Thoughts For The Day~*~Sanity^*^*^ July 19
Transitions Daily
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/AA\
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Sanity
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"Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are, or seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it. Some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,' but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill. They are abetted in this blindness by a world which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 32-3
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Thought to Consider . . .
If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you probably do.
*~*AACRONYMS*~*
D U E S = Desperately Using Everything but Sobriety
"At first they
wanted the word 'God' deleted from the book entirely. Henry had come to believe
in some sort of 'universal power,' but Jimmy still flabbergasted us by
denouncing God at our meetings. Some members had been so angered that they
wanted to throw him out of the group. But most of us thought it better to let
him talk on, believing that eventually he would change his mind, which he later
did. What Henry [P.], Jimmy [B.], and company wanted was a psychological
book which would lure the alcoholic in. Once in, the prospect could take God or
leave Him alone as he wished. To the rest of us this was a shocking proposal,
but happily we listened and eventually learned something of great value.
Actually our group conscience was at work to construct the most acceptable and
effective book possible. Every voice in it was playing its appointed part to
create an outcome that was to be nothing less than
providential."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics
Anonymous Comes of Age, pg.
162-163
*~*^Daily
Reflections^*~*
FALSE PRIDE
Many of us who had
thought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of this attitude. Refusing
to place God first, we had deprived ourselves of His help.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.75
Many false notions operate in
false pride. The need for direction to live a decent life is satisfied by the
hope experienced in the A.A. Fellowship. Those who have walked the way for
years - a day at a time - say that a God-centered life has limitless
possibilities for personal growth. This being so, much hope is transmitted by
the elder A.A.s.
I thank my Higher Power for letting me know that He
works through other people, and I thank Him for our trusted servants in the
Fellowship who aid new members to reject their false ideals and to adopt those
which lead to a life of compassion and trust. The elders in A.A. challenge
the newcomers to "Come To" - so that they can "Come to Believe." I ask my
Higher Power to help my unbelief.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES,
INC.
Source of Strength
When World War II broke out, our A.A. dependence on a Higher Power had its first major test. A.A.'s entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take discipline, stand up under fire, and endure the monotony and misery of war? Would the kind of dependence they had learned in A.A. carry them through? Well, it did. They had even fewer alcoholic lapses or emotional binges than A.A.'s safe at home did. They were just as capable of endurance and valor as any other soldiers. Whether in Alaska or on the Salerno beachhead, their dependence upon a Higher Power worked. Far from being a weakness, this dependence was their chief source of strength.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 38-39
*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*
"Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people´s shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19~
*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
Gossip about or criticism of personalities has no place in an A.A. clubroom. Every man in A.A. is a brother and every woman is a sister, as long as he or she is a member of A.A. We ought not to gossip about the relationships of any man or woman in the group. And if we say about another member, "I think she or he is taking a few drinks on the side," it's the worst thing we could do to that person. If a woman or a man is not living up to A.A. principles or has a slip, it's up to her or him to stand up in a meeting and say so. If they don't do that, they are only hurting themselves. Do I talk about other members behind their backs?
Meditation for the Day
To God, a miracle of change in a person's life is only a natural happening. But it is a natural happening operated by spiritual forces. There is no miracle in personalities too marvelous to be an everyday happening. But miracles happen only to those who are fully guided and strengthened by God. Marvelous changes in people's natures happen so simply, and yet they are free from all other agencies than the grace of God. But these miracles have been prepared for by days and months of longing for something better. They are always accompanied by a real desire to conquer self and to surrender one's life to God.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may expect miracles in the lives of people. I pray that I may be used to help people change.
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