Daily Recovery Readings - 9/15

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Daily Reflections

A NEW LIFE

Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that.
It is a fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous . . . .
Life will mean something at last.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 152

Life is better without alcohol. A.A. and the presence of
a Higher Power keeps me sober, but the grace of God does
even better; it brings service into my life. Contact with
the A.A. program teaches me a new and greater understanding
of what Alcoholics Anonymous is and what it does, but most
importantly, it helps to show me who I am: an alcoholic who
needs the constant experience of the Alcoholics Anonymous
program so that I may live a life given to me by my
Higher Power.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

"We all realize that we know only a little. God will
constantly disclose more to all of us. Ask Him in your
morning meditations what you can do today for the
person who is still sick. The answers will come, if
your own house is in order. See to it that your
relationship with God is right and great events will
come to pass for you and countless others. Give freely
of what you find in A.A. But, obviously, you cannot
transmit something which you haven't got. So make a
life-study of A.A." Am I always looking for ways of
presenting the A.A. Program?

Meditation For The Day

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.:
Confidence means to have faith in something. We could
not live without confidence in others. When you have
confidence in God's grace, you can face whatever comes.
When you have confidence in God's love, you can be
serene and at peace. You can rest in the faith that God
will take care of you. Try to rest in God's presence
until His life-power flows through you. Be still and in
that stillness the still, small Voice will come. It
speaks in quietness to the human mind that is attuned
to its influence.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may find strength today in quietness.
I pray that I may be content today that God will take care of me.

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As Bill Sees It

Facing Criticism, p. 56

Sometimes, we register surprise, shock, and anger when people find
fault with A.A. We are apt to be disturbed to such an extent that we
cannot benefit by constructive criticism.

This sort of resentment makes no friends and achieves no
constructive purpose. Certainly, this is an area in which we can
improve.

<< << << >> >> >>

It is evident that the harmony, security, and future effectiveness of
A.A. will depend largely upon our maintenance of a thoroughly
nonaggressive and pacific attitude in all our public relations. This is
an exciting assignment, because in our drinking days we were prone
to anger, hostility, rebellion, and aggression. And, even though we
are now sober, the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with
us, always threatening to explode on any good excuse.

But we now know this, and therefore I feel confident that in the
conduct of our public affairs we shall always find the grace to exert
restraint.

1. Grapevine, July 1965
2. Twelve Concepts, p. 68

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Walk In Dry Places

Seeking Our Own
Harmony
Our feelings will often serve as good guides in determining what course of action we ought to follow. If there is a persistent feeling of discomfort about any situation, we should ask ourselves why we are feeling this way. Perhaps it’s because we are involved with people or activities that are not right for us.
In the same way, we will feel drawn to certain people and activities. This is undoubtedly because we’re in tune with these people or activities. In such circumstances, we can say that we are “seeking our own.” With our unique temperaments and abilities, we fit better in certain places and with certain groups of people than others.
We are indeed fortunate if we find that recovery in a Twelve Step program is a case of seeking and finding our own. This must certainly strengthen and enhance our program.
I'll seek out only the people and activities that seem to belong in my life. If I do not belong in one situation, this merely means that a better one is available somewhere.

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Keep It Simple

Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.---Vittorio Alfiert
What brave people we are! We have chosen life. Okay, maybe we had a little push, maybe a big push from our family, police, or the pain of our disease. But still, we’ve chosen recovery. We choose daily to let our Higher Power run our lives. What trust! What faith! What courage!
We work hard at recovery. We do our meditate. We look for ways to serve others. Each one of us is building a miracle. We can be proud of this.
Prayer for the Day: I pray that I’ll have the courage to love myself. High Power, teach me to pat myself on the back when I deserve it.
Action for the Day: I will list three ways I am brave in recovery and share them with my group.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

SAFE HAVEN - This A.A. found that the process of discovering who he really was began with knowing who he didn't want to be.

As I pen this story, 3 1/2 years have passed since that meeting in the chapel. I've moved to a larger prison unit and have remained very active in the awesome program of Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. has accomplished so many things in my life today. It has given me my sanity and an all-around sense of balance. Now willing to listen and take suggestions, I have found that the process of discovering who I really am begins with knowing who I really don't want to be, And although the disease of alcoholism inside of me is like gravity, just waiting to pull me down, A.A. and the Twelve Steps are like the power that causes an airplane to become airborne: It only works when the pilot is doing the right things to make it work. So, as I have worked the program, I have grown emotionally and intellectually. I not only have peace with God, I have the peace of God through an active God consciousness. I have not only recovered from alcoholism, I have become whole in person--body, spirit, soul.

pp. 456-457
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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."

"To my surprise, the response of the groups was slow. I got mighty sore about it. Looking at this avalanche of mail one morning at the office, I paced up and down ranting how irresponsible and tightwad my fellow members were. Just then an old acquaintance stuck a tousled and aching head in the door. He was our prize slippee. I could see he had an awful hangover. Remembering some of my own, my heart filled with pit. I motioned him to my inside cubicle and produced a five-dollar bill. As my total income was thirty dollars a week at the time, this was a fairly large donation. Lois really needed the money for groceries, but that didn't stop me. The intense relief on my friend's face warmed my heart. I felt especially virtuous as I thought of all the ex-drunks who wouldn't even send the Foundation a dollar apiece, and here I was gladly making a five-dollar investment to fix a hangover.

pp. 162-163

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"When your life is filled with the desire to see the holiness
in everyday life, something magical happens: ordinary life
becomes extraordinary, and the very process of life begins to
nourish your soul!"
--Rabbi Harold Kushner

"He who laughs, lasts."
--Mary Pettibone Poole

If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any
fellow being, let me do it, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass
this way again.
--William Penn

A L C O H O L I C S = A Life Consisting Of Helping Others Live Is Called Sobriety.

I have learned that my actions are far more important than my thoughts.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
--Melody Beattie

"The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for."
--Zig Ziglar

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

NONSENSE

"We find it hard to believe that
other people's thoughts are as
silly as our own, but they
probably are."
-- James Harvey Robinson

Today I am able to laugh at myself. I even "think" funny things. I sit
at airports and look at the faces, postures and mannerisms of the
people passing by and I smile, giggle and laugh in my handkerchief.
Then I think about what a funny man I am -- so ridiculously proud, so
pompous about the silliest things, so preoccupied about my own
importance -- and it is funny.

Yes, today I am able to laugh at myself. I know that people are funny
because I know I am. At meetings I hear people laughing about the
day's insanities and I can always identify. Even my relationships are
humorous. I try so hard to make a good impression while at the same
time offering the effect of detachment -- trying to be "cool".

God must have a sense of humor because He made you and me!

Thank You for the gift of humor -- it allows true humility to develop.

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"What is impossible with man is possible with God."
Luke 18:27

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
James 1:19-20

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
Philippians 2:12-16

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Daily Inspiration

Every day renew your purpose because without purpose your life will be empty. Lord, grant that I am able to truly see the worth and value of my existence and know that my presence does make a difference.

The value of each gift God gives us is doubled when we share it with someone else. Lord, may I freely give without expectation of something in return even though I know Your constant generosity.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
He felt frightened at being different from his brothers and sisters. It scared him to be different. --E. B. White
How ugly and wrong it makes us feel to be different: to be tall when others are short, slow when others are fast, black when others are white.
The miracle, and paradox, is that everyone is different--and that is what makes us all the same.
When we think honestly about the people we admire--friends, sports heros, actors, musicians, parents, teachers, employers--we know that all of them, as human beings, not heroes, have felt out of place in their lives, probably many times.
Believing we are alone or different cuts us off from others. Climbing over that protective wall of "differentness" is scary, but it is guaranteed to set us free.
How can I let go of my "differentness" today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
When people are loving, brave, truthful, charitable, God is present. --Harold Kushner
For many of us, our spiritual awakening began when we first heard our Higher Power might be our group. We learned that God may exist in the connections between people in our group just as well as within each individual. As we members exchange care and help with each other, as each struggles to achieve complete honesty and wrestles bravely with old temptations, God is truly in our midst. Closeness flourishes because we felt so alone but then found friends who suffered in similar ways. It is an expression of a spirit beyond our rational control,
When we ask another member to listen to us, we contribute to the strength of this spirit. When we give someone a ride to a meeting or spread the word about this program to other suffering men and women, we make a contribution and receive its benefits. Even now, if we need a renewal of confidence in God's presence in our lives, we can telephone another member and just talk. We will quickly sense the spirit.
Today, I am grateful to feel God's presence in my life and within the people around me.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
When our myths, dreams, and ideals are shattered, our world topples. --Kathleen Casey Thiesen
The act of "becoming" topples our world, and rightly so. We outgrow yesterday's ideals, and we have begun realizing, in our unfolding, the dreams of last year. Now new dreams call us. Recovery has toppled our world. Hallelujah!
In our abstinence, each day offers us fresh opportunities to "create" new realities to replace the outworn, outgrown myths of the using days. But letting go of the old takes patience, persistence, and strength. The old comforted us, when there was little else.
Perhaps we need reminding that were it not for the shattered myths of last year or last week, we'd not be progressing, unfolding, as the bigger picture calls us. We have a part to play in this life, as do our sisters, our friends, our children. New dreams and ideals will lead us on our way. Old dreams served us yesterday, and the past is gone. They can't direct our present.
I will look with excitement at my toppling world. It signifies growth - intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Old ideals will bind me--I will dare to dream new dreams and go where they lead with confidence.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Getting Through Hard Times
We are sturdy beings. But in many ways, we are fragile. We can accept change and loss, but this comes at our own pace and in our own way. And only God and we can determine the timing. --Codependent No More
Hard times, stressful times, are not all there is to life, but they are part of life, growth, and moving forward.
What we do with hard times, or hard energy, is our choice.
We can use the energy of hard times to work out, and work through, our issues. We can use it to fine-tune our skills and our spirituality. Or we can go through these situations suffering, storing up bitterness, and refusing to grow or change.
Hard times can motivate and mold us to bring out our best. We can use these times to move forward and upward to higher levels of living, loving, and growth.
The choice is ours. Will we let ourselves feel? Will we take a spiritual approach, including gratitude, toward the event? Will we question life and our Higher Power by asking what we're supposed to be learning and doing? Or will we use the incident to prove old, negative beliefs? Will we say, "Nothing good ever happens to me... I'm just a victim... People can't be trusted... Life isn't worth living"?
We do not always require hard energy, or stress, to motivate us to grow and change. We do not have to create stress, seek it, or attract it. But if it's there, we can learn to channel it into growth and use it for achieving what's good in life.
God, let my hard times be healing times.


Today I'm willing to take responsibility for my own life. I am willing to grow up and let go of my parents. I am filled with the sense of my own power and I choose not to give it away. --Ruth Fishel

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You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Peace

Our mental obsession with food gave us little peace. The refined sugars and carbohydrates, which we craved, left us jangled and over stimulated. Our guilt and self-hate kept us in a state of fear and turmoil. We raced about frantically in our minds trying to think of a way out of our misery.

Abstaining from refined sugar and carbohydrates gives us physical peace. Our body is no longer in an uproar; it is functioning calmly and efficiently. The Twelve Steps of recovery free us from the mental obsession with food and bring about emotional and spiritual peace. The more control we relinquish to our Higher Power, the more peace He gives us.

The peace, which comes through working our program, is not stagnant - it is rich and creative. It is the peace, which results from an ordered life and confidence in God. Instead of going in circles, both physically and mentally, we move in measured progress along the path, which our Higher Power shows us step by step each day.
Thank You for peace.

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Wisdom for Today
At first it was so much fun. It was exciting, and I was on top of the world. But over time as my drinking and drug use progressed, I began to experience more and more problems. For a long time I could explain away the problems, or I could blame the problems on something other than my use. My dependence on drugs and alcohol became more and more evident as the consequences provided more and more evidence that I had a problem. Despite all this, I kept on going; and my use became an obsession. I had lost all control.

In the Twelve Step program, I had to face the truth; I was addicted. I stopped drinking and using, yet my life did not return to immediate happiness. Just because I had stopped using didn't mean my problems disappeared. I still had much to change. This is where the steps and guidance from those people who had been there helped. Little by little I changed. Today I know I still have work to do. Recovery continues one day at a time. Am I willing to use the steps and the fellowship to help me change the things I can?
Meditations for the Heart
Today I will be calm and know that each day presents new challenges and new rewards. I will be calm because I know and trust that the promises are real and that I can have each of them if I do the work and follow my Higher Power's direction. Sometimes I hear people say that God is in the driver’s seat. I don't follow that logic. I am the one who has to walk the walk. I am the one who must be responsible for my recovery. I am the one that needs to be in the driver's seat. But I do want God to read the road map and show me the way. Am I doing all that I must do to be responsible for my recovery? Do I ask God for direction along the way?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,

Today help me to stay focused on the tasks at hand. Encourage me to follow the steps to recovery. Tell me when to turn and when to stop. Let me know if I need to take an alternate route. Give me the patience not to get frustrated with the process, and help me to trust that You are always there to help me when I need it.

Amen.