Daily Recovery Readings - January

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January 19

Daily Reflections

ROUND-THE-CLOCK FAITH

Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through
us, or we perish.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.16

The essence of my spiritually, and my sobriety, rests
on a round-the-clock faith in a Higher Power. I need to
remember and rely on the God of my understanding as I
pursue all of my daily activities. How comforting for
me is the concept that God works in and through people.
As I pause in my day, do I recall specific concrete
examples of God's presence? Am I amazed and uplifted by
the number of times this power is evident? I am
overwhelmed with gratitude for my God's presence in my
life of recovery. Without this omnipotent force in my
every activity, I would again fall into the depths of
my disease - and death.

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As Bill Sees It

The Wine Of Success, p. 19

Disagreeable or unexpected problems are not the only ones that call for
self-control. We must be quite as careful when we begin to achieve
some measure of importance and material success. For no people have
ever loved personal triumphs more than we have loved them; we drank
of success as of a wine which could never fail to make us feel elated.
Blinded by prideful self-confidence, we were apt to play the big shot.

Now that we're in A.A. and sober, winning back the esteem of our
friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise
special vigilance. As an insurance against the dangers of big-shot-ism,
we can often check ourselves by remembering that we are today sober
only by the grace of God and that any success we may be having is far
more His success than ours.

12 & 12, pp. 91-92

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS

He may be broke and homeless. If he is, you might try to help him about getting a job, or give him a little financial assistance. But you should not deprive your family or creditors of money they should have. Perhaps you will want to take the man into your home for a few days. But be sure you use discretion. Be certain he will be welcomed by your family, and that he is not trying to impose upon you for money, connections, or shelter. Permit that and you only harm him. You will be making it possible for him to be insincere. You may be aiding in his destruction rather than his recovery.

pp. 96-97

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."

There was another reason for our collective poverty. It was soon apparent that while alcoholics would spend lavishly on Twelfth Step cases, they had a terrific aversion to dropping money into a meeting-place hat for group purposes. We were astounded to find that we were as tight as the bark on a tree. So A.A., the movement, started and stayed broke, while its individual members waxed prosperous.

pp. 160-161

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Knowing is not enough; We must Apply. Willing is not enough; We must Do. --Goethe

I shall stay in this 24 hours, and leave tomorrows burdens, cares, and worries, in Gods hands. --Shelley

It isn't enough to draw near to the light. Absorb it into you. Let it charge you and change you with its energy and its power. Healing is all around you. Wherever you are, whatever your resources, healing, energy, and joy are there. --Melody Beattie

Speaking without thinking is shooting without aiming. -- French Proverb

Three things that become more precious with age are old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to enjoy.

"We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." --English proverb

We in AA don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message.

We are not living just to be sober; we are living to learn, to serve, and to love.

Don't mess up an amends with an excuse.

The First Step identifies the problem. The remaining eleven Steps are the solution.

S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem, Sober.

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

EQUALITY

"Treat all men alike. Give them all
the same laws. Give them all an
even chance to live and grow."
-- Chief Joseph

Today it is important for me to remember that I am not the only human
being in this universe; I need to respect and be considerate of others.
Spirituality requires that I treat all people with dignity and respect
because they carry something of God within them --- the image of God
is with all men. In this way I show and give respect to self.

As an alcoholic I was selfish and demanding, wanting my way all the
time. Sobriety teaches me that "the way" must include others; my
fellow men are part of my life and journey. I cannot live in isolation and
be sober.

O Spirit of the World, teach me to respect all men as a service to
myself.

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"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:58

How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him. Psalm 147:1

"However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all." Ecclesiastes 11:8

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Daily Inspiration

People should be able to look at us and see that we are different. Lord, may I be an example of Your love and learn to rely on You at all times.

Nothing is ever quite as bad as it seems. Call on God and then practice expectancy and optimism and things will turn out better than you expect. Lord, thank You for tomorrow.

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Each Day a New Beginning (Women)
Food for Thought
Language of Letting Go
Today's Gift
Touchstones (Men)
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Walk In Dry Places