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AA Thought for the Day

September 14

Willingness
We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice
and express even a willingness to believe in a power greater than ourselves,
we commenced to get results,
even though it was impossible for any of us to define or comprehend that Power, which is God.
~ Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 46

Thought to Ponder . . .
Minds are like parachutes ... they won't work unless they're open.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness.

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

Comfort
"When I am feeling depressed,
I repeat to myself statements such as these:
'Pain is the touchstone of progress.' . . . 'Fear no evil.' . . .
'This, too, will pass.' . . .
'This experience can be turned to benefit.'
These fragments of prayer bring far more than comfort.
They keep me on the track of right acceptance;
they break up my compulsive themes of guilt,
depression, rebellion, and pride;
and sometimes they endow me with the courage
to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."
Bill W., AAGrapevine, March 1962
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 110

Thought to Consider . . .
God enters us through our wounds.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E L P = Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience.

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

Upkeep
>From "Having Fun Yet":
"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."
1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 31

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

"The way our 'worthy' alcoholics have sometimes tried to judge the 'less worthy' is, as we look back on it, rather comical. Imagine, if you can, one alcoholic judging another!"
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., August 1946
"Who Is a Member of Alcoholics Anonymous?"
The Language of the Heart

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

"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."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were
sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have
recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not
save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we
could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will
these things with all our might, but the needed power wasnt there. Our
human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient,
they failed utterly.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 44~

I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 76

Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 95

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The unique ability of each A.A. to identify himself with, and bring recovery to, the newcomer in no way depends upon his learning, his eloquence, or any special individual skills. The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic who has found a key to sobriety.
In my first conversation with Dr. Bob, I bore down heavily on the medical hopelessness of his case, freely using Dr. Silkworth's words describing the alcoholic's dilemma, the 'obsession plus allergy' theme. Though Bob was a doctor, this was news to him, bad news. And the fact that I was an alcoholic and knew what I was talking about from personal experience made the blow a shattering one.
You see, our talk was a completely mutual thing. I had quit preaching. I knew that I needed this alcoholic as much as he needed me.

Prayer for the Day: Dear God, Having had a spiritual experience, I must now remember that "faith without works is dead." And PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. So, God, please help me to carry this message to other alcoholics! Provide me with the guidance and wisdom to talk with another alcoholic because I can help when no one else can. Help me secure his confidence and remember he is ill.