November 5
Daily Reflections
"THE QUALITY OF FAITH"
This. . . has to do with the quality of faith. . . . In no deep or meaningful sense had we ever
taken stock of ourselves. . . . We had not even prayed rightly. We had always said,
"Grant me my wishes" instead of "Thy will be done."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.32
God does not grant me material possessions, take away my suffering, or spare me
from disasters, but He does give me a good life, the ability to cope, and peace of
mind. My prayers are simple: first, they express my gratitude for the good things in
my life, regardless of how hard I have to search for them; and second, I ask only for
the strength and the wisdom to do His will. He answers with solutions to my
problems, sustaining my ability to live through daily frustrations with a serenity I did
not believe existed, and with the strength to practice the principles of A.A. in all of
my everyday affairs.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
During our thoughts about the rewards that have come to us as a result of our new
way of living, we find that we have new kinds of homes, new relationships with our
spouses and with our children. Also, peace, contentment, hope, faith, charity, and
new ambition. What are some of the things we have lost? Each one of us can
answer this question in many ways. I have lost much of my fear. It used to control
me; it was my master. It paralyzed my efforts. Fear always got me down. It made me
an introvert, an ingrown person. When fear was replaced by faith, I got well. Have I
lost some of my fears?
Meditation For The Day
The world would sooner be brought close to God. His will would sooner be done on
earth, if all who acknowledge Him gave themselves unreservedly to being used by Him.
God can use every human being as a channel for divine love and power. What delays the
bringing of the world closer to God is the backwardness of His followers. If each one
lived each day for God and allowed God to work through him, then the world would soon
be drawn much closer to God, its Founder and Preserver.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be used as a channel to express the Divine Love. I pray that I may
so live as to bring God's spirit closer to the world.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Circle and Triangle, p. 307
Above us, at the International Convention at St. Louis in 1955, floated
a banner on which was inscribed the then new symbol for A.A., a circle
enclosing a triangle. The circle stands for the whole world of A.A.,
and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity,
and Service.
It is perhaps no accident that priests and seers of antiquity regarded
this symbol as a means of warding off spirits of evil.
<< << << >> >> >>
When, in 1955, we oldtimers turned over our Three Legacies to the
whole movement, nostalgia for the old days blended with gratitude for
the great day in which I was now living. No more would it be
necessary for me to act for, decide for, or protect A.A.
For a moment, I dreaded the coming change. But this mood quickly
passed. The conscience of A.A. as moved by the guidance of God
could be depended upon to insure A.A.'s future. Clearly my job
henceforth was to let go and let God.
A.A. Comes of Age
1. p. 39
2. pp. 46.48
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
No apologies for sobriety
Attitude
Now that we are sober, some of us are invited to social events where there is drinking. Now and then, we see raised eyebrows when others learn that we're having only soft drinks.
Some of us may respond by explaining that we're alcoholics and cannot take even one drink. A few recovering alcoholics handle the situation by pretending that they're holding an alcoholic drink---- perhaps enlisting the bartender's aid in making the drink appear to contain liquor.
While it may be useful to tell others about our alcoholism, we are under no obligation to do so, particularly in a drinking environment. At the same time, there's something wrong with pretending that one is still taking alcoholic drinks.
Our best course is to remember that we never have to apologize for not drinking. In a world that makes so much fuss about the right to drink, we surely have a right not to drink, and we do not have to explain why we are not drinking.
If I find myself in a drinking environment today, I'll handle it with dignity and cheerfulness, but I will not feel I must defend my sobriety to others.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Acceptance and faith are capable of producing 100%
sobriety. --Grapevine.
Acceptance and faith are the most important parts of our recovery. If we boil down Steps One
And Two, we'll find acceptance and faith. Acceptance means we see the world as it is, not as we want it to be. We start to see ourselves as humans, not as gods. We are good, and we are bad. We need to fit in the world, not run it.
Acceptance also guides us toward faith. Faith is believing. We start to believe that someone or something will take care of us. Faith is about giving up control of outcomes. We learn to say to our Higher Power, “Thy will be done.”
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power help me accept my illness. Give me the faith to know that You and I, together, will keep me sober.
Action for the Day: Throughout the day, I'll think of the 11th step. I'll pray to my Higher Power, “Thy Will be done, not mine.” Amen.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
The future is made of the same stuff as the present. --Simone Weil
The only lessons that matter for our lives at this time will come to us today. Just as what we needed and were ready for yesterday came yesterday, tomorrow insures more of the same. Concerning ourselves with any other moment but the present prevents us from responding when "the teacher appears."
In years gone by, we perhaps hung onto yesterday's problems. We may still struggle to hang onto them. Or perhaps we try to see too far ahead. But we are learning that there is a right time for all growth. A right time for all experiences. And the right time may not fit our timetable. What doesn't come our way today, will come when the time is right. Each day we are granted just what is needed. We need not worry about the future. It will offer us whatever rightly comes next, but it can't do so until we have experienced these 24 hours before us.
There is wonder and joy awaiting me, each day. The growth I experience is just what is needed at this time. I am a student, and the teacher will appear.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
When I was five years sober, I met a man in A.A. who was also five years sober. He said that the rocks in my head fit the holes in his. Today we have a daughter who has never seen her parents drink and who sees them try to help others in Alcoholics Anonymous. We have a nice home and sober family life in a community with lots of A.A. friends and meetings. It's a long, long way from that first A.A. meeting, and it couldn't get much better.
p. 397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Four - "Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole."
AUTONOMY is a ten-dollar word. But in relation to us, it means very simply that every A.A. group can manage its affairs exactly as it pleases, except when A.A. as a whole is threatened. Comes now the same question raised in Tradition One. Isn't such liberty foolishly dangerous?
Over the years, every conceivable deviation from our Twelve Steps and Traditions has been tried. That was sure to be, since we are so largely a band of ego-driven individualists. Children of chaos, we have defiantly played with every brand of fire, only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser. These very deviations created a vast process of trial and error which, under the grace of God, has brought us to where we stand today.
p. 146
************************************************** *********
When looking in the mirror you see the most important person in the world to you. If
you can't look that person in the eye and say "I love you," change something. Your
life depends on it.
--NoMoGin
I must empty myself, so God can fill me up.
--Shelley
God can make all things new - even you.
--unknown
Tart words make no friends; a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of
vinegar.
--unknown
The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.
--unknown
I never imagined that the greatest achievement of my life would be peace of mind.
--unknown
Service is spirituality in action.
--unknown
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
FEAR
"The spirit of liberty . . . is the
spirit which is not too sure it is
always right."
-- Judge Learned Hand
I am free to make mistakes. It is okay for me to be wrong. I can say or do something
that proves to be incorrect. I am not perfect. Part of the liberty of being a human being is
not being perfect; I am not God. In a sense this is a relief. I do not have to take
responsibility for the lives of others or the crises in the world. It is okay not to have all
the answers. Indeed, sometimes the spiritual life is discovered in "not knowing" and the
answer will forever remain in the question. It is human to ask "why are we like we
are?" But the answer rests in God.
God of Reason, let me be satisfied with discovering You in the questions.
************************************************** *********
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
"Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."
Psalm 107:8-9
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
1 Corinthians 3:9
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
When your energy levels are low and your spirit needs a boost, take a short walk or quiet break and use the time for a talk with God and a little healing meditation. Lord, help me to brighten my day, keep my spirit strong, and bring more laughter to my life.
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.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Friday's updated readings
November 4
Daily Reflections
A DAILY DISCIPLINE
, . . when they [self-examination, meditation and prayer] are logically related and
interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
The last three Steps of the program invoke God's loving discipline upon my willful nature.
If I devote just a few moments every night to a review of the highlights of my day, along
with an acknowledgment of those aspects that didn't please me so much, I gain a personal
history of myself, one that is essential to my growth, or lack of it, and to ask in prayerful
meditation to be relieved of those continuing shortcomings that cause me pain. Meditation
and prayer also teach me the art of focusing and listening. I find that the turmoil of the day
gets tuned out as I pray for His will and guidance. The practice of asking Him to help
me in my strivings for perfection puts a new slant on the tedium of any day, because I know
there is honor in any job done well. The daily discipline of prayer and meditation will keep
me in fit spiritual condition, able to face whatever the day brings - without the thought of a
drink.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I can do things that I never did before. Liquor took away my initiative and my ambition. I
couldn't get up the steam to start anything. I let things slide. When I was drunk, I was too
inert to even comb my hair. Now I can sit down and do something. I can write letters that
need to be written, I can make telephone calls that should be made. I can work in my
garden. I can pursue my hobbies. I have the urge to create something, that creative urge
that was completely stifled by alcohol. Have I recovered my initiative?
Meditation For The Day
"In Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand are pleasures forever." We cannot
find true happiness by looking for it. Seeking pleasure does not bring happiness in the long
run, only disillusionment. Do not seek to have this fullness of joy by seeking pleasure. It
cannot be done that way. Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of life. True
happiness comes as a result of living in all respects the way you believe God wants you to
live, with regard to your self and to other people.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not always seek pleasure as a goal. I pray that I may be content with the
happiness that comes when I do the right thing.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Is Happiness The Goal?, p. 306
"I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet
the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit
what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge?
"On my view, we of this world are pupils in a great school of life. It is
intended that we try to grow, and that we try to help our fellow travelers
to grow in the kind of love that makes no demands. In short, we try to
move toward the image and likeness of God as we understand Him.
"When pain comes, we are expected to learn from it willingly, and help
others to learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and
thank God for it."
Letter, 1950
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
The Gift of Sensitivity
Facing reality
Some of us complain about being too sensitive, or others may tell us so. This sets us up for all kinds of hurts, both real and imaginary.
In drinking, we actually dulled any sensitivity, though we thought we were expressing more feelings. This dulling of our sensitive nature blinded us to the damage we were doing.
In sobriety, we are learning that sensitivity is a gift that we can channel wisely. It can make us more aware of the feelings and needs of others. It can help us become a part of the group.
Like all gifts, sensitivity has its downside. It can make us vulnerable to problems that do not belong to us, and it can lead us into the trap of worrying about things we can do nothing about. But sensitivity is generally good, and in sobriety we can become better people because of it.
I 'll take great satisfaction today in the full use of my senses, including that part of me that perceives and expresses deep feelings.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbons.
---Ruth Ann Schabacker
How full life can be! We can untie the ribbons on this gift by keeping our spirits open.
Open to life. Open to how much our Higher Power love us.
Who knows what the gifts the day may bring? Maybe it brings a solution to a problem.
Maybe it brings the smile of a child. Maybe we’ll find a new friend. Whatever gifts the day brings, we must be able to receive them. How do we do this? We keep our spirit open and lively through prayer and meditation. Then we’ll be awake to see the beauty and the wonders life holds for us.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, remind me to pray to You often. Remind me to stop and listen to You. Remind me that You love me very much.
Action for the Day: At the end of the day, I’ll take time to list the gifts I’ve been given today. This will be first on my list: I am sober.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
Beginnings are apt to be shadowy. --Rachel Carson
When we embark on a new career, open an unfamiliar door, begin a loving relationship, we can seldom see nor can we even anticipate where the experience may take us. At best we can see only what this day brings. We can trust with certainty that we will be safely led through the "shadows."
To make gains in this life we must venture forth to new places, contact new people, chance new experiences. Even though we may be fearful of the new, we must go forward. It's comforting to remember that we never take any step alone. It is our destiny to experience many new beginnings. And a dimension of the growth process is to develop trust that each of these experiences will in time comfort us and offer us the knowledge our inner self awaits. Without the new beginnings we are unable to fulfill the purpose for which we've been created.
No new beginning is more than we can handle. Every new beginning is needed by our developing selves, and we are ready for whatever comes.
I will look to my new beginnings gladly. They are special to the growth I am now ready for.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
Just as importantly, I believe that I recovered through the grace of a Higher Power, despite the fact that I was very angry and wanted nothing to do with God when I arrived at Alcoholics Anonymous. In fact, I did not need to find God. I only needed an open mind, and the spirit found me.
p. 397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
Nowadays, when oldtimers who know Ed foregather, they exclaim, "What if we had actually succeeded in throwing Ed out for blasphemy? What would have happened to him and all the others he later helped?"
So the hand of Providence early gave us a sign that any alcoholic is a member of our Society when he says so.
p. 145
************************************************** *********
You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.
--Oliver Goldsmith
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
--Mother Teresa
May I love myself, as God loves me. May I love others, as God loves them.
--Shelley
As you walk through life, you are building your own reference material. This material is
called a memory. Make the most of yours by making them mean something.
--unknown
Silence is the great revelation.
--Lao Tzu
"We need to build downtime into our lives, so that we can have solitude without feeling
overcome with guilt."
--Melody Beattie
This is a great day to be sober, patient, tolerant, kindly and loving.
--unknown
C A R E = Comforting And Reassuring Each other.
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
TEACHING
"I hear and I forget. I see and I
remember. I do and I
understand."
-- Chinese Proverb
I suppose the best way to learn a thing is to do it, practice it, demonstrate it, make it real in
our lives. Spirituality needs to be experienced, not talked about. You cannot learn
spirituality, get spirituality from a famous guru, read and acquire spirituality from a
book--spirituality needs to be discovered in our lives. It needs to be found in body,
sexuality, sweat, anger, morning exercise and kneeling in prayer and gratitude at the end
of the day.
God, may You be real in my life.
************************************************** *********
Proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The
boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will
praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the
LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore
my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will
not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made
known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal
pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly
lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Be creative in what you have to do today to bring enjoyment to this moment and make your work will feel less like work. Lord, help me become inspirational in my ordinary responsibilities so that I am able to make my place more interesting and exciting.
Those that least deserve your love are the ones that need it the most. Lord, may I have the humbleness of spirit to reach out even when my feelings may be hurt.
Daily Reflections
A DAILY DISCIPLINE
, . . when they [self-examination, meditation and prayer] are logically related and
interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
The last three Steps of the program invoke God's loving discipline upon my willful nature.
If I devote just a few moments every night to a review of the highlights of my day, along
with an acknowledgment of those aspects that didn't please me so much, I gain a personal
history of myself, one that is essential to my growth, or lack of it, and to ask in prayerful
meditation to be relieved of those continuing shortcomings that cause me pain. Meditation
and prayer also teach me the art of focusing and listening. I find that the turmoil of the day
gets tuned out as I pray for His will and guidance. The practice of asking Him to help
me in my strivings for perfection puts a new slant on the tedium of any day, because I know
there is honor in any job done well. The daily discipline of prayer and meditation will keep
me in fit spiritual condition, able to face whatever the day brings - without the thought of a
drink.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I can do things that I never did before. Liquor took away my initiative and my ambition. I
couldn't get up the steam to start anything. I let things slide. When I was drunk, I was too
inert to even comb my hair. Now I can sit down and do something. I can write letters that
need to be written, I can make telephone calls that should be made. I can work in my
garden. I can pursue my hobbies. I have the urge to create something, that creative urge
that was completely stifled by alcohol. Have I recovered my initiative?
Meditation For The Day
"In Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand are pleasures forever." We cannot
find true happiness by looking for it. Seeking pleasure does not bring happiness in the long
run, only disillusionment. Do not seek to have this fullness of joy by seeking pleasure. It
cannot be done that way. Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of life. True
happiness comes as a result of living in all respects the way you believe God wants you to
live, with regard to your self and to other people.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not always seek pleasure as a goal. I pray that I may be content with the
happiness that comes when I do the right thing.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Is Happiness The Goal?, p. 306
"I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet
the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit
what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge?
"On my view, we of this world are pupils in a great school of life. It is
intended that we try to grow, and that we try to help our fellow travelers
to grow in the kind of love that makes no demands. In short, we try to
move toward the image and likeness of God as we understand Him.
"When pain comes, we are expected to learn from it willingly, and help
others to learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and
thank God for it."
Letter, 1950
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
The Gift of Sensitivity
Facing reality
Some of us complain about being too sensitive, or others may tell us so. This sets us up for all kinds of hurts, both real and imaginary.
In drinking, we actually dulled any sensitivity, though we thought we were expressing more feelings. This dulling of our sensitive nature blinded us to the damage we were doing.
In sobriety, we are learning that sensitivity is a gift that we can channel wisely. It can make us more aware of the feelings and needs of others. It can help us become a part of the group.
Like all gifts, sensitivity has its downside. It can make us vulnerable to problems that do not belong to us, and it can lead us into the trap of worrying about things we can do nothing about. But sensitivity is generally good, and in sobriety we can become better people because of it.
I 'll take great satisfaction today in the full use of my senses, including that part of me that perceives and expresses deep feelings.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbons.
---Ruth Ann Schabacker
How full life can be! We can untie the ribbons on this gift by keeping our spirits open.
Open to life. Open to how much our Higher Power love us.
Who knows what the gifts the day may bring? Maybe it brings a solution to a problem.
Maybe it brings the smile of a child. Maybe we’ll find a new friend. Whatever gifts the day brings, we must be able to receive them. How do we do this? We keep our spirit open and lively through prayer and meditation. Then we’ll be awake to see the beauty and the wonders life holds for us.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, remind me to pray to You often. Remind me to stop and listen to You. Remind me that You love me very much.
Action for the Day: At the end of the day, I’ll take time to list the gifts I’ve been given today. This will be first on my list: I am sober.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
Beginnings are apt to be shadowy. --Rachel Carson
When we embark on a new career, open an unfamiliar door, begin a loving relationship, we can seldom see nor can we even anticipate where the experience may take us. At best we can see only what this day brings. We can trust with certainty that we will be safely led through the "shadows."
To make gains in this life we must venture forth to new places, contact new people, chance new experiences. Even though we may be fearful of the new, we must go forward. It's comforting to remember that we never take any step alone. It is our destiny to experience many new beginnings. And a dimension of the growth process is to develop trust that each of these experiences will in time comfort us and offer us the knowledge our inner self awaits. Without the new beginnings we are unable to fulfill the purpose for which we've been created.
No new beginning is more than we can handle. Every new beginning is needed by our developing selves, and we are ready for whatever comes.
I will look to my new beginnings gladly. They are special to the growth I am now ready for.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
Just as importantly, I believe that I recovered through the grace of a Higher Power, despite the fact that I was very angry and wanted nothing to do with God when I arrived at Alcoholics Anonymous. In fact, I did not need to find God. I only needed an open mind, and the spirit found me.
p. 397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
Nowadays, when oldtimers who know Ed foregather, they exclaim, "What if we had actually succeeded in throwing Ed out for blasphemy? What would have happened to him and all the others he later helped?"
So the hand of Providence early gave us a sign that any alcoholic is a member of our Society when he says so.
p. 145
************************************************** *********
You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.
--Oliver Goldsmith
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
--Mother Teresa
May I love myself, as God loves me. May I love others, as God loves them.
--Shelley
As you walk through life, you are building your own reference material. This material is
called a memory. Make the most of yours by making them mean something.
--unknown
Silence is the great revelation.
--Lao Tzu
"We need to build downtime into our lives, so that we can have solitude without feeling
overcome with guilt."
--Melody Beattie
This is a great day to be sober, patient, tolerant, kindly and loving.
--unknown
C A R E = Comforting And Reassuring Each other.
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
TEACHING
"I hear and I forget. I see and I
remember. I do and I
understand."
-- Chinese Proverb
I suppose the best way to learn a thing is to do it, practice it, demonstrate it, make it real in
our lives. Spirituality needs to be experienced, not talked about. You cannot learn
spirituality, get spirituality from a famous guru, read and acquire spirituality from a
book--spirituality needs to be discovered in our lives. It needs to be found in body,
sexuality, sweat, anger, morning exercise and kneeling in prayer and gratitude at the end
of the day.
God, may You be real in my life.
************************************************** *********
Proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The
boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will
praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the
LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore
my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will
not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made
known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal
pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly
lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Be creative in what you have to do today to bring enjoyment to this moment and make your work will feel less like work. Lord, help me become inspirational in my ordinary responsibilities so that I am able to make my place more interesting and exciting.
Those that least deserve your love are the ones that need it the most. Lord, may I have the humbleness of spirit to reach out even when my feelings may be hurt.
TGIF Readings
Hey guys and gals, still waiting on the updates here is a couple in the meantime:
A.A. Thought for the Day
I can do things that I never did before. Liquor took away my initiative and my ambition. I couldn't get up the steam to start anything. I let things slide. When I was drunk, I was too inert to even comb my hair. Now I can sit down and do something. I can write letters that need to be written. I can make telephone calls that should be made. I can work in my garden. I can pursue my hobbies. I have the urge to create something, that creative urge that was completely stifled by alcohol. I am free to achieve again. Have I recovered my initiative?
Meditation for the Day
"In Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand are pleasures forever." We cannot find true happiness by looking for it. Seeking pleasure does not bring happiness in the long run, only disillusionment. Do not seek to have this fullness of joy by seeking pleasure. It cannot be done that way. Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of life. True happiness comes as a result of living in all respects the way you believe God wants you to live, with regard to yourself and to other people.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not always seek pleasure as a goal. I pray that I may be content with the happiness that comes when I do the right thing.
Friday, November 4, 2011
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go
Anger
Feeling angry - and, sometimes, the act of blaming - is a natural and necessary part of accepting loss and change - of grieving. We can allow ourselves and others to become angry as we move from denial toward acceptance.
As we come to terms with loss and change, we may blame our higher Power, others, or ourselves. The person may be connected to the loss, or he or she may be an innocent bystander. We may hear ourselves say: "If only he would have done that... If I wouldn't have done that... Why didn't God do it differently?"... We know that blame doesn't help. In recovery, the watchwords are self-responsibility and personal accountability, not blame. Ultimately, surrender and self-responsibility are the only concepts that can move us forward, but to get there we may need to allow ourselves to feel angry and to occasionally indulge in some blaming.
It is helpful, in dealing with others, to remember that they, too, may need to go through their angry stage to achieve acceptance. To not allow others, or ourselves, to go through anger and blame may slow down the grief process.
Trust the grief process and ourselves. We won't stay angry forever. But we may need to get mad for a while as we search over what could have been, to finally accept what is.
God, help me learn to accept my own and others' anger as a normal part of achieving acceptance and peace. Within that framework, help me strive for personal accountability.
O
A.A. Thought for the Day
I can do things that I never did before. Liquor took away my initiative and my ambition. I couldn't get up the steam to start anything. I let things slide. When I was drunk, I was too inert to even comb my hair. Now I can sit down and do something. I can write letters that need to be written. I can make telephone calls that should be made. I can work in my garden. I can pursue my hobbies. I have the urge to create something, that creative urge that was completely stifled by alcohol. I am free to achieve again. Have I recovered my initiative?
Meditation for the Day
"In Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand are pleasures forever." We cannot find true happiness by looking for it. Seeking pleasure does not bring happiness in the long run, only disillusionment. Do not seek to have this fullness of joy by seeking pleasure. It cannot be done that way. Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of life. True happiness comes as a result of living in all respects the way you believe God wants you to live, with regard to yourself and to other people.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not always seek pleasure as a goal. I pray that I may be content with the happiness that comes when I do the right thing.
Friday, November 4, 2011
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go
Anger
Feeling angry - and, sometimes, the act of blaming - is a natural and necessary part of accepting loss and change - of grieving. We can allow ourselves and others to become angry as we move from denial toward acceptance.
As we come to terms with loss and change, we may blame our higher Power, others, or ourselves. The person may be connected to the loss, or he or she may be an innocent bystander. We may hear ourselves say: "If only he would have done that... If I wouldn't have done that... Why didn't God do it differently?"... We know that blame doesn't help. In recovery, the watchwords are self-responsibility and personal accountability, not blame. Ultimately, surrender and self-responsibility are the only concepts that can move us forward, but to get there we may need to allow ourselves to feel angry and to occasionally indulge in some blaming.
It is helpful, in dealing with others, to remember that they, too, may need to go through their angry stage to achieve acceptance. To not allow others, or ourselves, to go through anger and blame may slow down the grief process.
Trust the grief process and ourselves. We won't stay angry forever. But we may need to get mad for a while as we search over what could have been, to finally accept what is.
God, help me learn to accept my own and others' anger as a normal part of achieving acceptance and peace. Within that framework, help me strive for personal accountability.
O
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thursday's Readings
Daily Reflections
FOCUSING AND LISTENING
There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken
separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll have enough humility to pray and
meditate - because I'll see and feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with
prayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to take place in between, whereas
others start with meditation, listening for advice from God about their still hidden or
unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and verbal work on their defects,
ending with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These three--self-examination,
meditation and prayer-- form a circle, without a beginning or an end. No matter where, or
how, I start, I eventually arrive at my destination: a better life.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have charity, another word for love. That right kind of love which is not selfish passion
but an unselfish, outgoing desire to help other people. To do what is best for the other
person, to put what is best for him or her above my own desires. To put God first, the
other person second, and myself last. Charity is gentle, kind, understanding,
long-suffering, and full of desire to serve. A.A. has given me this. What I do for
myself is lost; what I do for others may be written somewhere in eternity. Have I
charity?
Meditation For The Day
"Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." God has unlimited power. There is no
limit to what His power can do in human hearts. But we must will to have God's power and
we must ask God for it. God's power is blocked off from us by our indifference to it. We
can go along our own selfish way without calling on God's help and we get no power. But
when we trust in God, we can will to have the power we need. When we sincerely ask God
for it, we get it abundantly.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may will to have God's power. I pray that I may keep praying for the
strength I need.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
From The Taproot, p. 305
The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first
admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole
Society has sprung and flowered.
<< << << >> >> >>
Every newcomer is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble
admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward
liberation from its paralyzing grip.
So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest
beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of
being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true
freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as
something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time.
A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse
all at once.
12 & 12
1. pp. 21-22
2. pp. 72-73
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Living with impossible dreams
Hope and false hope.
No matter how badly we managed our lives while drinking, many of us survived by holding on to the hope that some great stroke of luck would rescue us. Either we would find a windfall to pay off our debts, or a kind benefactor would appear to set things right.
These are impossible dreams, but they helped sustain us in the miserable half-world of alcoholism. We could not see that drinking was the real problem.
But we did have our great stroke of luck in finding AA. This helped us face our debts. At the same time, we found benefactors i the form of sponsors and other friends. We also found a Higher Power.
Even in sobriety, we have to guard against the impossible dreams we nourished while drinking. Again and again, we must remind ourselves that sober living is based on reality. Even reality, however, can have its miracles.
I'll keep my dreams alive today, but I'll make sure that they have a good foundation in reality.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Words are the voice of the heart.---Confucius
What does my heart have to say today? Am I happy ? Or I’m I troubled? We will find this out if we slow down and listen to our words. We can also hear our spirit in the tone of our words.
We are to meditate. Meditation is about slowing down so we can hear what our spirit is trying to tell us. Meditation is listening. Our spirit is but a quiet whisper inside us. To hear we must quiet ourselves.
Slowing down allows us to find our center. As we find our center we find our spirit and our Higher Power. Do I take the time needed to slow myself down? Do I take the time ot listen---to listen to my heart?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, teach me to slow down. Teach me to hear Your whisper as well as Your yells.
Action for the Day: Today, I will take a half hour to slow down and listen. I will find a place to relax and listen to my heart and my words.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
It is the calm after the storm. I feel a rainbow where there once were clouds, and while my Spirit dances in gratitude, my mind speculates on the next disaster. Duality. --Mary Casey
Our growth as women is contingent on our ability to flow with the dualities, the contradictions inherent in one's lifetime, not only to flow with them but to capitalize on them.
We are not offered a painless existence, but we are offered opportunities for gathering perspective from the painful moments. And our perspectives are cushioned by the principles of the program. The rough edges of life, the storms that whip our very being, are gifts in disguise. We see life anew, when the storm has subsided.
We can enjoy the calm, if that surrounds us today. We deserve the resting periods. They give us a chance to contemplate and make fully our own that which the recent storm brought so forcefully to our attention. We are powerless over the storm's onslaught. But we can gain from it and be assured that the storm gives all the meaning there is in the calm.
I will be glad today for the clouds or the rainbows. Both are meant for my good. And without both, neither has meaning.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
The hardest thing I had to deal with in sobriety was my own anger and the violence I lived through in my childhood. I had forgiven those involved as best I could, but the mind seems never to forget. I had gratefully received years of outside help because I was told that my drinking was only the symptom of deeper troubles. Yet despite the help of many professionals, I know I would never have recovered from violence and alcoholism without A.A.'s Twelve Steps, which are uniquely tailored for people like me.
p. 397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
In a neighboring state, Ed had holed up in a cheap hotel. After all his pleas for help had been rebuffed, these words rang in his fevered mind. "They have deserted me. I have been deserted by my own kind. This is the end . . . Nothing is left." As he tossed on his bed, his hand brushed the bureau near by, touching a book. Opening the book, he read. It was a Gideon Bible. Ed never confided any more of what he saw and felt in that hotel room. It was the year 1938. He hasn't had a drink since.
pp. 144-145
************************************************** *********
Lay hold of today's task, and you will not depend so much on tomorrow's.
--Seneca
The secret of life is not to do what you like, but to like what you do.
--American Proverb
A saddened heart is not made happier with a change of place.
--Capt. Michael Hobson
"Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons."
--Ruth Ann Schabaker
Gods compass will lead me and give me direction.
--Shelley
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
CHOICES
"Another good reducing
exercise consists in placing both
hands against the table edge
and pushing back."
-- Robert Quillen
I am an alcoholic and today I choose not to drink. When alcohol is offered, I say
"no". I do not go into "wet places", spend time with drinkers or put myself in
awkward situations. I assist my abstinence by the choices I make.
The recovering gambler avoids Las Vegas. The drug addict avoids sick relationships.
The compulsive overeater must exercise the spiritual power of choice around food.
"No" must involve both hands! For the recovering addict, talk must be accompanied by
action. Some people, places and things must be avoided.
Spirituality is making my talk a visible reality.
************************************************** *********
"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth,
and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation."
Psalm 25:4-5
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
I Peter 5:7
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Be able to do more today by expanding your vision of what you can accomplish. Lord, help me realize that my limits are beyond what I think and fill me with motivation to reach higher.
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.
FOCUSING AND LISTENING
There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken
separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll have enough humility to pray and
meditate - because I'll see and feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with
prayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to take place in between, whereas
others start with meditation, listening for advice from God about their still hidden or
unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and verbal work on their defects,
ending with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These three--self-examination,
meditation and prayer-- form a circle, without a beginning or an end. No matter where, or
how, I start, I eventually arrive at my destination: a better life.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have charity, another word for love. That right kind of love which is not selfish passion
but an unselfish, outgoing desire to help other people. To do what is best for the other
person, to put what is best for him or her above my own desires. To put God first, the
other person second, and myself last. Charity is gentle, kind, understanding,
long-suffering, and full of desire to serve. A.A. has given me this. What I do for
myself is lost; what I do for others may be written somewhere in eternity. Have I
charity?
Meditation For The Day
"Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." God has unlimited power. There is no
limit to what His power can do in human hearts. But we must will to have God's power and
we must ask God for it. God's power is blocked off from us by our indifference to it. We
can go along our own selfish way without calling on God's help and we get no power. But
when we trust in God, we can will to have the power we need. When we sincerely ask God
for it, we get it abundantly.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may will to have God's power. I pray that I may keep praying for the
strength I need.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
From The Taproot, p. 305
The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first
admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole
Society has sprung and flowered.
<< << << >> >> >>
Every newcomer is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble
admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward
liberation from its paralyzing grip.
So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest
beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of
being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true
freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as
something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time.
A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse
all at once.
12 & 12
1. pp. 21-22
2. pp. 72-73
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Living with impossible dreams
Hope and false hope.
No matter how badly we managed our lives while drinking, many of us survived by holding on to the hope that some great stroke of luck would rescue us. Either we would find a windfall to pay off our debts, or a kind benefactor would appear to set things right.
These are impossible dreams, but they helped sustain us in the miserable half-world of alcoholism. We could not see that drinking was the real problem.
But we did have our great stroke of luck in finding AA. This helped us face our debts. At the same time, we found benefactors i the form of sponsors and other friends. We also found a Higher Power.
Even in sobriety, we have to guard against the impossible dreams we nourished while drinking. Again and again, we must remind ourselves that sober living is based on reality. Even reality, however, can have its miracles.
I'll keep my dreams alive today, but I'll make sure that they have a good foundation in reality.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Words are the voice of the heart.---Confucius
What does my heart have to say today? Am I happy ? Or I’m I troubled? We will find this out if we slow down and listen to our words. We can also hear our spirit in the tone of our words.
We are to meditate. Meditation is about slowing down so we can hear what our spirit is trying to tell us. Meditation is listening. Our spirit is but a quiet whisper inside us. To hear we must quiet ourselves.
Slowing down allows us to find our center. As we find our center we find our spirit and our Higher Power. Do I take the time needed to slow myself down? Do I take the time ot listen---to listen to my heart?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, teach me to slow down. Teach me to hear Your whisper as well as Your yells.
Action for the Day: Today, I will take a half hour to slow down and listen. I will find a place to relax and listen to my heart and my words.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
It is the calm after the storm. I feel a rainbow where there once were clouds, and while my Spirit dances in gratitude, my mind speculates on the next disaster. Duality. --Mary Casey
Our growth as women is contingent on our ability to flow with the dualities, the contradictions inherent in one's lifetime, not only to flow with them but to capitalize on them.
We are not offered a painless existence, but we are offered opportunities for gathering perspective from the painful moments. And our perspectives are cushioned by the principles of the program. The rough edges of life, the storms that whip our very being, are gifts in disguise. We see life anew, when the storm has subsided.
We can enjoy the calm, if that surrounds us today. We deserve the resting periods. They give us a chance to contemplate and make fully our own that which the recent storm brought so forcefully to our attention. We are powerless over the storm's onslaught. But we can gain from it and be assured that the storm gives all the meaning there is in the calm.
I will be glad today for the clouds or the rainbows. Both are meant for my good. And without both, neither has meaning.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
The hardest thing I had to deal with in sobriety was my own anger and the violence I lived through in my childhood. I had forgiven those involved as best I could, but the mind seems never to forget. I had gratefully received years of outside help because I was told that my drinking was only the symptom of deeper troubles. Yet despite the help of many professionals, I know I would never have recovered from violence and alcoholism without A.A.'s Twelve Steps, which are uniquely tailored for people like me.
p. 397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
In a neighboring state, Ed had holed up in a cheap hotel. After all his pleas for help had been rebuffed, these words rang in his fevered mind. "They have deserted me. I have been deserted by my own kind. This is the end . . . Nothing is left." As he tossed on his bed, his hand brushed the bureau near by, touching a book. Opening the book, he read. It was a Gideon Bible. Ed never confided any more of what he saw and felt in that hotel room. It was the year 1938. He hasn't had a drink since.
pp. 144-145
************************************************** *********
Lay hold of today's task, and you will not depend so much on tomorrow's.
--Seneca
The secret of life is not to do what you like, but to like what you do.
--American Proverb
A saddened heart is not made happier with a change of place.
--Capt. Michael Hobson
"Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons."
--Ruth Ann Schabaker
Gods compass will lead me and give me direction.
--Shelley
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
CHOICES
"Another good reducing
exercise consists in placing both
hands against the table edge
and pushing back."
-- Robert Quillen
I am an alcoholic and today I choose not to drink. When alcohol is offered, I say
"no". I do not go into "wet places", spend time with drinkers or put myself in
awkward situations. I assist my abstinence by the choices I make.
The recovering gambler avoids Las Vegas. The drug addict avoids sick relationships.
The compulsive overeater must exercise the spiritual power of choice around food.
"No" must involve both hands! For the recovering addict, talk must be accompanied by
action. Some people, places and things must be avoided.
Spirituality is making my talk a visible reality.
************************************************** *********
"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth,
and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation."
Psalm 25:4-5
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
I Peter 5:7
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Be able to do more today by expanding your vision of what you can accomplish. Lord, help me realize that my limits are beyond what I think and fill me with motivation to reach higher.
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.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Today's Readings
Daily Reflections
KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT
The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven
can keep us growing. . . .
THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240
A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural
result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each
situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer
perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as
physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an
ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher
Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning--and practicing--the principles of the
A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance
of a more positive life.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have faith. That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at
last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and
gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my
mouth or bitter to the taste. It is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it
together. Faith--that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken,
that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity. Have I faith?
Meditation For The Day
Keep yourself like an empty vessel for God to fill. Keep pouring out yourself to help
others so that God can keep filling you up with His spirit. The more you give, the more
you will have for yourself. God will see that you are kept filled as long as you are giving
to others. But if you selfishly try to keep all for yourself, you are soon blocked off from
God, your source of supply, and you will become stagnant. To be clear, a lake must have
an inflow and an outflow.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may keep pouring out what I receive. I pray that I may keep the stream
clear and flowing.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Single Purpose, p. 304
There are those who predict that A.A. may well become a new
spearhead for a spiritual awakening throughout the world. When our
friends say these things, they are both generous and sincere. But we
of A.A. must reflect that such a tribute and such a prophecy could well
prove to be a heady drink for most of us--that is, if we really came to
believe this to be the real purpose of A.A., and if we commenced to
behave accordingly.
Our Society, therefore, will prudently cleave to its single purpose:
The carrying of the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Let us
resist the proud assumption that since God has enabled us to do well in
one area we are destined to be a channel of saving grace for
everybody.
A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 232
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
God's will and My will.
False Gods"
It is always risky to announce with certainty what we believe God's will to be, even for ourselves. It is rarely helpful to use one's material success as an example of God's grace. "Isn't God a millionaire?" a spiritual leader who quoted as saying in defense of his luxurious lifestyle.
It is reasonable to believe that God will guide us to the right career and business opportunities that fit our needs. We can even believe that universal prosperity is part of God's plan, though we're far short of it now. We need not envy wealthy people, nor should we want to take what they have.
The real danger of equating prosperity with God's will is that the material quickly becomes dominant. We might also fall into the trap of gauging spiritual progress by our bank balance. This can lead to selfishness and arrogance, which immediately drive out spiritual power. We already had the bitter experience of making a false god out of alcohol. We must not make new false gods out of material success.
I'll accept any material success with gratitude, knowing that my real trust must be in God.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Sought through pray and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him. . . First half of Step Eleven
Through Step Eleven, we develop a lasting, loving relationship with our Higher Power. Conscious contact means knowing and sensing God in our lives throughout the day.
God is not just an idea. We talk with our Higher Power through prayer. As we meditate, we sense God’s love for us, and we get answers to our questions. When we pray and meditate, we become aware that God is always with us. Our Higher Power becomes our best friend. Our Higher Power is there for advice, support, celebration, comfort.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Higher Power, I pray that our relationship grows stronger every day. I accept the friendship You offer me.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll seek out God through prayer and meditation.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
Love and the hope of it are not things one can learn; they are a part of life's heritage. --Maria Montessori
Love is a gift we've been given by our Creator. The fact of our existence guarantees that we deserve it. As our recognition of this grows, so does our self-love and our ability to love others.
High self-esteem, stable self-worth were not our legacies before finding this program. We sought both through means which led nowhere. These Steps and our present relationships are providing the substance and direction needed in our lives to discover our worthiness.
Had we understood that we were loved, in all the years of our youth, perhaps we'd not have struggled so in the pain of alienation. We were always at the right hand of God, never apart, loved and watched over. But we didn't recognize the signs. The signs are everywhere present now. Each Step is a constant reminder. Every human contact is a message from God. Any desire we are eager to make manifest is a beckoning from God for growth.
I will look for the signs of my benefactor today. They're present everywhere.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
Many years later, although alcohol is not a part of my life and I no longer have the compulsion to drink, it can still occur to me what a good drink tastes like and what it can do for me, from my stand-at-attention alcoholic taste buds down to my stretched out tingling toes. As my sponsor used to point out, such thoughts are like red flags, telling me that something is not right, that I am stretched beyond my sober limit. It's time to get back to basic A.A. and see what needs changing. That special relationship with alcohol will always be there, waiting to seduce me again. I can stay protected by continuing to be an active member of A.A.
pp. 396-397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
About two weeks later, Ed stole by night into an A.A. member's house, and unknown to the family, went to bed. Daylight found the master of the house and another friend drinking their morning coffee. A noise was heard on the stairs. To their consternation, Ed appeared. A quizzical smile on his lips, he said, "Have you fellows had your morning meditation?" They quickly sensed that he was quite in earnest. In fragments, his story came out.
p. 144
************************************************** *********
Life has a practice of living you if you don't live it.
--Philip Larkin
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new
eyes."
--Marcel Proust
GOOD DEEDS
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
--John Wesley
It takes only a smile to make a bad day seem better. Think about this and smile at
someone today.
--unknown
Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for thee.
--George Herbert
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
--unknown
If you pray for God to move a mountain, be prepared to wake up next to a shovel.
--unknown
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SOLITUDE
"In solitude, be a multiple of
thyself."
-- Tibullus
When I am alone and still, I get in touch with that side of me that is "the many".
There are so many sides to me; the crazy and the sane; the extrovert and the
introvert; the demanding and the submissive; the bigot and the compassionate; the
religious and the skeptic; the happy and the sad; the comic and the tragedian; the
child and the adult; the sick and the recovering.
Today in the silence of solitude I experience the many sides of me that I must live
with this is my spiritual reality.
May I always use my multiple experiences to relate and understand others.
************************************************** *********
But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we
are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore."
1 Chronicle 16:11
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Being overly critical of ourselves sabotages our ability to complete our tasks. Lord, bless me with the ability to see how capable I am.
God's blessings enable us to go far beyond our natural abilities. Lord, You have created me and then unceasingly bless me with the strength to soar high.
KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT
The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven
can keep us growing. . . .
THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240
A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural
result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each
situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer
perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as
physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an
ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher
Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning--and practicing--the principles of the
A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance
of a more positive life.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have faith. That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at
last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and
gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my
mouth or bitter to the taste. It is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it
together. Faith--that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken,
that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity. Have I faith?
Meditation For The Day
Keep yourself like an empty vessel for God to fill. Keep pouring out yourself to help
others so that God can keep filling you up with His spirit. The more you give, the more
you will have for yourself. God will see that you are kept filled as long as you are giving
to others. But if you selfishly try to keep all for yourself, you are soon blocked off from
God, your source of supply, and you will become stagnant. To be clear, a lake must have
an inflow and an outflow.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may keep pouring out what I receive. I pray that I may keep the stream
clear and flowing.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Single Purpose, p. 304
There are those who predict that A.A. may well become a new
spearhead for a spiritual awakening throughout the world. When our
friends say these things, they are both generous and sincere. But we
of A.A. must reflect that such a tribute and such a prophecy could well
prove to be a heady drink for most of us--that is, if we really came to
believe this to be the real purpose of A.A., and if we commenced to
behave accordingly.
Our Society, therefore, will prudently cleave to its single purpose:
The carrying of the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Let us
resist the proud assumption that since God has enabled us to do well in
one area we are destined to be a channel of saving grace for
everybody.
A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 232
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
God's will and My will.
False Gods"
It is always risky to announce with certainty what we believe God's will to be, even for ourselves. It is rarely helpful to use one's material success as an example of God's grace. "Isn't God a millionaire?" a spiritual leader who quoted as saying in defense of his luxurious lifestyle.
It is reasonable to believe that God will guide us to the right career and business opportunities that fit our needs. We can even believe that universal prosperity is part of God's plan, though we're far short of it now. We need not envy wealthy people, nor should we want to take what they have.
The real danger of equating prosperity with God's will is that the material quickly becomes dominant. We might also fall into the trap of gauging spiritual progress by our bank balance. This can lead to selfishness and arrogance, which immediately drive out spiritual power. We already had the bitter experience of making a false god out of alcohol. We must not make new false gods out of material success.
I'll accept any material success with gratitude, knowing that my real trust must be in God.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Sought through pray and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him. . . First half of Step Eleven
Through Step Eleven, we develop a lasting, loving relationship with our Higher Power. Conscious contact means knowing and sensing God in our lives throughout the day.
God is not just an idea. We talk with our Higher Power through prayer. As we meditate, we sense God’s love for us, and we get answers to our questions. When we pray and meditate, we become aware that God is always with us. Our Higher Power becomes our best friend. Our Higher Power is there for advice, support, celebration, comfort.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Higher Power, I pray that our relationship grows stronger every day. I accept the friendship You offer me.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll seek out God through prayer and meditation.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
Love and the hope of it are not things one can learn; they are a part of life's heritage. --Maria Montessori
Love is a gift we've been given by our Creator. The fact of our existence guarantees that we deserve it. As our recognition of this grows, so does our self-love and our ability to love others.
High self-esteem, stable self-worth were not our legacies before finding this program. We sought both through means which led nowhere. These Steps and our present relationships are providing the substance and direction needed in our lives to discover our worthiness.
Had we understood that we were loved, in all the years of our youth, perhaps we'd not have struggled so in the pain of alienation. We were always at the right hand of God, never apart, loved and watched over. But we didn't recognize the signs. The signs are everywhere present now. Each Step is a constant reminder. Every human contact is a message from God. Any desire we are eager to make manifest is a beckoning from God for growth.
I will look for the signs of my benefactor today. They're present everywhere.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
Many years later, although alcohol is not a part of my life and I no longer have the compulsion to drink, it can still occur to me what a good drink tastes like and what it can do for me, from my stand-at-attention alcoholic taste buds down to my stretched out tingling toes. As my sponsor used to point out, such thoughts are like red flags, telling me that something is not right, that I am stretched beyond my sober limit. It's time to get back to basic A.A. and see what needs changing. That special relationship with alcohol will always be there, waiting to seduce me again. I can stay protected by continuing to be an active member of A.A.
pp. 396-397
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
About two weeks later, Ed stole by night into an A.A. member's house, and unknown to the family, went to bed. Daylight found the master of the house and another friend drinking their morning coffee. A noise was heard on the stairs. To their consternation, Ed appeared. A quizzical smile on his lips, he said, "Have you fellows had your morning meditation?" They quickly sensed that he was quite in earnest. In fragments, his story came out.
p. 144
************************************************** *********
Life has a practice of living you if you don't live it.
--Philip Larkin
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new
eyes."
--Marcel Proust
GOOD DEEDS
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
--John Wesley
It takes only a smile to make a bad day seem better. Think about this and smile at
someone today.
--unknown
Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for thee.
--George Herbert
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
--unknown
If you pray for God to move a mountain, be prepared to wake up next to a shovel.
--unknown
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SOLITUDE
"In solitude, be a multiple of
thyself."
-- Tibullus
When I am alone and still, I get in touch with that side of me that is "the many".
There are so many sides to me; the crazy and the sane; the extrovert and the
introvert; the demanding and the submissive; the bigot and the compassionate; the
religious and the skeptic; the happy and the sad; the comic and the tragedian; the
child and the adult; the sick and the recovering.
Today in the silence of solitude I experience the many sides of me that I must live
with this is my spiritual reality.
May I always use my multiple experiences to relate and understand others.
************************************************** *********
But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we
are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore."
1 Chronicle 16:11
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Being overly critical of ourselves sabotages our ability to complete our tasks. Lord, bless me with the ability to see how capable I am.
God's blessings enable us to go far beyond our natural abilities. Lord, You have created me and then unceasingly bless me with the strength to soar high.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Today's Readings
Daily Reflections
I CANNOT CHANGE THE WIND
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85
My first sponsor told me there were two things to say about prayer and meditation: first, I had to start and second, I had to continue. When I came to A.A. my spiritual life was bankrupt; if I considered God at all, He was to be called upon only when my self-will was incapable of a task or when overwhelming fears had eroded my ego.
Today I am grateful for a new life, one in which my prayers are those of thanksgiving. My prayer time is more for listening than for talking. I know today that if I cannot change the wind, I can adjust my sail. I know the difference between superstition and spirituality. I know there is a graceful way of being right, and many ways to be wrong.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have hope. That magic thing that I had lost or misplaced. The future looks dark no more. I do not even look at it, except when necessary to make plans. I try to let the future take care of itself. The future will be made up of todays and todays, stretching out as short as now and as long as eternity. Hope is justified by many right nows, by the rightness of the present. Nothing can happen to me that God does not will for me. I can hope for the best, as long as I have what I have and it is good. Have I hope?
Meditation For The Day
Faith is the messenger that bears your prayers to God. Prayer can be like incense, rising ever higher and higher. The prayer of faith is the prayer of trust that feels the presence of God which it rises to meet. It can be sure of some response from God. We can say a prayer of thanks to God every day for His grace, which has kept us on the right way and allowed us to start living the good life. So we should pray to God with faith and trust and gratitude.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may feel sure of some response to my prayers. I pray that I may be content with whatever form that response takes.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Loving Advisers, p. 303
Had I not been blessed with wise and loving advisers, I might have cracked up long ago. A doctor once saved me from death by alcoholism because he obliged me to face up to the deadlines of that malady. Another doctor, a psychiatrist, later on helped me save my sanity because he led me to ferret out some of my deep-lying defects. >From a clergyman I acquired the truthful principles by which we A.A.'s now try to live.
But these precious friends did far more than supply me with their professional skills. I learned that I could go to them with any problem whatever. Their wisdom and their integrity were mine for the asking.
Many of my dearest A.A. friends have stood with me in exactly this same relation. Oftentimes they could help where others could not, simply because they were A.A.'s.
Grapevine, August 1961
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Do we have the free will? The question of a human being's free will has been argued for centuries by learned individuals. We can answer it for ourselves as a result of our experience in AA. Our freedom was lost while we were in the grip of alcohol. Once free of drink, we still realized that many things in life are controlled by other people and things, such as political and economic forces. If our employer closes the business, for example, we may have to choose less satisfactory employment. If a person threatens physical violence, we may have to go along with his or her wishes against our will. In all circumstances, our free will lies in the way we choose to think about what's happening. We always have the choice of turning to our Higher Power in thought, rather than reacting with fear and resentment. This is the only free will we can possibly have in the world, but it may be all we really need. If a difficult situation or problem arises, I'll remember that no human power could have relieved my alcoholism. This will remind me that the true source of power is always at hand.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Sought through pray and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him. . . First half of Step Eleven Through Step Eleven, we develop a lasting, loving relationship with our Higher Power. Conscious contact means knowing and sensing God in our lives throughout the day. God is not just an idea. We talk with our Higher Power through prayer. As we meditate, we sense God’s love for us, and we get answers to our questions. When we pray and meditate, we become aware that God is always with us. Our Higher Power becomes our best friend. Our Higher Power is there for advice, support, celebration, comfort. Prayer for the Day: Dear Higher Power, I pray that our relationship grows stronger every day. I accept the friendship You offer me. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll seek out God through prayer and meditation.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
For to be a woman is to have interests and duties, raying out in all directions from the central mother-core, like spokes from the hub of a wheel. --Anne Morrow Lindbergh It is sometimes easy to get overwhelmed by our duties, forgetting that our interests fit the scheme of our lives. They are inspired by our lives and flow from them. Our interests round us out; they beckon us to become our better selves. Our duties have their places as well. In our careers, with our families and friends, we have responsibilities. People need to be able to count on us for our part in completing their particular scheme for life. Finding the right balance between our duties and our interests takes daily attention. It is perhaps our greatest struggle. Feeling duty-bound is common among women; putting a low value on our interests is a familiar trick we play on ourselves. We need reminding that our interests will cull out our better, inner selves. We must stretch to become all we are meant to be. Our interests entice us to live up to God's expectations. Each day I need to pay heed to interests as well as duties. I will let no day go by without heeding an interest.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
I became as compulsive about A.A. as I had been about drinking, which was necessary because I had been told to spend as much time at meetings as I had spent drinking. I went to every A.A. get-together possible and was saturated with A.A. I listened to tapes of A.A. talks. I read and reread the literature and books, laughing into the night over Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. I signed up for the Loners-Internationalist Meeting in print (LIM) and shared the meetings I attended in letters to people who could not get to meetings. This helped me to remember what I had heard, and my sharing helped someone else. I once wrote to a man who received my letter the same day he had killed someone in a car accident, which would no doubt make one very, very thirsty.
p. 396 ************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
Quite a while later, Ed got a sales job which took him out of town. At the end of a few days, the news came in. He'd sent a telegram for money, and everybody knew what that meant! Then he got on the phone. In those days, we'd go anywhere on a Twelfth Step job, no matter how unpromising. But this time nobody stirred. "Leave him alone! Let him try it by himself for once; maybe he'll learn a lesson!"
p. 144
************************************************** *********
Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. --Barbara De Angelis
However long the night, the dawn will break. --African Proverb
Let your anger set with the sun and not rise again. --Irish Proverb
Gratitude is to thank God for all His infinite goodness with all our heart. --Ottokar Prohaszka
Gods love, can heal all things. --Shelley
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
RISKS
"Appeasers believe that if you keep on throwing steaks to tigers, the tiger will become a vegetarian." -- Heywood Broun
Spirituality involves taking risks. But the risk has to be sensible, having the possibility of success. The risks I take today have a chance, usually a good chance, of succeeding and I always discuss "the risk" with a sponsor or recovering friend with some years of sobriety.
Today I take risks on things and situations that have the possibility of working for me, rather than against me. God has given me freedom and He has taken a risk on how I exercise that freedom. God's love is revealed in the risk. But risk should have the possibility of success!
I pray that I will continue to take sensible risks.
************************************************** *********
"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." John 12:46
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." Matthew 22:37
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
The ordinary things we do each day are often taken for granted and make us feel unimportant. Lord, help me change my thinking so that I can happily see that the little things I do are very important and that I do make a very big difference.
When you are troubled, comfort someone more troubled, when lonely, reach out to one that is lonelier and when unsure, give encouragement to the weary. To care for another makes us forget our own sorrows. Lord, You comfort me. Help me now to be a comforter.
Monday, October 31, 2011
BOO !
October 31
Daily Reflections
AVOIDING CONTROVERSY
All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and groups finally torn asunder
because they were designed for, or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because
of sheer self-righteousness while trying to enforce upon the rest of mankind some
millennium of their own specification.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176
As an A.A. member and sponsor, I know I can cause real damage if I yield to temptation
and give opinions and advice on another's medical, marital, or religious problems. I am
not a doctor, counselor, or lawyer. I cannot tell anyone how he or she should live;
however, I can share how I came through similar situations without drinking, and how
A.A.'s Steps and Traditions help me in dealing with my life.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw
puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast
hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast
up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am
content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the
difference." Have I found contentment in A.A.?
Meditation For The Day
In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to
our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet
meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto your path. We can reach out
into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book puts it: "Deep
down in every man, woman and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the
Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude
toward life."
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf
ear to the urging of my conscience.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Comradeship in Peril, p. 302
We A.A.'s are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after
rescue from shipwreck, when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy
pervade the vessel from steerage to captain's table.
Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in
escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways.
The feeling of sharing in a common peril--relapse into
alcoholism--continues to be an important element in the powerful
cement which binds us of A.A. together.
<< << << >> >> >>
Our first woman alcoholic had been a patient of Dr. Harry Tiebout's,
and he had handed her a prepublication manuscript copy of the Big
Book. The first reading made her rebellious, but the second convinced
her. Presently she came to a meeting held in our living room, and from
there she returned to the sanitarium carrying this classic message to a
fellow patient: "We aren't alone any more."
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 18
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Be still--- for a while, anyhow.
God's will for us.
The bible reminds us: "Be still, and know that I am God." What does this say to the recovering alcoholic who is struggling against a tidal wave of problems?
It must be a reminder that our true place and right work is part of a great purpose, though we may still not know who we fit into the larger plan. We can know, however, that God's plan will include peaceful actions, just and moral solutions, and results that are wholly beneficial to all concerned.
One does not have to be a theologian to decide that staying sober is part of God's will for us. That's why we can expect the support of Higher Power at all times, even when we feel fearful and abused.
Aside from staying sober, each of us will have individual work and responsibilities in life. We should be careful not to measure anyone's success--- including our own--- against worldly standards. If God is in charge, wherever we are and whatever we happen to be doing can a part of the divine will.
In keeping sober today, I'll know that I'm carrying out God's will. I'll also be open to unexpected opportunities to carry out God's directions.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
---Confucius
Step Ten tell us that when we are wrong, we must “promptly” admit it. We aren’t used to admitting our mistakes. We defend ourselves and blame others. This is call denial.
Denial is bad for two reasons. First, it keeps from learning from our mistakes, so we keep making them. Second, we don’t listen to others, so we close ourselves and become lonely.
What a relief it is to admit our wrongs! We don’t have to keep trying to do things the hard way. We can learn new way to think and act that will work better for us. We can let other people be our teachers.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me out of denial, so I can see the changes I need to make.
Action for the Day: Today, If I disagree with someone, I’ll promptly admit when I’m wrong. If I’m right, I’ll be gentle. I don’t have to prove anything.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
It's a simple formula; do your best and somebody might like it. --Dorothy Baker
We're never guaranteed success by others' standards. However, if we do our best according to the standards we think God has in mind, we'll be successful. And from God we'll always receive unconditional love and acceptance.
In the past many of us were haunted by fears that our best wasn't good enough. And not infrequently those fears hindered our performance, thus validating our fears. We can slip back into those immobilizing fears if we don't attend, with vigilance, to the program and its suggestions.
Our higher power will help us do whatever task lies before us. And no task will be ours except those for which we've been readied. Our job is simply to go forth, taking God as our partner, and set about completing the task. We will not falter if we remember where our strength rests, where the guidance lies.
Self-esteem is one of the byproducts of a job done with God's help. An additional byproduct is that we learn more quickly to rely on God's direction and strength the next time, thus reducing the time we give to fear.
I can be successful today, in every endeavor, if I let God manage my moves.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
Soon after a friend of mine was killed by a drunk going the wrong way on the freeway, a truck driver talked about driving long hauls drunk. I was horrified and repelled, until I paused to recall that I used to drive when I couldn't walk straight. When my friend was killed, my A.A. friends said, "Don't drink! Don't think! Go to meetings!" I went to a meeting where I sobbed and gnashed my teeth, but I didn't drink.
p. 396
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
Ed not only stayed, he stayed sober - month after month. The longer he kept dry, the louder he talked - against God. The group was in anguish so deep that all fraternal charity had vanished. "When, oh when," groaned members to one another, "will that guy get drunk?"
p. 144
************************************************** *********
Let go your memories of a dark past in order to have a bright future.
--unknown
The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.
--unknown
F A I T H = Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him.
The greatest gift that you can give yourself is a little bit of your own attention.
--Anthony J. D'Angelo
The best gifts are those which expect no return.
--Norwegian proverb
"The pleasure you get from your life is equal to the attitude you put into it."
--Unknown
One person says, "When I feel far from God, I ask myself: Who moved?" God is always
there. Today I will pray for the wisdom to stay close to my spiritual source, the Creator
Spirit.
--unknown
"If you think you're having a bad day, think again, and again and again and again until
something good comes to mind."
--Rev. Larry Hickey
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SAINTS/SINNERS
"Every saint has a past and
every sinner a future."
-- Oscar Wilde
I must not allow the painful things of my past to affect what I can do today. Guilt is a
killer if I allow it power in my life. I have made my amends. I have apologized to
those I hurt. Today I begin the rest of my life.
Alcoholism produces behavior that causes guilt and shame. In this sense it is
different from so many other diseases. The shame and guilt I felt for years grew out of
my alcoholic behavior and I need to remember that I am not responsible for being
alcoholic. It is not my fault. However, with the knowledge and acceptance of the
disease comes a determination to live responsibly. I have a sense of responsibility in
my recovery. Spirituality involves being a responsible person. The awareness and
acceptance of my past can help create a loving future.
Today I understand that in the failures of the past are sown the seeds of greatness.
************************************************** *********
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand
will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139 : 9.10
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let you heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
Psalm 27:14
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so
doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:1-2
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with
confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Allow yourself the right to say no when the world asks too much of you. Lord, help me to stay focused on my goals and responsibilities so that I have time for that which is important to me.
Our time here is short and there is still so much to be done. Lord, please let me do a little more for You today so that the world may be a little better because of me.
Share
Daily Reflections
AVOIDING CONTROVERSY
All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and groups finally torn asunder
because they were designed for, or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because
of sheer self-righteousness while trying to enforce upon the rest of mankind some
millennium of their own specification.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176
As an A.A. member and sponsor, I know I can cause real damage if I yield to temptation
and give opinions and advice on another's medical, marital, or religious problems. I am
not a doctor, counselor, or lawyer. I cannot tell anyone how he or she should live;
however, I can share how I came through similar situations without drinking, and how
A.A.'s Steps and Traditions help me in dealing with my life.
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw
puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast
hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast
up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am
content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the
difference." Have I found contentment in A.A.?
Meditation For The Day
In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to
our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet
meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto your path. We can reach out
into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book puts it: "Deep
down in every man, woman and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the
Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude
toward life."
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf
ear to the urging of my conscience.
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As Bill Sees It
Comradeship in Peril, p. 302
We A.A.'s are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after
rescue from shipwreck, when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy
pervade the vessel from steerage to captain's table.
Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in
escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways.
The feeling of sharing in a common peril--relapse into
alcoholism--continues to be an important element in the powerful
cement which binds us of A.A. together.
<< << << >> >> >>
Our first woman alcoholic had been a patient of Dr. Harry Tiebout's,
and he had handed her a prepublication manuscript copy of the Big
Book. The first reading made her rebellious, but the second convinced
her. Presently she came to a meeting held in our living room, and from
there she returned to the sanitarium carrying this classic message to a
fellow patient: "We aren't alone any more."
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 18
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Be still--- for a while, anyhow.
God's will for us.
The bible reminds us: "Be still, and know that I am God." What does this say to the recovering alcoholic who is struggling against a tidal wave of problems?
It must be a reminder that our true place and right work is part of a great purpose, though we may still not know who we fit into the larger plan. We can know, however, that God's plan will include peaceful actions, just and moral solutions, and results that are wholly beneficial to all concerned.
One does not have to be a theologian to decide that staying sober is part of God's will for us. That's why we can expect the support of Higher Power at all times, even when we feel fearful and abused.
Aside from staying sober, each of us will have individual work and responsibilities in life. We should be careful not to measure anyone's success--- including our own--- against worldly standards. If God is in charge, wherever we are and whatever we happen to be doing can a part of the divine will.
In keeping sober today, I'll know that I'm carrying out God's will. I'll also be open to unexpected opportunities to carry out God's directions.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
---Confucius
Step Ten tell us that when we are wrong, we must “promptly” admit it. We aren’t used to admitting our mistakes. We defend ourselves and blame others. This is call denial.
Denial is bad for two reasons. First, it keeps from learning from our mistakes, so we keep making them. Second, we don’t listen to others, so we close ourselves and become lonely.
What a relief it is to admit our wrongs! We don’t have to keep trying to do things the hard way. We can learn new way to think and act that will work better for us. We can let other people be our teachers.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me out of denial, so I can see the changes I need to make.
Action for the Day: Today, If I disagree with someone, I’ll promptly admit when I’m wrong. If I’m right, I’ll be gentle. I don’t have to prove anything.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
It's a simple formula; do your best and somebody might like it. --Dorothy Baker
We're never guaranteed success by others' standards. However, if we do our best according to the standards we think God has in mind, we'll be successful. And from God we'll always receive unconditional love and acceptance.
In the past many of us were haunted by fears that our best wasn't good enough. And not infrequently those fears hindered our performance, thus validating our fears. We can slip back into those immobilizing fears if we don't attend, with vigilance, to the program and its suggestions.
Our higher power will help us do whatever task lies before us. And no task will be ours except those for which we've been readied. Our job is simply to go forth, taking God as our partner, and set about completing the task. We will not falter if we remember where our strength rests, where the guidance lies.
Self-esteem is one of the byproducts of a job done with God's help. An additional byproduct is that we learn more quickly to rely on God's direction and strength the next time, thus reducing the time we give to fear.
I can be successful today, in every endeavor, if I let God manage my moves.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
THE PERPETUAL QUEST - This lawyer tried psychiatrists. biofeedback, relaxation exercises, and a host of other techniques to control her drinking. She finally found a solution, uniquely tailored, in the Twelve Steps.
Soon after a friend of mine was killed by a drunk going the wrong way on the freeway, a truck driver talked about driving long hauls drunk. I was horrified and repelled, until I paused to recall that I used to drive when I couldn't walk straight. When my friend was killed, my A.A. friends said, "Don't drink! Don't think! Go to meetings!" I went to a meeting where I sobbed and gnashed my teeth, but I didn't drink.
p. 396
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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."
Ed not only stayed, he stayed sober - month after month. The longer he kept dry, the louder he talked - against God. The group was in anguish so deep that all fraternal charity had vanished. "When, oh when," groaned members to one another, "will that guy get drunk?"
p. 144
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Let go your memories of a dark past in order to have a bright future.
--unknown
The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.
--unknown
F A I T H = Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him.
The greatest gift that you can give yourself is a little bit of your own attention.
--Anthony J. D'Angelo
The best gifts are those which expect no return.
--Norwegian proverb
"The pleasure you get from your life is equal to the attitude you put into it."
--Unknown
One person says, "When I feel far from God, I ask myself: Who moved?" God is always
there. Today I will pray for the wisdom to stay close to my spiritual source, the Creator
Spirit.
--unknown
"If you think you're having a bad day, think again, and again and again and again until
something good comes to mind."
--Rev. Larry Hickey
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SAINTS/SINNERS
"Every saint has a past and
every sinner a future."
-- Oscar Wilde
I must not allow the painful things of my past to affect what I can do today. Guilt is a
killer if I allow it power in my life. I have made my amends. I have apologized to
those I hurt. Today I begin the rest of my life.
Alcoholism produces behavior that causes guilt and shame. In this sense it is
different from so many other diseases. The shame and guilt I felt for years grew out of
my alcoholic behavior and I need to remember that I am not responsible for being
alcoholic. It is not my fault. However, with the knowledge and acceptance of the
disease comes a determination to live responsibly. I have a sense of responsibility in
my recovery. Spirituality involves being a responsible person. The awareness and
acceptance of my past can help create a loving future.
Today I understand that in the failures of the past are sown the seeds of greatness.
************************************************** *********
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand
will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139 : 9.10
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let you heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
Psalm 27:14
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so
doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:1-2
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with
confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6
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Daily Inspiration
Allow yourself the right to say no when the world asks too much of you. Lord, help me to stay focused on my goals and responsibilities so that I have time for that which is important to me.
Our time here is short and there is still so much to be done. Lord, please let me do a little more for You today so that the world may be a little better because of me.
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