JOYFUL DISCOVERIES
We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose
more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what
you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers
will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you
cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your
relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to
pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for
us.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164
Sobriety is a journey of joyful discovery. Each day brings new
experience, awareness, greater hope, deeper faith, broader
tolerance. I must maintain these attributes or I will have
nothing to pass on.
Great events for this recovering alcoholic are the normal
everyday joys found in being able to live another day in
God's grace.
***********************************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
By submitting to God, we're released from the power of liquor.
It has no more hold on us. We're also released from the things
that were holding us down: pride, selfishness, and fear. And
we're free to grow into a new life, which is so much better
than the old life that there's no comparison. This release
gives us serenity and peace with the world. Have I been
released from the power of alcohol?
Meditation For The Day
We know God by spiritual vision. We feel that He is beside us.
We feel His presence. Contact with God is not made by the
senses. Spirit-consciousness replaces sight. Since we cannot
see God, we have to perceive Him by spiritual perception. God
has to span the physical and the spiritual with the gift to us
of spiritual vision. Many persons, though they cannot see God,
have had a clear spiritual consciousness of Him. We are inside
a box of space and time, but we know there must be something
outside of that box, limitless space, eternity of time, and
God.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have a consciousness of God's presence. I
pray that God will give me spiritual vision.
***********************************************************
As Bill Sees It
Prelude to
the Program, p. 118
Few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless
they have "hit bottom," for practicing A.A.'s Steps means the
adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still
drinking can dream of taking. The average alcoholic, self-centered in
the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect--unless he has to do these
things in order to stay alive himself.
<< << << >> >> >>
We know that the newcomer has to "hit bottom"; otherwise, not
much can happen. Because we are drunks who understand him, we
can use at depth the nutcracker of the-obsession-plus-the-allergy as a
tool of such power that it can shatter his ego. Only thus can he be
convinced that on his own unaided resources he has little or no
chance.
1. 12 & 12, p. 24
2. A.A. Today, p. 8
***********************************************************
Walk in Dry Places
Happy People are likable.
Personal relations.
Who are the people we really like, and to be with? Most of the
time, they are happy people, people who like themselves and others.
Being happy is almost the entire secret of being likable. Though
no person can expect to be liked by everybody, likable people have the
inside track most of the time.
How do we become happy and thus likable? We're continuously told
that happiness cannot be found in property, power, and prestige. It is
rooted instead in self-acceptance. In feeling loved and wanted, and in
giving genuine service, maybe just in the form of very useful work.
Twelve Step programs are structured to make us happy if we
persevere long enough in working the individual steps.
While it may seem contradictory, even people with heavy burdens and
personal sorrows can find underlying happiness in the
program. A great deal of this also hinges on our belief in a
Higher Power and a confidence that we have a place in the universal
system.
I can be happy today in spite of things that others would consider
burdensome and depressing. Happiness really comes from God, and
it also serves to attract friends into my life.
***********************************************************
Keep It Simple
I noticed my hopelessness was because I had lost my freedom of
choice.---AA member
By doing a Fourth Step, we start to see ourselves more clearly. We see
how we've acted against ourselves. Soon, we hear a little voice inside
telling us to stop before we act. "Are you sure you want to say or
do that?" the little voice asks. Then we make a choice: we do
something the same old way, or we try a new way. One part of us will
always want to do things the old, sick way. This is natural. But we're
getting stronger every day. Our spirit wants to learn new ways so we
can
be honest and loving. Sometimes we don't know how. But we still have a
choice. We can ask for help.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me listen to the little
voice inside that helps me see
that I have choices.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll make a choice between old ways
and new ways of acting. I will
call my sponsor this evening to talk about my choices.
***********************************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
So much to say. And so much not to say! Some things are better left
unsaid. But so many unsaid things can become a burden. --Virginia
Mae Axline
The occasions are many when we'd like to share a feeling, an
observation, perhaps even a criticism with someone. The risk is great,
however. She might be hurt, or he might walk away, leaving us alone.
Many times, we need not share our words directly. Weighing and
measuring the probable outcome and asking for some inner guidance will
help us decide when to speak up and when to leave things unsaid. But if
our thoughts are seriously interfering with our relationships, we can't
ignore them for long.
Clearing the air is necessary sometimes, and it freshens all
relationships. When to take the risk creates consternation. But within
our quiet spaces, we always know when we must speak up. And the
direction will come. The right moment will present itself. And within
those quiet spaces the right words can be found.
If I am uncomfortable with certain people, and the feelings don't
leave, I will consider what might need to be said. I will open myself
to the way and ask to be shown the steps to take. Then, I will be
patient.
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition
Chapter 5 - HOW IT
WORKS
This is the how and the why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing
God. It didn’t work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of
life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His
agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most Good ideas are
simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant
arch through which we passed to freedom.
p. 62
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition Stories
WINNER TAKES ALL - Legally
blind but no longer alone, she found a way to stay sober, raise a
family, and turn her life over to the care of God.
I learned to accept the things I
cannot change (in this case my vision) and change the things I can (I
could be grateful for and accept the visual aids instead of being
embarrassed and rejecting them as I had when I was younger).
p. 381
***********************************************************
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Eleven - "Sought through
prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the
power to carry that out."
We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to
flower and to grow. Most certainly we shall need bracing air and an
abundance of food. But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing
much can grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun.
How, then, shall we meditate?
p. 98
***********************************************************
Never
give
up
ten
minutes
before the miracle.
--Anonymous
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone
who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep
your mind young.
--Henry Ford
God is a never ending source of all we need.
--SweetyZee
Just as we experience joy in caring for others, they experience joy in
caring for us.
--Linda Nocks Shah
"Invest the first hour of the day, the 'Golden Hour,' in yourself."
--Brian Tracy
"Pray not for lighter burdens but for stronger backs."
--Theodore Roosevelt
"The easiest way to save face is to keep the lower half shut."
--Anon
"A good laugh is sunshine in a house."
--William Makepeace Thackeray
"If you keep doing things like you've always done them, what you'll get
is what you've already got."
--Anon
"Action conquers fear."
--Peter N. Zarlenga
"The best way out of a difficulty is through it"
--Anon
***********************************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
RELIGION
"All religions must be tolerated .
. . for . . . every man must get to
heaven his own way."
--Frederick the Great
There are many ways to God and I believe that Christianity is one way.
However, I am convinced that there are other ways with or without
religion. My experience of the church has been good, and I have been
encouraged to question and doubt, search for new areas of faith within
my agnosticism, explore other religions. My experience of Christianity
has been supportive of openness and compassion.
God is not a prisoner of any religion and we can all learn from each
other's experiences - but we need to listen. To dismiss arrogantly the
value that a religion can bring is, to my way of thinking, as negative
and
sick as to accept what a religion says without question.
Let me find in the religions of the world the ONENESS of Your truth.
***********************************************************
The
path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn; shining brighter
till the full light of day.
Proverbs 4 :18
We love Him, because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
***********************************************************
Daily Inspiration
Rely on the strength and understanding that you possess. Each of us has
more of it in us that we can imagine possible. Lord, through faith in
You I can face any difficulty and conquer it.
Have the courage to forgive. Lord, may I bring myself to a place of
peace by never holding a grudge.
***********************************************************
NA Just For Today
Recognizing And Releasing Resentments
"We want to look our past in the face,
see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today."
Basic Text p. 28
Many of us had trouble identifying our
resentments when we were new in recovery. There we sat with our Fourth
Step in front of us, thinking and thinking, finally deciding that we
just didn't have any resentments. Perhaps we talked ourselves into
believing that we weren't so sick after all.
Such unwitting denial of our
resentments stems from the conditioning of our addiction. Most of our
feelings were buried, and buried deep. After some time in recovery, a
new sense of understanding develops. Our most deeply buried feelings
begin to surface, and those resentments we thought we didn't have
suddenly emerge.
As we examine these resentments, we
may feel tempted to hold onto some of them, especially if we think they
are "justified." But what we need to remember is that "justified"
resentments are just as burdensome as any other resentment.
As our awareness of our liabilities
grows, so does our responsibility to let go. We no longer need to hang
on to our resentments. We want to rid ourselves of what's undesirable
and set ourselves free to recover.
Just for today: When I discover a
resentment, I'll see it for what it is and let it go.
***********************************************************
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Crying only a little bit is no use.
You must cry until your pillow is soaked. Then you can get up and
laugh. . . . --Galway Kinnell
Many of us were raised to deny our
feelings; that is, we might have been allowed to describe them
politely, but we were not allowed to express feelings on the spot by
wailing, jumping for joy, or dancing. This is often considered rude. In
a proper home, we often hear, if people have feelings, they have them
quietly. But many of us have suffered living this way.
We need a full and thorough expression
of a feeling in order to know it, experience it, and move beyond it.
This is the way we let go of sadness, for instance.
Feelings come and go. If we are not
afraid to let them have their moment, we will not be afraid to express
them.
What am I feeling right now?
You are reading from the book
Touchstones.
Fine friendship requires duration
rather than fitful intensity. --Aristotle
Once we have embarked upon this
program, we find spiritual recovery through relationships more than any
other single factor. We find it through relationships with other
people, with ourselves, and with our Higher Power. But most men in
recovery need to learn how to be in a relationship. We have to give up
ideas that a friendship is an intense connection or a conflict-free
blending of like minds.
A meaningful friendship is a long-term
dialogue. If there is conflict or if we make a mistake or fail to do
what our friend wants of us, we don't end the friendship. We simply
have the next exchange to resolve the differences. Our dialogue
continues over time, and time - along with many amends - builds the
bond. With it develops a deepening sense of reliability and trusting
one another. When we have lived with our friend through many
experiences - or with our Higher Power - we gain a feeling that we
really know him or her in a way we could never have in a brief intense
connection.
Today, I will do what I need to do to
be reliable in my friendships.
You are reading from the book Each Day
a New Beginning.
So much to say. And so much not to
say! Some things are better left unsaid. But so many unsaid things can
become a burden. --Virginia Mae Axline
The occasions are many when we'd like
to share a feeling, an observation, perhaps even a criticism with
someone. The risk is great, however. She might be hurt, or he might
walk away, leaving us alone.
Many times, we need not share our
words directly. Weighing and measuring the probable outcome and asking
for some inner guidance will help us decide when to speak up and when
to leave things unsaid. But if our thoughts are seriously interfering
with our relationships, we can't ignore them for long.
Clearing the air is necessary
sometimes, and it freshens all relationships. When to take the risk
creates consternation. But within our quiet spaces, we always know when
we must speak up. And the direction will come. The right moment will
present itself. And within those quiet spaces the right words can be
found.
If I am uncomfortable with certain
people, and the feelings don't leave, I will consider what might need
to be said. I will open myself to the way and ask to be shown the steps
to take. Then, I will be patient.
You are reading from the book The
Language of Letting Go.
Letting Go of the Need to Control
The rewards from detachment are great:
serenity; a deep sense of peace; the ability to give and receive love
in self enhancing, energizing ways; and the freedom to find real
solutions to our problems. --Codependent No More
Letting go of our need to control can
set others and us free. It can set our Higher Power free to send the
best to us.
If we weren't trying to control
someone or something, what would we be doing differently?
What would we do that were not letting
ourselves do now? Where would we go? What would we say?
What decisions would we make?
What would we ask for? What boundaries
would be set? When would we say no or yes?
If we weren't trying to control
whether a person liked us or his or her reaction to us, what would we
do differently? If we weren't trying to control the course of a
relationship, what would we do differently? If we weren't trying to
control another persons behavior, how would we think, feel, speak, and
behave differently than we do now?
What haven't we been letting ourselves
do while hoping that self-denial would influence a particular situation
or person? Are there some things we've been doing that wed stop?
How would we treat ourselves
differently?
Would we let ourselves enjoy life more
and feel better right now? Would we stop feeling so bad? Would we treat
ourselves better?
If we weren't trying to control, what
would we do differently? Make a list, and then do it.
Today, I will ask myself what I would
be doing differently if I weren't trying to control. When I hear the
answer, I will do it. God, help me let go of my need to control. Help
me set others and myself free.
Today I choose to accept live on
life's terms...all of it. I am open to all I see, hear, think and
feeling the moment, without resistance. I am opening to be fully alive
and enjoying the adventure. --Ruth Fishel
******************************************
Journey To The Heart
Love Sets Others Free
One of love’s most challenging lessons
is freedom.
Much of my life I thought love meant
restraint. I couldn’t do this if I loved you. You wouldn’t do that if
you loved me. Certainly there are times when love asks us to make
choices. But love doesn’t limit, it doesn’t confine, as I once believed.
Love brings with it the gift of
freedom. Love teaches us to allow the person we love to do as he or she
chooses. It teaches us to encourage the people we love to freely make
their own choices, to seek their own path, to learn their lessons their
way in their own time.
Love that restrains isn’t love. It’s
insecurity. We may tell others how we feel about something they do or
don’t do. We may make decisions as a reaction to others choices. That
is our right and our responsibility. But to restrain another in the
name of love doesn’t create love, it creates restraint.
Love means each person is free to
follow his or her own heart, seek his or her own path. If we truly
love, our choices will naturally and freely serve that love well. When
we give freedom to another, we really give freedom to ourselves.
******************************************
More Language Of Letting Go
Stop reading between the lines
Chelsea dated Tom for five years.
During the course of those years, Tom told Chelsea that he didn’t want
a serious relationship, and she shouldn’t get serious about him.
Chelsea didn’t like what she heard. She thought Tom must care about
her, because their times together were so good and because he kept
coming back to see her.
Whether Tom was being manipulative
isn’t the issue. Whether he was keeping a door open for himself isn’t
the issue. The issue is, Chelsea wasn’t believing what Tom said– until
he left her for someone else.
Yes, sometimes people are coy. Yes,
sometimes people are reluctant to get involved. But if people tell you
they feel a certain way, don’t read between the lines. Take them at
face value. Correct your behavior to match the reality of the
situation, not the fantasies in your mind.
Take people at face value. Say what
you mean in your dealings with others, so they can take you at face
value,too.
God, help me make a practice out of
facing, dealing with, and accepting the truth.
******************************************
In God’s Care
The presence of faith is no gaurantee
of deliverance from times of distress and vicissitude but there can be
a certainty that nothing will be encountered that is overwhelming.
~~William Barr Oglesby Jr.
We’ve all experienced times so
seriously troubling that we feared for our sanity: the loss of a job,
divorce, or the death of a loved one. And in each instance we learned
that the more we relied on our Higher Power’s support, the less we
stumbled and the more we could allow ourselves our grief and get on
with our life, perhaps even stronger and wiser than before.
Facing our addictions and working our
program won’t guarantee that our future will be free of struggles.
Everyone has to live through difficult times, some of us more than
others it seems. But we needn’t sacrifice our serenity and security
through these times as long as we let God share them with us. It’s such
a relief knowing that nothing has to overwhelm us as long as we
remember to let God shoulder the burden we’re carrying.
Whatever happens today will trouble me
less if I let God handle it.
******************************************
You Are Who You Are, Not What You Do
Becoming Your Wrong Decisions
Our perception of the traits and
characteristics that make us who we are is often tightly intertwined
with how we live our life. We define ourselves in terms of the roles we
adopt, our actions and inactions, our triumphs, and what we think are
failures. As a result it is easy to identify so strongly with a
decision that has resulted in unexpected negative consequences that we
actually become that "wrong" decision. The disappointment and shame we
feel when we make what we perceive as a mistake grows until it becomes
a dominant part of our identities. We rationalize our "poor" decisions
by labeling ourselves incompetent decision-makers. However, your true
identity cannot be defined by your choices. Your essence—what makes you
a unique entity—exists independently of your decision-making process.
There are no true right or wrong
decisions. All decisions contribute to your development and are an
integral part of your evolving existence yet they are still separate
from the self. A decision that does not result in its intended outcome
is in no way an illustration of character. Still, it can have dire
effects on our ability to trust ourselves and our self-esteem. You can
avoid becoming your decisions by affirming that a "bad decision" was
just an experience, and next time you can choose differently. Try to
avoid lingering in the past and mulling over the circumstances that led
to your perceived error in judgment. Instead, adapt to the new
circumstances you must face by considering how you can use your
intelligence, inner strength, and intuition to aid you in moving
forward more mindfully. Try not to entirely avoid thinking about the
choices you have made, but reflect on the consequences of your decision
from a rational rather than an emotional standpoint. Strive to under!
stand why you made the choice you did, forgive yourself, and then move
forward.
A perceived mistake becomes a valuable
learning experience and is, in essence, a gift to learn and grow from.
You are not a bad person and you are not your decisions; you are simply
human. Published with permission from Daily OM
******************************************
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
Am I so sure I’m doing everything
possible to make my new life a success? Am I using my capabilities
well? Do I recognize and appreciate all I have to be grateful for? The
Program and its Twelve Steps teach me that I am not the possessor of
unlimited resources. The more I do with them, the more they will grow —
to overshadow and cancel out the difficult and painful feelings that
now get so much of my attention. Am I less sensitive today than when I
first came to The Program?
Today I Pray
May I make the most of myself in all
ways. May I begin to look outward to people and opportunities and
wonderful resources around me. As I become less ingrown and understand
myself better in relation to others, may I be less touchy and
thin-skinned.l May I shrug off my old “the world-is-out-to-get-me”
feeling and see that same world as my treasure-house, God-given and
boundless.
Today I Will Remember
My resources are unlimited.
******************************************
One More Day
Solitude: A good place to visit, but a
poor place to stay.
– Joan Billings
We probably recognize our need for
solitude in our lives — private time when we can sit and think, or
listen to music, or simply enjoy the quiet. When solitude becomes a way
of life, however, it can lead to loneliness, and loneliness can lead to
self-pity. This is a dangerous position.
We tread a real tightrope with our
need for solitude. We need to be alone, but not isolated. In our
solitude, we can find serenity through meditation and prayer. Once we
are re energized, it will be easier for us to balance our lives by
inviting a friend into our home or reaching out to another who is in
pain. Solitude encourages us to turn our backs on loneliness and to
reach out to others once again.
I will not impose a sentence of
solitary confinement upon myself. I am still a valuable member of
society.
************************************
Food For Thought
Food Is No Cure all
In spite of what we compulsive overeaters may have believed, food does
not solve our emotional or spiritual problems. Food cannot fill our
hearts with love, no matter how much we eat. Rather than erasing our
difficulties with family, friends, and self, overeating multiplies them.
If our problem were that of not having enough to eat, food would be the
solution. It is possible for us to be overweight and undernourished at
the same time, if we are eating the wrong foods. For most of us,
though, the difficulty is simply that we like to eat too much. The only
cure all for that problem is eating less!
The good news for compulsive overeaters is that a life of abstinence
and control is possible. We do not have to be destroyed by our disease.
When we recognize that we have been using food to do what only our
Higher Power can do, we are on the way to recovery. Instead of turning
to food to ease our aches and satisfy our cravings, we turn to God.
Thank You for being there for me.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
~ RELATIONSHIPS ~
And let there be no purpose in
friendship
save the deepening of Spirit.
Kahlil Gibran
My initial experience of relationships
in recovery was one of wonder and relief. I was so amazed to find that
there actually were other people who understood life as I lived it!
Until I walked into the rooms of recovery, I felt so alone and
different from other people. Finding people who had also lived the
nightmare of compulsive eating, helped my isolation fade away. Seeing
that they had found a new way of living gave me hope!!
As I began to share more deeply with
my sponsor and other people in recovery, I discovered a deeper gift of
friendship in recovery. I received unconditional love and focused
guidance toward the steps of recovery which would transform me
completely. This was the greatest gift of relationship that I had ever
known. This was the beginning of the transformation that invited me to
share the Spirit of recovery with others.
As I carry the principles of recovery
into all aspects of my life, I find my relationships with all people
are transformed. My character defects no longer stand in the way of my
honesty, and fear no longer holds me prisoner. The Spirit of recovery
which has been so generously shared with me, continues to be shared
joyously through me.
One Day at a Time . . .
I will be carried by the Spirit of
recovery into all of my relationships.
~ Cate ~
*****************************************
AA 'Big Book' - Quote
Suppose we fall short of the chosen
ideal and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some
people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and
on our motives. If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the
honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will
be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and
our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We
are not theorizing. These are facts out of our experience. - Pg. 70 -
How It Works
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
You may at times feel particularly
antsy or confused. Like now. This is a normal reaction of withdrawing
our bodies from chemicals and changing our past behavior. When this
happens, we call another person, write down our feelings, pray about
it, or do some physical activity.
Right this minute I am alright and I
will fill the rest of this hour with one of the above activities.
Seeing Perfection in What Is
I see life as it is today. I do not
ask that the world conform to my idea of perfection in order to love
it. I see beauty and perfection in things as they are, not as I wish
them to be. I forgive life for being imperfect. I forgive people for
being imperfect. I forgive myself for being imperfect.I let life,
people and me be what we are.
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Having a God of our own under-standing
does not mean we have to withhold saying 'God' around non-believers.
People who try to get the word 'God' out of the Twelve Steps in order
not to offend others, are missing the point. The point is, no one has
to say 'God' in order to recover, it does not mean others can't call
their Higher Power 'God.'
God is the answer. Now what is my
problem?
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
Today you are leading a life. When you
were drinking, you were a life being led.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I have the courage to face life
as it is and make progress a part of my life. I am willing to take
chances and grow and risk and feel what it means to be fully alive in
the moment.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
It takes a lot of courage to stay
sober. And if you don't have it, get it from the person sitting next to
you, so you can recover for one more day. - Patti O.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
April 27
Convinced
Practicing AA's Steps means the
adoption of attitudes and actions
that almost no alcoholic who is still
drinking can dream of taking.
The average alcoholic, self-centered
in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect
-- unless he has to do these things in
order to stay alive himself.
- As Bill Sees It, p.118
Thought to Ponder . . .
I would rather go through life sober,
believing I am an alcoholic,
than go through life drunk, trying to
convince myself that I am not.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Aware.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Meetings
"Sobriety and a plan for living
that produces a personality change
and a spiritual awakening are
imperative.
Through AA, many receive the needed
change
and awakening just by trying to live
by AA principles and with AA people.
We do this by going to many AA meetings
with an open mind and a desire to live
the
good-feeling life without chemicals--
liquid or otherwise."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 459
Thought to Consider . . .
Seven days without an AA meeting makes
one weak.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ABC
Acceptance, Belief, Change
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Upkeep
From Having Fun Yet:
When my own house is in order, I find
the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the
guilt and
remorse that cloaked my drinking
years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this
condition requires
maintenance. I should stop and ask
myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question
difficult or painful,
perhaps I'm taking myself too
seriously and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my
practice of working the
program to keep my house in order.
1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections,
pg. 31
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We cannot just keep chipping away at
defects of character without developing something to replace them.
Assets are
the only item I can find to develop,
and the Fourth Step seems to be the ideal way of monitoring where I am
at with both
assets and defects."
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 1979
"Taking Stock,"
Step By Step
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve
Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"Life will take on new meaning. To
watch people recover, to see them
help others, to watch loneliness
vanish, to see a fellowship grow up
about you, to have a host of friends,
this is an experience you
must not miss."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
Working With Others, pg. 89~
"Faith without works is dead."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
Into Action, Page 76~
If our circumstances happened to be
good, we no longer dreaded a change for the worse, for we had learned
that these
troubles could be turned into great
values
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.
122
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
The Sense of Belonging
Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of
meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us. We no
longer
live in a completely hostile world. We
are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless.
The moment we catch even a glimpse of
God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the
real and
eternal things in life, we are no
longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary
that surrounds us in
purely human affairs. We know that God
lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will be
well
with us, here and hereafter. TWELVE
AND TWELVE, P. 105
Prayer For The Day: Heavenly Father, thou hast made my life
dear; forgive me if I have made dearer the things that I
have put around it. Many days have
been used for costly things that have faded and are laid aside. May I
realize the
meaning of days that have been lost.
Make me more concerned for what I put in the days to come. Amen.