GROUP AUTONOMY

Some may think that we have carried the principle of group
autonomy to extremes. For example, in its original "long form,"
Tradition Four declares: "Any two or three gathered together
for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that
as a group they have no other affiliation." . . . . But this
ultra-liberty is not so risky as it looks.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 104-05

As an active alcoholic, I abused every liberty that life
afforded. How could A.A. expect me to respect the
"ultra-liberty" bestowed by Tradition Four? Learning respect
has become a lifetime job.
A.A. has made me fully accept the necessity of discipline
and that, if I do not assert it from within, then I will pay
for it. This applies to groups too. Tradition Four points me
in a spiritual direction, in spite of my alcoholic inclinations.
***********************************************************

As Bill Sees It

On The Broad Highway, p. 119

"I now realize that my former prejudice against clergymen was blind
and wrong. They have kept alive through the centuries a faith which
might have been extinguished entirely. They pointed out the road to
me, but I did not even look up, I was so full of prejudice and
self-concern.

"When I did open my eyes, it was because I had to. And the man who
showed me the truth was a fellow sufferer and a layman. Through him,
I saw at last, and I stepped from the abyss to solid ground, knowing at
once that my feet were on the broad highway if I chose to walk."

Letter, 1940

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

Walk in Dry Places
 
Remember the Past, but don't live in it.
Living today.
In some ways, the Twelve Step recovery process invites trouble in dealing with the past. We're supposed to forget the past and live for today. But the opening thoughts delivered at meetings often review the past in painful detail, thus reinforcing the tendency to relive it. How should we approach this problem?
Our need is to remember the past while releasing any bitterness, regrets, or hurts connected with it.  We must never live in the past, which we are doing when we feel either resentment or remorse about actions of others or ourselves.  It is, however, helpful to remember what happened in the past so that we will no longer repeat the same mistakes.
We should also remember the past as a means of keeping ourselves both humble and honest. It should help us feel gratitude that we no longer have to live as we once did.
Remembering the past in open "lead" meetings is sometimes called "qualifying" as an alcoholic.  It is an aid to carrying the message of recovery and a way of building more strength and understanding for today and tomorrow.
I'll be pleased today that I can remember the past without living in it.  I am free from the old hurts and problems that would keep me from directing all of my energies and attention to what I am doing here and now.

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

Keep It Simple

I’m as pure as the driven slush.---Tallulad Bankhead
The Steps are filled with words and phrases like shortcomings, exact nature of our wrongs, persons we had harmed, and when we were wrong. The Steps help us accept all parts of who we are.
Our program asks us to share these parts of ourselves with others. We heal by doing this.
It’s hard to talk about how wrong we can be, but we must. It’s part of how we recover.
Remember, all of us have bad points. At times, we act like jerks. When we can talk about our mistakes, we end up having less shame inside of us.
Prayer for the Day:  Higher Power, help me to love and accept myself---as You love and accept me. Give me the courage to share all my secret wrongs.
 Action for the Day:  Today, I’ll review my Fourth Step. If I haven’t done this Step, I’ll start today.

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

Each Day a New Beginning

Love between two people is such a precious thing. It is not a possession. I no longer need to possess to complete myself. True love becomes my freedom.  --Angela L. Wozniak
Self-doubt fosters possessiveness. When we lack confidence in our own capabilities, when we fear we don't measure up as women, mothers, lovers, employees, we cling to old behavior, maybe to unhealthy habits, perhaps to another person. We can't find our completion in another person because that person changes and moves away from our center. Then we feel lost once again.
Completion of the self accompanies our spiritual progress. As our awareness of the reality of our higher power's caring role is heightened, we find peace. We trust that we are becoming all that we need to be. We need only have faith in our connection to that higher power. We can let that faith possess us, and we'll never need to possess someone else.
God's love is ours, every moment. Recognition is all that's asked of us. Acceptance of this ever-present love will make us whole, and self-doubt will diminish. Clinging to other people traps us as much as them, and all growth is hampered, ours and theirs.
Freedom to live, to grow, to experience my full capabilities is as close as my faith. I will cling only to that and discover the love that's truly in my heart and the hearts of my loved ones.

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

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 5 - HOW IT WORKS

We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: “God, I offer myself to Thee--to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!” We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.

p. 63

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

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

WINNER TAKES ALL - Legally blind but no longer alone, she found a way to stay sober, raise a family, and turn her life over to the care of God.

Today I am doing things that I never dreamed possible.  More importantly, it is the peace and serenity I feel inside that keeps me coming back.  I have been through hard times in and out of sobriety, but before A.A. it didn't matter how good things got--I always had a feeling that something was wrong.  Since A.A., it doesn't matter how bad things get--I always have a feeling that everything is going to be all right.

p. 381

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

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Eleven - "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

When, by such simple devices, we have placed ourselves in a mood in which we can focus undisturbed on constructive imagination, we might proceed like this:
Once more we read our prayer, and again try to see what its inner essence is. We'll think now about the man who first uttered the prayer. First of all, he wanted to become a "channel." Then he asked for the grace to bring love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy to every human being he could.

pp. 100-101

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

The mind is like a parachute; it works much better when it's open.
--Dpurpleldy

"A friend will see us at our worst, as well as our best.
A friend will not close his or her heart when we have made a mistake.
A friend will not condemn us but will compassionately support our
return to a state of grace."
--Marianne Williamson

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves."
--Carl Jung

We must release the old to make room for the new.
--Alan Cohen

"People will come and go from my life. Today I'm trying to learn how to be the kind of person that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
--Unknown

"People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within."
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

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

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

ENJOYMENT

"Man, unlike the animals, has
never learned that the sole
purpose of life is to enjoy it."
--Samuel Butler

Spirituality enables me to enjoy my life. I enjoy my sobriety. I enjoy
the freedom of a "God as I understand Him". I enjoy the fellowship of
ideas and opinions that are based on love and honest sharing. The
world is to be enjoyed and not endured! God is fun.

For years I thought that God was a judge to be feared; angry, hostile
and revengeful. Strange how silly this all seems now, but for years I
was afraid of God and feared His presence. Then I was introduced to a
God who is beyond institutions and dogmas, free of creeds and
punishments, a loving and joyous God who created me to be happy.
Today I am enjoying my freedom.

God, the Father of the Universe, is also "Daddy" to us all.

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

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him
in truth."
Psalms 145:18

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as
God in Christ has also forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

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

Daily Inspiration

When someone makes you happy, let them know and you will both feel better. Lord, may Your love flow through me so that I can easily praise and encourage the goodness in others.

To have a great day isn't always doing what you like, but trying to like what you must do. Lord, today I will spruce up my attitude and have a great day no matter what my circumstances.

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

NA Just For Today

"What If...."

"Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future. We learned to take whatever actions are necessary and to leave the results in the hands of our Higher Power."
Basic Text, pp. 90-91

In our active addiction, fear of the future and what might happen was a reality for many of us. What if we got arrested? lost our job? our spouse died? we went bankrupt? and on, and on, and on. It was not unusual for us to spend hours, even whole days thinking about what might happen. We played out entire conversations and scenarios before they ever occurred, then charted our course on the basis of "what if..." By doing this, we set ourselves up for disappointment after disappointment.

From listening in meetings, we learn that living in the present, not the world of "what if," is the only way to short-circuit our self-fulfilling prophecies of doom and gloom. We can only deal with what is real today, not our fearful fantasies of the future.

Coming to believe that our Higher Power has only the best in store for us is one way we can combat that fear. We hear in meetings that our Higher Power won't give us more than we can handle in one day. And we know from experience that, if we ask, the God we've come to understand will surely care for us. We stay clean through adverse situations by placing our faith in the care of a Power greater than ourselves. Each time we do, we become less fearful of "what if" and more comfortable with what is.

Just for today: I will look forward to the future with faith in my Higher Power.

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

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
If there is a God, there must also be a Goddess. Neither is more important than the other, both are in balance, together they create a Whole. --Marion Weinstein
In the olden days, the Goddess was seen as a Trinity: the Maiden or Virgin, the Mother, and the Crone. The Virgin was one-in-herself, owned by no man. The Mother was the one in the fullness of her creative powers, whether creating children, works of art, or other work out in the world. The Crone was the wise old woman.
Both women and men connected with the Triple Goddess. To women, the Goddess was a symbol of their innermost selves and the beneficent, nurturing, liberating power within. The Crone, for example, showed them that all phases of life are sacred, that age is a blessing rather than a curse. To men, the Goddess represented their connection with their own hidden female selves.
We are all made up of aspects of both sexes. This is our balance. When we accept what we know to be truly ourselves, which is often much more than the old role models for men and women allow, we become complete men and women.
What male and female strengths do I have within me?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
I've never started a fight, but I never pulled back from a fight either. --Billy Martin
Sometimes we walk around with chips on our shoulders. We're like a tightly wound spring ready to jump at the slightest trigger, when other times we would let the same event go unnoticed. We even say self-righteously, "I didn't start it." Now that we are becoming more responsible for ourselves, we are owning our part in relationships. Maybe we have a problem with being like a spring ready to jump. When we are like that, we are difficult to live with or be around.
We can change by getting in touch with our pain. We need to explore our feelings. Perhaps we need to be honest with ourselves about low self-esteem, about feelings of loneliness or fear. Then we must talk with another person or our group about our feelings and continue to talk about them. In this way we become reconciled to ourselves and to our friends around us.
God, help me accept my own pain, and help me be tolerant of my friends' mistakes.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Love between two people is such a precious thing. It is not a possession. I no longer need to possess to complete myself. True love becomes my freedom. --Angela L. Wozniak
Self-doubt fosters possessiveness. When we lack confidence in our own capabilities, when we fear we don't measure up as women, mothers, lovers, employees, we cling to old behavior, maybe to unhealthy habits, perhaps to another person. We can't find our completion in another person because that person changes and moves away from our center. Then we feel lost once again.
Completion of the self accompanies our spiritual progress. As our awareness of the reality of our higher power's caring role is heightened, we find peace. We trust that we are becoming all that we need to be. We need only have faith in our connection to that higher power. We can let that faith possess us, and we'll never need to possess someone else.
God's love is ours, every moment. Recognition is all that's asked of us. Acceptance of this ever-present love will make us whole, and self-doubt will diminish. Clinging to other people traps us as much as them, and all growth is hampered, ours and theirs.
Freedom to live, to grow, to experience my full capabilities is as close as my faith. I will cling only to that and discover the love that's truly in my heart and the hearts of my loved ones.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Initiating Relationships
Often, we can learn much about ourselves from the people to whom we are attracted.
As we progress through recovery, we learn we can no longer form relationships solely on the basis of attraction. We learn to be patient, to allow ourselves to take into account important facts, and to process information about that person.
What we are striving for in recovery is a healthy attraction to people. We allow ourselves to be attracted to who people are, not to their potential or to what we hope they are.
The more we work through our family of origin issues, the less we will find ourselves needing to work through them with the people were attracted to. Finishing our business from the past helps us form new and healthier relationships.
The more we overcome our need to be excessive caretakers, the less we will find ourselves attracted to people who need to be constantly taken care of.
The more we learn to love and respect ourselves, the more we will become attracted to people who will love and respect us and who we can safely love and respect.
This is a slow process. We need to be patient with ourselves. The type of people we find ourselves attracted to do not change overnight. Being attracted to dysfunctional people can linger long and well into recovery. That does not mean we need to allow it to control us. The fact is, we will initiate and maintain relationships with people we need to be with until we learn what it is we need to learn - no matter how long we've been recovering.
No matter who we find ourselves relating to, and what we discover happening in the relationship, the issue is still about us, and not about the other person. That is the heart, the hope, and the power of recovery.
We can learn to take care of ourselves during the process of initiating and forming relationships. We can learn to go slowly. We can learn to pay attention. We can allow ourselves to make mistakes, even when we know better.
We can stop blaming our relationships on God, and begin to take responsibility for them. We can learn to enjoy the healthy relationships, and remove ourselves more quickly from the dysfunctional ones.
We can learn to look for what's good for us, instead of what's good for the other person.
God, help me pay attention to my behaviors during the process of initiating relationships. Help me take responsibility for myself and learn what I need to learn. I will trust that the people I want and need will come into my life. I understand that if a relationship is not good for me, I have the right and ability to refuse to enter into it - even though the other person thinks it may be good for him or her. I will be open to the lessons I need to learn about me in relationships, so I am prepared for the best possible relationships with people.


It is exciting to know that my thoughts and my actions in the present moment condition the next moment. I am responsible for my future. Today I am bringing awareness to my self-talk and replacing all negative thoughts with positive thoughts as soon as they appear on my mindscape. --Ruth Fishel

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

Journey To The Heart

Comfort Makes Everything Better

With comfort comes nurturing, genuine acceptance, and love. Comfort doesn’t involve any expense. It comes from the heart. It goes right to the heart.

Look at how much better you feel when you receive comfort, when you comfort yourself, when you allow the universe to comfort you. Look at how those around you respond when you give comfort. A comforted person feels renewed. Healed. Genuinely okay. When you’re comforted, the pain and stress that has awakened you each morning dissipates. You open your eyes and feel happy to be here. Happy to be you. You know, really know, that all is well. Finally, you feel safe.

When many of us were young, we ran to our mother, grandmother, or aunt to make a skinned knee, a bruised ego better. Now we are grown, but there’s another mother who can do that,too. Some call her the nurturing, feminine side of God. She is all that is in the universe, and in each of us, that is loving, tender, and gentle. And her comfort really does make everything better.

Comfort heals. It brings joy to the spirit. Comfort renews power,vitality. Comfort opens you up like the sun unfolds the petals of a fragrant and beautiful flower. Simply put, comfort will make you and those around you happy.

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

More Language Of Letting Go

Ask God what to do

I was in treatment for chemical dependency. All I wanted to do was get high, cop some dope,do what I’d done for the past twelve years–obliterate myself. As a last ditch, almost hopeless gesture, I looked at the ceiling in my stark room, the place I had been assigned to sleep. I prayed, God, if there is a program to help me stop using, please help me get it. Twelve days later, sobriety fell down upon me, changing me at the very core of my being, altering the entire course of my life.

I divorced my husband and took on the single-parenting and single-financing role, continuing to pursue my dream of being a writer. My kitchen cupboards were nearly bare of food. I’m not that hungry, but the children are, I prayed. “Don’t worry,” an angelic voice whispered in my ear. “Soon you’ll never have to worry about money again– unless you want to.” An immutable peace settled over me. No food or money fell from the sky. But the peace, a peace as tangible and thick as butter and as healing as the oils of heaven themselves, spread throughout my life.

Years later, my son was stapped to a hospital bed. I touched his foot, his hand. I knew, despite the whooshing of the breathing apparatus, that he was not in that shell anymore. Then the plug got pulled. “No hope, no hope, no hope,” are the only words I can remember. Now, the whooshing sound turns to silence. I say good-bye, walk out of the room, just put one foot in front and walk.

“Just pick me up, and get me some drugs,” I say to a friend, three days later. “I’ve got to have some relief from this pain.” Driving around in the car, hours later, I look at the fresh box of syringes on the seat next to me. “Tell me what you want to put in them,” he says. “Cocaine? Dilaudid? What?” His irritation is as obvious as my hopelessness. My mind runs through the routine. Dilaudid? A medical prescription. If I needed it, legitimately needed it, a doctor would prescribe it for me. No prayers. No hopes. Just simple words came out, this time. “Just take me home,” I said. “I don’t really want to get high.”

Prayer changes things. Prayer changes us. Prayer changes life. Sometimes an event has been manifested that needs to be stopped, midair. Don’t pray just when you’re in trouble. Pray every day. Surround yourself with prayer. You never know when you might need an extra miracle.

Today, if I’ve tried everything else, I’ll try prayer,too.

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

In God’s Care

Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth try.
~~James A. Michener

The need to be an expert right away continues to cause many of us unnecessary pain. When we fail to do something perfectly on our first attempt, we often feel defeated and our self-esteem takes a dive.

Working a Twelve Step program has taught us to expect spiritual progress, not perfection. With patient attention and perseverance we will reach the level of attainment we’re meant to reach in whatever we try.

Lasting self-esteem comes when we remember to measure our worth by God’s unconditional love. We no longer have to prove anything to anyone. Each new day we seek God’s will for us; we accept our shortcomings; and we promptly admit when we’re wrong. We are thus free to enjoy our particular abilities and achievements as gifts from God.

I will measure my accomplishments today by how much I enjoy making my best effort at whatever I do. The rest, I’ll turn over to God.

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

Enlightenment at Home
Right Where We Are

by Madisyn Taylor

Not everyone will feel the need to travel afar to become enlightened as that can happen right where you are.


Many spiritual seekers feel called to far-flung places across the globe in the interest of pursuing the path of their enlightenment. This may indeed be the right course of action for certain people, but it is by no means necessary to attaining an enlightened consciousness. Enlightenment can take root anywhere on earth, as long as the seeker is an open and ready vessel for higher consciousness. All we need is a powerful intention, and a willingness to do the work necessary to moving forward on our path.

In terms of spiritual practice, at this moment, there are more tools available to more people than at any other time in history. We have access to so much wisdom through the vehicles of books, magazines, the Internet, television, and film. In addition, the time-honored practice of meditation is free, and sitting quietly everyday, listening to the universe, is a great way to start the journey within. There is further inspiration in the fact that the greatest teachers we have are our own life experiences, and they come to us every day with new lessons and new opportunities to learn. If we look at the people around us, we may realize that we have a spiritual community already intact, and if we don’t, we can find one, if not in our own neighborhood, then on-line.

Meanwhile, if we feel called to travel in search of teachers and experiences, then by all means, we should. But if we can’t go to India, or Burma, or Indonesia, or if we don’t have the desire, this is not an obstacle in terms of our spiritual development. In fact, we may simply be aware that our time and energy is best spent in our own homes, with our meditation practice and all the complications and joys of our own lives. We can confidently stay in one place, knowing that everything that we need to attain enlightenment is always available right where we are. Published with permission from Daily OM

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

A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

As I grow in The Program — sharing, caring, and becoming more and more active — I find that it’s becoming easier to live in the Now. Even my vocabulary is changing. No longer is every other sentence salted with such well-used phrases as “could’ve,” “should’ve,” “would’ve,” “might’ve.” What’s done is done and what will be will be The only time that really matters is Now. Am I gaining real pleasure and serenity and peace in The Program?

Today I Pray

That I may collect all my scattered memories from the past and high-flown schemes and overblown fears for future and compact them into the neater confines of Today. Only by living in the Now may I keep my balance, without bending backwards to the past or tipping forward into the future. May I stop trying to get my arms around my whole unwieldy lifetime and carry it around in a gunny sack with me wherever I go.

Today I Will Remember

Make room for today.

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

One More Day

You grow up the day you have the first real laugh — at yourself. – Ethel Barrymore

If we are always serious and never see the funny side of life, there will be no respite from our illness. It takes fewer muscles to laugh than to cry. We’ll breathe easier and deeper, and we’ll be much more content when we laugh.

We can choose to pay attention to why other people are laughing and learn to laugh along with them. We can try everyday — even every hour — to find the positive or humorous side of life, for laughter helps us put things into perspective. It lends hope and meaning to life.

I will open my eyes to the funny side of life and laugh with others.

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

Food For Thought

Judge Not

When we have received the gift of abstinence and have gotten rid of excess weight, we sometimes tend to be very critical of those who have not yet succeeded with the physical part of the program. We may also be especially critical of those who obviously need the OA program, but who are not yet willing to try it.

Then there are some of us who resent those who come into the program with very little weight to lose or those who are of normal weight but nevertheless suffer from compulsive overeating.

Instead of worrying about other people and trying to pronounce judgment on their needs and efforts, it would be better to concentrate on our own progress. Only God understands completely where we are at a given moment, and only He can judge our sincerity and growth. We can help and encourage each other, but we are each responsible to our Higher Power.

To refrain from judging others is to stop trying to compare apples and oranges. We are each unique, and we grow according to our individual timetables.

May I not waste time and energy judging others.

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

One Day At A Time

~ GOODNESS ~
Above all, let us never forget that an act of goodness
is in itself an act of happiness.
Count Maurice Maeterlinck

While in the disease, most of the goodness I tried to do was for ulterior motives. It was only in recovery that I learned to give unselfishly and without strings to help another. In doing so, I have found happiness beyond measure. I can create my own happiness in the service of my Higher Power and other compulsive over-eaters. I can make the promise of a "new happiness and a new freedom" come true.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will do acts of goodness.
~ Judy N. ~

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

AA 'Big Book' - Quote

Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. - Pg. 100 - Working With Others

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

Often you may feel very human, very powerless, and question 'of what use are family, friends, suffering, humiliation, and trying to cope with this disease?' In the coming weeks, much rewriting will take place in the chapters of your mind and emotions. Try not to discard the many new drafts, but to edit them and learn the truths imprinted there.

Keep me steadfast, as I adjust to the many new pages in the story of my life.

Empowering My Own Day

There are no victims, only volunteers. If there is something I don't like in the way things are going for me, I will see what I can change. I can change the subject if someone goes on and on about things that I don't want to talk about. I can change my routines and trade un-nourishing ones for nourishing ones, I can set boundaries with my time. My time is precious to me, it is all I have to call my very own. I won't throw it away and then blame someone else. I have a right to protect the quiet and pleasure in my day, to do more of those things that give me pleasure and fewer of things that run me down. If I am living up to my responsibilities, that is enough.

I won't throw my time away with both hands

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

It is not your duty to solve other people's problems, arbitrate their disputes and raise their children. If you believe this is Twelve Step work, you will only be hurt when they reject your advice and shocked when they blame you for their troubles.

My job is to carry the message, not deliver the drunk.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Not knowing, is not the problem. Not being OK with not knowing is the problem.

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

With every breath that I take, healing is taking place. I relax safely in the knowledge that positive, healing energy is working in my life today.

I am being renewed and refreshed and energized.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

The primary problem for the alcoholic is ego - the primary solution is surrender. - Barney M.

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

AA Thought for the Day

April 29

Appreciation
It is strictly my opinion, based on my experience,
that one becomes richer in spirit as one grows in spirit.
The more I accept God, the more He gives me.
As I become more appreciative of the benefits received,
I try harder to show my appreciation.
My capacity to be content with life as it is has greatly increased.
Therefore, as time goes on, I become more able to be at peace
with my fellowman, with God, and within myself.
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 87

Thought to Ponder . . .
No God, no peace -- know God, know peace.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Accept, Begin, Continue.

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

Powerless
"Who cares to admit complete defeat?
Practically no one, of course.
Every natural instinct cries out
against the idea of personal powerlessness.
No other kind of bankruptcy is like this one.
Alcohol, the rapacious creditor,
bleeds us of all self-sufficiency
and all will to resist its demands.
But upon entering AA we soon take quite
another view of this absolute humiliation.
Our admissions of personal powerlessness
finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which
happy and purposeful lives may be built."
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21

Thought to Consider . . .
"Admission of powerlessness is the first step in liberation."
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 5

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
NEW
Nothing Else Worked

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

Defects
Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
"To avoid falling into confusion over the names these defects should be called, let's take a universally recognized list of
major human failings the Seven Deadly Sins of pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. It is not by accident
that pride heads the procession. For pride, leading to self-justification, and always spurred by conscious or
unconscious fears, is the basic breeder of most human difficulties, the chief block to true progress. Pride lures us into
making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God-given
instincts. When the satisfaction of our instincts for sex, security, and society becomes the sole object of our lives, then
pride steps in to justify our excesses."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 48-49

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

Reality nourishes and fulfills.
July 2008
"Get Real,"
AA Grapevine

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

"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 cured of alcoholism. What we really have is
a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

"We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek
Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never
exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, Page 46~

In fact, the effectiveness of the whole A.A. program will rest upon how well and earnestly we have tried to come to “a
decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 35

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

On the Broad Highway
'I now realize that my former prejudice against clergymen was blind and wrong. They have kept alive through the
centuries a faith which might have been extinguished entirely. They pointed out the road to me, but I did not even look
up, I was so full of prejudice and self-concern.
'When I did open my eyes, it was because I had to. And the man who showed me the truth was a fellow sufferer and a
layman. Through him, I saw at last, and I stepped from the abyss to solid ground, knowing at once that my feet were on
the broad highway if I chose to walk.' LETTER, 1940

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, life seems so hard at times. Please be with me as I go through this day. Help me be strong and and give me the wisdom to handle each situation.