WALKING THROUGH FEAR
If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us
be willing.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76
When I had taken my Fifth Step, I became aware that all my defects
of character stemmed from my need to feel secure and loved. To use
my will alone to work on them would have been trying obsessively to
solve the problem. In the Sixth Step I intensified the action I had
taken in the first three Steps -- meditating on the Step by saying it
over and
over, going to meetings, following my sponsor's suggestions, reading
and searching within myself. During the first three years of sobriety I
had a fear of entering an elevator alone. One day I decided I must
walk through this fear. I asked for God's help, entered the elevator,
and
there in the corner was a lady crying. She said that since her husband
had died she was deathly afraid of elevators. I forgot my fear and
comforted her. This spiritual experience helped me to see how
willingness was the key to working the rest of the Twelve Steps to
recovery. God helps those who help themselves.
***********************************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
We alcoholics used so little self-control when we were drinking, we
were so absolutely selfish, that it does us good to give up something
once in a while. Using self-discipline and denying ourselves a few
things is good for us. At first, giving up liquor is a big enough job
for
all of us, even with God's help. But later on, we can practice
self-discipline in other ways to keep a firm grip on our minds so that
we don't start any wishful thinking. If we daydream too much, we'll be
in danger of slipping. Am I practicing enough self-discipline?
Meditation For The Day
In material things, you must rely on your own wisdom and that of
others. In spiritual things, you cannot rely so much on your own
wisdom as on God's guidance. In dealing with personalities, it is a
mistake to step out too much on your own. You must try to be guided
by God in all human relationships. You cannot accomplish much of
value in dealing with people until God knows you are ready. You alone
do not have the power or wisdom to put things right between people.
You must rely on God to help you in these vital matters.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may rely on God in dealing with people's problems. I pray
that I may try to follow His guidance in all personal relationships.
***********************************************************
As Bill Sees It
The Way Of
Strength, p. 129
We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator.
We have good reason to disbelieve those who think spirituality is the
way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength.
The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage.
They trust their God. So we never apologize for our belief in Him.
Instead, we try to let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 68
***********************************************************
Walk in Dry Places
The Importance of Hope
Maintaining Optimism.
As a great virtue, hope is ranked with faith and love. But those of us
caught in the thicket of alcoholism and other addictions had much
experience with hopes that turned out to be merely cruel illusions. In
recovery, however, hope has a sound purpose. It is really a form of
optimism, an underlying belief that things will work out in spite of
the obstacles and problems we face. This helps provide the strength and
energy we need to succeed in the face of opposition and setbacks.
We also own much of our recovery to the capacity for hope that was in
our friends and family members. Henrietta D... wife of AA member Number
three, told an interviewer that she had never lost hope that her
husband would eventually recover. She saw it as the answer to her
hope
and prayers when Bill W. and Dr. Bob arrived at her husband's bedside
in Akron's City Hospital... an when he left, he never drank again.
Hope is the optimism that keeps us moving toward our highest good.
Let's keep it alive.
I'll face my day with the underlying belief that things will work out
in the long run. I'll refuse to be overwhelmed by temporary
setbacks.
***********************************************************
Keep It Simple
The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.---Frank Lloyd
Wright
For many for us, life was a burden while using alcohol and other drugs.
As our illness went on, life was more ugly. We grew further from our
friends, family, and Higher Power. In recovery, our eyes and hearts
open
a little more each day. We see the beauty that life holds. We now see
the
beauty that life holds. We now see that before recovery, we weren’t
living---we were dying. In recovery, we again feel happy when we hold a
baby. We again may feel joy when we see a sunset. This happens mainly
because we've chosen to be with people who love life, people who've
been
given a second chance. Once we've almost lost something important, it
becomes more precious. We almost lost our lives. Now our lives are
special.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank-you for a second chance.
Thank-you for opening my
eyes and heart. Give me the strength to keep them open.
Action for the Day: I'll list the most beautiful parts of my
life.
I'll open my heart today
to the joy in store for me.
***********************************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
To expect too much is to have a sentimental view of life, and this is a
softness that ends in bitterness. --Flannery O'Connor
Having too high expectations is a set-up for disappointment.
Expectations that are high lend themselves to a fantasy life, and
reality can never match our fantasies. When we get hooked on the
fantasies, somehow thinking they are reality, or should be reality, we
are vulnerable to the hurt that accompanies the emergence of "the
real." Then we feel cheated--bitter: "Why did this have to happen to
me?"
Having too high expectations was a familiar feeling before recovery.
And it remains familiar to us, even now. Dreams and aspirations aren't
wrong. In fact, they beckon us on to better and greater things. But
dreams of what we can become through responsible choices are quite
different from idle expectations of what will or should be.
Every moment of every day opens the way to my aspirations that enhance
reality. I will be open and receptive to reality and its gifts.
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition
Chapter 5 - HOW IT WORKS
It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to
futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these,
do we squander the hours that might have been worth while. But with the
alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual
experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found
that it is fatal. For when harboring such feeling we shut ourselves off
from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we
drink again. And with us, to drink is to die.
p. 66
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition Stories
ME AN ALCOHOLIC? - Alcohol's wringer
squeezed this author--but he escaped quite whole.
My professional life looked fine on
the surface. I was now head of a publishing venture in which
nearly a million dollars had been invested. My opinions were
quoted in Time and Newsweek along with pictures. I addressed the
public by radio and TV. It was a fantastic structure, built on a
crumbling foundation. It was tottering and it had to fall.
It did.
p. 385
***********************************************************
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."
All this should be very encouraging news for those who recoil from
prayer because they don't believe in it, or because they feel
themselves cut off from God's help and direction. All of us, without
exception, pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest
exertion of will. Occasionally we go even further than this. We are
seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray. When
these things happen we should not think too ill of ourselves. We should
simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we know to be good
for us.
p. 105
***********************************************************
Without
faith,
nothing
is
possible.
With it, nothing is
impossible.
--Mary McLeod Bethune
"God's strength behind you, His concern for you, His love within you,
and His arms beneath you are more than sufficient for the job ahead
of you."
--William Arthur Ward
True happiness is not in having everything you want, but in wanting
everything you have.
"Some days I trudge. Some days I trot. But most days I enjoy the
journey."
"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
"I know some good marriages - marriages where both people are just
trying to get through their days by helping each other, being good to
each other."
--Erica Jong
Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree,
but in the hearts of true friends.
--Cindy Lew
All yesterdays are canceled, and tomorrow is but a speculation, today
is the day God has made.
--SweetyZee
Practicing being in service takes the focus off ourselves and looks for
how we might help others. When we feel grateful, we naturally want
to share ourselves and our good fortune. Then we find that being in
service only increases our gratitude and joy.
--Mary Manin Morrissey
***********************************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
POETRY
"Poetry is the rhythmical
creation of beauty in words."
--Edgar Allan Poe
Language helps us to understand and communicate. Poetry adds the
dimension of "shape" and "movement". Poetry seems to go beyond
words and ideas to the very essence of what life is about; it hints at
divinity!
When I was drinking, I never understood the art of poetry. Today I
use poetry as part of my adventure into meaning and self-knowledge.
So much more is open to me in sobriety, and I am able to appreciate
things I never used to comprehend. Poetry is part of "it gets better".
Help me to seek You through all aspects of art.
***********************************************************
But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things
there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
this he will also reap.
Galatians 6:7
***********************************************************
Daily Inspiration
You can become more peaceful and a more interesting
person by having a healthy attitude and accepting your
responsibilities. Lord, help me to remember that life is what we make
of it.
Take less for granted and you will become very busy enjoying all that
you have. Lord, thank you for my blessings and for all those that I am
able to share them with.
***********************************************************
NA Just For Today
Write About It!
"We sit down with a notebook, ask for
guidance, pick up our pen, and start writing."
Basic Text, p. 29
When we're confused or in pain, our
sponsor sometimes tells us to "write about it." Though we may groan as
we drag out the notebook, we know that it will help. By laying it all
out on paper, we give ourselves the chance to sort through what's
bothering us. We know we can get to the bottom of our confusion and
find out what's really causing our pain when we put the pen to the
paper.
Writing can be rewarding, especially
when working through the steps. Many members maintain a daily journal.
Simply thinking about the steps, pondering their meaning, and analyzing
their effect is not sufficient for most of us. There's something about
the physical action of writing that helps to fix the principles of
recovery in our minds and hearts.
The rewards we find through the simple
action of writing are many. Clarity of thought, keys to locked places
inside of us, and the voice of conscience are but a few. Writing helps
us be more honest with ourselves. We sit down, quiet our thoughts, and
listen to our hearts. What we hear in the stillness are the truths that
we put down on paper.
Just for today: One of the ways I can
search for truth in recovery is to write. I will write about my
recovery today.
***********************************************************
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Planning is deciding what to change
today so tomorrow will be different from yesterday. --Ichak Adizes
A house is like a lump of clay that
can be molded and changed. It can be fixed and shaped, torn down and
added to, painted, papered, carpeted, and panelled. We can think about
how to change it, find pictures in books, and order plans. We can stock
up on supplies, take fix-it classes, and get advice from others. But
the house will remain unchanged until we pick up a brush, grab a bucket
of paint, and get to work. Only then will we see tomorrow the results
of what we did today.
Our plans help us construct a vision
of how we'd like the future to be, but only actions will bring these
things about. With confidence in the rightness of our desires, we can
be assured that God never gives us a dream we can't reach.
What action can I take today to make
tomorrow's changes?
You are reading from the book
Touchstones.
I learned from them that inspiration
does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but
it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must
regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime
it with a little solitude and idleness. --Brenda Ueland
We tend to be action-oriented and
concerned about showing results in the shortest period of time. Our
world has emphasized this outlook, especially for men. Now we are
seeking spiritual progress. We are on a journey seeking a relationship
with our Higher Power, with ourselves, and with others.
Spiritual progress is made by pushing
aside busyness and efficiency. We become receptive to inspiration by
allowing empty spaces in our lives, some solitude and idleness. This
moment - right now - is one such time. It is not clearly goal-oriented.
Rather it is a moment when we reflect on ourselves as recovering men.
We become receptive to inspiration, to a deeper wisdom, to that part of
life which we do not command.
I will remember today that spiritual
progress comes only when I make room for it in my life.
You are reading from the book Each Day
a New Beginning.
To expect too much is to have a
sentimental view of life, and this is a softness that ends in
bitterness. --Flannery O'Connor
Having too high expectations is a
set-up for disappointment. Expectations that are high lend themselves
to a fantasy life, and reality can never match our fantasies. When we
get hooked on the fantasies, somehow thinking they are reality, or
should be reality, we are vulnerable to the hurt that accompanies the
emergence of "the real." Then we feel cheated--bitter: "Why did this
have to happen to me?"
Having too high expectations was a
familiar feeling before recovery. And it remains familiar to us, even
now. Dreams and aspirations aren't wrong. In fact, they beckon us on to
better and greater things. But dreams of what we can become through
responsible choices are quite different from idle expectations of what
will or should be.
Every moment of every day opens the
way to my aspirations that enhance reality. I will be open and
receptive to reality and its gifts.
You are reading from the book The
Language of Letting Go.
Learning New Behaviors
Sometimes well take a few steps
backward. That's okay too. Sometimes its necessary. Sometimes its part
of going forward. --Codependent No More
Life is a Gentle Teacher. She wants to
help us learn.
The lessons she wants to teach us are
the ones we need to learn. Some say they are the lessons we chose to
learn before we were born. Others say they are the lessons that were
chosen for us.
Its frustrating to be in the midst of
learning. It is like sitting in algebra class, listening to a teacher
explain a subject beyond our comprehension. We do not understand, but
the teacher takes the understanding for granted.
It may feel like someone is torturing
us with messages that we shall never understand. We strain and strain.
We become angry. Frustrated. Confused. Finally, in despair, we turn
away, deciding that that formula will never be available to our mind.
Later, while taking a quiet walk, we
break through. Quietly, the gift of understanding has reached that
deepest place in us. We understand. We have learned. The next day in
class, its hard for us to imagine not knowing. It is hard to remember
the frustration and confusion of those who have not yet caught on. It
seems so easy . . . now.
Life is a Gentle Teacher. She will
keep repeating the lesson until we learn. It is okay to become
frustrated. Confused. Angry. Sometimes it is okay to despair. Then, it
is okay to walk away and allow the breakthrough to come.
It shall.
Help me remember that frustration and
confusion usually precede growth. If my situation is challenging me, it
is because Im learning something new, rising to a higher level of
understanding. Help me be grateful, even in my frustration, that life
is an exciting progression of lessons.
Today my trust in the overall and the
long run is deep and is growing. When events and people do not act as I
would like them to act, I reach deeper inside for my faith and let it
comfort me. --Ruth Fishel
**************************************************
*********
Journey to the Heart
Trust Each Step
Stay present for each step of your
journey. We don’t go from one place to another in a gigantic leap. We
get there in increments, by going through each feeling, each belief,
each experience one step at a time.
Sometimes when we pray for miracles,
what we’re really praying for is help in skipping steps, for shortcuts.
The simple act of acceptance, of returning to each step of our path,
can often bring us the miracle we need. Then we see the truth. The real
miracle is one always available to each of us: it’s a miracle of
acceptance. We can go where we want to go, one step at a time.
Stay present for each step of your
journey. Trust each stage. Many things are possible for you if you
accept that the fastest way is one step at a time.
**************************************************
*********
More language of letting go
Say when it’s too much compassion
Sometimes, it’s easy to step across
that line and have too much compassion for the people in our lives.
Although compassion is good, too much compassion can cripple the people
we’re trying to love. We understand so clearly how they feel that we
don’t hold them accountable for themselves. Too much compassion can
hurt us,too. We can wind up feeling victimized by and resenting the
people we’re experiencing too much compassion toward. We’re so worried
about their feelings that we neglect our own.
Too much compassion means we don’t
believe in others enough to let them do what they need to do to help
themselves. It’s a way of telling them, “You can’t.” You can’t handle
your reality. You can’t learn your lessons. You can’t handle the truth,
so I’ll treat you like a helpless child.
Too much compassion can leave us prey
to victimization and manipulation. We’re so worried about how the other
person feels that we neglect to take care of ourselves.
Here are some guidleines about
compassion.
. If we’re creating a problem for
ourselves to solve someone else’s dilemma, we’ve probably crossed the
line.
. If we’re so worried about another
person’s pain that we’re neglecting our own emotions, we’re probably
over-involved.
. If guilt is the underlying motive
for our behavior, maybe what we’re practicing isn’t compassion.
The lesson here isn’t to stop caring
about others. Instead we need to respect other people’s right to learn
their own lessons.
Too much of anything isn’t a good
thing. If we’ve crossed that line into too much compassion, we can step
back into the safe zone and use a lighter touch.
God, show me if I’m harming someone in
my life– a parent, child, or friend– by smothering that person with too
much compassion.
**************************************************
*********
Family Ceremonies
Creating Connections while Apart by Madisyn Taylor
Create a ceremony around nature to
connect with loved ones that are far away.
Life’s journeys may sometimes take us
away from our families and friends, but there are many ways to stay
connected. Aside from making use of the technology available—speaking
on the phone or seeing each other from across cyberspace—we can create
simple ceremonies using nature and our own thoughts to connect our
hearts across the miles.
The first step in creating your
ceremony is to look to nature for similarities in the different
surroundings. The second step is agreeing upon something that is
meaningful to all involved. If your mother loves birds, then perhaps
each time you hear a bird chirp, you can think of her and mentally send
love. You may choose the sight of a butterfly, the feel of a breeze or
raindrops, or the scent of flowers to remind you of a special someone.
The pink glow of sunset might be your favorite time to send a thought,
or perhaps the warming oranges of sunrise. We can all see the sun, the
moon, and an array of twinkling stars when we look to the skies. The
monthly full moon may be your time to connect with your loved ones, or
the first star you see each night, knowing that they, too, are gazing
into the night sky and sending love. You could choose a day that you
would usually celebrate together, such as a holiday or a solstice. If
you once shared Sunday brunches in the garden, you can! each seek out a
garden on Sundays. Or you can choose a specific time and account for
the time difference in order to connect by heart and mind at exactly
the same moment.
With practice, we may learn to
recognize the feeling that comes when a loved one sends energy our way,
and the feeling of soul-to-soul communication. In this case, distance
may indeed make our connections stronger. There is certainly much to
make us think of our close friends and loved ones often, but when we
decide upon a reminder together, we create a simple ceremony of
connection that defies any distance. Published with permission from
Daily OM
**************************************************
*********
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
“Perfect courage,” wrote La
Rochefoucauld, “means doing witnessed what we would be capable of with
the world looking on.” As we grow in The Program, we recognize
persistent fear for what it is, and we become able to handle it. We
begin to see each adversity as a God-given opportunity to develop the
kind of courage which is born of humility, rather than of bravado. Do I
realize that whistling to keep up my courage is merely good practice
for whistling?
Today I Pray
May I find courage in my Higher Power.
Since all things are possible through Him, I must be able to overcome
the insidious fears that haunt me — so often fears of losing someone or
some thing that has become important in my life. I pray for my own
willingness to let go of those fears.
Today I Will Remember
Praying is more than whistling in the
dark.
**************************************************
*********
One More Day
The dark, uneasy world of family life
— where the greatest can fail and the humblest succeed.
– Randall Jarrell
We carry so much emotional baggage
from childhood into our adult lives. The sum total of all our
experiences forms our personalities and , in the very essence of our
being, our spiritual selves. Less often do the wonderful memories, the
happier times, spring forward in our minds. The bad feelings, the sad
memories, the hard times — these are what we may remember the most.
Who we came from, what we came from,
shouldn’t define all that we can be as adults. There may come a time
when regardless of our past experiences, we can acknowledge them, put
them aside, and move on with our lives.
I can put aside my past by facing my
future with hope and promise. I am looking for progress, not
perfection.
************************************
Food For Thought
Self-Pity
"Poor little ol' me." The PLOMS. How often do we succumb to this
temptation? Usually it's an excuse for not doing what we know we should
do, but do not want to do. Or it's a way to manipulate someone else
into doing something for us, which we should be doing ourselves. If we
spend our time moaning and groaning about how unfairly life is treating
us, we do not have much chance of discovering the plan which our Higher
Power has for us, nor are we able to carry out His will.
Trite as it may sound, the cure for self-pity is to think about those
who are less fortunate and start counting our blessings. Taking some
action, doing some small thing for someone else, perhaps a phone call -
these are constructive steps to take us off the "pity pot."
When we begin to feel sorry for ourselves because we must follow a food
plan and may not eat spontaneously, let's remember where we came from
and what things were like before we found OA.
I don't need self-pity.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
OPEN MINDEDNESS
Let go of your attachment to being
right,
and suddenly your mind is more open.
You're able to benefit from the unique
viewpoints of others,
without being crippled by your own
judgment.
Ralph Marston
Before joining this program much of my
life was taken up with defending myself against those who would hurl
abuse. I kept everything and everybody at arm's length in a bid to
protect my increasingly fragile and sensitive self-assurance. As time
marched on, and my disease became parasitical, the walls around me grew
higher and isolation drew me inwards.
Ironically, the fortress I was
building didn’t protect me from myself and I soon became my own worst
enemy. My self-loathing and my unceasing search for perfection led me
deeper into a self-induced state of depression. Keeping everybody out
and locking myself in became an exhausting exercise.
On entering the 12 Step program I soon
realized that the fortress I had so carefully built to protect myself
against the outside world was also preventing any kind of light, warmth
and love from entering in.
As my journey of recovery progressed,
brick by brick the walls came down and afforded me the nourishment I
needed to blossom and grow. In learning to accept myself, I found that
what others thought of me paled into insignificance. I learned that
there was a wealth of experience, strength and hope which would help me
along the journey. I learned that I could take what I needed and put
down the remainder, without the resentment, anger, fear or pain, which
previously would have sent me running for cover.
One Day at a Time . . .
I aim to be willing to keep my mind
open, to accept what I need to continue my journey, and to leave the
rest.
~ Sue G ~
*****************************************
AA 'Big Book' - Quote
The great fact is just this, and
nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual
experiences* which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life,
toward our fellows and toward God's universe. - Pg. 25 - There Is A
Solution
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
This is a 'We' program, not a 'Me'
program. We do this together. Look at our steps. They all say 'We
admitted' or 'We came to believe.' Doing it together makes us stronger
and less likely to fool ourselves with dysfunctional ways of thinking.
Let me know that I am no longer alone
and need never be alone again.
Healing Light
I am surrounding myself with healing
light. I am inviting a warm, yellow/white light to surround me. I
breathe it in deeply into all parts of me and I breathe out any
lingering fear or darkness. Healing energy is quietly pulsing in and
around me, imbuing me with a feeling of well being. I allow this energy
to fill each pore of my body. This healing energy has its own
intelligence and I become one with it and direct it towards those parts
of me that need healing. I rest in this vibrating yellow-white light
and let it fill me, surround me and make me well. Even the act of
allowing this lifts me up.
I am filled with healing energy
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Few of us realize that God is all we
need until God is all we have.
If I can't find God, I know who moved.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
Rather than getting even with those
that hurt you, the challenge is to get even with those that help you.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I am letting a power greater
than myself remove all my fear. I am now free to look within for my
answers.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
My sponsor said; 'OK, the only way to
disprove a belief system is to adopt it. You can't stand outside the
experience and say it doesn't work. So, for six months, live this
program, really live it. And a t the end of that time if you say: 'It
doesn't work, my life's still in the toilet.' Then I'll be happy to
say; 'You're absolutely right, for you it doesn't work, bon voyage.'
And I've tried that with a lot of guys and there's no way you can do
that and say AA doesn't work - Because it does. - John L.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
May 9
Surrender
On the face of it, surrendering
certainly doesn't sound like winning.
But it is in AA. . .
We must, and we do, surrender to win.
- Experience, Strength and Hope, pp.
155-156
Thought to Ponder . . .
Avoidance is not the key; surrender
opens the door.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K I S S = Keep It Simple; Surrender.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Anonymity
"We have denied ourselves personal
government,
professionalism, and the right to say
who our members shall be.
We have abandoned do-goodism,
reform, and paternalism.
We refuse charitable money and prefer
to pay our own way.
We will cooperate with practically
everybody,
yet we decline to marry our Society to
anyone.
We abstain from public controversy and
will not
quarrel among ourselves about
those things that so rip society
asunder--
religion, politics, and reform.
We have but one purpose;
to carry the AA message
to the sick alcoholic who wants it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p.
211
Thought to Consider . . .
AA is not something you join, it's a
way of life.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ANONYMOUS
Actions Not Our Names Yield
Maintenance Of Unity & Service
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Psychology
From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics
Anonymous":":
"As excuse-makers and rationalizers,
we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to get
behind our
excuses and to find the deeper causes
for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a
little time in
A.A., see that our motives have not
been what we thought they were and that we have been motivated by
forces
unknown to us. Therefore we ought to
look with the deepest respect, interest, and profit upon the findings
of psychiatry,
remembering that up to now the
psychiatrists have been far more tolerant of us than we have been of
them. "Bill W."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous
Comes of Age, pg. 236
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"How will I know if I've really hit my
bottom?' I asked at my home group. 'When you stop digging,' they told
me."
Chelsea, Mich., November 2002
"The Foundation,"
In Our Own Words
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve
Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"Faith without works was dead, he
said. And how appallingly true for
the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic
failed to perfect and enlarge his
spiritual life through work and
self-sacrifice for others, he could
not survive the certain trials and low
spots ahead. If he did not
work, he would surely drink again, and
if he drank, he would surely
die. Then faith would be dead indeed.
With us it is just like that."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
Bill's Story, pg. 14~
"It is plain that a life which
includes deep resentment leads only to
futility and unhappiness. To the
precise extent that we permit
these, do we squander the hours that
might have been worth while."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
How It Works, pg. 66~
Then he asked for the grace to bring
love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy to every
human being he could.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.
101
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
The Way of Strength
We need not apologize to anyone for
depending upon the Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who
think
spirituality is the way of weakness.
For us, it is the way of strength.
The verdict of the ages is that men of
faith seldom lack courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize
for our
belief in Him demonstrate, through us,
what He can do. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68
Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, life seems so hard at times
and I can hardly get through. I close my eyes and hand you my troubles
for I know you can do much better than I. Thank you Lord for your
blessings and kindness.