It was hard to hear the voice on the telephone over the rain pelting outside my window. “Is that you, Joan? You don’t sound like yourself. Is something wrong?” It was “Joan,” six weeks sober, checking in with her sponsor on the coldest, wettest night of the year, in a voice I hardly recognized. “IContinue reading “Rules Without Reason – Grapevine Article February 1987 By E.E.”
Category Archives: Choice
Persistence In Prayer As Bill Sees It #127
We often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer as something not really necessary. To be sure, we feel it is something that might help us to meet an occasional emergency, but at first many of us are apt to regard it as a somewhat mysterious skill of clergymen, from which we may hope toContinue reading “Persistence In Prayer As Bill Sees It #127”
A Renewable And Resilient Purpose – Touchstone Reflection February 19th
He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. –Friedrich Nietzsche Our sense of purpose in life is not fixed in concrete. It changes from youth through all the stages of life. Often in the transitions to a new growth stage we are most confused. In the chaotic life created byContinue reading “A Renewable And Resilient Purpose – Touchstone Reflection February 19th”
Serenity Brings Clarity – Spiritual Principles A Day January 22nd
“Serenity doesn’t mean that we don’t experience dramatic events. It gives us the clarity of mind to go through them.” Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Living Our Principles” “Ahhhhh, serenity. A permanent state of peacefulness, contentment, and awe. Those of us with time clean float around on a spiritual plane that newcomers can aspire to andContinue reading “Serenity Brings Clarity – Spiritual Principles A Day January 22nd”
The New Year – The Language Of Letting Go – January 1st
Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come. Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on aContinue reading “The New Year – The Language Of Letting Go – January 1st”
Welcome Criticism – As Bill Sees It #326
Thanks much for your letter of criticism. I’m certain that had it not been for its strong critics, A.A. would have made slower progress. For myself, I have come to set a high value on the people who have criticized me, whether they have seemed reasonable critics or unreasonable ones. Both have often restrained meContinue reading “Welcome Criticism – As Bill Sees It #326”
Vision Beyond Today – As Bill Sees It #317
Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates, both for the immediate and for the more distant future. Some might feel this sort of striving to be heresy against “One day at a time.” But that valuable principle really refers to our mental and emotional lives and means chiefly that we are notContinue reading “Vision Beyond Today – As Bill Sees It #317”
Faith Is Action – Grapevine Article May 1977 by H.I.
Act in good ways, and faith will be born of the good that happens RECENTLY, I read a newspaper article in which the writer stated that he could not, of course, will himself to believe. I smiled out of past identification. For most of my life, I tried to find the “truth” and the “meaningContinue reading “Faith Is Action – Grapevine Article May 1977 by H.I.”
Maturity, Frustration & Growth – Grapevine Article By Marvin Block, MD
A topic we often don’t discuss is the importance of how we deal with frustration and the relationship between our response to frustration to our growth and maturity in accepting life as it is. I found this short extract from a much larger Grapevine Article entitled ‘Alcoholism and Alcoholic Anonymous’ written in February 1974 quiteContinue reading “Maturity, Frustration & Growth – Grapevine Article By Marvin Block, MD”
Love – Grapevine Article September 1988 By C.C.
The longer he stays sober, the more he learns the value of passing on that inner glow I really never knew what true love was until I began my recovery in AA. My schooling in that emotion began early and led me to the conclusion that love is what creates in the attitude of aContinue reading “Love – Grapevine Article September 1988 By C.C.”