Thoughts For The Day~*~Belonging ^*^*^ September 6

[Transitions Daily]

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Belonging
^*^*^
"Today, I'm counting my blessings instead of my troubles. When I walked into the friendly atmosphere of my first AA meeting, I knew I was where I belonged. Here were people who had thought and felt as I had. Here was the understanding I'd been searching for all my life."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 355
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . . 

I stood in the sunlight at last.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

T H I N K =  The Happiness I Never Knew

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

Nickname

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"We directed Mr. Blackwell [the printer] to do the job on the thickest paper in his shop. The original volume proved to be so bulky that it became known as the 'Big Book.' Of course the idea was to convince the alcoholic purchaser that he was indeed getting his money's worth!"
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 170

*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*

REMOVING THREATS TO SOBRIETY
". . .except when to do so would injure them or others." 
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59
Step Nine restores me to a feeling of belonging, not only to the human race but also to the everyday world.  First, the Step makes me leave the safety of A.A., so that I may deal with non-A.A. people "out there," on their terms, not mine.  It is a frightening but necessary action if I am to get back into life.  Second, Step Nine allows me to remove threats to my sobriety by healing past relationships.  Step Nine points the way to a more serene sobriety by letting me clear away the past wreckage, lest it bring me down.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

God's Gifts

We see that the sun never sets upon A.A.'s Fellowship; that more than three hundred and fifty-thousand of us have now recovered from our malady; that we have everywhere begun to transcend the formidable barriers of race, creed, and nationality. This assurance that so many of us have been able to meet our responsibilities for sobriety and for growth and effectiveness in the troubled world where we live, will surely fill us with the deepest joy and satisfaction. But, as a people who have nearly always learned the hard way, we shall certainly not congratulate ourselves. We shall perceive these assets to be God's gifts, which have been in part matched by an increasing willingness on our part to find and do His will for us.
GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"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~

*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*

A.A. Thought for the Day

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "Live and Let Live." This, of course, means tolerance of people who think differently than we do, whether they are in A.A. or outside of A.A. We cannot afford the luxury of being intolerant or critical of other people. We do not try to impose our wills on those who differ from us. We are not "holier than thou." We do not have all the answers. We are not better than other good people. We live the best way we can and we allow others to do likewise. Am I willing to live and let live?

Meditation for the Day

"And this is life eternal, that we may know Thee, the only true God." Learning to know God as best you can draws the eternal life nearer to you. Freed from some of the limitations of humanity, you can grow in the things that are eternal. You can strive for what is real and of eternal value. The more you try to live in the consciousness of the unseen world, the gentler will be your passing into it when the time comes for you to go. This life on earth should be largely a preparation for the eternal life to come.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live each day as though it were my last. I pray that I may live my life as though it were everlasting. Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012