Tuesday, February 28, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Selfishness ^*^*^ March 1

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ SelfishnessSelfishness, 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.c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62Thought to Consider . . . Swallowing your pride will not get you drunk. *~*AACRONYMS*~*A A = Altered Attitudes*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Opinion From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "As by some deep instinct, we have known from the very beginning that, no matter what the provocation, we must never publicly take sides, as A.A.'s, in any fight, even a worthy one. All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and groups finally torn asunder because they were designed for, or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because of sheer self-righteousness while trying to force upon the rest of mankind some millennium of their own specification. In our own times we have seen millions die in political and economic wars often spurred by religious and racial differences."2001 AAWS, Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 123 *^Daily Reflections^* IT WORKS It works -- it really does. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  88 When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Desperation and fear kept me sober (and maybe a caring and/or tough sponsor helped!).  Faith in a Higher Power came much later.  This faith came slowly at first, after I began listening to others share at meetings about their experiences -- experiences that I had never faced sober, but that they were facing with strength from a Higher Power.  Out of their sharing came hope that I too would -- and could -- "get" a Higher Power.  In time, I learned that a Higher power -- a faith that works under all conditions -- is possible.  Today this faith, plus the honesty, openmindedness and willingness to work the Steps of the program, gives me the serenity that I seek.  It works -- it really does. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Brain Power Alone?To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many A.A.'s can say, "Yes, we were like you - far too smart for our own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others. Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of the folks on our brain power alone. "Scientific progress told us there was nothing man couldn't do. Knowledge was all powerful. Intellect could conquer nature. Since we were brighter than most folks (so we thought), the spoils of victory would be ours for the thinking. The god of intellect displaced the God of our fathers. "But John Barleycorn had other ideas. We who had won so handsomely in a walk turned into all time losers. We saw that we had to reconsider or die."TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 29-30Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters if you get a full knowledge of your condition."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionMore About Alcoholism, pg.31 *^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayWhen 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 DayConstant 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 DayI 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 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/28/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:God creates. People rearrange.--Joseph CaseyBeing alive is our invitation to act in fresh, inventive ways. All it takes is concentrating on our inner vision in combination with external reality. The components for accomplishing any task are at our fingertips, awaiting discovery. Our burdens are lightened when we understand that all situations are resolvable - no mystery need leave us in the dark for long. Just as surely as we each exist, so exists every element we need to solve any problem or chart any new course. Our purpose in life is to select those elements that will satisfy the need. We each have been blessed with this capability for proper selection.The day promises challenge and many choices. I can successfully handle all possibilities. You are reading from the book: The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg. © 1983, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Monday, February 27, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Meetings ^*^*^ February 28

​~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ MeetingsA "spiritual experience" to me meant attending meetings, seeing a group of people, all there for the purpose of helping each other; hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at a meeting, and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an A.A. meeting has such great meaning -- "Thy will be done, not mine." A spiritual awakening soon came to mean trying each day to be a little more thoughtful, more considerate, a little more courteous to those with whom I came in contact.c. 1976, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 356Thought to Consider . . . The ankle-biters of everyday struggles will eat away at me unless I go to meetings and share.*~*AACRONYMS*~*C A R E = Comforting And Reassuring Each other. *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Traditions From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "Even as early as 1945, the solution of group problems by correspondence had put a large volume of work on Headquarters. Letters to metropolitan A.A. centers filled our bulging files. It seemed as if every contestant in every group argument wrote us during this confused and exciting period. "The basic ideas for the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous came directly out of this vast correspondence. In late 1945 a good A.A. friend suggested that all this mass of experience might be codified into a set of principles which could offer tested solutions to all our problems of living and working together and of relating our society to the world outside. If we had become sure enough of where we really stood on such matters as membership, group autonomy, singleness of purpose, non endorsement of other enterprises, professionalism, public controversy, and anonymity in its several aspects, then such a set of principles could be written. A code of traditions could not, of course, ever become rule or law. But it might act as a guide for our Trustees, Headquarters people, and especially for A.A. groups with growing pains." 2001 AAWS, Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 203 *~*^Daily Reflections^*~*WHAT?  NO PRESIDENT?When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues.  .  .  .  our friends gasp and exclaim, "This simply can't be .  .  ." TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  132 When I finally made my way to A.A., I could not believe that there was no treasurer to "compel the payment of dues."  I could not imagine an organization that didn't require monetary contributions in return for a service.  It was my first and, thus far, only experience with getting "something for nothing."   Because I did not feel used or conned by those in A.A., I was able to approach the program free from bias and with an open mind.  They wanted nothing from me.  What could I lose?  I thank God for the wisdom of the early founders who knew so well the alcoholic's disdain for being manipulated.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Conviction and CompromiseOne qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us "all or nothing" drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving compromises. Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination.TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 40-41Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*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 EditionHow It Works, pg. 63*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*A.A. Thought for the DayGetting 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 DayAs I continue on my spiritual journey, I will seek and follow Divine Guidance and know there is always a place prepared for me. Nothing but my own pride and fear can keep me from my dwelling 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 DayI 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 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ ​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/27/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Next year I'm going to be better than I am now, but today I'm the best I can be.It is quite possible to waste a lot of time and energy trying to make impossible changes. Many of us, inspired by the dynamics of the program and driven more by enthusiasm than prudence, strike out on missions that cannot be accomplished - missions we cannot win and should never undertake.Turning back the clock is one of these. It can't be done. Controlling someone else's behavior is another. We can set the stage for the desired behavior, encourage it, and improve the odds by getting out of the way, but we don't have it in our bag of tricks to make people think, feel, or do any one thing.The program addresses the art of the possible. The only options we have are the options that are available to us. If our former partners don't want to reconcile with us, that's not an available option. A happily-ever-after marriage is not possible if we haven't yet learned how to have a healthy relationship. Instead, we can focus on acquiring these people skills by building to our own possibilities.Today, I will examine my range of available choices. You are reading from the book: Days of Healing, Days of Joy by Earnie Larsen and Carol Larsen Hegarty Days of Healing, Days of Joy by Earnie Larsen and Carol Larsen Hegarty. © 1987, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Sunday, February 26, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Foundation ^*^*^ February 27

​​ ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ Foundation 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.c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,  p. 98Thought to Consider . . . Prayer is asking a question. Meditation is listening for the answer. *~*AACRONYMS*~*A S A P = Always Say A Prayer.*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Hope From "Tightrope": "He put me in contact with an individual who took me to my first meeting. Although I can barely recall anything about that meeting, I heard two things I have never forgotten. The first was 'You don't have to drink again.' This was a total revelation to me. For a long time I had believed that alcohol was one of the few positive things left in my life. I looked forward to my first drink every evening and thought that alcohol was holding my life together. I had to drink to survive, let alone to have any comfort. Yet here, people who had been in the same boat were telling me that I didn't have to drink. I don't think I believed them that night, but it gave me enough hope to avoid drinking the rest of the day."2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth EditionAlcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 364-65 *^Daily Reflections^*A UNIQUE STABILITYWhere 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.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Righteous Indignation"The positive value of righteous indignation is theoretical - especially for alcoholics. It leaves every one of us open to the rationalization that we may be as angry as we like provided we can claim to be righteous about it."<<< >>>When we harbored grudges and planned revenge for 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 very first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it.1. LETTER, 19542 .TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 47Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Though there is no way of proving it, we believe that early in our drinking careers most of us could have stopped drinking. But the difficulty is that few alcoholics have enough desire to stop while there is yet time."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionMore About Alcoholism, pg. 32*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayWhen we came into A.A., the first thing we did was to admit that we couldn't do anything about our drinking. We admitted that alcohol had us licked and that we were helpless against it. We never could decide whether or not to take a drink. We always took the drink. And since we couldn't do anything about it ourselves, we put our whole drink problem into the hands of God. We turned the whole thing over to that Power greater than ourselves. And we have nothing more to do about it, except to trust God to take care of the problem for us. Have I done this honestly and fully? Meditation for the DayThis is the time for my spirit to touch the spirit of God. I know that the feeling of the spirit-touch is more important than all the sensations of material things. I must seek a silence of spirit-touching with God. Just a moments contact and all the fever of life leaves me. Then I am, well, whole, calm, and able to rise and minister to others. God's touch is a potent healer. I must feel that touch and sense God's presence. Prayer for the DayI pray that the fever of resentment, worry, and fear may melt into nothingness. I pray that health, joy, peace, and serenity may take its place.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/26/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Life is like a library owned by an author. In it are a few books, which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him.--Harry Emerson FosdickIn our minds there are multitudes of stored memories, knowledge, and skills. Some of these are the results of living and learning, but most are information given to us by others. Our family, friends, co-workers, teachers, and children are the greatest sources for our storehouses of information. Most of our learning comes from others. Teachers give us much in the way of facts. Our family instructs us in morals. Friends show us different personalities and lifestyles. Our children reflect what we've taught them and give us their views of the world. All the information we have is valuable to our growth and maturity. Every person we meet, each place we visit, and everything we try contributes to our library of knowledge and experience. At times we may borrow from what is on our shelves, but we must keep our shelves stocked with fresh material. Each night we can write a new volume based on the day's experiences.I have more valuable contributions to make to my library of knowledge and experience. You are reading from the book: Night Light by Amy E. Dean Night Light by Amy E. Dean. © 1986, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Saturday, February 25, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Neighbors ^*^*^ February 26

To Donate Go http://ift.tt/2kfihuO ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ NeighborsNear you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people in a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of "Love Thy neighbor as thyself."c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  pp. 152-3Thought to Consider . . . Sobriety is a journey, not a destination.*~*AACRONYMS*~*T E A M = Together Everyone Achieves More.*~*^Just For Today!^*~* 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 2005Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 32-33 *^Daily Reflections^*NO ORDINARY SUCCESS STORY A.A. is no success story in the ordinary sense of the word.  It is a story of suffering transmuted, under grace, into spiritual progress. AS BILL SEES IT, p.  35 Upon entering A.A. I listened to others talk about the reality of their drinking: loneliness, terror and pain.  As I listened further, I soon heard a description of a very different kind -- the reality of sobriety.  It is a reality of freedom and happiness, of purpose and direction, and of serenity and peace with God, ourselves and others.  By attending meetings I am reintroduced to that reality, over and over.  I see it in the eyes and hear it in the voices of those around me.  By working the program I find the direction and strength with which to make it mine.  The joy of A.A. is that this new reality is available to me.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Better than GoldAs newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, we saw our pick strike gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. The newcomer feels he has struck something better than gold. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp . 128-129Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionThere Is A Solution, pg. 22*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayWhen we came into A.A., we came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves. We came to believe in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and to whom we can turn for help. Each morning we have a quiet time. We ask God for the power to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. And each night we thank Him for helping us to keep sober that day. Do I believe that each man or woman I see in A.A. is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard to a sober person? Meditation for the DayI should pray for faith as a thirsty person prays for water in a desert. Do I know what it means to feel sure that God will never fail me? Am I sure of this as I am sure that I still breathe? I should pray daily and most diligently that my faith may increase. There is nothing lacking in my life because, really, all I need is mine, only I lack the faith to know it. I am Re a rich person's child who sits in rags when all around me are stores of all I could desire. Prayer for the DayI pray for the realization that God has everything I need. I pray that I may know that His power is always available.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/25/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Nothing happens to any man that he is not formed by nature to bear.--Marcus Aurelius AntoninusReflecting on the past reveals that indeed we do find the strength and the ability to cope with whatever experience ripples our calm. Moreover, we have come to accept that these tides of turmoil wash in new awarenesses, heightened perceptions, and measurable calm.Tragedies are guaranteed to trigger first pain, then perceptible growth, and finally, tranquility. Over and over again we pass through these stages that are designed to nurture our fuller development as healthy human beings. Over and over we see that the tough times teach us what we're ready to learn.We can look to the day ahead fully expecting to be strengthened enough to handle whatever we've been readied to experience. Nothing will present itself that can't be coped with.Today I can be certain of growing. I will meet the challenges in unison with my inner strength. You are reading from the book: The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg. © 1983, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Friday, February 24, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Powerlessness ^*^*^ February 25

​​Click here now to check out our list of Recovery Podcasts!​ ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ PowerlessnessWho cares to admit complete defeat? Practically no one, of course. Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness. It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us.c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,  p. 21 Thought to Consider. . . We surrender to win.*~*AACRONYMS*~*S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust. *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Insanity From "Bill's Story": "Shortly afterward I came home drunk. There had been no fight. Where had been my high resolve? I simply didn't know. It hadn't even come to mind. Someone had pushed a drink my way, and I had taken it. Was I crazy? I began to wonder, for such an appalling lack of perspective seemed near being just that."2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth EditionAlcoholics Anonymous, pg. 5 *^Daily Reflections^*THE CHALLENGE OF FAILURE In God's economy, nothing is wasted.  Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is. AS BILL SEES IT, p.  31 How thankful I am today, to know that all my past failures were necessary for me to be where I am now.  Through much pain came experience and, in suffering, I became obedient.  When I sought God, as I understand Him, He shared His treasured gifts.  Through experience and obedience, growth started, followed by gratitude.  Yes, then came peace of mind -- living in and sharing sobriety.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Facing CriticismSometimes, we register surprise, shock, and anger when people find fault with A.A. We are apt to be disturbed to such an extent that we cannot benefit by constructive criticism. This sort of resentment makes no friends and achieves no constructive purpose. Certainly, this is an area in which we can improve.<<< >>>It is evident that the harmony, security, and future effectiveness of A.A. will depend largely upon our maintenance of a thoroughly non aggressive and pacific attitude in all our public relations. This is an exacting assignment, because in our drinking days we were prone to anger, hostility, rebellion, and aggression. And, even though we are now sober, the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with us, always threatening to explode on any good excuse. But we now know this, and therefore I feel confident that in the conduct of our public affairs we shall always find the grace to exert restraint.1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 19652. TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 69 Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing get well, little charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the wrong track."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionWorking With Others, pg. 97 *^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DaySome people find it hard to believe in a Power greater than themselves. But not to believe in such a Power forces us to atheism. It has been said that atheism is blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere. That's practically impossible to believe. I think we all can agree that alcohol is a power greater than ourselves. It certainly was in my case. I was helpless before the power of alcohol. Do I remember the things that happened to me because of the power of alcohol? Meditation for the DayThe spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the material and unmoral. That is the purpose and destiny of the human race. Gradually the spiritual is overcoming the material in our minds. Gradually the moral is overcoming the unmoral. Faith, fellowship, and service are cures for most of the ills of the world. There is nothing in the field of personal relationships that they cannot do. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may do my share in making a better world. I pray that I may be part of the cure for the world. Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/24/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Unless our desire for human compassion is stronger than our desire to be right, to be secure or to belong, love will elude us.--Marsha SinetarKnowing we are loved is what most of us crave. For brief moments we feel it; then it eludes us once again. Why does it slip through our fingers so quickly? One way of attracting the love we desire is to be willing to love others. What we give to others comes back to us. Unfortunately, we may give judgment, impatience, or anger far more often than we give love. We can learn to give compassion. First we need to make the decision to be compassionate. Then we need to act as if we're comfortable doing this. When we have practiced it awhile, we'll discover that giving love and receiving the love we crave is within our grasp.I will feel loved when I give love away. I don't need to be right today. I need to be loved. You are reading from the book: A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey. © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Thursday, February 23, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Resentment ^*^*^ February 24 -2017

​​ ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ ResentmentResentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten our mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened.c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  pp. 64-5Thought to Consider . . . Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.*~*AACRONYMS*~*P A C E = Positive Attitudes Change Everything.*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Reborn From "Riding the Rods":"That was two years ago. The way has not been easy. The new way of life was strange at first, but all my thoughts were on it. The going was sometimes slow; halting were my steps among the difficulties of the path. But always, when troubles came, when doubts assailed and temptation was strong and the old desire returned, I knew where to go for aid. Helping others also strengthened me and helped me to grow."2005, AAWS, Inc.Experience, Strength & Hope, pg. 74 *^Daily Reflections^*A THANKFUL HEARTI try 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 My sponsor told me that I should be a grateful alcoholic and always have "an attitude of gratitude" -- that gratitude was the basic ingredient of humility, that humility was the basic ingredient of anonymity and that "anonymity was the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities." As a result of this guidance, I start every morning on my knees, thanking God for three things: I'm alive, I'm sober, and I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Then I try to live an "attitude of gratitude" and thoroughly enjoy another twenty-four hours of the A.A. way of life.  A.A. is not something I joined; it's something I live.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Seeking Guidance"Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn't made in God's image to be an automaton. "My own formula along this line runs as follows: First, think through every situation pro and con, praying meanwhile that I be not influenced by ego considerations. Affirm that I would like to do God's will. "Then, having turned the problem over in this fashion and getting no conclusive or compelling answer, I wait for further guidance, which may come into the mind directly or through other people or through circumstances. "If I feel I can't wait, and still get no definite indication, I repeat the first measure several times, try to pick out the best course, and then proceed to act. I know if I am wrong, the heavens won't fall. A lesson will be learned, in any case."LETTER, 1950Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking; they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can we let these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionInto Action, pg. 78*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayWhen we came to our first A.A. meeting, we looked up at the wall at the end of the room and saw the sign: "But for the grace of God." We knew right then and there that we would have to call on the grace of God in order to get sober and get over our soul sickness. We heard speakers tell how they had come to depend on a Power greater than themselves. That made sense to us and we made up our minds to try it. Am I depending on the grace of God to help me stay sober?Meditation for the DayShare your love, your joy, your happiness, your time, your food, your money gladly with all. Give out all the love you can with a glad, free heart and hand. Do all you can for others and back will come countless stores of blessings. Sharing draws others to you. Take all who come as sent by God and give them a royal welcome. You may never see the results of your sharing. Today they may not need you, but tomorrow may bring results from the sharing you did today.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may make each visitor desire to return. I pray that I may never make anyone feel repulsed or unwanted.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Hope ^*^*^ February 23

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ HopeHe had lain awake all night. Down in the pit of his depression, new hope had suddenly been born. The thought flashed through his mind, "If they can do it, I can do it!" Over and over he said this to himself. Finally, out of his hope, there burst conviction. Now he was sure. Then came a great joy. At length peace stole over him, and he slept.c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 189Thought to Consider . . .Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.*~*AACRONYMS*~*H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter*~*^Just For Today!^*~*  Whole From "A Living Part of A.A.": "God is a living part of A.A. I feel His presence each time I look into the concerned eyes around me. His greatest commandment is 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' This seems to me to be the entire purpose of A.A."  Marysville, Ohio, USA1973 AAWS, Inc., printed 2004; Came to Believe, pg. 89 *^Daily Reflections^*MYSTERIOUS PARADOXES Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding a new one. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p.  46 What glorious mysteries paradoxes are! They do not compute, yet when recognized and accepted, they reaffirm something in the universe beyond human logic.  When I face a fear, I am given courage; when I support a brother or sister, my capacity to love myself is increased; when I accept pain as part of the growing experience of life, I realize a greater happiness; when I look at my dark side, I am brought into new light; when I accept my vulnerabilities and surrender to a Higher Power, I am graced with unforeseen strength.  I stumbled through the doors of A.A. in disgrace, expecting nothing from life, and I have been given hope and dignity.  Miraculously, the only way to keep the gifts of the program is to pass them on. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*To Deepen Our InsightIt is necessary that we extricate from an examination of our personal relations every bit of information about ourselves and our fundamental difficulties that we can. Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one. Calm, thoughtful reflection upon personal relations can deepen our insight. We can go far beyond those things which were superficially wrong with us, to see those flaws which were basic, flaws which sometimes were responsible for the whole pattern of our lives. Thoroughness, we have found, will pay - and pay handsomely.TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 80Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone even alcohol."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionInto Action, pg. 84 "The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionMore About Alcoholism, Page 30*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayBesides our jobs, our families, our friends, and our sobriety, we have something else that many of us found through A.A. That's faith in a Power greater than ourselves, to which we can turn for help: faith in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God and which is on our side as long as we do the right thing. There have been many days in the past when, if we had taken an inventory, we'd have found ourselves very much in the red, without sobriety, and therefore without jobs, families, friends, or faith in God. We now have these things because we're sober. Do I make one resolution every day of my life to stay sober? Meditation for the DayLove the busy life. It is a joy filled life. Take your fill of joy in the spring. Live outdoors whenever possible. Sun and air are nature's great healing forces. That inward joy changes poisoned blood into a pure, healthy, life giving flow. But never forget that the real healing of the spirit comes from within, from the close, loving contact of your spirit with God's spirit. Keep in close communion with God's spirit day by day. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may learn to live the abundant life. I pray that I may enjoy a close contact with God this day and be glad in it.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/22/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life.--M. C. RichardsWhat you do for a living is not who you are. You are more, much more, than that.It's easy to get so caught up in what we do that we're only identifying ourselves through our daily tasks. I am a mechanic. I am a parking lot attendant. I am a doctor. I am a dishwasher. When we link ourselves too closely to our jobs, we deny ourselves the chance to ever be anything else.God gave us the power to change. You're more than what you do. You're a vital vibrant soul that came here to experience, grow, and change. Make a masterpiece out of your life.God, help me realize the glory of my soul. Thank you for my mortality and for the ability to learn and grow. You are reading from the book: More Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie More Language of Letting Go © 2000 by Melody Beattie. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Acceptance ^*^*^ February 22

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ 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., AA Grapevine, March 1962 c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 44Thought to Consider . . . My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.*~*AACRONYMS*~*A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Philosophy From "Happiness": "It appears to me that most of the wrenching turmoil in people's lives whether or not they are alcoholic derives from too stubborn persistence in trying to resolve insoluble problems. That is why the philosophy contained in the Serenity Prayer is one of the most important guidelines I've found in A.A."1973 AAWS, Inc.Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 111 *^Daily Reflections^*GUIDANCE . . .this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, and a destiny to grow, however . . . haltingly, toward His own likeness and image. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 51 As I began to understand my own powerlessness and my dependence on God, as I understand Him, I began to see that there was a life which , if I could have it, I would have chosen for myself from the beginning. It is through the continuing work of the Steps and the life in the Fellowship that I've learned to see that there is truly a better way into which I am being guided. As I come to know more about God, I am able to trust His ways and His plans for the development of His character in me. Quickly or not so quickly, I grow toward His own image and likeness.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*"Loners" - but Not AloneWhat can be said of many A.A. members who, for a variety of reasons, cannot have a family life? At first many of these feel lonely, hurt, and left out as they witness so much domestic happiness about them. If they cannot have this kind of happiness, can A.A. offer them satisfactions of similar worth and durability?Yes - whenever they try hard to seek out these satisfactions. Surrounded by so many A.A. friends, the so-called loners tell us they no longer feel alone. In partnership with others - women and men - they can devote themselves to any number of ideas, people, and constructive projects. They can participate in enterprises which would be denied to family men and women. We daily see such members render prodigies of service, and receive great joys in return.TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 120Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"...we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionThe Family Afterward, pg. 132*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayNow we can take an inventory of the good things that have come to us through A.A. To begin with, we're sober today. That's the biggest asset on any alcoholic's books. Sobriety to us is like good will in business. Everything else depends on that. Most of us have jobs which we owe to our sobriety. We know we couldn't hold these jobs if we were drinking, so our jobs depend on our sobriety. Most of us have families, which we either had lost or might have lost, if we hadn't stopped drinking. We have friends in A.A., real friends who are always ready to help us. Do I realize that my job, my family, and my real friends are dependent upon my sobriety? Meditation for the DayI must trust God to the best of my ability. This lesson has to be learned. My doubts and fears continually drive me back into the wilderness. Doubts lead me astray, because I am not trusting God. I must trust God's love. It will never fail me, but I must learn not to fail it by my doubts and fears. We all have much to learn in turning out fear by faith. All our doubts arrest God's work through us. I must not doubt. I must believe in God and continually work at strengthening my faith. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may live the way God wants me to live. I pray that I may get into that stream of goodness in the world.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/21/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Behind an able man there are always other able men.--Chinese proverbMost of us have had a strong desire in our lives to "do it ourselves." We have had the idea that strength and independence meant we should not rely on or receive help from others. Now, in recovery, we are learning a far more mature and time-honored principle. We find strength to develop to our fullest as members of a community. Maybe we never learned how to ask for help. Perhaps we haven't learned yet how to accept it. It may still be difficult to express our gratitude for the help that brought us where we are today.In recovery, we get many lessons about these things. If we are actively growing, we will get help from others and give it too. The rewards of recovery give us ample reasons and opportunities to express our gratitude. We are no longer loners. Now we have a network of friends who truly enjoy and enhance each other's strength.Today, I pray for help in learning how to share my strength and to appreciate the strength of others. You are reading from the book: Touchstones by Anonymous Touchstones ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Monday, February 20, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Steps & Traditions ^*^*^ February 21

​​ ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ Steps & TraditionsA.A.'s Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. A.A.'s Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which A.A. maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows.c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,  p. 15Thought to Consider . . . The Steps protect me from myself; the Traditions protect A ​.​ A. ​ ​ from me.*~*AACRONYMS*~*T R U S T = Teaching Recovery Using Steps and Traditions.*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Publications From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The year 1944 brought a vital development. In New York City a few literary and news minded A.A.'s began to issue a monthly publication.  They called their magazine the Grapevine. It was by no means the first local A.A. bulletin or magazine. The Cleveland Central Bulletin, the Los Angeles Eye-Opener, and several others had preceded it. But the Grapevine caught on nationally. "After the first few months it encountered a strange kind of difficulty. It turned out that the FBI for a long time had published a [news] sheet called the Grapevine  devoted to keeping FBI men up to date. Things were finally ironed out when we began to call our monthly magazine the A.A. Grapevine. With this minor difficulty overcome, our Grapevine grew and grew."2001 AAWS, Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 201-02 *^Daily Reflections^*I'M PART OF THE WHOLE At once, I became a part -- if only a tiny part -- of a cosmos. . . . AS BILL SEES IT, p.  225 When I first came to A.A., I decided that "they" were very nice people -- perhaps a little naive, a little too friendly, but basically decent, earnest people (with whom I had nothing in common).  I saw "them" at meetings-after all, that was where "they" existed.  I shook hands with "them" and, when I went out the door, I forgot about "them." Then one day my Higher Power, whom I did not then believe in, arranged to create a community project outside of A.A., but one which happened to involve many A.A. members.  We worked together, I got to know "them" as people.  I came to admire "them," even to like "them" and, in spite of myself, to enjoy "them."  "Their" practice of the program in their daily lives -- not just in talk at meetings -- attracted me and I wanted what they had.  Suddenly the "they" became "we." I have not had a drink since.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*To Guard Against a SlipSuppose we fall short of our chosen ideals and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives. If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. These are facts out of our experience.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 70Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"The basic principles of the A.A. program, it appears, hold good for individuals with many different lifestyles, just as the program has brought recovery to those of many different nationalities. The Twelve Steps that summarize the program may be called los Doce Pasos in one country, les Douze Etapes in another, but they trace exactly the same path to recovery that was blazed by the earliest members of Alcoholics Anonymous."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionForeword To Third Edition, Page xxii*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayI go to the A.A. meetings because it helps me in my business of keeping sober. And I try to help other alcoholics when I can, because that's part of my business of keeping sober. I also have a partner in this business and that's God. I pray to Him every day to help me to keep sober. As long as I keep in mind that liquor can never be my friend again, but is now my deadly enemy, and as long as I remember that my main business is keeping sober and that it's the most important thing in my life. I believe, I'll be prepared for that crucial moment when the idea of having a drink pops into my mind. When that idea comes, will I be able to resist it and not take that drink? Meditation for the DayI will be more afraid of spirit-unrest, of soul-disturbance, of any ruffling of the mind, than of earthquake or fire. When I feel the calm of my spirit has been broken by emotional upset, then I must steal away alone with God, until my heart sings and all is strong and calm again. Uncalm times are the only times when evil can find an entrance. I win beware of unguarded spots of unrest. I will try to keep calm, no matter what turmoil surrounds me. Prayer for the DayI pray that no emotional upsets will hinder God's power in my life. I pray that I may keep a calm spirit and a steady heart.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/20/2017

Today's thoughts from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation are:Bring the body, and the mind will follow.--Saying heard in meetingsNewcomerWhat do people in recovery mean when they say they have "smart feet"?SponsorIn recovery, we develop daily habits that we don't question: the habit of attending meetings, the habit of picking up the telephone to call a sponsor or to share with another recovering person, the habit of starting and ending the day with our preferred combination of prayer, literature, and meditation. We do these things whether we feel like doing them or not, and in time they become second nature to us, automatic as our addictive behavior was in the past. If we don't have to discuss these habits with ourselves, argue about whether or not they'll make us feel better, or question whether we've outgrown them, our burden is lighter.Once we're at a meeting or sharing with another recovering person or with our Higher Power, the unexpected happens. We're lifted out of the tyranny of addictive thinking. "Smart feet" are feet that carry us to a place we need to be, whether we know it ahead of time or not.Today, I'm grateful for simple habits that open my heart and mind to recovery.   You are reading from the book: If You Want What We Have by Joan Larkin If You Want What We Have © 1998 by Joan Larkin. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Sunday, February 19, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Control ^*^*^ February 20

​​ ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ ControlAt a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in practically every case long before it is suspected.c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 24Thought to Consider . . . When a person tries to control their drinking they have already lost control. *~*AACRONYMS*~*H O W   N O W = Honest Open-minded, Willing.  No Other Way!*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Unity From "The Vicious Cycle": "At that time [1938] the group in New York was composed of about twelve men who were working on the principle of every drunk for himself; we had no real formula and no name. We would follow one man's ideas for a while, decide he was wrong, and switch to another's method. But we were staying sober as long as we kept and talked together. There was one meeting a week at Bill [W]'s home in Brooklyn, and we all took turns there spouting off about how we had changed our lives overnight, how many drunks we had saved and straightened out, and last but not least, how God had touched each of us personally on the shoulder. Boy, what a circle of confused idealists! Yet we all had one really sincere purpose in our hearts, and that was not to drink."2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth EditionAlcoholics Anonymous, pg. 227 *^Daily Reflections^*THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER At this juncture, his A.A. sponsor usually laughs. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  26 Before my recovery from alcoholism began, laughter was one of the most painful sounds I knew.  I never laughed and I felt that anyone else's laughter was directed at me!  My self-pity and anger denied me the simplest of pleasures or lightness of heart.  By the end of my drinking not even alcohol could provoke a drunken giggle in me. When my A.A. sponsor began to laugh and point out my self-pity and ego-feeding deceptions, I was annoyed and hurt, but it taught me to lighten up and focus on my recovery.  I soon learned to laugh at myself and eventually I taught those I sponsor to laugh also.  Every day I ask God to help me stop taking myself too seriously.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*The Coming of FaithIn my own case, the foundation stone of freedom from fear is that of faith: a faith that, despite all worldly appearances to the contrary, causes me to believe that I live in a universe that makes sense. To me, this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, and a destiny to grow, however little and haltingly, toward His own likeness and image. Before the coming of faith I had lived as an alien in a cosmos that too often seemed both hostile and cruel. In it there could be no inner security for me.<<< >>>"When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was made ready to ask for the gift of faith. And all was changed. Never again, my pains and problems notwithstanding, would I experience my former desolation. I saw the universe to be lighted by God's love; I was alone no more."1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 - 2. LETTER, 1966Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones. Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery, followed always by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish this, but it hasn't done so yet."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionMore About Alcoholism, pg. 30*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayLiquor used to be my friend. I used to have a lot of fun drinking. Practically all the fun I had was connected with drinking. But the time came when liquor became my enemy. I don't know just when liquor turned against me and became my enemy, but I know it happened, because I began to get into trouble. And since I realize that liquor is now my enemy, my main business is keeping sober. Making a living or keeping house is no longer my main business. It's secondary to the business of keeping sober. Do I realize that my main business is keeping sober? Meditation for the DayI can depend on God to supply me with all the power I need to face any situation, provided that I will sincerely believe in that power and honestly ask for it, at the same time making all my life conform to what I believe God wants me to be. I can come to God as a business manager would come to the owner of the business, knowing that to lay the matter before Him means immediate cooperation, providing the matter has merit. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may believe that God is ready and willing to supply me with all that I need. I pray that I may ask only for faith and strength to meet any situation.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.  Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 2/19/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake.--ConfuciusStep Ten tells us that when we are wrong, we must "promptly" admit it. We aren't used to admitting our mistakes. We defend ourselves or blame others. This is called denial. Denial is bad for two reasons. First, it keeps us from learning from our mistakes, so we keep making them. Second, we don't listen to others, so we close off ourselves and become lonely. What a relief it is to admit our wrongs! We don't have to keep trying to do things the hard way. We can learn new ways to think and act that will work better for us. We can let other people be our teachers.Prayer for the DayHigher Power, help me out of denial, so I can see the changes I need to make.Action for the DayToday, if I disagree with someone, I'll promptly admit it when I'm wrong. If I'm right, I'll be gentle. I don't have to prove anything. You are reading from the book: Keep It Simple by Anonymous Keep It Simple © 1989 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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Saturday, February 18, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Entirely Ready ^*^*^ February 19

​To Donate Go http://ift.tt/2kfihuO ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ​​​^*^*^*^*^ (\    ~~    /) (    \(AA)/    ) (_ /AA\ _) / AA \ ^*^*^*^*^ Entirely ReadyIt is plain for everybody to see that each sober A.A. member has been granted a release from this very obstinate and fatal obsession. So in a very complete and literal way, all A.A.'s have "become entirely ready" to have God remove the mania for alcohol from their lives. And God has proceeded to do just that.c. 1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,  p. 64Thought to Consider . . . I stood in the sunlight at last.*~*AACRONYMS*~*S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Faith Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. 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."1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 33 *^Daily Reflections^*I'M NOT DIFFERENTIn the beginning, it was four whole years before A.A.  brought permanent sobriety to even one alcoholic woman.  Like the "high bottoms," the women said they were different;  . . .The Skid-Rower said he was different . . .so did the artists and the professional people, the rich, the poor, the religious, the agnostic, the Indians and the Eskimos, the veterans, and the prisoners.  . . .nowadays all of these, and legions more, soberly talk about how very much alike all of us alcoholics are when we admit that the chips are finally down. AS BILL SEES IT, p.  24 I cannot consider myself "different" in A.A.; if I do I isolate myself from others and from contact with my Higher Power.  If I feel isolated in A.A., it is not something for which others are responsible.  It is something I've created by feeling I'm "different" in some way.  Today I practice being just another alcoholic in the worldwide Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*A.A.; Benign Anarchy and DemocracyWhen we come into A.A. we find a greater personal freedom than any other society knows. We cannot be compelled to do anything. In that sense our Society is a benign anarchy. The word "anarchy" has a bad meaning to most of us. But I think that the idealist who first advocated the concept felt that if only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled to obey no one, they would then voluntarily associate themselves in the common interest. A.A. is an association of the benign sort he envisioned. But when we had to go into action - to function as groups - we discovered that we also had to become a democracy. As our oldtimers retired, we therefore began to elect our trusted servants by majority vote. Each group in this sense became a town meeting. All plans for group action had to be approved by the majority. This meant that no single individual could appoint himself to act for his group or for A.A. as a whole. Neither dictatorship nor paternalism was for us.A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 224-225Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis, since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down. Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionWorking With Others, Page 99*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayMany things we do in A.A. are in preparation for that crucial moment when, walking down the street on a nice sunshiny day, we see a nice cool cocktail lounge and the idea of having a drink pops into our minds. If we've trained our minds so that we're well prepared for that crucial moment, we won't take that first drink. In other words, if we've done our A.A. homework well, we won't slip when temptation comes. In preparation for that crucial moment when I'll be tempted, will I keep in mind the fact that liquor is my enemy? Meditation for the DayHow many of the world's prayers have gone unanswered because those who prayed did not endure to the end? They thought it was too late, that they must act for themselves, that God was not going to guide them. "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." Can I endure to the very end? If so, I shall be saved. I will try to endure with courage. If I endure, God will unlock those secret spiritual treasures that are hidden from those who do not endure to the end. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may follow God's guidance, so that spiritual success shall be mine. I pray that I may never doubt the power of God and so take things into my own hands.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​​You have 2 Options to Participate in the Transitions Daily Email & Discussion Group:1.  Join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. 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