March 31, 2026 - God as I understand Him

My thought for today is God as I understand him. The big book reminds me on page 29, "Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in his own language, and from his own point of view, the way he established his relationship with God. Not all of us believe in the same God. Not everyone removes their hat when praying. I try to forgive them for they know not what they do but maybe their God does not require them to be respectful.

March 30, 2026 - God could and would

My thought for today is the third pertinent idea in how it works. God could and would if He were sought. In the Bible somewhere it says "Seek ye the kingdom of heaven and all else will follow. It doesn't say find ye the kingdom, it just says to look for it. In the big book on page 60 it says God could and would if He were sought. It doesn't say you have to find God or be God, it just says to look, to seek.

March 29, 2026 - Keep It Simple

My thought today is to keep it simple. Say only what needs to be said, do only what moves things forward, and let go of the rest.

March 28, 2026 - But for the grace of God

But for the grace of God, a reminder that I am sober today only because of the grace or favor of the God of my understanding. Teach me to walk as one who has been spared, to see in every stranger a mirror of my own unsteady steps, my own need for kindness.

March 27, 2026 - Powerless

My word today is powerless. I remind myself each day that I am powerless not only over alcohol but over the people places and things in my life and that I will need help getting through today. I ask the god of my understanding for that help. The book twelve steps twelve traditions tells me "that little good comes to any alcoholic who joins AA unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness and all its consequences. " The big book tells me that "lack of power that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live and it had to be a power greater than ourselves." Most good ideas are simple.

March 26, 2026 - Self seeking

My word today is self-seeking. The dictionary says it is the habit of pursuing one's own advantage, benefit or desires without regard for the needs, well being or perspectives of others. But, not all attention to oneself is self seeking. Self care and the placing of boundaries is healthy, it is when people become tools for achieving your goals or the other person's dignity becomes secondary to yours that it becomes problematic. Working the twelve steps can help us achieve humility in this area. The big book reminds us in the step nine promises that "self seeking will slip away." And "that we will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows."

March 25, 2026 - Sobriety First

The thought I received today was Sobriety First. Not only when it's convenient but all the time. Dr. Silkworth said a relapse is inevitable when Sobriety Loses Its Priority. SLIP. The big book reminds us on page 143 "We all had to place recovery above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and business." So, if I have something to do, I do it before the meeting or after the meeting, but not instead of the meeting. I don't know when the next storm will come.

March 24, 2026 - Complacency

My word for today is complacency. A quiet drifting away to a place where we feel "good enough", where we feel we don't need to do the things that we do need to do, believing things will stay fine because they've always been fine. It erodes our purpose, one unexamined day at a time. As the big book says on page 85, "we are not cured of alcoholism." We must always practice wakefulness in our relationships with ourselves, with God, and with others. We must guard against drifting away.

March 23, 2026 - Self-Esteem

Self-esteem. A combination of self-respect, self-trust, a realistic knowledge of your strengths and your limits and a willingness to treat yourself with the same dignity you give others. It's not something you have, it's something you practice.

March 22, 2026 - Communication

Today's word is communication. Reminds me of a slogan I often hear. Say what you mean, mean what you say, and don't say it mean. It's about letting our words be an honest extension of who we are and not a mask we put on for the moment. Our actions should match our words.

March 21, 2026 - Intimacy

My word today is intimacy. It usually means closeness, to the point of revealing one's vulnerability without one feeling vulnerable. Relationships that have intimacy are places where we can grow, heal, and become more fully ourselves. Spiritual intimacy can exist with or without religion and can be where two people share themselves in a way that transcends physical closeness.

March 20, 2026 - Willingness

Willingness is the word today. It is the first movement toward God before belief is fully formed. Willingness grows when we practice willingness. The book twelve steps and twelve traditions reminds us, in the discussion on step three, that the rest of the steps can be a success once we give step three a determined and persistent trial and willingness is the key.

March 19, 2026 - Honesty

Honesty with others, whether with family, with friends, or with strangers, can reveal who we are and what our boundaries are. People often claim they want honesty but what they really want, in relationships, is transparency, to know what is going on beneath the surface. It's not just telling the truth. It's making the truth visible.

March 18, 2026 - Pride

My word today is Pride, the soil in which all sins take root. Pride is the turning of the self inward, it is man trying to operate as if he were God. The book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions reminds us that pride, together with fear, are stumbling blocks to progress. Pride says we don't have to look, fear says we better not look.

March 17, 2026 - By The Grace of God

In christian theology, grace is defined as the freely given favor of God. It is not so much a reward as it is God acting out of love. Interesting that today is Saint Patrick's Day which some say is a reminder of God's grace working through unlikely people.

March 16, 2026 - Listen to Learn

Many of my friends say the same thing when I say Listen to Learn. They say Learn to Listen. They are both good slogans to keep in mind. 

March 15, 2026 - How important is it

 How Important is It. Will it be important next week, next month, next year, or even tomorrow? If not, then it shouldn't be too important today either.

March 14, 2026 - Love.

 Love is my word today which is a coincidence because we are doing a project today called Blankets of Love. We make blankets for the homeless or people in similar situations which shows me that love comes in different ways. We can show God's love to anyone.

March 13, 2026 - Open Minded

 I read somewhere once that I should be open-minded in regards to spiritual concepts, that I should not let any prejudice I may have against spiritual terms deter me from honestly asking myself what they mean to me.

March 12, 2026 - First Things First

First things first reminds me to remind myself daily that I am powerless over my addictions, and that I am powerless over people places and things and I might need a little help from God to get through the day in one piece. Interesting that the days I do that almost always turn out better than the days I don't.

March 11, 2026 - Keep It Simple

I haven't had a drink in over 28 years but I'm still powerless over alcohol and over the behavior of others and even though I might not take a drink today, my life can still be unmanageable, so I still need help getting through the day. How simpler can a thought be.

March 9, 2026 - Forgiveness

 Forgiveness is my word today. I was reminded of a pearl of wisdom a longtimer said to me. What I come here looking for, I must come here looking with because it is by forgiving others that we ourselves are forgiven. Ths second half of that statement is from the Prayer of Saint Francis, one that I use a lot.

March 8, 2026 - Pride

 Pride is said to be one of the chief stumbling blocks to progress. It's right up there with fear. True pride, in our accomplishments, is a good thing, but when it prevents us from doing things because we feel we don't need to then it becomes false pride.

March 7, 2026 - Depression

My word today is Depression. I'm not depressed but depression is something that many alcoholics have. I suppose I have suffered from that negative emotion at times but with the help of my higher power and use of the key of willingness I have been able to overcome it.

March 6, 2026 - Love

In 17 days, it will be 28 years since my wife and I shared our first kiss. But, Father Martin said that love was not so much 2 people gazing into each other's eyes as it was 2 people gazing in the same direction. 

March 5, 2026 - Denial

 My word today is Denial. I might be in denial about the weather. It's March now and I want it to be spring. But, the reality is there is still snow on the ground and the temperature is still below zero, so spring might be a ways off yet.

March 4, 2026 - Anonymity

Today's word is interesting. Anonymity. I'm in an anonymous fellowship. Does mentioning that break my anonymity? I suppose that since I didn't mention which fellowship it is, then my anonymity is intact. If I make a post about being in that fellowship, and you are also in it and you click like or make a comment, then I have encouraged you to break your anonymity also, so I need to be careful about doing that. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. 

March 3, 2026 - Live and let Live

 It would be nice if everyone always did what I thought they should do and supported only those causes that I agreed with. But, people are different and I need to understand that and allow others the dignity and respect of being who they are. So, I live my life my way and allow them to live their lives their way.