"I
HAD DROPPED OUT"
We might next ask ourselves what we
mean when we say that we have
"harmed" other people. What kinds of
"harm" do people do one
another, anyway? To define the word
"harm" in a practical way, we
might call it the result of instincts
in collision, which cause
physical,
mental, emotional, or spiritual damage
to people.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS ,
p. 80
I had been to Eighth Step meetings,
always thinking, "I really
haven't harmed many people, mostly
myself." But the time came when
I wrote my list out and it was not as
short as I thought it would
be. I either liked you, disliked you,
or needed something from you
- it was that simple. People hadn't
done what I wanted them to do
and intimate relationships were out of
hand because of my partners
unreasonable demands. Were these "sins
of omission"? Because of my
drinking, I had "dropped out" - never
sending cards, returning
calls, being there for other people,
or taking part in their lives.
What a grace it has been to look at
these relationships, to make
my inventories in quiet, alone with
the God of my understanding,
and to go forth daily, with a
willingness to be honest and
forthright in my relationships.
***********************************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
"The alcoholic is absolutely unable to
stop drinking on the basis of
self-knowledge. We must admit we can
do nothing about it ourselves.
Willpower and self-knowledge will
never help in the strange mental
blank spots when we are tempted to
drink. An alcoholic mentally is
in a very sick condition. The last
flicker of conviction that we can
do the job ourselves must be snuffed
out. The spiritual answer and
the program of action are the only
hope. Only spiritual principles
will solve our problems. We are
completely helpless apart from Divine
help. Our defense against drinking
must come from a Higher Power."
Have I accepted the spiritual answer
and the program of action?
Meditation For The Day
Rest now until life, eternal life,
flowing through your veins and
heart and mind, bids you to bestir
yourself. Then glad work will
follow. Tired work is never effective.
The strength of God's spirit
is always available to the tired mind
and body. He is your physician
and your healer. Look to these quiet
times of communion with God for
rest, for peace, for cure. Then rise
refreshed in spirit and go out
to work, knowing that your strength is
able to meet any problems
because it is reinforced by God's
power.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that the peace I have found
will make me effective. I pray
that I may be relieved of all strain
during this day.
***********************************************************
As Bill Sees It
The Beginning of True Kinship, p.228
When we reached A.A., and for the
first time in our lives stood
among people who seemed to understand,
the sense of belonging
was tremendously exciting. We thought
the isolation problem had
been solved.
But we soon discovered that, while we
weren't alone any more in
a social sense, we still suffered many
of the old pangs of
anxious apartness. Until we had talked
with complete candor of
our conflicts, and had listened to
someone else do the same thing, we
still didn't belong.
Step Five was the answer. It was the
beginning of true kinship
with man and God.
12 & 12, p. 57
***********************************************************
Walk In Dry Places
Who is the Key person?
Respecting others
The Twelve Step movement grew out of a
society that practiced a Key
Person strategy; If you
could win important persons into your
group, others of high
standing would follow.
The experience of Alcoholics Anonymous
led a different
strategy: Work with anybody who wants
help, and let leaders
appear as they will. The leaders, whom
we call
trusted servants, were sometimes very
ordinary people in the
eyes of the world. Some were like Bill
W., people of great ability
whose careers had been wrecked by
alcoholism.
In any case, it is obvious that we are
poor judge of who might become a
key person. In the sight of God, we're
told, all humans
are equal. Our best success comes when
we treat every newcomer as a
key person.
I'll remember today to view every
person with the respect and
consideration that is usually extended
to people whom the world
considers
important.
***********************************************************
Keep It Simple
The strongest rebellion may be
expressed in quiet, undramatic
behavior.---Benjamin Spock
In recovery, we each rebel against our
disease. Each day we fight for
the freedom to stay close to our Higher Power, friends and family.
It's mainly a quiet battle. It's
fought daily. We fight and win by
acting in a spiritual way. We fight and win every time we help a
friend, go to meetings, or read about how to improve our lives
We move slowly but always forward.
Rushing will only tire us out. Our
battle will go on for life.
We are quiet fighters, but we're
strong, for we do not fight alone. And
we know what waits for us if we lose.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help
me stay free. When I want to
give up, help me realize this is normal. Help me to keep fighting at
these times.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll be a
rebel. I will go to an extra
meeting, or I'll talk with my sponsor. I'll find a way to help someone
without the person knowing.
***********************************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
Love is a force. It is not a result;
it is a cause. It is not a
product; it produces. It is a power, like money, or steam or
electricity. It is valueless unless you can give something else by
means of it. --Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Love and feeling loved--how often both
elude us! We have taken the
first step, though. Let's be grateful for our recovery; this is an act
of love. We have chosen to love ourselves, and the program opens the
way to our loving others. Love and loving are balms for the soul
sickness we experience. We are being healed. We are healing one another.
Loving others means going beyond our
own selfish concerns, for the
moment, and putting others' concerns first. The result is that others
feel our love. They feel a caring that is healing. And our spiritual
natures are likewise soothed.
We find God and ourselves through
touching the souls of one another.
Our most special gift is being loved and giving love. Every moment we
spend with another person is gift-giving time.
Every day is a gift-giving holiday, if
I will but make it so.
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Chapter 11 - A Vision For You
You are going to meet these new friends in your own community. Near
you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people in a sinking ship. If
you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and
poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you
will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and
wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will
commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know
what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and
rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of “Love thy neighbor
as thyself.”
pp. 152 - 153
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition Stories
The Housewife Who
Drank At Home
She hid her bottles in clothes
hampers and dresser drawers. In A.A., she discovered she had lost
nothing and had found everything.
After that I sat for a week, a body in a chair, a mind off in
space. I thought the two would never get together. I knew
that alcohol and I had to part. I couldn't live with it
anymore. And yet, how was I going to live without it? I
didn't know. I was bitter, living in hate. The very person
who stood with me through it all and has been my greatest help was the
person that I turned against, my husband. I also turned against
my family, my mother. The people who have come to help me were
just the people I would have nothing to do with.
p. 298
***********************************************************
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Seven - "Every
A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside
contributions."
"The meeting that night was at New York's old 24th Street Clubhouse.
During the intermission, the treasurer gave a timid talk on how broke
the club was. (That was in the period when you couldn't mix money and
A.A.) But finally he said it--the landlord would put us out if we
didn't pay up. He concluded his remarks by saying, "Now boys, please go
heavier on the hat tonight, will you?"
p. 163
***********************************************************
In helping others, we shall help
ourselves, for whatever good we give
out completes the circle and comes
back to us.
--Flora Edwards
There are only three possible outcomes
for alcoholics: locked up,
covered up, or sobered up.
--unknown
Seven days without a meeting makes one
weak.
--Herb B.
"Speak when you are angry and you will
make the best speech you will
ever regret."
--Ambrose Bierce
If you want your children to turn out
well, spend twice as much time
with them, and half as much money on
them.
--Abigail Van Buren
If you are patient in one moment of
anger, you will escape a hundred
days of sorrow.
--Cited in The Best of...BITS &
PIECES
***********************************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SACRIFICE
"To believe in sensible ideas is
easy, but to implement them
involves sacrifice."
-- Dorothy Fosdick
What am I prepared to sacrifice for
what I want? I remember the time
I said I would do "anything". Today I
know that anything must be
translated into something. No person,
job or thing can be allowed to
come between myself and abstinence.
This love of self will enable me
to love others. But I must remember to
sacrifice my desire to please
others and place my needs as a
priority in my life.
Today I know that if I do not love
myself enough to make sacrifices,
then I can be nothing.
In gratitude I give up those things I
know will hurt me.
***********************************************************
For God did not give us a spirit of
timidity, but a spirit of power, of
love and of self-discipline. So do not
be ashamed to testify about our
Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.
But join with me in suffering for
the gospel, by the power of God, who
has saved us and called us to a
holy life--not because of anything we
have done but because of his own
purpose and grace. This grace was
given us in Christ Jesus before the
beginning of time, but it has now been
revealed through the appearing
of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has
destroyed death and has brought
life and immortality to light through
the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:7-10
"He who raised Christ Jesus from the
dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through His Spirit
who indwells you."
Romans 8:11
***********************************************************
Daily Inspiration
Becoming overwhelmed creeps up slowly,
one commitment at a time. Lord,
help me regain my time and sanity, accomplish my priorities without
major setbacks, and have quiet time left to nurture my spirit.
Be patient with others, but mostly be
patient with yourself. Lord, help
me to keep a smile on my face and to realize my goodness and refuse to
dwell on my imperfections.
***********************************************************
NA Just For Today
Up Or Down
"This is our road to spiritual growth.
We change every day.... This growth is not the result of wishing but of
action and prayer."
Basic Text, p. 35-36
Our spiritual condition is never
static; if it's not growing, it's decaying. If we stand still, our
spiritual progress will lose its upward momentum. Gradually, our growth
will slow, then halt, then reverse itself. Our tolerance will wear
thin; our willingness to serve others will wane; our minds will narrow
and close. Before long, we'll be right back where we started: in
conflict with everyone and everything around us, unable to bear even
ourselves.
Our only option is to actively
participate in our program of spiritual growth. We pray, seeking
knowledge greater than our own from a Power greater than ourselves. We
open our minds and keep them open, becoming teachable and taking
advantage of what others have to share with us. We demonstrate our
willingness to try new ideas and new ways of doing things, experiencing
life in a whole new way. Our spiritual progress picks up speed and
momentum, driven by the Higher Power we are coming to understand better
each day.
Up or down - it's one or the other,
with very little in between, where spiritual growth is concerned.
Recovery is not fueled by wishing and dreaming, we've discovered, but
by prayer and action.
Just for today: The only constant in
my spiritual condition is change. I cannot rely on yesterday's program.
Today, I seek new spiritual growth through prayer and action.
pg. 238
***********************************************************
You are reading from the book Today's
Gift.
I'll be the sun upon your head, The
wind about your face, My love upon the path you tread, And upon your
wanderings, peace. --Gordon Bok
Today I will feel. I will feel wind
and water, earth and sun. I will feel rain, the taste of it, and the
soft sting of its coolness. I will feel the familiar touch of my shirt
against my skin, my hair across my face in the wind.
Today I will feel love like a candle
on a birthday cake that never goes out. No matter how much you blow on
it. I will feel compassion like a toothache, a dull pain that lets me
go about my business but never goes away. I will feel joy and sorrow,
pain, and pleasure. Today I will feel. I will feel like a human being,
unique as a snowflake, common as grass.
How many different ways do I feel
today?
You are reading from the book
Touchstones.
We did not all come over on the same
ship, but we were all in the same boat. --Bernard M. Baruch
As we listen to others' stories and
tell our own, we see roads into this program are different. Some of us
hit bottom. Others were spared the worst catastrophes, getting the
message of recovery early. In the final analysis, we are all in the
same boat with our powerlessness. The differences are superficial.
There is no higher or lower status for anyone in our program. When it
comes to the power of our addictions and co dependencies, we are
equally in need of help from our Higher Power.
Perhaps there was a time when we felt
totally alone with our problems. But we were alone just like thousands
of others needing recovery. Because we all have suffered and know our
need for help, we can now have a caring and supportive group. We can
turn to our brothers and sisters in the program knowing that they are
in the same boat, and they will understand. No one else provides that
kind of healing relationship.
I am grateful for the closeness I have
with others who are in the same boat with me.
You are reading from the book Each Day
a New Beginning.
Love is a force. It is not a result;
it is a cause. It is not a product; it produces. It is a power, like
money, or steam or electricity. It is valueless unless you can give
something else by means of it. --Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Love and feeling loved--how often both
elude us! We have taken the first step, though. Let's be grateful for
our recovery; this is an act of love. We have chosen to love ourselves,
and the program opens the way to our loving others. Love and loving are
balms for the soul sickness we experience. We are being healed. We are
healing one another.
Loving others means going beyond our
own selfish concerns, for the moment, and putting others' concerns
first. The result is that others feel our love. They feel a caring that
is healing. And our spiritual natures are likewise soothed.
We find God and ourselves through
touching the souls of one another. Our most special gift is being loved
and giving love. Every moment we spend with another person is
gift-giving time.
Every day is a gift-giving holiday, if
I will but make it so.
You are reading from the book The
Language of Letting Go.
Rescuing Ourselves
No one likes a martyr.
How do we feel around martyrs? Guilty,
angry, trapped, negative, and anxious to get away.
Somehow, many of us have developed the
belief that depriving ourselves, not taking care of ourselves, being a
victim, and suffering needlessly will get us what we want.
It is our job to notice our abilities,
our strengths, and take care of ourselves by developing and acting on
them.
It is our job to notice our pain and
weariness and appropriately take care of ourselves.
It is our job to notice our
deprivation, too, and begin to take steps to give ourselves abundance.
It begins inside of us, by changing what we believe we deserve, by
giving up our deprivation and treating ourselves the way we deserve to
be treated.
Life is hard, but we don't have to
make it more difficult by neglecting ourselves. There is no glory in
suffering, only suffering. Our pain will not stop when a rescuer comes,
but when we take responsibility for ourselves and stop our own pain.
Today, I will be my own rescuer. I
will stop waiting for someone else to work through my issues and solve
my problems for me.
It feels so good to know I'm making my
own decisions and following my own path. My Higher Power is my guide
and my inner voice is my teacher and my soul. --Ruth Fishel
*****
Journey to the Heart
Tap into the Creative Flow
Life is creative, and so are you. Let
the creative energy of the universe come alive for you. Let it help you
bring your creativity alive. Let it bring you the answers, the
direction, the guidance you need to create. Let it bring you your
ingredients.
What are you trying to create? A more
loving, open relationship? More spiritual growth? A new job? A book? A
new home? A friendship? A play? A song? A quilt? A meal? A budget? Ask
the universe for the help you need. Ask it to help you find your
ingredients; ask it to help you form your vision, get clear on your
ideas, and produce the best creation you can.
Your answer may come quickly. As we
grow and embrace our connection to the universe, as we embrace our
connection to ourselves, we find many of our answers appearing almost
immediately. If the answer doesn't come right away, don't try to force
it. The help will come. The idea will come. The next ingredient for
your creation will appear. Sometimes the answer will come softly,
almost as a whisper. Other times the guidance will be loud and clear.
You will see and hear the guidance clearly and easily when you continue
to love yourself.
Tap into the creative energy of the
universe. It will help you tap into your own. To tap into God and the
creative force, just tap into your heart.
*****
more language of letting go
Thanks for my heart
"Last Thursday, I was able to find the
courage to end a relationship I had been struggling with. I knew there
was nowhere for it to go, and I was seeing some scary character traits
in this person. Now, I am dealing with a lot of sadness. That tells me
that the urge we humans have for bonding with each other, and the
desire for companionship, must be incredibly strong. I am grateful even
more than I am sad."
It was just a short message on the
on-line bulletin board I maintained at the hazeldon.org Web site.
That's all the woman needed to say. For me, the lesson was clear and
complete: be grateful for our hearts.
God, thank you for the ability and
desire to love. Love is a cherished gift from you.
*****
Burning Brightly
Allowing Your Soul to Shine by Madisyn Taylor
When we hide and try to be invisible
and unseen by all we are only really hiding from ourselves.
At times, we’ve all wanted to crawl
under a rock and hide away from the world. We may have preferred to be
invisible rather than let other people see us or notice that we exist.
This desire not to be seen often happens when we are feeling very hurt,
angry, or simply weary of the world. And while we may console ourselves
with the defense that we are shy, an introvert, or a loner, we may
actually be hiding.
When we hide and make believe that we
are invisible, we can think that we no one sees us even though,
truthfully, we are only really hiding from ourselves. And while we may
try to live life as inconspicuously as possible, we only succeed in
becoming more conspicuous because people can’t help but notice that we
are trying to hide our light. None of us are meant to hide; each one of
us radiates a unique brilliance that is meant to illuminate the world.
When we try to dim our light, we diminish the natural radiance of the
Universe, and we deprive the people around us of the unique gifts and
talents that we are here to share.
Stepping out of the wings and letting
your light shine is actually a way to serve the planet. We each have a
responsibility to contribute to our community, and we do this when we
let ourselves be seen. It doesn’t do anyone any good when we try to
hide. We are all beings of light and we are here to light the way for
each other. When we let ourselves shine, we become a bright mirror that
others can see their own reflected brilliance through, and they can’t
help but want to shine also. Shine your light out into the world, bless
those around you by sharing your gifts, and watch the universe glow.
Published with permission from Daily OM
**************************************************
****************
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
Inventory-taking isn’t always done in
red ink. It’s a rare day when we haven’t done something right. As I
uncover and face my shortcomings, my many good qualities will be
revealed to me also, reminding me that they have the same reality as my
faults. Even when we’ve tried hard and failed, for instance, we can
chalk that up as one of the greatest credits of all. I’ll try to
appreciate my good qualities, because they not only offset the faults,
but give me a foundation on which to grow. It’s just as self-deceptive
to discount what’s good in us as to justify what is not. Can I take
comfort in my positive qualities, accepting myself as a friend?
Today I Pray
If I find only defects when I look in
that Fourth Step mirror, may I be sure that I am missing something —
namely my good points. Although my ultra-modesty may be just approved
socially, may I learn that it is just as dishonest as rationalizing
away my faults. Even an out-and-out failure, if examined from all
sides, may turn up a plus along with the obvious minuses.
Today I Will Remember
To give myself, if not a A for effort,
at least an average B minus.
**************************************************
****************
One More Day
Be not afraid of life. Believe that
life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
– William James
The words “life is worth living” may
seem inappropriate to someone who has a serious personal conflict. A
pat on the shoulder or a hug just isn’t enough to convince us that all
we are going through makes life “worth living.”
A sense of worthiness is an ongoing
process. And the value of life is affirmed and strengthened by our
willingness to listen to our emotional and physical needs – especially
when we feel unhappy or unhealthy. That willingness is shown in action.
A cup of coffee and a good cry with a close friend, acceptance of our
Higher Powers wisdom and care, or seeking help from a trained
professional — all of these actions say, “I and my life have worth.”
By helping myself, I will act on my
belief that life is worth living.
**************************************************
****************
Food For Thought
Today Is the Day
Many of us have spent most of our
lives dreaming of the day when we would be thin and attractive and able
to do the things we want to do. We have put off living to some
indefinite time in the future. As long as we were fat, we had a reason
to avoid challenges and delay satisfactions. By not attempting to
realize our dreams, we averted the risks of failure and the
possibilities of success.
The OA program teaches us how to live
today. One step at a time, we begin today to do the things we were
putting off until tomorrow. We learn that we can live now, day by day,
instead of waiting for the future.
Abstaining from compulsive overeating
brings self-respect and determination to develop our unique potential.
The time to get a job, take dancing lessons, be a friend – that time is
now, today.
Thank You for the opportunities of
today.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
Twelve Steps ~ Twelve Beautiful Gifts
“Each day provides its own gifts.”
Marcus Aurelius
For each step there is a principle. I
believe that with each step I received a gift.
STEP ONE: We admitted we were
powerless over food ~ that our lives had become unmanageable.
(I received a silver mirror that
revealed reality and truth when I looked into it.)
STEP TWO: Came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
(I received a stone to put in my
pocket. It had the word "hope" engraved on its face and was comforting
in my hand when I held it.)
STEP THREE: Made a decision to turn
our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
(I received a pair of wings for my
soul.)
STEP FOUR: Made a searching and
fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
(I received a candle to search out my
hidden shame.)
STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to
ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
(I received a beautiful note that
said, "Welcome to the human race. We are so glad to have you back.")
STEP SIX: Were entirely ready to have
God remove all these defects of character.
(I received a dove to put my burdens
upon and set it free.)
STEP SEVEN: Humbly asked Him to remove
our shortcomings.
(I received a small box engraved with
the words, "I will place my problems here.")
STEP EIGHT: Made a list of all persons
we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
(I received a map that led to the
future.)
STEP NINE: Made direct amends to such
people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or
others.
(I received an eraser to correct the
mistakes I had made.)
STEP TEN: Continued to take personal
inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
(I received a scale to weigh and
balance my actions ~ and to measure my growth.)
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.
(I received a communication device
able to span all doubt and prejudice.)
STEP TWELVE: Having had a spiritual
awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message
to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
One day at a time ...
The fountain I received bubbles
eternal hope and new ideas. I will daily sooth my soul with gratitude.
~ Judy
*****************************************
AA 'Big Book' - Quote
Here is the fellow who has been
puzzling you, especially in his lack of control. He does absurd,
incredible, tragic things while drinking. He is a real Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde. He is seldom mildly intoxicated. He is always more or less
insanely drunk. His disposition while drinking resembles his normal
nature but little. He may be one of the finest fellows in the world.
Yet let him drink for a day, and he frequently becomes disgustingly,
and even dangerously anti-social. He has a positive genius for getting
tight at exactly the wrong moment, particularly when some important
decision must be made or engagement kept. He is often perfectly
sensible and well balanced concerning everything except liquor, but in
that respect he is incredibly dishonest and selfish. He often possesses
special abilities, skills, and aptitudes, and has a promising career
ahead of him. He uses his gifts to build up a bright outlook for his
family and himself, and then pulls the structure down on his head by a
senseless series of sprees. - Pg. 21 - There Is A Solution
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
Complete involvement in this new way
of life will keep you from falling through the cracks. If you stay in
the middle of us, you won't fall off the edge.
As I follow those before me, newcomers
will follow behind me and I will always be in the middle of the path of
progress.
First Things First
I will not forget that this disease is
more powerful than me. When I try to fix others, I will remember that
all of my good intentions can easily be out powered by the intention of
the disease to remain in place. When I get frustrated because others
don't seem to 'get it' the way I am getting it, I will remember that
one day I stood in their shoes and that by the grace of God I am no
longer there. When I want them to hear what I am saying, I will
remember that I can only really teach by example, that I will allow
them to see the changes in me and my life and I will remind myself that
I lead and share by who I am not by what I say. Others will heal in
God's time not mine. Others will see in God's time not mine. Just for
today, the only recovery I am truly responsible for, is my own.
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Another day of recovery begins and we
start this day with surrender. 'From that point, each of us is reminded
that a day clean is a day won.' (P 86, NA Basic Text)
When I surrender; I win.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
The best approach to any angle is the
'try' angle.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
It feels so good to know that I'm
capable of making my own decisions and following my own path.
My Higher Power is my guide and my
inner voice is my teacher and friend.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
Drinking doesn't wash my troubles away
it irrigates them. Anon.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
August 16
Damage Repairs
Now we go out to our fellows and
repair the damage done in the past.
We attempt to sweep away the debris
which has accumulated
out of our effort to live on
self-will and run the show ourselves.
If we haven't the will to do this, we
ask until it comes.
Remember it was agreed at the
beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 76
Thought to Ponder . . .
Don't mess up an amend with an excuse.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Accountable Actions.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Friends
"You are going to meet these new
friends
in your own community.
Near you, alcoholics are dying
helplessly
like people in a sinking ship.
If you live in a large place, there
are hundreds.
High and low, rich and poor,
these are future fellows of
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Among them you will make lifelong
friends.
You will be bound to them with new
and wonderful ties,
for you will escape disaster together
and you will
commence shoulder to shoulder your
common journey.
Then you will know what it means to
give of yourself
that others may survive and
rediscover life.
You will learn a full meaning of
'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' "
1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp.
152-3
Thought to Consider . . .
When we love,
we see in others what we wish to have
in ourselves.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B O G G L E = Bad Or Good, God Loves
Everyone
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Equals
From "What is sponsorship?"
"Alcoholics Anonymous began with
sponsorship. When Bill W., only a few months sober, was stricken with a
powerful
urge to drink, this thought came to
him: 'You need another alcoholic to talk to. You need another alcoholic
just as
much as he needs you!'
"He found Dr. Bob, who had been
trying desperately and unsuccessfully to stop drinking, and out of
their common
need A.A. was born. The word
'sponsor' was not used then; the Twelve Steps had not been written; but
Bill carried the
message to Dr. Bob, who in turn
safeguarded his own sobriety by sponsoring countless other alcoholics."
"In A.A., sponsor and sponsored meet
as equals, just as Bill and Dr. Bob did."
1983, Questions & Answers on
Sponsorship (A.A. Pamphlet P-15), page 7
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Often simplicity yields to
complexity as the human mind grasps a great revelation, and places its
own particular
interpretation upon it. All too often
the revelation becomes lost in the maze of human ideas,
interpretations, and
suggestions. Thus have great
movements risen, flourished for a season, and died. But AA has steadily
progressed
through the labyrinth of complexity,
carefully avoiding luring temptations of wealth, professionalism, and
fame as a
healer of one of mankind's most
deadly diseases. Dr. Bob who responded to that original phone call, and
heard and
accepted the message from Bill, has
left ringing in our ears, the vital admonition: 'Keep it simple.'"
Kimberley, British Columbia,
September 1953
"Thus We Grow..."
AA Grapevine
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N'
Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"...I humbly offered myself to God,
as I then I understood Him, to do
with me as He would. I placed myself
unreservedly under His care and
direction. I admitted for the first
time that of myself I was
nothing; that without Him I was lost.
I ruthlessly faced my sins and
became willing to have my new-found
Friend take them away, root and branch."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
Bill's Story, pg. 13
"We are like men who have lost their
legs; they never grow new ones.
Neither does there appear to be any
kind of treatment which will
make alcoholics of our kind like
other men. We have tried every
imaginable remedy. In some instances
there has been brief recovery,
followed always by a still worse
relapse. Physicians who are
familiar with alcoholism agree there
is no such thing as making a
normal drinker out of an alcoholic.
Science may one day accomplish
this, but it hasn't done so yet."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
More About Alcoholism, pg. 30~
“We feel that elimination of our
drinking is but a beginning.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 19
“The minute I stopped arguing, I
could begin to see and feel.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
p. 27
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
When we reached A.A., and for the
first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand,
the sense of
belonging was tremendously exciting.
We thought the isolation problem had been solved.
But we soon discovered that, while we
weren't alone any more in a social sense, we still suffered many of the
old
pangs of anxious apartness. Until we
had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to
someone
else do the same thing, we still
didn't belong.
Step Five was the answer. It was the
beginning of true kinship with man and God.
Prayer for the Day: God help me become willing to let go of
all the things to which I still cling. Help me to be ready to let You
remove all of these defects, that Your will and purpose may take their
place. Amen