. The second is to ensure that what was here yesterday will be here tomorrow for the next alcoholic who walks through the doors of this Fellowship. And for that I am responsible.* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p. 181 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life didn't end when I got sober -- ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 10, 2013* *Honesty* *Having trouble with the First Step? Relax. All the program asks is enough honesty to get started -- just what you are capable of at the moment. At the beginning, that's very little honesty. Each day, there will be a little more. It will come. Because, you see, the AA program works for anyone who wants it.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 2], p. 34 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Easy Does It.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *O D A A T* = **O** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 9, 2013* *Laughter* *Then I began to see the miracles that happen only in AA. People who would nearly crawl in the doors, sick and broken, and who in a few weeks of meetings and not drinking one day at a time would get their health back, find a little job and friends who cared, and then discover a God in their lives. But the most compelling part of AA, the part that made me want to try this sober thing, was the laughter, the pure joy of the laughter that I heard ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 8, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Belief "Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see."* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 3 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I came; I came to; I came to believe. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **A B C** = **A***cceptance, **B**elief, **C**hange. * A Member Shares: Joannie here and I am an alcoholic. When I first came to Alcoholics Anonymous I had no idea there would be a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 7, 2013* *The /Possible/ Dream* *Perfection would limit me; imperfection offers me the freedom of a million potentials. All the excitement and interest and wonder of adventure are mine to explore, ever-new, ever-changing, ever becoming. Thank God, as a result of AA and sobriety, I am free from /dreaming/ the impossible dream and free, finally, to start /living/ the possible dream.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 61 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Give me ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 6, 2013* *Attitude* *I can wish the past never was, but if I change my actions in regard to what I have done, my attitude will change, I won't have to wish the past away. I can change my feelings and attitudes, but only through my actions and the help of my fellow alcoholics.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 141 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**ltered **A**ttitudes. Thanks to all ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 5, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Gratitude I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 37 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **A A** = **A***lways **A**live. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 4, 2013* *Today* *Today is the day. Doing our best to the fullest is the art of living. Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether we will be here tomorrow. If we do a good job of living today, and if tomorrow comes for us, then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives -- so why worry about it?* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 357 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *What have I been given today? Am I willing to reach out and grasp it?* *AA-related 'Alconym' ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 3, 2013* *Footprints* *Stepping into the first footprint that led from the dismal swamp of alcoholism toward the sunlight of sobriety would not take me far enough. Would I muddle along on some little trail of my own in the weeds, vaguely paralleling the clearly marked AA trail? Or would I choose to follow in the exact footsteps of the AA's who had preceded? The choice was up to me. I could do either, but I had to cover the whole trail if I wanted to get where the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 2, 2013* *Step Five* */"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."/ 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 Ponder . . .* *Trust God. Clean house. Help others.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *H O P E* = **H**eart **O**pen; **P**lease **E**nter. Thanks to all of you for sharing so ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *May 1, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Step One Who cares to admit complete defeat? Practically no one, of course. 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 . . .* *If I think I a ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 30, 2013* *Choice* *The compulsion among most of us to survive and to grow soon becomes far stronger than the temptation to drink or to misbehave. Literally, we must "do or die." So we make the choice to live. This, in turn, means the choice of AA principles, practices, and attitudes that can salvage us from total disaster by insuring our sobriety. This is our first great and critical choice.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ pp. 301-302 *Thought to Ponder . . . ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 29, 2013* *Selfishness* *So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 62 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Into action, out of self.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *N O W* = **N**o **O* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 28, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Solitude There is no more aloneness, with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 276 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The stillness of God speaks louder than a choir of voices. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **Y A N A** = **Y***ou **A**re ***N***ot **A**lone. * * * A Member Shares: ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 27, 2013* *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 an 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**hrough * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 26, 2013* *Action* *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 To Believe . . .,/ p. 42 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I must walk into darkness to find the light.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lways **A**wesome. Thanks to all ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 25, 2013* *Pickles* *We are also convinced, after countless attempts to prove otherwise, that alcoholism is incurable -- just like some other illnesses. It cannot be "cured" in this sense: We cannot change our body chemistry and go back to being the normal, moderate social drinkers lots of us seemed to be in our youth. As some of us put it, we can no more make that change than a pickle can change itself back into a cucumber.* /Living Sober,/ p. 8 *Th ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 24, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Powerless We found that we were totally unable to be rid of the alcohol obsession until we first admitted that we were powerless over it.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 107 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *When I drink, my past becomes my future. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **S W A T** = **S***urrender, **W**illingness, ***A***ction, **T**rust. * * * A Member Shares: Hi, I'm Christine, and I'm an alcohol ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 23, 2013* *Fear* *At heart we had all been abnormally fearful. It mattered little whether we had sat on the shore of life drinking ourselves into forgetfulness or had plunged in recklessly and willfully beyond our depth and ability. The result was the same -- all of us had nearly perished in a sea of alcohol.* /Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ pp. 123-124 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.* *AA-related 'Alco ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 22, 2013* *Apples* *At a meeting, I had my first awakening in AA. The speaker said, "If you're an apple, you can be the best apple you can be, but you can never be an orange." I was an apple all right, and for the first time I understood that I had spent my life trying to be an orange. I looked around at a room filled with apples and, if I was understanding the speaker, most of them were no longer trying to be oranges.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 327 ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 21, 2013 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ The Promises 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 . . .* *The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **H O W** = **H***onesty, **O**pen-mindedness, ***W***illingness. * * * A Member Shares: My nam ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 20, 2013* *Paradox* *Such is the paradox of AA regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding a new one. But we of AA do not have to understand this paradox; we have only to be grateful for it.* /Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age,/ p. 46 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Paradox: We surrender to win; we give away to keep; we suffer to get well; we die to live.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 19, 2013* *Belonging* *There is no more aloneness, with that awful ache so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 276 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The sense of belonging is tremendously exciting ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 19, 2013* *Belonging* *There is no more aloneness, with that awful ache so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom.* /Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 276 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The sense of belonging is tremendously exciting ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 18, 2013* *Self-pity* *I try to practice tolerance in small ways, putting aside the little resentments, making light of that stealthy foe, self-pity, which will keep creeping in. I know if I succeed, then I'm more likely to beat that great big resentment which nothing has been able to pry from its roots deep in my soul* /Thank You For Sharing,/ pp. 42-43 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Resentment is like acid, eating away at the vessel it is stored in.* *AA-relate ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 17, 2013 *~ Scroll Down for Share ~* Self-forgiveness Some of us suffer extreme guilt because of vices or practices we can't or won't let go of. Too little self-forgiveness and too little prayer -- well, this combination adds up to slips.* /- As Bill Sees It,/ p. 99 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Forgiveness is the final form of love. AA-related 'Alconym' . . . **T G I F** = **T***hank* **G**od ***I***'m* **F***orgiven.* * * * A Member Shares: ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 16, 2013* *Children of Chaos* *Over the years, every conceivable deviation from our Twelve Steps and Traditions has been tried. This was sure to be, since we are so largely a band of ego-driven individuals. Children of chaos, we have defiantly played with every brand of fire, only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser.* /Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 146 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *When I change the way I look at things, the things I look at change. ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 15, 2013* *A Bridge to Trust* *Sponsorship is a bridge to trusting the human race, the very race we once resigned from. In learning to trust, we are strengthening our sobriety.* The AA Grapevine, February 1984, Vol. 40 No. 9 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Don't look for a sponsor, listen for one.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *S P O N S O R* = **S**ober, **P**ractical, **N**oble, **S**piritual, **O**pen-minded, **R**espectful. Thanks to all of you for sharing s ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 14, 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 . . .* *The Twelve ...Continue Reading

Dear Gentle Readers, the problem with the Daily Thought Server sending out the Daily Thought has been resolved. We again apologize for the inconvenience caused to you. We thank you, and are grateful for your patience, understanding, support and prayer during this frustrating time. *AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 13, 2013* *Reprieve* *It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cur ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 11, 2013* *Change* *It never occurred to us that we needed to change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were. But in AA, we slowly learned that something had to be done about our vengeful resentments, self-pity, and unwarranted pride. . . We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our /first/ need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 47 *Thought to Ponder . ...Continue Reading