A Prayer & Some Thoughts - June
 

June 1


Feeling Fearful Prayer

Lord,
I am feeling fearful right now, I need your comfort and assurance.
Take away my fears and replace them with your peace.
Give me your comfort and assurance.
Help me to not lose heart but renew my spirit each day.
Thank you for not giving me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We are so glad to be free from alcohol that we do something about it.

We get into action. We come to meetings regularly. We go out and try to help other alcoholics. We pass on the good news whenever we get a chance. In a spirit of thankfulness to God, we get into action. The A.A. program is simple. Submit yourself to God, find release from alcohol, and get into action. Do these things and keep doing them and you're all set for the rest of your life.

So ............

Have I got into action?

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Just a Contemplation

Suffering

Knowing that others have survived experiences equally devastating as ours, gives us hope, but it doesn't diminish our own personal suffering. Nor should it; out of suffering comes new understanding. Suffering also encourages our appreciation of the lighter, easier times. Pain experienced fully enhances the times of pleasure.

Our sufferings are singular, individual, and lonely. But our experiences with it can be shared; thereby lessening the power they have over us. Sharing our pain with another person also helps them remember that their pain, too, is survivable.

Suffering softens us, helps us to feel more compassion and love toward another. Our sense of belonging to the human race, our recognition of the interdependence and kinship of us all, are the most cherished results of the gift of pain.

Each of our sufferings, sharing them as we do, strengthens me and heals my wounds of alienation.

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Trouble

There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered.
Then came AA. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimaginable blessings.

As Bill Sees It Page 110

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Just a Few Quotes

“Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.” ~ Karl Augustus Menninger

“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” ~ Seneca

June 2


Growing Older Prayer

Lord, You know that I am growing older.

Keep me from becoming talkative and possessed
with the idea that I must express myself
on every subject.

Release me from the craving to straighten out
everyone's affairs.

Keep me from the recital of endless detail.
Give me wings to get to the point.

Seal my lips when I am inclined to tell of my
aches and pains. They are increasing with
the years and my love to speak of them
grows sweeter as time goes by.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally
I may be wrong.

Make me thoughtful but not nosey;
helpful but not bossy.

With my vast store of wisdom and experience it
does seem a pity not to use it all. But You know,
Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.

~From: Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR (Franciscan Order)

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of faith, hope, and charity.

It's a program of hope because when new members come into A.A., the first thing they get is hope. They hear older members tell how they had been through the same kind of hell that they have and how they found the way out through A.A. And this gives them hope that if others can do it, they can do it.

So ............

Is hope still strong in me?

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Just a Contemplation

Our Own Pain

Sometimes we walk around with chips on our shoulders. We're like a tightly wound spring ready to jump at the slightest trigger, when other times we would let the same event go unnoticed. We even say self-righteously, "I didn't start it. Maybe we have a problem with being like a spring ready to jump. When we are like that, we are difficult to live with or be around.

We can change by getting in touch with our pain. We need to explore our feelings. Perhaps we need to be honest with ourselves about low self-esteem, about feelings of loneliness or fear. Then we must talk with another person or our group about our feelings and continue to talk about them. In this way we become reconciled to ourselves and to our friends around us.

God, help me accept my own pain, and help me be tolerant of my friends' mistakes.

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Honesty

I know the biggest word for me in AA is "honesty."
I don't believe this program would work for me if I didn't get honest with myself about everything. Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand because it is the exact opposite of what I've been doing all my life. Therefore, it will be the hardest to work on. But I will never be totally honest -- that would make me perfect, and none of us can claim to be perfect. Only God is.

Experience, Strength and Hope Pages 400-401

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Just a Quote

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” ~ Spencer Johnson

June 3


Dealing With Negative People Prayer


Dear Lord,

Please help me when those around me try to bring me down.
Allow me to recognize the hurts and issues in their lives and how I can be of help to them.
Help me to keep my natural human tendencies in check and not to retaliate back.
Quietly remind me where my true worth and value really lie.
Give me comfort in knowing that You are leading me on a better path and give me the strength to continue pursuing it.
Please clear my heart of any issues that will hinder me from praying for those around me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

There is some alcoholic thought, conscious or unconscious, that comes before every slip.

As long as we live, we must be on the lookout for such thoughts and guard against them. In fact, our A.A. training is mostly to prepare us, to make us ready to recognize such thoughts at once and to reject them at once. The slip comes when we allow such thoughts to remain in our minds, even before we go through the motions of lifting the glass to our lips. The A.A. program is largely one of mental training.

So ............

How well is my mind prepared?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Pity


"Ah, poor me," we sometimes say, "I have to work so hard!" "I have so much stress!" "If only my problem with money would get better, then I could be content!" "I just don't understand people!" "Why can't my family have fewer troubles?"

This attitude of self-pity is as ancient as humanity. Every person has problems and challenges, and life often is not fair. Self-pity becomes a stumbling block when we get so narrowly focused upon our problems. We forget we are a part of a whole throng of fellow pilgrims on this path. It helps to notice others beside ourselves who are seeking courage to live their lives.

Sometimes we reawaken our awareness of our God by seeing that we are "carried on great winds across the sky." We have many blessings; we are not alone. Often within problems we discover our greatest blessings.

I will ask God to help me find the spiritual path in the choices I make today. Help me turn away from self-pity.

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Fear

We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those about us. We have seen that we were prodded by unreasonable fears and anxieties into making a life business of winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership. So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin marked 'Fear.' We simply had to be Number One people to cover up our deep-lying inferiorities.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 123

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Just a Quote

"Continuing to beat our heads against the brick walls of past failures is insanity. We have a new life to live, provided we relinquish the attitudes and behavior, which we now know to be insane." ~ Cristina Ferrare

June 4


A Morning Prayer

I come before you O Lord
As the sun rises may your hope rise up in me.
As the birds sing may your love flow out of me.
As the light floods into this new day,
May your joy shine through me.
I come before you, O Lord
And drink in this moment of peace,
That I may carry something of your hope, love and joy
Today in my heart.
Amen

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Just a Thought


If we allow an alcoholic thought to lodge in our minds for any length of time, we are in danger of having a slip.

Therefore we must dispel such thoughts at once, by refusing their admittance and by immediately putting constructive thoughts in their place. Remember that alcohol is poison to you. Remember that it is impossible for you to drink normally. Remember that one drink will lead to another and you will eventually be drunk. Remember what happened to you in the past as a result of your drinking. Think of every reason you have learned in A.A. for not taking that drink. Fill your mind with constructive thoughts.

So ............

Am I keeping my thoughts constructive?

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Just a Contemplation

Prejudice

In recovery I am accepting that I am not perfect and some prejudices are part of my life what it is to be human. On a daily basis I am trying to deal with them, and talking about them helps. They don't go away just because I talk about them, but I get them in perspective and I grow in an understanding of myself through the recognition of my prejudices.

Alcoholism made me into a “fake. " I appeared to be what I was not and my prejudices were part of the camouflage. My prejudices revealed my fears and my need to "people-please". Slowly, in my daily spiritual program, I am discovering the courage to stand alone.

"Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices just recognize them." ~ Edward R. Murrow

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Hope

Hope is the priceless ingredient for recovery. This, AA gives most frequently not in mere words.
Upon the alcoholic's first contact with AA, as he looks across the room and sees men and women respectably clothed and in their right minds, enjoying themselves, that flicker of hope begins to burn. And he says to himself, "If those jokers can do it, I can."
The first need, beyond any other, is hope. Without it, there is nothing.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Pages 156-157

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Just a Quote

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

June 5


Prayer for Wisdom

In everything we do, Lord, give us a desire to seek out the truth;
give us a willingness to heed the advice of others;
give us wisdom in reaching decisions;
give us faith to believe in our conclusions;
give us courage to put our ideas to the test;
and, if we prove ourselves wrong, give us the grace to admit it.
Amen.

~ Jesuit Prayer

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of faith.

Because we find that we must have faith in a Power greater than ourselves if we are going to get sober. We're helpless before alcohol, but when we turn our drinking problem over to God and have faith that He can give us all the strength we need, then we have the drink problem licked. Faith in that Divine Principle in the universe, which we call God is the essential part of the A.A. program.

So ............

Is faith still strong in me?

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Just a Contemplation

Rain and Tears

If there were no rain, fields would become parched and brittle, and many creatures would die. If we could not cry, all our emotions would eventually dry up, too, and soon we would not laugh either. Our tears cleanse us. Our tears heal. They make us whole.

Tears are as important to our growth as rain is to a flower. They help release the pressure of sadness so we can feel better. After a storm, when the sun shines again through the clouds, a brightly colored rainbow appears. After our tears, our inner sun shines, and rainbows are formed from our pain.

How well can I accept my tears as part of my happiness today?

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Growing Up in AA

Life is meant to be lived by facing the challenges it brings.
Otherwise, I'm not living, just existing. God didn't give me this gift of sobriety to sit in a rocking chair, imagining myself as some old wise woman who has arrived somewhere.
There is no easier, softer way.

The Best Of The Grapevine [Vol.3], Page 320

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Just a Quote

"Our conscience may still guide our actions at times, but as we grow in our recovery, we begin to intuitively know what keeps us on track and in sync with God." ~ Karen Casey

June 6


For Courage to Do Justice

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others
Open my ears that I may hear their cries;
Open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
And use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears
That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.

~ Alan Paton, South Africa, United Methodist

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Just a Thought

People who had a slip are ashamed of themselves--sometimes so ashamed that they fear to go back to A.A.

They develop the old inferiority complex and tell themselves that they are no good, that they are hopeless, and that they can never make it. This state of mind is perhaps worse than it was originally. They have probably been somewhat weakened by their slip. But their A.A. training cannot ever be entirely lost. They always know they can go back if they want to. They know there is still God's help for them if they will again ask for it.

So ............

Do I believe that I can never entirely lose what I have learned in A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Celebrate

Look at your life. Look back at the path that you’ve walked this far and celebrate.

One of the joys of walking to the top of a mountain is looking back at how far you’ve come. It’s wonderful to stand on a high ridge and see the tiny footpath stretching off into the distance.

Celebrate with awe how far you’ve come in those first few steps of sobriety and in your faith and willingness to let go of your fears. Celebrate those first faltering moments of learning what it meant to take care of yourself. Even now, with each step you take, you are being transformed. Celebrate!

Turn around. Look. See how far you’ve come. Celebrate the journey that you’ve taken so far.

And look forward to the adventure that lies ahead.

God, help me celebrate all our triumphs. Thank you for walking with me, even when I felt I was walking alone.

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A New Life

Is sobriety all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening?
No, sobriety is only a bare beginning; If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. As it does go on, we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life -- the one that did not work -- for a new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever."

As Bill Sees It Page 8

June 7


Prayer of Support

Lord,
Still my tongue. Replace useless words with silent understanding.
Let compassion be my guide as I offer help and healing with only my presence and my prayers.
I pray that I will know when to speak and when not to.
May my support be felt without uttering a single syllable.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of charity.

The real meaning of the word charity is to care enough about other people to really want to help them. To get the full benefit of the program, we must try to help other alcoholics. We may try to help somebody and think we have failed, but the seed we have planted may bear fruit some time. We never know the results even a word of ours might have. But the main thing is to have charity for others, a real desire to help them, whether we succeed or not.

So ............

Do I have real charity?

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Just a Contemplation

Others Opinions

We all see things differently. It is part of the wonderful variety of the world that we all have different points of view. We've all seen baseball players arguing with an umpire over a close call, but, in order to play the game, they must accept the umpire's judgment.

When we stubbornly refuse to let friends or family members speak their ideas simply because we disagree with them, we risk the loss of a friend or the understanding of a family member. It is when we allow others to disagree that we take a step forward--a step that opens our ears and our hearts to all sorts of people and ideas.

How well can I accept others opinions today?

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The Tyrant

The truth is, that in the life of each AA member, there still lurks a tyrant.
His name is alcohol. And his weapons are misery, insanity, and death. No matter how long we may be sober, he always stands at each man's elbow, ever watchful of an opportunity to resume his destruction.

The Language of the Heart Page 34

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Just a Quote

"To recognize one’s own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence." ~ Eckhart Tolle

June 8


Prayer To Serve Others

Lord,
Thank You for the opportunity to serve others. I pray that You would continue to instill this value into us and our children. Help us to see others the way you see them.


Lord, we pray that You show us the needs of those around us. Help us to be focused on others and in tune to Your Spirit, so that we can help those that are hurting. Lord, give us the grace to serve when it’s hard. Give us the strength to keep going when we are worn out from our own situations.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we often hear the slogan "Easy Does It."

Alcoholics always do everything to excess. They drink too much. They worry too much. They have too many resentments. They hurt themselves physically and mentally by too much of everything. So when they come into A.A., they have to learn to take it easy. None of us knows how much longer we have to live. It's probable that we wouldn't have lived very long if we had continued to drink the way we used to. By stopping drinking, we have increased our chances of living for a while longer.

So ............

Have I learned to take it easy?

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Just a Contemplation

Being Happy

If only I had a new bike, then I'd be happy. If only my family were more understanding, then I'd be happy. If only my hair were styled better. If only I had more friends. If only... Sometimes we begin to sound like a broken record when things go wrong, so certain that if the events and conditions of our lives were different, we'd be happy.

It's an old and unfortunate habit that we look around outside ourselves for happiness. We can never be sure of it if we count on certain conditions to guarantee it. However, we can always be sure of happiness if we carry it with us wherever we go. The happiness habit can be developed, with practice, just as surely as good piano playing or accurate pitching. We can control our own thoughts. The decision to make them happy ones is ours to make.

Am I carrying my happiness within me right now?

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Only Try

I'm glad you are going to try that new job. But make sure that you are only going to 'try.' If you approach the project in the attitude that "I must succeed, I must not fail, I cannot fail,' then you practically guarantee the flop which in turn will guarantee a drinking relapse. But if you look at the venture as a constructive experiment only, then all should go well.

As Bill See It Page 214

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Just a Quote

“As we lose ourselves in the service of others we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” ~ Dieter F.

June 9


Prayer for Understanding

Lord,
As I walk through life, give me wisdom and understanding in every decision I make.
Guide my thoughts and direct my steps.
When I experience uncertainty and confusion, may I lean on your limitless wisdom.
Help me to think clearly and calmly.
Help me to act with confidence and wisdom.
Amen

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Just a Thought

A.A. teaches us to take it easy.

We learn how to relax and to stop worrying about the past or the future, to give up our resentments and hates and tempers, to stop being critical of people, and to try to help them instead. That's what "Easy Does It" means. So in the time that's left to me to live, I'm going to try to take it easy, to relax and not to worry, to try to be helpful to others, and to trust God.

So ............

For what's left of my life, is my motto going to be "Easy Does It"?

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Just a Contemplation

Our Attitudes

Meeting life head-on, with a smile, attracts to us people and situations. Our attitudes shape our world - which is not to deny that problems do occur. However, problems can be viewed as special opportunities for personal growth -- as gifts, more or less, that we are ready to receive. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. The stumbling blocks we encounter push us beyond our present awareness. They teach us that we are stronger and more creative than we'd thought. Problem solving is esteem-building.

Negatively confronting the day is sure to complicate any experiences. A simple misunderstanding can be exaggerated into a grave situation, requiring the energy of many people to handle it. On the other hand, a patient, trusting, loving attitude can turn a grave situation into a positive learning experience for all affected.

How great is my influence today?
We can beautify the day by smiling at it and throughout all the experiences it offers us. The expression of love to everyone we meet guarantees to make us more lovable in return.

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Action

Action is the magic word!
With a positive, helpful attitude and regular AA action, I can stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety. My attitude now is that I am willing to go to any length to stay sober!

Daily Reflections, p. 161

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Just a Quote

“Willingness is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” ~ J. W. Reed

June 10


Prayer for Comfort

God,
I feel alone, beaten up, tears fill my eyes, I toss and turn at night.
Words can’t express the ache in my heart. I feel pain every day.
I pray to you as I am desperate for help.
Be my refuge from pain, replacing my distress with peace, and be my strength when I feel weak and find it hard to carry on.
Help me not to fear the future but to boldly trust that you are in control when my emotions plunge me down, and when I am in despair. And times when I can’t talk and don’t know what to say, help me to “Be still, and know that you are God”.
Be my comforter, my healer and bring me peace.
Amen

from: Mission Australia

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Just a Thought

The length of time of our sobriety is not as important as the quality of it.

A person who has been in A.A. for a number of years may not be in as good mental condition as a person who has only been in a few months. It is a great satisfaction to have been an A.A. member for a long time and we often mention it. It may sometimes help the newer members, because they may say to themselves, if they can do it I can do it. And yet the older members must realize that as long as they live they are only one drink away from a drunk.

So ............

What is the quality of my sobriety?

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Just a Contemplation

Forgiveness

Forgiveness fosters humility, which invites gratitude. And gratitude blesses us; it makes manifest greater happiness. The more grateful we feel for all aspects of our lives, the greater will be our rewards. We don't recognize the goodness of our lives until we practice gratitude. And gratitude comes easiest when we're in a forgiving state of mind.

Forgiveness should be an ongoing process. Attention to it daily will ease our relationships with others and encourage greater self-love. First on our list for forgiveness should be ourselves. Daily, we heap recriminations upon ourselves. And our lack of self-love hinders our ability to love others, which in turn affects our treatment of them. We've come full circle--and forgiveness is in order. It can free us. It will change our perceptions of life's events, and it promises greater happiness.

The forgiving heart is magical. My whole life will undergo a dynamic change when I develop a forgiving heart.

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Helping Others

When I talk to a newcomer to AA, my past looks me straight in the face.
I see the pain in those hopeful eyes, I extend my hand, and then the miracle happens: I become healed.
My problems vanish as I reach out to this trembling soul.

As Bill Sees It Page 274

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Just a Quote

"Worry is like a rocking chair -- it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere." ~ Unknown A.A.

June 11


Prayer for Friendship

God,
I give thanks today for the friendships in my life. Lord, this life isn’t meant to be lived alone, so I am grateful for the people who walk alongside me, supporting me, loving me, and encouraging me. For we cannot do it all alone but are better together. Help me to be more aware and gracious to my friends, appreciating them and accepting their help. Help me to be a better friend, too, supporting, loving, and encouraging others. Lord, lead me to find and cultivate deeper friendships and be a good friend in all that I do. Shower your blessings upon those I call friends, that you may ever be in our midst. Bind us together, Lord, for a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Amen

~ Kathryn A.

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Just a Thought

When I was drinking, I always tried to build myself up.

I used to tell tall stories about myself. I told them so often that I half believe some of them now, even though I know they aren't true. I used to hang around the lowbrow barrooms so I could feel superior to the other customers. The reason I always tried to build myself up was that I knew deep down in my heart that I really didn't amount to anything. It was a kind of defense against my feeling of inferiority.

So ............

Do I still build myself up?

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Just a Contemplation

Imagination

Should you become a doctor or perhaps an astronaut? Maybe being a writer or an athlete appeals to you. Dreaming of what to be can be useful. It helps us set our goals and learn our values. Also, using our imagination lets us "try on" a future role. We learn about our life's direction through our dreams of where to go and what to do.

Not all dreams are helpful, however. Sometimes we daydream about other things when we really do need to listen. Learning how to use our imagination to guide our plans for growing up takes practice.

Imagining ourselves happy and brave will help us feel both. Imagining ourselves as failures can be just as powerful. Let's respect the power of the imagination and use it to form good images of our future.

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After the "Honeymoon"

For most of us, the first years of A.A. are something like a honeymoon. There is a new and potent reason to stay alive, joyful activity aplenty. For a time, we are diverted from the main life problems. That is all to the good.

But when the honeymoon has worn off, we are obliged to take our lumps, like other people. This is where the testing starts. Maybe the group has pushed us onto the side lines. Maybe difficulties have intensified at home, or in the world outside. Then the old behavior patterns reappear. How well we recognize and deal with them reveals the extent of our progress.

As Bill Sees It Page 216

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Just a Few Quotes

“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.”~ Jim Morrison

“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” ~ Euripedes

June 12


Healing Prayer

God,
Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy. I pray that my discomforts will turn to comforts, my pains to gains, my deprivation to more blessings, my losses to profits, my tears to smiles, my sorrows to pleasures, my illness to wellness, my debits to credits and my dreams to realities. I trust in you Lord and in you alone to heal me with any form of skepticism. I trust, Lord, that this agony and suffering that is only in my head will come to end and positivism will shine upon me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When drinking, I had to show off and boast so that people would think I amounted to something.

But of course, both they and I knew that I really didn't amount to anything. I didn't fool anybody. Although I've been sober for quite a while, the old habit of building myself up is still with me. I still have a tendency to think too well of myself and to pretend to be more than I really am.

So ............

Am I always in danger of becoming conceited just because I'm sober?

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Just a Contemplation

Slow Down and Live

Many of us rush through our days. Often we let ourselves get so busy that we do not enjoy what we are doing. We swallow life in great gulps instead of savoring it moment by moment.

Hurry and busyness are forms of self-will. Deluded by an exaggerated sense of our own importance, we deem it crucial to perform all tasks and activities according to our personal schedule. Impatient with traffic tie-ups, other people's slowness, or unavoidable delays, we make ourselves tense and miserable by our refusal to accept life as it comes.

Time spent each day in quiet meditation can give us glimpses of God's timelessness. We see that our schedule is not that important after all, when measured against eternity. As the presence of God seeps into our consciousness, we relax into the fullness and peace of each moment. Trusting our Higher Power to order our lives, we can slow down and enjoy His gifts.

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Fellowship

The fellowship I found in AA enabled me to face my problem honestly and squarely. I couldn't do it among my relatives, I couldn't do it among my friends. No one likes to admit they're a drunk, that they can't control this thing. But when we come into AA, we can face our problem honestly and openly. I went to closed meetings and open meetings. And I took everything that AA had to give me. It was at that point I reached surrender.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 340

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Just a Quote

“It is better to live one day wisely and reflectively than to live a hundred years in ignorance and indulgence." ~ Buddha

June 13


Prayer for Cares and Concerns

Lord,
I have so many concerns and cares, and they weigh me down. While I desire to cast my cares upon You, I find I usually pick them back up again, and they only add more anxiety and stress. Please help me learn to cast my cares on You as I learn what it means to rest and trust in You.
Amen

~ Chrystal Evans Hurst

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Just a Thought

We in A.A. are offering a spiritual program.

The fundamental basis of A.A. is belief in some Power greater than ourselves. This belief takes us off the center of the universe and allows us to transfer our problems to some power outside of ourselves. We turn to this Power for the strength we need to get sober and stay sober. We put our drink problem in God's hands and leave it there. We stop trying to run our own life and seek to let God run it for us.

So ............

Do I do my best to give spiritual help?

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Just a Contemplation

Communicating

If we do not tell people what is troubling us, they cannot help. We have sometimes been too proud or too shy to let others know what we were feeling.

Exposing our feelings makes us vulnerable, and we often fear that we will be hurt or rejected. We may be trying to preserve a false image of ourselves as self-sufficient and free of problems. Whatever the reasons for our unwillingness to communicate, we are cheating ourselves. By "clamming up," we cut ourselves off from the care and support of those who love us.

Honest sharing between individuals opens the way for growth and change. By expressing our thoughts and feelings out loud to another person, we become better able to understand and deal with whatever is bothering us. More importantly, we deepen our relationships with family and friends when we are willing to communicate on a meaningful level.

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Happy--When We're Free

We are sure God would like to see us happy, joyous, and free. Hence, we cannot subscribe to the belief that this life necessarily has to be a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it became clear that most of the time we had made our own misery.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 133

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Just a Quote

"The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. What is grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion." ~ Laozi (Lao Tzu, 4th or 6th century BC, Chinese philosopher)

June 14


Stress Prayer

Dear Lord,
I have so many things I’m worried about bombarding my brain. I am so tired from worrying about all of these things. I’m not going to hold them anymore. I cast them on You, knowing You are fully capable of catching them. You carefully hold me, my loved ones, my dreams, and anything else I take care of and love in Your hands. You are infinitely wise, resourceful, powerful, and loving. You can take care of me and everything I care about. Thank You, Lord!
Amen

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Just a Thought

It's very important to keep in a grateful frame of mind, if we want to stay sober.

We should be grateful that we're living in a day and age when an alcoholic isn't treated as he often used to be treated before Alcoholics Anonymous was started. In the old days, every town had its town drunk who was regarded with scorn and ridiculed by the rest of the townspeople. We have come into A.A. and found all the sympathy, understanding, and fellowship that we could ask for. There's no other group like A.A. in the world.

So ............

Am I grateful?

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Just a Contemplation

Communicating Clearly

We may reduce our difficulties with others to communication problems, yet the remedy may remain unclear. How can we become more responsible for our share of the communication? Can we stop blaming others? When we improve in those ways, our relationships get better.

Clear, specific, and direct language will help us be more responsible and less blaming. We can use simple words that expose the truth rather than words that hide or sugarcoat it. We can use specific examples and give details rather than generalities or hints. We can be more direct by using you and me language. In the process, we yield to the truth within ourselves - and become more honest.

I will be aware of communicating clearly, specifically, and directly.

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Willing To Believe

Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they might mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things which had seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth. But if we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere. So at first we used our own conceptions of God, however limited they were.

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question: "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, even in this small degree, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 47

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Just a Quote

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." ~ Nido Qubein

June 15

Prayer When Frustrated

I feel so frustrated. Give me strength to overcome these negative feelings and to get all the tasks that I have to do, completed, efficiently and effectively, and on time! Calm my mind. Give me peace, as I recollect all the tasks I need to complete.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I'm grateful that I found the program of A.A. that keeps me sober.

I'm grateful that A.A. has shown me the way to faith in a Higher Power, because the renewing of that faith has changed my way of life. And I've found a happiness and contentment that I had forgotten existed, by simply believing in God and trying to live the kind of a life that I know He wants me to live. As long as I stay grateful, I'll stay sober.

So ............

Am I in a grateful frame of mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Finding Fault

Gratitude for what's been offered us in our lives softens the harsh attitudes we occasionally harbor. Life presents us with an assortment of blessings; some bring us immediate joy; some invite tears; others foster fear. What we need help in understanding is that all experiences are meant for our good, all bless us in some manner. If we are able to see the big picture, we'd greet all situations, large and small, with a thankful heart.

It's so very easy to wish away our lives, never finding satisfaction with our families, our jobs, and our friends. The more we find fault with life, the more fault we are guaranteed to find. Negative attitudes attract negative experiences; while positive attitudes lighten whatever burden we may be learning from.

The years pass so quickly. Our chances to enjoy life pass quickly too. We can grab what comes our way and be grateful. We are never certain that this experience offered now might not be our last.

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Self-Concern

If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now.
We are of no value to anyone, including ourselves, until we find salvation from alcohol.
Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first -- a right and necessary kind of self-concern.

As Bill Sees It Page 81

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Just a Few Quotes

“One of the greatest sources of insecurity and frustration is our tendency to try and change things that we don't have any control of.” ~ Ryan Help

“How many times have we attempted the impossible and tried to change other people. Often this ends up being an exercise of frustration as attempting to change others truly is a waste of time!” ~ Catherine Pulsifer