AA Thoughts For Today - December

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AA Thought for the Day

December 15

Pause

In all times of emotional disturbance or indecision, we can pause,
ask for quiet, and in the stillness simply say: "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."
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Three) pp. 40 - 41

Thought to Ponder
The stillness of God speaks louder than a choir of voices.

AA-related 'Alconym'
P A U S E = Pray Actively Until Serenity Emerges.

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

Pride
We scarcely need to be reminded that excessive guilt
or rebellion leads to spiritual poverty.
But it was a very long time before we knew
we could go even more broke on spiritual pride.
When we early AAs got our first glimmer
of how spiritually pride full we could be,
we coined this expression:
"Don't try to get too damned good by Thursday!"
That old-time admonition may look like another of those
handy alibis that can excuse us from trying our best.
Yet a closer view reveals just the contrary.
This is our AA way of warning against pride-blindness,
and the imaginary perfection's that we do not possess.
Bill W., June 1961
c. 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 255

Thought to Consider . . .
Pride without gratitude is arrogance.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R = Simply Observe Bill's Exemplary Recovery

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

Ideas
From "'Suggested' Steps":
"I remember my sponsor's answer when I told him that the Steps were 'suggested.' He replied that they are 'suggested' in the same way that, if you were to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, it is 'suggested' that you pull the ripcord to save your life. He pointed out that it was 'suggested' I practice the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to save my life."
1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 344

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

"My drinking career was all about running away. I could pack up and vanish in a flash. Now, I can make commitments and become part of something. I can let myself belong."
Kingston, N.Y., May 1997
"At Home in a Home Group"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober

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

"When ready, we say something like this: 'My Creator, I am now
willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you
now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in
the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as
I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.' We have then
completed Step Seven."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~

"God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors,
psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to
take your health problems to such persons. Most of them give
freely of themselves, that their fellows may enjoy sound minds and
bodies."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~

Will he take every necessary step, submit to anything to get well, to stop drinking forever?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.142

So it is that we first see humility as a necessity
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.73

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: Prayer During Turmoil - Dear Higher Power, During times when my world becomes unhinged, and the foundations of what I believe crack and dissolve, give me the grace to believe that Your power is at work in the turmoil of my life. Lead me to remember that Your power is greater than all evil, and though the world may rock and sometimes break, it will in time, be transformed by Your love.