Applying the B.B./12Steps To Daily Living

[Prescott]

Belief
Here are thousands of men and women, worldly indeed.
They flatly declare that since they have come to believe
in a Power greater than themselves,
to take a certain attitude toward that Power,
and to do certain simple things,
there has been a revolutionary change
in their way of living and thinking.
In the face of collapse and despair,
in the face of the total failure of their human resources,
they found that a new power, peace, happiness,
and sense of direction flowed into them.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 50
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program.
But our old-timers are the arteries.


In the face of collapse and despair,
in the face of the total failure of their human resources,
they found that a new power, peace, happiness,
and sense of direction flowed into them.



Not being able to see this clearly in myself it took others around me to bring this change to my attention. I could see it clearly in others, but when it came to myself I was blind. Now when I see this happening in others I can take comfort in the fact that it has to happening within me also. I'm no longer blind to the fact that it is happening, but I still don't see it as clearly as those around me. This maybe a very good thing....cause my ego doesn't need to be stroked it seems to have a life of it's own.

I'll gladly settle for the inner peace that I presently feel.

[Prescott]

WHAT WE NEED -- EACH OTHER

. . . A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so . . . nobody can keep you out."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139


"The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking"

A.A. Thought for the Day

We used to depend on drinking for a lot of things. We depended on drinking to help us enjoy things. It gave us a "kick." It broke down our shyness and helped us to have a "good time." We depended on drinking to help us when we felt low physically. if we had a toothache or just a hangover, we felt better after a few drinks. We depended on drinking to help us when we felt low mentally. If wed had a tough day at work or if we'd had a fight with our loved one, or if things just seemed against us, we felt better under the influence of alcohol. For us alcoholics, it got so that we depended on drinking for almost everything. Have I gotten over that dependence on drinking?


:11: Good Morning family :42:

Coming here on a regular basis and joining with like minded people, living and learning "WE" create a fellowship. Through the "Love & Service" of our members "WE" join together to remain clean and sober and help others along the path. As "WE" work our steps and embrace a sober lifestyle "WE" learn how to walk through many situations that use to get us drunk or high.

I never needed an excuse to drink or drug, but I used everyone in the book many times. When I look back at all those years, I see one constant "Escape" escape from life in general. Today thanks to the A.A. program, I have not felt the need to escape (run and hide) for quite some time. During this time I have learned how to handle things I never knew I was strong enough to handle. Allowing myself to seek guidance from my Higher Power and other members of our fellowship and actively working the 12 steps my life has changed to the core of my being. My job (if you want to call it that) is to reach out and share with others and encourage them to work the steps (all 12 of them)and embrace the fellowship. This program has such depth and weight that a person could work it for a life time and always find more to do and learn. While doing this "WE" learn who "WE" truly are and thats the best gift of all. :42:

[Prescott]

Prayer

"In AA we have found that the actual
good results of prayer are beyond question.
They are matters of knowledge and experience.
All those who have persisted have found
strength not ordinarily their own.
They have found wisdom beyond their
usual capability.
And they have increasingly found a peace of mind
which can stand firm in the face of
difficult circumstances."

Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 104
As Bill Sees It, p. 127


Thought to Consider . . .

Trying to pray is praying.


Daily prayer and morning meditation have become a important part of my life today. Over time I have seen and felt the results in and around me in real life time. As it changes me it changes how I approach others and how I conduct myself. I've noticed a rippling effect through out the people I am in contact with on a regular basis. One of the biggest changes I have seen in myself is how I wake up in the morning. In the past waking up was like a chore I wasn't ready to do and had to force myself into. Today when I wake up it's like a life I can't wait to get started. :42:

[Prescott]

Ghosts
AA experience has taught us we cannot live alone
with our pressing problems and the character defects
which cause or aggravate them.
If we have swept the searchlight of Step Four
back and forth over our careers,
and it has revealed in stark relief those experiences
we'd rather not remember,
if we have come to know how wrong thinking and action
have hurt us and others,
then the need to quit living by ourselves
with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday
gets more urgent than ever.
We have to talk to somebody about them.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 55
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Trust God. Clean house. Help others.


Meditation for the Day

I believe that in the spiritual world, as in the material world, there is no empty space. As fears and worries and resentments depart out of my life, the things of the spirit come in to take their places. Calm comes after a storm. As soon as I am rid of fears and hates and selfishness, God's love and peace and calm can come in.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rid myself of all fears and resentments, so that peace and serenity may take their place. I pray that I may sweep my life clean of evil, so that good may come in.


As another day unfolds before me I sit here and reflect on how the AA program and the 12 steps have removed enough inner garbage in my life and soul to allow my Higher Power room enough to take hold in my life. My thoughts today are centered around helping another. The person I am trying to help has more of a life problem than a substance abuse problem. For "me" I know the answers are all contained in the B.B. and our 12X12. It has been proven over and over the "Design for Living" contained in the B.B. first 164 pages is the road map for a good life. They have agreed to do some reading and attend meetings which I believe may stir some more truth on the whole matter. I given it to "GOD" and am at peace how ever this unfolds. It's just a new twist on an age old problem "Life on life's terms" Today I am grateful I know in my heart that "I'M" and alcoholic and have found a way out. :42:

[Prescott]

THE TREASURE OF THE PAST

Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have -- the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124

What a gift it is for me to realize that all those seemingly useless years were not wasted. The most degrading and humiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerful tools in helping others to recover. In knowing the depths of shame and despair, I can reach out with a loving and compassionate hand, and know that the grace of God is available to me.

�Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.�



in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have

The most degrading and humiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerful tools in helping others to recover.

So many years spent drinking and drugging trying to forget the past and never really forgetting anything for very long, "A living nightmare". To be able to turn that around and be able to use that to help others is such a gift. Working with others and freely talking about the past has freed me of my demons. Combined with amends it has allowed me to live a good life. I find it bridges gaps with people in and out of the program. I find just about everyone I meet knows of someone either trying to get clean and sober or has a loved one in the program. :42:

[Prescott]

THE JOY OF SHARING

Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89

To know that each newcomer with whom I share has the opportunity to experience the relief that I have found in this Fellowship fills me with joy and gratitude. I feel that all the things described in A.A. will come to pass for them, as they have for me, if they seize the opportunity and embrace the program fully.

�Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.�



I feel that all the things described in A.A. will come to pass for them, as they have for me, if they seize the opportunity and embrace the program fully.


To embrace the program fully, for me this is the key. When I look over the last 10yrs. I see the times I have drifted away from the AA program and when I have embraced it fully. There is a night and day difference. The time I drifted away and I was running on self-will the drama and chaos became normal again. Within weeks of returning to the rooms and the fellowship, everything fell back into place. I might not of been drinking, but my behaviors
where that of an active alcoholic. Knowing this today I never drift too far away. Today this has become the easier softer way. :42:

[Prescott]

Growth

From "The Keys of the Kingdom":

"Letting go of everything at once was both painful and terrifying. I could never have accomplished this alone. It took the help, understanding, and wonderful companionship that was given so freely to me by my ex-alkie friends,this and the program of recovery embodied in the Twelve Steps. In learning to practice these steps in my daily living, I began to acquire faith and a philosophy to live by. Whole new vistas were opened up for me, new avenues of experience to be explored, and life began to take on color and interest. In time, I found myself looking forward to each new day with pleasurable anticipation."

� 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 275


*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
FREEDOM FROM . . . FREEDOM TO

We are going to know a new freedom. . . .

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83

Freedom for me is both freedom from and freedom to. The first freedom I enjoy is freedom from the slavery of alcohol. What a relief! Then I begin to experience freedom from fear -- fear of people, of economic insecurity, of commitment, of failure, of rejection. Then I begin to enjoy freedom to -- freedom to choose sobriety for today, freedom to be myself, freedom to express my opinion, to experience peace of mind, to love and be loved, and freedom to grow spiritually. But how can I achieve these freedoms? The Big Book clearly says that before I am halfway through making amends, I will begin to know a "new" freedom; not the old freedom of doing what I pleased, without regard to others, but the new freedom that allows fulfillment of the promises in my life. What a joy to be free!

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.



In time, I found myself looking forward to each new day with pleasurable anticipation."

The Big Book clearly says that before I am halfway through making amends, I will begin to know a "new" freedom; not the old freedom of doing what I pleased, without regard to others, but the new freedom that allows fulfillment of the promises in my life. What a joy to be free!



"IN TIME" boy I use to hate those two words. For the first year and a half of recovery "In Time" use to feel like forever or never to my mind. I wanted it now!! But just like the B.B. states before we are half way through our 9th step we will know a new freedom, this is exactly when I started to notice real change. Somewhere between 18 months and 2 yrs. The obsession to drink was lifted. I don't remember the exact day. I just remember sitting in a meeting one morning and thinking to myself "wow" I haven't thought about drinking in some time now. For "me" this was a really big deal, cause up to this time thats all I could think about. I had to use every trick in the book to stay away from a drink, it seemed like forever. This is just one of the promises that I personally experienced, but it was such a big one for "ME" that I stuck around to see what else would and could happen. :42:

[Prescott]

Surrender
On the face of it,
surrendering certainly does not seem like winning.
But it is in AA
Only after we have come to the end of our rope,
hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives
beyond which we can go no further;
only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender,
can we accomplish sobriety which we could
never accomplish before.
We must, and we do, surrender in order to win.
c. 1955 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, pp. 341-2
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Surrender
On the face of it,
surrendering certainly does not seem like winning.
But it is in AA
Only after we have come to the end of our rope,
hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives
beyond which we can go no further;
only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender,
can we accomplish sobriety which we could
never accomplish before.
We must, and we do, surrender in order to win.
c. 1955 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, pp. 341-2
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Life didn't end when I got sober -- it started.


Life didn't end when I got sober -- it started.

The thought of giving up drinking, kept me drinking for so many (more) years.
When alcohol stopped working I was one lost puppy. I had a moment of clarity and realized I was going insane. The best decision I ever made was to check myself into the locked down psych-ward at the V.A. Hospital in August 8,1997. A formal surrender of sorts and a day I'll never forget. Little did I know it at the time, but this is when "Life" started for me. By December of 97 I found myself in the middle of my 9th step making amends. Today I realize that the actual making of amends was changing me. With each amend my burden grew lighter. :42:

[Montauktammy]

John :42:
I have so much identification with what you said. I knew I had a problem with my drugging and drinking, but I could not stay stopped by giving up. It also was not until it stop working that I thought I was going crazy. I tried to mix em up, tried everything it just stopped working and I could not shut my head off any more. It took me a few years in the rooms before I could even remember the way I was then, it took others saying to me don't you remember this thing you did or that thing you did. I was crazy not going. :5:Thank God for The Steps!:12:
love Tammy

[Prescott]

GOAL: SANITY

". . . Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 27

"Came to believe!" I gave lip service to my belief when I felt like it or when I thought it would look good. I didn't really trust God. I didn't believe He cared for me. I kept trying to change things I couldn't change. Gradually, in disgust, I began to turn it all over, saying: "You're so omnipotent, you take care of it." He did. I began to receive answers to my deepest problems, sometimes at the most unusual times: driving to work, eating lunch, or when I was sound asleep. I realized that I hadn't thought of those solutions -- a Power greater than myself had given them to me. I came to believe.

�Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.�



Fear
Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing.
It seems to cause more trouble.
We reviewed our fears thoroughly.
We put them on paper,
even though we had no resentment in connection with them.
We asked ourselves why we had them.
Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us?
Self-reliance was good as far as it went,
but it didn't go far enough.
Some of us once had great self-confidence,
but it didn't fully solve the fear problem, or any other.
When it made us cocky, it was worse.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 67-8
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .
Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.



As my faith increases my fears diminish. Getting into the habit of doing an 11th step first thing each morning has brought about some very good results.
When I first started doing this, it was about making time to do it. Now it has become the way I start my day. A small but big difference. The time spent getting right with God (prayer)and creating inner balance (meditation) has gone from something of a chore to something I look forward to. For a long time I just couldn't see how these small adjustments to my life could bring about these much needed results. My sponsor was able to guide me along this path and I was willing (to my surprise) to follow his suggestions. :42:

[Prescott]

Thought to Consider . . .

If faith without works is dead,
then willingness without action is fantasy.

W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness



Self-concern
From "'Selfish?'"

"Some A.A. speakers say, 'A.A. is a selfish program.' The word 'selfish' ordinarily implies that one is acquisitive, demanding, and thoughtless of the welfare of others. Of course, the A.A. way of life does not at all imply such undesirable traits.

"If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now….Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first -- a right and necessary kind of self-concern."

c. 1967, As Bill Sees It, page 81


I can remember in early recovery praying for the willingness to be willing on the suggestion of my sponsor. In the beginning I balked at just about everything and carried a lot of anger with in me (the anger mainly focused on myself). It took a couple of years of intense work to walk through the anger and fear, that kept me trapped in my addiction. One of the points my sponsor hammered home is "If I don't stay clean and sober what good would it be to do all this work!!", so staying clean and sober had to come first and stay first.

[Prescott]

Resentments
In AA we slowly learned that something had to be done
about our vengeful resentments, self-pity,
and unwarranted pride.
We had to see that every time we played the big shot,
we turned people against us.
We had to see that when we harbored grudges
and planned revenge for such defeats,
we were really beating ourselves with
the club of anger we had intended to use on others.
We learned that if we were seriously disturbed,
our first need was to quiet that disturbance,
regardless of who or what we thought caused it.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 47
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .

Resentment is like acid,
eating away at the vessel it is stored in.


*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*

We discover that we receive guidance for our lives to just about the extent that we stop making demands upon God to give it to us on order and on our terms.

<<<>>>

In praying, we ask simply that throughout the day God place in us the best understanding of His will that we can have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which we may carry it out.

<<<>>>

There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life.

TWELVE AND TWELVE - 1. p. 104 - 2. p. 102 - 3. p. 98


As I was sitting in a AA meeting yesterday listening to a member share, I came to realize that while Barbara (my wife) was dieing I was becoming resentful toward "GOD" and by the time she passed it had become a full blown resentment. Today, I believe this is what had blocked his spirit from reaching my heart. Over time the resentment turned to anger, and I felt abandoned. That period had to be one of the lowest points of my life. Clean and sober (7-8yrs) and miserable. I still went through all the motions, prayer,
reading, writing and sharing. But something was missing and I couldn't put my finger on it. Slowly over time and by doing the next right thing on a daily basis
I began to see "God" working in my life, through others. Then just before my mom passed "WE" had that life review that was such a strong "SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE" and it managed to melt away any anger and resentment that remained. It's only "NOW" that I can look at these days clearly. The days aren't clouded with fear, stress,self-pity and grief. If I had ran, drank/drugged or given up/in to any of these feelings, I could of never experienced the healing that has taken place in my life. The best blessing of all that came of this whole process is a renewed "FAITH" in "GOD" and the A.A. 12 steps and working with others. Cause it was through others that I continued to see "GOD'S" handi work. :42:

[Prescott]

Sometimes A.A. comes harder to those who have lost or rejected faith than to those who never had any faith at all, for they think they have tried faith and found it wanting. They have tried the way of faith and the way of no faith.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 28

I was so sure God had failed me that I became ultimately defiant, though I knew better, and plunged into a final drinking binge. My faith turned bitter and that was no coincidence. Those who once had great faith hit bottom harder. It took time to rekindle my faith, though I came to A.A. I was grateful intellectually to have survived such a great fall, but my heart felt callous. Still, I stuck with the A.A. program; the alternatives were too bleak! I kept coming back and gradually my faith was resurrected.

�Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.�



I have always had a deep-seated faith, but like they say "Faith without works is dead". Part of that faith was the idea that God couldn't love me and was going to punish me greatly. I never felt worthy of his love or blessings.
Coming into the rooms of the A.A. fellowship, sitting with others just like myself and hearing they had found a way out, gave me hope.

As I worked the steps, and joined a home group with a service commitment, my life as I had known it began to change. Slowly at first and others noticed way before I ever did. Small things in my life began to take on a new meaning.

Some of the first things I noticed was how others where changing right before my eyes. The hope I had at the time is "If there changing maybe, just maybe I am also". Somewhere around a year clean and sober and half way through my 9th step, "I became aware that "GOD" was doing for me what I couldn't or wouldn't do for myself." Half way through my second year the obsession to drink/drug was lifted and I started to know a new freedom.

Slowly over time as these thing became clear to me my faith increased and I dug into the work even deeper. In the years that followed I never lost hope, even when my faith took some hard knocks. I always had faith in the A.A. process and with a deep-seated hope, a renewed faith has returned. Today I realize to increase my faith I have to do some simple and basic things on a daily basis. Pages 86-88 in the B.B. describe these things better then I ever could. :1:

[Prescott]

A GLORIOUS RELEASE

"The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could. "

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 27

After years of indulging in a "self-will run riot," Step Two became for me a glorious release from being all alone. Nothing is so painful or insurmountable in my journey now. Someone is always there to share life's burdens with me. Step Two became a reinforcement with God, and I now realize that my insanity and ego were curiously linked. To rid myself of the former, I must give up the latter to one with far broader shoulders than my own.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC

I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could. "

[Prescott]

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


Hope
From "The Keys of the Kingdom":
"I stayed up all night reading that [Big] book. For me it was a wonderful experience. It explained so much I had not understood about myself, and, best of all, it promised recovery if I would do a few simple things and be willing to have the desire to drink removed. Here was hope. Maybe I could find my way out of this agonizing existence. Perhaps I could find freedom and peace, and be able once again to call my soul my own."

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 273

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A RALLYING POINT

Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. "Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

I feel that A.A. is a God-inspired program and that God is at every A.A. meeting. I see, believe, and have come to know that A.A. works, because I have stayed sober today. I am turning my life over to A.A. and to God by going to an A.A. meeting. If God is in my heart and everyone else's, then I am a small part of a whole and I am not unique. If God is in my heart and He speaks to me through other people, then I must be a channel of God to other people. I should seek to do His will by living spiritual principles and my reward will be sanity and emotional sobriety.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.



By the time I surrendered I had lost all hope and I just didn't want to die.
Hope slowly returned as I detoxed in the psych ward and as I became aware of my surroundings. Once again I found myself locked down for my own good.
My lifestyle and substance use/abuse had failed me. In a moment of clarity I realized I just didn't know how to live any other way.

AA saved my life literally and gave me a life. I keep those memories fresh, sharing them with others, because I never want to go back there. Today it kind of feels like it happened to someone else, but I know it happened to me and I could go back there in a heart beat if I don't stay connected and share from my heart.

[Prescott]

Language of the Heart

From the beginning,
communication in AA has been no ordinary transmission
of helpful ideas and attitudes.
It has been unusual and sometimes unique.
Because of our kinship in suffering,
and because our common means of deliverance
are effective for ourselves only when
constantly carried to others,
our channels of contact have always been charged
with the language of the heart.
Bill W., July 1960
c. 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 243

A PATH TO FAITH

True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

My last drunk had landed me in the hospital, totally broken. It was then that I was able to see my past float in front of me. I realized that, through drinking, I had lived every nightmare I had ever had. My own self-will and obsession to drink had driven me into a dark pit of hallucinations, blackouts and despair. Finally beaten, I asked for God's help. His presence told me to believe. My obsession for alcohol was taken away and my paranoia has since been lifted. I am no longer afraid. I know my life is healthy and sane.

�Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.�



My obsession for alcohol was taken away and my paranoia has since been lifted. I am no longer afraid. I know my life is healthy and sane.

The obsession was lifted somewhere between 18-24 months. I just realized one day that weeks had gone by without the thought of drinking. The same thing happened with the paranoia, I realized while driving one day, that I wasn't constantly looking in my rear view mirror.

"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity"

The "Real life results" of this is
#1-I haven't been arrested in 10+ yrs
#2-I haven't been hospitalized

[Prescott]

Vigilance

Now that we're in AA and sober,
and winning back the esteem of our friends
and business associates,
we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance.
As an insurance against "big-shot-ism"
we can often check ourselves by remembering
we are today sober only by the grace of God
and that any success we may be having
is far more His success than ours.
c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 92
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Always remember you're unique ... just like everyone else.


"Selfishness, self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.

"Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62



The first thing I have to remember each morning is that I'm only clean and sober by "The Grace of God" and that I'm no different than anyone else, no matter how long I'm clean and sober. All I have is today "This 24 hour period"

Even when I talking with an active alcoholic/addict I have to remember where I came from and that "Only by the "GRACE OF GOD" am I clean and sober today. "But for the grace of God there go I"

The self-delusion that I am now better than, just isn't true!! My bottom was as nasty as they come and I did all the things that I see others doing that I see as distasteful today. If I remind myself of this on a daily basis, I may just be able to help someone stay in the rooms one more day. A kind word or a heartfelt handshake some-days is all I really have to offer.

[Prescott]

GETTING THE "SPIRITUAL ANGLE"

How often do we sit in AA meetings and hear the speaker declare, "But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle." Prior to this statement, he had described a miracle of transformation which had occurred in him -- not only his release from alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward life and the living of it. It is apparent to nearly everyone else present that he has received a great gift; " . . . except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!" We well know that this questioning individual will tell us six months or a year hence that he has found faith in God.

LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 275

A spiritual experience can be the realization that a life which once seemed empty and devoid of meaning is now joyous and full. In my life today, daily prayer and meditation, coupled with living the Twelve Steps, has brought about an inner peace and feeling of belonging which was missing when I was drinking.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.



It is apparent to nearly everyone else present that he has received a great gift; " . . . except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!"

When I was drinking and using my mornings where spent getting well, so to speak. Today the same time is spent getting right with God. Spending some time in reflection, trying to share my experience, strength and hope. Learning to live a life without mind altering chemicals, has been difficult at times. The alcoholic in me doesn't want to feel uncomfortable, doesn't want to face life, clean and sober. I used/abused chemicals for so long I had no idea how to live without them. In recovery "One Day At A Time" I learned how to live a life without running to the bottle, every time things got tough. Today when I walk through a rough patch, clean and sober, I realize it is just part of life and it wasn't as bad as my mind would have had me think.

Today the best I get is "Human" I make mistakes and I don't always feel comfortable. The biggest difference today is that "I" am present.

[Prescott]

Faith
We had seen spiritual release,
but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true.
Actually, we were fooling ourselves,
for deep down in every man, woman, and child,
is the fundamental idea of God.
It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp,
by worship of other things,
but in some form or other it is there.
For faith in a Power greater than ourselves,
and miraculous demonstrations of that power
in human lives,
are facts as old as man himself.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 55
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

We found the Great Reality deep down within us.

"THE ROOT OF OUR TROUBLES"

Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62

How amazing the revelation that the world, and everyone in it, can get along just fine with or without me. What a relief to know that people, places and things will be perfectly okay without my control and direction. And how wordlessly wonderful to come to believe that a power greater than me exists separate and apart from myself. I believe that the feeling of separation I experience between me and God will one day vanish. In the meantime, faith must serve as the pathway to the center of my life.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©



I believe that the feeling of separation I experience between me and God will one day vanish. In the meantime, faith must serve as the pathway to the center of my life.

For me it started with faith in the AA fellowship and the hope I received in the rooms. As I worked the steps, slowly over time I came to believe and trust in a God of my own understanding. Having experienced this first hand, brought me full circle back to our B.B. book and intensive 12 step work. I no longer need to be convinced, for the seed has been planted. Today life has taken on new meaning and I have grown into a life that has become a pleasure rather than a chore. :42:

[Prescott]

Carry the Message
Taking advantage of technological advances,
AA members with computers
can participate in meetings online,
sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country
or around the world.
Fundamentally, though, the difference
between an electronic meeting
and the home group around the corner
is only one of format.
In any meeting, anywhere, AA's share experience,
strength, and hope with each other,
in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics.
Modem-to-modem or face-to-face,
AA's speak the language of the heart
in all its power and simplicity.
c. 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, Foreword to Fourth Edition, p. xxiv
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

We in AA don't carry the alcoholic;
we carry the message.


Rewards
From "He Lived Only to Drink":
"The rewards of sobriety are bountiful and as progressive as the disease they counteract. Certainly among these rewards for me are release from the prison of uniqueness, and the realization that participation in the A.A. way of life is a blessing and privilege beyond estimate,a blessing to live a life free from the pain and degradation of drinking and filled with the joy of useful, sober living, and a privilege to grow in sobriety one day at a time and bring the message of hope as it was brought to me."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 451



Bringing the message of hope, modem to modem. I've been a member of this group for 4 1/2 yrs now and the message of hope has been a constant here.
Due to on going health issues this is something I can do. The daily experience of reading and sharing allows me to stay in the work. Having just returned home after an 8 week road trip the one constant has been coming here almost daily and staying connected. The f2f meeting's I was able to get to on the road in 4 different states where great but by themselves wouldn't of been enough for "Me". I find the closer I stay within the fellowship the better I feel and do. So much change has happened in my life in these last 4yrs and the one constant (being here) has become my anchor in recovery.

[Prescott]

Accept
From "'The Belief Will Come'":
"I don't recall any immediate, dramatic change in my life. ...I began rereading the Big Book and the Twelve Steps, and now I found in these much that I had never found before. I didn't reject any of it. I accepted it just as it was written. Nor did I read into it anything that wasn't there.

"Again, nothing changed overnight. But, as time has passed, I have acquired a blind and, yes, childlike faith that, by accepting a God I don't understand and the program of A.A. just as it is written, I can maintain my sobriety one day at a time."

(c) 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 47

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TAKING ACTION

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us-sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84

One of the most important things A.A. has given me, in addition to freedom from booze, is the ability to take "right action." It says the promises will always materialize if I work for them. Fantasizing about them, debating them, preaching about them and faking them just won't work. I'll remain a miserable, rationalizing dry drunk. By taking action and working the Twelve Steps in all my affairs, I'll have a life beyond my wildest dreams.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC


By taking action and working the Twelve Steps in all my affairs, I'll have a life beyond my wildest dreams.

:1::42:

[Prescott]

EXPECTATIONS vs. DEMANDS

Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98

Dealing with expectations is a frequent topic at meetings. It isn't wrong to expect progress of myself, good things from life, or decent treatment from others. Where I get into trouble is when my expectations become demands. I will fall short of what I wish to be and situations will go in ways I do not like, because people will let me down sometimes. The only question is: "What am I going to do about it?" Wallow in self-pity or anger; retaliate and make a bad situation worse; or will I trust in God's power to bring blessings on the messes in which I find myself? Will I ask Him what I should be learning; do I keep on doing the right things I know how to do, no matter what; do I take time to share my faith and blessings with others?

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©



Where I get into trouble is when my expectations become demands.

Expectations always leave me feeling less than. When I expect things of others or of myself, some how as a human I fall short. For me today it's about accepting rather then expecting. As long as I keep doing what's right in front of me, I know in my heart I will be fine.

[Prescott]

COMMITMENT

Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes, and right action is the key to good living.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 125

There came a time in my program of recovery when the third stanza of the Serenity Prayer -- "The wisdom to know the difference" -- became indelibly imprinted in my mind. From that time on, I had to face the ever-present knowledge that my every action, word and thought was within, or outside, the principles of the program. I could no longer hide behind self-rationalization, nor behind the insanity of my disease. The only course open to me, if I was to attain a joyous life for myself (and subsequently for those I love), was one in which I imposed on myself an effort of commitment, discipline, and responsibility.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©



I imposed on myself an effort of commitment, discipline, and responsibility.


When "WE" know better "WE" do better. Once we know,we know, it's very difficult to go back to the old way's of doing things.

[Prescott]

Illness

Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
"Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea how irrational they are, or seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it. Some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,' but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill. They are abetted in this blindness by a world which does not understand the difference between sane drinking and alcoholism. 'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.' Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself."

© 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 32-33



'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.

Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Watching others in AA recover from the insanity " I came to believe" that it could happen for me also and that lead me back to a power greater than myself. To a "GOD" of my own understanding and a personal relationship with this higher power. :42:

[Prescott]

A UNIQUE STABILITY

Where does A.A. get its direction? . . . These practical folk then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authority in A.A. is a loving God as He may express Himself in the group conscience. . . . The elder statesman is the one who sees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines patiently awaiting developments.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 132, 135

Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions. As my recovery progressed, I realized that the new mantle was tailor-made for me. The elders of the group gently offered suggestions when change seemed impossible. Everyone's shared experiences became the substance for treasured friendships. I know that the Fellowship is ready and equipped to aid each suffering alcoholic at all crossroads in life. In a world beset by many problems, I find this assurance a unique stability. I cherish the gift of sobriety. I offer God my gratitude for the strength I receive in a Fellowship that truly exists for the good of all members.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.


:42::1:

[Prescott]

3rd Step Prayer:

"God, I offer myself to Thee to build with me and to do with
me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better
do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may
bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy
Way of life. May I do Thy will always!"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~


*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it. We know now that all we've been through led us to A.A. and was part of our spiritual journey. We found in A.A. what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We've learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles. Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

As I continue on my spiritual journey, I will seek and follow Divine Guidance and know there is always a but my own pride and place with God. I need not strain or struggle to obtain that which God wants me to have. My only responsibility is to accept God's guidance and follow the highest principles in all my affairs.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I'll continue to seek guidance as my spiritual journey continues today. I pray to trust that I am always doing the right thing and am in the right place when my Higher Power is leading me.


Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012



:11: Good Morning Family :42:

The first home group I became a member of used the serenity prayer, 3rd & the 6th step prayers as part of the format in the opening of the meeting so without even knowing it, early in recovery "WE" where turning our will over on a daily basis. :1:

Today I start my day with the same set of prayers with some additions my current sponsor gave me, that his sponsor gave him and so on. :42:

Today I gladly follow in the foot steps of those before me. I've quit fighting anyone or anything, mainly myself !! :1:

I used to fear "GOD'S" will for me, because of my ego and what if I didn't like it. Today I realize "GOD'S" will for me is better then anything I could of ever dreamed up myself. Sure there's been so rough times, but "Life on life's terms"
isn't always easy. :42:

Looking back over the years, it's when I strayed away from my daily prayers
that my life became so upsetting and confusing. The biggest change in myself today is a deep sense "That what ever happens, it's going to be alright." It didn't happen over night and it's only through "Looking back" that I can clearly see this pattern in my life.

I hope you all have a great day !! Love ya's john :42:

[Prescott]

Renewed
From "An Open Heart":
"I had nothing to do with this gift coming to me, so my gratitude is beyond description. It did not take me back to the person I was before drinking ... It gave me a new life--rather, life itself, because I had attempted suicide and had been hospitalized in private and state mental hospitals. It must have been spiritual; it was neither intellectual nor physical, that's for sure. I believe it was God as I understand Him, working through the love and understanding available in A.A. May I keep my heart open. The joy which can come to an open heart is unlimited.--New York, New York, USA"

(c) 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 51



When I read this, this morning it struck me of how true this was for me :1::42:

[Prescott]

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

When I find myself thinking about taking a drink, I say to myself. "Don't reach out and take that problem back. You've given it to God and there's nothing you can do about it." So I forget about the drink. One of the most important parts of the A.A. program is to give our drink problem to God honestly and fully and never to reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. If we let God have it and keep it for good and then cooperate with Him, we'll stay sober. Have I determined not to take the drink problem back to myself?

Meditation for the Day

Constant effort is necessary if I am to grow spiritually and develop my spiritual life. I must keep the spiritual rules persistently, perseveringly, lovingly, patiently, and hopefully. By keeping them, every mountain of difficulty shall be laid low, the rough places of poverty of spirit shall be made smooth, and all who know me shall know that God is the Lord of all my ways. To get close to the spirit of God is to find life and healing and strength.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that God's spirit may be everything to my soul. I pray that God's spirit may grow within me.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©



To get close to the spirit of God is to find life and healing and strength. :1:

[Prescott]

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Resolving Fear

Fear somehow touched about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve. But did not we often set the ball rolling ourselves?

<<<>>>

The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible for us to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courage and the grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 67-68 - 2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962
Copyright®1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc


It's taken me a long time to realize just how much fear controlled my life. I never understood this until it was pointed out to me over and over again. For me it's the #1 thing that activates all my other character defects. :42:

[Prescott]

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Having surrendered our lives to God and put our drink problem in His hands doesn't mean that we'll never be tempted to drink. So we must build up strength for the time when temptation will come. In this quiet time, we read and pray and get our minds in the right mood for the day. Starting the day right is a great help in keeping sober. As the days go by and we get used to the sober life, it gets easier and easier. We begin to develop a deep gratitude to God for saving us from that old life. And we begin to enjoy peace and serenity and quiet happiness. Am I trying to live the way God wants me to live?

Meditation for the Day

The elimination of selfishness is the key to happiness and can only be accomplished with God's help. We start out with a spark of the Divine Spirit but a large amount of selfishness. As we grow and come in contact with other people, we can take one of two paths. We can become more and more selfish and practically extinguish the Divine Spark within us, or we can become more unselfish and develop our spirituality until it becomes the most important thing in our lives.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may grow more and more unselfish, honest, pure, and loving. I pray that I may take the right path every day.

(c)Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012(c)




In this quiet time, we read and pray and get our minds in the right mood for the day. Starting the day right is a great help in keeping sober.

I think one of the key components of my ongoing sobriety has been starting my day the A.A. way. I still make mistakes daily, but at least when I make them I'm in a better head space to deal with them promptly. :42:

[Prescott]

Acceptance
Our very first problem is to accept
our present circumstances as they are,
ourselves as we are, and the people about us as we are.
This is to adopt a realistic humility
without which no genuine advance can even begin.
Again and again, we shall need to return
to that unflattering point of departure.
This is an exercise in acceptance
that we can profitably practice every day of our lives.
Bill W., AAGrapevine, March 1962
c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 44
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.


When I first got sober, there was an old timer who came everyday. He would always say "Acceptance is the answer to "ALL" my problems". It used to go in one ear and out the other. Whenever I would go to him with a problem he would direct me to page 449 second paragraph (3rd edition), and now it can be found on page 417 second paragraph (4th edition) of the Big Book. Over the years and after many readings of this passage it has become ingrained in me. :1::42:

[Prescott]

Self-will

"No matter how one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is? A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed. Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more. Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness.

"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 35As Bill Sees It, p. 35

A LIFELONG TASK

"But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow 'take it easy?' That's what I want to know."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 26

I was never known for my patience. How many times have I asked, "Why should I wait, when I can have it all right now?" Indeed, when I was first presented the Twelve Steps, I was like the proverbial "kid in a candy store." I couldn't wait to get to Step Twelve; it was surely just a few months' work, or so I thought! I realize now that living the Twelve Steps of A.A. is a lifelong undertaking.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.



Every time I rework the steps something new always comes up. Something I had buried deep in my subconscious or had just forgotten about. Plus just through living and making mistakes the steps are able to bring these things to my attention. It truly is a life long job and I'm happy to say I'm very grateful to have a plan of action. I just have to remember to "Keep It Simple" :42:

[Prescott]

Lessons

"I find the willingness to give thanks by contemplating the lessons learned from past suffering--lessons which have led to blessings I now enjoy. I can remember how the agonies of alcoholism,the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride,have often led me to God's grace,and so to a new freedom.

"Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, March 1962As Bill Sees It, p. 266

Thought to Consider . . .

Remember that we deal with alcohol --
cunning, baffling, powerful!


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show,
humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We
are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-
pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do
not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we
did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~


Having experienced the loss and grief of loss of loved ones in recent years I'm amazed with my life today. So grateful that I didn't turn bitter towards life and myself. There we're moments where it could of went either way and as I reflect on those moments I truly feel the grace of God. :42:

[Prescott]

THE KEY IS WILLINGNESS

Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 35

The willingness to give up my pride and self-will to a Power greater than myself has proved to be the only ingredient absolutely necessary to solve all of my problems today. Even the smallest amount of willingness, if sincere, is sufficient to allow God to enter and take control over any problem, pain, or obsession. My level of comfort is in direct relation to the degree of willingness I possess at any given moment to give up my self-will, and allow God's will to be manifested in my life. With the key of willingness, my worries and fears are powerfully transformed into serenity.

(c)Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.(c)

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*

For Emergencies Only?

Whether we had been believers or unbelievers, we began to get over the idea that the Higher Power was a sort of bush-league pinch hitter, to be called upon only in an emergency.
The notion that we would still live our own lives, God helping a little now and then, began to evaporate. Many of us who had thought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of this attitude. Refusing to place God first, we had deprived ourselves of His help.
But now the words "Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth the works" began to carry bright promise and meaning.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 75
Copyright(R)1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to
Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give
freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the
Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you
trudge the Road of Happy Destiny."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164~



Each of these readings this morning contain the bedrock of AA and the steps.
Willingness gets me up in the morning. Prayer, makes the connection. Reading, writing and sharing completes the circle. The reading, writing and sharing, becomes a form of meditation. :42:

[Prescott]

TURNING IT OVER

Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three. Isn't it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care, protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? . . . Any willing newcomer feels sure A.A. is the only safe harbor for the foundering vessel he has become. Now if this is not turning one's will and life over to a newfound Providence, then what is it?

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 35

Submission to God was the first step to my recovery. I believe our Fellowship seeks a spirituality open to a new kinship with God. As I exert myself to follow the path of the Steps, I sense a freedom that gives me the ability to think for myself. My addiction confined me without any release and hindered my ability to be released from my self-confinement, but A.A. assures me of a way to go forward. Mutual sharing, concern and caring for others is our natural gift to each other and mine is strengthened as my attitude toward God changes. I learn to submit to God's will in my life, to have self-respect, and to keep both of these attitudes by giving away what I receive.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©



For myself, "turning it over" is a daily exercise in surrendering my will. Self destructive habits had me so screwed up for so long, that I had come to believe that this was a good life. It took years to realize just how bad (sick)
I had become. It also took years to realize, how deeply mind altering substances controlled every decision I made. It had become so normal for me. I didn't trust anyone who didn't get high or loaded.

Today, I am just beginning to see how living my life clean and sober affects everything also. 30+ yrs in my disease, 10+ yrs clean and sober, you do the math. I am just so grateful that I have received a second chance at life. :42:

[Prescott]

Life on Life's Terms

"For years, I was sure the worst thing that could happen to a nice guy like me would be that I would turn out to be an alcoholic. Today, I find it's the best thing that has ever happened to me. This proves I don't know what's good for me. And if I don't know what's good for me, then I don't know what's good or bad for you or for anyone. So I'm better off if I don't give advice, don't figure I know what's best, and just accept life on life's terms, as it is today--especially my own life, as it actually is. Before AA, I judged myself by my intentions, while the world was judging me by my actions.

"Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 449-50

Thought to Consider . . .

I am liberated from dreaming the impossible dream
and free, finally, to start living the possible dream.




:42::1:

[Prescott]

SURRENDERING SELF-WILL

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 34

No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how can one turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is? In my search for the answer to this question, I became aware of the wisdom with which it was written: that this is a two-part Step.

I could see many times where I should have died, or at least been injured, during my previous style of living, and it never happened. Someone, or something, was looking after me. I choose to believe my life has always been in God's care. He alone controls the number of days I will be granted until physical death.

The matter of will (self-will or God's will) is the more difficult part of the Step for me. It is only when I have experienced enough emotional pain, through failed attempts to fix myself, that I become willing to surrender to God's will for my life. Surrender is like the calm after the storm. When my will is in line with God's will for me, there is peace within.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.



Surrender is like the calm after the storm. When my will is in line with God's will for me, there is peace within. :42::1:

[Prescott]

Willpower

"We AA's know the futility of trying to break the drinking obsession by will power alone. However, we do know that it takes great willingness to adopt AA's Twelve Steps as a way of life that can restore us to sanity.

"Bill W., Letter, 1966 As Bill Sees It, p. 88

Thought to Consider . . .

Willingness is doing what I have to,
whether I want to or not.



Yesterday afternoon, I found myself trying to explain my history concerning the obsession to drink. How I came into A.A. through the locked down psych ward and having the obsession to drink everyday for about 18 months. Some time during that second year between 18 and 20 months in the middle of my 9th step the obsession was lifted. Willingness to give the A.A. program the best possible chance and to do what was necessary to work my 9th step became a turning point for me. For after the obsession was lifted, I felt a new freedom and happiness. What I found amazing then and still find amazing is how closely it followed the B.B. almost word for word. :42::1:

[janbear]

willpower alone definitely has not lifted the obsession for me. I needed help, much help. Working the 12-steps was the way and continues to be. God does for me what nothing else could. As i worked the steps, like you,John, i began to notice the obsession lifting.

[Prescott]

A DAY'S PLAN

On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86

Every day I ask God to kindle within me the fire of His love, so that love, burning bright and clear, will illuminate my thinking and permit me to better do His will. Throughout the day, as I allow outside circumstances to dampen my spirits, I ask God to sear my consciousness with the awareness that I can start my day over any time I choose; a hundred times, if necessary.

(c)Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.(c)



This maybe the one thing that has changed my life for the better. :1:

On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.


As soon as I'm awake enough to realize what I'm doing, I start my day in prayer. I've noticed since I've been doing this, that in a short period of time I began to feel differently and act differently. My faith has increased and I don't get caught up in the problems we all face each day. I tend to look at solutions and ask God for the help I need to face what ever comes my way.

I still haven't mastered starting my day over, but I do see when I'm starting to run on self-will. Then take a moment to ask for God's will not my will. I also am getting much better at admitting when I'm wrong and apologizing quickly.

These small changes in my daily approach toward the day have had some very good results. Mainly with how I feel about myself. I'll never forget what my sponsor told me so many years ago. I was caught in the trap of low self-esteem and he said the way out was to practice esteem-able acts. :idea:

[Prescott]

Spiritual Growth

"When we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God. Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. If we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere. So we used our own conception, however limited it was."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 47


Thought to Consider . . .

Spirituality is the ability to get our minds off ourselves.




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[Prescott]

Humility

"The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA's Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all.

"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70

Thought to Consider . . .

As I thus get down to my right size and stature,
my self-concern and importance become amusing.

Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, June 1961
As Bill Sees It, p. 106


*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~




Today, just knowing I am one of many reduces the stress of staying clean and sober. Being overly sensitive has been a serious handicap. I realize today that I self-medicated my entire drinking life just to try to fit in. It's healthy to realize I am just one of many....an AA member. :42::1:

[Prescott]

Procrastination

"After a preliminary trial at making amends, we may enjoy such a sense of relief that we conclude our task is finished. We will want to rest on our laurels. The temptation to skip the more humiliating and dreaded meetings that still remain may be great. We may just procrastinate, telling ourselves the time is not yet, when in reality we have already passed up many a fine chance to right a serious wrong. Let's not talk prudence while practicing evasion.

"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 85

Thought to Consider . . .

Procrastination is really sloth in five syllables.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 67



I had some major 9th step work to do and I'm glad I had a sponsor to guide me through them. :42::1:

[Prescott]

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We
consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to
direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-
pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we
can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God
gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much
higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86~


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[Prescott]

Independence
Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

"'If I keep on turning my life and my will over to the care of Something or Somebody else, what will become of me? I'll look like the hole in the doughnut.' This, of course, is the process by which instinct and logic always seek to bolster egotism, and so frustrate spiritual development. The trouble is that this kind of thinking takes no real account of the facts. And the facts seem to be these: The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are. Therefore dependence, as A.A. practices it, is really a means to gaining true independence of the spirit."

(c) 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 36

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
REAL INDEPENDENCE

The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 36

I start with a little willingness to trust God and He causes that willingness to grow. The more willingness I have, the more trust I gain, and the more trust I gain, the more willingness I have. My dependence on God grows as my trust in Him grows. Before I became willing, I depended on myself for all my needs and I was restricted by my incompleteness. Through my willingness to depend upon my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, all my needs are provided for by Someone Who knows me better than I know myself - even the needs I may not realize, as well as the ones yet to come. Only Someone Who knows me that well could bring me to be myself and to help me fill the need in someone else that only I am meant to fill. There never will be another exactly like me. And that is real independence.

(c)Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.(c)

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[Prescott]

PRAYER: IT WORKS

It has been well said that "almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 97

Having grown up in an agnostic household, I felt somewhat foolish when I first tried praying. I knew there was a Higher Power working in my life -- how else was I staying sober? -- but I certainly wasn't convinced he/she/it wanted to hear my prayers. People who had what I wanted said prayer was an important part of practicing the program, so I persevered. With a commitment to daily prayer, I was amazed to find myself becoming more serene and comfortable with my place in the world. In other words, life became easier and less of a struggle. I'm still not sure who, or what, listens to my prayers, but I'd never stop saying them for the simple reason that they work.

(c)Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.(c)

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[Prescott]

Release

"Who can render an account of all the miseries that have once been ours, and who can estimate the release and joy that the later years have brought to us? Who could possibly tell the vast consequences of what God's work through AA had already set in motion?

"Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pp. 44-5
As Bill Sees It, p. 163

Thought to Consider . . .

"I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine.


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[Prescott]

LOVE AND TOLERANCE

Love and tolerance of others is our code.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84

I have found that I have to forgive others in all situations to maintain any real spiritual progress. The vital importance of forgiving may not be obvious to me at first sight, but my studies tell me that every great spiritual teacher has insisted strongly upon it.

I must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matter of form, but in my heart. I do this not for the other persons' sake, but for my own sake. Resentment, anger, or a desire to see someone punished, are things that rot my soul. Such things fasten my troubles to me with chains. They tie me to other problems that have nothing to do with my original problem.

(c)Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.(c)



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[Prescott]

Rationalization

"There are cases where our ancient enemy, rationalization, has stepped in and has justified conduct which was really wrong. The temptation here is to imagine that we had good motives and reasons when we really didn't. We 'constructively criticized' someone who needed it, when our real motive was to win a useless argument. We sometimes hurt those we love because they' need to be taught a lesson, 'when we really want to punish. This perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one, permeates human affairs from top to bottom.

"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 94

Thought to Consider . . .

Recognizing someone else's human dignity cannot cost you your own.


I find myself from time to time needing to be right. It's just B.S. and ego and false pride. :42::1:

[Prescott]

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a
fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from
care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will
mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your
existence lie ahead."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 152~
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[Prescott]

A FULL AND THANKFUL HEART

I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37

I believe that we in Alcoholics Anonymous are fortunate in that we are constantly reminded of the need to be grateful and of how important gratitude is to our sobriety. I am truly grateful for the sobriety God has given me through the A.A. program and am glad I can give back what was given to me freely. I am grateful not only for sobriety, but for the quality of life my sobriety has brought. God has been gracious enough to give me sober days and a life blessed with peace and contentment, as well as the ability to give and receive love, and the opportunity to serve others -- in our Fellowship, my family and my community. For all of this, I have "a full and thankful heart."

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©

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