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bluidkiti · 04-17-2014, 12:03 PM

April 18

Daily Reflections

SELF-HONESTY

The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the
deception of ourselves. . . . When we are honest with
another person, it confirms that we have been honest
with ourselves and with God.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 17

When I was drinking, I deceived myself about reality,
rewriting it to what I wanted it to be. Deceiving others
is a character defect--even if it is just stretching the
truth a bit or cleaning up my motives so others would
think well of me. My Higher Power can remove this
character defect, but first I have to help myself become
willing to receive that help by not practicing deception.
I need to remember each day that deceiving myself about
myself is setting myself up for failure or disappointment
in life and in Alcoholics Anonymous. A close, honest
relationship with a Higher Power is the only solid
foundation I've found for honesty with self and with
others.

************************************************** *********

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

As I look back over my drinking career, have I learned that
you take out of life what you put into it? When I put
drinking into my life, did I take out a lot of bad things?
Hospitals with the D.T.'s? Jails for drunken driving? Loss
of job? Loss of home and family? When I put drinking into my
life, was almost everything I took out bad?

Meditation For The Day

I should strive for a friendliness and helpfulness that will
affect all who come near to me. I should try to see something
to love in them. I should welcome them, bestow little
courtesies and understandings on them, and help them if they
ask for help. I must send no one away without a word of cheer,
a feeling that I really care about them. God may have put the
impulse in some despairing one's mind to come to me. I must
not fail God by repulsing that person. They may not want to
communicate with me unless they are sure of a warm welcome.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may warmly welcome all who come to me for help.
I pray that I may make them feel that I really care.

************************************************** *********

As Bill Sees It

Freedom Through Acceptance, p. 109

We admitted we couldn't lick alcohol with our own remaining
resources, and so we accepted the further fact that dependence upon a
Higher Power (if only our A.A. group) could do this hitherto impossible
job. The moment we were able to accept these facts fully, our release
from the alcohol compulsion had begun.

For most of us, this pair of acceptances had required a lot of exertion
to achieve. Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to
be cast aside. This had not been done with sheer will power; it came
instead as the result of developing the willingness to accept these new
facts of living.

We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we begun to
be free.

Grapevine, March 1962

************************************************** *********

Walk in Dry Places

Mistakes are for learning_____Personal growth.
One sign of an alcoholic's immaturity is revealed in responses to personal mistakes. We take each simple mistake as further proof of our inadequacy. As one person observed, "I can handle a general catastrophe, but running my nylons can ruin my day."
Some of us may feel we're victims of past conditioning… a parent, for example, who berated us when the slightest thing went wrong. But we're at fault if we continue to let ourselves be victimized by such experience. We should give no person.. past, present, or future---the right to set the level of our self-esteem .
Properly viewed, all mistakes are for learning purposes. We often have to make a few mistakes before we can learn anything. Sometimes a mistake can occur simply to teach us one basic lesson… that we are human and cannot be perfect in everything we do.
Above, all, we should never condemn ourselves for the countless mistakes that occurred while we were drinking. Our alcoholism, a terrible mistake in the sight of many, led to the deep learning we find in AA. Nothing that brings us this far can really be a mistake in the sight of God.
In sobriety, I'm learning tolerate the shortcomings and mistakes of others. I will extend the same grace to myself today if I make a simple mistake.

************************************************** *********

Keep It Simple

Patience is needed with everyone, but first of all with ourselves. ---St. Francis de Sales
How do you treat yourself? Do you talk to yourself in a kind and loving voice? We can’t be kind and loving to others until we learn to be kind and loving with ourselves. To live this way, we must give ourselves the gift of patience.
Let’s practice patience with ourselves daily. Practice talking to yourself in a kind, loving voice.
Your voice will be that of a loving parent who helps a child with a new task. Your Higher Power
Is willing to be patient with you. Give yourself the same gift.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, I pray that I’ll treat myself and others with the same loving patience You’ve shown me.
Action for the Day: I will listen to how I talk to myself. I will practice talking to myself with a kind, loving, and patient voice.

************************************************** *********

Each Day a New Beginning

To oppose something is to maintain it. --Ursula K. LeGuin
Most of our struggles are with other persons or perhaps situations we want to change. We discover that our continual opposition adds fuel to the fires (at least our own internal ones). But can we turn our backs when we feel justified in our opposition? There's perhaps no more difficult action to take than to walk away from those situations we feel so strongly about, but the wisdom of this program says, "Let go and let God." And when we do let go, as if by magic, relief comes. The fires die out. That which we opposed is less troubling, maybe even gone. We no longer feel the need to struggle today. The need may rise again, but again we can turn to our higher power. Trusting that relief awaits us, ensures its arrival.
As women we discover many opportunities for opposition, too many persons and situations that make difficult our changing roles--too many persons who don't easily accept our changing characters. The strength to let go and let God we must share with one another.
I maintain my struggles with righteous behavior. They lose their sting when they lose my opposition. I will step aside and let God.

************************************************** *********

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 9 - The Family Afterwards

We families of Alcoholics Anonymous keep few skeletons in the closet. Everyone knows about the others’ alcoholic troubles. This is a condition which, in ordinary life, would produce untold grief; there might be scandalous gossip, laughter at the expense of other people, and a tendency to take advantage of intimate information. Among us, these are rare occurrences. We do talk about each other a great deal, but we almost invariably temper such talk by a spirit of love and tolerance.

p. 125

************************************************** *********

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Two - "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

The sponsor continues, "Take, for example, my own case. I had a scientific schooling. Naturally I respected, venerated, even worshipped science. As a matter of fact, I still do--all except the worship part. Time after time, my instructors held up to me the basic principle of all scientific progress: search and research, again and again, always with the open mind. When I first looked at A.A. my reaction was just like yours. This A.A. business, I thought, is totally unscientific. This I can't swallow. I simply won't consider such nonsense.

pp. 26-27

************************************************** *********

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn
around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around
it.
--Michael Jordan

Live For Today. . . Yesterday's History. . . And Tomorrow Belongs To
God

The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not
protect you. To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to
lose everything else.
--Bernadette Devlin

A good mountain climber never looks up to see how far he has to
go............ He looks down to see how far he's come.
--Mark Kostew

The difficulties of life are intended to make us better not bitter.

"Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had
the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is
because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."
--Dale Carnegie

************************************************** *********

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

GOD

"Any God I ever felt in Church I
brought in with me. And I think all
the other folks did, too. They come
to Church to share God, not find
God."
--Alice Walker

God is within us! At one time I would find that statement blasphemous
or incomprehensible. I always thought God was a long way off -
separate, unknowable and judgmental. He was much more a judge
than a friend. I saw myself more the sinner than the son. Naturally,
with such a low self-esteem it was hard to associate God with my life,
let alone consider God existing within me!

Then I began to search for the spiritual path that leads to a deeper
understanding of self - and I found a loving, gentle and friendly God.
His love was so pervasive in His world that I was able to discover Him
in my life and the lives of others. The concept of meeting together to
share God made sense. The concept of discovering a God within and
without made God knowable and comprehensible. Because God lives
in me, I am alive.

Master, in the breaking of the bread, may I share Your life in my
world.

************************************************** *********

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar
on wings like eagles."
Isaiah 40:31

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches
in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
Matthew 6:25

************************************************** *********

Daily Inspiration

Spend some of your time in prayer just being with God. Lord, for the moment I am letting go of my concerns so that I can feel Your presence in my life.

Thoughts are powerful, so pay close attention to what you think about. Lord, help me to think thoughts of love, peace and abundance so that this becomes my experience.

04-17-2014, 12:03 PM	#18
bluidkiti Administrator Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 70,626	April 18 Daily Reflections SELF-HONESTY The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the deception of ourselves. . . . When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 17 When I was drinking, I deceived myself about reality, rewriting it to what I wanted it to be. Deceiving others is a character defect--even if it is just stretching the truth a bit or cleaning up my motives so others would think well of me. My Higher Power can remove this character defect, but first I have to help myself become willing to receive that help by not practicing deception. I need to remember each day that deceiving myself about myself is setting myself up for failure or disappointment in life and in Alcoholics Anonymous. A close, honest relationship with a Higher Power is the only solid foundation I've found for honesty with self and with others. ************************************************ ***** Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day As I look back over my drinking career, have I learned that you take out of life what you put into it? When I put drinking into my life, did I take out a lot of bad things? Hospitals with the D.T.'s? Jails for drunken driving? Loss of job? Loss of home and family? When I put drinking into my life, was almost everything I took out bad? Meditation For The Day I should strive for a friendliness and helpfulness that will affect all who come near to me. I should try to see something to love in them. I should welcome them, bestow little courtesies and understandings on them, and help them if they ask for help. I must send no one away without a word of cheer, a feeling that I really care about them. God may have put the impulse in some despairing one's mind to come to me. I must not fail God by repulsing that person. They may not want to communicate with me unless they are sure of a warm welcome. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may warmly welcome all who come to me for help. I pray that I may make them feel that I really care. ********************************************** ***** As Bill Sees It Freedom Through Acceptance, p. 109 We admitted we couldn't lick alcohol with our own remaining resources, and so we accepted the further fact that dependence upon a Higher Power (if only our A.A. group) could do this hitherto impossible job. The moment we were able to accept these facts fully, our release from the alcohol compulsion had begun. For most of us, this pair of acceptances had required a lot of exertion to achieve. Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to be cast aside. This had not been done with sheer will power; it came instead as the result of developing the willingness to accept these new facts of living. We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we begun to be free. Grapevine, March 1962 ********************************************** ***** Walk in Dry Places Mistakes are for learning_____Personal growth. One sign of an alcoholic's immaturity is revealed in responses to personal mistakes. We take each simple mistake as further proof of our inadequacy. As one person observed, "I can handle a general catastrophe, but running my nylons can ruin my day." Some of us may feel we're victims of past conditioning… a parent, for example, who berated us when the slightest thing went wrong. But we're at fault if we continue to let ourselves be victimized by such experience. We should give no person.. past, present, or future---the right to set the level of our self-esteem . Properly viewed, all mistakes are for learning purposes. We often have to make a few mistakes before we can learn anything. Sometimes a mistake can occur simply to teach us one basic lesson… that we are human and cannot be perfect in everything we do. Above, all, we should never condemn ourselves for the countless mistakes that occurred while we were drinking. Our alcoholism, a terrible mistake in the sight of many, led to the deep learning we find in AA. Nothing that brings us this far can really be a mistake in the sight of God. In sobriety, I'm learning tolerate the shortcomings and mistakes of others. I will extend the same grace to myself today if I make a simple mistake. ********************************************** ***** Keep It Simple Patience is needed with everyone, but first of all with ourselves. ---St. Francis de Sales How do you treat yourself? Do you talk to yourself in a kind and loving voice? We can’t be kind and loving to others until we learn to be kind and loving with ourselves. To live this way, we must give ourselves the gift of patience. Let’s practice patience with ourselves daily. Practice talking to yourself in a kind, loving voice. Your voice will be that of a loving parent who helps a child with a new task. Your Higher Power Is willing to be patient with you. Give yourself the same gift. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, I pray that I’ll treat myself and others with the same loving patience You’ve shown me. Action for the Day: I will listen to how I talk to myself. I will practice talking to myself with a kind, loving, and patient voice. ********************************************** ***** Each Day a New Beginning To oppose something is to maintain it. --Ursula K. LeGuin Most of our struggles are with other persons or perhaps situations we want to change. We discover that our continual opposition adds fuel to the fires (at least our own internal ones). But can we turn our backs when we feel justified in our opposition? There's perhaps no more difficult action to take than to walk away from those situations we feel so strongly about, but the wisdom of this program says, "Let go and let God." And when we do let go, as if by magic, relief comes. The fires die out. That which we opposed is less troubling, maybe even gone. We no longer feel the need to struggle today. The need may rise again, but again we can turn to our higher power. Trusting that relief awaits us, ensures its arrival. As women we discover many opportunities for opposition, too many persons and situations that make difficult our changing roles--too many persons who don't easily accept our changing characters. The strength to let go and let God we must share with one another. I maintain my struggles with righteous behavior. They lose their sting when they lose my opposition. I will step aside and let God. ********************************************** ***** Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Chapter 9 - The Family Afterwards We families of Alcoholics Anonymous keep few skeletons in the closet. Everyone knows about the others’ alcoholic troubles. This is a condition which, in ordinary life, would produce untold grief; there might be scandalous gossip, laughter at the expense of other people, and a tendency to take advantage of intimate information. Among us, these are rare occurrences. We do talk about each other a great deal, but we almost invariably temper such talk by a spirit of love and tolerance. p. 125 ********************************************** ***** Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Two - "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." The sponsor continues, "Take, for example, my own case. I had a scientific schooling. Naturally I respected, venerated, even worshipped science. As a matter of fact, I still do--all except the worship part. Time after time, my instructors held up to me the basic principle of all scientific progress: search and research, again and again, always with the open mind. When I first looked at A.A. my reaction was just like yours. This A.A. business, I thought, is totally unscientific. This I can't swallow. I simply won't consider such nonsense. pp. 26-27 ********************************************** ***** Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. --Michael Jordan Live For Today. . . Yesterday's History. . . And Tomorrow Belongs To God The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you. To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else. --Bernadette Devlin A good mountain climber never looks up to see how far he has to go............ He looks down to see how far he's come. --Mark Kostew The difficulties of life are intended to make us better not bitter. "Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses." --Dale Carnegie ********************************************** ***** Father Leo's Daily Meditation GOD "Any God I ever felt in Church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did, too. They come to Church to share God, not find God." --Alice Walker God is within us! At one time I would find that statement blasphemous or incomprehensible. I always thought God was a long way off - separate, unknowable and judgmental. He was much more a judge than a friend. I saw myself more the sinner than the son. Naturally, with such a low self-esteem it was hard to associate God with my life, let alone consider God existing within me! Then I began to search for the spiritual path that leads to a deeper understanding of self - and I found a loving, gentle and friendly God. His love was so pervasive in His world that I was able to discover Him in my life and the lives of others. The concept of meeting together to share God made sense. The concept of discovering a God within and without made God knowable and comprehensible. Because God lives in me, I am alive. Master, in the breaking of the bread, may I share Your life in my world. ********************************************** ***** "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25 ********************************************** ******* Daily Inspiration Spend some of your time in prayer just being with God. Lord, for the moment I am letting go of my concerns so that I can feel Your presence in my life. Thoughts are powerful, so pay close attention to what you think about. Lord, help me to think thoughts of love, peace and abundance so that this becomes my experience. __________________ "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving.