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God grant me the
Serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.
June 26, 2009
Daily
Reflections
A GIFT THAT GROWS WITH TIME
For most normal folks, drinking means conviviality, companionship and
colorful imagination. It means release from care, boredom and worry.
It is joyous intimacy with friends and a feeling that life is good.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 151
The longer I chased these elusive feelings with alcohol, the more out
of reach they were. However, by applying this passage to my sobriety,
I found that it described the magnificent new life made available to me
by the A.A. program. It "truly does get better" one day at a time.
The warmth, the love and the joy so simply expressed in these words
grow in breadth and depth each time I read it. Sobriety is a gift that
grows with time.
***********************************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
We must know the nature of our weakness before we can determine
how to deal with it. When we are honest about its presence, we may
discover that it is imaginary and can be overcome by a change of
thinking. We admit that we are alcoholics and we would be foolish if
we refused to accept our handicap and do something about it. So by
honestly facing our weakness and keeping ever present the knowledge
that for us alcoholism is a disease with which we are afflicted, we can
take the necessary steps to arrest it. Have I fully accepted my
handicap?
Meditation For The Day
There is a proper time for everything. I must learn not to do things at
the wrong time, that is, before I am ready or before conditions are
right. It is always a temptation to do something at once, instead of
waiting until the proper time. Timing is important. I must learn, in the
little daily situations of life, to delay action until I am sure that I am
doing the right thing at the right time. So many lives lack balance and
timing. In the momentous decisions and crises of life, they may ask God's
guidance, but into the small situations of life, they rush alone.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may delay action until I feel that I am doing the right
thing. I pray that I may not rush in alone.
***********************************************************
As Bill Sees It
Money--Before and After, p. 177
In our drinking time, we acted as if the money supply were inexhaustible, though between
binges we'd sometimes go to the other extreme and become miserly. Without realizing it,
we were just accumulating funds for the next spree. Money was the symbol of pleasure
and self-importance. As our drinking became worse, money was only an urgent
requirement which could supply us with the next drink and the temporary comfort of
oblivion it brought.
<< << << >> >> >>
Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we find we cannot place
money first. For us, material well-being always follows spiritual progress; it never
precedes.
1. 12 & 12, p. 120
2. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 127
***********************************************************
Walk In Dry Places
Let it Happen
Easy Does it.
Student pilots learn a simple method for getting an airplane out of a stall; Release the stick forward, and the airplane rights itself. Continue to hold the stick back, and you cause a fatal spin.
Many times, we cling too tightly to conditions that could simply right themselves if we would only let go. Situations often work themselves out when we stop pushing and pulling too hard.
If we're living on a spiritual basis and following our 12 Step program, lots of unpleasant conditions will clear up without any strain or struggle on our part. The secret, then, is to do our part and act prudently, but also to be willing to let things happen.
I'll remember today not to push or pull too hard to get my way. Things might work themselves out if I simply let natural forces work properly in every situation.
***********************************************************
Keep It Simple
But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads.---Albert Camus
Sometimes we sat we're getting out lives together. Together with what? With our selves. The Twelve Steps help us clean up the mess we've made. We're fixing our mistakes. We're looking at ourselves closely---at what we believe, what we feel, what we like to do, who we are. We're asking our High Power to help us to be our best.
No wonder over lives are coming together! No wonder we feel more peace, harmony, and happiness!
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me remember the best harmony comes when I sing from Your songbook.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll make choices that are in line with who I am.
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS
See your man alone, if possible. At first engage in general conversation. After a while, turn the talk to some phase of drinking. Tell him enough about your drinking habits, symptoms, and experiences to encourage him to speak of himself. If he wishes to talk, let him do so. You will thus get a better idea of how you ought to proceed. If he is not communicative, give him a sketch or your drinking career up to the time you quit. But say nothing, for the moment, of how that was accomplished. If he is in a serious mood dwell on the troubles liquor has caused you, being careful not to moralize or lecture. If his mood is light, tell him humorous stories of your escapades. Get him to tell some of his.
p. 91
***********************************************************
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."
Now, what of prayer? Prayer is the raising of the heart and mind to God--and in this sense it includes meditation. How may we go about it? And how does it fit in with meditation? Prayer, as commonly understood, is a petition to God. Having opened our channel as best we can, we try to ask for those right things of which we and others are in the greatest need. And we think that the whole range of our needs is well defined by that part of Step Eleven which says: "...knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out." A request for this fits in any part of our day.
p. 102
***********************************************************
However many holy words you read, However many you speak,
What good will they do you, If you do not act upon them?
--Buddha
If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always
yours. And if they don't, they never were.
--Kahlil Gibran
The true test of character is not how much we know how to do,
but how we behave when we don't know what to do.
--John Holt
Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for
only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the
right attitude toward others.
--Wilfred Peterson
"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn,
whatever state I may be in, therein to be content."
--Helen Keller
"Seven days without a meeting makes one weak."
--unknown
"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps."
--Peter A. Cohen
Words are powerful tools. Use them to help and not hurt.
--Cited in BITS & PIECES
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
GENIUS
"In the republic of mediocrity,
genius is dangerous."
--Robert G. Ingersoll
Spirituality is a creative and positive energy that forever seeks new
ways to improve and heal itself. Spirituality is never satisfied with
mediocrity. God is alive in musicians, writers, singers and prophets --
and always the standard of "excellence" is searched for; best can be
made better!
As a drunk I often settled for convenience, "no sweat", mediocrity.
My motto was "Why bother? It can be done tomorrow." I had low
energy. Addiction robs the human being of God's productive energy.
In recovery I seek the best because I believe I am the best; God made
me -- and I respect His choice!
Lord, save me from the "comfortable way" that makes no demands on
my genius.
***********************************************************
As for
every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power
to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor -- this
is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:19
"The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with
Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return home and tell how much
God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town
how much Jesus had done for him."
Luke 8:38-39
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all
sin."
1 John 1:7
***********************************************************
Daily Inspiration
Enjoy life while you've got the chance. Lord, may I view each day as a gift and a privilege.
Knowing about God and knowing God are very different things. Lord, may I recognize Your workings in my life so that I may really know You.
For most normal folks, drinking means conviviality, companionship and
colorful imagination. It means release from care, boredom and worry.
It is joyous intimacy with friends and a feeling that life is good.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 151
The longer I chased these elusive feelings with alcohol, the more out
of reach they were. However, by applying this passage to my sobriety,
I found that it described the magnificent new life made available to me
by the A.A. program. It "truly does get better" one day at a time.
The warmth, the love and the joy so simply expressed in these words
grow in breadth and depth each time I read it. Sobriety is a gift that
grows with time.
************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
We must know the nature of our weakness before we can determine
how to deal with it. When we are honest about its presence, we may
discover that it is imaginary and can be overcome by a change of
thinking. We admit that we are alcoholics and we would be foolish if
we refused to accept our handicap and do something about it. So by
honestly facing our weakness and keeping ever present the knowledge
that for us alcoholism is a disease with which we are afflicted, we can
take the necessary steps to arrest it. Have I fully accepted my
handicap?
Meditation For The Day
There is a proper time for everything. I must learn not to do things at
the wrong time, that is, before I am ready or before conditions are
right. It is always a temptation to do something at once, instead of
waiting until the proper time. Timing is important. I must learn, in the
little daily situations of life, to delay action until I am sure that I am
doing the right thing at the right time. So many lives lack balance and
timing. In the momentous decisions and crises of life, they may ask God's
guidance, but into the small situations of life, they rush alone.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may delay action until I feel that I am doing the right
thing. I pray that I may not rush in alone.
************
As Bill Sees It
Money--Before and After, p. 177
In our drinking time, we acted as if the money supply were inexhaustible, though between
binges we'd sometimes go to the other extreme and become miserly. Without realizing it,
we were just accumulating funds for the next spree. Money was the symbol of pleasure
and self-importance. As our drinking became worse, money was only an urgent
requirement which could supply us with the next drink and the temporary comfort of
oblivion it brought.
<< << << >> >> >>
Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we find we cannot place
money first. For us, material well-being always follows spiritual progress; it never
precedes.
1. 12 & 12, p. 120
2. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 127
************
Let it Happen
Easy Does it.
Student pilots learn a simple method for getting an airplane out of a stall; Release the stick forward, and the airplane rights itself. Continue to hold the stick back, and you cause a fatal spin.
Many times, we cling too tightly to conditions that could simply right themselves if we would only let go. Situations often work themselves out when we stop pushing and pulling too hard.
If we're living on a spiritual basis and following our 12 Step program, lots of unpleasant conditions will clear up without any strain or struggle on our part. The secret, then, is to do our part and act prudently, but also to be willing to let things happen.
I'll remember today not to push or pull too hard to get my way. Things might work themselves out if I simply let natural forces work properly in every situation.
************
But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads.---Albert Camus
Sometimes we sat we're getting out lives together. Together with what? With our selves. The Twelve Steps help us clean up the mess we've made. We're fixing our mistakes. We're looking at ourselves closely---at what we believe, what we feel, what we like to do, who we are. We're asking our High Power to help us to be our best.
No wonder over lives are coming together! No wonder we feel more peace, harmony, and happiness!
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me remember the best harmony comes when I sing from Your songbook.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll make choices that are in line with who I am.
************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS
See your man alone, if possible. At first engage in general conversation. After a while, turn the talk to some phase of drinking. Tell him enough about your drinking habits, symptoms, and experiences to encourage him to speak of himself. If he wishes to talk, let him do so. You will thus get a better idea of how you ought to proceed. If he is not communicative, give him a sketch or your drinking career up to the time you quit. But say nothing, for the moment, of how that was accomplished. If he is in a serious mood dwell on the troubles liquor has caused you, being careful not to moralize or lecture. If his mood is light, tell him humorous stories of your escapades. Get him to tell some of his.
p. 91
************
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."
Now, what of prayer? Prayer is the raising of the heart and mind to God--and in this sense it includes meditation. How may we go about it? And how does it fit in with meditation? Prayer, as commonly understood, is a petition to God. Having opened our channel as best we can, we try to ask for those right things of which we and others are in the greatest need. And we think that the whole range of our needs is well defined by that part of Step Eleven which says: "...knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out." A request for this fits in any part of our day.
p. 102
************
What good will they do you, If you do not act upon them?
--Buddha
If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always
yours. And if they don't, they never were.
--Kahlil Gibran
The true test of character is not how much we know how to do,
but how we behave when we don't know what to do.
--John Holt
Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for
only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the
right attitude toward others.
--Wilfred Peterson
"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn,
whatever state I may be in, therein to be content."
--Helen Keller
"Seven days without a meeting makes one weak."
--unknown
"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps."
--Peter A. Cohen
Words are powerful tools. Use them to help and not hurt.
--Cited in BITS & PIECES
************
GENIUS
"In the republic of mediocrity,
genius is dangerous."
--Robert G. Ingersoll
Spirituality is a creative and positive energy that forever seeks new
ways to improve and heal itself. Spirituality is never satisfied with
mediocrity. God is alive in musicians, writers, singers and prophets --
and always the standard of "excellence" is searched for; best can be
made better!
As a drunk I often settled for convenience, "no sweat", mediocrity.
My motto was "Why bother? It can be done tomorrow." I had low
energy. Addiction robs the human being of God's productive energy.
In recovery I seek the best because I believe I am the best; God made
me -- and I respect His choice!
Lord, save me from the "comfortable way" that makes no demands on
my genius.
************
Ecclesiastes 5:19
"The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with
Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return home and tell how much
God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town
how much Jesus had done for him."
Luke 8:38-39
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all
sin."
1 John 1:7
************
Enjoy life while you've got the chance. Lord, may I view each day as a gift and a privilege.
Knowing about God and knowing God are very different things. Lord, may I recognize Your workings in my life so that I may really know You.
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7
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