ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE, p. 92
Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn't made to God's image to
be an automation.
As Bill Sees It, p. 55
Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted to people and
situations. When not reacting I acted in a mechanical fashion. After
joining A.A., I started seeking daily guidance from a Power greater
than myself, and learning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to
make decisions and act on them, rather than react to them. The
results have been constructive; I no longer allow others to make
decisions for me and then criticize me for it.
Today--and every day--with a heart full of gratitude, and a desire for
God's will to be done through me, my life is worth sharing, especially
with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make a religion out of
anything, even A.A., then I can be an open channel for God's
expression.
***********************************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
Strength comes from honestly telling your own experiences with
drinking. In religion, they call it confession. We call it witnessing or
sharing. You give a personal witness, you share your past experiences,
the troubles you got into, the hospitals, the jails, the break-up of
your
home, the money wasted, the debts, and all the foolish things you did
when you were drinking. This personal witness lets out the things you
had kept hidden, brings them out into the open, and you find release
and strength. Am I receiving strength from my personal witnessing?
Meditation For The Day
We cannot fully understand the universe. The simple fact is that we
cannot even define space or time, which we have manufactured by our
own minds and on that depends all our so-called knowledge of the
universe. The simple fact is that we can never know all things, nor are
we made to know them. Much of our lives must be taken on faith.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that my faith may be based on my own experience of the power
of God in my life. I pray that I may know this one thing above all else
in the universe.
***********************************************************
As Bill Sees It
We Cannot
Live Alone, p. 83
All of A.A.'s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural
desires; they all deflate our egos. When it comes to ego
deflation, few
Steps are harder to take than the Fifth. Scarcely any Step is more
necessary to long-time sobriety and peace of mind.
A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing
problems and the character defects which cause or aggravate them.
If
Step Four has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather
not remember, then the need to quit living by ourselves with those
tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever. We have
to talk to somebody about them.
<< << << >>
>> >>
We cannot wholly rely on friends to solve all our difficulties. A
good
adviser will never do all our thinking for us. He knows that each
final
choice must be ours. He will therefore help to eliminate fear,
expediency, and self-deception, so enabling us to make choices which
are loving, wise, and honest.
1. 12 & 12, p. 55
***********************************************************
Walk in Dry Places
This Too Shall Pass____ Fortitude
Growing older in sobriety, w soon become aware of the fact that both
good and bad experiences eventually pass on. No matter how
beautiful or ugly a situation becomes, it must change in time. In
discussions, we catch this idea by reminding ourselves that "This too
shall pass."
We are very fortunate that this is true. Were it otherwise,
intolerable conditions would last forever. Our business is to
make sure that our own thoughts and actions lead to betterment, for
ourselves and others. While we should be willing to accept
unpleasantness if the re is no way of avoiding it, we should always
hope…. And work….. for improvement.
When unpleasant experiences do pass on. We must also be careful not to
resurrect them by brooding about how badly we were treated or trying to
get even with others. This only prolongs the trouble. The good
news in AA is that we can survive any experience and put it behind us.
Whatever I'm facing today, I'll know that it is temporary and has no
power to keep me from the deeper happiness and gratitude I have in the
12 step program.
***********************************************************
Keep It Simple
Love your enemy it will drive him nuts.Eleanor Doan
Love you enemy. It’s a lot easier on you! Hating someone takes so much
time and energy.
Loving your enemy means, instead of trying to get even, you let your
Higher Power handle that person. Of course, loving your enemy is also
hard. It means giving up control. It means giving up self-will. We
addicts naturally want to control things and people.
This is where we turn to our program for help. We learn to love our
enemies, not for some grand reason. We simply do it because hate can
cause us to use alcohol or other drugs again.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, watch over my family, friends,
and my enemies. Take from me my desire to control. Take from me all
reasons to get high.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list all my enemies. I’ll say
each of their names, and then I’ll read the Third Step out loud.
***********************************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
Love has a hundred gentle ends. --Leonora Speyer
Letting go is a process that is seldom easy. For many, its meaning is
elusive. How do we "let go"? Letting go means removing our attention
from a particular experience or person and putting our focus on the
here and now. We hang on to the past, to past hurts, but also to past
joys. We have to let the past pass. The struggle to hang on to it, any
part of it, clouds the present. You can't see the possibilities today
is offering if your mind is still drawn to what was.
Letting go can be a gentle process. Our trust in our higher power and
our faith that good will prevail, in spite of appearances, eases the
process. And we must let each experience end, as its moment passes,
whether it is good or bad, love or sorrow. It helps to remember that
all experiences contribute to our growth and wholeness. No experience
will be ignored by the inner self who is charting our course. All are
parts of the journey. And every moment has a gentle end, but no moment
is forgotten.
My journey today is akin to yesterday's journey and tomorrow's too. I
will savor each moment and be ready for the next.
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition
Chapter 8 - TO WIVES
Among us are wives, relatives and friends whose problem has been
solved, as well as some who have not yet found a happy solution. We
want the wives of Alcoholics Anonymous to address the wives of men who
drink too much. What they say will apply to nearly everyone bound by
ties of blood or affection to an alcoholic.
p. 104
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition Stories
Jim's
Story
This physician, one of the earliest members of A.A.'s first black
group, tells of how freedom came as he worked among his people.
I haven't mentioned it, but Charlie, my sponsor, was white, and when we
got our group started, we got help from other white groups in
Washington. They came, many of them, and stuck by us and told us
how to hold meetings. They taught us a great deal about Twelfth
Step work too. Indeed, without their aid we couldn't possibly
have gone on. They saved us endless time and lost motion.
And, not only that, but they gave us financial help. Even when we
were paying that two dollars a night, they often paid it for us because
our collection was so small.
p. 244 - 245
***********************************************************
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Ten - "Continued to take personal
inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."
Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to
some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and then we
approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows actually
means. It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is
pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are
suffering from the pains of growing up.
p. 92
***********************************************************
I
keep
my
sobriety
by
giving it away.
Humility does not mean you think less of yourself.
It means you think of yourself less.
--Ken Blanchard
"Recovery is a path, not a sudden landing."
--Sandra B
"The two major sources of value today are time and knowledge. Find
new ways every day to use them better."
--Brian Tracy
Action is the antidote to despair.
--Joan Baez
Even though our love may waiver, God's love for us never fails.
--Howard Coop
***********************************************************
Father Leo's Daily
Meditation
LANGUAGE
"Language is the light of the mind."
John Stuart Mill
When I was drinking, I never really thought about how I behaved, how
I dressed or the language I used. Today I believe I should be
responsible for the whole of me.
Language is important because it is my bridge to others; it is also the
vehicle for understanding the ideas of others. Spirituality involves the
concept of language because it is the means of growth, communication
and relationship. My words help me to be known. My ability to
understand the ideas and aspirations of others helps me to feel that I
belong.
God is perceived in this world and the gift of language is one of the
ways God is revealed. My words are spiritual.
May the light of God's eternal truth be manifested in the way I talk
and relate to others.
***********************************************************
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31
"Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let
God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice
that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands, and moves
toward the goal of true maturity."
Romans 12:2
***********************************************************
Daily Inspiration
A house becomes a home when it is filled with love and friendship.
Lord, bless my life with laughter and many shared moments that I may in
turn be a source of sunshine to others.
Live as a responsible adult, but approach God as a child, full of faith
and trust. You cannot help but perfect one by the other. Lord, You are
my Father. Who else will so lovingly listen to me and care for my
desires.
***********************************************************
NA Just For Today
Letting Go Of The Past
"It is not where we were that counts,
but where we are going."
Basic Text, pg.22
When we first find recovery, some of
us feel shame or despair at calling ourselves "addicts." In the early
days, we may be filled with both fear and hope as we struggle to find
new meaning in our lives. The past may seem inescapable and
overpowering. It may be hard to think of ourselves in any way other
than the way we always have.
While memories of the past can serve
as reminders of what's waiting for us if we use again, they can also
keep us stuck in a nightmare of shame and fear. Though it may be
difficult to let go of those memories, each day in recovery can bring
us that much farther away from our active addiction. Each day, we can
find more to look forward to and less to punish ourselves for.
In recovery, all doors are open to us.
We have many choices. Our new life is rich and full of promise. While
we cannot forget the past, we don't have to live in it. We can move on.
Just for today: I will pack my bags
and move out of my past into a present filled with hope.
***********************************************************
You are reading from the book Today's
Gift.
The things we hate about ourselves
aren't more real than things we like about ourselves. --Ellen Goodman
It is so easy, and tempting, to get
down on ourselves, to focus on an imperfect face, a dismal batting
average, our fear of math, or our big feet. The trouble is, the more we
feel sorry for ourselves, and the more we have to feel sorry about. And
though it probably doesn't hurt to indulge in a little self-pity once
in a while, how unfortunate--and limiting--it can be to let those
attitudes define us.
The things we hate about ourselves are
no more real than the things we like about ourselves. The trick is to
dwell on the things we like instead of those we don't. Even on days
when we are sure we are the least lovable creatures in the world, we
can "act as if" we like ourselves. What a surprise at the end of the
day, to find out that we actually do!
What can I like about myself today?
You are reading from the book
Touchstones.
I don't like a man to be too
efficient. He's likely to be not human enough. --Felix Frankfurter
On our path we seek balance. Pursuing
any single value and ignoring another, whether it is efficiency, hard
work, or leisure, will make one sided men of us. Psychology tells us
our right brain is the creative, intuitive side and our left brain is
the concrete, fact gathering side. Spending our energies developing
only one part of ourselves will leave us incomplete. We males have been
taught we should be decisive, practical, and have our feet on the
ground.
As men we are also creative and
sensitive. We think in stories, pictures, and metaphors and we love
music. At our best, we are willing to place people and relationships
ahead of things and goals. When we are wisest and most human, we draw
on the many sides of ourselves.
Today, I will use both the creative,
intuitive part of me and the practical, decisive part that can get a
job done.
You are reading from the book Each Day
a New Beginning.
Love has a hundred gentle ends.
--Leonora Speyer
Letting go is a process that is seldom
easy. For many, its meaning is elusive. How do we "let go"? Letting go
means removing our attention from a particular experience or person and
putting our focus on the here and now. We hang on to the past, to past
hurts, but also to past joys. We have to let the past pass. The
struggle to hang on to it, any part of it, clouds the present. You
can't see the possibilities today is offering if your mind is still
drawn to what was.
Letting go can be a gentle process.
Our trust in our higher power and our faith that good will prevail, in
spite of appearances, eases the process. And we must let each
experience end, as its moment passes, whether it is good or bad, love
or sorrow. It helps to remember that all experiences contribute to our
growth and wholeness. No experience will be ignored by the inner self
who is charting our course. All are parts of the journey. And every
moment has a gentle end, but no moment is forgotten.
My journey today is akin to
yesterday's journey and tomorrow's too. I will savor each moment and be
ready for the next.
You are reading from the book The
Language Of Letting Go.
Appreciating Ourselves
We are the greatest things that will
ever happen to us. Believe it. It makes life much easier. --Codependent
No More
It is time to stop this nonsense of
running around picking on ourselves.
We may have walked through much of our
life apologizing for ourselves either directly or indirectly - feeling
less valuable than others, believing that they know better than we do,
and believing that somehow others are meant to be here and we are not.
We have a right to be here.
We have a right to be ourselves.
We are here. There is a purpose, a
reason, and an intention for our life. We do not have to apologize for
being here or being who we are.
We are good enough, and deserving.
Others do not have our magic. We have
our magic. It is in us.
It doesn't matter what we've done in
our past. We all have a past, woven with mistakes, successes, and
learning experiences. We have a right to our past. It is ours. It has
worked to shape and form us. As we progress on this journey, we shall
see how each of our experiences will be turned around and used for good.
We have already spent too much time
being ashamed, being apologetic, and doubting the beauty of ourselves.
Be done with it. Let it go. It is an unnecessary burden. Others have
rights, but so do we. We are neither less than nor more than. We are
equal. We are who we are. That is whom we were created and intended to
be.
That, my friend, is a wonderful gift.
God, help me own my power to love and
appreciate myself. Help me give myself validity instead of looking to
others to do that.
I forgive myself and all others today.
--Ruth Fishel
******************************************
Journey to the Heart
Tap into Life’s Energy
Life is not something separate or
apart from you, as you once believed. There is a power, a life force,
that moves, guides, directs, and inspires you. You are one with life,
with life’s energy.
Do things that energize you, charge
your soul. Soak up the sun. Soak up color. Soak up beautiful sounds.
Immerse yourself in nature, in a world the refreshes, restores, and
renews. Don’t worry about the task or the day that looms ahead, the
work, and love and play, the problems and choices that are on the way.
If you energize yourself, restore yourself, the power to take action
will come naturally like water from a spring.
Look around. What do you see that
feels right to do? Which direction do you see as the right way to go?
Trust the smallest glimmer. Give in to the urge, to the guidance that’s
there. Do it once. Do it again. Soon you will find yourself in harmony.
You will have all the guidance,
energy, ideas, creativity, power, and ability you need to do all you’re
meant to do. And you will be given the power to enjoy it.
******************************************
More Language Of Letting Go
Cultivate inner peace
According to my experience, the
principle characteristic of genuine happiness is peace, inner peace.
–His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Cultivate a sense of peace, an abiding
inner peace that doesn’t depend on outward circumstance.
So much chaos, so much drama, so many
emotions surge through us. It is so easy, so tempting to believe that
once we get through this circumstance, once we achieve this goal, once
we solve this problem, then we will be peaceful.
That’s an illusion.
“I’m happy when I get what I want,”
said Kent. “For a few minutes.”
Getting what we want may cause us to
feel happy for a moment, but it will bring a limited, transient
happiness. The next problem or emotion will present itself. Or we will
begin resenting that person or job, because he, she, or it did not
bring the happiness we believed it would. Like a carrot on a stick,
happiness will always be the next problem, acquisition, or emotion away.
Be peaceful now.
Be happy now.
Take the limits off your joy.
God, help me remember to be peaceful
first, no matter what situation I face.
******************************************
A Great Teacher
Living Like Water
The journey of water as it flows upon
the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Water begins
its residence on earth as it falls from the sky or melts from ice and
streams down a mountain into a tributary or stream. In the same way, we
come into the world and begin our lives on earth. Like a river that
flows within the confines of its banks, we are born with certain
defining characteristics that govern our identity. We are born in a
specific time and place, within a specific family, and with certain
gifts and challenges. Within these parameters, we move through life,
encountering many twists, turns, and obstacles along the way just as a
river flows.
Water is a great teacher that shows us
how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and
humility. When a river breaks at a waterfall, it gains energy and moves
on, as we encounter our own waterfalls, we may fall hard but we always
keep moving on. Water can inspire us to not become rigid with fear or
cling to what’s familiar. Water is brave and does not waste time
clinging to its past, but flows onward without looking back. At the
same time, when there is a hole to be filled, water does not run away
from it in fear of the dark; instead, water humbly and bravely fills
the empty space. In the same way, we can face the dark moments of our
life rather than run away from them.
Eventually, a river will empty into
the sea. Water does not hold back from joining with a larger body, nor
does it fear a loss of identity or control. It gracefully and humbly
tumbles into the vastness by contributing its energy and merging
without resistance. Each time we move beyond our individual egos to
become part of something bigger, we can try our best to follow the lead
of the river. Published with permission from Daily OM
******************************************
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
All of us are faced with the troubles
and problems of daily living, whether we’ve been in The Program two
days or 20 years. We’d sometimes like to beieve we could ake care of
all our problems right now, but it rarely works that way If we remember
the slogan “Easy Does It” when we are ready to panic, we mayb come to
know that the very best way to handle all things is “Easy.” We put one
foot in front of the other, doing the best we are capapble of doing. We
say “Easy Does It.” and we do it. Are The Pogram’s slognas gtwoing with
me as I grow with The Program?
Today I Pray
May even the words “Easy Des It’ serve
to slow me down in my hadlong rush to accomplis too much too fast. May
just that world “Easy” be enough to make me ease up on he ships that
drive my ambitions, ease up on the accelerator which plunges me into
new situations without enough forethought, ese off on the number of
hours spent in material pursuits. May I hark to the adage that Rome
wasn’t built in a single day. Niether can I builde solutions to my
problems all at once.
Today I Will Remember
Easy Does It.
******************************************
One More Day
Our safety is not in blindness, but in
facing our danger.
– Johann Cristoph Schiller
Sometimes our difficulties are
compounded when we take more drugs than needed to treat our illnesses.
This can be due to our getting prescriptions from than one doctor or
from using over-the-counter drugs in addition to our prescribed
medications.
Certainly, we need to use the drugs
that will keep us as healthy and functional as possible, but over
medication can be an accidental side-effect of chronic medical
problems. Also, psychological or physical dependence can also occur.
Besides necessary medications, the joy
of living and the love of ourselves and others can help us deal with
our illnesses. By learning to live with our limitations we can gain
back some of the personal power that chronic illness has taken from us.
I am strengthened by facing my
problems.
************************************
Food For Thought
Action
Ours is a program of Action. It does no good to develop new awareness
if we do not take appropriate new actions. When we become aware of the
damage done by compulsive overeating and realize that OA has the answer
to our problem, we take action by going to meetings, making phone
calls, and working the steps. We follow a food plan and abstain from
eating compulsively.
Taking inventory, admitting our mistakes, and making amends involves
action. Our Higher Power gives us courage to change the things we can.
He gives us the confidence to get involved in new activities, to be
more assertive, to make new friends, to go back to school, to change
jobs.
By abstaining from the type of eating that paralyzed us, we have
strength and energy to do new things. One step at a time, we are led
into action. Not to move according to the direction of God as we
understand Him is to fall backwards and stagnate. Each positive action
we take strengthens our recovery.
Direct my actions, Lord.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
Positive Thinking
"It takes but one positive when given
a chance to survive and thrive to
overpower
and entire army of negative thoughts."
Robert H. Schuller
A positive attitude is crucial for a
successful recovery. This summer, I wasn laid up with two torn tendons
in my left ankle. This happened right at the start of my summer
vacation. When it first happened, I was VERY dejected. This had to
happen NOW!!! Just when my holidays are starting? (not that ANY time is
a good time to receive an injury!). However, upon reflection it WAS
good timing. I didn't have get myself to and from work. My daughter was
finished school for the summer and was able to be home to assist me
with day to day stuff. Plus I had just taken on some new OA service
responsibilities and being home allowed me the time to really focus and
internalize my new roles. Instead of looking at this as a negative - I
think HP gave me an opportunity here to rest up and do some service at
the same time. My daughter and I did some wonderful bonding as well. It
would have been very easy just to turn negative and feel sorry for
myself . But I simply would have made myself (and everyone around me)
miserable during the my six weeks of recovery. Instead, it's turned out
to be a wonderful learning experience (not to mention it provided a
good idea for this meditation topic!). Life's too short for cheap
wHine, n'est past?
One Day at a Time . . .
I will look at life from a positive
point of view.
~ Rob R.
*****************************************
AA 'Big Book' - Quote
'The way you fellows put this
spiritual stuff makes sense. - Pg. 159 - A Vision For You
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
Do you sometimes feel like fate made a
fool of you with this disease? This is a normal reaction to any chronic
disease just like diabetes, lupus, or others. We are the fortunate ones
because we can arrest this disease with a simple behavior change, many
others can't.
God, as I understand You, grant me the
willingness to be grateful for a way out of this devastating disease of
addiction.
Golden Moments
I will pay attention to guidance from
within and without. There are moments when I know I am doing what
lights my spirit and challenges me. Moments when I feel alive and in
tune; in touch with a force beyond me that is guiding me towards
something that's right for me. Those moments are golden. They carry me
through my fears and hard times, they sustain me when inevitable doubts
creep in, they give me strength to carry on and stay on course.
I will hold inspiration close to me
heart.
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
They say you don't have to like your
sponsor; they just have to have something you want-like a life. It is
your sponsor's job to give you a program to work until you develop a
program of your own.
People who sponsor themselves have
fools for sponsors.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
Action Not Distraction
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
I forgive myself and all others today.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
There are two types of people to watch
in AA; those who make it, and those who don't. - Dr. Bob S.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
March 24
Stability
My stability came out of trying to
give, not out of demanding that I receive.
Thus I think it can work out with
emotional sobriety.
If we examine every disturbance we
have, we will find at the root of it
some unhealthy dependency and its
consequent unhealthy demand.
Let us, with God's help, continually
surrender these hobbling demands.
- The Best of Bill, p. 58
Thought to Ponder . . .
Sobriety is a journey, not a
destination.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K I S S = Keep It Simple; Surrender.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Traditions
"The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics
Anonymous
are a distillate of our experience of
living and working together.
They apply the spirit of the Twelve
recovery Steps
to our group life and security.
They deal with the world outside and
with each other;
they state our attitudes toward power
and prestige,
toward property and money.
They would save us from tempting
alliances
and major controversies;
they would elevate principles far
above personal ambitions.
And as a token of this last, they
request that we
maintain personal anonymity before the
open public
as a protection to AA and as proof of
the fact that
our society intends to practice true
humility."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p.
96
Thought to Consider . . .
The reason they are called Principles
is
because they always work.
If they didn't always work we'd just
call them "good ideas."
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
WILLING
When I Live Life, I Need God
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Growth
>From "A Vision for You":
"So our fellow worker will soon have
friends galore. Some of them may sink and perhaps never get up, but if
our experience is a criterion, more than half of those approached will
become fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. When a few men in this city
have found themselves, and have discovered the joy of helping others to
face life again, there will be no stopping until everyone in that town
has had his opportunity to recover if he can and will."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition;
Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 163-64
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"My emotional bottom came in sobriety
... I actually had to sit and feel all those feelings I had worked so
hard to drown out with alcohol."
New York, N.Y., January 2006
"Attitude Adjustment"
Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying
Sober in AA
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve
Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"Yes, there is a substitute and it is
vastly more than that. It is a
fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous.
There you will find release from
care, boredom and worry. Your
imagination will be fired. Life will
mean something at last. The most
satisfactory years of your
existence lie ahead."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A
Vision For You, pg. 152~
"we have ceased fighting anything or
anyone— even alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
Into Action, pg. 84~
We can try to stop making unreasonable
demands upon those we love.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.
93
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
WE Cannot Live Alone
All of A.A.'s Twelve Steps ask us to
go contrary to our natural desires; they all deflate our egos. When it
come to ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than the Fifth.
Scarcely and Step is more necessary to long-time sobriety and peace of
mind.
A.A. experience has taught us we
cannot live alone with our pressing problems and the character defects
which cause or aggravate them. If Step Four has revealed in stark
relief those experiences we'd rather not remember, than the need to
quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets
more urgent than ever. We have to talk to somebody about them.
We cannot wholly rely on friends to
solve all our difficulties. A good adviser will never do all our
thinking for us. He knows that each final choice must be ours. He will
therefore help to eliminate fear, expediency, and self-deception, so
enabling us to make choices which are loving, wise, and honest.
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 55
GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
Prayer For The Day: Dear heavenly Father, I am grateful for
Your constant provision. You have never failed me, Lord and I know that
You never will. You are a faithful God, and I ask You to help me to
trust You before my answer arrives. Lord, You are my source, and I know
as I continue to look to You, I need never to worry about how You will
provide. I just know that You will. Guard my mouth and remind me to
speak what Your Word says about my situation. Deliver me from every
vestige of fear, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I will
always walk in faith. Lord, I pray that all my brothers and sisters in
the family of God will also be granted this favor. May we each fulfill
Your will in our lives. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.