Thursday, May 11, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Forgiveness ^*^*^ May 12

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Forgiveness"The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. This is especially true if he has, in fact, behaved badly at all. Triumphantly, we seize upon his misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own. If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?"Bill W.Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78 Thought to Consider . . .We are prisoners of our own resentments. Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.*~*AACRONYMS*~*KISSKeep It Simple, Surrender*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Reborn From "Bill's Story": "Trembling, I stepped from the hospital a broken man. Fear sobered me for a bit. Then came the insidious insanity of that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again. Everyone became resigned to the certainty that I would have to be shut up somewhere, or would stumble along to a miserable end. How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes."2001 AAWS Inc.Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8 *^Daily Reflections^*THE PAST IS OVER A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing problems and the character defects which cause or aggravate them.  If . . . Step Four . . . has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember . . . then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever.  We have to talk to somebody about them. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  55 Whatever is done is over.  It cannot be changed.  But my attitude about it can be changed through talking with those who have gone before and with sponsors.  I can wish the past never was, but if I change my actions in regard to what I have done, my attitude will change.  I won't have to wish the past away.  I can change my feelings and attitudes, but only through my actions and the help of my fellow alcoholics.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*To Be Fair-MindedToo often, I think, we have deprecated and even derided projects of our friends in the field of alcoholism just because we do not always see eye to eye with them. We should very seriously ask ourselves how many alcoholics have gone on drinking simply because we have failed to cooperate in good spirit with these many agencies - whether they be good, bad, or indifferent. No alcoholic should go mad or die merely because he did not come straight to A.A. at the beginning.<<< >>>Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint. This carries a top-priority rating. When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 19652. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 91*~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves."Alcoholics Anonymous 4th EditionInto Action, pg. 87*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayWhen we come into A.A., looking for a way out of drinking, we really need a lot more than that. We need fellowship. We need to get the things that are troubling us out into the open. We need a new outlet for our energies and we need a new strength beyond ourselves that will help us face life instead of running away from it. In A.A. we find these things that we need. Have I found the things that I need? Meditation for the DayTurn out all thoughts of doubt and fear and resentment. Never tolerate them if you can help it. Bar the windows and doors of your mind against them, as you would bar your home against a thief who would steal in to take away your treasures. What greater treasures can you have than faith and courage and love? All these are stolen from you by doubt and fear and resentment. Face each day with peace and hope. They are results of true faith in God. Faith gives you a feeling of protection and safety that you can get in no other way. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may feel protected and safe, but not only when I am in the harbor. I pray that I may have protection and safety even in the midst of the storms of life.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!​​ -- TransitionsDaily.org is an Open A.A. Online Meeting Service #000720350.   To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   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, May 10, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Maturity ^*^*^ May 11

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(    \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Maturity"Many oldsters who have put our A.A. 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must develop a real maturity and balance (which is to say humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God."Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, January 1958As Bill Sees It, p. 244Thought to Consider . . ."We must find a spiritual basis of life -- or else."Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 44*~*AACRONYMS*~*AAAttitude Adjustment*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Inspiration From "This Spirit Touch": "At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God" the fleeting feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible in ordinary life."AAWS, Inc. Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 65 *^Daily Reflections^*A NEW SENSE OF BELONGING Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  57 After four years in A.A. I was able to discover the freedom from the burden of buried emotions that had caused me so much pain.  With the help of A.A., and extra counseling, the pain was released and I felt a complete sense of belonging and peace.  I also felt a joy and a love of God that I had never experienced before.  I am in awe of the power of Step Five. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Two-Way Tolerance"Your point of view was once mine. Fortunately, A.A. is constructed so that we need not debate the existence of God; but for best results, most of us must depend upon a Higher Power. You say the group is your Higher Power, and no right-minded A.A. would challenge your privilege to believe precisely that way. We should all be glad that good recoveries can be made even on this limited basis.<<< >>>"But turnabout is fair play. If you would expect tolerance for your point of view, I am sure you would be willing to reciprocate. I try to remember that, down through the centuries, lots of brighter people than I have been found on both sides of this debate about belief. For myself, of late years, I am finding it much easier to believe that God made man, than that man made God."LETTER, 1950 - Copyright1967 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 DayWe can depend on those members of any group who have gone all out for the program. They come to meetings. They work with other alcoholics. We don't have to worry about their slipping. They're loyal members of the group. I'm trying to be a loyal member of the group. When I'm tempted to take a drink, I tell myself that if I did I'd be letting down the other members who are the best friends I have. Am I going to let them down, if I can help it?Meditation for the DayWherever there is true fellowship and love between people, God's spirit is always there as the Divine Third. In all human relationships, the Divine Spirit is what brings them together. When a life is changed through the channel of another person, it is God, the Divine Third, who always makes the change, using the person as a means. The moving power behind all spiritual things, all personal relationships between people is God, the Divine Third, who is always there. No personal relationships can be entirely right without the presence of God's spirit. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may be used as a channel by God's spirit. I pray that I may feel that the Divine Third is always there to help 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!​​ -- TransitionsDaily.org is an Open A.A. Online Meeting Service #000720350.   To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   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 - 5/10/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Before he closed his eyes, he let them wander round his old room . . . familiar and friendly things . . . which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted on for the same simple welcome.--Kenneth GrahameWhen they moved into the house, the room at the top of the stairs was just a junk room. As the years passed, they slowly transformed the room into a guest room. When they decided they needed another voice in the house, they transformed the room again. Out went the fold-out couch, in came a crib and rocking chair; off went the art gallery prints from the walls, up went Winnie-the-Pooh. It was no longer a guest room, but a place for the baby, a new - and permanent - member of the family. We always have room for more in our lives. When we are ready for it, what we need for growth will emerge.What do the rooms inside our homes and ourselves have to tell us about the way we live our lives? You are reading from the book: Today's Gift by Anonymous Today's Gift © 1985, 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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Tuesday, May 9, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Sunlight ^*^*^ May 10

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Sunlight "It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile. This business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die."Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 66 Thought to Consider . . . "I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine."Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, Jan. 1958.The Language of the Heart, p. 238 *~*AACRONYMS*~*CALMCan Anger Leave Me *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Book From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": But at one of these [Trustee] meetings in the early fall of 1938, Frank Amos popped up with an idea which opened the door upon our real future. Frank said, "One of my friends, Eugene Exman, is Religious Editor of Harper. Perhaps he would be interested in your [Bill W.'s] new book. Why don't you go down there and show him the few chapters you have done? I'll fix it up for you." So down I went to meet Gene Exman, another wonderful friend-to-be of our society. I related the tale of our struggles and handed over to him my first attempt at authorship. While I waited Gene thoughtfully scanned the two chapters. Then he asked, "Could you do a whole book in this style? And how many months would it take you?" I was shaking, but I had an answer ready: "I believe I can do it. It will probably take nine or ten months." Thereupon he made a proposal that was surprising. "If it would help things along," he said, "I think Harper might be willing to advance you $1,500 in royalties. This amount would be deducted from your account when the book is finished in 1939." Again in the clouds, I left Harper to break the great news to the gang.  2001 AAWS, Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 153-54 *^Daily Reflections^*FREE AT LAST Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility - a word often misunderstood... it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  58 I knew deep inside that if I were ever to be joyous, happy and free, I had to share my past life with some other individual.  The joy and relief I experienced after doing so were beyond description.  Almost immediately after taking the Fifth Step, I felt free from the bondage of self and the bondage of alcohol.  That freedom remains after 36 years, a day at a time.  I found that God could do for me what I couldn't do for myself. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Our Problem Centers in the MindWe know as long as the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he usually reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, in both the bodily and the mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this. These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Many of us felt that we had plenty of character. There was a tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it this utter inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the wish."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition More About Alcoholism, pg. 34*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayOne thing that keeps me sober is a feeling of loyalty to the other members of the group. I know I'd be letting them down if I ever took a drink. When I was drinking, I wasn't loyal to anybody. I should have been loyal to my family, but I wasn't. I let them down by my drinking. When I came into A.A., I found a group of people who were not only helping each other to stay sober, but who were loyal to each other by staying sober themselves. Am I loyal to my group? Meditation for the DayCalmness is constructive of good. Agitation is destructive of good. I should not rush into action. I should first "be still and know that He is God." Then I should act only as God directs me through my conscience. Only trust, perfect trust in God, can keep me calm when all around me are agitated. Calmness is trust in action. I should seek all things that can help me to cultivate calmness. To attain material things, the world learns to attain speed. To attain spiritual things, I have to learn to attain a state of calm. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may learn how to have inner peace. I pray that I may be calm, so that God can work through 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!​​ ​​ -- TransitionsDaily.org is an Open A.A. Online Meeting Service #000720350.   To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   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 - 5/9/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:A.A. Thought for the DayAnother of the mottoes of A.A. is "But for the Grace of God." Once we have fully accepted the program we become humble about our achievement. We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God, which has given us another chance. Am I truly grateful for the grace of God?Meditation for the DayA consciousness of God's presence as One who loves you makes all life different. The consciousness of God's love promotes the opening of your whole being to God. It brings wonderful relief from the cares and worries of our daily lives. Relief brings peace and peace brings contentment. Try to walk in God's love. You will have that peace which passes all understanding and a contentment that no one can take from you. Feel sure of God's unfailing love and care for you and for all His children. There is freedom and serenity in those who walk in God's love, held safe in His loving care.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may walk in God's love. I pray that, as I go, I may feel the spring of God's power in my steps and the joy of His love in my heart. You are reading from the book: Twenty-Four Hours a Day by Anonymous Twenty-Four Hours a Day © 1975 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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Monday, May 8, 2017

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Anonymity ^*^*^ May 9

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Anonymity"We have denied ourselves personal government, professionalism, and the right to say who our members shall be. We have abandoned do-goodism, reform, and paternalism. We refuse charitable money and prefer to pay our own way. We will cooperate with practically everybody, yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone. We abstain from public controversy and will not quarrel among ourselves about those things that so rip society asunder - religion, politics, and reform. We have but one purpose; to carry the A.A. message to the sick alcoholic who wants it."Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 211 Thought to Consider...A.A. is not something you join, it's a way of life.*~*AACRONYMS*~*ANONYMOUS Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity & Service *~*^Just For Today!^*~*   Psychology From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous": "As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to get behind our excuses and to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were and that we have been motivated by forces unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look with the deepest respect, interest, and profit upon the findings of psychiatry, remembering that up to now the psychiatrists have been far more tolerant of us than we have been of them."Bill W. 2001 AAWS, Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 236 *^Daily Reflections^*WALKING THROUGH FEAR If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  76 When I had taken my Fifth Step, I became aware that all my defects of character stemmed from my need to feel secure and loved.  To use my will alone to work on them would have been trying obsessively to solve the problem.  In the Sixth Step I intensified the action I had taken in the first three Steps - meditating on the Step by saying it over and over, going to meetings, following my sponsor's suggestions, reading and searching within myself.  During the first three years of sobriety I had a fear of entering an elevator alone.  One day I decided I must walk through this fear.  I asked for God's help, entered the elevator, and there in the corner was a lady crying.  She said that since her husband had died she was deathly afraid of elevators.  I forgot my fear and comforted her.  This spiritual experience helped me to see how willingness was the key to working the rest of the Twelve Steps to recovery.  God helps those who help themselves. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*The Way of StrengthWe need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our belief in Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68*~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that."Alcoholics Anonymous 4th EditionBill's Story, pg. 14*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^* A.A. Thought for the DayWe alcoholics used so little self-control when we were drinking, we were so absolutely selfish, that it does us good to give up something once in a while. Using self-discipline and denying ourselves a few things is good for us. At first, giving up liquor is a big enough job for all of us, even with God's help. But later on, we can practice self-discipline in other ways to keep a firm grip on our minds so that we don't start any wishful thinking. If we daydream too much, we'll be in danger of slipping. Am I practicing enough self-discipline? Meditation for the DayIn material things, you must rely on your own wisdom and that of others. In spiritual things, you cannot rely so much on your own wisdom as on God's guidance. In dealing with personalities, it is a mistake to step out too much on your own. You must try to be guided by God in all human relationships. You cannot accomplish much of value in dealing with people until God knows you are ready. You alone do not have the power or wisdom to put things right between people. You must rely on God to help you in these vital matters.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may rely on God in dealing with people's problems. I pray that I may try to follow His guidance in all personal relationships. 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!​​​​ -- TransitionsDaily.org is an Open A.A. Online Meeting Service #000720350.   To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   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 - 5/8/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:The less able I am to believe in our epoch and the more arid and depraved mankind seems in my eyes, the less I look to revolution as the remedy and the more I believe in the magic of love.--Hermann HesseWe have been more likely to look outward than inward for solutions to problems. Yet this program is changing us from within. As we come to terms with ourselves, as we learn to be in relationships with friends and family, the same picture that looked so dismal in past years may look full of possibilities and even rich in the present. The love we feel toward others and the love we receive change our perceptions. We need not expect all relationships to be alike. One friend may be a wonderful recreational buddy, but perhaps we wouldn't talk about everything in our life with that person. Another friend is comfortable and we can be ourselves but we may not be challenged to grow or change. No friendship, no spouse, no one person can be enough in our life. But as a group they sustain and enrich us. We need the love and contact with them all.I am thankful for love, which gives meaning and hope to life. 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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