~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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The Gift
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"When asked, 'Are there any conditions?'
we joyfully reply, 'No, not a one.'
When skeptically he comes back saying,
'But certainly there must be things
that I have to do and believe,' we quickly answer,
'In Alcoholics Anonymous there are no musts.'
Cynically, perhaps, he then inquires,
'What is all this going to cost me?'
We are able to laugh and say,
'Nothing at all, there are no fees and dues.'
Thus, in a brief hour, is our friend disarmed
of his suspicion and rebellion . . .
Alcoholics Anonymous is saying,
'We have something precious to give,
if only you will receive.'
That is all."
Bill W., February 1948
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 79
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Thought to Consider . . .
Sobriety is a gift, not a right
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~* "We had not gone much farther with the text of the book when it was evident that something more was needed. There would have to be a story or case history section. We would have to produce evidence in the form of living proof, written testimonials of our membership itself. It was felt also that the story section could identify us with the distant reader in a way that the text itself might not. At this point Dr. Bob and the Akronites played a vital role. The Akron group was the larger and had more case history material, and the means of putting it into story form now appeared. Two years earlier a former newspaperman, Jim S., had been lifted off skid row and nursed back to health and sobriety. Jim and Dr. Bob went after all the Akronites who had substantial sobriety records for testimonial material. In most cases Jim interviewed the prospects and wrote their stories for them. Dr. Bob wrote his own. By January the Akronites had produced eighteen fine stories." 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 164
G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE "WORTH" OF SOBRIETY
Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS p. 160
When I go shopping I look at the prices and if I need what I see, buy it and pay. Now that I am supposed to be in rehabilitation, I have to straighten out my life. When I go to a meeting, I take a coffee with sugar and milk, sometimes more than one. But at the collection time, I am either too busy to take money out of my purse, or I do not have enough, but I am there because I need this meeting. I heard someone suggest dropping the price of a beer into the basket, and I thought, that's too much! I almost never give one dollar. Like many others, I rely on the more generous members to finance the Fellowship. I forget that it takes money to rent the meeting room, buy my milk, sugar and cups. I will pay, without hesitation, ninety cents for a cup of coffee at a restaurant after the meeting; I always have money for that. So, how much is my sobriety and my inner peace worth?
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Fellowship's Future
"It seems proved that A.A. can stand on its own feet anywhere and under any conditions. It has outgrown any dependence it might once have had upon the personalities or efforts of a few of the older members like me. New, able, and vigorous people keep coming to the surface, turning up where they are needed. Besides, A.A. has reached enough spiritual maturity to know that its final dependence is upon God."
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Clearly, our first duty to A.A.'s future is to maintain in full strength what we now have. Only the most vigilant caretaking can assure this. Never should we be lulled into complacent self-satisfaction by the wide acclaim and success that are everywhere ours. This is the subtle temptation which could render us stagnant today, perchance disintegrate us tomorrow. We have always rallied to meet and transcend failure and crisis. Problems have been our stimulants. How well, though, shall we be able to meet the problems of success?
1. LETTER, 1940 - 2. A.A. TODAY, p. 106
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members
identify themselves with as individuals. This should be an entirely
personal affair which each one decides for himself in the light of
past associations, or his present choice."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
When we come to the end of our lives on earth, we will
take no material thing with us. We will not take one cent
in our cold, dead hands. The only things that we may take
are the things we have given away If we have helped others,
we may take that with us; if we have given of our time and
money for the good of A.A., we may take that with us.
Looking back over our lives, what are we proud of? Not
what we have gained for ourselves, but what few good deeds
we have done. Those are the things that really matter in
the long run. What will I take with me when I go?
Meditation for the Day
"Hallowed be Thy Name." What does that mean to us? Here "name"
is used in the sense of "spirit." The words mean praise to God
for His spirit in the world, making us better. We should be
especially grateful for God's spirit, which gives us the
strength to overcome all that is base in our lives. His spirit
is powerful. It can help us to live a conquering, abundant
life. So we praise and thank Him for His spirit in our lives
and in the lives of others.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be grateful for God's spirit in me. I pray
that I may try to live in accordance with it.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012
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