Thoughts For The Day~*~Progress ^*^*^ April 11
TransitionsDaily
~A.A.
Thoughts
For
The
Day~
^*^*^*^*^
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~~ /)
( \(AA)/
)
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Progress
"We
claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Our
description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and
our personal adventures before and after make clear three
pertinent ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not
manage our own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could
have relieved our alcoholism.
(c) That God could and would if
He were sought."
Alcoholics
Anonymous, p. 60
Thought
to Consider . . .
Every
recovery from alcoholism began with one sober
hour.
*~*AACRONYMS*~*
B
I G B O O K
Believing In God Beats Our Old
Knowledge
*~*^Just
For
Today!^*~*
Surrender
From "God Is Good":
"Before A.A., I could not, or would not, admit I was wrong. My pride would not let me. And yet I was ashamed of me. Caught in this conflict, I banished God from my life because I felt He asked me to adhere to a behavior pattern too high for a man of my human frailty. Somehow, I believed that there could be no forgiveness of any failure, that God required me to be all good. The moral of the story of the Prodigal Son eluded me.
Since
I thought trying was not enough, I stopped trying. That made me
feel guilty. For a while, alcohol blotted out the guilt. Then
alcohol became the greatest cause of my guilt. I had to be
beaten to a pulp physically, mentally and emotionally, become
bankrupt in all facets of my being, before I could give up my
pride and admit defeat. Unfortunately, admitting was not
sufficient. My situation got worse until I had to surrender
completely. From the depths of my hell, I called out, 'Oh God,
help,' and He led me to a place where I could find a way out of
the maze and then sent me a group of people to lead the
way."
1973
AAWS, Inc.
Came to Believe, 30th
printing 2004, pg.86
*^Daily
Reflections^*
A
WORD TO DROP: "BLAME"
To
see how erratic emotions victimized us often took a long time. We
could perceive them quickly in others, but only slowly in ourselves.
First of all, we had to admit that we had many of these defects,
even though such disclosures were painful and humiliating. Where
other people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame"
from our speech and thought.
TWELVE
STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47
When
I did my Fourth Step, following the Big Book guidelines, I noticed
that my grudge list was filled with my prejudices and my blaming
others for my not being able to succeed and to live up to my
potential. I also discovered I felt different because I was black.
As I continued to work on the Step, I learned that I always had
drank to rid myself of those feelings. It was only when I sobered up
and worked on my inventory, that I could no longer blame
anyone.
Copyright
1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*^As
Bill
Sees
It^*~*
"The
Spiritual Angle"
"How
often do we sit in A.A. meetings and hear the speaker declare, 'But I
haven't yet got the spiritual angle.' Prior to this statement, he has
described a miracle of transformation which has occurred in him -
not only his
release from alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude
toward life and the living of it. It is apparent to everyone else
present that he has received a great gift, and that this gift is all
out of proportion to anything that may be expected from simple A.A.
participation. So we in the audience smile and say to ourselves,
'Well, that guy is just reeking with the spiritual angle -
except that
he doesn't seem to know it yet!'"
GRAPEVINE,
JULY 1962
*~*^Big
Book
Quote^*~*
"Once
more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense
against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor
any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must
come from a Higher Power."
Alcoholics
Anonymous, 4th Edition
More About Alcoholism, pg. 43
*^Twenty
Four
Hours A
Day^*
A.A.
Thought for the Day
In
that alcoholic world, one drink always leads to another and you can't
stop till you're paralyzed. And the next morning it begins all over
again. You eventually land in a hospital or jail. You lose your job.
Your home is broken up. You're always in a mess. You're on the
merry-go-round and you can't get off. You're in a squirrel cage and
you can't get out. Am I convinced that the alcoholic world is not a
pleasant place for me to live in?
Meditation
for the Day
I
must learn to accept self-discipline. I must try never to yield one
point that I have already won. I must not let myself go in
resentments, hates, fears, pride, lust, or gossip. Even if the
discipline keeps me separated from some people who are without
discipline, nevertheless I will carry on. I may have different ways
and a different standard of living than some others. I may be
actuated by different motives than some people. But I will try to
live the way I believe God wants me to live, no matter what others
say.
Prayer
for the Day
I
pray that I may be an example to others of a better way of living. I
pray that I may carry on in spite of hindrances.
Hazelden
Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012
click here to join.
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