District 9: June 2015

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - July 1, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

July 1, 2015

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Humility
It was only at the end of a long road, marked by successive defeats and humiliations,
and the final crushing of our self-sufficiency,
that we began to feel humility as something more than a condition of groveling despair.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 72

Thought to Ponder . . .
Learning is the very essence of humility; the two walk hand in hand.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A R T = Always Remain Teachable.

A Member Shares:
Hi, my name is Keith. I'm an alcoholic. I know there's a difference between humility and humiliation. Humility is a good thing, meaning to be open to learn and to change, and how it feels to have plans and preparations to make me "whole." I can't even manage to get that right until God is consulted. And in the blink of an eye, all my hold-backs, incomplete Steps and conditions, my HIgher Power provides all the answers I could not see or apply. In my attempt at self-inventory, harms done and amends to be made, He gently brushes those conflicts away and I am made truly ready. I am humbled in the miracle. I'm not chastised or castigated, but provided the answers I need in this exercise of Hope's gift from God. Thank God for removing the mote in my eye. Despite what I wanted, I fall short and am right-sized once again with the knowledge that God will do for me what I could not myself, and the humility to apply it in my life's adventure. Thanks.
To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Meeting Schedule
The Daily Thought Discussion Board
Service Opportunities
AA Birthday Signups
Helpful links and much more
Please go to our Website
http://aa-alive.net …
G.S.O. Registration Number: 712515

** Trademarks and Disclaimer: **
Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and the Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. The AA Daily Thought is neither endorsed by, approved by, associated nor affiliated with, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or The AA Grapevine, Inc.
Disclaimer: The Daily Thought is meant for domestic distribution only and for countries where it is in public domain.

Monday, June 29, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 30, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 30, 2015

Defects
At the very least, we shall have to come to grips with some of our worst character defects
and take action toward their removal as quickly as we can.
The moment we say, "No, never!" our minds close against the grace of God.
Delay is dangerous, and rebellion may be fatal.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 69

Thought to Ponder . . .
If I want God to remove my character defects, I'll have to stop doing them.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
N O W = No Other Way.

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Meeting Schedule
The Daily Thought Discussion Board
Service Opportunities
AA Birthday Signups
Helpful links and much more
Please go to our Website
http://aa-alive.net …
G.S.O. Registration Number: 712515

** Trademarks and Disclaimer: **
Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and the Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. The AA Daily Thought is neither endorsed by, approved by, associated nor affiliated with, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or The AA Grapevine, Inc.
Disclaimer: The Daily Thought is meant for domestic distribution only and for countries where it is in public domain.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 29, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 29, 2015

Meditation
Meditation belongs and grows with daily life and daily growth,
for it is in daily life that analytical thought binds us into the dilemma of opposites
and consequently into sorrow, pleasure-seeking, and loss of freedom.
In a life that may often seem onerous, boring and senseless, meditation can free us
to its beauty, its joy beyond pleasure, its passion beyond sorrow.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], p. 172

Thought to Ponder . . .
Stillness is a jewel with many facets; that stillness is also joy, and it is love.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew.

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Saturday, June 27, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 28, 2015

AA Thought for the Day

June 28, 2015

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Living Sober
Living sober turns out to be not at all grim, boring, and uncomfortable, as we had feared,
but rather something we began to enjoy and find much more exciting than our drinking days.
We'll show you how.
- Living Sober, Preface

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life will take on new meaning.

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

A Member Shares:
Hello Family, my name is Lance, and I have it too: Alcoholism. What are our alternatives to drinking? Institutions, jails, death. Not a great future, huh? What little good there is left in us, alcohol will take away and then laugh in our faces. I see this business of living sober as very, very, serious for those of us who are no longer cucumbers. Once your brain is pickled like mine was, ain't no turning back to carefree drinking. When I went to AA, I noticed that evening that I still had a desire to drink, so I raced back to the meeting the next day and evening. I was hyped up that I could actually do this with some kind of plan or program which AA provided, along with the great track record of sober people I could see face-to-face as living proof. Those weeks for me were my "Pink Cloud," and I couldn't stop smiling. I walked all over Berlin and smiled at everyone who crossed my path, even though Germans don't normally smile, if rarely, in public. Then something horrible happened. The pink cloud evaporated and I was left with all the guilt, remorse, depression, and the fact I had done it all to myself, unaided by any other. This is where I learned about mental sobriety, or emotional sobriety, if you will. Step work put a lot of that into perspective. Being a musician, I have a keen sense of fantasy. The only problem there was that I couldn't figure out what was real or fantasy. And my concept of God kept changing. I learned my Higher Power was good and kind and forgiving. I had to learn to forgive myself and anyone or whoever I imagined had hurt me. Boy! was it liberating! So much follows when we lay that sober groundwork to our lives, and the rest starts to flow a lot more gracefully. We have ceased fighting, not only alcohol, but anyone in our environment. Then the peace sets in with regular prayer and meditation. This is the true way to live; not trapped in some horrible past we have created. I have today to change, and that's good enough for me! Thanks for listening.

To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Friday, June 26, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 27, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 27, 2015

Vigilance
My alcoholism lives within me now and forever. I must never forget what I am.
Alcohol will kill me if I fail to recognize and acknowledge my disease on a daily basis.
I am not playing a game in which a loss is a temporary setback.
I am dealing with my disease for which there is no cure, only daily acceptance and vigilance.
- Daily Reflections, p. 276

Thought to Ponder . . .
If I don't drink today, I have the hope of a tomorrow.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Aware.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 26, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 26, 2015

Overcoming Self-will
I feel myself a useful member of the human race at last.
I have something to contribute to humanity, since I am peculiarly qualified, as a fellow-sufferer,
to give aid and comfort to those who have stumbled and fallen over this business of meeting life. . .
I believe that my once over-weening self-will has finally found its proper place,
for I can say many times daily, "Thy will be done, not mine" . . . and mean it.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, p. 229

Thought to Ponder . . .
I can't do His will my way.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F A I T H = Facing All, Intuitively Trusting Him.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 25, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 25, 2015

Balance
Today, independence and healthy relationships form a dynamic balance,
which I maintain by striving for the serenity to accept the things I can't change,
the willingness to turn things over, and the courage to put my time and energy into things I can change.
That is the wisdom to know the difference.
- The AA Grapevine, July 2011, p. 30

Thought to Ponder . . .
Wisdom is knowing the right path to take; integrity is taking it.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 24, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 24, 2015

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Pass It On
I'll never forget the first time I met Bill Wilson.
I was a couple of months sober and so thrilled to meet the co-founder
that I gushed all over him with what my sobriety meant to me and my undying gratitude for his starting AA.
When I ran down, he took my hand in his and said simply, "Pass it on."
- 'Pass It On,' Preface

Thought to Ponder . . .
Let it begin with me.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Helping Other People Every day.

A Member Shares:
Hi all, I'm Shawn, an alcoholic. I've been thinking lately that I need to "pass it on" more. It seems like I've been getting a little stagnant lately in sobriety. I realize that I've just been going through the motions the last few months. To be fair, I have been busy, but it's important to always make sobriety a priority; if not, I know I can pick up that next drink at any point. So, to pass it on, I always do my best here online to share my experience, strength, and hope, but I really need to get back to attending face-to-face meetings a few times a week and sharing; reaching out to newcomers. Like anything else in life, my sobriety always needs improvement and it's important to pass that on. It's easy to forget what it's like to be new -- I needed everyone who reached out to me and told me a lot of stuff I didn't want to hear, but needed to hear. Thank you all for being here and helping me to stay sober another day.
To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Monday, June 22, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 23, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 23, 2015

The First One
If we do not take the first drink, we never get drunk. Therefore, instead of planning to never get drunk,
or trying to limit the number of drinks or the amount of alcohol,
we have learned to concentrate on avoiding only one drink: the first one.
- Living Sober, p. 5

Thought to Ponder . . .
The first drink has the last say.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Aware.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 22, 2015

AA Thought for the Day

June 22, 2015

My Chance to Live
I believe I was one of the lucky ones.
Not just because I found this program at such a young age; I feel fortunate that I found AA at all.
My approach to drinking brought me to the jumping-off place described in the Big Book
much faster than anyone could have imagined.
I'm convinced if I had continued on my course, I wouldn't have survived much longer.
I don't believe I was smarter than anyone else, as I'm often told by those who came in at a later age.
It was my time, my chance to live, and I took it.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 316

Thought to Ponder . . .
I have learned that I did not get here a day early or a drink short.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 21, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 21, 2015

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Honesty
Let us therefore continue our several searches for self-deception, great or small. . .
How truth makes us free is something that we AAs can well understand.
It cut the shackles that once bound us to alcohol. . .
May we therefore quicken our search for still more genuine honesty, and deepen its presence in all our affairs.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 264

Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.

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

A Member Shares:
I am an alcoholic and my name is Erik. Some time ago, someone in AA asked me why I thought people lie. I'm not quick on my feet so I didn't have a quick answer. I had to think about it. For me, there are two main reasons I lied when I was drinking: 1) fear, fear, and more fear. 2) I wanted to be someone better than who I was and I wanted you to think I was better. Today my understanding of Honesty is not just truthfulness. You have taught me to stop and think before I act or speak. I can tell some hard truths about other people that could cause some real harm. That's not honesty for me. Honesty is truthfulness with a heavy sprinkle of compassion and consideration. The only place I have found for brutal honesty is with me. I have to know who I am, accept what the harms I have caused in order to change and live a better way. I'm not as open as I would like to be sometimes, but so much more than I used to be. Today, I don't have to be someone else; it's OK to be me. Thanks for letting me share.
To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Friday, June 19, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 20, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 20, 2015

Guidance
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.
- Daily Reflections, p. 28

Thought to Ponder . . .
The power within me is far greater than any fear before me.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F A I T H = Facing An Inner Truth Heals.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 19, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 19, 2015

Carrying the Message
If AA had provided me with a social life, a job, and a husband, I'd have had no reason to place my reliance upon God.
If they had done anything other than carry the message of recovery, I might have missed it.
Thank God, that's all AA does.
- The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA, p. 113

Thought to Ponder . . .
In AA we don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message.

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

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 18, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 18, 2015

This Precious Gift
None of us can ever fathom the glories and uncharted regions of the universe.
But we can live on earth and love one another.
We can let in the beginnings of concern, compassion, consideration, and watch ourselves grow.
With the tools and guideposts of AA, we can learn a little of this precious gift -- our gateway to human spirituality.
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 120

Thought to Ponder . . .
The Three "C's" ~ Concern, Compassion, Consideration.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 17, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 17, 2015

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Progress
No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles.
We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines.
The principles we have set down are guides to progress.
We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 60

Thought to Ponder . . .
The road to recovery is always under construction.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
O D A A T = One Day At A Time.

A Member Shares:
Hi everyone, I'm Frannie a grateful alcoholic. I have a copy of a favorite little AA book called "Daily Reflections." I started reading this book 10 years ago when I was new, and I can measure my growth by this little book. Earlier, I didn't understand a lot of stuff in it, but today when using this same book I understand so much more. I need to see growth in my program just like everyone does. So when I was asked to chair this meeting, I boldly said I would. And, sure enough, I found this topic for discussion in my little book on page 156, and have discovered that there is not a single "don't" in any Step: "AA is not a program of 'don’ts’, but of 'do's.' AA is not martial law; it is freedom. AA is not tears over defects, but sweat over fixing them. AA is not penitence; it is salvation. AA is not 'Woe to me' for my sins, past and present. AA is 'Praise God" for the progress I am making today." I will never be perfect. But I can make progress. And that's all this program asks me to do. Thank you.
To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Monday, June 15, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - June 16, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

June 16, 2015

Reality
Above all, we reject fantasizing and accept reality. The more I drank, the more I fantasized everything.
I imagined getting even for hurts and rejections. In my mind's eye I played and replayed scenes
in which I was plucked magically from the bar where I stood nursing a drink
and was instantly exalted to some position of power and prestige. I lived in a dream world.
AA led me gently from this fantasizing to embrace reality with open arms.
And I found it beautiful! For, at last, I was at peace with myself. And with others. And with God.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 559

Thought to Ponder . . .
New ideals and new attitudes bring a new life.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.