AA Thoughts For Today - December

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AA Thought for the Day

December 25

Radiance of This Prayer

We treasure our "Serenity Prayer" because it brings a new light to us that
can dissipate our oldtime and nearly fatal habit of fooling ourselves.
In the radiance of this prayer we see that defeat, rightly accepted, need be
no disaster. We now know that we do not have to run away, nor ought we
again try to overcome adversity by still another bulldozing power drive that
can only push up obstacles before us faster than they can be taken down.
- As Bill Sees It, (Light from a Prayer) No. 20

Thought to Ponder . . .
When I change the way I look at things, the things I look at change..

AA-related 'Alconym'
B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

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

Right Living
Service, gladly rendered,
obligations squarely met, troubles well accepted
or solved with God's help.
the knowledge that at home or in the world outside
we are partners in a common effort,
the well-understood fact that in God's sight
all human beings are important,
the proof that love freely given surely brings a full return,
the certainty that we are no longer isolated and alone
in self-constructed prisons,
the surety that we need no longer be square pegs
in round holes but can fit and belong
in God's scheme of things --
these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions
of right living for which no amount of pomp
and circumstance,
no heap of material possessions,
could possibly be substitutes.
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 124

Thought to Consider . . .
The peaks and valleys of my life
have become gentle rolling hills.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

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

Initiation
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."
"There are as many definitions of spiritual awakening as there are people who have had them. But certainly each genuine one has something in common with all the others. And these things which they have in common are not too hard to understand. When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 107

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

"By whatever name we may call it, the spirit of Christmas is in us all. How best to give and how to receive with ever more gratitude is our common aim. We'd like to practice the spirit of Christmas the year around. Therefore, we shall especially ask ourselves at this season: 'What more can we find in order that we shall have more to give?"
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., December 1952
"Every Day Is Christmas"
AA Grapevine

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

"Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider
another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate,
was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with
Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative
Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of
things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and
direction, provided we took other simple steps."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"If God can solve the age-old riddle of alcoholism, He can solve your
problems too."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Wives, Page 116~

Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time?
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.66

When these things happen we should not think too ill of ourselves.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.105

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still 'do not know' might never get their chance.
We used to be skeptical about large A.A. gatherings like conventions, thinking they might prove too exhibitionistic. But, on balance, their benefit is huge. While each A.A.'s interest should center principally in those about him and upon his own group, it is both necessary and desirable that we all get a larger vision of the whole.
The General Service Conference in New York also produces this effect upon those who attend. It is a vision-stretching process.

Prayer for the Day: Our Meeting Room Door -
Dear God
Make the door of this meeting wide enough
To Receive all who need love and fellowship
And narrow enough yo shut out
All envy, Pride, and Hate.
Make it s threshold smooth enough
To be no stumbling block to anyone
Not to those who have strayed
But rugged enough to turn back
The Tempter`s power:
Make it a gateway
To thine eternal kingdom.