Alcoholic Anonymous - Daily Ponderables - Together we trudge the
Road of Happy Destiny – Wednesday, 8 January 2014 - Daily Reflections
DO I HAVE A CHOICE?
The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have
lost the power of choice in drink. Our so called will power becomes practically
nonexistent. (ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 24)
My powerlessness over alcohol does not cease when I quit
drinking. In sobriety I still have no choice-- I can't drink.
The choice I do have is to pick up and use the "kit of
spiritual tools" (Alcoholics Anonymous page 25). When I do that, my Higher
Power relieves me of my lack of choice-- and keeps me sober one more day. If I
could choose not to pick up a drink today, where then would be my need for A.A.
or a Higher Power? (From the book Daily Reflections © Copyright 1990 by
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.)
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
Everyone who comes into A.A. knows from bitter experience that
he or she can't drink. I know that drinking has been the cause of all my major
troubles or has made them worse. Now that I have found a way out, I will hang
onto A.A. with both hands. Saint Paul once said that nothing in the world
neither powers nor principalities, life nor death, could separate him from the
love of God. Once I have given my drink problem to God, should I do anything in
the world to separate me from my sobriety?
Meditation for the Day
I know that my new life will not be immune from difficulties,
but I will have peace even in difficulties. I know that serenity is the result
of faithful, trusting acceptance of God's will, even in the midst of
difficulties. Saint Paul said: "Our light afflictions, which are but for a
moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may welcome difficulties. I pray that they may
test my strength and build my character. (From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day
© Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation)
NA - Just for Today
Growing up
“Our spiritual condition is the basis for a successful recovery
that offers unlimited growth.” (Basic Text, page 44)
When our members celebrate their recovery anniversaries, they
often say that they’ve “grown up” in NA. Well, then, we think, what does that
mean? We start to wonder if we’re grownups yet. We check our lives and yes, all
the trappings of adulthood are there: the checkbook, the children, the job, the
responsibilities. On the inside, though, we often feel like children. We’re
still confused by life much of the time. We don’t always know how to act. We
sometimes wonder whether we’re really grownups at all, or whether we’re
children who’ve somehow been put into adult bodies and given adult
responsibilities.
Growth is not best measured by physical age or levels of
responsibility. Our best measure of growth is our spiritual condition, the
basis of our recovery. If we’re still depending on people, places, and things
to provide our inner satisfaction, like a child depending on its parents for
everything, we do indeed have some growing to do. But if we stand secure on the
foundation of our spiritual condition, considering its maintenance our most
important responsibility, we can claim maturity. Upon that foundation, our
opportunities for growth are limitless.
Just for today: The measure of my maturity is the extent to
which I take responsibility for the maintenance of my spiritual condition.
Today, this will be my highest priority. (From the book Just for Today ©
Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.)
Thought for Today
"Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man
does with what happens to him." (Aldous Huxley)
A Big Book falling apart is normally an AA member that is not.” (Thanks Phil, Lunch Bunch Group)
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by
your anger. (Buddha)
Native American
"Native Americans are essentially calling for
righteousness. By this they mean a shared ideology developed by all people
using their purest and most unselfish minds." (Lorraine Canoe/Tom Porter,
MOHAWK)
The Native way is to first focus on decisions that will be good
for the people and then for yourself. Righteousness means "to think
right." Our way is to consider the good of all first. This helps our minds
to be unselfish and pure. This is the spiritual way. This can be very hard to
do because the world we live in says to take care of yourself first. A man of
God cannot be taken advantage of unless it is the will of the Creator. The
Creator really controls everything. To have a good future, the people must gather
in a circle and pray for the highest good for the people.
Great Mystery! Today let me love instead of being loved. Let me
be giving instead of receiving. Show me the advantages of having a giving
heart.
Keep It Simple
Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the light, even though
for the moment you do not see. (Bill W.)
At times, we'll go through pain and hardship, At times, we'll
have doubts. At times, we'll get angry and think we just don't care anymore.
These things can spiritually blind us but this normal. Hopefully, we'll be
ready for those times. Hopefully, we will have friends who will be there for
you. Thank God for these moments! Yes, hard times can make our spirits deep and
strong. These moments tell us who we are as sober people. These moments help us
grow and change. Spirituality is about choice. To be spiritual, we must turn
ourselves over to the care of our Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day: God, help me find YOU in my moments of
blindness. This is when I really need YOU.
Action for the Day: Today I'll get ready for the hard times
ahead. I will list my friends who will be there for me
Big Book
"Faith without works is dead." (Alcoholics Anonymous,
4th Edition, Into Action, Page 76)
------------------------------------
A.A. History for January
January 1:
1943: Columbus Dispatch reports 1st anniversary of Columbus A.A.
1946: The A.A. Grapevine increased the cost of a year's
subscription to $2.50.
1948: "Columbus Dispatch" reported 1st anniversary of
Central Ohio A.A. Group.
1948: 1st A.A. meeting was held in Japan, (English speaking).
1988: West Virginia A.A. began 1st statewide toll-free telephone
hot line.
January 2:
1889: Bridget Della Mary Gavin (Sister Ignatia) was born in
Ireland.
2003: Mid-Southern California Archives moved to new location in
Riverside.
January 3:
1939: 1st sale of Works Publishing Co. stock was recorded.
1941: Jack Alexander told Bill Wilson the Oxford Group would be
in his Saturday Evening Post article on A.A.
January 4:
1940: 1st A.A. group was founded in Detroit, Michigan.
1941: Bill & Lois Wilson drove to Bedford Hills, New York to
see Stepping Stones & broke in through an unlocked window.
January 5:
1939: Dr Bob tells Ruth Hock in a letter that A.A. has "to
get away from the Oxford Group atmosphere".
1941:
-Bill & Lois visited Bedford Hills again.
-Bill Wilson told Jack Alexander that he was "The Toast of
A.A.-- with Coca Cola, of course."
January 6:
2000: Stephen Poe, compiler of the "Concordance to
Alcoholics Anonymous", died.
January 7:
1984: "Pass it On" was published.
January 8:
1938: New York A.A. split from the Oxford Group.
January 10:
1940:
-1st A.A. meeting not in a home meets @ King School, Akron,
Ohio.
-Dr Bob tells Ruth Hock in a letter that A.A. has "to get
away from the Oxford Group atmosphere".
January 12:
1943: Press reported the 1st A.A. group in Pontiac, Michigan.
January 13:
1988: Jack Norris, M.D., Chairman/Trustee of A.A. for 27 yrs.
died.
2003: Dr. Earle Marsh, author of "Physician Heal
Thyself," sober 49 years, died.
January 15:
1937: Fitz M. brings A.A. meetings to Washington DC.
1941: A.A. Bulletin No. 2 reported St. Louis group had ten
members.
1941: Bill W. asked Ruth Hock to get him "The Spook
Book" "The Unobstructed Universe".
1945: 1st A.A. meeting formed in Springfield, Missouri.
1948: Polk Health Center "Alcoholic Clinic for
Negroes" started operating with 14 willing subjects. A Washington Black
Group of A.A. cooperated with the clinic.
January 17:
1919: 18th amendment, "Prohibition" became law.
January 19:
1940: 1st A.A. group was formed in Detroit, Mich.
1943: Canadian newspaper reported eight men met @ "Little
Denmark," a Toronto restaurant, to discuss forming Canada's 1st A.A.
group.
1943: The Wilson's returned from their 1st major A.A. tour
started in Oct 24 1943.
1999: Frank M. A.A. Archivist since 1983, died.
January 20:
1954: Hank Parkhurst, who helped Bill W. start up the New York
office & author of "The Unbeliever" in the first edition of the
Big Book, died in Pennington, N.J.
January 21:
1951: A.A. Grapevine published memorial issue on Dr. Bob.
January 23:
1961: Bill W. sent an appreciation letter, which he considered
long-overdue, to Dr. Carl Jung for his contribution to A.A.
January 24:
1918: Bill Wilson & Lois Burnham were married, days before
he was sent to Europe in WWI.
1945: 1st black group of A.A. was formed in St. Louis.
1971: Bill Wilson died in Miami, Florida, only weeks after
sending a postcard to Senator Harold Hughes of Iowa, saying he wanted to live
long enough to see Hughes become President.
January 25:
1915: Dr. Bob Smith married Anne Ripley.
January 26:
1971: The "New York Times" published Bill Wilson's
obituary on page one.
January 27:
1971: The "Washington Post" published an obituary of
Bill Wilson, written by Donald Graham, son of the owner of The Washington Post.
January 30:
1961: Dr. Carl Jung answers Bill's letter with "Spiritus
Contra Spiritum."
Other significant happenings in January--no specific date
available:
1938: Jim Burwell, author of "The Vicious Cycle" a
former atheist, gave A.A. "God as we understand Him."
1939: 400 copies of manuscript of Big Book circulated for
comment, evaluation & sale.
1940: 1st A.A. meeting not in a home meets @ Kings School,
Akron, Ohio.
1942: "Drunks are Square Pegs" was published.
1944:
-Dr. Harry Tiebout's 1st paper on the subject of
"Alcoholics Anonymous".
-Onset of Bill's 11 years of depression.
1946: Readers Digest does a story on A.A.
1948: 1st A.A. meeting in Japan.
1951: The A.A. Grapevine published a memorial issue on Dr. Bob.
1984: "Pass It On" the story of Bill W. & how the
A.A. message reached the world, was published.
-------
If you're not enjoying your sobriety it's your own damn fault
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment