No Control
Whatever
From: "More About Alcoholism"
A man of thirty
was doing a great deal of spree drinking. He was very nervous in the morning
after these bouts and quieted himself with more liquor. He was ambitious to
succeed in business, but saw that he would get nowhere if he drank at all. Once
he started, he had no control whatever. He made up his mind that until he had
been successful in business and had retired, he would not touch another drop. An
exceptional man, he remained bone dry for twenty-five years and retired at the
age of fifty-five, after a successful and happy business career. Then he fell
victim to a belief which practically every alcoholic has - that his long period
of sobriety and self-discipline had qualified him to drink as other men. Out
came his carpet slippers and a bottle. In two months he was in a hospital,
puzzled and humiliated. He tried to regulate his drinking for a while, making
several trips to the hospital meantime. Then, gathering all his forces, he
attempted to stop altogether and found he could not. Every means of solving his
problem which money could buy was at his disposal. Every attempt failed. Though
a robust man at retirement, he went to pieces quickly and was dead within four
years.
2001 AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 32-33
*^Daily
Reflections^*
SEEDS OF FAITH
Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith
alone can avail nothing. We can have faith, yet keep God out of our
lives.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.
34
As a child I constantly questioned the
existence of God. To a "scientific thinker" like me, no answer could
withstand a thorough dissection, until a very patient woman finally said to me,
"You must have faith." With that simple statement, the seeds of my recovery were
sown!
Today, as I practice my recovery - cutting back the weeds of
alcoholism - slowly I am letting those early seeds of faith grow and
bloom. Each day of recovery, of ardent gardening, brings the Higher Power
of my understanding more fully into my life. My God has always been with
me through faith, but it is my responsibility to have the willingness to accept
His presence.
I ask God to grant me the willingness to do His
will.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES,
INC.
*~*^As
Bill
Sees
It^*~*
After the "Honeymoon"
"For most of us, the first
years of A.A. are something like a honeymoon. There is a new and potent
reason to stay alive, joyful activity aplenty. For a time, we are diverted from
the main life problems. That is all to the good. "But when the honeymoon has
worn off, we are obliged to take our lumps, like other people. This is where the
testing starts. Maybe the group has pushed us onto the side lines. Maybe
difficulties have intensified at home, or in the world outside. Then the old
behavior patterns reappear. How well we recognize and deal with them reveals the
extent of our progress."
<<< >>>
"The wise have always
known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a
regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he
patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong."
1. LETTER, 1954
2. TWELVE AND
TWELVE, p. 88
*~*^Big
Book
Quote
^*~*
"We needed to ask ourselves but one
short question. 'Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that
there is a Power greater than myself?' As soon as a man can say that he does
believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on
his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple
cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be
built."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
We Agnostics, pg.
47
*^Twenty
Four
Hours A
Day^*
A.A. Thought for the Day
We in A.A. are offering a kind of psychological program as
well as a spiritual one. First, people must be mentally able to receive
it. They must have made up their minds that they want to quit drinking, and
they must be willing to do something about it. Their confidence must be
obtained. We must show them that we are their friends and really desire
to help them. When we have their confidence, they will listen to us. Then
the A.A. fellowship is a kind of group therapy. Newcomers need the
fellowship of other alcoholics who understand their problem because they
have had it themselves. Individuals must learn to reeducate their minds.
They must learn to think differently. Do I do my best to give mental help?
Meditation for the Day
"And this is life
eternal, that they may know Thee." It is the flow of life eternal through
spirit, mind, and body that cleanses, heals, restores, and renews. Seek
conscious contact with God more and more each day. Make God an abiding
presence during the day. Be conscious of His spirit helping you. All that is
done without God's spirit is passing. All that is done with God's spirit is
life eternal.
Prayer
for the Day
I pray that I may be in the
stream of eternal life. I pray that I may be cleansed and healed by the
Eternal Spirit.
Hazelden
Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012
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