October 16


Prayer When Frustrated

Lord, I feel so frustrated I just want to scream out ‘aargh’ but I can’t even do that.
I try to get through to others what it’s like, but I can’t.
I try to tell them how I feel, but they don’t understand.
I try to tell them what I want, what I need, but I can’t get through.
It’s all so hopeless. I don’t know why I even bother trying.
I hate being helpless: I like to be doing things and relating to people, but I can’t.
I just lie here, stuck, unable to do anything about my situation.
Anxiously I look for signs of hope, signs that the future might be brighter.
Any glimmer of light is seized upon, but the joy is short-lived because the struggle is so intense, the frustration so great.

Don’t leave me, Lord. I need you like I’ve never needed you before.
At least you know what I’m thinking, how I’m feeling.
And I know that I am not alone, not really alone, at all.
Help me to endure the unendurable, give me the courage to keep on trying— again and again and again— so that I don’t sink into the pit of black despair.
Amen.

-- Helen Prior

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Just a Thought

We need to check up on ourselves periodically. Just how good an A.A. am I? Am I attending meetings regularly? Am I doing my share to carry the load? When there is something to be done, do I volunteer? Do I speak at meetings when asked, no matter how nervous I am? Do I accept each opportunity to do twelfth step work as a challenge? Do I give freely of my time and money? Am I trying to spread A.A. wherever I go? Is my daily life a demonstration of A.A. principles? Am I a good A.A.?

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

Am I lacking in any of these areas??

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Just a Contemplation

Envy

We often find ourselves envying someone else. We think they have more money or more friends. We see them as better looking or luckier in some way than we are.

It is so easy to overlook our own gifts when we do this. We get fooled by what looks good and forget that all human beings have some weaknesses and pain, just like we do. Like the trees in the forest, we each have our own unique beauty and talents to offer. If we believe in ourselves, rather than envy those around us, we will grow green and tall in our own way.

What qualities might I have that someone might envy?

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Common Good

The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A.A. will always depend upon our continued willingness to give up some of our personal ambitions and desires for the common safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice means survival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice mean unity and survival for the group and for A.A.'s entire Fellowship.

"As Bill Sees It" Page 220

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Just a Quote

"Today I can set my goals with the clear and confident knowledge that I can only do one thing at a time and take one step at a time towards that goal. I do not need to wait until I reach the goal to be happy and satisfied. I am fulfilled with each step, knowing that is all I can do in each moment." -- Ruth Fishel

October 17


Prayer for Discernment and Wisdom

Lord,
Thank You for the people You have placed in my life who speak truth, love and words of wisdom.
Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instructions into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard.
Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail.
Amen.

-- Tracie Miles

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Just a Thought


There are no leaders in A.A. except as they volunteer to accept responsibility. The work of carrying on A.A. - leading group meetings, serving on committees, speaking before other groups, doing twelfth step work, spreading A.A. among the alcoholics of the community - all these things are done on a volunteer basis. If I don't volunteer to do something concrete for A.A., the movement is that much less effective. I must do my fair share to carry the load. A.A. depends on all its members to keep it alive and to keep it growing.

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

Am I doing my share for A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Not a Victim

If we set our mind to it, we have an incredible, almost awesome ability to find misery in any situation, even the most wonderful of circumstances. How deeply ingrained our self-image as a victim? How habitual is our feelings of misery and helplessness? Victimization can be so habitual that we may feel victimized even by the good things that happen to us! if we set our mind to it, we have an incredible, almost awesome ability to find misery in any situation, even the best Circumstances.

We are not victims. We may have been victimized. We may have allowed ourselves to be victimized. We may have sought out, created, or re created situations that victimized us. But we are not victims.

We can stand in our power. We do not have to allow ourselves to be victimized. We do not have to let others victimize us. We do not have to seek out misery in either the most miserable or the best situations.

Set a boundary! Deal with the anger! Tell someone no, or stop that! Walk away from a relationship! Ask for what you need! Make choices and take responsibility for them. Explore options. Give yourself what you need! Stand up straight, head up, and claim your power. Claim responsibility for yourself!

And learn to enjoy what's good. You are not a victim.

(From the writings of Melody Beattie)

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Meditation and Prayer Rewards

Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us. We no longer live in a completely hostile world. We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless. The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will be well with us, here and hereafter.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 105

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Just a Quote

“Every time you think you’re being rejected God’s actually redirecting you to something better. Ask him to give you the strength to press forward.” -- Nick Vujicic

October 18


Beginning a New Day Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for bringing me safely through another night and into the beginning this new day. Lord, I have no clue what today will bring, but I pray that this may be a day when you are lifted up in my life, a day when I walk in spirit and truth. Prepare me Lord, for all the eventualities that may happen. Help me to stand fast and to be salt and light to all those with whom I come in contact

Lord, I place today in Your hands and trust You to direct my day until I place my head back onto my pillow of sleep. I ask that whether in busyness or in quietude, Your will be done. Whether I am surrounded by crowds of people or remain in the solitude of my own company, I ask that You would be there to direct. I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my inner being, would be pleasing and acceptable to You throughout today, and may Your will be done.
Amen.

-- Jim Witherspoon

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Just a Thought

If I do not do my share, A.A. might lose some of it's effectiveness.
Are there some things I do not feel like doing? Am I held back by self-consciousness or fear?

Self-consciousness is a form of pride. It is a fear that something may happen to you. What happens to you is not very important. The impression you make on others does not depend so much on the kind of a job you do as on your sincerity and honesty of purpose.

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

Am I holding back because I am afraid of not making a good impression?

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Just a Contemplation

Be Who You Are

What would happen if we let go of our camouflage of adaptation? What would happen if we owned our power to be ourselves? Would people still like us? Would they go away? Would they become angry?

There comes a time when we become willing and ready to take that risk. It becomes time to stop allowing ourselves to be so controlled by others and their expectations and be true to ourselves - regardless of the reaction of others.

Before long, we begin to understand. Some people may go away, but the relationship would have ended anyway. Some people stay and love and respect us more for taking the risk of being whom we are. We begin to achieve intimacy, and relationships that work.

We discover that who we are has always been good enough. It is who we were intended to be.

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Feeling Alone

And what can be said of many A.A. members who, for a variety of reasons, cannot have a family life? At first many of these feel lonely, hurt, and left out as they witness so much domestic happiness about them. If they cannot have this kind of happiness, can A.A. offer them satisfactions of similar worth and durability? Yes--whenever they try hard to seek them out. Surrounded by so many A.A. friends, these so-called loners tell us they no longer feel alone. In partnership with others--women and men--they can devote themselves to any number of ideas, people, and constructive projects. Free of marital responsibilities, they can participate in enterprises which would be denied to family men and women. We daily see such members render prodigies of service, and receive great joys in return.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 120

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Just a Quote

"I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do." -- Brene Brown

October 19


Prayer for Guidance and Strength

Lord,
I pray that you guide me and strengthen me as I carry my many burdens.
My burdens weighs down my heart, and I doubt at times if I can bear it.
When I am upset or anxious, bring me strength and calmness.
Bring me peace in my time of need and help me to find happiness in every day.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

What makes an effective talk at a meeting?

It is not a fine speech with fine choice of words and an impressive delivery. Often a few simple words direct from the heart are more effective than the most polished speech. There is always a temptation to speak beyond your own experience, in order to make a good impression. This is never effective. What does not come from the heart does not reach the heart. What comes from personal experience and a sincere desire to help the other person reaches the heart.

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

Do I speak for effect or with a deep desire to help?

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Just a Contemplation

Spiritual Nourishment


We neglect to provide ourselves with nourishment for our minds and souls.

Life's experiences include joy and beauty and pain and grief. If we are uplifted every day by beauty in its many forms, we are strengthened and carried along to meet the tougher parts of our day. We may need to push some other things aside to have it. Perhaps some jobs can wait until tomorrow, and we can linger over a meal with our loved ones. Maybe mowing the lawn or fixing the car isn't as important as a half-hour of good music. Do we make space for nourishing moments in each day?

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Dr. Bob's Last Talk

"It would be fitting to lay a little emphasis (on a few things); one is the simplicity of our Program. Let’s not louse it all up with Freudian complexes and things that are interesting to the scientific mind, but have very little to do with our actual AA work. Our 12 Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words love and service. We understand what love is and we understand what service is. So let’s bear those two things in mind.

Let us also remember to guard that erring member – the tongue, and if we must use it, let’s use it with kindness and consideration and tolerance.

And one more thing; none of us would be here today if somebody hadn’t taken time to explain things to us, to give us a little pat on the back, to take us to a meeting or two, to have done numerous little kind and thoughtful acts in our behalf. So let us never get the degree of smug complacency so that we’re not willing to extend or attempt to, that help which has been so beneficial to us, to our less fortunate brothers. Thank you very much."

-- Dr. Bob (July of 1950, at the First International Convention)

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Just a Quote

“Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.” -- Alcoholics Anonymous p.64

October 20


Prayer to Relax

Lord,
Please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart.
Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose and walk the path you've laid out for me.
I trust your Love, and know that you will heal this stress.
Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night.
Amen

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Just a Thought

How do I work with new prospects?

Am I always trying to dominate the conversation? Do I lay down the law and tell prospects what they will have to do? Do I judge them privately and feel that they have small chance of making the program? Do I belittle them to myself? Or am I willing to bare my soul so as to get them talking about themselves? And, then, am I willing to be a good listener, not interrupting, but hearing them out to the end? Do I feel deeply that they are my brothers or my sisters?

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

Am I helping them along the path to sobriety?

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Just a Contemplation

Being Committed

All people set goals and resolutions, and easily slip back into old habits. We are all haunted by the excuses and “yeah buts” that have cost us countless opportunities for growth and expansion.

Many people are attached to comfort, safety, and simplicity. These values are important and can provide much tranquility, though to truly grow and expand we must find an area of our life where commitment supersedes comfort. Do your commitments live up to your dreams?

Success comes with commitment. Being committed is a willingness to do whatever it takes to fulfill and follow through on a responsibility. It may not even be what we most enjoy, but none the less, being committed means we are going to do it regardless. Commitment is essential to being a winner and achieving our loftiest goals.

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Service Work & Commitments

A home group can provide you with opportunities for service work and commitments. This could include brewing the coffee before meetings, updating contact lists, collecting donations, and much more. Service work and commitments tie into the accountability benefits we learned about above.

You’re much more likely to show up to a meeting if you know you’re supposed to put the chairs out and you’re much more likely to stay sober when you know things are expected of you. Alcoholics don’t typically like accountability and especially not chores, but service work and commitments work. Talk to the meeting chair about signing up for service work and commitments.

-- Anonymous A.A.

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Just a Quote

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." -- Art Turock

October 21


Self-Rule Prayer

Lord, I pray that I might finally come to the end of self-rule.
I confess that I am driven by the need for the approval of others, the need to be recognized, and the need to assert myself for my own good and self-glorification.
Today, I lay all that at Your feet and pray that I might give up to my own self-generated plans; may only Yours matter.
Lord, teach me to ask for & practice Your will.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Do I have any hard feelings about other group members or for any other A.A. group? Am I critical of the way a group member thinks or acts? Do I feel that another group is operating in the wrong way and do I broadcast it?

Or do I realize that all A.A. members, no matter what their limitations, have something to offer, some good, however little, that they can do for A.A. in spite of their handicaps? Do I believe that there is a place for all kinds of groups in A.A., provided they are following A.A. traditions, and that they can be effective, even if I do not agree with their procedure?

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

Am I tolerant of people and groups?

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Just a Contemplation

Life Is

Life is difficult. We never reach the point where our path is free of obstacles and hardships As painful and hard as it is, life also is deeply meaningful and worthwhile when we submit to its reality and live in a spiritual way.

We need relationships to stay sane. We need to pull together and support one another the way people do in difficult times. Rugged individualism isn't always good for real people in the real world. We need relationships so we can celebrate and encourage one another. We need relationships so we can laugh and make jokes and tell our personal stories. And we need to stand together to oppose the destructive forces around us.

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Search For Motives

Some of us clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves. Our families didn't suffer, because we always paid the bills and seldom drank at home. Our business associates didn't suffer, because we were usually on the job. Our reputations didn't suffer, because we were certain few knew of our drinking. Those who did would sometimes assure us that, after all, a lively bender was only a good man's fault. What real harm, therefore, had we done? No more, surely, than we could easily mend with a few casual apologies.

This attitude, of course, is the end result of purposeful forgetting. It is an attitude which can be changed only by a deep and honest search of our motives and actions.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 79

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Just a Quote

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” -- Steve Mariboli

October 22


Prayer for a Strong Immune System

Lord, I pray that You would bless me with a strong immune system so that I have a powerful defense against bacterial and viral infections.
I thank You that when You created me, You put this system within me to protect me from illness.
Help me be diligent to promote a strong immune system through healthy habits and to avoid habits that compromise it.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

If we had absolute faith in the power of God to keep us from drinking and if we turned our alcoholism entirely over to God without reservations, we wouldn't have to do anything more about it. We'd be free from drinking once and for all. But since our faith is apt to be weak, we have to strengthen and build up this faith. We do this in several ways. One way is by listening to others tell how they have found all the strength they need to overcome drink.

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

Is my faith being strengthened by this personal witness of other alcoholics?

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Just a Contemplation

Conflicts

Today I may face a possible conflict with another person over a certain issue. How should I respond to this? It may be very harmful to look at these conflicts as a case of winning or losing. If I seem to win when I'm wrong, I will lose in the long run. If I seem to lose even when I'm right, I can know that there's just resolution of everything in time. I will always win, however, if I keep my thinking straight and take care to avoid resentment and bitterness. Much harm is done by people who are absolutely sure they are right at all times

As human beings, we cannot expect to be excluded from these conflicts.We do, however, have a means of dealing with such conflicts effectively when we respond according to principle. It is good to know that any person can have the same privileges by following the right principles.

Unpleasant as any conflict may seem, it does give me an opportunity to learn and to grow. I will seek to benefit from any such conflict today.

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Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

-- St. Teresa

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Just a Quote

“By bravely enduring our trials, we learn humility, compassion for others, and a great reliance on God. We also learn that our happiness and progress depend much less upon what challenges life may bring and infinitely more on how we face and overcome those challenges.” -- Lloyd D. Newell

October 23


This Morning Prayer

Lord,
Please keep me and my loved ones from all danger and harm. Help me start this day with a new, pleasant attitude with plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so I can hear Your voice. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things without judgment. Let me not whine or complain over things I have no control over. And when the world closes in on me, let me remember, to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. Continue to use me to do Your Will.

Amen

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Just a Thought

Do I always want to be up front in the limelight? Do I feel that nobody else can do as good a job as I can?

Am I willing to take a seat in the back row once in a while and let somebody else carry the ball? Part of the effectiveness of any A.A. group is the development of new members to carry on, to take over from the older members.

Am I reluctant to give up authority? Do I try to carry the load for the whole group? If so, I am not being fair to the newer members. Do I realize that no one person is essential?

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

Do I know that A.A. could carry on without me, if it had to?

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Just a Contemplation

Staying with God

God never forsakes us; we forsake Him. We become so involved in our concerns and activities that we forget to open our eyes and our hearts to His presence.

Emotional binges occur when we wander away from our Higher Power into self-centered preoccupation. Without His control, we lose our serenity. There will always be cause of conflict and frustration in our daily lives. How we handle these situations depends on our spiritual condition.

By ourselves, we cannot manage our own lives. Our behavior can be insane. It is through the Power greater than ourselves that we are led into order, sanity. To stay with this Power is our salvation.

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Praise

It's always heady stuff when others congratulate us on our victory over alcohol. Fair-minded people will have considerable admiration for what appears to be a bootstrap effort to make a comeback from despair and defeat.

We can accept this praise with grace and modesty. At some point, however, we should emphasize that our recovery was an example of spiritual principles at work and that thousands have been able to follow in the same path. Sober AA members are not exceptions; they are examples of what the program can do in people's lives.

It is important to emphasize that we are ordinary people. The marvelous thing about the program is that it works for ordinary people like ourselves. Many people in the fellowship have great talent and ability, but those gifts have nothing to do with staying sober. The gifted person gets sober the same way anybody does..... by admitting powerlessness over alcohol and by accepting the program.

-- Mel B.

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Just a Quote

"Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex." -- Norman Vincent Peale

October 24


Prayer for Strength When Weary

Lord, I’m weary. My energy is sagging, and my motivation is lagging. And I am so in need of your strength and your fresh touch to get back on track again.

The pressures of life sometimes push me into a corner, rendering me helpless to move forward. A hundred voices call my name, and I feel paralyzed at times to answer, not knowing where to turn. Lord, help me not to quit, to keep running the race faithfully, and to find strength to continue.

I need your strength to say no when I'm tempted to surrender to harmful things, or when selfishness clings to my clothes and won't let go. I need your strength to say yes, when cowardice and fear nudge me to deny the convictions of my heart. I need your strength to reach out in love to those both close to me and all around me.

Renew my strength, Lord. Fill me with your power to overcome each obstacle in my path. With my eyes on you, Lord, with you walking beside me, working through me, I can make it. Thank you, Lord!
Amen

-- Rebecca Barlow Jordan

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Just a Thought

Do I put too much reliance on any one member of the group? That is, do I make a tin god out of some one person? Do I set that person on a pedestal?

If I do, I am building my house on sand. All A.A. members have "clay feet." They are all only one drink away from a drunk, no matter how long they have been sober in A.A. This has been proved to be true more than once. It's not fair to any member to be singled out as a leader in A.A. and to always quote that member on the A.A. program. If that person should fail, where would I be?

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

Can I afford to be tipped over by the failure of my ideal?

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Just a Contemplation

Envy

No emotion brings us more personal pain or wastes more of our time than envy. When we envy, we are never free from stress.When we envy others, we blind ourselves to the good we could see in all people.

When we envy the accomplishments or possessions of another, we will be better off if we look to our own prized possessions, to those things in ourselves that no one else has in exactly the same way.

What riches do I have within and around me today?

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For Emergencies Only

Whether we had been believers or unbelievers, we began to get over the idea that the Higher Power was a sort of bush-league pinch hitter, to be called upon only in an emergency.

The notion that we would still live our own lives, God helping a little now and then, began to evaporate. Many of us who had thought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of this attitude. Refusing to place God first, we had deprived ourselves of His help.

But now the words "Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth the works" began to carry bright promise and meaning.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 75

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Just a Quote

“There are two kinds of slaves, the prisoners of addiction, and the prisoners of envy.” -- Ivan Ilich

October 25


Peace of Mind Prayer
Oh Lord, grant me peace in my heart, eliminate the pain and relieve me of the stress I feel.
Allow Your serenity and love to consume me.
Relax my mind, my body and my soul as I surrender myself to You.
Revive the joy and energy I once had.
Allow Your light to infiltrate through the darkness and grace me so I can smile again.
Amen

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Just a Thought

There are two important things we have to do if we want to get sober and stay sober. First, having admitted that we are helpless before alcohol, we have to turn our alcoholic problem over to God and trust Him to take care of it for us. This means asking Him every morning for the strength to stay sober for that day and thanking Him every night. It means really leaving the problem in God's hands and not reaching out and getting the problem back to ourselves. Second, having given our drink problem to God, we must cooperate with Him by doing something about it ourselves.

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

Am I doing these two things?

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Just a Contemplation

Honesty

The most precious gift we can give those closest to us is honesty. Yet we often hide our true selves from friends, fearing we won't be accepted or loved if we let them see the real us. If we hide too much behind false images, we run the risk of losing track of what is real and what is false. We become actors instead of real people.

When we conquer our fear of letting others in, we are able to see ourselves honestly. When we discover that others accept us as we are, we can accept and love ourselves. To know oneself is to know a person of value.

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Shocking Conclusion

When A.A. was quite young, a number of eminent psychologists and doctors made an exhaustive study of a good-sized group of so-called problem drinkers. The doctors weren't trying to find how different we were from one another; they sought to find whatever personality traits, if any, this group of alcoholics had in common. They finally came up with a conclusion that shocked the A.A. members of that time. These distinguished men had the nerve to say that most of the alcoholics under investigation were still childish, emotionally sensitive, and grandiose.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 122-123

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Just a Quote

"Most people grow old, but not everybody grows up." -- Nishan Panwar

October 26


Times of Change Prayer

Lord, I’m going through many changes in my life, which often make me feel unsettled.
I frequently feel stressed and fearful that I will take the wrong step.
Lord, please guide and direct me through these changes, and help me be more resilient.
Help me develop the new skills I need to deal with these new challenges.
Help me have a positive attitude and not fixate on things out of my control.
Help me seek out and obtain the support I need from family and friends.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

How big a part of my life is A.A.?

Is it just one of my activities and a small one at that? Do I only go to A.A. meetings now and then and sometimes never go at all? Do I think of A.A. only occasionally? Am I reticent about mentioning the subject of A.A. to people who might need help? Or does A.A. fill a large part of my life? Is it the foundation of my whole life? Where would I be without A.A.? Does everything I have and do depend on my A.A. foundation?

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

Is A.A. the foundation on which I build my life?

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Just a Contemplation

Scared or Embarrassed

Do we avoid making new friends because we're scared they won't like us? Do we get embarrassed when we make a mistake and avoid trying again? When we get our feelings hurt, do we think we're bad, or that something is wrong with us?

Being scared or shy or hurt are all part of being alive. When we try to stay away from painful feelings, we keep ourselves from having many wonderful adventures. If we're afraid to meet new people, we may never have any close friends. If we stop trying when we're embarrassed, we may never learn a better way of doing things. And if we don't share our hurt feelings, we may never find out that everyone else has the same feelings we have.

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Alcoholism — an illness

Today we are willing to accept the idea that, as far as we are concerned, alcoholism is an illness, a progressive illness which can never be “cured,” but which, like some other illnesses, can be arrested. We agree that there is nothing shameful about having an illness, provided we face the problem honestly and try to do something about it. We are perfectly willing to admit that we are allergic to alcohol and that it is simply common sense to stay away from the source of our allergy.

We understand now that once a person has crossed the invisible borderline from heavy drinking to compulsive alcoholic drinking, that person will always remain an alcoholic. So far as we know, there can never be any turning back to “normal” social drinking. “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic” is a simple fact we have to live with.

From: “This Is A.A.” (Pamphlet)

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Just a Quote

“If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances.” -- Julia Soul

October 27


Prayer for Strength

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

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Just Thought

When new members come into my A.A. group, do I make a special effort to make them feel at home? Do I put myself out to listen to them, even if their ideas of A.A. are vague? Do I make it a habit to talk to all new members myself, or do I often leave that to someone else? I may not be able to help them, but then again it may be something that I might say that would put them on the right track. When I see any members sitting alone, do I put myself out to be nice to them, or do I stay among my own special group of friends and leave them out in the cold?

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

Are all new A.A.’s & “loners” my responsibility?

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Just a Contemplation

What If

What if you were wrong? What if everything you ever believed was a lie? What if you missed your opportunity because you didn't know your worth? What if you settled on familiar, but God was trying to give you something better? What if you decided not to go backwards, but forward? What if doing what you have never done before was the answer to everything that didn't make sense?

What if the answer wasn't to be found in words, but in action? What if you found the courage to do what you really wanted to do and doing it changed your whole life?
(from: Shannon L. Alder)

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Agnostic Temperament

Some of us have been violently anti-religious. To others, the word "God" brought up a particular idea of Him with which someone had tried to impress them during childhood. Perhaps we rejected this particular conception because it seemed inadequate. With that rejection we imagined we had abandoned the God idea entirely. We were bothered with the thought that faith and dependence upon a Power beyond ourselves was somewhat weak, even cowardly. We looked upon this world of warring individuals, warring theological systems, and inexplicable calamity, with deep skepticism. We looked askance at many individuals who claimed to be godly. How could a Supreme Being have anything to do with it all? And who could comprehend a Supreme Being anyhow? Yet, in other moments, we found ourselves thinking, when enchanted by a starlit night, "Who, then, made all this?" There was a feeling of awe and wonder, but it was fleeting and soon lost.

Yes, we of agnostic temperament have had these thoughts and experiences. Let us make haste to reassure you. We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even 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 is God.

Alcoholics Anonymous Pages 45 – 46

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Just a Quote

“Negative people need drama like it’s oxygen. Stay positive and take their breath away.” -- Unknown

October 28


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

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Just a Thought

We also strengthen our faith by working with other alcoholics and finding that we can do nothing ourselves to help them, except to tell them our own story of how we found the way out. If the person is helped, it's by the grace of God and not by what we do or say. Our own faith is strengthened when we see another alcoholic find sobriety by turning to God. And finally we strengthen our faith by having quiet times every morning.

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

Do I ask God in this quiet time for the strength to stay sober this day?

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Just a Contemplation
Gossip

Gossip is a seductive pastime that can be harmful to others, harmful to ourselves. Some gossip is innocent. We chatter about the experiences of others lightly, joyfully, in a way that doesn’t hurt. Other gossip isn’t so innocent. It’s rooted in anger, jealousy, betrayal, and sometimes hatred. We feel deprived and cheated– hurt-so we want to hurt another.

Would you stand and throw darts at someone? Would you pick up a knife and stab that person in the back? I think not. Yet, when we gossip, we do the same thing. Words, especially those coated with emotion, carry energy, sometimes potentially damaging energy. When we hurt another, we hurt ourselves. Both are injured. We need to deal with our feelings of anger, hurt, betrayal, or jealousy before they wound through gossip.


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Pride & Self-Pity
I, who had thought so well of myself and my abilities, of my capacity to surmount obstacles, was cornered at last. Now I was to plunge into the dark, joining that endless procession of sots who had gone on before. I thought of my poor wife. There had been much happiness after all. What would I not give to make amends. But that was over now.

No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 8


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Just a Quote
“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” -- Jane Austen

October 29


Prayer for Worry and Stress
Lord, I am wound up inside.
I feel I cannot continue to meet the demands placed upon me.
I am close to burn out and I fear I may buckle under the weight of these worries.
I am tired of carrying this stress around, I so need to find some peace.

So, Lord I come to you. I trust that you can lead me to a new place,
Amen

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Just a Thought
How good a sponsor am I?
When I bring new members to a meeting, do I feel that my responsibility has ended? Or do I make it my job to stay with them until they have either become good members of A.A. or have found another sponsor? If they don't show up for a meeting, do I say to myself: "Well they've had their chance, so if they don't want it, there's nothing more I can do? " Or do I look them up and find out whether there is a reason for their absences or that they don't want A.A.? Do I go out of my way to find out if there is anything more, I can do to help?

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

Am I a good sponsor?


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Just a Contemplation

Play

Go play? Yes, take a break and go play. When your head starts to pound and your back starts to ache, stop. Do something you want to do. Something that feels good, feels fun. Leave your worries behind. Put them in a box, then close it, and go play.

We make sure that our children take time for recess every day. But we forget that we need recess, too. The lingering threads of work and worry can tie us to tasks done and undone. They can block our connection to joy, creativity, and the vital life-giving force that courses through us all.

We no longer need to slump with tension and fatigue. It isn’t necessary and it doesn’t help a thing. Most often, it hurts. Your fatigue may be from lack of play as much as lack of sleep. You might begin to see that you don’t need a rest, a nap, or more vitamin C. You need to play.

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Outside Help

It was evident that a solitary self-appraisal, and the admission of our defects based upon that alone, wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves--the help of God and of another human being.
Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only by being willing to take advice and accept direction could we set foot on the road to straight thinking, solid honesty, and genuine humility.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 59


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Just a Quote

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.” -- Sophocles (496-406 BC)

October 30


Prayer for Anxiety

Lord,
When I feel crushed by my own worries, Lift my mind and help me to see the truth.
When fear grips me tight and I feel I cannot move,
Free my heart and help me to take things one step at a time.
When I can't express the turmoil inside, Calm me with Your quiet words of love.
I choose to trust in You, each day, each hour, each moment of my life.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

We have definitely left that dream world behind.

It was a world of our own making and it was not the real world. We are sorry for the past, yes, but we learned a lot from it. We can put it down to experience, as we see it now, because it has given us the knowledge necessary to face the world as it really is. We had to become alcoholics in order to find the A.A. program. We would not have got it any other way. In a way, it was worth it.

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

Do I look at my past as valuable experience?

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Just a Contemplation

Words & Perception

How burdened we became with the labels applied by parents, teachers, even school chums. We believe about ourselves what others teach us to believe. The messages aren't always true. But the names, they linger in our memories and influence our self-perceptions as adults.

We are as lovely, as capable, and as successful as we perceive ourselves to be. Our own thoughts and words, our own labels can become as powerful as those of our youth. It takes practice to believe in ourselves. But we can break the past's hold on us.

My higher power will help me know the real me. I am all that I ever needed to be; I am special, and I will come to believe that.

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Faith

We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was a part of our make-up. Sometimes we had to search persistently, but He was there. He was as much a fact as we were. We found the Great Reality deep down within us.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 55

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Just a Quote

"Alcoholism does more havoc than three historical scourge together; famine, plague and war." -- William Gladstone, 1809-1898 (British Statesman & Prime Minster)