AA Thoughts For Today - October

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AA Thought for the Day

October 8

A.A.'s Simple Prayer

With each passing day of our lives, may every one of us sense
more deeply the inner meaning of A.A.'s simple prayer:

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can.
And wisdom to know the difference.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 125

Thought to Ponder
Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.

AA-related 'Alconym'
H O P E = Hang On! Peace Exists.

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

Single Purpose
"We enjoy certain advantages which should make
our task of self-restraint relatively easy.
There is really no 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.,
c.1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th printing, p. 69

Thought to Consider . . .
While it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
K I S S = Keep It Simple, Silly

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

The Pervasive "We"
From: "He Lived Only To Drink"
More important, I came to believe that I cannot do this alone. From childhood, despite the love I experienced, I had never let people, even those closest to me, inside my life. All my life I had lived the deepest of lies, not sharing with anyone my true thoughts and feelings. I thought I had a direct line to God, and I built a wall of distrust around myself. In AA I faced the pervasive "we" of the Twelve Steps and gradually realized that I can separate and protect my sobriety from outside hazards only inasmuch as I rely on the sober experience of other AA members and share their journey through the steps to recovery.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 451

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

"As by some deep instinct, we AAs have known from the very beginning that we must never, no matter what the provocation, publicly take sides in any fight, even a worthy one."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., February 1953
"Tradition Ten"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our
drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the
difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while
there is yet time."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 32

"We don’t use this as an excuse for shying away from
the subject of God. When it will serve any good pur*
pose, we are willing to announce our convictions with
tact and common sense. The question of how to ap*
proach the man we hated will arise. It may be he has
done us more harm than we have done him and,
though we may have acquired a better attitude toward
him, we are still not too keen about admitting our
faults. Nevertheless, with a person we dislike, we take
the bit in our teeth. It is harder to go to an enemy
than to a friend, but we find it much more beneficial
to us. We go to him in a helpful and forgiving spirit,
confessing our former ill feeling and expressing our
regret."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.77

But those of us who have tried to shoulder the entire burden and trouble of others find we are soon overcome by them.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.132

It does not lighten our burden when we recklessly make the crosses of others heavier.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 86

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

There is only one sure test of all spiritual experiences: 'By their fruits, ye shall know them.'
This is why I think we should question no one's transformation - whether it be sudden or gradual. Nor should we demand anyone's special type for ourselves, because experience suggests that we are apt to receive whatever may be the most useful for our own needs.
Human beings are never quite alike, so each of us, when making an inventory, will need to determine what his individual character defects are. Having found the shoes that fit, he ought to step into them and walk with new confidence that he is at last on the right track.

Prayer for the Day: God direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God give me what I need to take care of any problems. I ask all these things that I may be of maximum service to you and my fellow man in the name of the Steps I pray. AMEN (p. 86 BB)