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AA Thought for the Day

October 4

"Real" Sobriety
We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough.
He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined.
To his wife, he remarked, “Don’t see anything the matter here, Ma.
Ain’t it grand the wind stopped blowin’?”
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 82

Thought to Ponder
Sobriety without action is fantasy.

AA-related 'Alconym'
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relaying A Message.

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

Ground Zero
"War fever ran high in the New England town
to which we new, young officers from Plattsburg
were assigned,
and we were flattered when the first citizens
took us to their homes, making us feel heroic.
Here was love, applause, war;
moments sublime with intervals hilarious.
I was part of life at last,
and in the midst of the excitement I discovered liquor.
I forgot the strong warnings and the prejudices
of my people concerning drink.
In time we sailed for "Over There."
We landed in England.
I visited Winchester Cathedral.
Much moved, I wandered outside.
My attention was caught by a doggerel on an old
tombstone:
'Here lies a Hampshire Grenadier
Who caught his death
Drinking cold small beer . . .'
Ominous warning -- which I failed to heed."
Bill W.,
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 1

Thought to Consider . . .
I have learned what the Grace of God feels like.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Helping Other People Every day

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

Endorsement
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The news wires carried the news of Mr. Rockefeller's [1940] dinner [planned by John D., Jr., but attended and moderated by his son, Nelson] all over the world. A few of the stories that appeared were somewhat lurid and ran under startling headlines. One headline informed the public: 'John D. Rockefeller dines tosspots.' But all the stories plugged A.A. just the same; even the tabloids gave us the glad hand. The total effect was to give Alcoholics Anonymous a public status of dignity and worth. Thus encouraged, considerable numbers of people went to their bookstores to buy the A.A. book. Orders poured in and our financial difficulties were much eased. Hundreds of requests for help came from alcoholics and their families all over the nation."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 185-86

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

"We AAs have had to learn that the kinds of freedom that we must possess cannot possibly be obtained by violence. As a Fellowship, we cannot fight anybody, anywhere or at any time. This has been proved. When we had directly attacked John Barleycorn, we had lost. Booze fighting had never worked. When we quarrel too much with each other, we get drunk."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1960
"Freedom Under God:
The Choice Is Ours"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man,
woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured
by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form
or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and
miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as
old as man himself."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55~

'For those who are unable to drink moderately the question is how to stop altogether. We are assuming, of course, that the reader desires to stop Whether such a person can quit upon a nonspiritual basis depends upon the extent to which he has already lost the power to choose whether he will drink or not. Many of us felt that we had plenty of character Then was a tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it--this utter inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or wish.'
Alcoholics Anonymous Page 34

Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.13

All of us, without exception, pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest exertion of will.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 105

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Only one consideration should qualify our desire for a complete disclosure of the damage we have done. That will arise where a full revelation would seriously harm the one to whom we are making amends. Or - quite as important - other people. We cannot, for example, unload a detailed account of extramarital adventuring upon the shoulders of our unsuspecting wife or husband.
It does not lighten our burden when we recklessly make the crosses of others heavier.
In making amends, we should be sensible, tactful, considerate, and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people, we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone.

Prayer for the Day: LIFE IS A CELEBRATION
Lord, help me today to:
Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a friendly letter.
Share a treasure.
Give a soft answer.
Encourage another.
Manifest my loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Find the time.
Forego a grudge.
Forgive an enemy.
Listen.
Acknowledge any wrong doing.
Try to understand.
Examine my demands on others.
Think of someone else first.
Be kind.
Be gentle.
Laugh a little.
Smile more.
Be happy.
Show my gratitude.
Welcome a stranger.
Speak Your love.
Speak it again.
Live it again.
LIFE IS A CELEBRATION!