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August 13
Daily Reflections A CLEAN SWEEP . . . . and third, having thus cleaned away the debris of the past, we consider how, with our newfound knowledge of ourselves, we may develop the best possible relations with every human being we know. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 77 As I face the Eighth Step, everything that was required for successful completion of the previous seven Steps came together: courage, honesty, sincerity, willingness and thoroughness. I could not muster the strength required for this task at the beginning, which is why this Step reads "Became willing. . . . " I needed to develop the courage to begin, the honesty to see where I was wrong, a sincere desire to set things right, thoroughness in making a list, and willingness to take the risk required for true humility. With the help of my Higher Power in developing these virtues, I completed this Step and continued to move forward in my quest for spiritual growth. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "We had but two alternatives; one was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could, and the other was to accept spiritual help. We became willing to maintain a certain simple attitude toward life. What seemed at first a flimsy reed has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us, a design for living that really works. All of us establish in our own individual way our personal relationship with God." Have I established my own relationship with God? Meditation For The Day Make it a daily practice to review your character. Take your character in relation to your daily life, to your dear ones, your friends, your acquaintances, and your work. Each day try to see where God wants you to change. Plan how best each fault can be eradicated or each mistake be corrected. Never be satisfied with a comparison with those around you. Strive toward a better life as your ultimate goal. God is your helper through weakness to power, through danger to security, through fear and worry to peace and serenity. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may make real progress toward a better life. I pray that I may never be satisfied with my present state. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It The Answer in the Mirror, p. 225 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. ******************************** My spiritual awakening was electrically sudden and absolutely convincing. At once I became a part--if only a tiny part--of a cosmos that was ruled by justice and love in the person of God. No matter what had been the consequences of my own willfulness and ignorance, or those of my fellow travelers on earth, this was still the truth. Such was the new and positive assurance, and this has never left me. 1. 12 & 12, p. 37 2. Grapevine, January 1962 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Blaming others Common sense Action NO matter what happens, some people insist that a culprit must be found when things go awry. Someone must be blamed for every wrong or catastrophe. We must be careful not to buy into this practice in three ways: FIRST, we must avoid being help responsible for problems we didn't cause. SECOND, we must also avoid any personal guilt for such problems. THIRD, we must not fall into the trap of unfairly blaming other people. The best use of energy we spend hunting down culprits is to fix what's within our powers, to have the courage to change the things (we) can. Then we will have done what we can to reduce the number of problems in the world while putting our own talents and energies to their best uses. I'll keep some balance today if I hear anybody blaming others for the world's woes. We'll probably fix most problems one day at a time, and I'll do the best I can with those problems I know something about. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple Once it[a spoken word] flies out, you can't catch it. ---Russian proverb We've said many mean words. Our words often hurt the people we love. We can never really take back the words. But we're learning now to speak with care . We know the words have a lot of power. What do we say when we're angry? When we want something? When we're trying to be kind? Now, think about this: people will remember out words. If we're honest and careful in our speech, people will respect us. But if we say things to force our will, we may be sorry later. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, speak through me today. Action for the Day: Today, I'll ask one question of the person I love the most: "How have my words hurt you in the past?" Then I'll talk with my sponsor about this. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Anything forced into manifestation through personal will is always "ill got" and has "ever bad success." --Florence Scovel Shinn The main thrust of our recovery is to attune ourselves to God's will, struggling no longer to impose our own. The pain we've endured in past years was often of our own making. We controlled situations until we managed to force the outcome we desired, only to realize it didn't offer happiness. It was, instead, a bitter ending to the struggle. When we want something or someone to play by our rules, we can expect barriers. And when the barriers don't give way with a gentle push, we should consider it a clue that we are off course. When we want what God wants for us, the barriers, if any, will fall away. What God wants for us at every moment is growth and happiness. When we step away from our ego and develop a selfless posture toward life, we'll find serenity in the midst of any turmoil. Serenity is God's promise. When we get in line with God's will, we'll find peace. I will know God's will if I will listen to my inner voice. I will do what feels right, and peace will be my reward. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM You may think our illustration is too ridiculous. But is it? We, who have been through the wringer, have to admit if we substituted alcoholism for jay-walking, the illustration would fit exactly. However intelligent we may have been in other respects, where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane. It’s strong language—but isn’t it true? p. 38 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." After we have made the list of people we have harmed, have reflected carefully upon each instance, and have tried to possess ourselves of the right attitude in which to proceed, we will see that the making of direct amends divides those we should approach into several classes. There will be those who ought to be dealt with just as soon as we become reasonably confident that we can maintain our sobriety. There will be those to whom we can make only partial restitution, lest complete disclosures do them or others more harm than good. There will be other cases where action ought to be deferred, and still others in which by the very nature of the situation we shall never be able to make direct personal contact at all. p. 83 ************************************************** ********* "Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You're able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment." --Ralph Marston "Once you face your fear, nothing is ever as hard as you think." --Olivia Newton-John A clean conscience makes a soft pillow. --unknown A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. --unknown All I have to do is make the right choices. I will always know which they are, when I ask for guidance. --unknown I will look to each moment with child-like eyes. I'll find joy and contentment. --unknown Adventure is not outside a man; it is within. --David Grayson *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation REALITY "Humankind cannot bear very much reality." -- T. S. Eliot I wonder why we find it hard to face reality? I preferred to escape from my problems, avoid who I was, not deal with issues of God, relationships or loneliness --- and live in a world of "make believe". However, it did not work. The pain of being a "fake" and living a lie became too great so I asked for help. Today I am on a journey towards reality and it is a spiritual journey. I know I will never be completely real. A part of me will always be "diseased". I must live and treat my compulsive behavior on a daily basis --- but my life is getting better, and I am slowly growing in an understanding of who I am and what I need. God, let me be as real as I can be. ************************************************** ********* Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:10-18 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration As you wake, remember that God is the first one waiting to talk with you. Good morning, Lord. Let's have a grand and wonderful day. Our time here is short and there is still so much to be done. Lord, please let me do a little more for You today so that the world may be a little better because of me. |
August 14
Daily Reflections REPAIRING THE DAMAGE We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76 Making a list of people I had harmed was not a particularly difficult thing to do. They had showed up in my Fourth Step inventory: people towards whom I had resentments, real or imagined, and whom I had hurt by acts of retaliation. For my recovery to be thorough, I believed it was not important for those who had legitimately harmed me to make amends to me. That is important in my relationship with God is that I stand before Him, knowing I have done what I can to repair the damage I have done. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "None of us like to think that we are bodily and mentally different from others. Our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove that we could drink like other people. This delusion that we are like other people has to be smashed. It has been definitely proved that no real alcoholic has ever recovered control. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better. There is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic." Am I convinced that I can never drink again normally? Meditation For The Day We should have life and have it more abundantly--spiritual, mental, physical, abundant life--joyous, powerful life. This we can have if we follow the right way. Not all people will accept from God the gift of an abundant life, a gift held out free to all. Not all people care to stretch out a hand and take it. God's gift, the richest He has to offer, is the precious gift of abundant life. People often turn away from it, reject it, and will have none of it. Do not let this be true of you. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may hasten to accept the gift of abundant spiritual life. I pray that I may live the good life to the best of my ability. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Humility for the Fellowship, Too, p. 226 We of A.A. sometimes brag of the virtues of our Fellowship. Let us remember that few of these times are actually earned virtues. We were forced into them, to begin with, by the cruel lash of alcoholism. We finally adopted them, not because we wished to but because we had to. Then, as time confirmed the seeming rightness of our basic principles, we began to conform because it was right to do so. Some of us, notably myself, conformed even then with reluctance. But at last we came to a point where we stood willing to conform gladly to the principles which experience, under the grace of God, had taught us. A.A. Comes Of Age, p.224 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Wasting Time Time management In dealing with our personal shortcomings, we may find traits of immaturity. For example, we might waste time doing the things we like to do rather than the things we must do. We sometimes find a way to justify this. Drinking coffee with friends might be called "having a meeting" even when it goes far beyond normal limits and uses up time that should be devoted to family and work responsibilities. Without becoming workaholics or drudges, we do need to be hones about our habits. If we're wasting too much time, it could be at the expense of things that need to be attended to promptly. When we waste time, we often have to work twice as hard to catch up later on. Let's be honest about the management of our time. I'll watch how I spend my time today. If I'm spending too much time socializing, I'll put myself on a reasonable schedule that balances both leisure and work. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple The best side of a saloon is outside.---Anonymous We need to stay away from places where we used to drink or use other drugs. Sometimes we need to stay away from our old using friends. But some days it's hard to stay away. We remember the fun times. Or we want a quick fix for our problems. When we feel like this, we know something is wrong. We can call our sponsor and talk about it. And get to a meeting. We need to remember how much better our lives are now. We don't want our old lives back. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me stay away from trouble. Thanks for keeping me sober today. Action for the Day: Today, I'll make a list of places that mean trouble for me---places I need to stay away from. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Often when we're being tough and strong, we're scared. It takes a lot of courage to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to be soft. --Dudley Martineau We've developed defenses for protection because we have felt the need for protection from the abuses of others, parents on occasion, bosses, spouses, even strangers. And in certain situations, our defenses served us well for a time. However, they have taken their toll. Hiding behind them for long makes them habitual, and we move farther and farther away from our center, from the woman each of us needs and wants to be. Exposing who we really are invites judgment, sometimes rejection, often times discounting. It's a terribly hard risk to take, and the rewards are seldom immediate. But with time, others respect us for our vulnerability and begin to imitate our example. We are served well by our integrity, in due time. Letting others see who we really are alleviates confusion, theirs and ours. We no longer need to decide who we should be; we simply are who we are. Our choices are simplified. There is only one appropriate choice to every situation--the one that is honest and wholly reflective of who we are at that moment. Rewards will be forthcoming when I am honest. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM Some of you are thinking: “Yes, what you tell is true, but it doesn’t fully apply. We admit we have some of these symptoms, but we have not gone to the extremes you fellows did, nor are we likely to, for we understand ourselves so well after what you have told us that such things cannot happen again. We have not lost everything in life through drinking and we certainly do not intend to. Thanks for the information.” pp. 38-39 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Most of us begin making certain kinds of direct amends from the day we join Alcoholics Anonymous. The moment we tell our families that we are really going to try the program, the process has begun. In this area there are seldom any questions of timing or caution. We want to come in the door shouting the good news. After coming from our first meeting, or perhaps after we have finished reading the book "Alcoholics Anonymous," we usually want to sit down with some member of the family and readily admit the damage we have done by our drinking. Almost always we want to go further and admit other defects that have made us hard to live with. This will be a very different occasion, and in sharp contrast with those hangover mornings when we alternated between reviling ourselves and blaming the family (and everyone else) for our troubles. At this first sitting, it is necessary only that we make a general admission of our defects. It may be unwise at this stage to rehash certain harrowing episodes. Good judgment will suggest that we ought to take our time. While we may be quite willing to reveal the very worst, we must be sure to remember that we cannot buy our own peace of mind at the expense of others. pp. 83-84 ************************************************** ********* "Plant positive thoughts in your mind and expect a harvest of great possibilities." --Unknown To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it. --Mother Teresa Happiness is an INSIDE job. --unknown "People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges." --Joseph F. Newton "Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower." -****Shigenori Kameoka Once it [a spoken word] flies out, you can't catch it. --Russian proverb *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation TRUTH "If error is corrected whenever it is recognized as such, the path of error is the path of truth." -- Hans Reichenbach I believe that in order to discover spirituality in our lives, we need to confront the "disease", that destructive and negative side of our lives. We need to make the disease work for us! For too many years I tried to avoid and deny my alcoholism. I wanted to recover by osmosis! I did not want to get my hands dirty with the reality of my suffering but rather I wanted a "miracle" --- really magic --- to make everything different from what it had been for years. I did not want to face my pain! But it does not work that way. If I am to get well, I need to confront my disease, smell my disease, hold my disease, pull and tug at the disease in my life. Why? Because it is mine. I need to be in touch with my disease if I am ever going to make the necessary changes. I need to make my disease work for me --- that is spirituality. Let me have the courage to pass through the pain in order to experience the gain. ************************************************** ********* "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:7-9 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18 "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." Romans 8:26-27 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Every moment of every day is your choice unless you give it away. Lord, I choose to live peacefully today and ask for patience and strength when I feel stress from the demands others place on me. To give of yourself is when you truly give. Lord, even in my busiest moments may I be able to make time when someone really needs me. |
August 15
Daily Reflections DIDN'T WE HURT ANYBODY? Some of us, though, tripped over a very different snag. We clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 79 This Step seemed so simple. I identified several people whom I had harmed, but they were no longer available. Still, I was uneasy about the Step and avoided conversations dealing with it. In time I learned to investigate those Steps and areas of my life which made me uncomfortable. My search revealed my parents, who had been deeply hurt by my isolation from them; my employer, who worried about my absences, my memory lapses, my temper; and the friends I had shunned, without explanation. As I faced the reality of the harm I had done, Step Eight took on a new meaning. I am no longer uncomfortable and I feel clean and light. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever. If we have admitted we are alcoholics, we must have no reservations of any kind, nor any lurking notion that some day we will be immune to alcohol. What sort of thinking dominates an alcoholic who repeats time after time the desperate experiment of the first drink? Parallel with sound reasoning, there inevitably runs some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. There is little thought of what the terrific consequences may be." Have I given up all excuses for taking a drink? Meditation For The Day "Where two or three are banded together, I will be there in the midst of them." When God finds two or three people in union, who only want His will to be done, who want only to serve Him, He has a plan that can be revealed to them. The grace of God can come to people who are together in one place with one accord. A union like this is miracle-working. God is able to use such people. Only good can come through such consecrated people, brought together in unified groups for a single purpose and of a single mind. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may be part of a unified group. I pray that I may contribute my share to its consecrated purpose. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Is Sobriety Enough? p.227 The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others. Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil. We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don't see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain't it grand the wind stop blowin'? ********************************* We ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have "harmed" other people. What kind of "harm" do people do one another, anyway? To define the word "harm" in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to those about us. 1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p.82 2. 12 & 12, p. 80 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Do We Have A Larger Purpose? Peace The Twelve Step program came out of a movement that was attempting to save the world by establishing universal peace. Our purpose is scaled down to helping the person who still suffers. We don't really know the route to world peace, but we have learned that we must be at peace with ourselves and others in order to live happily. This means releasing the old resentments, distrust, and other faults that plague so many of us. Living the Twelve Step way might have been our first experience in getting along with others. We found it totally different from the hate and suspicion that once poisoned our lives and kept us in bondage. At some point, we may also find that we're playing a part in the larger purpose of finding peace. We have , at least, removed ourselves from the raging conflicts that cause so much trouble in the world. I'll be at peace with everyone I meet today. I've forgiven others and myself, and I'll do nothing today that gets me embroiled in conflict with others. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple We know what we are, but know not what we may be.---Shakespeare We are addicts. We suffer from an illness. We go to Twelve Step meetings because we know who we are. We have a sponsor because we know who we are. We ask friends for support because we know who we are. We know why we need our Higher Power to guide us. Recovery is a spiritual journey. In this journey, we are followers, not guides. It's a journey that change us. We don't know how recovery will change us, but we know it will. Is my faith strong enough for my journey? Part of how we get strong for our journey is by knowing who we truly are: addicts. Prayer for the Day: I pray to remember who I am, so I'll learn to respect the power of my illness. Action for the Day: I'll take time to remember my past, both good and bad. I'll also take time to think about who I am now. How far have I come? ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Life does not need to mutilate itself in order to be pure. --Simone Weil How terribly complicated we choose to make life's many questions. Should we call a friend and apologize or wait for her call? Are the children getting the kind of care they must, right now? That we "Came to believe in a power greater than ourselves" is often far from our thoughts when we most need it. Our need to make all things perfect, to know all the answers, to control everything within our range, creates problems where none really exist. And the more we focus on the problem we've created, the bigger it becomes. Inattention relieves the tension; last week's problems can seldom be recalled. The one we are keeping a problem with our undivided attention can be turned loose, at this moment. And just as quickly, the turmoil we've been feeling will be beyond recall too. The program offers us another way to approach life. We need not mutilate it or ourselves. We can learn to accept the things we cannot change, and change the things we can . . . with practice. I will pray for wisdom today. I shall expect wisdom, not problems, and the day will smoothly slip by. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM Fred is a partner in a well known accounting firm. His income is good, he has a fine home, is happily married and the father of promising children of college age. He has so attractive a personality that he makes friends with everyone. If ever there was a successful business man, it is Fred. To all appearance he is a stable, well balanced individual. Yet, he is alcoholic. We first saw Fred about a year ago in a hospital where he had gone to recover from a bad case of jitters. It was his first experience of this kind, and he was much ashamed of it. Far from admitting he was an alcoholic , he told himself he came to the hospital to rest his nerves. The doctor intimated strongly that he might be worse than he realized. For a few days he was depressed about his condition. He made up his mind to quit drinking altogether. It never occurred to him that perhaps he could not do so, in spite of his character and standing. Fred would not believe himself an alcoholic, much less accept a spiritual remedy for his problem. We told him what we knew about alcoholism. He was interested and conceded that he had some of the symptoms, but he was a long way from admitting that he could do nothing about it himself. He was positive that this humiliating experience, plus the knowledge he had acquired, would keep him sober the rest of his life. Self-knowledge would fix it. pp. 39-40 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Much the same approach will apply at the office or factory. We shall at once think of a few people who know all about our drinking, and who have been most affected by it. But even in these cases, we may need to use a little more discretion than we did with the family. We may not want to say anything for several weeks, or longer. First we will wish to be reasonably certain that we are on the A.A. beam. Then we are ready to go to these people, to tell them what A.A. is, and what we are trying to do. Against this background we can freely admit the damage we have done and make our apologies. We can pay, or promise to pay, whatever obligations, financial or otherwise, we owe. The generous response of most people to such quiet sincerity will often astonish us. Even our severest and most justified critics will frequently meet us more than halfway on the first trial. p. 84 ************************************************** ********* Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius. --George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon The greatest power is often simple patience. --E. Joseph Cossman I look at the world with gratitude, down to the smallest thing, as it is all a gift from God. --Shelley Life is everything YOU put into it. --unknown Kindness from your heart can only bring you blessings. --unknown "Something must die in order to grow - your old habits, your old self image, your old thinking, your old life - must be weeded out for the seeds of success to grow." --Doug Firebaugh *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation PROPERTY "Property is the fruit of labor; property is desirable; it is a positive good." -- Abraham Lincoln God is to be found in the physical. He is to be found in my body, my sexuality, the mountains and streams --- and also in houses and real-estate. The luxury of comfort and good living is not incompatible with the spiritual life --- indeed, the use of our property can be an opportunity for gratitude and sharing. I know many people who use their comfortable homes for opportunities to develop sincere friendships. Luxury homes can be used for retreats and spiritual seminars involving music, dance and silence. Property is part of God's landscape into his world. His love, joy and hope for mankind can be experienced by our creative use of property. Let me use my property creatively. ************************************************** ********* "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23 "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Others can not make you angry or upset unless you give them this power. Lord, strengthen my ability to know that how I feel is my choice and help me respond in ways that make me a happier person. Use your talents. The world would be silent if only the birds that sing the best would sing. Lord, I will use Your gifts because You chose them especially for me. |
August 16
Daily Reflections "I HAD DROPPED OUT" We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have "harmed" other people. What kinds of "harm" do people do one another, anyway? To define the word "harm" in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to people. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 80 I had been to Eighth Step meetings, always thinking, "I really haven't harmed many people, mostly myself." But the time came when I wrote my list out and it was not as short as I thought it would be. I either liked you, disliked you, or needed something from you - it was that simple. People hadn't done what I wanted them to do and intimate relationships were out of hand because of my partners unreasonable demands. Were these "sins of omission"? Because of my drinking, I had "dropped out" - never sending cards, returning calls, being there for other people, or taking part in their lives. What a grace it has been to look at these relationships, to make my inventories in quiet, alone with the God of my understanding, and to go forth daily, with a willingness to be honest and forthright in my relationships. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "The alcoholic is absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. We must admit we can do nothing about it ourselves. Willpower and self-knowledge will never help in the strange mental blank spots when we are tempted to drink. An alcoholic mentally is in a very sick condition. The last flicker of conviction that we can do the job ourselves must be snuffed out. The spiritual answer and the program of action are the only hope. Only spiritual principles will solve our problems. We are completely helpless apart from Divine help. Our defense against drinking must come from a Higher Power." Have I accepted the spiritual answer and the program of action? Meditation For The Day Rest now until life, eternal life, flowing through your veins and heart and mind, bids you to bestir yourself. Then glad work will follow. Tired work is never effective. The strength of God's spirit is always available to the tired mind and body. He is your physician and your healer. Look to these quiet times of communion with God for rest, for peace, for cure. Then rise refreshed in spirit and go out to work, knowing that your strength is able to meet any problems because it is reinforced by God's power. Prayer For The Day I pray that the peace I have found will make me effective. I pray that I may be relieved of all strain during this day. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It The Beginning of True Kinship, p.228 When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved. But we soon discovered that, while we weren't alone any more in a social sense, we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God. 12 & 12, p. 57 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Who is the Key person? Respecting others The Twelve Step movement grew out of a society that practiced a Key Person strategy; If you could win important persons into your group, others of high standing would follow. The experience of Alcoholics Anonymous led a different strategy: Work with anybody who wants help, and let leaders appear as they will. The leaders, whom we call trusted servants, were sometimes very ordinary people in the eyes of the world. Some were like Bill W., people of great ability whose careers had been wrecked by alcoholism. In any case, it is obvious that we are poor judge of who might become a key person. In the sight of God, we're told, all humans are equal. Our best success comes when we treat every newcomer as a key person. I'll remember today to view every person with the respect and consideration that is usually extended to people whom the world considers important. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.---Benjamin Spock In recovery, we each rebel against our disease. Each day we fight for the freedom to stay close to our Higher Power, friends and family. It's mainly a quiet battle. It's fought daily. We fight and win by acting in a spiritual way. We fight and win every time we help a friend, go to meetings, or read about how to improve our lives We move slowly but always forward. Rushing will only tire us out. Our battle will go on for life. We are quiet fighters, but we're strong, for we do not fight alone. And we know what waits for us if we lose. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me stay free. When I want to give up, help me realize this is normal. Help me to keep fighting at these times. Action for the Day: Today, I'll be a rebel. I will go to an extra meeting, or I'll talk with my sponsor. I'll find a way to help someone without the person knowing. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Love is a force. It is not a result; it is a cause. It is not a product; it produces. It is a power, like money, or steam or electricity. It is valueless unless you can give something else by means of it. --Anne Morrow Lindbergh Love and feeling loved--how often both elude us! We have taken the first step, though. Let's be grateful for our recovery; this is an act of love. We have chosen to love ourselves, and the program opens the way to our loving others. Love and loving are balms for the soul sickness we experience. We are being healed. We are healing one another. Loving others means going beyond our own selfish concerns, for the moment, and putting others' concerns first. The result is that others feel our love. They feel a caring that is healing. And our spiritual natures are likewise soothed. We find God and ourselves through touching the souls of one another. Our most special gift is being loved and giving love. Every moment we spend with another person is gift-giving time. Every day is a gift-giving holiday, if I will but make it so. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM We heard no more of Fred for a while. One day we were told that he was back in the hospital. This time he was quite shaky. He soon indicated he was anxious to see us. The story he told is most instructive, for here was a chap absolutely convinced he had to stop drinking, who had no excuse for drinking, who exhibited splendid judgment and determination in all his other concerns, yet was flat on his back nevertheless. p. 40 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." This atmosphere of approval and praise is apt to be so exhilarating as to put us off balance by creating an insatiable appetite for more of the same. Or we may be tipped over in the other direction when, in rare cases, we get a cool and skeptical reception. This will tempt us to argue, or to press our point insistently. Or maybe it will tempt us to discouragement and pessimism. But if we have prepared ourselves well in advance, such reactions will not deflect us from our steady and even purpose. p. 85 ************************************************** ********* In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us. --Flora Edwards There are only three possible outcomes for alcoholics: locked up, covered up, or sobered up. --unknown Seven days without a meeting makes one weak. --Herb B. "Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." --Ambrose Bierce If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money on them. --Abigail Van Buren If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow. --Cited in The Best of...BITS & PIECES *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation SACRIFICE "To believe in sensible ideas is easy, but to implement them involves sacrifice." -- Dorothy Fosdick What am I prepared to sacrifice for what I want? I remember the time I said I would do "anything". Today I know that anything must be translated into something. No person, job or thing can be allowed to come between myself and abstinence. This love of self will enable me to love others. But I must remember to sacrifice my desire to please others and place my needs as a priority in my life. Today I know that if I do not love myself enough to make sacrifices, then I can be nothing. In gratitude I give up those things I know will hurt me. ************************************************** ********* For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:7-10 "He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you." Romans 8:11 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Becoming overwhelmed creeps up slowly, one commitment at a time. Lord, help me regain my time and sanity, accomplish my priorities without major setbacks, and have quiet time left to nurture my spirit. Be patient with others, but mostly be patient with yourself. Lord, help me to keep a smile on my face and to realize my goodness and refuse to dwell on my imperfections. |
August 17
Daily Reflections RIGHTING THE HARM In many instances we shall find that though the harm done others has not been great, the emotional harm we have done ourselves has. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 79 Have you ever thought that the harm you did a business associate, or perhaps a family member, was so slight that it really didn't deserve an apology because they probably wouldn't remember it anyway? If that person, and the wrong done to him, keeps coming to mind, time and again, causing an uneasy or perhaps guilty feeling, then I put that person's name at the top of my "amends list," and become willing to make a sincere apology, knowing I will feel calm and relaxed about that person once this very important part of my recovery is accomplished. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic, a spiritual experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means disaster. To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face. But we have to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life--or else. Lack of power is our dilemma. We have to find a power by which we can live, and it has to be a power greater than ourselves." Have I found that power by which I can live? Meditation For The Day Sunshine is the laughter of nature. Live out in the sunshine. The sun and air are good medicine. Nature is a good nurse for tired bodies. Let her have her way with you. God's grace is like the sunshine. Let your whole being be enwrapped in the Divine spirit. Faith is the soul's breathing in of the Divine spirit. It makes glad the hearts of human beings. The Divine spirit heals and cures the mind. Let it have its way and all will be well. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may live in the sunshine of God's spirit. I pray that my mind and soul may be energized by it. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Day of Homecoming, p. 229 "As sobriety means long life and happiness for the individual, so does unity mean exactly the same thing to our Society as a whole. Unified we live; disunited we shall perish." ******************************** "We must think deeply of all those sick ones still to come to A.A. As they try to make their return to faith and to life, we want them to find everything in A.A. that we have found, and yet more, if that be possible. No care, no vigilance, no effort to preserve A.A.'s constant effectiveness and spiritual strength will ever be too great to hold us in full readiness for the day of their homecoming." 1. Letter, 1949 2. Talk, 1959 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Whom Should we Respect? Respecting others. While having dinner in a nice restaurant, my friends and I realized that we were treating the young man bussing the table with cold indifference. He appeared to be unsure of himself, doing his work with apprehension and a lack of confidence. Here was an example of a person who needed silent encouragement. He needed to be assured that his performance of honest, useful work was respected and appreciated. He also needed to be reminded that he had opportunities to continue developing and using his talents. Perhaps we, as patrons of the restaurant, could provide that. Sometimes this encouragement can simply be expressed in the way we act and feel toward people. If it is genuine and based on good spiritual principles, it will be understood. It's actually a form of practicing the principles of the Twelve Steps in all our affairs. At the same time, we practice identifying with every person we meet. I'll try to take note of every person I come in contact with today, knowing that everyone needs support and encouragement. I can do my part to provide that. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple Words that do not match deeds are not important.---Ernesto Ch'e Guevara What we do can be much more important than what we say. We tend to talk about things we want to do. We need to also be people who do things we talk about. We are not spiritual people unless our actions are spiritual. Many of us used to be "all or nothing" people. That made us afraid to take the big projects. But now we can get things done, if we take one step at a time. We're not "all or nothing" people anymore. We're people who are changing and growing a little every day. And each day our deeds match our words a little better. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me live fully today. Help me not to talk to much about what I want to do. Give me the gift of patience, so I can be pleased with my progress. Action for the Day: Today, I'll list the things that I say I'd like to do. What is one thing I can do today to make each of them happen? I'll take one step today to match my life to my dreams. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best of it as it is, is the only way of being happy. --Jennie Jerome Churchill We are generally so certain that we know what's best for ourselves. And we are just as often certain that what we think is best will guarantee happiness. Perhaps we should reflect on all the times in the past when our wishes didn't come true--fortunately. Did any one of us expect to be doing today, what we each are doing? We may have expected children, a particular kind of home, a certain career, but did we really anticipate all that life has wrought? Addiction, and then recovery from it, was probably not in our pictures. But it does fit into the big picture. The happiness we experience today probably doesn't visit us in the way we anticipated a few years back. But it is measured out according to our needs. The choice to be happy with what is, is ours to make, every moment. I can take life as it is, and trust that it is just right, just what it needs to be. The big picture guarantees me lasting happiness. Today's experiences will move me a step closer. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM Let him tell you about it: “I was much impressed with what you fellows said about alcoholism, and I frankly did not believe it would be possible for me to drink again. I rather appreciated your ideas about the subtle insanity which precedes the first drink, but I was confident it could not happen to me after what I had learned. I reasoned I was not so far advanced as most of you fellows, that I had been usually successful in licking my other personal problems, and that I would therefore be successful where you men failed. I felt I had every right to be self-confident, that it would be only a matter of exercising my will power and keeping on guard. p. 40 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." After taking this preliminary trial at making amends, we may enjoy such a sense of relief that we conclude our task is finished. We will want to rest on our laurels. The temptation to skip the more humiliating and dreaded meetings that still remain may be great. We will often manufacture plausible excuses for dodging these issues entirely. Or we may just procrastinate, telling ourselves the time is not yet, when in reality we have already passed up many a fine chance to right a serious wrong. Let's not talk prudence while practicing evasion. p. 85 ************************************************** ********* "We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." --Anuerin Bevan "You cannot plan the future by the past." --Edmund Burke There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. --Saint Thomas Aquinas Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best of it as it is, is the only way of being happy. --Jennie Jerome Churchill It's not the load that breaks you down...it's the way you carry it. --unknown He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe. --Marcus Aurelius *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation COURAGE "Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first overcome." -- Samuel Johnson There was a time when I never attempted anything because I said it "can't" be done. I could never get sober. I could never stand up to my drunken friends. I could never face my buried secrets. I could never stop gambling. I could never change my eating habits or stop using cocaine. Then I heard the confidence and hope that was reflected in people who were recovering from these same problems. I heard people talk about what it was like, what happened and what it is like now. They told me I didn't mean "can't", I meant "won't"! They told me to take a risk, think positive, try. Today, yesterday's objections are mere memories. Thank You for showing me the light at the end of the tunnel. May I continue to walk in the light. ************************************************** ********* I call on the Lord in my distress and He answers me. Psalm 120:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 "However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.'" I Corinthians 2:9 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Pray together as a family and share each other's joys and burdens. Lord, he is not heavy. He's my brother. If you feel the need to get even, try getting even with those that have helped you. Lord, free me from any thoughts of revenge because this only shuts the door to my own happiness. |
August 18
Daily Reflections GETTING WELL, p.239 Very deep, sometimes quite forgotten, damaging emotional conflicts persist below the level of consciousness. 12 & 12, pp. 79-80 Only through positive action can I remove the remains of guilt and shame brought on by alcohol. Throughout my misadventures when I drank, my friends would say, "Why are you doing this? You're only hurting yourself." Little did I know how true were those words. Although I harmed others, some of my behavior caused grave wounds to my soul. Step Eight provides me with a way of forgiving myself. I alleviate much of the hidden damage when I make my list of those I have hurt. In making amends, I free myself of burdens, thus contributing to my healing. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "We of agnostic temperament have found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which we call God. As soon as you can say that you do believe or are willing to believe, you are on your way. Upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built." Am I willing to depend on a Power that I cannot fully define or comprehend? Meditation For The Day We seek God's presence and "they who seek shall find." It is not a question of searching so much as an inner consciousness of the Divine spirit in your heart. To realize God's presence you must surrender to His will in the small as well as in the big things of life. This makes God's guidance possible. Some things separate you from God--a false word, a fear-inspired failure, a harsh criticism, a stubborn resentment. These are the things that put a distance between your mind and God. A word of love, a selfless reconciliation, a kind act of helpfulness--these bring God closer. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may think and say and do the things that bring God closer to me. I pray that I may find Him in sincere prayer, a kind word, or an unselfish deed. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Love Everybody?, p. 230 Not many people can truthfully assert that they love everybody. Most of us must admit that we have loved but a few; that we have been quite indifferent to the many. As for the remainder--well, we have really disliked or hated them. We A.A.'s find we need something much better than this in order to keep our balance. The idea that we can be possessively loving of a few, can ignore the many, and can continue to fear or hate anybody at all, has to be abandoned, if only a little at a time. We can try to stop making unreasonable demands upon those we love. We can show kindness where we had formerly shown none. With those we dislike we can at least begin to practice justice and courtesy, perhaps going out of our way at times to understand and help them. 12 & 12, pp. 92-93 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Handle Today's Problem Living Today Many of us face seemingly insurmountable difficulties, perhaps because of our compulsion or simply through misfortune. Whatever the scale of our problems,One Day at a Time and First things First, are keys to handling them. Today, we can deal only with today's problems. One of today's problems, of course, may be worrying about the future. A good method of handling that problem is to turn our concern about it over to our Higher Power. But when we do have work that clearly should be done today, we must carry through with it. It's neither reasonable nor sensible to put off things that we can and should do today. There are certain tasks and responsibilities that must be dealt with today. I will not put them off. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple The Master doesn't talk, she acts. When her work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!" Our Higher Power works like the Master. Quietly. In fact, we usually take the credit ourselves! We're like the child who bakes cookies for the first time. Mother found the recipe, bought the ingredients, and got out the bowl and pans and spoons. She told us what to do, and finished when we got tired. Then she cleaned up after us. We proudly served our cookies, saying, "I made them all by my self!" In recovery, our Higher Power helps and teaches us every step of the way, just like a loving parent. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank-you ---for my life, for my recovery, for love, for hope, and for faith. Thank-you for teaching me how to live in a better way. Action for the Day: I'll list five ways my Higher Power has acted in my life. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Today was like a shadow. It lurked behind me. It's now gone forever. Why is it that time is such a difficult thing to befriend? --Mary Casey Each passing minute is all that we are certain of having. The choice is ever present to relish the moment, reaping fully whatever its benefits, knowing that we are being given just what we need each day of our lives. We must not pass up what is offered today. Time accompanies us like a friend, though often a friend denied or ignored. We can't recapture what was offered yesterday. It's gone. All that stands before us is here, now. We can nurture the moment and know that the pain and pleasures offered us with each moment are our friends, the teachers our inner selves await. And we can be mindful that this time, this combination of events and people, won't come again. They are the gift of the present. We can be grateful. We miss the opportunities the day offers because we don't recognize the experiences as the lesson designed for the next stage of our development. The moment's offerings are just, necessary, and friendly to our spiritual growth. I will take today in my arms and love it. I will love all it offers; it is a friend bearing gifts galore. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM “In this frame of mind, I went about my business and for a time all was well. I had no trouble refusing drinks, and began to wonder if I had not been making too hard work of a simple matter. One day I went to Washington to present some accounting evidence to a government bureau. I had been out of town before during this particular dry spell, so there was nothing new about that. Physically, I felt fine. Neither did I have any pressing problems or worries. My business came off well, I was pleased and knew my partners would be too. It was the end of a perfect day, not a cloud on the horizon. pp. 40-41 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to convince those about us that we are indeed changing for the better, it is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who have been seriously affected, even those who may be only a little or not at all aware of what we have done to them. The only exceptions we will make will be cases where our disclosure would cause actual harm. These conversations can begin in a casual or natural way. But if no such opportunity presents itself, at some point we will want to summon all our courage, head straight for the person concerned, and lay our cards on the table. We needn't wallow in excessive remorse before those we have harmed, but amends at this level should always be forthright and generous. pp. 85-86 ************************************************** ********* The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. --Marcel Proust "The first recipe for happiness is: Avoid too lengthy meditations on the past." --André Maurois "Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself." --Felix Adler "The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg - not by smashing it." --Arnold Glasow "Patience and perseverance at length / Accomplish more than anger or brute strength." --Jean de La Fontaine Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. It gets dark sometimes but morning comes... Keep hope alive. --Jesse Jackson *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation ABILITY "Man's ability is derived from God and does not have to be acquired." -- James H. McReynolds I woke this morning and remembered that sobriety and serenity are gifts from God that are freely given. I need only discover them within my capacity to be honest. I need only seek them in my new attitudes. I need only discover them in the spiritual program from my life. God is alive in my life and His acceptance of me is guaranteed. May I continue to discover more of Your beauty in my life. ************************************************** ********* "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." James 1:19 "The Father and I are one." John 10:30 "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration The more frantic we feel on the inside, the more compulsive we try to organize the outside. Lord, help me bring peace and order to my inner spirit by letting go of the past, bring resolution to the issues that are pressing and making a commitment to enjoy my life right now. Do not be afraid to ask everything of God. He is always present and always loving us. Lord, I trust in You and ask for Your help in all that I do and need and want. I also ask for Your help in accepting Your answers when they are different than I would want or expect. |
August 19
Daily Reflections A FRAME OF REFERENCE Referring to our list [inventory] again. Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 67 There is a wonderful freedom in not needing constant approval from colleagues at work or from the people I love. I wish I had known about this Step before, because once I developed a frame of reference, I felt able to do the next right thing, knowing that the action fit the situation and that it was the correct thing to do. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. There is a wide variation in the way each one of us approaches and conceives of the Power greater than ourselves. Whether we agree with a particular approach or conception seems to make little difference. There are questions for each of us to settle for ourselves. But in each case the belief in a Higher Power has accomplished the miraculous, the humanly impossible. There has come a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking." Has there been a revolutionary change in me? Meditation For The Day Worship is consciousness of God's divine majesty. As you pause to worship, God will help you raise your humanity to His divinity. The earth is a material temple to enclose God's divinity. God brings to those who worship Him a divine power, a divine love, and a divine healing. You only have to open your mind to Him and try to absorb some of His divine spirit. Pausing quietly in the spirit of worship, turn your inward thoughts upward and realize that His divine power may be yours, that you can experience His love and healing. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may worship God by sensing the eternal Spirit. I pray that I may experience a new power in my life. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Privileged to Communicate, p. 231 Everyone must agree that we A.A.'s are unbelievably fortunate people; fortunate that we have suffered so much; fortunate that we can know, understand, and love each other so supremely well. These attributes and virtues are scarcely of the earned variety. Indeed, most of us are well aware that these are rare gifts which have their true origin in our kinship born of a common suffering and a common deliverance by the grace of God. Thereby we are privileged to communicate with each other to a degree and in a manner not very often surpassed among our nonalcoholic friends in the world around us. ******************************** "I used to be ashamed of my condition and so didn't talk about it. But nowadays I freely confess I am a depressive, and this has attracted other depressives to me. Working with them has helped a great deal."* 1. Grapevine, October 1959 2. Letter, 1954 *Bill added that he had no depression after 1955. ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Inventory is now Personal Inventory. In the early days of AA, the dramatic accounts of drinking escapades seemed to show honesty. Taking personal inventory often included telling others about bizarre behavior connected with drinking. We know today that inventory ought to continue on a daily basis, even though years have passed since our last drink. We've learned through painful experiences that in sobriety we can still display many of the shortcomings that plagued us as practicing alcoholics. It can also be a trap to focus on our past wrongs rather than today's faults. We may be using this focus on the past to avoid being honest about where we stand today. Let's remember that inventory is always now. Taking inventory of the past won't help us with today's shortcomings. I won't use a discussion of my past wrongs as a subterfuge to keep from being honest about today's wrongs. I'll continue to take personal inventory and admit wrongs as they come up. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple The future is made of the same stuff as the present. --- Simone Weil We found we didn’t need magic to recover---we needed a miracle! Now we are walking miracles. Part of our miracle is that we see how important today is. We can’t change our future unless we change today. So we live One Day at a Time. By living today well, we make our future better. There is comfort in knowing that the program will be there. Hope we’ll be there. Old-timers say sobriety is easy if we go by one simple rule: don’t drink and go to meeting. Life can get simpler; they don’t change much. Staying sober will be easier for us over time. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me keep my sobriety simple. Help me accept the rules of life. Action for the Day: I will list three things that will be there for me tomorrow and the next day, because I’m working on them today. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning ...to have a crisis and act upon it is one thing. To dwell in perpetual crisis is another. --Barbara Grizzuti Harrison Exaggerating the negative element in our lives is familiar behavior for all too many of us. But this obsession is our choice. We can stop at any moment. We can decide to let go of a situation that we can't control, turn it over to God, and be free to look ahead at the possibilities for happiness. Perhaps we can learn to accept a serious situation in our lives as a special opportunity for growth first of all, but even more as an opportunity to let God work in our lives. We learn to trust by giving over our dilemmas to God for solutions. With patience, we will see the right outcomes, and we will more easily turn to God the next time. Crises will lessen in number and in gravity in direct proportion to the partnership we develop with our higher power. The stronger our dependence on that power, for all answers and all directions, the greater will our comfort be in all situations. Serenity is the gift promised when we let God handle our lives. No crisis need worry us. The solution is only a prayer away. I will take action against every crisis confronting me--I will turn to God. Each crisis is an invitation to serenity. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM “I went to my hotel and leisurely dressed for dinner. As I crossed the threshold of the dinning room, the thought came to mind that it would be nice to have a couple of cocktails with dinner. That was all. Nothing more. I ordered a cocktail and my meal. Then I ordered another cocktail. After dinner I decided to take a walk. When I returned to the hotel it struck me a highball would be fine before going to bed, so I stepped into the bar and had one. I remember having several more that night and plenty next morning. I have a shadowy recollection of being in a airplane bound for New York, and of finding a friendly taxicab driver at the landing field instead of my wife. The driver escorted me for several days. I know little of where I went or what I said and did. Then came the hospital with the unbearable mental and physical suffering. p. 41 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." There can only be one consideration which should qualify our desire for a complete disclosure of the damage we have done. That will arise in the occasional situation where to make a full revelation would seriously harm the one to whom we are making amends. Or--quite as important--other people. We cannot, for example, unload a detailed account of extramarital adventuring upon the shoulders of our unsuspecting wife or husband. And even in those cases where such a matter must be discussed, let's try to avoid harming third parties, whoever they may be. It does not lighten our burden when we recklessly make the crosses of others heavier. p. 86 ************************************************** ********* "Lost time is never found again." --Benjamin Franklin Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. --William Durant When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the word of God, because you will have found it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty. --Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924) "It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You can not make progress without making decisions." --Jim Rohn All that is necessary to make this world a better place to live is to love....to love as He loved. --Isadora Duncan "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned." --Buddha Whatever my problem today, I will let God have it. A solution is in the making. I'll see it just as quickly as I can let go of the problem. --unknown We know what we are, but know not what we may be. --Shakespeare *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation DECISION "When you see a snake, never mind where he came from." -- W. G. Benham So many alcoholics have died looking for "the problem" that made them drink. The wife, family, neighborhood or unemployment was why they thought they got drunk. They died seeking a reason. Alcoholics Anonymous clearly states that alcohol is the problem for alcoholics. Alcohol is the problem! A statement that is so simple yet so profound in its healing. Today thousands upon thousands are choosing not to die by not taking the first drink. To see the problem clearly and honestly is the beginning of wisdom. O.A., ACoA, N.A., G.A., Al-Anon and others have used these simple principles with profound results. Do I see the snake? Teach me to avoid those things that cause me pain and destruction. ************************************************** ********* "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so. Genesis 1:26-30 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Begin each day with the certainty that today is the best day of your life and watch what happens. Lord, I celebrate my life and give thanks for everything because for everything there is a reason. Make today the best day of your life. Lord, I have been greatly blessed not only by what I have, but by those burdens that I have been spared. |
August 20
Daily Reflections TOWARD EMOTIONAL FREEDOM Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 80 Willingness is a peculiar thing for me in that, over a period of time, it seems to come, first with awareness, but then with a feeling of discomfort, making me want to take some action. As I reflected on taking the Eighth Step, my willingness to make amends to others came as a desire for forgiveness, of others and myself. I felt forgiveness toward others after I became aware of my part in the difficulties of relationships. I wanted to feel the peace and serenity described in the Promises. From working the first seven Steps, I became aware of whom I had harmed and that I had been my own worst enemy. In order to restore my relationships with my fellow human beings, I knew I would have to change. I wanted to learn to live in harmony with myself and others so that I could also live in emotional freedom. The beginning of the end to my isolation - from my fellows and from God - came when I wrote my Eighth Step list. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith. When we see others solve their problems by simple reliance upon some Spirit of the universe, we have to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work, but the God-idea does. Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. Faith in a Power greater than ourselves and miraculous demonstrations of that power in our lives are facts as old as the human race." Am I willing to rely on the Spirit of the universe? Meditation For The Day You should not dwell too much on the mistakes, faults, and failures of the past. Be done with shame and remorse and contempt for yourself. With God's help, develop a new self-respect. Unless you respect yourself, others will not respect you. You ran a race, you stumbled and fell, you have risen again, and now you press on toward the goal of a better life. Do not stay to examine the spot where you fell, only feel sorry for the delay, the shortsightedness that prevented you from seeing the real goal sooner. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may not look back. I pray that I may keep picking myself up and making a fresh start each day. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It The Value of Human Will, p. 232 Many newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a growing conviction that human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong assault powered only by the individual's will. However, there are certain things which the individual alone can do. All by himself, and in the light of his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he acquires willingness, he is the only one who can then make the decision to exert himself along spiritual lines. Trying to do this is actually an act of his own will. It is the right use of this faculty. Indeed, all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps require our sustained and personal exertion to conform to their principles and so, we trust, to God's will. 12 & 12, p. 40 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places All that Glitters Tempting Moments Though real sobriety means all lose of desire to drink, it's not uncommon to have moments when the old life takes on a sudden appeal. This appeal is never based on a realistic look at things as they were. It is more a rush of feeling connected with some alluring aspect of the drinking life. Such a false feeling will always pass if we let ourselves remember what happened to us and why we needed to seek recovery. We cannot have this rush of feeling when we remember the misery, despair, and other pain from that part of our lives. All that glitters is not gold, goes an old saying. All the glittering scenes connected with drinking are not really golden moments, either. They are, for us, always preludes to disaster. I'll remember today to let realistic thinking rule my life even if there are moments when my feelings run temporarily awry. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple Heaven and hell is right now. . .You make it heaven or you make it hell by your actions.----George Harrison We used chemicals to feel better, but we started feeling worse. We were out of control. Life seemed like hell. Now we have a program that tells us how to make life better. Some days, it even feels like heaven! But we have to work our program to make our own heaven. Working the program isn’t too hard. And it makes us feel so good. So, why don’t we do it all the time? Maybe we’re a little afraid of heaven. It’s time to learn to love having a better life! Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me work my program each day, so each day has a little bit of heaven in it. Help me get used to having a better life. Action for the Day: Tonight, I’ll think about the moments of kindness, joy, hope and faith that put a little bit of heaven into my life today. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Everything in life that we really accept undergoes a change. So suffering must become love. That is the mystery. --Katherine Mansfield Acceptance of those conditions that at times plague us changes not only the conditions but, in the process, ourselves. Perhaps this latter change is the more crucial. As each changes, as we all change into more accepting women, life's struggles ease. When we accept all the circumstances that we can't control, we are more peaceful. Smiles more easily fill us up. It's almost as though life's eternal lesson is acceptance, and with it comes life's eternal blessings. Every day offers me many opportunities to grow in acceptance and thus blessings. I can accept any condition today and understand it as an opportunity to take another step toward serenity, eternal and whole. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM “As soon as I regained my ability to think, I went carefully over that evening in Washington. Not only had I been off guard, I had made no fight whatever against the first drink. This time I had not thought of the consequences at all. I had commenced to drink as carelessly as thought the cocktails were ginger ale. I now remembered what my alcoholic friends had told me, how they prophesied that if I had an alcoholic mind, the time and place would come—I would drink again. They had said that though I did raise a defense, it would one day give way before some trivial reason for having a drink. Well, just that did happen and more, for what I had learned of alcoholism did not occur to me at all. I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots. I had never been able to understand people who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated. I knew then. It was the crushing blow. pp. 41-42 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Many a razor-edged question can arise in other departments of life where this same principle is involved. Suppose, for instance, that we have drunk up a good chunk of our firm's money, whether by "borrowing" or on a heavily padded expense account. Suppose that this may continue to go undetected, if we say nothing. Do we instantly confess our irregularities to the firm, in the practical certainty that we will be fired and become unemployable? Are we going to be so rigidly righteous about making amends that we don't care what happens to the family and home? Or do we first consult those who are to be gravely affected? Do we lay the matter before our sponsor or spiritual adviser, earnestly asking God's help and guidance--meanwhile resolving to do the right thing when it becomes clear, cost what it may? Of course, there is no pat answer which can fit all such dilemmas. But all of them do require a complete willingness to make amends as fast and as far as may be possible in a given set of conditions. pp. 86-87 ************************************************** ********* Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. --M. Scott Peck Let me tell thee, time is a very precious gift of God; so precious that it's only given to us moment by moment. --Amelia Barr "You cannot give to people what they are incapable of receiving." --Agatha Christie "I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself." --Walter Anderson If I love with my Spirit, I don't have to think so hard with my head. --unknown "For many people, change is more threatening than challenging. They see it as the destroyer of what is familiar and comfortable rather than the creator of what is new and exciting." --Nido Qubein Often when we're being tough and strong, we're scared. It takes a lot of courage to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to be soft. --Dudley Martineau Heaven and hell is right now. . .You make it heaven or you make it hell by your actions. --George Harrison *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation TOGETHERNESS "A man who thinks of himself as belonging to a particular national group in Americas has not yet become an American." -- Woodrow Wilson Today I know that I belong. I am not alone. I do not exist outside of the human race. I am an important part of this world. Addiction makes us feel different, separated and isolated. It keeps us divided within ourselves, our family and relationships. So long as it can do this, it wins. Now I know that I belong. I make up a part of the whole. Something of this universe is mine. I am not an island unto myself. I am an essential part of the human race. I am at home in my world. ************************************************** ********* My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." Ephesians 4:26 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Make peace with your imperfections and concentrate on your strengths. Lord, teach me to become more aware of my goodness so that little by little I will become even better. We can be serious about our work without being serious about ourselves. Lord, help me to enjoy the person that I am. |
August 21
Daily Reflections WE JUST TRY, p.242 My stability came out of trying to give, not out of demanding that I receive. The Best Of Bill, pp. 46-47 As long as I try, with all my heart and soul, to pass along to others what has been passed along to me, and do not demand anything in return, life is good to me. Before entering this program of Alcoholics Anonymous I was never able to give without demanding something in return. Little did I know that, once I began to give freely of myself, I would begin to receive, without ever expecting or demanding anything at all. What I receive today is the gift of "stability," as Bill did: stability in my A.A. program; within myself; but most of all, in my relationship with my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "Who are you to say there is no God? This challenge comes to all of us. Are we capable of denying that there is a design and purpose in all of life as we know it? Or are we willing to admit that faith in some kind of Divine Principle is a part of our makeup, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend? We find a great Reality deep down within us, if we face ourselves as we really are. In the last analysis, it is only there that God may be found. When we find this Reality within us, we are restored to our right minds." Have I found the great reality? Meditation For The Day "Behold, I make all things new." When you change to a new way of life, you leave many things behind you. It is only the earth-bound spirit that cannot soar. Loosen somewhat the strands that tie you to the earth. It is only the earthly desires that bind you. Your new freedom will depend on your ability to rise above earthly things. Clipped wings can grow again. Broken wings can regain a strength and beauty unknown before. If you will, you can be released and free. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may be freed from things that hold me down. I pray that my spirit may soar in freedom. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It The Value of Human Will, p. 232 Many newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a growing conviction that human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong assault powered only by the individual's will. However, there are certain things which the individual alone can do. All by himself, and in the light of his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he acquires willingness, he is the only one who can then make the decision to exert himself along spiritual lines. Trying to do this is actually an act of his own will. It is the right use of this faculty. Indeed, all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps require our sustained and personal exertion to conform to their principles and so, we trust, to God's will. 12 & 12, p. 40 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Meeting needs in the Right Way. Self-Understanding. Bizarre as it is, the bad behavior of drunkenness has an underlying logic when it's really understood. Why, for example, would people squander money buying drinks for total strangers when their families are going without? This is an insane way of meeting needs for intimacy and approval. It's true that these needs will never be met in this fashion, but try telling that to a person who is still drinking! In recovery, we can more easily forgive ourselves for past actions when we realize they came out of a misguided attempt to meet basic needs. A starving person will seek out garbage. Starved as we were for necessities of life, we sought a form of garbage. The good news in AA recovery is that sobriety will help us meet basic needs in the right way. I'll keep in mind today that as a human being I have certain needs that should be met in proper ways. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple Beauty is not caused. It is.--- Emily Dickinson Probably, there have been many times when we thought we weren’t beautiful. We thought we were ugly. We thought we were bad people. This is a natural part of addiction. Our program tells us we’re good, we’re beautiful. Do we believe this? Do we accept this part of the program? Beauty is an attitude, just as self-hate is an attitude. We need to keep the attitude that we’re beautiful. We owe it to ourselves and to those around us. And, yes, it’s true that you must love yourself before you can love others. Remember, ours is a selfish program. We have to love and see ourselves as beautiful, before we can give it to others. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me claim my beauty. Help me to see that, sometimes, I have to be selfish to grow. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll work at falling in love with myself. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning With each new day I put away the past and discover the new beginnings I have been given. --Angela L. Wozniak We can't recapture what is no more. And the minutes or hours we spend dwelling on what was or should have been only steal away from all that presently is. Today stands before us with promise. The opportunities for growth are guaranteed, as is all the spiritual help we need to handle any situation the day offers. If today offers us a challenge, we can be grateful. Our challenges are gifts. They mean we are ready to move ahead to new awarenesses, to a new sense of our womanhood. Challenges force us to think creatively; they force us to turn to others; they demand that we change. Without challenges, we'd stagnate, enjoying life little, offering life nothing. We each are making a special contribution, one that only we can make; each time we confront a new situation with courage. Each time we dare to open a new door. What we need to do today is to close the door on yesterday. Then we can stand ready and willing to go forward. This day awaits my full presence. I will be the recipient of its gifts. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM “Two of the members of Alcoholics Anonymous came to see me. They grinned, which I didn’t like so much, and then asked me if I thought myself alcoholic and if I were really licked this time. I had to concede both propositions. They piled on me heaps of evidence to the effect that an alcoholic mentality, such as I had exhibited in Washington, was hopeless condition. They cited cases out of their own experience by the dozen. This process snuffed out the last flicker of conviction that I could do the job myself. p. 42 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Above all, we should try to be absolutely sure that we are not delaying because we are afraid. For the readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of others at the same time, is the very spirit of Step Nine. p. 87 ************************************************** ********* Don't worry about what's ahead. Just go as far as you can go - from there you can see farther. --unknown Life's most difficult challenges, are our greatest teachers and an opportunity for growth. --unknown Happiness is intrinsic, it's an internal thing. When you build it into yourself, no external circumstances can take it away. That kind of happiness is a twenty-four-hour thing. --Leo F. Buscaglia Spirit is at work through me, I am led to do the right and loving thing. --Shelley Stay committed to your growth process until you wake up one morning and ask yourself, What is that strange thing I am feeling? Then know what the answer is. The answer is joy. --Melody Beattie We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies. --Roderick Thorpe *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation HAPPINESS "We are looking in the wrong places for happiness." -- Robert J. McCracken I sought happiness in the bottle. Others looked for "good feelings" in drugs, food or other people. Today I know that nothing that is outside of me can make me acceptable --- acceptance must come from within. I need to discover that spiritual place where I can be acceptable to me. Self-esteem is an essential part of my recovery and that can only be realized by making the spiritual journey within. Today I seek to discover me. I want to know me --- because You created me. ************************************************** ********* "Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you." Psalm 38:21-22 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37 "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you with his love." Zephaniah 3:17a "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." Psalm 73:24 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration By being less judgmental of others, you will eliminate much frustration. Lord, I pray for the peace that comes from understanding and compassion. Because Jesus is with you, you can survive the darkest moment and emerge a better and stronger person. Lord, I trust quietly that you are working things out according to Your plan for me. |
August 22
Daily Reflections SEEKING EMOTIONAL STABILITY, p.243 When we developed still more, we discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would. If we really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our fellows nor would we feel the urge wholly to rely on human protection and care. 12 & 12, p.116 All my life I depended on people for my emotional needs and security, but today I cannot live that way anymore. By the grace of God, I have admitted my powerlessness over people, places and things. I had been a real "people addict"; wherever I went there had to be someone who would pay some kind of attention to me. It was the kind of attitude that could only get worse, because the more I depended on others and demanded attention, the less I received. I have given up believing that any human power can relieve me of that empty feeling. Although I remain a fragile human being who needs to work A.A.'s Steps to keep this particular principle before my personality, it is only a loving God who can give me inner peace and emotional stability. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "Those who do not recover are people who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault. They seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover, if they have the capacity to be honest." Am I completely honest with myself and with other people? Meditation For The Day You can make use of your mistakes, failures, losses, and sufferings. It is not what happens to you so much as what use you make of it. Take your sufferings, difficulties, and hardships and make use of them to help some unfortunate soul who is faced with the same troubles. Then something good will come out of your suffering and the world will be a better place because of it. The good you do each day will live on, after the trouble and distress have gone, after the difficulty and the pain have passed away. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may make good use of my mistakes and failures. I pray that some good may result from my painful experiences. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Everyday Living, p. 233 The A.A. emphasis on personal inventory is heavy because a great many of us have never really acquired the habit of accurate self-appraisal. Once this heavy practice has become a habit, it will prove so interesting and profitable that the time it takes won't be missed. For these minutes and often hours spent in self-examination are bound to make all the other hours of our day better and happier. At length, our inventories become a necessity of everyday living, rather than something unusual or set apart. 12 & 12, pp. 89-90 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Whose experience is important? Sharing. In the Twelve Step movement, we often feature outstanding speakers at large anniversary meetings. In some ways, this makes celebrities of them..... their personal stories seem to be deemed more important that those of others. We should accept such large meetings for what they are: Part entertainment, part socialization, and part celebration. The real work of our fellowship, however, lies in ordinary, continuous activity in the groups. The most important experience to be shared is not the dramatic or humorous account heard at the large meeting. What really works to keep us sober is the experience we share with each other. This can survive long after the powerful speech is forgotten. I'll remember today that I can find help and growth in talking with different people I meet at regular meetings. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple It’s a rare person who wants to hear what we doesn’t want to hear.---Dick Cavett We want only to hear good thins. That we’re nice people. That our loved ones are healthy. That we did a good job. We don’t want to hear that anyone is angry with us, or that we made a mistake. We don’t want to hear about illness or troubles. But life isn’t just happy news. Bad things happen. We can’t change that. As we live our recovery program, we learn to handle the addiction. We choose the path of life. We need to know all the news, good, and bad. Then we can deal with life as it really is. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me listen---even when I don't want to. Gently help me deal with both the good and bad. All the help I need is mine for the asking. Action for the Day: I will ask my sponsor and three friends to tell me about my blind spots. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning We're only as sick as the secrets we keep. --Sue Atchley Ebaugh Harboring parts of our inner selves, fearing what others would think if they knew, creates the barriers that keep us separate, feeling different, certain of our inadequacies. Secrets are burdens, and they weigh heavily on us, so heavily. Carrying secrets makes impossible the attainment of serenity--that which we strive for daily. Abstinence alone is not enough. It must come first, but it's not enough by itself. It can't guarantee that we'll find the serenity we seek. This program of recovery offers self-assurance, happiness, spiritual well-being, but there's work to be done. Many steps to be taken. And one of these is total self-disclosure. It's risky, it's humbling, and it's necessary. When we tell others who we really are, it opens the door for them to share likewise. And when they do, we become bonded. We accept their imperfections and love them for them. And they love us for ours. Our struggles to be perfect, our self-denigration because we aren't, only exaggerates even more the secrets that keep us sick. Our tarnished selves are lovable; secrets are great equalizers when shared. We need to feel our oneness, our sameness with other women. Opportunities to share my secrets will present themselves today. I will be courageous. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM “Then they outlined the spiritual answer and program of action which a hundred of them had followed successfully. Though I had been only a nominal churchman, their proposals were not, intellectually, hard to swallow. But the program of action, though entirely sensible, was pretty drastic. It meant I would have to throw several lifelong conceptions out of the window. That was not easy. But the moment I made up my mind to go through with the process, I had the curious feeling that my alcoholic condition was relieved, as in fact it proved to be. p. 42 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions? p. 88 ************************************************** ********* "Holding resentment is like eating poison and then waiting for the other person to keel over." --Unknown "Would you rather be right, or happy?" --A Course in Miracles "Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden, where the flowers are all dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring." --Oscar Wilde Ask a question and you're a fool for three minutes; do not ask a question and you're a fool for the rest of your life. --Chinese Proverb Giving is the highest expression of our power. --Vivian Greene What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. --Oliver Wendell Holmes *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation INDIFFERENCE "The worst sin towards our fellow creatures in not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity." -- George Bernard Shaw For years I was indifferent to family and friends. And the tragedy was that because of my alcoholism I did not know it! For too long I was unaware of my disease and its multiple implications. Today I am not indifferent. Spirituality teaches me that I am not a spectator but a participant. I am involved in my life and, ultimately, in the lives of others. Today I seek to practice the principles of sobriety in every area of my life. I not only seek to be sober on a daily basis, but I also seek to be honest, open and tolerant with other people. The spiritual goal of sobriety and abstinence has placed me at the center of the universe and I know today that I make a difference to my fellow man. Remove from me all attitudes of indifference and apathy. Make me a worthy steward in Your vineyard. ************************************************** ********* If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13 "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you." Isaiah 66:13 "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Each day offers many opportunities to smile when others don't and be more patient when others aren't. Lord, may I be an example of Your presence within me and a reminder to others that You are there for them too. |
August 23
Daily Reflections BRINGING THE MESSAGE HOME Can we bring the same spirit of love and tolerance into our sometimes deranged family lives that we bring to our A.A. group? TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , pp. 111 -112 My family members suffer from the effects of my disease. Loving and accepting them as they are - just as I love and accept A.A. members - fosters a return of love, tolerance and harmony to my life. Using common courtesy and respecting other's personal boundaries are necessary practices for all areas of my life. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "We who have accepted the A.A. principles have been faced with the necessity for a thorough personal housecleaning. We must face and be rid of the things in ourselves that have been blocking us. We therefore take a personal inventory. We take stock honestly. We search out the flaws in our make-up that caused our failure. Resentment is the number one offender. Life that includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. If we are to live, we must be free of anger." Am I free of resentment and anger? Meditation For The Day Keep in mind the goal you are striving for, the good life you are trying to attain. Do not let little things divert you from the path. Do not be overcome by the small trials and vexations of each day. Try to see the purpose and plan to which all is leading. if, when climbing a mountain, you keep your eyes on each stony or difficult place, how weary is your climb. But if you think of each step as leading to the summit of achievement from which a glorious landscape will open out before you, then your climb will be endurable and you will achieve your goal. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may realize that life without a goal is futile. I pray that I may find the good life worth striving for. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Freed Prisoners, p. 234 Letter to a prison group: "Every A.A. has been, in a sense, a prisoner. Each of us has walled himself out of society; each has known social stigma. The lot of you folks has been even more difficult: In your case, society has also built a wall around you. But there isn't any really essential difference, a fact that practically all A.A.'s now know. "Therefore, when you members come into the world of A.A. on the outside, you can be sure that no one will care a fig that you have done time. What you are trying to be--not what you were--is all that counts to us." ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Planning for others. Letting Go. There are times when we think we see perfectly what others ought to be doing. It pains and disturbs us when loved ones..... our children, perhaps... do not heed our advice. In planning for others, we can easily fall into the trap of enabling. An enabler is a person who supports others in an unhealthy addiction or dependency. We must not plan the lives of others, no matter how dear they are to us or how attached we become to them. They must have the freedom to live without obligation or the belief that they could not have succeeded without our help. Freedom of choice is a precious right that includes the freedom to make mistakes. I'll release any tendency I have to plan for others. At all times, my responsibility is to keep on the right track and let others be free. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple Where there is no vision, a people perish.---Ralph Waldo Emerson Working our program teaches us to see things more clearly. We learn to look at who we really are. At first, we’re scared to see ourselves. But it turns out okay, even though were not perfect. We also begin to see others more clearly. We see good in people we don’t like. And we see faults in people we thought we’re prefect. But we don’t judge people anymore. Nobody is perfect. Just as our program friends accept us as we are, we learn to accept others. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, sometimes I don’t like what I see. Help me to believe Your way will for me. Help me have a vision. Action for the Day: I will use my new way of seeing thing to avoid trouble today. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Were our knowledge of human relationships a hundredfold more reliable than it is now, it would still be foolish to seek ready-made solutions for problems of living in the index of a book. --Mirra Komarovsky The problems each of us experience have within their own parameters the solutions most fitting. And we each must discover those solutions, understand their appropriateness, and absorb them into the body of information that defines who we are and who we are becoming. We learn experientially because only then is our reality significantly affected. Others' experiences are helpful to our growth and affirm how similar is our pain, but each of us must make our own choices, take responsible action in our own behalf. How fortunate that we are now in a position to make healthy decisions about our relationships! No longer the victim, we have the personal power to choose how we want to spend our time and with whom. Through active participation in all our relationships, we can discover many of the hidden elements in our own natures and develop more fully all the characteristics unique to our personhood. Our growth as recovering women is enhanced in proportion to our sincere involvement within the relationships we've chosen. I can inform myself about who I am within my relationships. Therein lie the solutions to my problems. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM “Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems. I have since been brought into a way of living infinitely more satisfying and, I hope, more useful than the life I lived before. My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go back to it even if I could.” pp. 42-43 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions? p. 88 ************************************************** ********* Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. --Benjamin Disraeli Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. --Will Rogers First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. --Thomas A. Kempis There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself. --Anthony Rapp I can repeat the past, or I can create new and better experiences. --Shelley Today I will take enough time to do something good for myself only. I will buy myself a gift or spend worthwhile time doing something pleasant and fulfilling. I have enough time today and I deserve this time for myself. --Ruth Fishel "Children stand more in need of example than criticism." --Joseph Joubert What is not love is fear. Anger is one of fear's most potent faces. And it does exactly what fear wants it to do. It keeps us from receiving love at exactly the moment when we need it most. -- Marianne Williamson The spiritual path is not one of attainment, but return. --Alan Cohen *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation CONFIDENCE "There is no sort of work that could ever be done well if you minded what fools say." -- George Eliot Part of the risk in my recovery is arousing the displeasure of others. I know that I cannot please all the people --- and yet my disease tells me that I must! For years I missed life's opportunities because I listened to negative and frightened people. Today I choose to shout my "yes" to life, and I ignore the fools. The fools are rarely friends. Rather, they seek to keep me in the same prison as themselves. If they truly loved me, they would encourage me to be imaginative and creative. Today I have a joyride "letting go and letting God" because God is a great risk-taker! I pray that I may always listen to the advice of others, but never miss my power of decision. ************************************************** ********* The Lord watches over you..... The Lord is your shade at your right hand. Psalm 121 : 5 "Judge not according to the appearance." John 7: 24 "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit." Psalm 51:12 "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." I John 4:12 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Life has a way of working itself out if you simply make the best of this moment, one moment at a time. Lord, You have given me this moment. Grant me the wisdom to live it in a way that will make a difference for me and for those around me. No one has ever asked of God and not received an answer. Lord, bless me with quiet resolve to hear You and wisdom to accept Your Will. |
Good morning, may your day be filled with hope! God Bless.
|
August 24
Daily Reflections A RIDDLE THAT WORKS It may be possible to find explanations of spiritual experiences such as ours, but I have often tried to explain my own and have succeeded only in giving the story of it. I know the feeling it gave me and the results it has brought, but I realize I may never fully understand its deeper why and how. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 313 I had a profound spiritual experience during an open A.A. meeting, which led me to blurt out. "I'm an alcoholic!" I have not had a drink since that day. I can tell you the words I heard just prior to my admission, and how those words affected me, but as to why it happened, I do not know. I believe a power greater than myself chose me to recover, yet I do not know why. I try not to worry or wonder about what I do not yet know; instead, I trust that if I continue to work the Steps, practice the A.A. principles in my life, and share my story, I will be guided lovingly toward a deep and mature spirituality in which more will be revealed to me. For the time being, it is a gift for me to trust God, work the Steps and help others. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "When we saw our faults, we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and we were willing to set these matters straight. We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We asked God to remove our fears and we commenced to outgrow fear. Many of us needed an overhauling in regard to sex. We came to believe that sex powers were God-given and therefore good, if used properly. Sex is never to be used lightly or selfishly, nor is it to be despised or loathed. If sex is troublesome, we throw ourselves the harder into helping others, and so take our minds off ourselves." Am I facing my sex problems in the proper way? Meditation For The Day Cling to the belief that all things are possible with God. If this belief is truly accepted, it is the ladder upon which a human soul can climb from the lowest pit of despair to the sublime heights of peace of mind. It is possible for God to change your way of living. When you see the change in another person through the grace of God, you cannot doubt that all things are possible in the lives of people through the strength that comes from faith in Him who rules us all. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may live expectantly. I pray that I may believe deeply that all things are possible with God. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Looking for Lost Faith, p. 235 Any number of A.A.'s can say, "We were diverted from our childhood faith. As material success began to come, we felt we were winning at the game of life. This was exhilarating, and it made us happy. "Why should we be bothered with theological abstractions and religious duties, or with the state of our souls, here or hereafter? The will to win should carry us through. "But then alcohol began to have its way with us. Finally, when all our score cards read 'zero,' and we saw that one more strike would put us out of the game forever, we had to look for our lost faith. It was in A.A. that we rediscovered it." 12 & 12, pp. 28-29 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Is Life Unfair? Justice The glib remark "Life is Unfair" is sometimes used to dismiss any concern about trouble or seeming injustice. This usually implies that all such matters are part of God's plan..... that somehow God couldn't create life without making it unfair. But nobody really knows whether life is unfair or not, since what we see is only a small part of it. We should know, however, that we can practice fairness ourselves. We will live better if we forget how unfair life can be and make the best of the opportunities we have. Some of us could even argue that life treated us unfairly by giving us a susceptibility to alcoholism. In the long run, this turned out to be an opportunity to live the Twelve Step program. Some of us even consider this to be outworking of divine justice that has proved to be eminently fair. As one AA member put it, It was a case of one of the worst things becoming one of the best that ever happened to me ! I'll not let any seeming unfairness or injustice keep me from doing my best today. My real belief is that there is an eternal justice underlying all things. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. Oscar Wilde There’s a big difference between being self-centered and having self love. We’re self-centered when we think we don’t need people. We might think, “I’m more important than others.” Being self-centered ends up hurting us. It makes us lonely. It keeps us from our Higher Power. Addiction is about being self-centered. Recovery and the Twelve Steps are about self-love. If we love ourselves, we say, “We’re all equal and in need of each other.” Self-love includes having good relationships. It includes trusting that they we’ll do what is best, with the help of our Higher Power. We must believe in ourselves to trust others. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me love myself as You love me. Help me take good care of myself. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list three things I like about myself. I’ll talk with a friend and share these things. I’ll ask my friend what he or she likes about me. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning There were many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream--whatever that dream might be. --Pearl S. Buck No new door is opened without the inner urge for growth. Dreams guide us, encourage us, stretch us to new heights--and leave us momentarily empty when they are dashed. Recovery has given us resilience and a multitude of reasons for living. We have come to understand that when one dream serves us no longer, it is making way for an even better one. Our dreams are our teachers. When the student is ready, a new one comes into focus. Dreams in our earlier years often come to nought. They couldn't compete for our attention as effectively as the self-pity. The direction they offered was lost. Each day that we look forward with positive anticipation, we put the wreckage of the past farther from our minds. Our dreams are like the rest areas on a cross-country trip. They refresh us, help us to gauge the distance we've come, and give us a chance to consider our destination. Today's dreams and experiences are points on the road map of my life. I won't let them pass, unnoticed. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM Fred’s story speaks for itself. We hope it strikes home to thousands like him. He had felt only the first nip of the wringer. Most alcoholics have to be pretty badly mangled before they really commence to solve their problems. p. 43 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." When a drunk has a terrific hangover because he drank heavily yesterday, he cannot live well today. But there is another kind of hangover which we all experience whether we are drinking or not. That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterday's and sometimes today's excesses of negative emotion--anger, fear, jealousy, and the like. If we would live serenely today and tomorrow, we certainly need to eliminate these hangovers. This doesn't mean we need to wander morbidly around in the past. It requires an admission and correction of errors now. Our inventory enables us to settle with the past. When this is done, we are really able to leave it behind us. When our inventory is carefully taken, and we have made peace with ourselves, the conviction follows that tomorrow's challenges can be met as they come. pp. 88-89 ************************************************** ********* "My father gave me these hints on speech-making: Be sincere . . . be brief . . . be seated." --James Roosevelt "Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful." --Norman Vincent Peale You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside. --Wayne Dyer Not what we gain, but what we give measures the worth of the life we live. --Cited in BITS & PIECES "Yesterday's home run doesn't win today's ball game." --Unknown "Some people think that hanging in there shows great strength when the truth is 'letting go' is the real test of character." --Unknown It is not God's will that makes me miserable. It is my resistance to God's will that makes me miserable. --unknown Dear God, Please keep your arm around my shoulder, but keep your hand over my mouth! --unknown *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation LIMITATIONS "Why would we kill off a good watchdog just because he could not fly?" -- Frank Mar God has created this world with variety and we all have different gifts. Some people make music, others write stories and many are practical at home or in industry. We need to understand what gifts and skills we have and develop them. It is both fruitless and negative to spend our time complaining that we are not like other people --- or are without their talents. Such an attitude stops us from discovering our own creative talents. We are so busy comparing ourselves with others that we miss our own uniqueness. Today I enjoy discovering more about me and the abundant gifts that God has freely given to me. What about you? I pray that I may be truly grateful for what I have. ************************************************** ********* In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2 When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 For as he thinks within himself, so he is. Proverbs 23:7 "Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong." Job 6:24 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Frequently remind yourself of that which is important in your life. Lord, help me to treasure my family and friends, recognize how valuable they are and tell them often how happy that I am because they are in my life. There is light behind every shadow. Lord, You are the light of the world. May I never forget to turn to You when my life fills with shadows. |
August 25
Daily Reflections THE GIFT OF BONDING Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS , p. 63 Many times in my alcoholic state, I drank to establish a bond between myself and others, but I succeeded only in establishing the bondage of alcoholic loneliness. Through the A.A. way of life, I have received the gift of bonding - with those who were there before me, with those who are there now, and with those yet to come. For this gracious gift from God, I am forever grateful. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "Unless we discuss our defects with another person, we do not acquire enough humility, fearlessness, and honesty to really get the program. We must be entirely honest with somebody, if we expect to live happily in this world. We must be hard on ourselves, but always considerate of others. We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character and every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we can look the world in the eyes." Have I discussed all my defects with another person? Meditation For The Day Never yield to weariness of the spirit. At times, the world's cares and distractions will intrude and the spirit will become weak. At times like this, carry on and soon the spirit will become strong again. God's spirit is always with you, to replenish and renew. None ever sincerely sought God's help in vain. Physical weariness and exhaustion make a time of rest and communion with God more necessary. When you are overcome by temporary conditions that you cannot control, keep quiet and wait for the power of the spirit to flow back. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may not speak or act in the midst of emotional upheaval. I pray that I may wait until the tempest is past. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Perfection--Only The Objective, p. 236 There can be no absolute humility for us humans. At best, we can merely glimpse the meaning and splendor of such a perfect ideal. Only God himself can manifest in the absolute; we human beings must needs live and grow in the domain of the relative. So we seek progress in humility today. ******************************** Few of us can quickly or easily become ready even to look at spiritual and moral perfection; we want to settle for only as much development as may get us by in life, according, of course, to our various and sundry ideas of what will get us by. Mistakenly, we strive for a self-determined objective, rather than for the perfect objective which is of God. 1. Grapevine, June 1961 2. 12 & 12, p. 68 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places What should We accept? Acceptance Alcoholics usually have trouble accepting ordinary setbacks and limitations that other people live with all the time. Sometimes it seems much easier to just get drunk than to accept boredom and frustration. The irony of such behavior is that we then have to accept much more failure as a result of problems created by drinking. Our drinking brings far more pain than it removes. Learning acceptance in sobriety is part of the growing-up process. Along with learning to accept things we cannot change, however, we learn there are some things we don't have to accept. Living sober gives us the power and confidence to make such changes. I'll repeat the Serenity Prayer today if I begin to feel disturbed or threatened. I will face life realistically while knowing I have many opportunities for growth and change. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.---Friedrick Nietzsche All of us have a child inside. We may see that child as a friend or as a enemy. Many of us were taught that growing up meant doing away with our inner child. It was as if being a child was bad and being an adult was good. If we try to be only an adult, the child cries, ”Let me run free and show you the beauty of the world.” If we try to be only a child, we find the adult in using us saying, “It’s time to grow up.” Let’s find a balance. Remember, the adult needs the wonder found in the eyes of the child. Remember, the child needs the loving care of the adult. The child lives where we find our spirit. Our Higher Power is the prefect balance of the two. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me be both the child and the adult. I need both. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll make time to be a child and to be an adult. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning In soloing--as in other activities--it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it. --Amelia Earhart Procrastination plagues us all, at one time or another. But any activity that is worthy of our effort should be tackled by bits and pieces, one day at a time. We are too easily overwhelmed when we set our sights only on the accomplished goal. We need to focus, instead, on the individual elements and then on just one element at a time. A book is written, word-by-word. A house is built, timber-by-timber. A college degree is attained, course-by-course. By the time we got to this program, most of us had accumulated a checkered past, much of which we wanted to deny or forget. And the weight of our past can stand in the way of the many possibilities in the present. Our past need not determine what we set out to do today. However, we must be realistic: We can't change a behavior pattern overnight. But we can begin the process. We can decide on a reasonable, manageable objective for this 24-hour period. Enough days committed to the completion of enough small objectives will bring us to the attainment of any goal, large or small. I can finish any task I set my sights on, when I take it one day at a time. Today is before me. I can move forward in a small way. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM Many doctors and psychiatrists agree with our conclusions. One of these men, staff member of a world-renowned hospital, recently made this statement to some of us: “What you say about the general hopelessness of the average alcoholics’ plight is, in my opinion, correct. As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help. Had you offered yourselves as patients at this hospital, I would not have taken you, if I had been able to avoid it. People like you are too heartbreaking. Though not a religious person, I have profound respect for the spiritual approach in such cases as yours. For most cases, there is virtually no other solution.” p. 43 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." Although all inventories are alike in principle, the time factor does distinguish one from another. There's the spot check inventory, taken at any time of the day, whenever we find ourselves getting tangled up. There's the one we take at day's end, when we review the happenings of the hours just past. Here we cast up a balance sheet, crediting ourselves with things well done, and chalking up debits where due. Then there are those occasions when alone, or in the company of our sponsor or spiritual adviser, we make a careful review of our progress since the last time. Many A.A.'s go in for annual or semiannual housecleanings. Many of us also like the experience of an occasional retreat from the outside world where we can quiet down for an undisturbed day or so of self-overhaul and meditation. p. 89 ************************************************** ********* You are the creator of your own Serenity. It lives and breathes within your desire for Recovery. It is no mystery. It is a conscious choice. Serenity is born and flourishes, with the help of your Higher Power, through your own efforts to maintain order, stability and self-discipline within your everyday life. Serenity is a daily gift you give to yourself. Be generous! --Lumpy Karma The routines of good rest, exercise, regular meal times, prayer, and meetings are the skeleton on which the body of our recovery program can grow. Each of these activities is a reward in itself, and serves to remind us of what our new lives have to offer. --unknown "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 "Look at everything as though you were seeing it for the first time or the last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory." --Betty Smith "Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." --Anonymous If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. --Thoreau We would have much peace if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others. --Thomas À Kempis Many do not know that we are here in this world to live in harmony. --Buddha *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation TEMPER "Your temper is the only thing that doesn't get better with age." -- Anonymous I lost my temper when I was in the wrong and wanted to protect myself. My temper was closely associated with my ego and pride; I hated to admit I was in the wrong. Today I know that I am not God. I make mistakes and apologize. I don't have to have an answer. It is okay to be imperfect and human. And you know what I am finding? I don't lose my temper so much! I pray that I may express my anger and discomfort without having a selfish temper tantrum. ************************************************** ********* I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." I Timothy 2:2 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Many more things go right in a day than go wrong, but you will never notice if that one trying moment becomes your focus. Lord, help me make a conscious effort to see the richness of my life and live with gratitude for all of its wonders. If you have more than you need, but still feel it isn't enough, then you are poor. Lord, may I take time to recognize and enjoy my blessings. |
August 26
Daily Reflections GIVING IT AWAY Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves to others. Alcoholics Anonymous, p.159 Those words, for me, refer to a transference of power, through which God, as I understand Him, enters my life. Through prayer and meditation, I open channels, then I establish and improve my conscious contact with God. Through action I then receive the power I need to maintain my sobriety each day. By maintaining my spiritual condition, by giving away what has been freely given to me, I am granted a daily reprieve. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day "If we are still clinging to something that we will not let go, we must sincerely ask God to help us to be willing to let even that go, too. We cannot divide our lives into compartments and keep some for ourselves. We must give all the compartments to God. We must say: ‘My creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my friends.'" Am I still clinging to something that I will not let go? Meditation For The Day The laws of nature cannot be changed and must be obeyed if you are to stay healthy. No exceptions will be made in your case. Submit to the laws of nature or they will finally break you. And in the realm of the spirit, in all human relationships, submit to the moral laws and to the will of God. If you continue to break the laws of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love, you will be broken to some extent yourself. The moral and spiritual laws of God, like the laws of nature, are unbreakable without some disaster. If you are dishonest, impure, selfish, and unloving, you will not be living according to the laws of the spirit and you will suffer the consequences. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may submit to the laws of nature and to the laws of God. I pray that I may live in harmony with all the laws of life. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It No Orders Issued, p. 237 Neither the A.A. General Service Conference, its Board of Trustees, nor the humblest group committee can issue a single directive to an A.A. member and make it stick, let alone mete out any punishment. We've tried this lots of times, but utter failure is always the result. Groups have sometimes tried to expel members, but the banished have come back to sit in the meeting place, saying, "This is life for us; you can't keep us out." Committees have instructed many an A.A. to stop working on a chronic backslider, only to be told: "How I do my Twelfth Step work is my business. Who are you to judge?" This doesn't mean that an A.A. won't take good advice or suggestions from more experienced members. He simply objects to taking orders. 12 & 12, p. 173 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Waste Utilization Releasing the past Today the world faces seemingly insurmountable problems with solid and liquid waste. Communities struggle to find solutions as waste accumulates and space for disposal sites grows scarce. As recovering people, we have a similar problem with waste residues from our past. We don't seem to be able to bury bad memories; like the physical waste in the environment, they come back to poison us. The best answer is to use waste, not throw it away. Instead of trying to bury the past, let's keep it in view but let it be purified by the sunlight of honesty and humility. By admitting past wrongs and forgiving everyone involved.... including ourselves..... we turn waste into useful experience. Nature can do this with much physical waste, over time. we can also let our spiritual nature do that with the emotional and mental waste of our past. I'll realize that every past mistake and experience can be properly utilized today for something good and uplifting. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple THINK ---Alcoholics Anonymous slogan Now that we’re recovering, our minds are free. We can think. When we are faced with problems or choices, we can do this: Ask, “What is the problem?” Make a list of what we can do to work on the problem. Decide which of the actions on our list might work. Pick the action that seems the best so far. Ask ourselves, “Can I do it? Will I do it? If not, it’s not a good plan. Talk to our sponsor if we need help thinking it out. Do it. Look back on it. Did it work? If not, go back and try something else. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me to think well. Help me to see things clearly. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll use the points listed above to help me think about a choice I have to make. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning A woman who has no way of expressing herself and of realizing herself as a full human has nothing else to turn to but the owning of material things. --Enriqueta Longeaux y Vasquez Each of us struggling with these Twelve Steps is finding self-expression and self-definition. Introspection, coupled with self-revelation through sharing with others, affords us the awareness of how like others we are. How human we are. And what we receive from others who respond to our vulnerability diminishes our need for "things" to fill our lives. The love that we receive freely from a trusting, caring friend or group fills up the empty places in our souls, the places we used to try filling up with alcohol or cookies or sex. New clothes maybe even a new home or a different job served their terms as void fillers too. Nothing succeeded for long, and then the program found us. The program is the filler for all times. Of this we can be certain. Time will alleviate any doubts we may have. All that is asked of us is openness, honesty, and attention to others' needs as well as our own. I can share our likenesses and relish whatever differences may surface. The chain of friendship I've created makes me the proud owner of my wholeness. I am a succeeding woman who is moving forward with courage and self-awareness on this, my road of life. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power. p. 43 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Ten - "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." Aren't these practices joy-killers as well as time-consumers? Must A.A.'s spend most of their waking hours drearily rehashing their sins of omission or commission? Well, hardly. The emphasis on inventory is heavy only because a great many of us have never really acquired the habit of accurate self-appraisal. Once this healthy practice has become grooved, it will be so interesting and profitable that the time it takes won't be missed. For these minutes and sometimes hours spent in self-examination are bound to make all the other hours of our day better and happier. And at length our inventories become a regular part of everyday living, rather than something unusual or set apart. pp. 89-90 ************************************************** ********* Real happiness in life starts when you begin to cherish others. --Lama Zopa Rinpoche Continuing to cling to the patterns you know inhibits your ability to discover what you don't know. --Eric Allenbaugh When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. --Peter Marshall “Everything I need shall be provided today. Everything.” Say it, until you believe it. Say it at the beginning of the day. Say it throughout the day. --unknown God is at home, We are in the far country. --Meister Eckhart The Way isn't something that can be put into words. You have to practice before you can understand. You can't force things, including practice. Understanding is something that happens naturally. It's different for everyone. The main thing is to reduce your desires and quiet your mind. -- Master Hsueh All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. --Ellen Glasgow *********************************************** Father Leo's Daily Meditation SECURITY "Nobody in this world is more secure than a man in a penitentiary." -- Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. In one sense it is safe to live in a prison --- but at what price? To live is to be free and have the responsibility of choice. Addiction removes this freedom of choice; addiction takes away our freedom. In sobriety I am involved in the joys of risk. I experience the pleasure and pain that comes with the responsibility of choice. Today I know I am living --- yesterday I had to read about it! God, I thank You for the confusing gift of freedom. ************************************************** ********* The Lord will keep you from all harm...... He will watch over your life. Psalm 121:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7 "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."' Numbers 6:24-26 "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration God is the best friend you will ever have and prayer is merely the technical term for having a chat with Him. Lord, let me tell You about some things that are on my mind and then I'll listen while You tell me what You think. In your search for peace, look within. If you are looking elsewhere, you are looking in the wrong place. Lord, help me to open my heart to Your gift of peace and refuse to let anything in that disturbs it. |
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