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January 16
Daily Reflections HITTING BOTTOM Why all this insistence that every A.A. must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing A.A.'s remaining eleven Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 24 Hitting bottom opened my mind and I became willing to try something different. What I tried was A.A. My new life in the Fellowship was a little like learning how to ride a bike for the first time: A.A. became my training wheels and my supporting hand. It's not that I wanted the help so much at the time; I simply did not want to hurt like that again. My desire to avoid hitting bottom again was more powerful than my desire to drink. In the beginning that was what kept me sober. But after a while I found myself working the Steps to the best of my ability. I soon realized that my attitudes and actions were changing - if ever so slightly. One Day at a Time, I became comfortable with myself, and others, and my hurting started to heal. Thank God for the training wheels and supporting hand that I choose to call Alcoholics Anonymous. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Never Again!, p. 16 "Most people feel more secure on the twenty-four-hour basis than they do in the resolution that they will never drink again. Most of them have broken too many resolutions. It's really a matter of personal choice; every A.A. has the privilege of interpreting the program as he likes. "Personally, I take the attitude that I intend never to drink again. This is somewhat different from saying, 'I will never drink again.' The latter attitude sometimes gets people in trouble because it is undertaking on a personal basis to do what we alcoholics never could do. It is too much an act of will and leaves too little room for the idea that God will release us from the drink obsession provided we follow the A.A. program." Letter, 1949 ************************************************** ******** Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS If he thinks he can do the job in some other way, or prefers some other spiritual approach, encourage him to follow his own conscience. We have no monopoly on God; we merely have an approach that worked with us. But point out that we alcoholics have much in common and that you would like, in any case, to be friendly. Let it go at that. p. 95 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Six - "An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose." The minute we saw this compromising fact for what it was, we asked the prospective publicity director how he felt about it. "Great guns!" he said. "Of course I can't take the job. The ink wouldn't be dry on the first ad before an awful shriek would go up from the dry camp. They'd be out with lanterns looking for an honest A.A. to plump for their brand of education. A.A. would land exactly in the middle of the wet-dry controversy. Half the people in this country would think we'd signed up with the drys, the other half would think we'd joined the wets. What a mess!" "Nevertheless," we pointed out, "you still have a legal right to take this job." "I know that," he said. "But this is no time for legalities. Alcoholics Anonymous saved my life, and it comes first. I certainly won't be the guy to land A.A. in big-time trouble, and this would really do it!" Concerning endorsements, our friend had said it all. We saw as never before that we could not lend the A.A. name to any cause other than our own. pp. 158-159 ************************************************** ********* "Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by traffic from both sides." --Margaret Thatcher "Sharing what you have is more important than what you have." --Albert M. Wells, Jr. "Oh...I listen a lot and talk less. You can't learn anything when you're talking." --Bing Crosby Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul. --Saint Augustine The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes sobriety for granted. F E A R = Face Everything And Recover. ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation PROCRASTINATION "You cannot build a reputation on things you are going to do." -- Mabel Newcomber Procrastination is the addicts' game. I will give up alcohol tomorrow. Soon I will take an inventory of my eating habits. Later I will talk to him about my anger and pain. Tomorrow and tomorrow --- but it never happens! The tragedy is that we not only bring pain and problems into our lives but we keep them there. Recovery requires action; sobriety and the spiritual program demand movement. Today I will talk about my pain. ************************************************** ********* The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. Psalm 146:8 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration When we hand over what we can't handle to the One who can, miracles happen. Keep me free of stress, Lord, and in the best possible place to receive Your help. There is no personal problem that you cannot solve. Lord, Your presence within me is all power. You are my help in every need. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 17
Daily Reflections HAPPINESS COMES QUIETLY "The trouble with us alcoholics was this: We demanded that the world give us happiness and peace of mind in just the particular order we wanted to get it - by the alcohol route. And we weren't successful. But when we take time to find out some of the spiritual laws, and familiarize ourselves with them, and put them into practice, then we do get happiness and peace of mind. . . There seem to be some rules that we have to follow, but happiness and peace of mind are always here, open and free to anyone." DR. BOB AND THE GOOD OLDTIMERS, p. 308 The simplicity of the A.A. program teaches me that happiness isn't something I can "demand." It comes upon me quietly, while I serve others. In offering my hand to the newcomer or to someone who has relapsed, I find that my own sobriety has been recharged with indescribable gratitude and happiness. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Toward Honesty, p. 17 The perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one permeates human affairs from top to bottom. This subtle and elusive kind of selfish-righteousness can underlie the smallest act or thought. Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. << << << >> >> >> The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the deception of ourselves. << << << >> >> >> Somehow, being alone with God doesn't seem as embarrassing as facing up to another person. Until we actually sit down and talk aloud about what we have so long hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largely theoretical. When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God. 1. 12 & 12, pp. 94-95 2. Grapevine, August 1961 3. 12 & 12, p. 60 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once. Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity to live and be happy. One of our Fellowship failed entirely with his first half dozen prospects. He often says that if he had continued to work on them, he might have deprived many others, who have since recovered, of their chance. p. 96 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." SELF-SUPPORTING alcoholics? Who ever heard of such a thing? Yet we find that's what we have to be. This principle is telling evidence of the profound change that A.A. has wrought in all of us. Everybody knows that active alcoholics scream that they have no troubles money can't cure. Always, we've had our hands out. Time out of mind we've been dependent upon somebody, usually money-wise. When a society composed entirely of alcoholics says it's going to pay its bills, that's really news. p. 160 ************************************************** ********* Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. --Carl Jung (1875 - 1961) The best portions of a good man's life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts, of kindness and love. --William Wordsworth Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. --Helen Keller A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up. Nothing hath separated us from God but our own will, or rather our own will is our separation from God. --William Law Relinquish pain and suffering. Experience joy and serenity. Let go and move forward. --Deborah Ann Smith Love yourself. Accept yourself. Be honest about what heals and helps you. Then you'll bring your healing gifts to others. Your life will be a gift to the world. --Melody Beattie ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation CREATIVITY "Creative intelligence in its various forms and activities is what makes man." -- James Harvey Robinson Spirituality is being a positive and creative human being in all areas of my life; this I know to be true today. I am not only creative, I am a creative human being. God created me to create. I am a part of His love for the world; through me great and wonderful events can happen. Although I am not divine, I know that I share divinity. I am special. But with this knowledge comes tremendous responsibility because things are only going to happen if I make them happen in my life. To know that I am creative does not make me creative. I have to do something, make something, create something in my life. Today I work at my life like a carpenter works at his wood. I chip away those things I do not want; I smooth down the rough areas of my life, and I polish up those things I want people to see. I accept responsibility for my creativity, and I thank God, on a daily basis, for it. Teach me, O Creator of the universe, to use my life as a tool for goodness, joy and truth. ************************************************** ********* "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God... Ephesians 2:8 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration God will put things in order if we are patient and prayerful. Lord, You know all of my needs and wants. I trust that You will provide. When we give in to fears and worries they will take charge of our lives. Lord, I place my trust in You so that I may experience every opportunity and not miss in life that which is meant for me. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 18
Daily Reflections WOULD A DRINK HELP? By going back in our drinking histories, we could show that years before we realized it we were out of control, that our drinking even then was no mere habit, that was indeed the beginning of a fatal progression. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 23 When I was still drinking, I couldn't respond to any of life's situations the way other, more healthy, people could. The smallest incident triggered a state of mind that believed I had to have a drink to numb my feelings. But the numbing did not improve the situation, so I sought further escape in the bottle. Today I must be aware of my alcoholism. I cannot afford to believe that I have gained control of my drinking - or again I will think I have gained control of my life. Such a feeling of control is fatal to my recovery. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Companion and Partner, p. 18 "Dr. Bob was my constant companion and partner in the great A.A. adventure. As the physician and great human being he was, he chose work with others as his prime A.A. vocation and achieved a record which, in quantity and in quality, none will ever surpass. Assisted by the incomparable Sister Ignatia at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, he--without charge--medically treated and spiritually infused five thousand sufferers. "In all the stress and strain of A.A.'s pioneering time, no hard word ever passed between us. For this, I can thankfully say that the credit was all his." << << << >> >> >> I took my leave of Dr. Bob, knowing that he was to undergo a serious operation. The old, broad smile was on his face as he said almost jokingly, "Remember, Bill, let's not louse this thing up. Let's keep it simple!" I turned away, unable to say a word. That was the last time I ever saw him. 1. Letter, 1966 2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 214 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Suppose now you are making your second visit to a man. He has read this volume and says he is prepared to go through with the Twelve Steps of the program of recovery. Having had the experience yourself, you can give him much practical advice. Let him know you are available if he wishes to make a decision and tell his story, but do not insist upon it if he prefers to consult someone else. p. 96 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." Probably no A.A. Tradition had the labor pains this one did. In early times, we were all broke. When you add to this the habitual supposition that people ought to give money to alcoholics trying to stay sober, it can be understood why we thought we deserved a pile of folding money. What great things A.A. would be able to do with it! But oddly enough, people who had money thought otherwise. They figured that it was high time we now--sober--paid our own way. So our Fellowship stayed poor because it had to. p. 160 ************************************************** ********* Through morning prayers and meditation, we embark upon the day spiritually prepared. Without this preparation, we enter the day with yesterday's anxieties - our own and those of millions of others. --Marianne Williamson The value of persistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but we will finally hear Him. --William McGill I know and trust that God cares for me, and takes care of all my needs. --Shelley Give your friends and family the gift of kindness all throughout the year. Your body is your vehicle through life. Do you take better care of your body or your car? It seems in life that most of us end up doing things we don't enjoy. You can turn things that you don't enjoy into something you do by changing how you do those things AND changing how you view them. ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation GLUTTONY "Gluttony is not a secret vice." -- Orson Welles The unspoken disease of food: hide in food, bury anger with food, cry behind food. Food addiction --- eating, forever dieting, starving --- is the hidden disease that is becoming more obvious. But are we talking about it? Recovering alcoholics minimize it and get lost in ice cream and doughnuts. For many people the pain around food is as real as alcohol or any other drug. And the family and relationships suffer. Today I am willing to talk about it. Spirituality affects all my life and this involves my eating habits and body weight. God does not make junk and so I choose not to eat junk. Today I choose to talk about the buried emotions that I am stuffing behind the food. That is a step towards living. When I bless the food at meal time, may I also bless my abstinence. ************************************************** ********* "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." Psalms 9:10 "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. Genesis 31:49 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-16 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Do not walk around with a long face. Radiate God's love. Lord, help me live my daily life with gratitude and peace from knowing that You are always with me. When you have faith in yourself and God, you will know that you are loved and safe and never alone. Lord, I am these things because You are always with me. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 19
Daily Reflections ROUND-THE-CLOCK FAITH Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.16 The essence of my spiritually, and my sobriety, rests on a round-the-clock faith in a Higher Power. I need to remember and rely on the God of my understanding as I pursue all of my daily activities. How comforting for me is the concept that God works in and through people. As I pause in my day, do I recall specific concrete examples of God's presence? Am I amazed and uplifted by the number of times this power is evident? I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my God's presence in my life of recovery. Without this omnipotent force in my every activity, I would again fall into the depths of my disease - and death. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It The Wine Of Success, p. 19 Disagreeable or unexpected problems are not the only ones that call for self-control. We must be quite as careful when we begin to achieve some measure of importance and material success. For no people have ever loved personal triumphs more than we have loved them; we drank of success as of a wine which could never fail to make us feel elated. Blinded by prideful self-confidence, we were apt to play the big shot. Now that we're in A.A. and sober, winning back the esteem of our friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance. As an insurance against the dangers of big-shot-ism, we can often check ourselves by remembering that we are today sober only by the grace of God and that any success we may be having is far more His success than ours. 12 & 12, pp. 91-92 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS He may be broke and homeless. If he is, you might try to help him about getting a job, or give him a little financial assistance. But you should not deprive your family or creditors of money they should have. Perhaps you will want to take the man into your home for a few days. But be sure you use discretion. Be certain he will be welcomed by your family, and that he is not trying to impose upon you for money, connections, or shelter. Permit that and you only harm him. You will be making it possible for him to be insincere. You may be aiding in his destruction rather than his recovery. pp. 96-97 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." There was another reason for our collective poverty. It was soon apparent that while alcoholics would spend lavishly on Twelfth Step cases, they had a terrific aversion to dropping money into a meeting-place hat for group purposes. We were astounded to find that we were as tight as the bark on a tree. So A.A., the movement, started and stayed broke, while its individual members waxed prosperous. pp. 160-161 ************************************************** ********* Knowing is not enough; We must Apply. Willing is not enough; We must Do. --Goethe I shall stay in this 24 hours, and leave tomorrows burdens, cares, and worries, in Gods hands. --Shelley It isn't enough to draw near to the light. Absorb it into you. Let it charge you and change you with its energy and its power. Healing is all around you. Wherever you are, whatever your resources, healing, energy, and joy are there. --Melody Beattie Speaking without thinking is shooting without aiming. -- French Proverb Three things that become more precious with age are old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to enjoy. "We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." --English proverb We in AA don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message. We are not living just to be sober; we are living to learn, to serve, and to love. Don't mess up an amends with an excuse. The First Step identifies the problem. The remaining eleven Steps are the solution. S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem, Sober. ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation EQUALITY "Treat all men alike. Give them all the same laws. Give them all an even chance to live and grow." -- Chief Joseph Today it is important for me to remember that I am not the only human being in this universe; I need to respect and be considerate of others. Spirituality requires that I treat all people with dignity and respect because they carry something of God within them --- the image of God is with all men. In this way I show and give respect to self. As an alcoholic I was selfish and demanding, wanting my way all the time. Sobriety teaches me that "the way" must include others; my fellow men are part of my life and journey. I cannot live in isolation and be sober. O Spirit of the World, teach me to respect all men as a service to myself. ************************************************** ********* "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:58 How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him. Psalm 147:1 "However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all." Ecclesiastes 11:8 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration People should be able to look at us and see that we are different. Lord, may I be an example of Your love and learn to rely on You at all times. Nothing is ever quite as bad as it seems. Call on God and then practice expectancy and optimism and things will turn out better than you expect. Lord, thank You for tomorrow. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 20
Daily Reflections "WE PAUSE . . . AND ASK" As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.87 Today I humbly ask my Higher Power for the grace to find the space between my impulse and my action; to let flow a cooling breeze when I would respond with heat; to interrupt fierceness with gentle peace; to accept the moment which allows judgment to become discernment; to defer to silence when my tongue would rush to attack or defend. I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills - it is the unsuspected Inner Resource. I thank my Higher Power for this world of light and truth I see when I allow it to direct my vision. I trust it today and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the right thought or action today. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Light From A Prayer, p. 20 "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference." << << << >> >> >> We treasure our "Serenity Prayer" because it brings a new light to us that can dissipate our oldtime and nearly fatal habit of fooling ourselves. In the radiance of this prayer we see that defeat, rightly accepted, need be no disaster. We now know that we do not have to run away, nor ought we again try to overcome adversity by still another bulldozing drive that can only push up obstacles before us faster than they can be taken down. Grapevine, March 1962 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Never avoid these responsibilities, but be sure you are doing the right thing if you assume them. Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn’t enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. It may mean the loss of many nights’ sleep, great interference with your pleasures, interruptions to your business. It may mean sharing your money and your home, counseling frantic wives and relatives, innumerable trips to police courts, sanitariums, hospitals, jails and asylums. Your telephone may jangle at any time of the day or night. Your wife may sometimes say she is neglected. A drunk may smash the furniture in your home, or burn a mattress. You may have to fight with him if he is violent. Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer sedatives under his direction. Another time you may have to send for the police or an ambulance. Occasionally you will have to meet such conditions. p. 97 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." Alcoholics are certainly all-or-nothing people. Our reactions to money prove this. As A.A. emerged from its infancy into adolescence, we swung from the idea that we needed vast sums of money to the notion that A.A. shouldn't have any. On every lip were the words "You can't mix A.A. and money. We shall have to separate the spiritual from the material." We took this violent new tack because here and there members had tried to make money out of their A.A. connections, and we feared we'd be exploited. Now and then, grateful benefactors had endowed clubhouses, and as a result there was sometimes outside interference in our affairs. We had been presented with a hospital, and almost immediately the donor's son became its principal patient and would-be manager. One A.A. group was given five thousand dollars to do with what it would. The hassle over that chunk of money played havoc for years. Frightened by these complications, some groups refused to have a cent in their treasuries. p. 161 ************************************************** ********* I place my recovery in first place. --Shelley The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, who will need our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt. --Leo Buscaglia Today, help me God, to let go of my resistance to change. Help me to be open to the process. Help me believe that the place I will be dropped off will be better than the place I was picked up. Help me to surrender, trust and accept, even if I don't understand. --Melody Beattie And we should not be discouraged because answers do not come immediately. "You can read all the manuals on prayer and listen to other people pray, but until you begin to pray yourself you will never understand prayer. It's like riding a bicycle or swimming: You learn by doing." --Evangelist Luis Palau "There are prayers that help us last through the day, or endure the night. There are prayers of friends and strangers that give us strength for the journey. And there are prayers that yield our will to a will greater than our own." --President George W. Bush ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation BELIEF "One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interest." -- John Stuart Mill I believe in sobriety because it works for me. I believe in sobriety because it makes me feel good about myself. I believe in sobriety because it has enabled me to rejoin the human race; I was so tired of feeling lonely, ashamed and isolated. Also this belief I have in me has rekindled a positive relationship with my higher power. Today God is a friend. Today I understand more about what He wants for me. Today I am broad enough in my thinking to find God in anything that is positive and creative --- from music to hugs in the park! Belief has developed with my spiritual program, and I am able to face the daily pains and conflicts of life. Today I know what it is to be a winner --- and, thank God, it doesn't mean I have to be perfect or in control. My total belief in God and self enables me to love me through my failings. Master of the beliefs of all men, thank You for the gift of my believing in myself. ************************************************** ********* He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 "Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." Luke 18:1 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Each of us can change the world one person at a time. Lord, grant that I may be a positive influence on just one person today. You have a responsibility to be the best that you can be. Lord, may I find a good balance in my life so that I neither neglect myself and my duties nor my responsibility to those that need or depend on me. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 21
Daily Reflections SERVING MY BROTHER The member talks to the newcomer not in a spirit of power but in a spirit of humility and weakness. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE p. 279 As the days pass in A.A., I ask God to guide my thoughts and the words that I speak. In this labor of continuous participation in the Fellowship, I have numerous opportunities to speak. So I frequently ask God to help me watch over my thoughts and my words, that they may be the true and proper reflections of our program; to focus my aspirations once again to seek His guidance; to help me be truly kind and loving, helpful and healing, yet always filled with humility, and free from any trace of arrogance. Today I may very well have to deal with disagreeable attitudes or utterances -- the typical stock-in-trade attitude of the still-suffering alcoholic. If this should happen, I will take a moment to center myself in God, so that I will be able to respond from a perspective of composure, strength and sensibility. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Citizens Again, p. 21 "Each of us in turn--that is, the member who gets the most out of the program--spends a very large amount of time on Twelfth Step work in the early years. That was my case, and perhaps I should not have stayed sober with less work. "However, sooner or later most of us are presented with other obligations--to family, friends, and country. As you will remember, the Twelfth Step also refers to 'practicing these principles in all our affairs.' Therefore, I think your choice of whether to take a particular Twelfth Step job is to be found in your own conscience. No one else can tell you for certain what you ought to do at a particular time. I just know that you are expected, at some point, to do more than carry the message of A.A. to other alcoholics. In A.A. we aim not only for sobriety--we try again to become citizens of the world that we rejected, and of the world that once rejected us. This is the ultimate demonstration toward which Twelfth Step work is the first but not the final step." Letter, 1959 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS We seldom allow an alcoholic to live in our homes for long at a time. It is not good for him, and it sometimes creates serious complications in a family. p. 97 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." Despite these misgivings, we had to recognize the fact that A.A. had to function. Meeting places cost something. To save whole areas from turmoil, small offices had to be set up, telephones installed, and a few full-time secretaries hired. Over many protests, these things were accomplished. We saw that if they weren't, the man coming in the door couldn't get a break. These simple services would require small sums of money which we could and would pay ourselves. At last the pendulum stopped swinging and pointed straight at Tradition Seven as it reads today. pp. 161-162 ************************************************** ********* When you make a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm. --Sherrie R. God claims by grace those who have no claim to grace. "In any moment of decision, The best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing." --President Theodore Roosevelt "Forgiveness ought to be like a canceled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one." --Henry Ward Beecher Someone once said that it's bad to suppress laughter; it goes back down and spreads to your hips! So, keep laughing, everyone! --unknown The best way to get the last word is to apologize. ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation TOLERANCE "The price of freedom of religion or of speech or of the press is that we must put up with, and even pay for, a good deal of rubbish." -- Justice Robert Jackson I need to be tolerant in my sobriety. I need to allow others to say what they feel and live according to their standards. I was intolerant towards people who were different from myself. Much of what I criticized yesterday, I accept today; some things I still reject. To love a person should not require "sameness"; equally, I can accept a person without agreeing with what they say or how they behave. Disagreements and conflicts lead to growth; change requires a variety of forces. Not everything I say to do is "pure" --- and that has become the key to the acceptance of others. My history teaches me that I benefit from the variety of opinions that are represented in mankind. Lord, You have created many ways to Truth, may I appreciate them through the experiences of others. ************************************************** ********* "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock." Matthew 7:24 "Beloved, we are God's children now." 1 John 3:2 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration When your burdens seem heavier than usual, know that your blessings are more than usual. Lord, I call on You for the strength, the wisdom and the confidence that I will need today. God values us so much that He gave us all that He has; His Son Jesus. Show that you value Him, too, by putting Him first in all aspects of your life. Lord, when I put You first in my life, order and peace follow. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 22
Daily Reflections "LET'S KEEP IT SIMPLE" A few hours later I took my leave of Dr. Bob. . . The wonderful, old, broad smile was on his face as he said almost jokingly, "Remember, Bill, let's not louse this thing up. Let's keep it simple!" I turned away, unable to say a word. That was the last time I ever saw him. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE, p 214 After years of sobriety I occasionally ask myself: "Can it be this simple?" Then, at meetings, I see former cynics and skeptics who have walked the A.A. path out of hell by packaging their lives, without alcohol, into twenty-four hour segments, during which they practice a few principles to the best of their individual abilities. And then I know again that, while it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Fear as a Steppingstone, p. 22 The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear--primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands. << << << >> >> >> For all its usual destructiveness, we have found that fear can be the starting point for better things. Fear can be a steppingstone to prudence and to a decent respect for others. It can point the path to justice, as well as to hate. And the more we have of respect and justice, the more we shall begin to find the love which can suffer much, and yet be freely given. So fear need not always be destructive, because the lessons of its consequences can lead us to positive values. 1. 12 & 12, p. 76 2. Grapevine, January 1962 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Though an alcoholic does not respond, there is no reason why you should neglect his family. You should continue to be friendly to them. The family should be offered your way of life. Should they accept and practice spiritual principles, there is a much better change that the head of the family will recover. And even though he continues to drink, the family will find life more bearable. p. 97 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." In this connection, Bill likes to tell the following pointed story. He explains that when Jack Alexander's Saturday Evening Post piece broke in 1941, thousands of frantic letters from distraught alcoholics and their families hit the Foundation* letterbox in New York. "Our office staff," Bill says, "consisted of two people: one devoted secretary and myself. How could this landslide of appeals be met? We'd have to have some more full-time help, that was sure. So we asked the A.A. groups for voluntary contributions. Would they send us a dollar a member a year? Otherwise this heartbreaking mail would have to go unanswered. p. 162 ************************************************** ********* There is no mountain, God cannot help us to climb. --Shelley Learn to listen to your inner voice. Listen to your heart. It's your connection to God, to people, to the universe, and to yourself. --Melody Beattie "Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace." --Author Unknown "The tree in which the sap is stagnant remains fruitless." --Hosea Ballou People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering. --St. Augustine There is a hole and empty place within us that we have tried to fill. Today we know that this is a God shaped hole, that only God can fill. A place where acceptance, understanding, love and support are a given. --Author Unknown ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation POETRY "Poetry is not an assertion of truth, but the making of that truth more fully real to us." -- T. S. Eliot God is able to communicate Himself in a thousand different ways and one such way is poetry. Spirituality is discovering God in His creation, and this involves more than religion or denominationalism. Spirituality is a comprehensive approach to God's world and is the unifying factor at the center of the universe. Spirituality is about what is true --- wherever it is found in the world. Poetry and other art forms become part of the spiritual journey for us as we struggle to understand and communicate truth. In poetry may I find an expression of Your love for me; in my use of poetry, may I express my love for You. ************************************************** ********* "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalms 34:4 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:36-38 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Behave as though God is standing next to you because He is. Lord, we make a great team and together we are able to make a big difference. If you think success and really believe it will happen, you will perform in a manner that leads to success. Lord, may I always avoid negative thoughts and visualize myself in the manner that You intended for me. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 23
Daily Reflections HAVING FUN YET? . . . we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life. We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS , p. 132 When my own house is in order, I find the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt and remorse that clocked my drinking years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this condition requires maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult or painful, perhaps I'm taking myself too seriously - and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my practice of working the program to keep my house in order. I think the pain I experience is one way my Higher Power has to get my attention, coaxing me to take stock of my performance. The slight time and effort it takes to work the program - a spot-check inventory, for example, or the making of amends, whatever is appropriate - are well worth the effort. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Worshipers All, p. 23 We found that we had indeed been worshipers. What a state of mental goose flesh that used to bring on! Had we not variously worshiped people, sentiment, things, money, and ourselves? And then, with a better motive, had we not worshipfully beheld the sunset, the sea, or a flower? Who of us had not loved something or somebody? Were these not things the tissue out of which our lives were constructed? Did not these feelings, after all, determine the course of our existence? It was impossible to say we had no capacity for faith, or love, or worship. In one form or another, we had been living by faith and little else. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 54 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS For the type of alcoholic who is able and willing to get well, little charity, in the ordinary sense of the word, is need or wanted. The men who cry for money and shelter before conquering alcohol, are on the wrong track. Yet we do go to great extremes to provide each other with these very things, when such action is warranted. This may seem inconsistent, but we think it is not. pp. 97-98 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." "To my surprise, the response of the groups was slow. I got mighty sore about it. Looking at this avalanche of mail one morning at the office, I paced up and down ranting how irresponsible and tightwad my fellow members were. Just then an old acquaintance stuck a tousled and aching head in the door. He was our prize slippee. I could see he had an awful hangover. Remembering some of my own, my heart filled with pit. I motioned him to my inside cubicle and produced a five-dollar bill. As my total income was thirty dollars a week at the time, this was a fairly large donation. Lois really needed the money for groceries, but that didn't stop me. The intense relief on my friend's face warmed my heart. I felt especially virtuous as I thought of all the ex-drunks who wouldn't even send the Foundation a dollar apiece, and here I was gladly making a five-dollar investment to fix a hangover. pp. 162-163 ************************************************** ********* I touch my feelings, knowing, I have never been so free, I have never been so happy, sobriety, has changed me. --Shelley There is a guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening we shall hear the right word… Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into your life. Then, without effort, you are impelled to truth and perfect contentment. --Ralph Waldo Emerson Look for the beauty inside of each person. --I. June Stephenson The God who calls us into the unknown travels with us. --Robert W. Rae Spiritual vision means looking at life as God does. --Lisa D. Wiener Whatever our future holds for us, we will find God already there. --Patricia Garrison ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation SLEEP "Sleep that knots up the raveled sleeve of care." -- William Shakespeare When I was new in my recovery from alcoholism I was told to remember the letters H.A.L.T.: Do not get too: Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Sleep is something my body needs, and even if I do not always know it, my body does. The tiredness in my body is telling me to slow down. Sleep is part of my spiritual program because it enables me to feel rested, invigorated and alive. Through sleep I am able to be creative and positive in my life --- showing a practical love to my body. Sleep is me taking care of self! Thank You for the joy and rest that comes with sleep. ************************************************** ********* "But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more." Psalm 71:14 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. Psalm 141:3,8,9,13,14,17,18,20 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Shine a little brighter today because someone needs your light. Lord, may I reflect You like sun hitting a mirror. If you are not happy with what you have, how will you be happy with what you want to have? Lord, may I appreciate the good things in my life and refuse to feel sorry for myself or compare myself to others. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 24
Daily Reflections GETTING INVOLVED There is action and more action. "Faith without works is dead." . . . To be helpful is our only aim. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS , pp. 88-89 I understand that service is a vital part of recovery but I often wonder, "What can I do?" Simply start with what I have today! I look around to see where there is a need. Are the ashtrays full? Do I have hands and feet to empty them? Suddenly I'm involved! The best speaker may make the worst coffee; the member who's best with newcomers may be unable to read; the one willing to clean up may make a mess of the bank account - yet every one of these people and jobs is essential to an active group. The miracle of service is this: when I use what I have, I find there is more available to me than I realized before. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Alike When The Chips Are Down, p. 24 In the beginning, it was four whole years before A.A. brought permanent sobriety to even one alcoholic woman. Like the "high bottoms," the women said they were different; A.A. couldn't be for them. But as the communication was perfected, mostly by the women themselves, the picture changed. This process of identification and transmission has gone on and on. The Skid-Rower said he was different. Even more loudly, the socialite (or Park Avenue stumblebum) said the same--so did the artists and the professional people, the rich, the poor, the religious, the agnostic, the Indians and the Eskimos, the veterans, and the prisoners. But nowadays all of these, and legions more, soberly talk about how very much alike all of us alcoholics are when we admit that the chips are finally down. Grapevine, October 1959 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS It is not the matter of giving that is in question, but when and how to give. That often makes the difference between failure and success. The minute we put our work on a service plane, the alcoholic commences to rely upon our assistance rather than upon God. He clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job—wife or no wife—we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God. p. 98 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." "The meeting that night was at New York's old 24th Street Clubhouse. During the intermission, the treasurer gave a timid talk on how broke the club was. (That was in the period when you couldn't mix money and A.A.) But finally he said it--the landlord would put us out if we didn't pay up. He concluded his remarks by saying, "Now boys, please go heavier on the hat tonight, will you?" p. 163 ************************************************** ********* Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace. --Judith Martin "One never knows what each day is going to bring. The important thing is to be open and ready for it." --Henry Moore "You cannot plan the future by the past." --Edmund Burke Slow down to relish the wonder of God's creation. --Glen Childress God makes possible what we cannot accomplish alone. --Gary Shank Faith in God changes our manner of living. --Chester L Schneider God's reassuring, caring love is with us moment by moment. --Walter N. Maris ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation OPPORTUNITY "Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity; they seem more afraid of life than death." -- James Byrnes Today I am aware of the opportunities that I did not recognize when I was drinking. Drinking stopped me from seeing the life that was before me. I drank myself away from the daily miracle. I missed the sunsets, the fun of relationships, the joy of the theater and the satisfaction of being "aware". In the business world I did not see the opportunity for profit and expansion; I did not create or have faith in my ideas, and I was not able to understand or absorb the new information to be successful in my life. Alcoholism kept me on the outside of my life. Today I am alive in my life, creating, expanding and enjoying my leisure. With sobriety I have the opportunity to experience God in the many aspects of life. Teach me to find You in the risks of life. ************************************************** ********* "Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven." Psalm 107:30 We are to grow up in all aspects into Him. Ephesians 4:15 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration If you can't see more blessings than you can count, you aren't looking hard enough. Thank you, Lord, for all of my blessings and especially those that I don't recognize or take for granted. Be joyful in whatever you do today because you have been blessed, are being blessed and have many more blessings waiting for you. Lord, I am so grateful for Your love. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 25
Daily Reflections WHAT WE NEED - EACH OTHER . . . . A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so . . . nobody can keep you out." TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139 For years, whenever I reflected on Tradition Three ("The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking"), I thought it valuable only to newcomers. It was their guarantee that no one could bar them from A.A. Today I feel enduring gratitude for the spiritual development the Tradition has brought me. I don't seek out people obviously different from myself. Tradition Three, concentrating on the one way I am similar to others, brought me to know and help every kind of alcoholic, just as they have helped me. Charlotte, the atheist, showed me higher standards of ethics and honor; Clay, of another race, taught me patience; Winslow, who is gay, led me by example into true compassion; Young Megan says that seeing me at meetings, sober thirty years, keeps her coming back. Tradition Three insured that we would get what we need - each other. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It We Cannot Stand Still, p. 25 In the first days of A.A., I wasn't much bothered about the areas of life in which I was standing still. There was always the alibi: "After all," I said to myself, "I'm far too busy with much more important matters." That was my near perfect prescription for comfort and complacency. << << << >> >> >> How many of us would presume to declare, "Well, Im sober and I'm happy. What more can I want, or do? I'm fine the way I am." We know that the price of such self-satisfaction is an inevitable backslide, punctuated at some point by a very rude awakening. We have to grow or else deteriorate. For us, the status quo can only be today, never for tomorrow. Change we must; we cannot stand still. 1. Grapevine, June 1961 2. Grapevine, February 1961 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house. p. 98 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." "I heard all this quite plainly, as I was piously trying to convert a newcomer who sat next to me. The hat came in my direction, and I reached into my pocket. Still working on my prospect, I fumbled and came up with a fifty-cent piece. Somehow it looked like a very big coin. Hastily, I dropped it back and fished out a dime, which clinked thinly as I dropped it in the hat. Hats never got folding money in those days. p. 163 ************************************************** ********* "You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and to share it, and for it to be effective, you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation." --Jim Rohn Each day is a gift from God to be used in serving others. --Ruth C. Borges "Confidence never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions." --Unknown "Stress comes from within; it is your reaction to circumstances, not the circumstances themselves." --Brian Tracy "Keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting what you're getting." --Anonymous "Hope is a gift we give ourselves, and it remains when all else is gone." --Criswell Freeman "You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with." --Wayne Dyer "The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today." --Les Brown ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation HONESTY "Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom." -- Thomas Jefferson It is impossible to have a spiritual program without being honest. It is impossible to be recovering from addiction without being honest. An aspect of sobriety is honesty. Today I can see that I was never really known when I was "using" because I was so dishonest. I stopped other people from getting to know me. I stopped me from getting to know me. Part of my pain involved my dishonesty; part of my loneliness and feelings of isolation was caused by my dishonesty; the unmanageability that nearly destroyed my life grew in my dishonesty. Today I need to be honest, rigorously honest --- even in the small things. I can no longer exist to please others --- I need to please myself. I need to love myself by being honest. O God of wisdom, let me find truth in the honesty of my own life. ************************************************** ********* "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice." Psalm 105:3 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High,because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:35-38 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Avoid saying "No one knows." because God knows and understands more perfectly than we ourselves do. Calm my fears, Lord, and lift the burdens that I cannot carry alone. To have a great day isn't always doing what you like, but trying to like what you must do. Lord, today I will spruce up my attitude and have a great day no matter what my circumstances. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 26
Daily Reflections RIGOROUS HONESTY Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer? Who wants to sacrifice time and energy in trying to carry A.A.'s message to the next sufferer? No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect - unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 24 I am an alcoholic. If I drink I will die. My, what power, energy, and emotion this simple statement generates in me! But it's really all I need to know for today. Am I willing to stay alive today? Am I willing to stay sober today? Am I willing to ask for help and am I willing to be a help to another suffering alcoholic today? Have I discovered the fatal nature of my situation? What must I do, today, to stay sober? ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It True Independence of the Spirit, p. 26 The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are. Therefore, dependence as A.A. practices it is really a means of gaining true independence of the spirit. At the level of everyday living, it is startling to discover how dependent we really are, and how unconscious of that dependence. Every modern house has electric wiring carrying power and light to its interior. By accepting with delight our dependence upon this marvel of science, we find ourselves personally more independent, more comfortable and secure. Power flows just where it is needed. Silently and surely, electricity, that strange energy so few people understand, meets our simplest daily needs. Though we readily accept this principle of healthy dependence in many of our temporal affairs, we often fiercely resist the identical principle when asked to apply it as a means of growth in the life of the spirit. Clearly, we shall never know freedom under God until we try to seek His will for us. The choice is ours. 12 & 12, p. 36 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Now, the domestic problem: There may be divorce, separation, or just strained relations. When your prospect has made such reparation as he can to his family, and has thoroughly explained to them the new principles by which he is living, he should proceed to put those principles into action at home. That is, if he is lucky enough to have a home. Though his family be at fault in many respects, he should not be concerned about that. He should concentrate on his own spiritual demonstration. Argument and fault-finding are to be avoided like the plague. In many homes this is a difficult thing to do, but it must be done if any results are to be expected. If persisted in for a few months, the effect on a man’s family is sure to be great. The most incompatible people discover they have a basis upon which they can meet. Little by little the family may see their own defects and admit them. These can then be discussed in an atmosphere of helpfulness and friendliness. pp. 98-99 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." There is another story about money. One night in 1948, the trustees of the Foundation were having their quarterly meeting. The agenda discussion included a very important question. A certain lady had died. When her will was read, it was discovered she had left Alcoholics Anonymous in trust with the Alcoholic Foundation a sum of ten thousand dollars. The question was: Should A.A. take the gift? pp. 163-164 ************************************************** ********* A.A. is not something you join, it's a way of life. He who has fed a stranger may have fed an angel. --The Talmud There's no elevator; you have to take the Steps. Look for God's image in the people you meet. --Robert E. Lea "It takes no more time to see the good side of life than it takes to see the bad." --Jimmy Buffet "It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities." --Josiah Stamp "One can easily understand a child's fear of the dark, but what is the greatest tragedy in life is the grown man who is afraid of the light." --Plato ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation FAITH "The ablest men in all walks of modern life are men of faith." -- Bruce Barton It is important for those of us who have been crushed by the disease of addiction to have faith that life will get better. We stopped "using" or being co-dependent because the behavior was destroying us. Our lives were disintegrating in negative behavior and attitudes. Now we have chosen a different way to live. Today I seek to find God in my freedom of choice, my ability to change. I have faith in the daily belief that my life will get better so long as I avoid those things that hurt me. My faith enables me to change. O God, my faith in me reflects my belief in You. ************************************************** ********* "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:1-3 "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration We can show God that we truly love Him by the way we speak and live. May I be inspiring, Lord, and may everyone that I meet find You. Avoid negative thinking because this leads to unnecessary worry. Lord, I rely on You to guide and sustain me and I know that with You I can move easily around life's obstacles. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 27
Daily Reflections FREEDOM FROM GUILT Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame" from our speech and thought. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47 When I become willing to accept my own powerlessness, I begin to realize that blaming myself for all the trouble in my life can be an ego trip back into hopelessness. Asking for help and listening deeply to the messages inherent in the Steps and Traditions of the program make it possible to change those attitudes which delay my recovery. Before joining A.A., I had such a desire for approval from people in powerful positions that I was willing to sacrifice myself, and others, to gain a foothold in the world. I invariably came to grief. In the program I find true friends who love, understand, and care to help me learn the truth about myself. With the help of the Twelve Steps, I am able to build a better life, free of guilt and the need for self-justification. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Daily Reprieve, p. 27 We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. << << << >> >> >> We of A.A. obey spiritual principles, at first because we must, then because we ought to, and ultimately because we love the kind of life such obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are A.A.'s disciplinarians; we need no others. 1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 85 2. 12 & 12, p. 174 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS After they have seen tangible results, the family will perhaps want to go along. These things will come to pass naturally and in good time provided, however, the alcoholic continues to demonstrate that he can be sober, considerate, and helpful, regardless of what anyone says or does. Of course, we all fall much below this standard many times. But we must try to repair the damage immediately lest we pay the penalty by a spree. p. 99 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." What a debate we had on that one! The Foundation was really hard up just then; the groups weren't sending in enough for the support of the office; we had been tossing in all the book income and even that hadn't been enough. The reserve was melting like snow in springtime. We needed that ten thousand dollars. "Maybe," some said, "the groups will never fully support the office. We can't let it shut down; it's far too vital. Yes, let's take the money. Let's take all such donations in the future. We're going to need them." p. 164 ************************************************** ********* Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. --Ovid It's not what you were, it's what you are today. --David Marion Very little is needed to make a happy life. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something. --Wilson Mizne Times of fellowship with God are the foundation for serving others. --Doris M. Orr ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation SEX "Sexual pleasure, wisely used and not abused, may prove the stimulus and liberator of our finest and most exalted activities." -- Havelock Ellis Sex is most beautiful because it enables the human being to experience and give love at an intimate and personal level. It also combines all the spiritual senses of body, mind and feeling in one expression, balancing tenderness with strength, patience with desire, need with selflessness. Also the awareness and experience of a beautiful sexuality should be taken into all other manifestations of life --- work, leisure, friendship, sports and prayer. The gift of sex is one of our finest and most creative attributes and leads to all that is noble in man, therefore, it should not be used irresponsibly. Today I understand that I have a responsibility to the gifts that God has shared with me. May I find in my sexuality an awareness of You. ************************************************** ********* "Take good care to observe the commandment, and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." Joshua 22:5 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4 "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually." 1 Chronicles 16:11 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration There is no hurt that God cannot heal. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble and don't know where to go. It is far wiser to ask God for what He thinks is good for us, than for what we think is good for us. Lord, Your Will not mine be done. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 28
Daily Reflections THE TREASURE OF THE PAST Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have -- the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124 What a gift it is for me to realize that all those seemingly useless years were not wasted. The most degrading and humiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerful tools in helping others to recover. In knowing the depths of shame and despair, I can reach out with a loving and compassionate hand, and know that the grace of God is available to me. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Troublemakers Can Be Teachers, p. 28 Few of us are any longer afraid of what any newcomer can do to our A.A. reputation or effectiveness. Those who slip, those who panhandle. those who scandalize, those with mental twists, those who rebel at the program, those who trade on the A.A. reputation--all such persons seldom harm an A.A. group for long. Some of these have become our most respected and best loved. Some have remained to try our patience, sober nevertheless. Others have drifted away. We have begun to regard the troublesome ones not as menaces, but rather as our teachers. They oblige us to cultivate patience, tolerance, and humility. We finally see that they are only people sicker than the rest of us, that we who condemn them are Pharisees whose false righteousness does our group the deeper spiritual damage. Grapevine, August 1946 ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis, since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down. Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties. p. 99 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." Then came the opposition. They pointed out that the Foundation board already knew of a total of half a million dollars set aside for A.A. in the wills of people still alive. Heaven only knew how much there was we hadn't heard about. If outside donations weren't declined, absolutely cut off, then the Foundation would one day become rich. Moreover, at the slightest intimation to the general public from our trustees that we needed money, we could become immensely rich. Compared to this prospect, the ten thousand dollars under consideration wasn't much, but like the alcoholic's first drink it would, if taken, inevitably set up a disastrous chain reaction. Where would that land us? Whoever pays the piper is apt to call the tune, and if the A.A. Foundation obtained money from outside sources, its trustees might be tempted to run things without reference to the wishes of A.A. as a while. Relieved of responsibility, every alcoholic would shrug and say, "Oh, the Foundation is wealthy--why should I bother?" The pressure of that fat treasury would surely tempt the board to invent all kinds of schemes to do good with such funds, and so divert A.A. from its primary purpose. The moment that happened, our Fellowship's confidence would be shaken. The board would be isolated, and would fall under heavy attack of criticism from both A.A. and the public. These were the possibilities, pro and con. pp. 164-165 ************************************************** ********* Listening feeds the spirit. The two most dangerous words in a recovering alcoholic's vocabulary are, "I'm different." Honesty gets us sober, tolerance keeps us sober. Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program. But our old-timers are the arteries. The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it. Trust God. Clean house. Help others. The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle rolling hills. ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation WISDOM "Education today, more than ever before, must see clearly the dual objectives: education for living and education for making a living." -- James Mason Wood The spiritual life is a productive life. Not only does it make for a prosperous life in every sense of the word but it makes for a creative lifestyle. Nothing is wasted on the spiritual man; he learns from his mistakes and doubts. For too long I was stunted in my spiritual growth by negative and destructive thinking. I became dependent upon a sick self and attracted equally sick people. I used my education and knowledge to keep people out and remained isolated. I needed to change. I wanted to change. But how? As with everything else in life I needed to imitate those who were successful. I needed to be shown how to live a different way. I needed to discover the power of my spirituality. I found successful people. They helped me. Today I am able to help myself. I pray for the knowledge to imitate those who are successful in life. ************************************************** ********* No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." Genesis 1:26 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration How precious are the little joys throughout the day. Lord, You have such love for me. I find You everywhere I look. Trials are part of life. How you respond to them determines the quality of your life. Lord, in Your justice, rescue and deliver me. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Food for Thought Language of Letting Go Today's Gift Touchstones (Men) Twenty-Four Hours a Day Walk In Dry Places |
January 29
Daily Reflections THE JOY OF SHARING Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you. to have a host of friends - this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS , p. 89 To know that each newcomer with whom I share has the opportunity to experience the relief that I have found in this Fellowship fills me with joy and gratitude. I feel that all the things described in A.A. will come to pass for them, as they have for me, if they seize the opportunity and embrace the program fully. ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day What a load wasting money puts on your shoulders! They say that members of A.A. have paid the highest initiation fee of any club members in the world, because we've wasted so much money on liquor. We'll never be able to figure out how much it was. We not only waste our own money, but also the money we should have spent on our families. When you come into A.A., that terrible load of wasted money falls off your shoulders. We alcoholics were getting round-shouldered from carrying all those loads that drinking put on our shoulders. But when we come into A.A., we get a wonderful feeling of release and freedom. Can I throw back my shoulders and look the whole world in the face again? Meditation For The Day I believe that the future is in the hands of God. He knows better than I what the future holds for me. I am not at the mercy of fate or buffeted about by life. I am being led in a very definite way, as I try to rebuild my life. I am the builder, but God is the architect. It is mine to build as best I can, under His guidance. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may depend on God, since He has planned my life. I pray that I may live my life as I believe God wants me to live it.< /span> ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Alone No More, p.252 Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we were surrounded by people who loved us. But when our self-will had driven everybody away and our isolation became complete, we commenced to play the big shot in cheap barrooms. Failing even in this, we had to fare forth alone on the street to depend upon the charity of passers-by. We were trying to find emotional security either by dominating or by being dependent upon others. Even when our fortunes had not totally ebbed, we nevertheless found ourselves alone in the world. We still vainly tried to be secure by some unhealthy sort of domination or dependence. For those of us who were like that, A.A. has a very special meaning. In this Fellowship we begin to learn right relations with people who understand us; we don't have to be alone any more. 12 & 12, pp. 116-117 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places Willingness is the Key___Strong Desire. Although willpower alone does not work in overcoming alcoholism, there is a place for the will, or willingness, in the search for a happy sobriety. Things can happen if we are willing to let them happen. More important, progress often depends on our willingness to give up what stands in our way. It also requires our willingness to take that actions necessary for success. This same willingness, so vital to finding sobriety, is also applicable in other areas of our lives. The pioneers of AA suggested that getting sober required being willing to go to any lengths. This is the key to other achievements and to the overcoming of problems besides alcohol. We often have to put up with unpleasant conditions simply because we do not want to change them badly enough. For example, we may dislike the unpleasant coughing and risks of smoking, but lack the willingness to quit. We may brood over lost opportunities, but be unwilling to take advantage of the opportunities we have now. The key to constructive change in our lives is willingness… and that applies to other matters as well as to alcohol. I'll try to be honest today about what I really want. I will remind myself that if I want something badly enough, willingness is they key to action and to success ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple An alcoholic spends his life committing suicide on the installment plan.--Laurence Peter None of us woke up one morning and found we had suddenly turned into an addict. We got to be one by practice. And we practiced often. We ignored our families--we left work early--and went drinking and drugging. Daily, we chose chemicals over anything else. Likewise, getting sober is no accident. We work the program. At meetings, we're reminded to help others. We all get sober on the installment plan. A day at a time. We got sick one day at a time; we recover one day at a time. Prayer for the Day: Today, with my Higher Power's help, I'll be happier, more honest, more sober. Sobriety is like a good savings account. Higher Power, help me to put in more than I take out. Action for the Day: I'll go over my Step One to remind myself it's no accident I'm an addict. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning "I can't help it" . . . that's what we all say when we don't want to exert ourselves. --Eva Lathbury Irresponsible behavior is not unfamiliar to us. Passivity is equally familiar. In the past, excusing ourselves of all responsibility prevented us from being blamed. We have learned that it also prevented us from feeling worthy, from fulfilling our potential, from feeling the excitement that comes with achievement. Our fear of failure helped us to be irresponsible. We may still fear failure, but the program offers us an antidote. We can't fail if we have turned our lives over to our higher power. We will be shown the way to proceed. Our fellow travelers have messages for us that will smooth our path. I have chosen recovery. I have already said, "I can help it." I will celebrate that I am taking responsibility for my life today. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn’t so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon. pp. 99-100 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." When these facts were printed, there was a profound reaction. To people familiar with endless drives for charitable funds, A.A. presented a strange and refreshing spectacle. Approving editorials here and abroad generated a wave of confidence in the integrity of Alcoholics Anonymous. They pointed out that the irresponsible had become responsible, and that by making financial independence part of its tradition, Alcoholics Anonymous had revived an ideal that its era had almost forgotten. p. 165 ************************************************** ********* The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us. "Let us open our natures, throw wide the doors of our hearts and let in the sunshine of good will and kindness." --O. S. Marden Prayer of St. Theresa May today there be peace within May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be.... May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.... May you be content knowing you are a child of God.... Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance and to bask in the sun…. It is there for each and everyone of you…. --St. Teresa When you love someone, don't let a single thing become bigger than that love. It can destroy you both. Ask yourself, "Will this matter in 20 years?" The gift of Forgiveness is a gift you have given to yourself. The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle rolling hills. ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation SUCCESS "Success is a journey not a destination." -- Ben Sweetland So long as I am sober I know that I am successful. But I also know that my sobriety is more than keeping away from the first drink. My sobriety requires that I be a creative and successful human being in all areas of my life --- in my relationships, at work, with my family, my business ventures and in my acts of charity. The road to success is exactly that --it is a "road" that I am traveling along, and I will be on it until the day I die. I suppose the danger is in thinking that I have arrived. Then I get complacent and apathetic, I slow down and the energy for recovery is diminished. Today I know that I am successful so long as I keep moving along with my spiritual program. Let me always be confident as I walk in my journey of life. ************************************************** ********* "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Psalm 19:7-8 "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Psalm 25:5 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Call on God when you need a friend to make it through the day. Lord, may we share Your love and beauty so that our lives may not be lonely. Holding on to hurts causes us to live the pain over and over. Lord, may I forgive so that I may heal. |
January 30
Daily Reflections FREEDOM FROM . . . FREEDOM TO We are going to know a new freedom. . . . ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS , p. 83 Freedom for me is both freedom from and freedom to. The first freedom I enjoy is freedom from the slavery of alcohol. What a relief! Then I begin to experience freedom from fear - fear of people, of economic insecurity, of commitment, of failure, of rejection. Then I begin to enjoy freedom to - freedom to choose sobriety for today, freedom to be myself, freedom to express my opinion, to experience peace of mind, to love and be loved, and freedom to grow spiritually. But how can I achieve these freedoms? The Big Book clearly says that before I am halfway through making amends, I will begin to know a "new" freedom; not the old freedom of doing what I pleased, without regard to others, but the new freedom that allows fulfillment of the promises in my life. What a joy to be free! ************************************************** ********* Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day A drinking life isn't a happy life. Drinking cuts you off from other people and from God. One of the worst things about drinking is the loneliness. And one of the best things about A.A. is the fellowship. Drinking cuts you off from other people, at least from the people who really matter to you, your wife and children, your family and real friends. No matter how much you love them, you build up a wall between you and them by your drinking. You're cut off from any real companionship with them. As a result, you're terribly lonely. Have I got rid of my loneliness? Meditation For The Day I will sometimes go into a quiet place of retreat with God. In that place, I will find restoration and healing and power. I will plan quiet times now and then, times when I will commune with God and arise rested and refreshed to carry on the work which God has given me to do. I know that God will never give me a load greater than I can bear. It is in serenity and peace that all true success lies. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may strengthen my inner life, so that I may find serenity. I pray that my soul may be restored in quietness and peace. ************************************************** ********* As Bill Sees It Getting Off a "Dry Bender", p. 30 "Sometimes, we become depressed. I ought to know; I have been a champion dry-bender case myself. While the surface causes were a part of the picture--trigger-events that precipitated depression--the underlying causes, I am satisfied, ran much deeper. "Intellectually, I could accept my situation. Emotionally, I could not. "To these problems, there are certainly no pat answers. But part of the answer surely lies in the constant effort to practice all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps." Letter, 1954 ************************************************** ********* Walk In Dry Places No Justified Resentments____Personal Inventory One of the greatest hurdles in sobriety is the so-called justified resentment. We feel that we have a right to be angry at somebody who has hurt or offended us. This feeling might be correct if our anger could remedy the matter and bring it to a just conclusion, but this hardly ever happens. If we are angry, we usually want revenge more than we want justice. Uncontrolled anger will make us behave as unjustly as those who harmed us did. This means more trouble. Whether revenge is sought or not, anger also poisons our own lives. Emmet Fox compared it to the insane practice of drinking prussic acid. People cannot take a drink of acid and then assign it to the person they detest. They will bear its effect in their own bodies. In the same way, our anger produces its own acids, which destroy our peace of mind and make us ineffective. We can deal with "justified resentment" by reminding ourselves that there's no justification for the pain and sickness a festering resentment will cause in our lives. There is no justified resentment. Today I may have to swim against the tide by not getting upset over matters that enrage others. I will not let myself be drawn into the angry currents around me. ************************************************** ********* Keep It Simple Go and wake up your luck---Perian proverb We've been given recovery. For this, we're lucky. And we're grateful. Now it's up to us. We must accept our choices. When we're afraid, do we choose to be alone? Or do we choose to go to extra meeting? When we're not honest, do we keep it secret? Or do we admit it and try to be more honest? No matter what we choose, we're responsible for that choice. Through choices, we either make our program strong or weak. We can choose to be lucky. Or we can choose not to be. The choice is ours. Our addiction robbed us of choice. It taught us to blame others. Now we see ourselves as responsible. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me to choose wisely. Help me remember I'm responsible for my choices. Action for the Day: Today I'll work at being responsible for my choices. I'll see myself as one of the lucky ones. ************************************************** ********* Each Day a New Beginning Fortunately [psycho]analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts. Life itself still remains a very effective therapist. --Karen Horney The passage of time, coupled with an openness to the messages gleaned from our conversations with others, can provide answers we need for the way out of painful situations. Life is ebb and flow, peaks and valleys, struggles and sweet times. What we fail to realize, all too often, is that the struggles make possible the times that are sweet. Our conflicts are our special lessons in life. We can learn to flow with them, move through them, trust their value to us as growing, changing women. How good it feels to have found security with one another and that power greater than ourselves who can, when we are willing, show us the path to resolution. Life will never be free of conflict--nor should it be. Our lessons move us to higher planes of awareness. We can experience the joy hidden within the conflict. We can help one another remember that the sweetness of a moment is tied to the pain of a former, forgotten moment. All events, all experiences, are connected. The path I travel, alone and with others, is bringing me brighter days. I will trust my path. It's right for me. ************************************************** ********* Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS Both you and the new man must walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances! p. 100 ************************************************** ********* Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Tradition Eight - "Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers." ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS will never have a professional class. We have gained some understanding of the ancient words "Freely ye have received, freely give." We have discovered that at the point of professionalism, money and spirituality do not mis. Almost no recovery from alcoholism has ever been brought about by the world's best professionals, whether medical or religious. We do not decry professionalism in other fields, but we accept the sober fact that it does not work for us. Every time we have tried to professionalize our Twelfth Step, the result has been exactly the same: Our single purpose has been defeated. p. 166 ************************************************** ********* That light at the end of the tunnel may be you. What other people think of you is none of your business! Bricks and mortar make a house, but the laughter of children makes a home. --Irish Proverb "If I can just love you because here we are, then you are free to grow as you need to grow, because none of it's going to change my feeling of love." --Ram Dass God beats in my heart. I share his light with the world. --Shelley "What we must realize is that we cannot see everything. We do not know everything. More important, we must understand that it is impossible for us to control anything. The process of life is a spiritual one, governed by invisible, intangible spiritual laws and principles." --Iyanla Vanzant ************************************************** ********* Father Leo's Daily Meditation POTENTIAL "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being." -- Johann W. von Goethe My program of recovery from alcoholism helps me have a relationship with myself and helps me relate to and understand others. The more I understand my strengths and weaknesses, the more I am able to understand others. Any understanding of spirituality involves other people. If spirituality helps me become what God intends for me, then this is also true for others. Today I choose to treat myself and other people as children of God, remembering that we were created to reach for the skies! Lord, our potential forever rests in You. ************************************************** ********* Encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 2 Timothy 2:22-24 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:15-16 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:8-12 ************************************************** ********* Daily Inspiration Slow down and see the gracious blessings that God has for you. In my quient moments, Lord, I know that You are there. When we have to justify our actions, it may be that our actions are not just. Lord, Your will is goodness. May I always have the strength and courage to choose Your way so that I can simplify my life and enjoy the peace of Your presence. |
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