AA Thoughts For Today - August

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AA Thought for the Day

August 11

Essential Requirements

My friend promised when these things were done I would enter upon a new
relationship with my Creator; that I would have the elements of a way of living
which answered all my problems. Belief in the power of God, plus enough
willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of
things, were the essential requirements. Simple, but not easy; a price had
to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things
to the Father of Light who presides over us all.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) pp. 13 - 14

Thought to Ponder
The Twelve Steps -- a manuscript for rational living.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Amazing Adventure.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Self-Restraint
"We enjoy certain inherent advantages
which should make our task of self-restraint
relatively easy.
There is no really good reason for anyone to object
if a great many drunks get sober.
Nearly everyone can agree that this is a good thing.
If, in the process, we are forced to develop
a certain amount of honesty, humility, and tolerance,
who is going to kick about that?
If we recognize that religion is the province of the clergy
and the practice of medicine is for doctors,
we can helpfully cooperate with both.
Certainly there is little basis for controversy in these areas.
It is a fact that AA has not the slightest reform
or political complexion.
We try to pay our own expenses,
and we strictly mind our single purpose."
- Bill W.
1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th Printing, p. 69

Thought to Consider . . .
We are not living just to be sober;
we are living to learn, to serve, and to love.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, and Trust

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

So Touchy
From: "We Agnostics"
Besides a seeming inability to accept much on faith, we often found ourselves handicapped by obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice. Many of us have been so touchy that even casual reference to spiritual things made us bristle with antagonism. This sort of thinking had to be abandoned. Though some of us resisted, we found no great difficulty in casting aside such feelings. Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will be prejudiced for as long as some of us were.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 47-48

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The question arises of just what constitutes an amend. Many of us find that the old rationalization, 'If I stay sober, that's amends enough to those I have hurt,' just doesn't work. We have to be willing to go further."
January 1967
"Not Under the Rug,"
Step By Step

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a
seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we
laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

"We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue
from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade
the vessel from steerage to Captain's table. Unlike the feelings of
the ship's passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does
not subside as we go our individual ways. The feeling of having shared
in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds
us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are
now joined."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 17~

“We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day “Thy will be done.”"
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 87

“Everywhere we saw failure and miser transformed by humility into priceless assets. We heard story after story of how humility had brought strength out of weakness. In every case, pain had been the price of admission into a new life.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

As a society we must never become so vain as to suppose that we are authors and inventors of a new religion. We will humbly reflect that every one of A.A.'s principles has been borrowed from ancient sources.
A minister in Thailand wrote, 'We took A.A.'s Twelve Steps to the largest Buddhist monastery in this province, and the head priest said, 'Why, these Steps are fine! For us as Buddhists, it might be slightly more acceptable if you had inserted the word 'good' in your Steps instead of 'God.' Nevertheless, you say that it is God as you understand Him, and that must certainly include the good. Yes, A.A.'s Twelve Steps will surely be accepted by the Buddhists around here.'
St. Louis oldtimers recall how Father Edward Dowling helped start their group; it turned out to be largely Protestant, but this fazed him not a bit.

Prayer for the Day: God, please lead me so I may serve You better. I am yours, and I am ready God. Amen