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OPEN-MINDEDNESS
We have found that God does not make too hard terms with those
who seek Him. To us, the realm of spirit is broad, roomy, all
inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly
seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 7
Open-mindedness to concepts of a Higher Power can open doors
to the spirit. Often I find the human spirit in various dogmas
and faiths. I can be spiritual in the sharing of myself. The
sharing of self joins me to the human race and brings me closer
to God, as I understand Him.
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
But even faith is not the whole story. There must be service.
We must give this thing away if we want to keep it. The Dead
Sea has no outlet and it is stagnant and full of salt. The Sea
of Galilee is clear and clean and blue, as the Jordan River
carries it out to irrigate the desert. To be of service to
other people makes our lives worth living. Does service to
others give me a real purpose in life?
Meditation For The Day
Seek God early in the day, before He gets crowded out by life's
problems, difficulties, or pleasures. In that early quiet time
gain a calm, strong confidence in the goodness and purpose in
the universe. Do not seek God only when the world's struggles
prove too much and too many for you to bear or face alone.
Seek God early, when you can have a consciousness of God's
spirit in the world. People often only seek God when their
difficulties are too great to be surmounted in any other way,
forgetting that if they sought God's companionship before
they need it, many of their difficulties would never arise.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not let God be crowded out by the hurly-burly
of life. I pray that I may seek God early and often.
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As Bill Sees It
Progress Rather than Perfection, p. 167
On studying the Twelve Steps, many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go
through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain
anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints.
The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have
set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual
perfection.
<< << << >> >> >>
"We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtue as we are brothers in our
defects, and in our common strivings to overcome them."
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 60
2. Letter, 1946
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Keep It Simple
AA states that resentments is the "number one offender" among our members, that it puts more alcoholics in the graves than any other thing.---Stools and Bottles
We can get high on anger. That's why it's dangerous. We get a false sense of power from being angry. Our anger turns into resentments. Resentments turn into hate. Hate eats at our spiritual core.
We can get rid of resentments and hate through prayer and helping others. That's why we we're to pray for those who have wronged us, so our hearts don't fill with hate. This why, we use our energy in a healthy way. And our serenity will grow as we see that anger no longer has so much power over our actions.
Prayer for the Day
Higher Power, help me stop using anger, resentments and hate for control over other people and advents I don't like.
Action for the Day
I'll list all the people I'm angry at. I'll say a simple prayer for each of them.
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Walk In Dry Places
Solving our common problem
Recovery
Twelve Step programs bring together people who admit certain behaviors that society often views with pity or contempt. Some of these behaviors, such as alcoholism and gambling, are heavily stigmatized.
Though we often talk about "our common problem", the thing we have most in common with each other is that we're human beings who share the human condition. No one is really immune from the similar problems that beset us.
That's why somebody once remarked, only in half-jest, that "alcoholics are like normal people, only more so." We have to remember that the people around us are no different from us in that they are subject to such feelings as pride, resentment, self-pity, and discouragement.
Our common problem is really that we're human beings who need a spiritual life in order to become our true selves. This can turn a problem into a new life if we accept the program.
Today I'll look upon all people with understanding and acceptance. Everyone shares the same feelings that drive me, and everyone deserves my warmth and understanding.
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Chapter 6 - INTO ACTION
As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer
running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day “Thy will be done.” We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.
It works--it really does.
We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.
But this is not all. There is action and more action. “Faith without works is dead.” The next chapter is entirely devoted to Step Twelve.
pp. 87-88
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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."
To certain newcomers and to those one-time agnostics who still cling to the A.A. group as their higher power, claims for the power of prayer may, despite all the logic and experience in proof of it, still be unconvincing or quite objectionable. Those of us who once felt this way can certainly understand and sympathize. We well remember how something deep inside us kept rebelling against the idea of bowing before any God. Many of us had strong logic, too, which "proved" there was no God whatever. What about all the accidents, sickness, cruelty, and injustice in the world? What about all those unhappy lives which were the direct result of unfortunate birth and uncontrollable circumstances? Surely there could be no justice in this scheme of things, and therefore no God at all.
pp. 96-97
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"The secret of self-confidence and courage hinges on the kind of
thoughts you think. In the long run, your subconscious will send
up to you what you send down to it. Take charge of your mind and
begin to fill it with healthy thoughts."
--Norman Vincent Peale
Act on God's will, and you will be led to better things.
--SweetyZee
Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he
learned in school.
--Albert Einstein
"Don't talk about what you have done or what you are going to do
--do it and let it speak for itself."
--Martin Vanbee
Thank God For What You Have,
TRUST GOD For What You Need.
If every man would sweep before his own doors, the city would soon be
clean.
-- Italian Proverb
Those who dance are thought to be quite insane by those who cannot
hear music.
-- Maggie Erotokritou
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Father Leo's Daily Meditation
LEARNING
"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
My life is exciting today because I am learning and creating so much in
recovery. Even things that I thought I understood have a new "ring".
Words, ideas, relationships and the awareness of God are forever
changing - usually for the better.
Sobriety is not boring. It is not stuffy, rigid or restrictive - and
discussions (not arguments) within the fellowship of recovering people
produces fresh insights. Today I am involved in the life of God. I am
creating, healing and forever learning more about the mystery of love.
O Teacher of the Universe, let me seek beyond that which I
understand.
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There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in
Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48
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Daily Inspiration
Nothing is more important than your own peace of mind and ability to be happy. Lord, help me to remember that I must take care of myself because only then can I care for others.
Confront your problems so they don't gather like weights upon your back. Lord, help me to handle my concerns of today and lay them to rest.
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