District 9

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - July 9, 2015

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

July 9, 2015

Alternatives
If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution.
We were in a position where life was becoming impossible,
and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives:
One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could;
and the other, to accept spiritual help.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25

Thought to Ponder . . .
The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.

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

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.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - July 8, 2015

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

July 8, 2015

~ Scroll Down for Share ~

A Novel Idea
My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said,
"Why don't you choose your own conception of God?" That statement hit me hard. . .
It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself.
Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. Would I have it? Of course I would!
Thus I was convinced that God is concerned with us humans when we want Him enough.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12

Thought to Ponder . . .
A new world came into view.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G O D = Good Orderly Direction.

A Member Shares:
I'm Charlie J., and I have Alcoholism. I only knew one thing about a God when I came back to AA; God turned His/Her back on me when I was a child. I mean, think about it -- I never got one thing I ever prayed for. I never got that new bike! Well, I think you can see where the real problem was; it was me. Not that I was bad, but I had never really grasped what God could or would do, or what my job was in the grand scheme of things. So I gave up on God. Then, when I found I never wanted to drink again, my dear friend Joe B. told me exactly what I needed to know when I came back to AA. He simply asked me, "What do you know about God?" I said, "Nothing." He then told me, "What you do need to know is, you're not it!" I can assure you that I still seek a better understanding of God, life, my job, and what God's job is. Most of my sober troubles were learning to try not to do God's job. But I had to learn what that was first. If you’re new, or coming back to AA and are having trouble with a God or Higher Power, not to worry. If you can find an open mind and a little trust in the Twelve Steps, you will find what you need. 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:

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.

AA Thought for the Day - July 7, 2015

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

July 7, 2015

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.

Monday, July 6, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - July 6, 2015

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

July 6, 2015

Children of Chaos
Over the years, every conceivable deviation from our Twelve Steps and Traditions has been tried.
That was sure to be, since we are so largely a band of ego-driven individuals.
Children of chaos, we have definitely played with every brand of fire,
only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser.
These very deviations created a vast process of trial and error, which under the grace of God,
has brought us to where we stand today.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 146

Thought to Ponder . . .
Whichever way we are thrown, we will stand.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
U S = United Spirits.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - July 5, 2015

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

July 5, 2015

~ Scroll Down for Share ~

A Foundation
Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps.
Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask is we have omitted anything,
for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last.
Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place?
Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand?
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 75

Thought to Ponder . . .
Walk softly and carry a Big Book.

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

A Member Shares:
Heya friends, I am an alcoholic, and my problem is Chantale. My first sponsor made a few things clear, and since I'm a very visual person, she used this example when talking about the program of AA. She told me that a house needs to have a foundation, and such a solid foundation could never be built without first putting the bottle down. It made sense to me then, and still does. The foundation is what we build our entire journey on. It needs to be strong. If it's weak and frail, everything we build upon it will eventually fall. I proved this a few times. I came in and out of the program for many years, never fully understanding that I was the one who chose to go back out, and not the program that failed me. I did not build and nurture the foundation, never fully accepted the First Step, and never truly believed I was an alcoholic, let alone the fact that one drink could tumble my house down. But I learned a lot and got back up and re-built a nice, not always level and smooth, foundation. The next step was to put up the walls, and my first few steps were shaky. But as time passed, as I learned to use the tools and not just read about them, I started reinforcing the walls. The awesome part about this process is that at any given time I'm able to remodel, reinforce and make each part of my program stronger, smoother, and more livable. It takes time, patience, honestly, open-mindedness, and most of all, the willingness to ask for help not only from my Higher Power, but also from the people in the program. See, the thing is that if you're going to build a house (aka a program), you need people who have different specialties to complete it, like a plumber, electrician, etc. It's the same for a program: we need help outside ourselves to make our homes livable and this journey possible. Thanks so much 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:

AA Thought for the Day - July 4, 2015 - Freedom

AA Thought for the Day

July 4, 2015

Freedom
I craved freedom. First, freedom to drink; later, freedom from drink.
The AA program of recovery lies on a foundation of free choice.
There are no mandates, laws or commandments. AA's spiritual program, as outlined in the Twelve Steps,
and by which I am offered even greater freedoms, is only suggested.
I can take it or leave it.
- Daily Reflections, p. 95

Thought to Ponder . . .
Our AA freedoms create the soil in which genuine love can grow.

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

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Every day is a gift. That is why we call it the present.

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

July 2, 2015

Today
Today is always here. Life is daily; today is all we have; and anybody can go one day without drinking.
First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works.
Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24-hour segments
is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well.
- Living Sober, p. 7

Thought to Ponder . . .
Every day is a gift. That is why we call it the present.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S I T = Stay In Today.