"A.A. Thoughts For Today" ~ Blog changes Daily

Thoughts For The Day~~Juggernaut ^^*^^^ February 2, 2012

2012-02-01T23:47:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Juggernaut
We who are alcoholics can consider ourselves
fortunate indeed.
Each of us has had his own near-fatal encounter
with the juggernaut of self-will,
and has suffered enough under its weight
to be willing to look for something better.
So it is by circumstance rather than by any virtue
that we have been driven to AA,
have admitted defeat,
have acquired the rudiments of faith,
and now want to make a decision
to turn our will and our lives over to a Higher Power.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 37-8
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

If faith without works is dead,
then willingness without action is fantasy.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness

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

Self-concern

From "'Selfish?'"

"Some A.A. speakers say, 'A.A. is a selfish program.' The word 'selfish' ordinarily implies that one is acquisitive, demanding, and thoughtless of the welfare of others. Of course, the A.A. way of lifedoes not at all imply such undesirable traits.

"If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now. Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first -- a right and necessary kind of self-concern."

c. 1967, As Bill Sees It, page 81

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
RESCUED BY SURRENDERING

Characteristic of the so-called typical alcoholic is a narcissistic egocentric core, dominated by feelings of omnipotence, intent on maintaining at all costs its inner integrity. . . . Inwardly the alcoholic brooks no control from man or God. He, the alcoholic, is and must be the master of his destiny. He will fight to the end to preserve that position.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 311

The great mystery is: "Why do some of us die alcoholic deaths, fighting to preserve the 'independence' of our ego, while others seem to sober up effortlessly in A.A.?" Help from a Higher Power, the gift of sobriety, came to me when an otherwise unexplained desire to stop drinking coincided with my willingness to accept the suggestions of the men and women of A.A. I had to surrender, for only by reaching out to God and my fellows could I be rescued.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
All or Nothing?

Acceptance and faith are capable of producing 100 per cent sobriety. In fact, they usually do; and they must, else we could have no life at all. But the moment we carry these attitudes into our emotional problems, we find that only relative results are possible. Nobody can, for example, become completely free from fear, anger, and pride.
Hence, in this life we shall attain nothing like perfect humility and love. So we shall have to settle, respecting most of our problems, for a very gradual progress, punctuated sometimes by very heavy setbacks. Our oldtime attitude of "all or nothing" will have to be abandoned.

GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The alcoholic may find it hard to re-establish friendly relations
with his children. Their young minds were impressionable while he
was drinking. Without saying so, they may cordially hate him for
what he has done to them and to their mother. The children are
sometimes dominated by a pathetic hardness and cynicism. They cannot
seem to forgive and forget. This may hang on for months, long after
their mother has accepted dad's new way of living and thinking.

In time they will see that he is a new man and in their own way they
will let him know it."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 134~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

We got a kick out of the first few drinks, before we got stupefied by alcohol. For a while, the world seemed to look brighter. But how about the letdown, the terrible depression that comes the morning after? In A.A., we get a real kick: not a false feeling of exhilaration, but a real feeling of satisfaction with ourselves, self respect, and a feeling of friendliness toward the world. We got a sort of pleasure from drinking. For a while we thought we were happy. But it's only an illusion. The hangover the next day is the opposite of pleasure. In AA., am I getting real pleasure and serenity and peace?

Meditation for the Day

I will practice love, because lack of love will block the way. I will try to see good in all people, those I like and also those who fret me and go against the grain. They are all children of God. I will try to give love; otherwise, how can I dwell in God's spirit whence nothing unloving can come? I will try to get along with all people, because the more love I give away, the more I will have.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may do all I can to love others, in spite of their many faults. I pray that as I love, so will I be loved.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Fear ^^*^^^ February 1, 2012

2012-01-31T23:20:00.000-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
(   \(AA)/ )
(_   /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Fear
Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing.
It seems to cause more trouble.
   We reviewed our fears thoroughly.
We put them on paper,
even though we had no resentment in connection with them.
We asked ourselves why we had them.
Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us?
Self-reliance was good as far as it went,
but it didn't go far enough.
Some of us once had great self-confidence,
but it didn't fully solve the fear problem, or any other.
When it made us cocky, it was worse.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 67-8
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .
Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R = Forgetting Everything's All Right

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

Surrender

From "A Practical Philosophy":

"We simply stop messing in God's business. And in my opinion, when we stop messing and stop worrying, we have turned our will and our lives over to God (or Good) as we understand (or don't understand) Him. "San Jose, California, USA"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 116

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
GOAL: SANITY

". . . Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 27

"Came to believe!" I gave lip service to my belief when I felt like it or when I thought it would look good. I didn't really trust God. I didn't believe He cared for me. I kept trying to change things I couldn't change. Gradually, in disgust, I began to turn it all over, saying: "You're so omnipotent, you take care of it." He did. I began to receive answers to my deepest problems, sometimes at the most unusual times: driving to work, eating lunch, or when I was sound asleep. I realized that I hadn't thought of those solutions -- a Power greater than myself had given them to me. I came to believe.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Moral Responsibility

"Some strongly object to the A.A. position that alcoholism is an illness. This concept, they feel, removes moral responsibility from alcoholics. As any A.A. knows, this is far from true. We do not use the concept of sickness to absolve our members from responsibility. On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation onto the sufferer, the obligation to use A.A.'s Twelve Steps to get well.
"In the early days of his drinking, the alcoholic is often guilty of irresponsibility. But once the time of compulsive drinking has arrived, he can't very well be held fully accountable for his conduct. He then has an obsession that condemns him to drink, and a bodily sensitivity to alcohol that guarantees his final madness and death.
"But when he is made aware of this condition, he is under pressure to accept A.A.'s program of moral regeneration."

TALK, 1960
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending
gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old scrapes, helping
to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his
irate parents, lending money and securing jobs for each other, when
justified these are everyday occurrences. No one is too
discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially if he means
business."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 161~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

When we think about having a drink, we're thinking of the kick we get out of drinking, the pleasure, the escape from boredom, the feeling of self-importance, and the companionship of other drinkers. What we don't think of is the letdown, the hangover, the remorse, the waste of money, and the facing of another day. In other words, when we think about that first drink, we're thinking of all the assets of drinking and none of the liabilities. What has drinking really got that we haven't got in A.A.? Do I believe that the liabilities of drinking outweigh the assets?

Meditation for the Day

I will start a new life each day. I will put the old mistakes away and start anew each day. God always offers me a fresh start. I will not be burdened or anxious. If God's forgiveness were only for the righteous and those who had not sinned, where would be its need? I believe that God forgives us all of our sins, if we are honestly trying to live today the way He wants us to live. God forgives us much and we should be very grateful.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my life may not be spoiled by worry and fear and selfishness. I pray that I may have a glad, thankful, and humble heart.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Surrender ^^*^^^ January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T00:07:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Surrender
On the face of it,
surrendering certainly does not seem like winning.
But it is in AA
Only after we have come to the end of our rope,
hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives
beyond which we can go no further;
only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender,
can we accomplish sobriety which we could
never accomplish before.
We must, and we do, surrender in order to win.
c. 1955 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, pp. 341-2
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust

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

Stages

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"In the first years, those of us who sobered up in A.A. had been grim and utterly hopeless cases, almost without exception. But now younger folks began to appear. Lots of people turned up who still had jobs and homes and health and even good social standing. These in their turn were able to persuade others like themselves of the need for A.A. Of course it was necessary for these types of newcomers to hit bottom emotionally. But we found they did not have to hit every possible bottom there was in order to admit that they were licked. When one of these mild cases arrived at the conviction that he already had the principal symptoms of alcoholism that was usually enough. He 'hit bottom' then and there and so was spared years of anguish."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 199
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
OUR COMMON WELFARE COMES FIRST

The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous is the most cherished quality our Society has. . . . We stay whole, or A.A. dies.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 129

Our Traditions are key elements in the ego deflation process necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. The First Tradition reminds me not to take credit, or authority, for my recovery. Placing our common welfare first reminds me not to become a healer in this program; I am still one of the patients. Self-effacing elders built the ward. Without it, I doubt I would be alive. Without the group, few alcoholics would recover.

The active role in renewed surrender of will enables me to step aside from the need to dominate, the desire for recognition, both of which played so great a part in my active alcoholism. Deferring my personal desires for the greater good of group growth contributes toward A.A. unity that is central to all recovery. It helps me to remember that the whole is greater than the sum of all its parts.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
In God's Economy

"In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is."

<<<>>>

We did not always come closer to wisdom by reason of our virtues; our better understanding is often rooted in the pains of our former follies. Because this has been the essence of our individual experience, it is also the essence of our experience as a fellowship.

1. LETTER, 1942 - 2. GRAPEVINE, NOVEMBER 1961
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from
it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will
find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new
attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or
effort on our part. It just comes!"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Drinking cuts you off from God. No matter how you were brought up, no matter what your religion is, no matter if you say you believe in God, nevertheless you build up a wall between you and God by your drinking. You know you're not living the way God wants you to. As a result, you have that terrible remorse. When you come into A.A., you begin to get right with other people and with God. A sober life is a happy life, because by giving up drinking, we've gotten rid of our loneliness and remorse. Do I have real fellowship with other people and with God?

Meditation for the Day

I believe that all sacrifice and all suffering are of value to me. When I am in pain, I am being tested. Can I trust God, no matter how low I feel? Can I say, "Thy will be done," no matter how much I am defeated? If I can, my faith is real and practical. it works in bad times as well as in good times. The Divine Will is working in a way that is beyond my finite mind to understand, but I can still trust in it.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may take my suffering in my stride. I pray that I may accept pain and defeat as part of God's plan for my spiritual growth.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Good Living ^^*^^^ January 30, 2012

2012-01-29T23:38:00.000-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Good Living
Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes,
and right action is the key to good living;
therefore the joy of good living
is the theme of AA's Twelfth Step.
With each passing day of our lives,
may every one of us sense more deeply
the inner meaning of AA'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.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 125
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . . .

The joy is in the journey.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew

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

Growth

From "The Keys of the Kingdom":

"Letting go of everything at once was both painful and terrifying. I could never have accomplished this alone. It took the help, understanding, and wonderful companionship that was given so freely to me by my ex-alkie friend this and the program of recovery embodied in the Twelve Steps. In learning to practice these steps in my daily living, I began to acquire faith and a philosophy to live by. Whole new vistas were opened up for me, new avenues of experience to be explored, and life began to take on color and interest. In time, I found myself looking forward to each new day with pleasurable anticipation."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 275
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
FREEDOM FROM . . . FREEDOM TO

We are going to know a new freedom. . . .

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83

Freedom for me is both freedom from and freedom to. The first freedom I enjoy is freedom from the slavery of alcohol. What a relief! Then I begin to experience freedom from fear -- fear of people, of economic insecurity, of commitment, of failure, of rejection. Then I begin to enjoy freedom to -- freedom to choose sobriety for today, freedom to be myself, freedom to express my opinion, to experience peace of mind, to love and be loved, and freedom to grow spiritually. But how can I achieve these freedoms? The Big Book clearly says that before I am halfway through making amends, I will begin to know a "new" freedom; not the old freedom of doing what I pleased, without regard to others, but the new freedom that allows fulfillment of the promises in my life. What a joy to be free!

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Getting off a "Dry Bender"

"Sometimes, we become depressed. I ought to know; I have been a champion dry-bender case myself. While the surface causes were a part of the picture - trigger-events that precipitated depression - the underlying causes, I am satisfied, ran much deeper.
"Intellectually, I could accept my situation. Emotionally, I could not.
"To these problems, there are certainly no pat answers. But part of the answer surely lies in the constant effort to practice all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps."

LETTER, 1954
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us
how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 67~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

A drinking life isn't a happy life. Drinking cuts you off from other people and from God. One of the worst things about drinking is the loneliness. And one of the best things about A.A. is the fellowship. Drinking cuts you off from other people, at least from the people who really matter to you, your family, your coworkers, and your real friends. No matter how much you love them, you build up a wall between you and them by your drinking. You're cut off from any real companionship with them. As a result, you're terribly lonely. Have I gotten rid of my loneliness?

Meditation for the Day

I will sometimes go aside into a quiet place of retreat with God. In that place, I will find restoration and healing and power. I will plan quiet times now and then, times when I will commune with God and arise rested and refreshed to carry on the work that God has given me to do. I know that God will never give me a load greater than I can bear. It is in serenity and peace that all true success lies.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may strengthen my inner life, so that I may find serenity. I pray that my soul may be restored in quietness and peace.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Solution^^*^^^ January 29, 2012

2012-01-28T23:32:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Solution
If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were,
we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution.
We were in a position where life was becoming impossible,
and if we had passed into the region
from which there is no return through human aid,
we had but two alternatives:
One was to go on to the bitter end,
blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation
as best we could;
and the other, to accept spiritual help.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

The solution is simple.
The solution is spiritual.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety.

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

Ready

Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had become unmanageable.

"Under the lash of alcoholism, we are driven to A.A., and there we discover the fatal nature of our situation. Then, and only then, do we become as open-minded to conviction and as willing to listen as the dying can be. We stand ready to do anything which will lift the merciless obsessions from us."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 24

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE JOY OF SHARING

Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89

To know that each newcomer with whom I share has the opportunity to experience the relief that I have found in this Fellowship fills me with joy and gratitude. I feel that all the things described in A.A. will come to pass for them, as they have for me, if they seize the opportunity and embrace the program fully.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Gratitude Should Go Forward

"Gratitude should go forward, rather than backward.
"In other words, if you carry the message to still others, you will be making the best possible repayment for the help given to you."

<<<>>>

No satisfaction has been deeper and no joy greater than in a Twelfth Step job well done. To watch the eyes of men and women open with wonder as they move from darkness into light, to see their lives quickly fill with new purpose and meaning, and above all to watch them awaken to the presence of a loving God in their lives - these things are the substance of what we receive as we carry A.A.'s message.

1. LETTER, 1959 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 110
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal and stumble? Does this
mean we are going to get drunk. Some people tell us so. But this is
only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 70~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

What a load wasting money puts on your shoulders! They say that members of A.A. have paid the highest initiation fee of any club members in the world, because we've wasted so much money on liquor. We'll never be able to figure out how much it was. We not only wasted our own money, but also the money we should have spent on our families. When you come into A.A., that terrible load of wasted money falls off your shoulders. We alcoholics were getting round shouldered from carrying all those loads that drinking put on our shoulders. But when we come into A.A., we get a wonderful feeling of release and freedom. Can I throw back my shoulders and look the whole world in the face again?

Meditation for the Day

I believe that the future is in the hands of God. He knows better than I what the future holds for me. I am not at the mercy of fate or buffeted about by life. I am being led in a very definite way, as I try to rebuild my life. I am the builder, but God is the architect. It is mine to build as best I can, under His guidance.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may depend on God, since He has planned my life. I pray that I may live my life as I believe God wants me to live it.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Thankfulness ^^*^^^ January 28, 2012

2012-01-27T23:42:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Thankfulness
I try to hold fast to the truth
that a full and thankful heart
cannot entertain great conceits.
When brimming with gratitude,
one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion that we can ever know.
Bill W., AAGrapevine, March 1962
c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 37
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

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

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps

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

Puzzle

From "More about Alcoholism":

"The actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it has been revealed to us out of bitter experience."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 39
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE TREASURE OF THE PAST

Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have -- the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124

What a gift it is for me to realize that all those seemingly useless years were not wasted. The most degrading and humiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerful tools in helping others to recover. In knowing the depths of shame and despair, I can reach out with a loving and compassionate hand, and know that the grace of God is available to me.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Troublemakers Can Be Teachers

Few of us are any longer afraid of what any newcomer can do to our A.A. reputation or effectiveness. Those who slip, those who panhandle, those who scandalize, those with mental twists, those who rebel at the program, those who trade on the A.A. reputation - all such persons seldom harm an A.A. group for long.
Some of these have become our most respected and best loved. Some have remained to try our patience, sober nevertheless. Others have drifted away. We have begun to regard the troublesome ones not as menaces, but rather as our teachers. They oblige us to cultivate patience, tolerance, and humility. We finally see that they are only people sicker than the rest of us, that we who condemn them are the Pharisees whose false righteousness does our group the deeper spiritual damage.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1946
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"The minute we put our work on a service plane, the alcoholic
commences to rely upon our assistance rather than upon God. He
clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until
his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very
hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job wife or no wife we
simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other
people ahead of dependence on God."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 98~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

What a load hangovers put on your shoulders! What terrible physical punishment we've all been through. The pounding headaches and jumpy nerves, the shakes and the jitters, the hot and cold sweats! When you come into A.A. and stop drinking, that terrible load of hangovers falls off your shoulders. What a load remorse puts on your shoulders! That terrible mental punishment we've all been through. Ashamed of the things you've said and done. Afraid to face people because of what they might think of you. Afraid of the consequences of what you did when you were drunk. What an awful beating the mind takes! When you come into A.A., that terrible load of remorse falls off your shoulders. Have I gotten rid of these loads of hangovers and remorse?

Meditation for the Day

When you seek to follow the way of the spirit, it frequently means a complete reversal of the way of the world that you had previously followed. But it is a reversal that leads to happiness and peace. Do the aims and ambitions that a person usually strives for bring peace? Do the world's awards bring heart rest and happiness? Or do they turn to ashes in the mouth?

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be weary, disillusioned, or disappointed. I pray that I may not put my trust in the ways of the world, but in the way of the spirit.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Ghosts ^^*^^^ January 27, 2012

2012-01-26T23:43:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Ghosts
AA experience has taught us we cannot live alone
with our pressing problems and the character defects
which cause or aggravate them.
If we have swept the searchlight of Step Four
back and forth over our careers,
and it has revealed in stark relief those experiences
we'd rather not remember,
if we have come to know how wrong thinking and action
have hurt us and others,
then the need to quit living by ourselves
with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday
gets more urgent than ever.
We have to talk to somebody about them.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 55
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Trust God. Clean house. Help others.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone

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

Unity

Tradition One: Our common welfare should come first;

personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

"Most individuals cannot recover unless there IS a group. Realization dawns that he is but a small part of a great whole; that no personal sacrifice is too great for preservation of the Fellowship. He learns that the clamor of desires and ambitions within him must be silenced whenever these could damage the group. It becomes plain that the group must survive or the individual will not."

1981, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 130

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
FREEDOM FROM GUILT

Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame" from our speech and thought.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47

When I become willing to accept my own powerlessness, I begin to realize that blaming myself for all the trouble in my life can be an ego trip back into hopelessness. Asking for help and listening deeply to the messages inherent in the Steps and Traditions of the program make it possible to change those attitudes which delay my recovery. Before joining A.A., I had such a desire for approval from people in powerful positions that I was willing to sacrifice myself, and others, to gain a foothold in the world. I invariably came to grief. In the program I find true friends who love, understand, and care to help me learn the truth about myself. With the help of the Twelve Steps, I am able to build a better life, free of guilt and the need for self-justification.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Daily Reprieve

We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.

<<<>>>

We of A.A. obey spiritual principles, at first because we must, then because we ought to, and ultimately because we love the kind of life such obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are A.A.'s disciplinarians; we need no others.

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 174
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Alcoholics carry an awful load around with them. What a load lying puts on your shoulders! Drinking makes liars out of all of us alcoholics. In order to get the liquor we want, we have to lie all the time. We have to lie about where we've been and what we've been doing. When you are lying you are only half alive, because of the fear of being found out. When you come into A.A., and get honest with yourself and with other people, that terrible load of lying falls off your shoulders. Have I gotten rid of that load of lying?

Meditation for the Day

I believe that in the spiritual world, as in the material world, there is no empty space. As fears and worries and resentments depart out of my life, the things of the spirit come in to take their places. Calm comes after a storm. As soon as I am rid of fears and hates and selfishness, God's love and peace and calm can come in.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rid myself of all fears and resentments, so that peace and serenity may take their place. I pray that I may sweep my life clean of evil, so that good may come in.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Prayer ^^*^^^ January 26, 2012

2012-01-25T23:43:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Prayer

"In AA we have found that the actual
good results of prayer are beyond question.
They are matters of knowledge and experience.
All those who have persisted have found
strength not ordinarily their own.
They have found wisdom beyond their
usual capability.
And they have increasingly found a peace of mind
which can stand firm in the face of
difficult circumstances."

Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 104
As Bill Sees It, p. 127

Thought to Consider . . .

Trying to pray is praying.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
PUSH
Pray Until Something Happens

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

Bottom

From "Total Acceptance":

"The double standard that held me captive as an active alcoholic also filled me with terror and confusion: 'If I don't get a drink I'm going to die,' competed with 'If I continue drinking it's going to kill me.' Both compulsive thoughts pushed me ever closer to the bottom. That bottom produced a total acceptance of my alcoholism with no reservations whatsoever and one that was absolutely essential for my recovery. It was a dilemma unlike anything I had ever faced, but as I found out later on, a necessary one if I was to succeed in this program."

1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 13

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*

RIGOROUS HONESTY

Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer? Who wants to sacrifice time and energy in trying to carry A.A.'s message to the next sufferer? No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect --- unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS p. 24

I am an alcoholic. If I drink I will die. My, what power, energy, and emotion this simple statement generates in me! But it's really all I need to know for today. Am I willing to stay alive today? Am I willing to stay sober today? Am I willing to ask for help and am I willing to be a help to another suffering alcoholic today? Have I discovered the fatal nature of my situation? What must I do, today, to stay sober?

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Courage and Prudence

When fear persisted, we knew it for what it was and we became able to handle it. We began to see each adversity as a God-given opportunity to develop the kind of courage which is born of humility, rather than of bravado.
<<<>>>
Prudence is a workable middle ground, a channel of clear sailing between the obstacles of fear on the one side and of recklessness on the other. Prudence in practice creates a definite climate, the only climate in which harmony, effectiveness, and consistent spiritual progress can be achieved.
<<<>>>
"Prudence is rational concern without worry."

1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 - 2. TWELVE CONCEPTS, P. 65 - 3.TALK, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and
our personal adventure before and after make clear three pertinent
ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our
own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could have relieved
our alcoholism.
(c) That God could and would if He were sought."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 60~
~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

As we became alcoholics, the bad effects of drinking came more and more to outweigh the good effects. But the strange part of it is that, no matter what drinking did to us, loss of our health, our jobs, our money, and our homes, we still stuck to it and depended on it. Our dependence on drinking became an obsession. In A.A., we find a new outlook on life. We learn how to change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. And we find out that we can no longer depend on drinking for anything. We depend on a Higher Power instead. Have I entirely given up that dependence on drinking?

Meditation for the Day

I will try to keep my life calm and unruffled. This is my great task, to find peace and acquire serenity. I must not harbor disturbing thoughts. No matter what fears, worries, and resentments I may have, I must try to think of constructive things, until calmness comes. Only when I am calm can I act as a channel for God's spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may build up instead of tearing down. I pray that I may be constructive and not destructive.

Hazellden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Family Matters^^*^^^ January 25, 2012

2012-01-24T23:31:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Family Matters
Now and then the family will be plagued
by specters from the past,
for the drinking career of almost every alcoholic
has been marked by escapades, funny, humiliating,
shameful or tragic.
The first impulse will be to bury these skeletons
in a dark closet and padlock the door.
The family may be possessed by the idea
that future happiness can be based only upon
forgetfulness of the past.
We think that such a view is self-centered
and in direct conflict with the new way of living.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 123-4
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

The spiritual life is not a theory.
We have to live it.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
RACING = Real Alcoholics Centered Inward Needing God

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

Acceptance

From "'No Man Is an Island'":

"I needed to look no further than the Twelve Steps and the powerful wording of our Serenity Prayer, 'to accept the things we cannot change.' With the tools and guideposts of Alcoholics Anonymous, we can learn a little of this precious gift our gateway to human spirituality. " New York, New York, USA"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 120

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WHAT WE NEED -- EACH OTHER

. . . A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so . . . nobody can keep you out."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139

For years, whenever I reflected on Tradition Three ("The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking"), I thought it valuable only to newcomers. It was their guarantee that no one could bar them from A.A. Today I feel enduring gratitude for the spiritual development the Tradition has brought me. I don't seek out people obviously different from myself. Tradition Three, concentrating on the one way I am similar to others, brought me to know and help every kind of alcoholic, just as they have helped me. Charlotte, the atheist, showed me higher standards of ethics and honor; Clay, of another race, taught me patience; Winslow, who is gay, led me by example into true compassion; Young Megan says that seeing me at meetings, sober thirty years, keeps her coming back. Tradition Three insured that we would get what we need -- each other.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
We Cannot Stand Still

In the first days of A.A., I wasn't much bothered about the areas of life in which I was standing still. There was always the alibi: "After all," I said to myself, "I'm far too busy with much more important matters." That was my near perfect prescription for comfort and complacency.

<<<>>>

How many of us would presume to declare, "Well, I'm sober and I'm happy. What more can I want, or do? I'm fine the way I am." We know that the price of such self-satisfaction is an inevitable backslide, punctuated at some point by a very rude awakening. We have to grow or else deteriorate. For us, the status quo can only be for today, never for tomorrow. Change we must; we cannot stand still.

1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961 - 2. GRAPEVINE, FEBRUARY 1961
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing get well, little
charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men
who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the
wrong track."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 97

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

We used to depend on drinking for a lot of things. We depended on drinking to help us enjoy things. It gave us a "kick." It broke down our shyness and helped us to have a "good time." We depended on drinking to help us when we felt low physically. if we had a toothache or just a hangover, we felt better after a few drinks. We depended on drinking to help us when we felt low mentally. If wed had a tough day at work or if we'd had a fight with our loved one, or if things just seemed against us, we felt better under the influence of alcohol. For us alcoholics, it got so that we depended on drinking for almost everything. Have I gotten over that dependence on drinking?

Meditation for the Day

I believe that complete surrender of my life to God is the foundation of serenity. God has prepared for us many mansions. I do not look upon that promise as referring only to the afterlife. I do not look upon this life as something to be struggled through, in order to get the rewards of the next life. I believe that the Kingdom of God is within us and we can enjoy "eternal life" here and now.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to do God's will. I pray that such understanding, insight, and vision shall be mine as shall make my life eternal, here and now.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Belief^^*^^^ January 24, 2012

2012-01-23T23:56:00.000-05:00

On this date in 1971, the 53rd Anniversary of his marriage to Lois, Bill W. died. What can we say, except "Thanks, Bill."

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Belief
Here are thousands of men and women, worldly indeed.
They flatly declare that since they have come to believe
in a Power greater than themselves,
to take a certain attitude toward that Power,
and to do certain simple things,
there has been a revolutionary change
in their way of living and thinking.
In the face of collapse and despair,
in the face of the total failure of their human resources,
they found that a new power, peace, happiness,
and sense of direction flowed into them.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 50
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program.
But our old-timers are the arteries.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

Visibility

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"The 1941-1945 period brought still other developments. Our downtown Vesey Street office was moved to 415 Lexington Avenue, just opposite Grand Central [train] Station. We made this move because the need for serving the many A.A. travelers through New York had become urgent. Our new location near Grand Central brought us into contact with visitors who, for the first time, began to see Alcoholics Anonymous as a vision for the whole world."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 198-99

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
GETTING INVOLVED

There is action and more action. "Faith without works is dead" . . . To be helpful is our only aim.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 88-89

I understand that service is a vital part of recovery but I often wonder, "What can I do?" Simply start with what I have today! I look around to see where there is a need. Are the ashtrays full? Do I have hands and feet to empty them? Suddenly I'm involved! The best speaker may make the worst coffee; the member who's best with newcomers may be unable to read; the one willing to clean up may make a mess of the bank account -- yet every one of these people and jobs is essential to an active group. The miracle of service is this: when I use what I have, I find there is more available to me than I realized before.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Alike When the Chips Are Down

In the beginning, it was four whole years before A.A. brought permanent sobriety to even one alcoholic woman. Like the "high bottoms," the women said they were different; A.A. couldn't be for them. But as the communication was perfected, mostly by the women themselves, the picture changed.
This process of identification and transmission has gone on and on. The Skid-Rower said he was different. Even more loudly, the socialite (or Park Avenue stumblebum) said the same - so did the artists and the professional people, the rich, the poor, the religious, the agnostic, the Indians and the Eskimos, the veterans, and the prisoners.
But nowadays all of these, and legions more, soberly talk about how very much alike all of us alcoholics are when we admit that the chips are finally down.

GRAPEVINE, OCTOBER 1959
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a
fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from
care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will
mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your
existence lie ahead. Thus we find the fellowship, and so will you."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 152~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Alcoholics who are living in a blind alley refuse to be really honest with themselves or with other people. They're running away from life and won't face things as they are. They won't give up their resentments. They're too sensitive and too easily hurt. They refuse to try to be unselfish. They still want everything for themselves. And no matter how many disastrous experiences they have had with drinking, they still do it over and over again. There's only one way to get out of that blind alley way of living and that's to change your thinking. Have I changed my thinking?

Meditation for the Day

I know that the vision and power that I receive from God are limitless, as far as spiritual things are concerned. But in temporal and material things, I must submit to limitations. I know that I cannot see the road ahead. I must go just one step at a time, because God does not grant me a longer view. I am in uncharted waters, limited by my temporal and spatial life, but unlimited in my spiritual life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that, in spite of my material limitations, I may follow God's way. I pray that I may learn that trying to do His will is perfect freedom.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Tolerance^^*^^^ January 23, 2012

2012-01-22T23:12:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
(   \(AA)/ )
(_   /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Tolerance

Finally, we begin to see that all people,
including ourselves,
are to some extent emotionally ill
as well as frequently wrong,
and then we approach true tolerance
and see what real love for our fellows actually means.
It will become more and more evident as we go forward
that it is pointless to become angry,
or to get hurt by people who, like us,
are suffering from the pains of growing up.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 92
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Honesty gets us sober, tolerance keeps us sober.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P U T = Patience, Understanding, Tolerance

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

Involvement

From "The Keys of the Kingdom":

"A complete change takes place in our approach to life. Where we used to run from responsibility, we find ourselves accepting it with gratitude that we can successfully shoulder it. Instead of wanting to escape some perplexing problem, we experience the thrill of challenge in the opportunity it affords for another application of A.A. techniques, and we find ourselves tackling it with surprising vigor."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 275-76

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
HAVING FUN YET?

. . . we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life. We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 132

When my own house is in order, I find the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt and remorse that cloaked my drinking years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this condition requires maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult or painful, perhaps I'm taking myself too seriously -- and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my practice of working the program to keep my house in order. I think the pain I experience is one way my Higher Power has to get my attention, coaxing me to take stock of my performance. The slight time and effort it takes to work the program -- spot-check inventory, for example, or the making of amends, whatever is appropriate-are well worth the effort.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*

We found that we had indeed been worshipers. What a state of mental goose flesh that used to bring on! Had we not variously worshiped people, sentiment, things, money, and ourselves?
And then, with a better motive, had we not worshipfully beheld the sunset, the sea, or a flower? Who of us had not loved something or somebody? Were not these things the tissue out of which our lives were constructed? Did not these feelings, after all, determine the course of our existence?
It was impossible to say we had no capacity for faith, or love, or worship. In one form or another, we had been living by faith and little else.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 54
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling
them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking;
they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we
afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause
financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor
will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can we let
these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to
pay.
We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go,
for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 78~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Alcoholics are people whose drinking got them into a "blind alley." They haven't been able to learn anything from their drinking experiences. They are always making the same mistakes and suffering the same consequences over and over again. They refuse to admit they're alcoholic. They still think they can handle the stuff. They won't swallow their pride and admit that they're different from ordinary drinkers. They won't face the fact that they must spend the rest of their lives without liquor. They can't visualize life without ever taking a drink. Am I out of this blind alley?

Meditation for the Day

I believe that God has all power. It is His to give and His to withhold. But lie will not withhold it from the person who dwells near Him, because then it passes insensibly from God to that person. It is breathed in by the person who lives in God's presence. I will learn to live in God's presence and then I will have those things which I desire of Him: strength, power, and joy. God's power is available to all who need it and are willing to accept it.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may get myself out of the way, so that God's power may flow in. I pray that I may surrender myself to that power.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Vigilance^^*^^^ January 22, 2012

2012-01-21T23:51:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Vigilance

Deliver us from temptation
must continue to be a prime ingredient of our every
attitude, practice, and prayer.
When things go well, we must never fall into the error
of believing that no great ill can possibly befall us.
Nor should we accuse ourselves of
"negative thinking" when we insist on facing
the destructive forces in and around us,
both realistically and effectively.
Vigilance will always be the price of survival.
Bill W., November 1960
c. 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 316-17
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Adversity introduces us to ourselves

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

P E A C E = Providing Experienced Attitude Changes Every day.

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

Bottoms

Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

"Why all this insistence that every A.A. must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing A.A.'s remaining eleven Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking. Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer?"

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 24

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"LET'S KEEP IT SIMPLE"

A few hours later I took my leave of Dr. Bob... The wonderful, old, broad smile was on his face as he said almost jokingly, "Remember, Bill, let's not louse this thing up. Let's keep it simple!'' I turned away, unable to say a word. That was the last time I ever saw him.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE, p. 214

After years of sobriety I occasionally ask myself "Can it be this simple?" Then, at meetings, I see former cynics and skeptics who have walked the A.A. path out of hell by packaging their lives, without alcohol, into twenty-four hour segments, during which they practice a few principles to the best of their individual abilities. And then I know again that, while it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Fear as a Steppingstone

The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear - primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands.

<<<>>>

For all its usual destructiveness, we have found that fear can be the starting point for better things. Fear can be a steppingstone to prudence and to a decent respect for others. It can point the path to justice, as well as to hate. And the more we have of respect and justice, the more we shall begin to find the love which can suffer much, and yet be freely given. So fear need not always be destructive, because the lessons of its consequences can lead us to positive values.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 76 - 2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Another principle we observe carefully is that we do not relate
intimate experiences of another person unless we are sure he would
approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own
stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect
others favorably, but criticism or ridicule coming from another often
produces the contrary effect."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

In the beginning, you want to get sober, but you're helpless, so you turn to a Power greater than yourself and by trusting in that Power, you get the strength to stop drinking. From then on, you want to keep sober, and that's a matter of reeducating your mind. After a while, you get so that you really enjoy simple, healthy, normal living. You really get a kick out of life without the artificial stimulus of alcohol. All you have to do is to look around at the members of any A.A. group and you will see how their outlook has changed. Is my outlook on life changing?
Meditation for the Day

I will never forget to say thank you to God, even on the grayest days. My attitude will be one of humility and gratitude. Saying thank you to God is a daily practice that is absolutely necessary. If a day is not one of thankfulness, the practice has to be repeated until it becomes so. Gratitude is a necessity for those who seek to live a better life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that gratitude will bring humility. I pray that humility will bring me to live a better, life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Illusion^^*^^^ January 21, 2012

2012-01-20T23:53:00.000-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^

Illusion

No person likes to think he is bodily
and mentally different from his fellows.
Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers
have been characterized by countless vain attempts
to prove we could drink like other people.
The idea that somehow, someday he will control
and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession
of every abnormal drinker.
The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.
Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
c. 1976, 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . . .

The two most dangerous words
in a recovering alcoholic's vocabulary are,
"I'm different."

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A = Absolute Abstinence

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

Experience

From "More about Alcoholism":

"To us it is not far-fetched, for this kind of thinking has been characteristic of every single one of us. There was always the curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. The insane idea won out. Next day we would ask ourselves, in all earnestness and sincerity, how it could have happened."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 37,
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SERVING MY BROTHER

The member talks to the newcomer not in a spirit of power but in a spirit of humility and weakness.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE p. 279

As the days pass in A.A., I ask God to guide my thoughts and the words that I speak. In this labor of continuous participation in the Fellowship, I have numerous opportunities to speak. So I frequently ask God to help me watch over my thoughts and my words, that they may be the true and proper reflections of our program; to focus my aspirations once again to seek His guidance; to help me be truly kind and loving, helpful and healing, yet always filled with humility, and free from any trace of arrogance.

Today I may very well have to deal with disagreeable attitudes or utterances -- the typical stock-in-trade attitude of the still-suffering alcoholic. If this should happen, I will take a moment to center myself in God, so that I will be able to respond from a perspective of composure, strength and sensibility.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Citizens Again

"Each of us in turn - that is, the member who gets the most out of the program - spends a very large amount of time on Twelfth Step work in the early years. That was my case, and perhaps I should not have stayed sober with less work.
"However, sooner or later most of us are presented with other obligations - to family, friends, and country. As you will remember, the Twelfth Step also refers to "'practicing these principles in all our affairs." Therefore, I think your choice of whether to take a particular Twelfth Step job is to be found in your own conscience. No one else can tell you for certain what you ought to do at a particular time.
"I just know that you are expected, at some point, to do more than carry the message of A.A. to other alcoholics. In A.A. we aim not only for sobriety - we try again to become citizens of the world that we rejected, and of the world that once rejected us. This is the ultimate demonstration toward which Twelfth Step work is the first but not the final step."

LETTER, 1959
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"'My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not
exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go
back to it even if I could.'"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~

"Our liquor was but a symptom."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

To grasp the A.A. program, we have to think things out. Saint Paul said: "They are transformed by the renewing of their minds." We have to learn to think straight. We have to change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. We must build up a new way of looking at things. Before we came into A.A., we wanted an artificial life of excitement and everything that goes with drinking. That kind of a life looked normal to us then. But as we look back now, that life looks the exact opposite of normal. In fact, it looks most abnormal. We must reeducate our minds. Am I changing from an abnormal thinker to a normal thinker?

Meditation for the Day

I will take the most crowded day without fear. I believe that God is with me and controlling all. I will let confidence be the motif running through all the crowded day. I will not get worried, because I know that God is my helper. Underneath are the everlasting arms. I will rest in them, even though the day is full of things crowding in upon me.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be calm and let nothing upset me. I pray that I may not let material things control me and choke out spiritual things.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Communication^^*^^^ January 20, 2012

2012-01-19T23:44:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Communication

From the beginning,
communication in AA has been
no ordinary transmission of helpful ideas and attitudes.
Because of our kinship in suffering,
and because our common means of deliverance
are effective for ourselves only when constantly
carried to others,
our channels of contact have always been charged
with the language of the heart.
c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 195
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Listening feeds the spirit.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C A R E = Comforting And Reassuring Each other

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

Obedience

Tradition One: Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

"Every newcomer, every friend who looks at A.A. for the first time is greatly puzzled. They see liberty verging on license, yet they recognize at once that A.A. has an irresistible strength of purpose and action....The A.A. member has to conform to the principles of recovery. His life depends upon obedience to spiritual principles."

1981, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 129-30

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"WE PAUSE ... AND ASK"

As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful and ask for the right thought or action.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

Today I humbly ask my Higher Power for the grace to find the space between my impulse and my action; to let flow a cooling breeze when I would respond with heat; to interrupt fierceness with gentle peace; to accept the moment which allows judgment to become discernment; to defer to silence when my tongue would rush to attack or defend.

I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills -- it is the unsuspected Inner Resource.

I thank my Higher Power for this world of light and truth I see when I allow it to direct my vision. I trust it today and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the right thought or action today.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Light from a Prayer

"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

<<<>>>

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.

GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely,
or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take,
you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be
suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will
conquer."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 44~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

In A.A. we're all through with lying, hangovers, remorse, and wasting money. When we were drinking, we were only half alive. Now that we're trying to live decent, honest, unselfish lives, we're really alive. Life has a new meaning for us, so that we can really enjoy it. We feel that we're some use in the world. We're on the right side of the fence, instead of on the wrong side. We can look the world in the face instead of hiding in alleys. We come into A.A. to get sober and if we stay long enough, we learn a new way of living. Am I convinced that no matter how much fun I got out of drinking, that life never was as good as the life I can build in A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

I want to be at one with the Divine Spirit of the universe. I will set my deepest affections on things spiritual, not on things material. As we think, so we are. So I will think of and desire that which will help, not hinder, my spiritual growth. I will try to be at one with God. No human aspiration can reach higher than this.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may think love, and love will surround me. I pray that I may think health, and health will come to me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Choice^^*^^^ January 19, 2012

2012-01-18T23:40:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Choice

The fact is that most alcoholics,
for reasons yet obscure,
have lost the power of choice in drink.
Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent.
We are unable, at certain times,
to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force
the memory of the suffering and humiliation
of even a week or a month ago.
We are without defense against the first drink.
c. 1976, 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 24
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .
Just for today, I choose not to drink.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A = Absolute Abstinence

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

Diverse

From "What We Need Each Other":

For years, whenever I reflected on Tradition Three ('The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking'), I thought it valuable only to newcomers. It was their guarantee that no one could bar them from A.A. Today I feel enduring gratitude for the spiritual development the Tradition has brought me. Charlotte, the atheist, showed me higher standards of ethics and honor; Clay, of another race, taught me patience; Winslow, who is gay, led me by example into true compassion; Young Megan says that seeing me at meetings, sober thirty years, keeps her coming back. Tradition Three insured that we would get what we need each other."

1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 33

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ROUND-THE-CLOCK FAITH

Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 16

The essence of my spirituality, and my sobriety, rests on a round-the-clock faith in a Higher Power. I need to remember and rely on the God of my understanding as I pursue all of my daily activities. How comforting for me is the concept that God works in and through people. As I pause in my day, do I recall specific concrete examples of God's presence? Am I amazed and uplifted by the number of times this power is evident? I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my God's presence in my life of recovery. Without this omnipotent force in my every activity, I would again fall into the depths of my disease -- and death.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Wine of Success

Disagreeable or unexpected problems are not the only ones that call for self-control. We must be quite as careful when we begin to achieve some measure of importance and material success. For no people have ever loved personal triumphs more than we have loved them; we drank of success as of a wine which could never fail to make us-feel elated. Blinded by prideful self-confidence, we were apt to play the big shot.
Now that we're in A.A. and sober, winning back the esteem of our friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance. As an insurance against the dangers of big-shot-ism, we can often check ourselves by remembering that we are today sober only by the grace of God and that any success we may be having is far more His success than ours.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 91-92
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn't. What was our choice to be?

- Pg. 53 - We Agnostics
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

On the foundation of sobriety, we can build a life of honesty, unselfishness, faith in God, and love of our fellow human beings. We'll never fully reach these goals, but the adventure of building that kind of a life is so much better than the merry-go-round of our old drinking life that there's no comparison. We come into A.A. to get sober, but if we stay long enough we learn a new way of living. We become honest with ourselves and with other people. We learn to think more about others and less about ourselves. And we learn to rely on the constant help of a Higher Power. Am I living the way of honesty, unselfishness, and faith?

Meditation for the Day

I believe that God had already seen my heart's needs before I cried to Him, before I was conscious of those needs myself. I believe that God was already preparing the answer. God does not have to be petitioned with sighs and tears and much speaking before he reluctantly looses the desired help. He has already anticipated my every want and need. I will try to see this, as His plans unfold in my life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may understand my real wants and needs. I pray that my understanding of those needs and wants may help to bring the answer to them.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~~Housecleaning^^*^^^ January 18, 2012

2012-01-17T23:46:00.001-05:00

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~ /)
(   \ (AA/   )
(    /AA\ )
   /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Housecleaning

If we skip this vital step [Step Five],
we may not overcome drinking.
Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves
certain facts about their lives.
Trying to avoid this humbling experience,
they have turned to easier methods.
Almost invariably they got drunk.
Having persevered with the rest of the program,
they wondered why they fell.
We think the reason is that they never completed
their housecleaning.
c. 1976, 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 72-3
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .
There's no elevator, you have to take the Steps.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
N U T S = Not Using The Steps.

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

Roles

From "Something Was Wrong":

"I had been so elated by that wonderful experience on the road at night that I wanted to stay up in a cloud with God. But this was not to be. It was my place to be down among the suffering alcoholics, not up in a cloud. As long as I keep my feet on the ground, among the suffering, God will come down and remain always with me. -- Glasgow, Scotland"

© 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 75
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WOULD A DRINK HELP?

By going back in our own drinking histories, we could show that years before we realized it we were out of control, that our drinking even then was no mere habit, that it was indeed the beginning of a fatal progression.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 23

When I was still drinking, I couldn't respond to any of life's situations the way other, more healthy, people could. The smallest incident triggered a state of mind that believed I had to have a drink to numb my feelings. But the numbing did not improve the situation, so I sought further escape in the bottle. Today I must be aware of my alcoholism. I cannot afford to believe that I have gained control of my drinking -- or again I will think I have gained control of my life. Such a feeling of control is fatal to my recovery.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Companion and Partner

"Dr. Bob was my constant companion and partner in the great A.A. adventure. As the physician and great human being that he was, he chose work with others as his prime A.A. vocation and achieved a record which, in quantity and in quality, none will ever surpass. Assisted by the incomparable Sister Ignatia at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, he - without charge - medically treated and spiritually infused five thousand sufferers.

<<<>>>

"In all the stress and strain of A.A.'s pioneering time, no hard word ever passed between us. For this, I can thankfully say that the credit was all his."

<<<>>>

I took my leave of Dr. Bob, knowing that he was to undergo a serious operation. The old, broad smile was on his face as he said almost jokingly, "Remember, Bill, let's not louse this thing up. Let's keep it simple!" I turned away, unable to say a word. That was the last time I ever saw him.

1. LETTER, 1966 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 214
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which
is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in
everlasting ignorance, that principle is contempt prior to
investigation.'"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual
Experience, pg. 568~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

The new life can't be built in a day. we have to take the program slowly, a little at a time. Our subconscious minds have to be reeducated. We have to learn to think differently. We have to get used to sober thinking instead of alcoholic thinking. Anyone who tries it knows that the old alcoholic thinking is apt to come back on us when we least expect it. Building a new life is a slow process, but it can be done if we really follow the A.A. program. Am I building a new life on the foundation of sobriety?

Meditation for the Day

I will pray daily for faith, for it is God's gift. On faith alone depends the answer to my prayers. God gives it to me in response to my prayers, because it is a necessary weapon for me to possess for the overcoming of all adverse conditions and the accomplishment of all good in my life. Therefore, I will work at strengthening my faith.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may so think and live as to feed my faith in God. I pray that my faith may grow because with faith God's power becomes available to me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

"A.A. Thoughts For Today" ~ Blog changes Daily

Thoughts For The Day~*~Juggernaut ^*^*^*^*^ February 2, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Fear ^*^*^*^*^ February 1, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Surrender ^*^*^*^*^ January 31, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Good Living ^*^*^*^*^ January 30, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Solution^*^*^*^*^ January 29, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Thankfulness ^*^*^*^*^ January 28, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Ghosts ^*^*^*^*^ January 27, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Prayer ^*^*^*^*^ January 26, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Family Matters^*^*^*^*^ January 25, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Belief^*^*^*^*^ January 24, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Tolerance^*^*^*^*^ January 23, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Vigilance^*^*^*^*^ January 22, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Illusion^*^*^*^*^ January 21, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Communication^*^*^*^*^ January 20, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Choice^*^*^*^*^ January 19, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Housecleaning^*^*^*^*^ January 18, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Juggernaut ^^*^^^ February 2, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Fear ^^*^^^ February 1, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Surrender ^^*^^^ January 31, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Good Living ^^*^^^ January 30, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Solution^^*^^^ January 29, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Thankfulness ^^*^^^ January 28, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Ghosts ^^*^^^ January 27, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Prayer ^^*^^^ January 26, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Family Matters^^*^^^ January 25, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Belief^^*^^^ January 24, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Tolerance^^*^^^ January 23, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Vigilance^^*^^^ January 22, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Illusion^^*^^^ January 21, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Communication^^*^^^ January 20, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Choice^^*^^^ January 19, 2012

Thoughts For The Day~~Housecleaning^^*^^^ January 18, 2012