A Prayer & Some Thoughts - August

[bluidkiti]

August 1


Prayer to Do Good

Lord
If this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world.
Pardon the unkind word, the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the failure to show sympathy and kindly help where I had the opportunity, but missed it; and enable me so to live that I may daily do something to lessen the tide of human sorrow, and add to the sum of human happiness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Alcohol is our weakness.

We suffer from mental conflicts from which we look for escape by drowning our problems in drink. We try through drink to push away from the realities of life. But alcohol does not feed, alcohol does not build, it only borrows from the future and it ultimately destroys. We try to drown our feelings in order to escape life's realities, little realizing or caring that in continued drinking we are only multiplying our problems.

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

Have I got control over my unstable emotions?

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Just a Contemplation

Expressing Gratitude

How can we express gratitude when we feel it?
We can begin by simply using the proper forms of courtesy at all times; this reminds us that we can't live without other people. The best way to express gratitude, however, is to "pass on" the good that has come to us. This is more effective when we share ideas and experiences that have helped us on the way to self-improvement.

It's also a good idea to dismiss thoughts and statements that are forms of prideful boasting. Even telling people how hard we've worked for the 12 Step program can detract from our gratitude. And never, under any circumstances, should we put others under obligation to us. I'll discover ways to express my gratitude today. I'll know that my best way of doing it is to pass on good ideas to others.

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Rewards

The rewards of sobriety are bountiful and as progressive as the disease they counteract. Certainly among these rewards for me are the release from the prison of uniqueness, and the realization that participation in the AA way of life is a blessing and a privilege beyond estimate -- a blessing to live a life free from the pain and degradation of drinking and filled with the joy of useful, sober living, and a privilege to grow in sobriety one day at a time and bring the message of hope as it was brought to me.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 451

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Just a Quote

"I will seek direction and strength from God while moving toward my goals today." ~ Jack Casey

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August 2


Prayer to End Anxiety

God,
I feel hopeless. Give me the strength to banish anxiety from my heart.
Help me find a place where my mind can rest easy and appreciate and enjoy today without fretting.
I can’t banish the stranglehold of anxiety on my own, but I know and trust You will help me overcome it.
With you all things are possible. Help me free my heart and mind.
Amen

~ Kristy H.

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Just a Thought

We got a kick out of the first few drinks, before we got stupefied by alcohol.

For a while, the world seemed to look brighter. But how about the letdown, the terrible depression that comes the morning after? In A.A., we get a real kick, not a false feeling of exhilaration, but a real feeling of satisfaction with ourselves and self-respect. And a feeling of friendliness toward the world. We got a sort of pleasure from drinking. For a while we thought we were happy. But it's only an illusion. The hangover the next day is the opposite of pleasure.

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

In A.A., am I getting real pleasure and serenity and peace?

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Just a Contemplation

Believe

It may be easy to say the words and phrases we've heard without really meaning them. Someone says something at a meeting that sounds good. Our sponsor or counselor has a favorite saying. We may say these words, but are we taking the time to ask the question? Do I believe what I'm saying?

Step Two speaks of, "Came to believe..." By really believing in the Twelve Steps, we let them become part of us. The more we believe in the Steps the more we turn our lives over to them. Hopefully, over time, the Twelve Steps will guide us more and more. We'll speak to our family with respect we've found in the Twelve Steps. Our spirit must truly believe. Then we can work the Steps.

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Now

Now is the time, the only time there is.
And if we are not kind to ourselves right now, we certainly cannot rightfully expect respect or consideration from others.
We have found we can enjoy, sober, every good thing we enjoyed while drinking -- and many, many more.
It takes a little practice, but the rewards more than make up for the effort. . . Unless we cherish our own recovery, we cannot survive to become unselfish, ethical, and socially responsible people.

Living Sober Page 42

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Just a Quote

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” ~ Kahlil Gibran

[bluidkiti]

August 3


Forgiving Others Prayer

Lord, please help me to remember the power of forgiveness, and please help me to extend this to others.
I know what it means to forgive, and I know all of the things you have forgiven me for.
Despite my feelings about them, please help me to remember that, like me, You love this person and care about his/her well-being.
Please help me to find love in my heart as well and to move past what was said and done.
Please help me to forgive them and to move past this.
Amen

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Just a Thought

By drinking, we escaped from boredom for a while.

We almost forgot our troubles. But when we sobered up, our troubles were twice as bad. Drinking had only made them worse. In A.A., we really escape boredom. Nobody's bored at an A.A. meeting. We stick around after it's over and we hate to leave. Drinking gave us a temporary feeling of importance. When we're drinking, we kid ourselves into thinking we are somebody. We tell tall stories to build ourselves up. In A.A., we don't want that kind of self-importance. We have real self-respect and honesty and humility.

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

Have I found something much better and more satisfactory than drinking?

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Just a Contemplation

Sponsor

We often hear, "Stick with the winners." Not everyone in Twelve Step meetings is there for recovery.. But many members follow a Twelve Step way of living. We need to find those people. This is really true when it comes to finding a sponsor. Look for a sponsor who gets good things from his or her program. Why pick a sponsor who isn't happy in the program? Recovery is hard work. You deserve the best. Find the best sponsor you can. Remember, ours is a selfish program. we're fighting for our lives.

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Material Well-Being

Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we find we cannot place money first. For us, material well-being always follows spiritual progress; it never precedes.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 127

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Just a Quote

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." ~ Lewis B. Smedes

[bluidkiti]

August 4


Prayer for Worry and Anxiety

Lord,
Sometimes I feel I can not face today, it is hard to keep going with such anxious thoughts running through my mind.
I ask for your peace to flood my being, that each moment I would surrender these worries, fears and anxieties to you.
I ask for your presence to walk with me through each part of my day, so that I would not feel alone but know that I am loved.
And I ask for your strength to wake me each morning and keep me going. May I trust in you to see me through, lead me to calmer seas, balance and rest in heart, mind, body and soul.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Living a sober life.

If you can take your troubles as they come, if you can maintain your calm and composure amid pressing duties and unending engagements, if you can rise above the distressing and disturbing circumstances in which you are set down, you have discovered a priceless secret of daily living. Even if you are forced to go through life weighed down by some inescapable misfortune or handicap and yet live each day as it comes with poise and peace of mind, you have succeeded where most people have failed. You have wrought a greater achievement than a person who rules a nation.

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

Have I achieved poise and peace of mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Moments

It's the moment that's important. Each moment holds a choice. Our spirits grow through working our program moment to moment. Moments lead to days, days to years, and years to a life of honest recovery.
It will be the moments of choice that we remember. The moment we call a friend instead of being alone. The moment we decide to go for a walk instead of arguing with our partner. The moment we decide to go to an extra meeting instead of drinking. The moments lead us to our Higher Power.
These moments teach us that we're human, that we need others. At these moments, we know others care about us--our joys, and our struggles.

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Faith

To go along with this deep-seated belief in God, I have developed an enormous faith in God. He is good. My understanding is that everything He sends my way is for my benefit. But the growth of this understanding has taken time, as well as a relinquishing of my resistance to change. I needed the trials and tribulations I have had, so that I could surrender and give up self. Only in complete acceptance of the utter defeat of my pride and ego could I begin to win.

Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Pages 86-87

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Just a Quote

"Today I will try to raise, rather than lower, someone’s self-esteem." ~ Homer Pyle

[bluidkiti]

August 5


Living This Day Prayer

God, please come and be with me in my circumstances. Fill my thoughts with Your thoughts and Your wisdom. Please come and act on my behalf. Show me what to do and give me the power and strength to take responsibility where I can but let go of the rest and lay down the burden. Fill my heart with courage to act and to do the next right thing.

Please help me to change the things I can change, and leave the things I cannot change in Your care. Help me to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness as I live one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Life is basically and fundamentally an inner attitude.

Just try to remember what troubled you most a week ago. You probably will find it difficult to remember. Why then should you unduly worry or fret over the problems that arise today? Your attitude toward them can be changed by putting yourself and your problems in God's hands and trusting Him to see that everything will turn out all right, provided you are trying to do the right thing. Your changed mental attitude toward your problems relieves you of their burden and you can face them without fear.

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

Has my mental attitude changed?

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Just a Contemplation

Spiritual Awakening

Many of us remember back to a vague time in childhood when our world seemed right and we were full of enthusiasm. Somehow, somewhere along the way, we lost that feeling of rightness and security.

For some of us who experience a spiritual awakening through the A.A. program, childhood faith is rediscovered and takes on new meaning. We may have lost sight of our real selves and abandoned our original faith in a Higher Power. When we have a spiritual awakening as a result of the Twelve Steps, everything falls into place, and what was lost is recovered, plus much more.

This spiritual awakening continues as we continue to work the program. It gives new meaning to our present lives and new hope for the future. We see that spiritual growth is "where it's at" and that nothing else will satisfy our needs and our longing.

May I continue to awaken.

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Coping With Anger

Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These "dry benders' often led straight to the bottle.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 91

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Just a Quote

"Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day absorb all your interest, energy and enthusiasm. The best preparation for tomorrow is to live today superbly well." ~ William Osler

[bluidkiti]

August 6

Prayer When Confused

Lord,
I come before you today with my mind swirling with different thoughts and feelings.
I have a hard decision to make and I just don't know what to do.
I feel helpless and confused. I'm worried about the consequences of my decision.
I worry about the impact my decision will have not only on myself but on others as well.
To be honest, I fear making the wrong decision.
I need your assistance making sure the decision I arrive at conforms to your will.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The program of Alcoholics Anonymous involves a continuous striving for improvement.

There can be no long resting period. We must try to work at it all the time. We must continually keep in mind that it is a program not to be measured in years, because we never fully reach our goals nor are we ever cured. Our alcoholism is only kept in abeyance by daily living of the program. It is a timeless program in every sense. We live it day by day, or more precisely, moment by moment - now.

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

Am I always striving for improvement?

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Just a Contemplation

Kindness

Kindness is among the gifts we can most easily spread among others. The more we give of kind words and deeds, the more we discover that kindness is like a burning candle which lights many other candles without losing a trace of its own brightness. Our kindnesses are assets, which return unexpected dividends when we invest them in the happiness of others. Kindness is the very basis of love. It softens the most severe anger and gladdens the hardest hearts.

No kindness is too small to win and hold the affection of others because it is made up of gentleness, love, generosity, unselfishness, and caring.

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Meditation

Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way.
But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of the first fruits is emotional balance.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 101-102

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Just a Quote

" I need to face life and not run from it." ~ Leo Booth

[bluidkiti]

August 8


Living Well Prayer

I know that every day may not be good, but there is good in every day.
Make this one the best day yet.
Let my eyes be open to the natural beauty in the commonplace things I see.
May my heart feel love for everyone I meet.
Encourage my heart to embrace each and every person I see with a genuine smile.
Show me the way to living well.
Thank You for the guidance and grace You have in store for me today.
Amen

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Just a Thought

As we became alcoholics, the bad effects of drinking came more and more to outweigh the good effects.

But the strange part of it is that, no matter what drinking did to us, loss of our health, our jobs, our money, and our homes, we still stuck to it and depended on it. Our dependence on drinking became an obsession. In A.A., we find a new outlook on life. We learn how to change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. And we find out that we can no longer depend on drinking for anything. We depend on a Higher Power instead.

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

Have I entirely given up that obsession and dependence on drinking?

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Just a Contemplation

Taking Responsibility

In the AA program, however, there's nothing that serves as a basis for blaming others. In every way, AA insists that alcoholics take personal responsibility… not only for finding and maintaining sobriety, but also for past wrongs and personal shortcomings. This is a difficult change for alcoholics who have believed that others caused many of their problems.

But being forced to take responsibility for our actions is a blessing in disguise. It fairly shouts the good news that we can take charge of our lives despite what others think and do. With God's help, we can change ourselves into the people we ought to be. We are fortunate that life is arranged to give us this personal responsibility.. where would we be if our recovery depended only on others?
We also learn that this responsibility is not limited to our drinking. We are responsible for everything we think and do, and we have the power to make improvements in our lives beginning today.

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Transformation

To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and business.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 143

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Just a Quote

“If you can take responsibility for your own life, then you will begin to realize that you can change it.” ~ H. K. Abell

[bluidkiti]

August 8

For Today Prayer

God,
Give me strength to live another day;
Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;
Let me not lose faith in other people;
Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;
Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;
Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;
Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth;
Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness.
Amen

(from: Episcopal Church's Revised Common Lectionary)

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Just a Thought

Change using the 12 Steps of A.A.

In following the A.A. program with its twelve steps, we have the advantage of a better understanding of our problems. Day after day our sobriety results in the formation of new habits, normal habits. As each twenty-four hour period ends, we find that the business of staying sober is a much less trying and fearsome ordeal than it seemed in the beginning.

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

Do I find it easier as I go along?

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Just a Contemplation

Good Ideas

Each day we're flooded with ideas. Everyone seems to have found the truth, and now they want to share it. We may feel loaded down with all these ideas. Who and what do we believe? We've fallen on a set of ideas that hold great promise: The Twelve Steps. The ideas of the program have much promise because they're simple. They ask nothing that isn't good for us. They have been proven to work. Now we're people with more than ideas that work. We're people with good ideas that work. When we find ourselves wondering how to live, all we need to do is look at the 12 Steps.

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Challenges

There is no easier, softer way.
To bring the great escape act into sobriety is to travel with a companion that led me to despair long ago.
The teaching I receive in Alcoholics Anonymous about courage and love helps me to continue to grapple with the challenges of life as they are given to me, one day at a time.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], Page 320

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Just a Quote

"Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity." ~ Stephen Covey

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August 9

Prayer of Trust

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We found friendship in the fellowship.

In the association with members of the A.A. group to which we belong, we have the advantage of sincere friendship and understanding of the other members who, through social and personal contact, take us away from our old haunts and environments and help to remove in large measure the occasions of alcoholic suggestion. We find in this association a sympathy and a willingness on the part of most members to do everything in their power to help us.

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

Do I appreciate the wonderful fellowship of A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

H.A.L.T.

H.A.L.T. stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These feelings can be dangerous to us. They can lead us away from our program. We need to eat regular meals. When we get too hungry, we get cranky. Then we say and do things we regret. We need to turn anger over to our Higher Power, or else our anger turns into rage. We need friends to help us in recovery. If we get too lonely, we may turn to alcoholic ways for friendship. We don't stay sober by ourselves. We need a clear mind to deal with life. If we get too tired, we tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Being tired gets us into crazy thinking.

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Walk the Walk

A.A.'s often say, 'Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by example.' If we would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice what we preach--and forget the 'preaching,' too. The quiet good example speaks for itself.

As Bill Sees It Page 183

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Just a Quote

"We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversations with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk." ~ Thomas Moore

[bluidkiti]

August 10


A Morning Prayer

Lord,
Thank You for this day.
I ask that You guide my path today.
More specifically, my thoughts, words and actions.
Please be with me throughout the day and help me navigate whatever comes my way.
Most importantly, help me to reflect and live out your will.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous there were only two people.

Now there are many groups and millions of members. But there are probably millions of others who need our help. More and more people are making a start in A.A. each day. In the case of individual members, the beginning has been accomplished when they admit they are powerless and turn to a Power greater than themselves, admitting that their lives have become unmanageable. That Higher Power works for good in all things and helps us to accomplish much in individual growth and in the growth of A.A. groups.

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

Am I doing my part in helping A.A. to grow?

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Just a Contemplation

Achievements

Even the continuous sobriety we're enjoying is no shield from traps we seem to set for ourselves. At times, we can find ourselves in the foolish game of continuing to fight battles we've won or lost.

One losing battle is the attempt to win the approval of someone who has always disliked us. That person may be gone, but we still fight....and lose..... the same battle when we find ourselves in a similar situation.

We also may have won some battles without knowing it. This can happen when we've set our goals unrealistically high. We may be fairly successful in our work, for example, but still feel that we have failed because a high goal we set eluded us. That goal, however, may have been all but impossible to attain, and while we mourn our perceived failure, we ignore the successes we may have achieved in the meantime. Consequently, we should never let any of these battles interfere with our plan for sobriety. We must stay sober at all costs.

I'll not strive to impress people who may always disapprove of me. I will also accept my successes even if they fall short of my highest dreams.

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Choice

Like so many, I do not always surrender completely; I allow the cares and worries of the day to distort my thinking.
But as soon as I get back on the right track, I realize I have everything I need.
Whatever problems confront me, large or small, they can be solved wisely. Or they can be solved my way. The choice is mine.

Came To Believe Page 60

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Just a Quote

"There is no investment you'll ever make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer wherever you are." ~ John Quincy

[bluidkiti]

August 11


Prayer for Strength & Courage

Lord,

Please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we don't just stop drinking.

The A.A. program is a way of building a new life rather than just a way of getting over drinking. We did that plenty of times in the old days when we "went on the wagon." And, of course, we always started to drink again because we were only waiting for the time when we could start drinking. Once we've got sober through the A.A. program, we start moving upward. In our drinking days, we were going downhill, getting worse and worse.

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

We either go down or up. Am I now going upward, getting better and better?

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Just a Contemplation

Prayer and Meditation

Prayer and meditation are not necessarily connected to organized religion. Prayer and meditation are ways to improve our personal relationship with a Higher Power to benefit our life, our growth, and us. Praying is how we connect with God. We don't pray because we have to; we pray because we want to. It is how we link our soul to our Source.

We're learning to take care of our emotions, our mind, and our physical needs. We're learning to change our behaviors. But we're also learning to take care of our spirit, our soul, because that is where all true change begins.

Each time we talk to God, we are transformed. Each time we connect with our Higher Power, we are heard, touched, and changed for the best. I will practice prayer and meditation, whether I feel desperate, uneasy, or peaceful, I will make the effort to connect with my Higher Power.

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The Answer

It finally became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort. He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came. His answer was threefold: the opportunity for a life of sobriety; Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety; fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me each twenty-four hour day.

Came To Believe Page 11

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Just a Quote

“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

[bluidkiti]

August 12


Prayer to Cast-Out Cares

Lord, it seems that so much in my life is broken.
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

Until we came into A.A., most of us had tried desperately to stop drinking.

We were filled with the delusion that we could drink like our friends. We tried time and again to take it or leave it, but we could do neither. We always lapsed into ceaseless, unhappy drinking. Wives or husbands, families, friends, and employers threw up their hands in hurt bewilderment, in despair, and finally in disgust. We wanted to stop. We realized that every reason for drinking was only a crazy excuse.

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

Have I given up every excuse for drinking?

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Just a Contemplation

Forgiveness

Today I am learning that as long as I refuse to forgive others, I am not capable of forgiving myself. Part of my denial is reflected in my attitudes towards others. Those character traits I refuse to forgive in others are buried within myself. I know that without forgiveness there is no freedom -- and I wish to grow in freedom.

Today I am learning the difference between forgiveness and acceptance. I can forgive other people without accepting their lifestyle. I can forgive myself and still see the need for change. In my forgiveness is the hope for tomorrow.

Without forgiveness, there can be no pure love.

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Simplicity

A willingness to do whatever I was told to do simplified the program for me. Study the AA book - don't just read it. They told me to go to meetings, and I still do at every available opportunity, whether I am at home or in some other city. Attending meetings has never been a chore for me. Nor have I attended them with a feeling of just doing my duty. Meetings are both relaxing and refreshing to me after a hard day. They said 'Get active," so I helped whenever I could, and still do.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 381

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Just a Quote

“Love casts out fear; but conversely fear casts out love. And not only love. Fear also casts out intelligence, casts out goodness, casts out all thought of beauty and truth." ~ Aldous Huxley

[bluidkiti]

August 14


Enjoying Life Prayer


Lord,
I believe that everything is possible. I love life.
I appreciate life. I am enthusiastic about life. I am thankful for life.
Every phase of my life is fascinating and interesting to me.
Every day brings new ideas, new discoveries, new revelations, and new involvements.
There is no part of my life without purpose, and without meaning.
Everyday is a new opportunity to enjoy life in a multitude of ways.
Thank You for giving me so many reasons to smile.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Sometimes we can't help thinking: Why can't we ever drink again?

We know it's because we're alcoholics, but why did we have to get that way? The answer is that at some point in our drinking careers, we passed what is called our "tolerance point." When we passed this point, we passed from a condition in which we could tolerate alcohol to a condition in which we could not tolerate it at all. After that, if we took one drink we would sooner or later end up drunk.

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

When I think of drinking alcohol now, do I think of it as something that I can never tolerate again?

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Just a Contemplation

Today

Life is found in the present. One of the first things we hear when we enter the program is, One Day at a Time. We break life into short time periods. This gives us the power to change. We're not sure we can stay sober for a lifetime. But we know that with God, and our program, we can stay sober for today.

This holds true for many other things in our lives. We're not sure we can go a lifetime without feeling self-pity, but we can give it up for a day. By living One Day at a Time, we become more sure of our strength. We have the power to change things only in the present. The present holds much for us, if we get a hold on it.

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Unmanageability

All the laws that are at work in the world are going to make every life unmanageable to one degree or another from time to time. But for the alcoholic there is not only an additional danger, but also an additional opportunity.
AA offers us a program of recovery from our past feelings about the unmanageability of life, a program that put life's unmanageability into perspective. That's more than most of the rest of the people in the world have going for them when they find their lives have become unmanageable.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], Page 58

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Just a Quote

“The desire to stop suffering is not the same thing as the desire to stop the behavior we are doing which causes us to suffer.” ~ Dr. James Golden

[bluidkiti]

August 14

Prayer When I Arise

Lord, thank you for another day to live.
And once again, I’m here asking for your help.
Help me with everything that I’ve got to do today.
Also, with things that will come up that I’m not even going to know about.
I ask you for grace, mercy, guidance and protection.
I ask the same for my family and all those around me.
Amen

~ Susan Roulenski

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Just a Thought

We had become hopelessly sick people, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

The power that controlled us was greater than ourselves - it was Alcohol. Many drinkers have said: "I hadn't gone that far; I hadn't lost my job on account of drinking; I still had my family; I managed to keep out of jail. True, I drank too much sometimes and I guess I managed to make quite an ass of myself when I did, but I still thought I could control my drinking. I didn't really believe that I was “an alcoholic."

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

If I was one of these, have I fully changed my mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Accepting Help

Often in the past, we acted like we didn't need anyone. It takes courage to let others help us.
As we get better, our courage grows. We invite people into our lives. We help others, and we let others help us.

We will learn to let others help us if we work our program. Why? Because we need others to stay sober. When we have a problem, we talk about it in our group. When we need a shoulder to cry on, we call a friend or our sponsor. Over time, our relationships become one of the biggest rewards of recovery.

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Ready?

We shall need to make a brand-new venture into open-mindedness.
We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection, and be ready to walk in that direction.
It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk. The only question will be "Are we ready?”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 68

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Just a Quote

"Accepting help is its own kind of strength" ~ Kiera Cass

[bluidkiti]

August 15


Prayer For Inner Peace

Oh Lord, sometimes my insides feel like a battle zone, where missiles are falling too close to home. Other times I’m caught in an endless storm, with thoughts flying out of control. Confusion reigns, and defeat creeps in to steal my joy. I need your peace-the deep-down-in-your-heart kind that stays with me day and night and speaks confidently into the wind. Calm my anxious spirit, Lord; all the attacking “if-onlys” and “what-ifs” fill me with needless worry.

I surrender and admit: I can’t control people, plans, or even all my circumstances, but I can yield those things to you, and focus on your goodness. Thank you today for every good gift you’ve given, every blessing you’ve sent, all the forgiveness I did not deserve, and, yes, for every trial you’ve allowed into my life. You bring good out of every circumstance if I’ll only let go and believe you. I know that when I pray and give thanks instead of worrying, you have promised that I can experience the kind of peace that passes all understanding. That’s your kind of peace, Lord. And it’s the kind I crave.

~ Mel Johnson

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Just a Thought

A.A. members will tell you that they can look back and clearly see that they were out of control.

Every one of us has gone through that stage when we wouldn't admit that we were alcoholics. It takes a lot of punishment to convince us, but one thing is certain. We all know from actual experience that when it comes to dishing out punishment, Alcohol has no equal.

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

Have I any reservations as to my status as an alcoholic?

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Just a Contemplation

Easy Does It

We are people who push ourselves too hard. We try to be perfect. Well, we need to lighten up. Easy Does It.
We need to slow down our pace. Why? Because our program teaches us to give up trying to be perfect.
We begin to love ourselves for who we are. We are enough. Over and over we hear this as we live the Steps. It's the message of God's love. Our Higher Power wants us to live at a pace that's not fast and hard, so we always know we're loved. Remember, we've turned our life over to the care of God. And our life is a wonderful gift. As recovering people, we may know better than others.

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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; it is only the first gift of the first awakening. 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.

Regardless of worldly success or failure, regardless of pain or joy, regardless of sickness or health or even of death itself, a new life of endless possibilities can be lived if we are willing to continue our awakening, through the practice of A.A.'s Twelve Steps.

As Bill Sees It Page 8

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Just a Quote

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." ~ John Wesley

[bluidkiti]

August 16


Stress In The Family Prayer

Lord, there is such a lot of stress in our family and I just pray that it would simply stop. It seems that never a day goes past without someone getting stressed out, and we are all getting so weary and worn out.

Please help our family, to get on with each other and I do pray that the build up of stress and tension would stop, and that we start to live with each other in the way that You meant families to live.

Lord, I love my family and I know that it is not good for any of us to be in this constant state of pressure and nervous tension. Give me wisdom, I pray, to know how to deal with this in the future and to know what to do and to say, or what not to say, to help the rest of the family release their stress, so that we may learn to live together in harmony.

Amen

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, most of us had no real faith in anything.

We may have said that we believe in God, but we didn't act as though we did. We never honestly asked God to help us and we never really accepted His help. To us, faith looked like helplessness. But when we came into A.A., we began to have faith in God. And we found out that faith gave us the strength we needed to overcome drinking.

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

Have I learned that there is strength in faith?

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Just a Contemplation

Relationships

We need to remember that relationships are made up of people---people who are strong, but also fragile.

We don't break easily, but we do break. We need to be aware of how fragile relationships are. Don't say something that will hurt others even if it's honest. It's meant to be honest with someone, without showing that you care for the person's feelings. We can learn to be honest without being cruel. The backbone of any relationship is this: we need to honor the rules and agreements we make. If we promise to be faithful to someone, we follow this rule. And we need to trust the other person to do the same. When we see that our agreements don't work, we need to go to that person and talk about them.

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Peace of Mind

AA has taught me that I will have peace of mind in exact proportion to the peace of mind I bring into the lives of other people, and it has taught me the true meaning of the admonition "happy are ye who know these things and do them." For the only problems I have now are those I create when I break out in a rash of self-will.

Alcoholics Anonymous Pages 550-551

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Just a Quote

“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.” ~ Unknown A.A.

[bluidkiti]

August 17

Gratitude Prayer for Happiness

Thank you, Lord, for all of your blessings in my life.
Thank you for surrounding me with wonderful friends, family members, and neighbors.
Thank you for giving us the gift of your beautiful world and all the skies, mountains, and lakes.
Thank you for the thrill of celebrations and the enrichment of music.
Thank you for all of the animals and creatures that you made.
When I am down or depressed, please remind me of all of the many reasons why I should be thankful and guide my spirit toward your happiness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Alcohol is poison to the alcoholic.

Poison is not too strong a word, because alcoholism leads eventually to the death of the alcoholic. It may be a quick death or a slow death. When we go by package stores and see various kinds of liquor all dressed up in fancy packages to make it look attractive, we should always make it a point to say to ourselves, so that we'll never forget it: That stuff's poison to me. And it is. Alcohol poisoned our lives for a long time.

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

Do I know that since I am an alcoholic all liquor is poison to me?

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Just a Contemplation

Changing

Deep inside, we all know that we're changing. It started when we took Step One. We learned and accepted something new about ourselves. That changed us, just a little. We no longer wanted to live as alcoholics. That meant we had to change and to learn to live sober. It's been nonstop ever since: learn about ourselves, change a little, learn about ourselves, change a little more, and so on. All we know is that each step of learning and changing makes life better. How long can it keep getting better? As long as we keep learning to know ourselves.

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Ego

I am still arrogant, egocentric, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times, but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman.
Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA.
The word "alcoholic" does not turn me off any more; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me.

Experience, Strength and Hope Page 382

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Just a Quote

"Today I Will Remember: The Steps are a road, not a resting place." ~ Danielle Steel

[bluidkiti]

August 18


Grace For Today Prayer

Lord,
Give me the grace for today.
Before me, the day looms with great possibilities and even greater challenges.
I put it all in your hands.
Order my day and order my life.
Help me to embrace every challenge, to be open to all you have to give and to see all as opportunity.
One moment at a time. One person at a time. One gift at a time.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, most of us never thought of helping others.

We liked to buy drinks for people, because that made us feel like big shots. But we only used others for our own pleasure. To really go out and try to help somebody who needed help never occurred to us. To us, helping others looked like a sucker's game. But when we came into A.A., we began to try to help others. And we found out that helping others made us happy and also helped us to stay sober.

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

Have I learned that there is happiness in helping others?

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Just a Contemplation

Gossip

Gossip can kill the trust in a Twelve Step program. We all need to feel safe when we share our personal lives with others. We need to know our private business won't spread around.
We can do two things to help keep the trust in our groups, and in the rest of our lives too. First, don't gossip. Second, don't listen to gossip about others.

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Carrying the Message

The wonderful energy the Twelfth Step releases, by which it carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic and finally translates the Twelve Steps into action upon all our affairs, is the payoff, the magnificent reality of A.A.


Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 109

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Just a Quote

“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.” ~ Pauline R. Kezer

[bluidkiti]

August 19


Prayer Against Depression

Lord,
Please strengthen our hearts, and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us.
Please guard our hearts from sadness and depression.
Give us the strength to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down.
Amen

~ John Barnett

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Just a Thought

Let us live today, as we believe God wants us to live.

Each day will have a new pattern, which we cannot foresee. But we can open each day with a quiet period in which we say a little prayer, asking God to help us through the day. Personal contact with God, as we understand Him, will from day to day bring us nearer to an understanding of His will for us. At the close of the day, we offer Him thanks for another day of sobriety. A full, constructive day has been lived and we are grateful.

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

Am I asking God each day for strength and thanking Him each night?

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Just a Contemplation

Winners

"Stick with the winners," newcomers are told at Twelve Step meetings. The real message of this statement is to share the attitudes and actions of people who are successful in living sober.
No recovering person can have a successful day while dwelling on ideas that can be harmful. We'll meet people in the course of the day whose attitudes may appall us. We may work with people who are critical, gossipy, or resentful. It's not our duty to correct them or argue with them. We would be wise, however, not to accept what we recognize as wrong thinking.

Winners, in AA terms, are people who seek sobriety first and live up to the principles of the program. Seem them out for help in doing likewise.
I'll try to associate with people who exemplify the highest and best in good attitudes.

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Anonymity

It should be a privilege, even the right, of each member or group to handle anonymity as they wish. .
Each individual will have to decide where he ought to draw the line -- how far he ought to carry the principle in his own affairs, how far he may go in dropping his own anonymity without injury to Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole.

The Language of the Heart Page 15

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Just a Quote

"If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for." ~ Florence Shinn

[bluidkiti]

August 20


Prayer for Strength

Lord,
At the moment, I’m struggling with life.
My heart is weighed down with anxiety, frustration, anger and doubt.
Please help me turn this over to you.
I can’t fix it. I want to trust you to handle it.
Give me the strength to let go and accept the outcome, whatever it may be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, we were living an unnatural life physically and mentally.

We were punishing our bodies by loading them with alcohol. We didn't eat enough and we ate the wrong things. We didn't get enough sleep or the right kind of rest. We were ruining ourselves physically. We had an alcoholic obsession and we couldn't imagine life without alcohol. We kept imagining all kinds of crazy things about ourselves and about other people. We were ruining ourselves mentally.

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

Since I came into A.A., am I getting better physically and mentally?

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Just a Contemplation

Control

Some days we might ask ourselves, Is it worth it? We feel alone. No one seems to care.
Life seems hard. Recovery seems hard. This is when we need to slow down and take a look at what's going on. We're feeling this way because we're off our recovery path. We may be back into wanting people to see things our way. We want control. Remember, all problems are not our problems. All work is not our work. We can't have everything the way we want it. But we can do our part and let go of the rest. Then we can feel better.

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Shared Gift

A.A. is more than a set of principles; it is a society of alcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who haven't been given the truth may die.

As Bill Sees It Page 13

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Just a Few Quotes

“Our stories hold unique inspiration for one another.” ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

“Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Norman MacEwen

[bluidkiti]

August 21


Prayer for Guidance

Dear Lord,
I cannot see the way ahead and at the moment I feel so confused.
So today I ask that your hand would be upon mine.
Please lead me safely through this day.
Guide my heart, my mind and body to navigate the way.
I put my trust in you.
Amen

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Just a Thought

One of the best things about the A.A. program is the peace of mind and serenity that it can bring us.

In our drinking days, we had no peace of mind or serenity. We had the exact opposite, a kind of turmoil and that "quiet desperation" we knew so well. The turmoil of our drinking days was caused partly by our physical suffering, the terrible hangovers, the cold sweats, the shakes and the jitters. But it was caused even more by our mental suffering, the loneliness, the feeling of inferiority, the lying, and the remorse that every alcoholic understands.

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

Have I achieved more peace of mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Helping Out

Do we help our neighbor who is in need? We must help when we see the need, not just when it fits our schedule. In the program, this becomes our goal. We work at helping out. For example, when someone is needed to run the meeting, we offer. We see that the needs of the group are also our needs. We are the group. Over time, the idea of service spreads to the rest of our lives. Maybe we help a family down the street. We start to see that we have something to offer the world; ourselves. We start to see that the needs of the world are also our needs. We are an important part of the world.

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The Six Step Program

“He Sold Himself Short”

But he found that there was a Higher Power which had more faith in him than he had in himself. Thus, A.A. was born in Chicago. The day before I was due to go back to Chicago, a Wednesday and Dr. Bob's afternoon off, he had me down to the office and we spent three or four hours formally going through the Six-Step program as it was at that time. The six steps were:
1. Complete deflation.
2. Dependence and guidance from a Higher Power.
3. Moral Inventory.
4. Confession.
5. Restitution.
6. Continued work with other alcoholics.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 266

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Just a Few Quotes

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself." ~ Jim Rohn


"Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it or learn from it." ~ Rafiki, 'The Lion King

[bluidkiti]

August 22

Good Morning Lord

Good morning, Lord!
Today’s a new day, a chance for a new start.
Yesterday is gone and with it any regrets, mistakes or failures I may have experienced.
It’s a good day to be glad and give thanks, and I do, Lord.
Thank you for today, a new opportunity to love, give, and be all that you want me to be.
Amen

~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is a way of life.

It's a way of living and we have to learn to live the program if we're going to stay sober. The twelve steps in the book are like guideposts. They point the direction in which we have to go. But each member of the group has to find his own best way of living the program. We don't all do it exactly alike. Whether by quiet times in the morning, meetings, working with others, or spreading the word, we have to learn to live the program.

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

Has A.A. become my regular, natural way of living?

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Just a Contemplation

"Later"

How often have we said this? This trick helps us avoid the tasks of the day. Life is full of tasks--many fun, some boring, others hard. Can I accept the task my Higher Power gives me, easy or hard?

When we used alcohol, we'd avoid tasks, if they became hard for us. We believed we had more control than we really did. We started to believe we could control outcomes. What we really were doing was setting ourselves up for a great fall. We had to face the fact that when our Higher Power had given us a task, we said no, and turned away. Thus, we turned away from the guiding hand of our Higher Power.

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Complacency

Following the principles laid out in the Big Book has not always been comfortable, nor will I claim perfection.
I have yet to find a place in the Big Book that says, "Now that you have completed the Steps; have a nice life." The program is a plan for a lifetime of daily living. There have been occasions when the temptation to slack off has won. I view each of these as learning opportunities.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 317

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Just a Few Quotes

“Winning is fun, but those moments that you can touch someone’s life in a very positive way
are better.” ~ Tim Howard

“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.” ~ Robert Tew

[bluidkiti]

August 23

Prayer For Happiness

Lord,
Help me to awake with hope,
To engage with life in all its variety,
To take in the beauty of others' joys,
To touch the souls of those I meet with thankfulness.

Thank you for the amazing jigsaw of life!
What a beautiful picture is made when I place all these pieces together!

Help me to indulge in love
To breathe in the sweetness of intimacy,
To taste the kindness of friendship,
To feel the warmth of embrace.

Free to make my life into a glorious patchwork of thanksgiving
Amen

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Just a Thought

We can believe that God has a purpose for our lives.

Things will eventually work out as long as we try to live the way we believe He wants us to live. It has been said that we should "wear the world like a loose garment." That means that nothing should seriously upset us because we have a deep, abiding faith that God will always take care of us. To us that means not to be too upset by the surface wrongness of things, but to feel deeply secure in the fundamental goodness and purpose in the universe.

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

Do I feel deeply secure?

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Just a Contemplation

Selfish

Sometimes we hear that we have a "selfish program." Being "selfish" means that we ask for help when we need it. We only go to places that are safe for us, no matter what others are doing. Being selfish comes to mean safety for us.

Being selfish doesn't mean we act like brats. We must act in ways that show respect and love---for ourselves and for others. Being selfish means, we do what is good for us. What is good for us? First, we have to save our lives by stopping our drinking and drugging. Next, we start working the Steps. We come to know a loving Higher Power. This is how we come to know our true self.

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Common Fears in Recovery

These are some of most common fears for people in recovery:

The fear that life will not be enjoyable again (particularly prominent during early sobriety)
Staying sober will require too much effort
Fear of journeying into unknown territory
Fear of facing life challenges without a chemical crutch
Fear of failure or, alternately, success
Financial concerns
Career concerns
Relationships concerns
Fear of death
Fear of ill-health
Fear of loss of a loved one

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Just a Quote

“We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” ~ Joseph Campbell

[bluidkiti]

August 24


Prayer for Daily Protection

Dear Lord,
Please heal and protect us today from all negativity, hurt, resentment, and evil.
Please help us to avoid selfishness and please help our relationship to grow and strengthen together.
Please help us with all the decisions we need to make in the future and please help us to make these decisions according to your will.
Please protect us from harm.
Please protect us from sickness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Have I admitted I am an alcoholic?

Have I swallowed my pride and admitted I was different from other drinkers? Have I accepted the fact that I must spend the rest of my life without alcohol? Have I had any more reservations, any idea in the back of my mind that some day I'll be able to drink safely? Am I absolutely honest with myself and with other people? Have I taken an inventory of myself and admitted the wrong I have done? Have I come clean with my friends? Have I tried to make it up to them for the way I have treated them?
So ............

Am I trying to put the 12 Steps into my life daily??

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Just a Contemplation

The Steps

Millions of people are sober and have peace of mind through the Twelve Steps. Like the stars, the Steps are always there. At times, clouds block our view of the stars, but we know they are still there. Let's view the Twelve Steps the same way.
It is said that the stars are the gate to heaven, that we pass through their beauty to get ready to enter heaven. The Twelve Steps are the gate to spirituality here on earth. We travel through their beauty on our way to a spiritual awakening. Hitch your wagon to the Steps, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime.

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One Day at a Time

Stand tall ~ Start fresh ~ Let go of guilt
Don't look back ~ Take an inventory
Make amends ~ Trust others
Believe in yourself ~ Trust God's love
Appreciate your specialness
Accept your humanness
Ask for help
Trust enough to take
Have the courage to change
Accept the unchangeable
Be patient ~ Keep promises
Bury regret ~ Discard hate
Transcend self-doubt
Don't dwell on the past
Love each moment ~ Live each day
Build a better tomorrow ~ Open your heart
Explore your soul ~ Expect the best
Let miracles happen
LET GO and LET GOD

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Just a Quote

“However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” ~ Stephen Hawking

[bluidkiti]

August 25

Happy to Be Me Prayer

Dear God,
Give me the courage to be myself.
I’m always trying to be what others expect of me.
I’m wasting time and energy pleasing everyone but myself.
I’m not even very good at it.
Help me appreciate the best parts of being me.
Show me how to love myself so I can say with confidence:
I am very happy to be me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Two things can spoil group unity-gossip and criticism.

To avoid these divisive things, we must realize that we're all in the same boat. We're like a group of people in a lifeboat after the steamer has sunk. If we're going to be saved, we've got to pull together. It's a matter of life or death for us. Gossip and criticism are sure ways of disrupting any A.A. group. We're all in A.A. to keep sober ourselves and to help each other to keep sober. And neither gossip nor criticism helps anyone to stay sober.

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

Am I often guilty of gossip or criticism?

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Just a Contemplation

Failure

Failure is an attitude. Having an attitude of failure can't help us. It can only hurt us. If we're not careful, it can grow into a way of life. So, when we feel like failures, we better look at our attitudes.
An attitude of failure often comes from making mistakes. But we can learn to see our mistakes as lessons. This turns mistakes into gains, not failures. Sometimes, we try to do things that just can't be done.

When we act like we know everything, we're going to fail. If we try to act like God, we're going to fail.
We can't control others. We can't know everything. We're not God. We're human. If we act human, we've already won.

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Fellowship

We were still trying to find emotional security by being dominating or dependent upon others. Even when our fortunes had not ebbed that much and we nevertheless found ourselves alone in the world, we still vainly tried to be secure by some unhealthy kind of domination or dependence. For those of us who were like that, AA had a very special meaning. Through it we begin to learn right relations with people who understand us; we don't have to be alone any more."

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 116-117

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Just a Quote

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” ~ Brené Brown

[bluidkiti]

August 26

Prayer to Smile

Dear Lord,
Please help me to smile more.
I believe if I smiled more, others would be captivated by joy and would want to smile more as well.
I also want to be more intentional about smiling more.
I want people to see me smiling more, I want them to see my joy, and I want to stir happiness in their hearts.
I pray for others who struggle with smiling.
Inspire us and help us to smile.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

Gossip about or criticism of personalities has no place in an A.A. room.

Every man in A.A. is a brother and every woman is a sister, as long as he or she is a member of A.A. We ought not to gossip about the relationships of any man or woman in the group. And if we say about another member, "I think she or he is taking a few drinks on the side," it's the worst thing we could do to that person. If a woman or a man is not living up to A.A. principles or has a slip, it's up to her or him to stand up in a meeting and say so. If they don't do that, they are only hurting themselves.

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

Do I talk about other members behind their backs?

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Just a Contemplation

Believe

For many years, we had given up believing in ourselves, in a Higher Power, and in others. We believed in getting high. Now our program tells us to believe in love. We are lovable, and we can love others without hurting them. Of course, believing is an important part of recovery.

To believe means to put aside our doubts. To believe means to have hope. Believing makes the road a little smoother. So, believing lets the healing happen a little faster. All of this is how we get ready to let in the care of our Higher Power.

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Choice

The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 24

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Just a Quote

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

[bluidkiti]

August 27


Prayer When Afraid

In this moment, in the middle of my fear, I ask You to make me strong and courageous. Even if my heart is still pounding. Even if I don’t feel brave at all.

Give me the courage to do what You’ve called me to do, even when every muscle in my body wants to sprint in the opposite direction. Help me to act courageous before I feel courageous.

Fill me with confidence that You have good things planned for me. Fill me with trust. Fill me so full that there’s no room left for fear.
Amen

~ Ben White

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we find fellowship and release and strength.

Having found these things, the real reasons for our drinking are taken away. Then drinking has no more justification in our minds. We no longer need to fight against drinking. Drinking just naturally leaves us. At first, we are sorry that we can't drink, but we get so that we are glad that we don't have to drink.

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

Am I glad that I don't have to drink?

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Just a Contemplation

Be Prepared

There will be hard times in our program. There will be hard times in our lives. That's the way life is. It helps if we accept this. Then we can prepare for tough times. We can prepare by getting a good set of habits and sticking to them. We can make it a habit to give time to our program each day. Sticking to good habits is like having a savings account: when hard times come, we can take the "investment" we've made and overcome our problems.

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Answer in the Mirror

While drinking, we were certain that our intelligence, backed by will power, could rightly control our inner lives and guarantee us success in the world around us. This brave philosophy, wherein each man played God, sounded good in the speaking, but it still had to meet the acid test: How well did it actually work? One good look in the mirror was answer enough.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 37

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Just a Few Quotes

“A diamond doesn't start out polished and shining. It once was nothing special, but with enough pressure and time, becomes spectacular. I'm that diamond.” ~ Solange Nicole

“Accept who you are; and revel in it.” ~ Mitch Albom

[bluidkiti]

August 28

Prayer For Strength

Lord,
I feel held back by my timidity and fear of what others think of me.
In times when I should speak up, I remain silent.
Help me to have confidence and to be bold in saying what needs to be said.
I ask that I have the courage to not let others talk over me.
Please ease my fear that others will dislike me because of my words.
Give me the wisdom to speak truthfully and sensitively.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

Showing tolerance to other A.A.’s.

If we feel the need of saying something to put another member on the right track, we should try to say it with understanding and sympathy, not with a critical attitude. We should keep everything out in the open and aboveboard. The A.A. program is wonderful, but we must really follow it. We must all pull together or we'll all be sunk. We enjoy the privilege of being associated with A.A. and we are entitled to all its benefits. But gossip and criticism are not tolerance, and tolerance is an A.A. principle that is absolutely necessary to group unity.

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

Am I truly tolerant of all my group's members?

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Just a Contemplation

Tolerance

I need to be tolerant in my sobriety. I need to allow others to say what they feel and live according to their standards.

I was intolerant towards people who were different from myself. Much of what I criticized yesterday, I accept today; some things I still reject.

To love a person should not require "sameness"; equally, I can accept a person without agreeing with what they say or how they behave. Disagreements and conflicts lead to growth; change requires a variety of forces.

Not everything I say to do is "pure" --- and that has become the key to the acceptance of others. My history teaches me that I benefit from the variety of opinions that are represented in mankind.

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Today

But today is always here. Life is daily; today is all we have; and anybody can go one day without drinking.
First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works.
Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24-hour segments is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well.

Living Sober Page 7

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Just a Quote

"Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.' ~ Timothy Keller

[bluidkiti]

August 29

Slow Me Down Lord

Slow me down Lord
Ease the pounding of my heart
by the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace
with a vision of the eternal march of time.
Give me amid the confusion of the day,
the calmness of the eternal hills.

Break the tension of my nerves and muscles
with the soothing music of the singing streams
that lives in my memory.

Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking MINUTE vacations,
Of slowing down to look at a flower,
to chat with a friend,
to pat a dog,
to read a few lines of a good book.

Slow me down Lord
and inspire me to send my roots
deep into the soil of life's enduring values
that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

~ Wilfred A. Peterson

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Just a Thought

One of the finest things about A.A. is the diversity of its membership.

We come from all walks and stations of life. All types and classes of people are represented in an A.A. group. Being different from each other in certain ways, we can each make a different contribution to the whole. Some of us are weak in one respect, but strong in another. A.A. can use the strong points of all its members and can disregard their weaknesses. A.A. is strong, not only because we all have the same problem, but also because of the diversified talents of its members. Each person can contribute a part.

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

Do I recognize the good points of all my group's members?,
(We are many & varied)

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Just a Contemplation

Life’s Outcome

I am in charge of my own life story.

There is always something you can do to shape your own future. Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way.

It’s easy to blame things outside of yourself for the outcome of your life. Sure, there are people and events that can get in your way. In reality, though, there are always things you can do to improve your situation. Remember that staying sober, setting goals and working hard will help you to create the life you want for yourself.

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Humility

The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA's Twelve Steps.
For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. . .
Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 70

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Just a Quote

"Peace is the ability to wait patiently in spite of panic brought on by uncertainty." ~ Charles R. Swindoll

[bluidkiti]

August 30

Prayer for a Humble Heart

Lord,
We pray for the heart position of humility. Humility in such a way that we do not cheapen our own worth or value within, but that we take the alignment that we are here for a greater purpose than just our own gain. We pray that You will highlight to us what it truly means to live a humble life, and that our own worth will be revealed by Your Light. It is only then that we may truly live in freedom and right standing, for we will hold our own value correctly. Lord, we welcome You to mold and secure our hearts in true humility by Your lead.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We should remember that all A.A.'s have "clay feet."

We should not set any member upon a pedestal and mark her or him out as a perfect A.A. It's not fair to the person to be singled out in this fashion and if the person is wise she or he will not wish it. If the person we single out as an ideal A.A. has a fall, we are in danger of falling, too. Without exception, we are all only one drink away from a drunk, no matter how long we have been in A.A. Nobody is entirely safe. A.A. itself should be our ideal, not any particular member of it.

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

Am I putting my trust in A.A. principles and not in any one member of the group?

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Contemplation

Inside Strength

I am finding my authentic self and living with a purpose.
It takes strength to take off our masks and be at peace with who we really are. If we think about the strength it has taken us to get this far, we know we can stay strong even longer.

Even if some of us haven’t found our life’s calling yet, we have found things to live for and we are living determinedly, proposing to do the right thing.

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On Step Seven .......

Step Seven - "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. "

But again, we are driven on by the inescapable conclusion which we draw from A.A. experience, that we surely must try with a will, or else fall by the wayside. At this stage of our progress, we are under heavy pressure and coercion to do the right thing. We are obliged to choose between the pains of trying and the certain penalties of failing to do so. These initial steps along the road are taken grudgingly, yet we do take them. We may still have no very high opinion of humility as a desirable personal virtue, but we do recognize it as a necessary aid to our survival.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 73-74

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Just a Few Quotes

“An intelligent person is never afraid or ashamed to find errors in their understanding of things.” ~ Bryant H. McGill

“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” ~ Ezra Taft Benson

[bluidkiti]

August 31

Knowing God More

Dear Lord,
Sometimes I get so lost in my life and don’t know what to do.
During these times, I wish I knew you more.
Help me to grow closer to you and understand you.
I want to hear your voice and let you guide me on this road called life.
Please draw closer to me and surround me with people that will help me to know you personally.
Ignite a spark in my heart to have a personal relationship with you.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it.

We know now that all we've been through led us to A.A. and was part of our spiritual journey. We found it in A.A. what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We've learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles.

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

Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Denial

Denial is a powerful tool. Never underestimate its ability to cloud your vision.

Be aware that, for many reasons, we have become experts at using this tool to make reality more tolerable. We have learned well how to stop the pain caused by reality - not by changing our circumstances, but by pretending our circumstances are something other than what they are.

Do not be too hard on yourself. While one part of you was busy creating a fantasy reality, the other part went to work on accepting the truth.
Now, it is time to find courage. Face the truth. Let it sink gently in.
When we can do that, we will be moved forward.

God, give me the courage and strength to see clearly.

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Helping Others

We realize now that we were excessively self-centered, chiefly concerned about our feelings, our problems, other people's reactions to us, and our own past and future.
Therefore, trying to get into communication with and help other people is a recovery measure for us, because it helps take us out of ourselves. Trying to heal ourselves by helping others works, even when it is an insincere gesture.
Try it some time.

Living Sober Page 85

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Just a Quote

"Sobriety is a constant process of uncovering, discovering, and discarding." ~ Craig, Colorado, January 1997 Grapevine