Daily Recovery Readings - August 30

[bluidkiti]

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.

August 30

Daily Reflections

THE ONLY REQUIREMENT. . .

"At one time. . .every A.A. group had many membership rules.
Everybody was scared witless that something or somebody would
capsize the boat. . .The total list was a mile long. If all those rules had
been in effect everywhere, nobody could have possibly joined A.A.
at all. . ."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139-40

I'm grateful that the Third Tradition only requires of me a desire
to stop drinking. I had been breaking promises for years. In the
Fellowship I didn't have to make promises, I didn't have to
concentrate. It only required my attending one meeting, in a foggy
condition, to know I was home. I didn't have to pledge undying love.
Here, strangers hugged me. "It gets better," they said, and "One
day at a time, you can do it." They were no longer strangers, but
caring friends. I ask God to help me to reach out to people
desiring sobriety, and to, please, keep me grateful!

************************************************** *********

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

"Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure
immunity from drinking as extensive work with other alcoholics.
Carry the message to other alcoholics. You can help when no one
else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Life
will take on new meaning for you. To watch people recover, to see
them help others in turn, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a
fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends, this is an
experience you must not miss." Am I always ready and willing to help
other alcoholics?

Meditation For The Day

One secret of abundant living is the art of giving. The paradox of
life is that the more you give, the more you have. If you loose your
life in the service of others, you will save it. You can give
abundantly and still live abundantly. You are rich in one respect – you
have a spirit that is inexhaustible. Let no mean or selfish thought
keep you from sharing this spirit. Of love, of help, of
understanding, and of sympathy, give and keep giving. Give your
personal ease and comfort, your time, your money, and most of all,
yourself. And you will be living abundantly.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may live to give. I pray that I may learn this secret of
abundant living.

************************************************** *********

As Bill Sees It

Middle of the Road, p.241

"In some sections of A.A., anonymity is carried to the point of real
absurdity. Members are on such a poor basis of communication
that they don't even know each other's last names or where each
lives. It's like the cell of an underground.

"In other sections, we see exactly the reverse. It is difficult to
restrain A.A.'s from shouting too much before the whole public, by
going on spectacular 'lecture tours' to play the big shot.

"However, I know that from these extremes we slowly pull
ourselves onto a middle ground. Most lecture-giving members do not
last too long, and the superanonymous people are apt to come out
of hiding respecting their A.A. friends, business associates, and the
like. I think the long-time trend is toward the middle of the
road--which is probably where we should be."

Letter, 1959

************************************************** *********

Walk In Dry Places

THE MASKS ARE FALLING
Openness Individuals and families can be quite successful at masking personal problems and feelings. This doesn't always work very well with alcoholics, though some of us did manage to conceal our problem for long periods before our lives began to break down.
However, it is becoming more acceptable to admit to such problems, and it is no longer surprising to read that a prominent person is being treated for an addiction.
This new openness has also made it possible to abandon the masks we've been wearing to hide our feelings. When people learn they can be more open with their problems and need for help, it also becomes easier to admit that they are angry. fearful. unhappy, or even frightened.
Removing our masks and letting others see us as we are is only the first phase in the real honesty we're seeking. After expressing ourselves authentically, do we find we like who we are?
Now that we know and admit the truth about ourselves, what are we going to do to make needed changes?
I will face who and what I really am today. I will use my strengths and not let any shortcomings keep me from being effective.

************************************************** *********

Keep It Simple

Love is something if you give away, you end up having more. --- Malvina Reynolds
Service is how we give love away. It’s the “self” of self-help. Service is not a duty; a gift that’s been given to us. We help ourselves by helping others. It’s how we make sure the program will be here tomorrow. We “carry the message.” It’s just one way we see how important we are to others. The world needs us. The world needs our love.
Prayer for the Day: I pray for help in making service a big part of my program. Higher Power, help me to “carry the message.”
Action for the Day: Which people could use a kind word and a little love? I will go visit them or give them a call.

************************************************** *********

Each Day a New Beginning

I like my friend for what is in her heart, not for the way she does things. --Sandra K. Lamberson
We find good in situations, experiences and people when we look for it. Generally we find just what we expect to find. The power attaching to our attitudes is awesome. Often it is immobilizing; too seldom is it positive.
We each create the personal environment that our soul calls home, which means that at any moment we have the power to change our perspective on life, our response to any particular experience and most of all, our feelings about ourselves. Just as we will find good in others when we decide to look for it, we'll find good in ourselves.
We are such special women, all of us. And in our hearts we want joy. What the program offers is the awareness that we are the creators of the joy in our hearts. We can relinquish the past and its sorrows, and we can leave the future in the hands of our higher power. The present is singular in its importance to our lives, now.
Behavior generally reveals attitudes, which are of the mind and frequently in conflict with the heart. I will strive for congruence. I will let my heart lead the way. It will not only find the good in others, it will imitate it.

************************************************** *********

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 11 - A Vision For You

The two friends spoke of their spiritual experience and told him about the course of action they carried out.
He interrupted: “I used to be strong for the church, but that won’t fix it. I’ve prayed to God on hangover mornings and sworn that I’d never touch another drop but by nine o’clock I’d be boiled as an owl.”
Next day found the prospect more receptive. He had been thinking it over. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “God ought to be able to do anything.” Then he added, “He sure didn’t do much for me when I was trying to fight this booze racket alone.”

pp. 157-158

************************************************** *********

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

Physician, Heal Thyself

Psychiatrist and surgeon, he had lost his way until he realized that God, not he, was the Great Healer.

As someone in A.A. said to me once upon a time, there is nothing worse than a confused psychiatrist.

p. 303

************************************************** *********

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Eight - "Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers."

No individuals have been more buffeted by such emotional gusts than those A.A.'s bold enough to accept employment with outside agencies dealing with the alcohol problem. A university wanted an A.A. member to educate the public on alcoholism. A corporation wanted a personnel man familiar with the subject. A state drunk farm wanted a manager who could really handle inebriates. A city wanted an experienced social worker who understood what alcohol could do to a family. A state alcohol commission wanted a paid researcher. These are only a few of the jobs which A.A. members as individuals have been asked to fill. Now and then, A.A. members have bought farms or rest homes where badly beat-up topers could find needed care. The question was--and sometimes still is--are such activities to be branded as professionalism under A.A. tradition?

pp. 169-170

************************************************** *********

"When anger spreads through the breast, guard thy tongue from
barking idly."
--Sappho

Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to
you.
--Madeline Bridges

Words are powerful, may I use them wisely.
--Shelley

Today I will do all that I am capable of doing at this time of my life
to free myself of past mistakes. And then I will let go and live in my
now...fully enjoying today.
--Ruth Fishel

Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it."
-- Lou Holtz

We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us . . .

Sobriety is a gift, not a right.

AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.

Life didn't end when I got sober -- it started.

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

***********************************************

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

LISTENING

"If other people are going to
talk, conversation becomes
impossible."
-- James McNeill Whistler

Part of my addiction was never listening to what people were saying.
This was part arrogance, part denial, part fear, part control, part ego
--- the bottom line was that I did not listen. I was bored and unhappy
with my life because I was a prisoner of my own thoughts.

My spiritual awakening --- which I consider a process rather than an
event, a process that is still going on in my life on a daily basis --- was
in allowing some new information into my life that led to admittance
and acceptance. The day that I was able to admit that I was an
alcoholic was the day I took a step towards acceptance.

Today I receive immense help and comfort from other people,
especially recovering alcoholics. Two people experiencing an honest
conversation are part of God's promised love for His world.

Let the words I hear be acceptable in Your sight

************************************************** *********

"The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who
dwell therein."
Psalms 24:1

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of
them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you
nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9

************************************************** *********

Daily Inspiration

The best things in life aren't really things at all. Lord, thank You for all that I am and for all that I am able to be and thank You for my family, my friends, and for all those that touch my life in a special way.

Spend less time trying to change and more time making the best of who you are. Lord, help me daily to put Your words into action.

************************************************** *********

NA Just For Today

Doing Good, Feeling Good

"We examine our actions, reactions, and motives. We often find that we've been doing better than we've been feeling."
Basic Text p.42

The way we treat others often reveals our own state of being. When we are at peace, we're most likely to treat others with respect and compassion. However, when we're feeling off center; we're likely to respond to others with intolerance and impatience. When we take regular inventory, we'll probably notice a pattern: We treat others badly when we feel bad about ourselves.

What might not be revealed in an inventory, however, is the other side of the coin. When we treat others well, we feel good about ourselves. When we add this positive truth to the negative facts we find about ourselves in our inventory, we begin to behave differently.

When we feel badly, we can pause to pray for guidance and strength. Then, we make a decision to treat those around us with kindness, gentleness, and the same concern we'd like to be shown. A decision to be kind may nurture and sustain the happiness and peace of mind we all wish for. And the joy we inspire may lift the spirits of those around us, in turn fostering our own spiritual well-being.

Just for today: I will remember that if I change my actions, my thoughts will follow.
pg. 252

************************************************** *********

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
If I cry tears let them wash away your fears--make a rainbow of love for you. --Thom Klika
It takes both sun and rain to make a rainbow in the sky. The rainbow is a rare and beautiful thing--each color brilliant beside the other. Rain falls to earth like the tears we all shed sometimes. Sunlight shines like the happiness we find inside when we feel peaceful.
The colors of the rainbow are like all the different feelings we have. Let's say red is anger and green is fear and orange is joy and violet is contentment. All these feelings create a whole person, in the same way that all these colors make the whole rainbow. We become more colorful people as we learn to express all our emotions.
A person who is learning to share feelings radiates the same kind of beauty as a rainbow in the sky.
Who can I share a feeling with today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
Procrastination is the thief of time. --Edward Young
When we have a problem with putting things off, we seem to add to our troubles by mentally flogging ourselves. We know we are losing time. We criticize ourselves for our irrational behavior. Whether we are putting off an important task in our lives or letting many little undone jobs accumulate, we could benefit from stopping the self-criticism and asking ourselves for the spiritual message in our actions. Perhaps we need some quiet time to do absolutely nothing. Maybe our perfectionism is paralyzing us. Is an "all or nothing" attitude telling us if we can't do the whole job right away, there is no point in beginning? Unexpressed anger may be blocking us from doing what we need to do.
Whenever we find ourselves doing things that seem irrational we can ask, "What is the message from my Higher Power in this behavior?" This question will carry us much further toward spiritual growth than the mental criticism we are tempted to do.
Today, I will do what I can within the limits of one day, and I will stay in communication with my Higher Power.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
I like my friend for what is in her heart, not for the way she does things. --Sandra K. Lamberson
We find good in situations, experiences and people when we look for it. Generally we find just what we expect to find. The power attaching to our attitudes is awesome. Often it is immobilizing; too seldom is it positive.
We each create the personal environment that our soul calls home, which means that at any moment we have the power to change our perspective on life, our response to any particular experience and most of all, our feelings about ourselves. Just as we will find good in others when we decide to look for it, we'll find good in ourselves.
We are such special women, all of us. And in our hearts we want joy. What the program offers is the awareness that we are the creators of the joy in our hearts. We can relinquish the past and its sorrows, and we can leave the future in the hands of our higher power. The present is singular in its importance to our lives, now.
Behavior generally reveals attitudes, which are of the mind and frequently in conflict with the heart. I will strive for congruence. I will let my heart lead the way. It will not only find the good in others, it will imitate it.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Accepting Our Best
We don't have to do it any better than we can - ever.
Do our best for the moment, and then let it go. If we have to redo it, we can do our best in another moment, later.
We can never do more or better than we are able to do at the moment. We punish ourselves and make ourselves feel crazy by expecting more than our reasonable best for now.
Striving for excellence is a positive quality.
Striving for perfection is self-defeating.
Did someone tell us or expect us to do or give or be more? Did someone always withhold approval?
There comes a time when we feel we have done our best. When that time comes, let it go.
There are days when our best is less than we hoped for. Let those times go too. Start over tomorrow. Work things through, until our best becomes better.
Empowering and complimenting ourselves will not make us lazy. It will nurture us and enable us to give, do, and be our best.
Today, I will do my best, and then let it go. God, help me stop criticizing myself so I can start appreciating how far I've come.


It feels so good to be alive and be a part of this universe. No matter where I am in my life today, to matter what it is that I am doing, I know that I am growing richer and richer with love and with life. --Ruth Fishel

*****

Journey to the Heart
What Would Feel Good to You?

What do you want? What would feel good to you? Ask yourself that question often as you go through your day, as you live your life.

When you don't know what to do next, when you're not sure how to find the path that's right for you, ask yourself what you want and what would feel good. That's how you'll discover what's right for you.

What energizes you? Which friends feel good to be around? What work excites you, infuses you with passion? Which hobbies interest you? How do you want to spend your time? We have endured have to long enough. We have pushed ourselves through should too many times. There is a better and different way.

Learn to recognize what lifts your spirits. Become conscious of not only what you need, but also what you want and like, what feels right to you. At first, doing what you want and what feels good to you may be uncomfortable, especially if you've spent much of your life doing what doesn't feel good to you. Learn to be comfortable with the new energy. Learn to become comfortable choosing what energizes you. By following your heart, by following your passion, you will find your path and you will find joy.

The possibilities for joy are limitles if we can do what feels good to us-- in work, in life, in love, in play. Learn to become comfortable with joy. You have the power to create joy by choosing what feels good to you. The time for joy isn't later. The time for joy is now.

*****

more language of letting go
Turn your day around

I got up and checked the calendar. The car had to go in for servicing. I hated driving it in, getting someone to follow me, then standing in line at the service garage. Besides, I was busy. My friend followed me to the garage, and I climbed into his car. Geez, it was hot. I wished I was at home, in the air-conditioned lodge.

"Want to go out to eat breakfast?" I asked.

"Not really," he said.

"But the window washers will be at the house. We might as well wait until they leave. Even if we go home now, I won't be able to write."

"You're right. Where do you want to eat?"

"Do you have any cash on you?" I asked. He didn't. "Well then, we can't go to our favorite restaurants. They don't take checks or credit cards."

We chose a restaurant neither of us liked. His waffle was pasty. I could taste the grit in my soggy pancakes from the premade mix that hadn't been stirred. The syrup was imitation maple flavoring. The grapefruit juice was weak. I pushed my food around the plate, then stopped eating. My stomach already hurt.

We went to the cashier to pay for our food. We waited and waited while he did some other work, ignoring the fact that we were the only ones waiting in line. Finally, he turned to us and smiled. "Good news," he said. "You've won a prize."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A free sundae. You'll get it when you come back to eat here next time."

I started to tell him to give my surprise to the next child who came in, when he turned to me scowling. "Ma'am, we have a problem," he said. "Your credit card was denied."

"That's impossible," I said. "I pay my bill in full each month. Try again."

He did. The card still didn't go through.

My stomach really hurt by the time we got home. The bank had screwed up. The automatic payment to my credit card company had mysteriously been sent someplace else. By the time that problem got solved, it was time to go pick up my car.

There was a long line ahead of me at the service garage. It had been 104 degrees in the car. I was almost passing out. And everyone ahead of me was ordering tires. I sat down on the bench to relax. Finally, my turn.

"Here's your keys," the man said. "Just a monute." He turned and asked the mechanic. "Did you check the brakes?"

He said, "I forgot."

"Sorry," the man said. "It'll just be another half hour."

An hour later, on the way home, I stopped at the bank. I really needed some cash. The regular line was long, winding its way from the tellers to the door. The business line was long, too, but not as bad. I took my place. Fifteen minutes later, it was my turn. "This line is for people who have a business account," the woman snapped.

"I do," I whispered. "Look at the check.'

Much later that evening, when I finally started to write and my stomach began settling down from the pancake mix, a vision popped into my head. "What about two eggs, cooked in real butter, with mushrooms, a ground beef patty, and some toast?"

A few minutes later, he disappeared out the door. "Going to the store," he hollered. "Be right back."

We sat at the counter at 10:30 that night. The eggs were perfect. The mushrooms were stuffed with cream cheese. The toast was soft from butter. And the hamburger patties were done perfectly and smothered in A-1 sauce.

A peace settled in. I felt grateful and blessed. I remembered a conversation I had heard a long time ago. "Oh, I see it's going to be one of those days," a woman had snapped to her boss. "Not unless you make it that way," he said.

Stuff happens. But no matter what time it is, it's never too late to say thanks, and have a good day.

God, help me know that between you and me, we have the power to eventually turn any day around.

*****

The Effect of Not Doing
When We Don’t Take Action by Madisyn Taylor

Our actions shape our lives, but what we don't take action on can be just as powerful.

Life is sculpted on a moment-to-moment basis. Every one of the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take contributes to the complex quality and character of the universe’s unfolding. It simply is not possible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us. Every action taken affects the whole as greatly as every action not taken. And when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.

For example, when we neglect to recycle, speak up, vote, or help somebody in immediate need, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to be an agent for positive change. Instead, we are enabling a particular course to continue unchallenged, picking up speed even as it goes along. By holding the belief that our actions don’t make much of a difference, we may find that we often tend to forego opportunities for involvement. Alternatively, if we see ourselves as important participants in an ever-evolving world, we may feel more inspired to contribute our unique perspective and gifts to a situation.

It is wise to be somewhat selective about how and where we are using our energy in order to keep ourselves from becoming scattered. Not every cause or action is appropriate for every person. When a situation catches our attention, however, and speaks to our heart, it is important that we honor our impulse to help and take the action that feels right for us. It may be offering a kind word to a friend, giving resources to people in need, or just taking responsibility for our own behavior. By doing what we can, when we can, we add positive energy to our world. And sometimes, it may be our one contribution that makes all the difference. Published with permission from Daily OM

*******************************************

A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

I’ll begin today with prayer — prayer in my heart, prayer in my mind, and words of prayer on my lips. Through prayer, I’ll stay tuned to God today, reaching forward to become that to which I aspire. Prayer will redirect my mind, helping me rise in consciousness to the point where I realize that there’s no separation between God and me. As I let the power of God flow through me, all limitations will fall away. Do I know that nothing can overcome the power of God?

Today I Pray

Today may I offer to my Higher Power a constant prayer, not just a “once-in-the-morning-does-it” kind. May I think of my Higher Power at coffee breaks, lunch, tea time, during a quiet evening — and at all times in between. May my consciousness expand and erase the lines of separation, so that the Power is a part of me and I am a part of the Power.

Today I Will Remember

To live an all-day Prayer.

*******************************************

One More Day

The basic fact of today is the tremendous pace of change in human life.
– Jawaharial Nehru

Just when we convince ourselves that we are settled, something happens that causes us to change once again. We need to be chameleons, open to change and willing to adapt.

It’s not a simple process, for sometimes life throws us zingers we never expected. Not all change is positive, and it can be downright hard. Perhaps we may become grandparents quite unexpectedly, or we may need to more to a different city. We can lose a spouse or a job or our health. All these situations cause further change. Rising to the occasion teaches us that we are, finally, truly adult in our behavior.

I let go of old dreams each time I change. I am proud of my ability to adapt to new circumstances.

************************************************** *****************

Food for Thought.

Getting Honest with Ourselves

The day we realize that we are and always will be compulsive overeaters and that we can permit ourselves no deviousness when it comes to food - that is the day when we begin to take the OA program seriously. Half measures do not work. Lingering exceptions in the back of our minds will defeat us. Beginning the program with the idea of quitting when we have lost a certain number of pounds will not bring success.

Nothing short of an honest, wholehearted commitment to abstinence and the OA program will give us the ability to stop eating compulsively. If we think we can get away with small deviations here and there, we are deluding ourselves. Our disease is progressive, and unless we take the steps outlined in the program, it will eventually destroy us.

If we are not honest with ourselves, we are divided, weak, and sick. Getting honest means getting strong and well.
May I be directed by the truth.

*****************************************

One Day At A Time

SERVICE
“Ask not what your country can do for you
but what you can do for your country.”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy

At one of the first program functions I ever attended, there were a large number of pots and pans that needed to be washed in the kitchen. My sponsor told me that we were going to go in there and wash all those dirty pans. When I asked why, she said, “Because this stuff keeps us abstinent.” That was good enough for me. Service is essential to my recovery. As our primary purpose states, “we carry the message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.” The essence of my program is that of committing to service.

Since then my service in program has been of paramount importance to me, so I sponsor and serve at the group and Intergroup levels, I attend all events I can, and I am in service at most of the meetings I attend. I encourage sponsees to serve their fellow sufferers also and ask them to sponsor newcomers as soon as they have worked Steps One through Three. This action gets them working on Step Four as well.

One of my favorite ways to give service is to be available to talk to newcomers by telephone. As our responsibility pledge states, “Always to lend the heart and hand to all who share my compulsion, for this I am responsible.” A commitment to service is as vital to my recovery as are my commitments to abstinence, working the Steps and a daily food plan. These components mesh together and give me purpose I never had before.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will find a way to be helpful
to others in program.
~ Jill C

*****************************************

AA 'Big Book' - Quote

Many doctors and psychiatrists agree with our conclusions. One of these men, staff member of a world renowned hospital, recently made this statement to some of us: 'What you say about the general hopelessness of the average alcoholic's plight is, in my opinion, correct. As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help. Had you offered yourselves as patients at this hospital, I would not have taken you, if I had been able to avoid it. People like you are too heartbreaking. Though not a religious person, I have profound respect for the spiritual approach in such cases as yours. For most cases, there is virtually no other solution.' - Pg. 43 - More About Alcoholism

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

Many of us have not gone this long without some kind of chemical for many years. We feel awkward, uncomfortable and in physical pain. It seems like too much is being asked of us. Sometimes we romanticize the 'good times' when we were using. But we must now trust that thousands of addicts have lived through this hour and go on to a better one.

God, as I understand You, show me that I can go to a better hour, day, and life!

The Next Right Action

My only job today is to take the next right action. I cannot solve my life in a day. I cannot erase my past in a day nor do I even want to. All I need to do is the task at hand as well and sincerely as I can. When I do that sincerely and daily, the rest takes care of itself. When I don 't I get overwhelmed with my own fears and pain and I eventually feel immobilized and stuck. I will not oneness about tomorrow because the only day I am in is today and the only moment I can do anything about is now.

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

Did you know that the word 'share' derives from the Old English word for 'shear' which means to cut or divide? To share with others means to divide your burden. Each time you share, you leave another little piece of the weight of your burden with them.

By sharing, I divide; by dividing, I lighten my load.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Chapter Five is called 'How It Works,' not 'Why Me?'

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

It feels so good to be alive and to be part of this universe.

No matter where I am in my life today, no matter what it is that I am doing, I know that I am growing richer and richer with love and with life.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

NUTS = Not Using The Steps. Mickey B.

*****************************************

AA Thought for the Day

August 30

Essentials
Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of facing his problems in the light of our experience can
recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts.
He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.
We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program.
Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 568

Thought to Ponder . . .
A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness.

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

Fear
"When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot,
then we found we could live at peace with ourselves
and show others who still suffered the same fears
that they could get over them, too.
We found that freedom from fear was more important
than freedom from want."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 122

Thought to Consider . . .
Courage is the willingness to accept fear and act anyway.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R = Face Everything And Recover

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

Others
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"A group of laymen whose combined religious training and experience had been small indeed had produced a volume
which described release from alcoholism by spiritual means. What would our Catholic friends think? We had not the slightest inkling.
"Then the good news came. By messenger we had sent the book Alcoholics Anonymous to the Catholic Committee
on Publications in the New York Archdiocese. Our messenger was Morgan R., released only a few weeks before from
Greystone asylum and himself the first Catholic to put in an appearance in New York [A.A.]. Not long after he returned
with wonderful things to tell us.
"The Committee, he said, had nothing but the best to say of our efforts. From their point of view the book was perfectly all right "
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 168-69

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

"Happiness or tragedy might just depend upon a slight sign of recognition, a nod of the head or perhaps a friendly smile."
Chappaqua, N.Y., December 1947
"Recognition"
AA Grapevine

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

"...I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do
with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and
direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was
nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and
became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 13~

"We have no monopoly on God; we merely have an approach that worked with us."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 95~

"In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 101

“When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 91

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth reminded me of Professor William James's observation that
truly transforming spiritual experiences are nearly always rounded on calamity and collapse. 'Stop preaching at them,'
Dr. Silkworth said, 'and give them the hard medical facts first. This may soften them up at depth so that they will be
willing to do anything to get well. Then they may accept those spiritual ideas of yours, and even a Higher Power.'
We beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas, and
the result was nil - until we let go absolutely.

Prayer for the Day: Thank You, dear God, for another day, The chance to live in a decent way, To feel again the joy of living and happiness that comes from giving. Thank You for friends who can understand and the peace that flows from Your loving hand. Help me to wake with the morning sun, With the prayer today, "Thy will be done." For with Your help I will find the way. Thank You again, dear God, for another day.

Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7