THE KEYSTONE

He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good
ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of
the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to
freedom.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62

A keystone is the wedge-shaped piece at the highest part
of an arch that locks the other pieces in place. The
"other pieces" are Steps One, Two, and Four through
Twelve. In one sense this sounds like Step Three is the
most important Step, that the other eleven depend on
the third for support. In reality however, Step Three
is just one of twelve. It is the keystone, but without
eleven other stones to build the base and the arms,
keystone or not, there will be no arch. Through working
of all Twelve Steps, I find that triumphant arch waiting
for me to pass through to another day of freedom. ***********************************************************

As Bill Sees It

Two-Way Tolerance, p. 73

"Your point of view was once mine. Fortunately, A.A. is constructed
so that we need not debate the existence of God; but for best results,
most of us must depend upon a Higher Power, and no right-minded
A.A. would challenge your privilege to believe precisely that way.
We should all be glad that good recoveries can be made even on this
limited basis.

"But turnabout is fair play. If you would expect tolerance for your
point of view, I am sure you would be willing to reciprocate. I try to
remember that, down through the centuries, lots of brighter people
than I have been found on both sides of this debate about belief. For
myself, of late years, I am finding it much easier to believe that God
made man, than that man made God."

Letter, 1966

***********************************************************

Walk in Dry Places
 
Living with depression___Mood management
Getting sober is often only a first small step in getting well. Many recovering alcoholics must also face an underlying depression that seems to mock their efforts to attain real serenity. But sobriety does not cause the depression. It simply lays bare a condition that was present all along, but had been masked by repeated binges. It's probably true, too, that many of us used alcohol partly as a drug to combat depression because it temporarily lifted our mood and relieved our pain.
One fact about depression is that it comes and goes; we can endure it partly by knowing that "this too shall pass."  Another fact is that physical activity helps in copying with it.  AA co-founder Bill W., victimized by profound depression even in his sober years, found that walking provided some relief, though he had to force himself to do it at times. A third fact about depression is that we can usually alleviate its effects by helping others and by staying close to AA circles, even when we're too depressed to contribute much.  It's also helpful to discuss the problem with understanding friends and sponsors, or a therapist, if necessary.
I'll believe today that I can maintain a good mood level that continues to build as I carry out my responsibilities and make AA first in my life. Depression may challenge me, but I don't have to give in to it.

***********************************************************

Keep It Simple

Archie doesn't know how to worry without getting upset. --- Edith Bunker
Most us are like Edith's television husband, Archie. When we worry, we get upset. Problems seem too big for us. We get afraid. We feel powerless. What does the program tell us to do when we feel powerless and our life is upset? We look at the problem honestly . Than we ask our Higher Power to help us with the problem. We take it One Day at a Time. We believe our Higher Power will take care of us and help. We'll have problems. That's life! But we can get through them with care and support. We don't have to get crazy. We don't have to make things worst. We can be kind to ourselves and live through problems just fine---with our Higher Powers help.
Prayer for the Day:  Higher Power, help me do what I can today about my problems. Help me stop worrying.
Action for the Day:  If I have problems today, I'll do what I can---and leave the outcome to my Higher Power.

***********************************************************

Each Day a New Beginning

The child is an almost universal symbol for the soul's transformation.  The child is whole, not yet divided. . .when we would heal the mind. . .we ask this child to speak to us.  --Susan Griffin
Was there ever a time when we did not feel divided from ourselves?  Occasionally we get a glimpse of what such spiritual wholeness would be like, but most of the time we struggle with feelings of conflict, unevenness, a divided heart.  Perhaps, "the child" is a metaphor for a spiritual guide, like our own higher power, that can help us in our journey toward self-acceptance.
"I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent," writes author Ashleigh Brilliant.  If we can be happy with this proud, funny boast then perhaps we can stop berating ourselves for our imperfections.  If we dwell on our own contradictory impulses, we give them too much important, too much power.
Let me trust to my glimpses of harmony and wholeness and be grateful for the richness of my spirit.

***********************************************************

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS

In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed.

p. 101

***********************************************************

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

Jim's Story

This physician, one of the earliest members of A.A.'s first black group, tells of how freedom came as he worked among his people.

My wife received me graciously, although she was living in a one-room-with- kitchen affair.  She'd been reduced to that.  I promised that I was going to do the right thing.  We were now both working in the same agency.  I continued to drink.  I got drunk one night in October, went to sleep in the rain, and woke with pneumonia.  We continued together, and I continued to drink, but I guess, deep down within our hearts, we both knew I couldn't stop drinking.  Vi thought I didn't want to stop.  We had several fights, and on one or tow occasions I struck her with my fist.  She decided that she didn't want any more of that.  So she went to court and talked it over with the judge.  They cooked up a plan whereby she didn't have to be molested by me if she didn't want to be.

pp. 239-240

***********************************************************

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."

When a drunk has a terrific hangover because he drank heavily yesterday, he cannot live well today. But there is another kind of hangover which we all experience whether we are drinking or not. That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterday's and sometimes today's excesses of negative emotion--anger, fear, jealousy, and the like. If we would live serenely today and tomorrow, we certainly need to eliminate these hangovers. This doesn't mean we need to wander morbidly around in the past. It requires an admission and correction of errors now. Our inventory enables us to settle with the past. When this is done, we are really able to leave it behind us. When our inventory is carefully taken, and we have made peace with ourselves, the conviction follows that tomorrow's challenges can be met as they come.

pp. 88-89

***********************************************************

"Happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with
it."
--Anon.

Courage can't see around corners, but goes around them anyway.
--Mignon McLaughlin

I have a capacity in my soul for taking in God entirely. I am as sure
as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me
than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and the
presence of God.
--Meister Eckhart

Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it
forgoes revenge and dares to forgive injury.
--Edwin Hubbel Chapin

The gift of the Spirit is that we are God's children.
--Rita Jorgensen

***********************************************************

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

WINE

"Wine that maketh glad the
heart of man."
-- Psalm 104:15

Every good thing can be abused and alcohol is no exception. Although
most people are able to enjoy the fruits of the grape and the quality
of their lives are enriched by good wine, not a few are destroyed by
wine! Millions of people in this world are alcoholic. They did not want
to be alcoholic but they are. Their lives and relationships are
destroyed by alcohol. They need to stop drinking if they are to find
"gladness" in their lives. Alcoholism is a disease that cannot be
cured, but it can be arrested by giving up the grape!

God can be appreciated in the grape, but He can also be experienced
in the soda. We need to find new ways to be happy.

Thank You for the precious gift of choice.

***********************************************************

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
Psalms 50:15

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Psalms 51:10

Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.
Proverbs 30:5

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for welfare
and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of
God! And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1

***********************************************************

Daily Inspiration

Treat your family as you would treat a best friend. Lord, help me to treasure my family with all of their imperfections as well as my own and cherish the time we have together.

Do not act as though you are watching a parade because we are each one of the marchers. Lord, things change so quickly. Help me to celebrate the constant newness of my life.

***********************************************************

NA Just For Today

Relationships

"Also, our inventories usually include material on relationships."
Basic Text p. 29

What an understatement this is! Especially in later recovery, entire inventories may focus on our relationships with others. Our lives have been filled with relationships with lovers, friends, parents, co-workers, children, and others with whom we come in contact. A look at these associations can tell us much about our essential character.

Often our inventories catalog the resentments that arise from our day-to-day interactions with others. We strive to look at our part in these frictions. Are we placing unrealistic expectations on other people? Do we impose our standards on others? Are we sometimes downright intolerant?

Often just the writing of our inventory will release some of the pressure that a troubled relationship can produce. But we must also share this inventory with another human being. That way, we get some needed perspective on our part in the problem and how we can work toward a solution.

The inventory is a tool that allows us to begin healing our relationships. We learn that today, with the help of an inventory, we can start to enjoy our relationships with others.

Just for today: I will inventory the part I play in my relationships. I will seek to play a richer, more responsible part in those relationships.

***********************************************************

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Each man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds. --Mark Twain
What does it mean to be different? How does it feel? Is it okay to act or look or be different from everyone else at times? Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, it feels safer to blend into the crowd. We don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. But sometimes it's when we are different that we discover new things no one has ever thought of or done before.
We don't want to spend our whole lives doing only what others do. And there are times when we must take a stand if what others are doing is wrong. Perhaps it's good practice to try to do some little things differently once in a while, to stand out from the crowd, just to get use to it. After all, if no one ever dares to be different, how would our world ever change for the better?
What little thing can I do to stand out from the crowd today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
This above all, to refuse to be a victim. Unless I can do that I can do nothing. --Margaret Atwood
Men have often become victims by seeing themselves as saviors. We forgot that we have needs too. We thought if we gave enough, our needs would eventually be met. In the process we became great controllers, not for the sake of power, but to make everything okay. We turn ourselves inside out to make our mates happy or to please our children or friends. But being a savior is a disrespectful role to play. When people became angry with us for it, we absorbed their anger and felt misunderstood.
No relationship is healthy for either person if one is victim. We must do our loved ones the favor of letting them see our strength--let them bump up against it--even when that means we say a loud and strong no! After we have said no, our yes is much more believable.
Today. I will take responsibility for my own life and try not to be a savior for others. I won't undermine my relationships by being a victim.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
The child is an almost universal symbol for the soul's transformation. The child is whole, not yet divided. . .when we would heal the mind. . .we ask this child to speak to us. --Susan Griffin
Was there ever a time when we did not feel divided from ourselves? Occasionally we get a glimpse of what such spiritual wholeness would be like, but most of the time we struggle with feelings of conflict, unevenness, a divided heart. Perhaps, "the child" is a metaphor for a spiritual guide, like our own higher power, that can help us in our journey toward self-acceptance.
"I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent," writes author Ashleigh Brilliant. If we can be happy with this proud, funny boast then perhaps we can stop berating ourselves for our imperfections. If we dwell on our own contradictory impulses, we give them too much important, too much power.
Let me trust to my glimpses of harmony and wholeness and be grateful for the richness of my spirit.


You are reading from the book The Language Of Letting Go.
Trusting Ourselves
Trust can be one of the most confusing concepts in recovery. Who do we trust? For what?
The most important trust issue we face is learning to trust ourselves. The most detrimental thing that's happened to us is that we came to believe we couldn't trust ourselves.
There will be some who tell us we cannot trust ourselves, we are off base and out of whack. There are those who would benefit by our mistrusting ourselves.
Fear and doubt are our enemies. Panic is our enemy. Confusion is our opposition. Self-trust is a healing gift we can give ourselves. How do we acquire it? We learn it. What do we do about our mistakes, about those times we thought we could trust ourselves but were wrong? We accept them, and trust ourselves anyway.
We know what is best for us. We know what is right for us. If we are wrong, if we need to change our mind, we will be guided into that--but only by trusting where we are today.
We can look for others for support and reinforcement, but trust in ourselves is essential.
Do not trust fear. Do not trust panic. We can trust ourselves, stand in our own truth, stand in our own light. We have it now. Already. We have all the light we need for today. And tomorrow's light shall be given to us then.
Trust ourselves, and we will know whom to trust. Trust ourselves, and we will know what to do. When we feel we absolutely cannot trust ourselves, trust that God will guide us into truth.
God, help me to let go of fear, doubt, and confusion--the enemies of self-trust. Help me go forward in peace and confidence. Help me grown in trust for myself and You, one day at a time, one experience at a time.


I will value myself today both for my perfections and especially for my imperfections. --Ruth Fishel

******************************************

Journey to the Heart

Observe Yourself

Watch yourself. That’s not a grim admonition. It’s a call to observe yourself and is a helpful tool on the journey.

When you get stuck in a behavior, stuck in a pattern, stuck in a place, a thought, a feeling, a job, or a relationship and you don’t know how to get unstuck, watch yourself. When you’ve tried everything you know and your feelings and old ways of reacting still come to the fore– even when you don’t want them to and especially when you’ve made an effort to do things differently– watch yourself. When it feels hopeless, when it seems things will never change or shift, when you can’t help yourself and it doesn’t look like those around you can either, look at yourself.

The act of watching ourselves, neutrally observing ourselves without judgement or reproach, can be a powerful tool for change. If you’ve tried and tried to change but it hasn’t worked, then watch yourself. Watch what you say, what you think, how you feel, how you act, how you react. Don’t try to stop yourself. Don’t judge. Just observe. Do it as long as you need to, although it may not take long.

Watch yourself. Then watch how you grow and change.

******************************************

More Language Of Letting Go

Learn something new about yourself

Wildfires scorch large chunks of the Western United States every summer. It’s part of the natural cycle of things. After a while, nature decides that it’s time to start over and a patch of the woods goes up in smoke.

This year, one fire burned near Mesa Verde National Park in southwesten Colorado. I read the news wires with interest, hoping that the archeological sites there wouldn’t be destroyed. The crews worked on the fires, and though there was damage in the area, the main ruins were left unharmed. While the fires had burned thousands of acres around the park, they had also done something else– they had burned away the undergrowth that had sprung up around twelve perviously undiscovered sites.

Sometimes life sends fires raging through our lives,too. Those fires are also part of the natural cycle of things. Life, nature, our Higher Power says it’s time to start over again.

Use misfortune as an opportunity. Who knows? That fire rampaging through your life just might clear away the brush of the past. Keep your heart open and stay aware. You might learn something new and previously undiscovered about yourself.

God, help me stay alert to the lessons of today.

******************************************

In God’s Care

We are all special cases.
~~Albert Camus

We spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others and far too frequently end up feeling inferior. Perhaps someone at work is more articulate than we are or an acquaintance always seems more striking and self-assured. And most of you know couples who seem to have the perfect relationship while we continue to struggle in ours or have no significant other.

On occasion we might even feel superior to some people–like the gruff man in line ahead of us at the bank or the rude cashier at the grocery store. But in all cases, the moment we compare and thus create a separation between ourselves and others, we deny the blessing of God’s all-encompassing plan for each of us.

We are all one in God. When we realize our connection to one another, we learn our task is to care for each other rather than artificially set ourselves apart.

I will look around me carefully today and notice how I’m connected to others rather than how I’m separate.

******************************************

Giving Your Gifts to the World
Being Happy with Your Job

In our search to define ourselves, we often look to our job to show us our worth. Society does not judge all professions equally, however, and it is not uncommon for the individuals who hold what others may consider to be ordinary or menial jobs to feel that they themselves are ordinary or menial. Yet, in truth, many wonderful and wise people throughout history have held what have typically been perceived as ordinary jobs, and this in no way has had any bearing on whether or not they have managed to contribute their skills and talents to the world. Whether you work in business, education, medicine, retail, or another profession, you worth is inherent to who you are and not what you do for a living.

A job that you enjoy, lets you meet your needs, and allows you to live in accordance with your values will always be more gratifying than a high-status job that you dislike. But while experiencing professional satisfaction can be a vital part of being fulfilled by your work, it is important to remember that it is possible to find happiness in any job. This is because what you do is often less important than how you do it. Your attitude and intention can turn a mediocre job into work that fulfills you because of the way that you approach it. If you do your job well and what you do benefits others, then you are doing work that is making this world a better place.

If you are happy in your current line of work and feel that it allows you to be yourself and live authentically while meeting your emotional and physical needs and allowing time for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor, then you have found a job that adds value to your life. If you are a waitress, then be the best waitress you can, take pride in your work and others will notice your passion. You can contribute your talents and skills to this world while doing any job. It is not the kind of work you do that allows you to be of service. It is you who must choose to be of service through the work that you do. Published with permission from Daily OM

******************************************

A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

One thing that keeps me on the right track today is a feeling of loyalty to other members of The Program, no matter where they may be. We depend on each other. I know, for example, that I’d be letting them down if I ever took a drink. When I came into The Program, I found a group of people who were not only helping each other to stay sober, but who were loyal to each other by staying sober themselves. Am I loyal to my group and to my friends in The Program?

Today I Pray

I thank God for the loyalty and fellowship of the group and for the mutuality of commitment that binds us together. May I give to the group in the same proportion that I take from it. Having been a taker during so many of my years, my giving used to be no more than a commodity, for which I expected to be paid in approval or love or favors. May I learn the joy of pure giving, with no strings attached, no expectations of reward.

Today I Will Remember

A perfect gift asks nothing in return.

******************************************

One More Day

A cheerful face is nearly as good for an invalid as healthy eather.
–Benjamin Franklin

Health changes, like other changes in life circumstances, cna undermine friendships. When we are dealing with chronic pain or discomfort or when we have become impaired with illness, some friends just aren’t sure how t act under the new circumstances.

People who love us want to help us; they want to be with us. The hard part for u is how to let them. Visits won’t be easy for us or them at first because our lives and relationships are changed by illness. But soon we realize that we still care for and need these special people and that we want to show our affection, during the trying times as well as during the better times.

I can find comfort and stability by maintaining my friendships.

************************************

Food For Thought

Power

Our group is infused with a Power that changes lives, the Power of love and fellowship. So many of us can attest to the daily miracles that God has performed and is performing as we live this program. The changes and miracles may happen slowly, and our spiritual growth may be gradual; nevertheless, the Power is real.

As we become aware of this Power, we see how weak and unnecessary were the false supports we had relied on in the past. We probably sought strength in material possessions, personal achievement, social status. These supports all failed us, and we ate to hide our weakness.

Now that we have experienced the Power of the OA fellowship, we no longer have to rely on false supports. We can grow in the program and in closer contact with the One who creates and sustains us.

May I rely more completely on You.

*****************************************

One Day At A Time

Cease Striving

"Cease Striving – Let Go, Relax – And Know that I Am God”
. . . . Psalms 46:10

I can count on one hand the times in my life in which I’ve been able to feel truly relaxed. Our disease is often driven by our efforts to control our lives: we labor to control our emotions, our relationships, our image, and our “masks” which we wear in a valiant effort to control how other people see and respond to us.

This effort to control ourselves and our lives is a ruthless taskmaster and a double-edged sword. It cuts like a knife through our very souls and requires that we forsake who we are in a misguided – and fruitless – attempt to be who we believe we “should be.” I have worked so hard at trying to mold myself into an Acceptable Person that I have lost who I truly Am. All of my ceaseless efforts to mold myself into who I thought I Should Be have cost me my very sense of Self, and has been a painful eroding of my own Identity – it is a tragic self-imposed suicide of my Soul.

Like many of us, in order to enter recovery I had to come to the End of Myself and lose any sense of Control I had over my life. This was terrifying for me – I believed that even without a false sense of control, my life would implode and leave only ruined remnants in its place.

But I have not imploded. I have not been destroyed. With the crumbling of my masks and my frantic efforts to control everything, I have found a surprising sense of peace and safety – even in the midst of the chaos in my life. I am convinced that had God not brought me to the end of my own efforts, I would not be in a place in which I can hear His Voice. My ears would have remained deaf to His promise to never forsake me. Had He not firmly – yet gently – gotten my attention, my unsettled Mind would have continued to shout warnings and commands into my withered soul. Hitting Bottom is the best thing that could have happened to me, for I landed not in destruction, but in His eternal loving arms.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will choose to cease my own striving and efforts to control my life. I will practice being still and knowing that my Higher Power is with me at all times, in every circumstance of my life
~ Lisa

*****************************************

AA 'Big Book' - Quote

All went well for a time, but he failed to enlarge his spiritual life. To his consternation, he found himself drunk half a dozen times in rapid succession. - Pg. 35 - More About Alcoholism

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

Don't jump ship five minutes before the miracle is going to happen in your life. Stick around long enough to see that miracle grow for you day by day. Right now you are a champion of sobriety and we see you as a miracle. Soon you will see the miracle yourself.

I can only do my best. Please God, as I understand You, do the rest.

Today

I will live in the present grateful to be alive and in this radiant world for one more day. Living in the present brings its own perspective. What is not worth getting preoccupied about falls away while what is truly meaningful and important rises up and into focus. I am here to appreciate and live life, to grow, to share my heart and soul with those around me. If I miss today, I will not get it back. If I allow it to work its beauty inside of me, it will fertilize tomorrow's garden. Today is what I know I have. All of life is here, woven into the atoms of the world that surrounds me. If I am with this day, I am with all of life.

I am part of an alive universe.

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

All our suggestions are free. The ones you don't take are the ones you end up paying for.

When all else fails, I take the suggestions.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Maybe you didn't die because of H & I.

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

I will value myself today both for my perfections and especially for my imperfections.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

I hear some say that their best thinking got them into AA. My best thinking didn't get me here - A power greater than myself did. - Al A.

*****************************************

AA Thought For the Day

March 14

Responsibility
In the last analysis, 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 the Fellowship.
And for that I am responsible.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 181

Thought to Ponder . . .
Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Humility
"The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA's Twelve Steps. For without some degree of
humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all.
"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70

Thought to Consider . . .
As I thus get down to my right size and stature,
my self-concern and importance become amusing.
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, June 1961
As Bill Sees It, p. 106

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
FEAR
False Expectations Appearing Real

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Spirituality
>From "In His Own Individual Right":
"When people look at you and wonder what's with you, the look in your eyes will answer them: 'Because I can cut it!'
"The singular thing that is spirituality cannot be given to a fellowman by word of mouth. If every man is to have it, then
every man must earn it, in his own way, by his own hand, stamped by the seal of himself, in his own individual right.--
New York, New York, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 6

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"My heart sings with each new day."
Cleveland, Ohio, February 1993
"Facing the Truth"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

"Many of us keep liquor in our homes. We often need it to carry
green recruits through a severe hangover. Some of us still serve it
to our friends provided they are not alcoholic. But some of us think
we should not serve liquor to anyone. We never argue this question.
We feel that each family, in the light of their own circumstances,
ought to decide for themselves."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 102~

These were some of the ways in which fear conspired with pride to hinder our making a list of all the people we had harmed.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 79

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Two-Way Tolerance
'Your point of view was once mine. Fortunately, A.A. is constructed so that we need not debate the existence of God; but
for best results, most of us must depend upon a Higher Power. You say the group is your Higher Power, and no right-
minded A.A. would challenge your privilege to believe precisely that way. We should all be glad that good recoveries can
be made even on this limited basis.
'But turnabout is fair play. If you would expect tolerance for your point of view, I am sure you would be willing to
reciprocate. I try to remember that, down through the centuries, lots of brighter people than 1 have been found on both
sides of this debate about belief. For myself, of late years, I am finding it much easier to believe that God made man,
than that man made God.' LETTER, 1950

Prayer For The Day: Father, preserve in us a sense of wonder at the marvels of life. May all that we see around us lead us to you. Amen