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AA Thought for the Day

July 7

Pride
We alcoholics return to drink more often because of petty difficulties
than because of life's serious setbacks and tragedies.
The big problems seem to bring out our virtues, petty ones our faults.
For God to remove our shortcomings, we need to identify the defect for what it is. . .
And certainly the most difficult fault to see in ourselves is pride, aptly termed the first deadly sin.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 208

Thought to Ponder . . .
A "shortcoming" is like a flat tire. A "character defect" is like driving on it.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Deflating Ego.

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

Ready?
"We shall need to make a brand new venture
into open-mindedness.
We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection,
and be ready to walk in that direction.
It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk.
The only question will be
'Are we ready?' "
Bill W.
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 68

Thought to Consider . . .
Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H = Facing All In Trusting Him

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

Perspectives
From: "Preface"
"If you have a drinking problem, we hope that you may pause in reading one of the forty-two personal stories and think: "Yes, that happened to me; or, more important, Yes, I've felt like that, or most important, "Yes, I believe this program can work for me too."
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page xii

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

"Many of us think today the main problem of Alcoholics Anonymous is this: How, as a movement, shall we maintain our humility -- and so our unity -- in the face of what the world calls a great triumph? Perhaps we need not look far afield for an answer. We need only adapt and apply to our group life those principles upon which each of us has founded his own recovery."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1947
"Traditions Stressed in Memphis Talk"
The Language of the Heart

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

"Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful!
Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all
power that One is God. May you find Him now!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 58~

"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family
back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come
back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his
recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his
relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have
not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came
back too soon."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~

“We do talk about each other a great deal, but we almost invariably temper such talk by a spirit of love and tolerance. “
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 125

“We sit in A.A. meetings and listen, not only to receive something ourselves, but to give the reassurance and support which our presence can bring.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 110

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

In our belief, any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes wholly to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may success for a time, but he usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed. Release from alcohol, and not flight from it, is our answer.
'Faith without works is dead.' How appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic fails to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he cannot survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he does not work, he will surely drink again, and if he drinks, he will surely die. Then faith will be dead indeed.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, grant me the wisdom to know the difference between what can be changed and what I must accept. Please help me gratefully accept the life I've been given."