AA Thoughts For Today - April

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AA Thought for the Day

April 26

Complete Defeat

Who cares to admit complete defeat? Practically no one, of course.
Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness.
It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our
minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an
act of Providence can remove it from us.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step One) p. 21

Thought to Ponder . . .
We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able
to take our first steps toward liberation and strength.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Answer Available.

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

Expectations
"My serenity is inversely proportional
to my expectations.
The higher my expectations of other people are,
the lower is my serenity.
I can watch my serenity level rise
when I discard my expectations.
But then my 'rights' try to move in,
and they, too, can force my serenity level down.
I have to discard my 'rights,'
as well as my expectations, by asking myself,
'How important is it, really?
How important is it compared to my serenity,
my emotional sobriety?'
And when I place more value on my serenity and sobriety
than on anything else,
I can maintain them at a higher level--
at least for the time being."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition p. 452

Thought to Consider . . .
Lower your standards and improve your program.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

GRACE
Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations

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

Popular
>From When A.A. Came of Age:
At this point the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a series of pieces that ushered in a new period for Alcoholics Anonymous,
the era of mass production of sobriety.
Elrick B. Davis, a feature writer of deep understanding, was the author of a series of articles that were printed in the
middle of the Plain Dealer's editorial page, and these were accompanied every two or three days by red-hot blasts from
the editors themselves. In effect, the Plain Dealer was saying, Alcoholics Anonymous is good, and it works. Come and get it.
The newspaper's switchboard was deluged. Day and night, the calls were relayed to [early members] Clarence and
Dorothy and from them to members of their little group.
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 20

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

"Every day is not a bed of roses, but it is such a relief to know that no matter what life throws my way, I never have to do
it alone. I can't wait to see what happens next."
Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2011
"Thirsty Thursday,"
AA Grapevine

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

"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all
you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't
waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90

"We represent no particular faith or denomination. We are dealing only
with general principles common to most denominations."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 93~

As the day goes on, we can pause where situations must be met and decisions made, and renew the simple request:
‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 103

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Each Man's Vision
'Beyond a Higher Power, as each of us may vision Him, A.A. must never, as a society, enter the field of dogma or
theology. We can never become a religion in that sense, lest we kill usefulness by getting bogged down in theological contention.'
'The really amazing fact about A.A. is that all religions see in our program a resemblance to themselves. For example,
Catholic theologians declare our Twelve Steps to be in exact accord with their Ignatian Exercises for Retreat, and
though our book reeks of sin, sickness, and death, the Christian Science Monitor has often praised it editorially.
'Now, looking through Quaker eyes, you, too, see us favorably. What happy circumstances, these.'
1. LETTER, 1954
2. LETTER, 1950

Prayer For The Day: God our Father, with the gifts you have given to us we have responsibilities and duties. Lead us to
do our best and act responsibly. Give us courage when we face difficulties. Inspire us to make our choices wisely,
always remembering that there are consequences to what we choose to do. Amen.