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12-09-2007, 04:18 PM
Daily Reflections
CARRYING THE MESSAGE
Now, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step? The
wonderful energy it releases and the eager action by
which it carries our message to the next suffering
alcoholic and which finally translates the Twelve Steps
into action upon all our affairs is the payoff, the
magnificent reality, of Alcoholics Anonymous.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 109
To renounce the alcoholic world is not to abandon it,
but to act upon principles I have come to love and
cherish, and to restore in others who still suffer the
serenity I have come to know. When I am truly committed
to this purpose, it matters little what clothes I wear
or how I make a living. My task is to carry the message,
and to lead by example, not design.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
Our drinking fellowship was a substitute one, for lack of
something better. At the time, we did not realize what
real fellowship could be. Drinking fellowship has a fatal
fault. It is not based on a firm foundation. Most of it
is on the surface. It is based mostly on the desire to use
your companions for your own pleasure and using others is
a false foundation. Drinking fellowship has been praised
in song and story. The "cup that cheers" has become famous
as a means of companionship. But we realize that the higher
centers of our brains are dulled by alcohol and such
fellowship cannot be on the highest plane. It is at best
only a substitute. Do I see my drinking fellowship in its proper
light?
Meditation For The Day
Set for yourself the task of growing daily more and more
into the consciousness of a Higher Power. We must keep
trying to improve our conscious contact with God. This is
done by prayer, quiet times, and communion. Often all you
need to do is sit silent before God and let Him speak to
you through your thought. Try to think God's thoughts after
Him. When the guidance comes, you must not hesitate, but go
out and follow that guidance in your daily work, doing what
you believe to be the right thing.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be still and know God is with me. I pray
that I may open my mind to the leading of Divine Mind.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Comradeship in Peril, p. 302
We A.A.'s are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after
rescue from shipwreck, when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy
pervade the vessel from steerage to captain's table.
Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in
escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways.
The feeling of sharing in a common peril--relapse into
alcoholism--continues to be an important element in the powerful
cement which binds us of A.A. together.
<< << << >> >> >>
Our first woman alcoholic had been a patient of Dr. Harry Tiebout's,
and he had handed her a prepublication manuscript copy of the Big
Book. The first reading made her rebellious, but the second convinced
her. Presently she came to a meeting held in our living room, and from
there she returned to the sanitarium carrying this classic message to a
fellow patient: "We aren't alone any more."
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 18
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?
Good judgment.
All of our lives, many of us had to deal with "tempests in a teapot." These were minor problems that we somehow magnified until they became disasters.
Some of us also took refuge in the bottle when faced with problems. Remembering this with some guilt, we may feel a responsibility today to deal with every problem efficiently and promptly. This feeling might also create unnecessary anxiety. We can easily get to the heart of such matters by asking ourselves, "How Important is it?" We might be making something far more important than it really is.
The importance of problems is revealed by our inability to remember what was upsetting us a week ago. Asking, "How important is it?" can be a useful test to avoid excessive worrying about any problem.
I'll take a responsibility attitude today, but I'll watch myself for a tendency to go to pieces over things that really aren't important in the long run.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Kindness in giving creates love. --Lao-tzu.
In our illness, we takers. Now, we've changed this around. We are now givers. Giving is a big part of recovery. Our word for it is service. Our program is based on care, respect, and service. Our program tells us to “practice these principles in all our affairs." No matter if it's getting to our meeting early to put on the coffee, or going on a Twelfth Step call, we are giving of ourselves. We give so that we know we can make a difference. We give so that we can know how to love better. The healing power of recovery is love. As we give love and kindness to others, we heal. Why? Because people grow by giving kindness and love to others.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power with Your help I'll be a kind and loving giver. I'll look for way to share Your kindness.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list five ways I can be of service to others. I'll put at least one of these ways into action today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
BUILDING A NEW LIFE - Hallucinating and restrained by sheriff's deputies and hospital staff, this once-happy family man received an unexpected gift from God--a firm foundation in sobriety that would hold up through good times and bad.
When I look back now, I think I stopped maturing at fifteen when I started to get drunk with older guys. I wanted to feel at peace with myself and comfortable with other people. I never found it in drinking. The belonging I always wanted I have found in A.A. and in sobriety. I don't think about drinking. God is there. My sponsor is there. All the credit belongs to God. On my own I could not have quit. I know, I tried it.
p. 485
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Two - "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
"This is only one man's opinion based on his own experience, of course. I must quickly assure you that A.A.'s tread innumerable paths in their quest for faith. If you don't care for the one I've suggested, you'll be sure to discover one that suits if only you look and listen. Many a man like you has begun to solve the problem by the method of substitution. You can, if you wish, make A.A., itself your `higher power.' Here's a very large group of people who have solved their alcohol problem. In this respect they are certainly a power greater than you, who have not even come close to a solution. Surely you can have faith in them. Even this minimum of faith will be enough. You will find many members who have crossed the threshold just this way. All of them will tell you that, once across, their faith broadened and deepened. Relieved of the alcohol obsession, their lives unaccountably transformed, they came to believe in a Higher Power, and most of them began to talk of God."
pp. 27-28
************************************************** *********
"If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours".
--SHASEC
God, help me remember that when I admit and accept the truth,
I'll be given the power and guidance to change.
--Melody Beattie
Keep your sobriety first, to make it last.
--unknown
Today, I will focus on what's right about me. I will give myself some of the caring I've
extended to the world.
--Melody Beattie
Learn to Let Go. That is the key to happiness.
--Buddha
Worry is like a rocking chair -- it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you
anywhere.
--unknown
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SERVICE
"There is no higher religion
than human service. To work for
the common good is the greatest
creed."
-- Albert Schweitzer
I enjoy doing things for other people. I enjoy seeing other people happy, seeing
gratitude in their eyes and experiencing their hug of thankfulness.
Some people need to restrict how much they do for others and begin doing more for
themselves but I am happy and pleased with my service towards others. Why?
Because I used to be a "taker". For years I would walk away with all that you could give
me and only thank you because I wanted to return for more!
In sobriety I am beginning to change this. Now I am giving and I am enjoying it.
Lord, the gift of service is a precious gift.
************************************************** *********
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Matthew 5:6
I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your principles. Remember your
promise to me, for it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my
troubles."
Psalm 119:48-50
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let
the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
1 Chronicles 16:9-11
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
A blessing is an explosion of joy from God that ripples through your heart and fills your mind with God's light and hope. Lord, help me speak the words of blessing when they are needed by someone who is lonely, or who is dying or who is depressed.
As you draw closer and closer to God, you won't have to tell anyone because it will show in your face. Lord, teach me Your ways as I am ready and let Your love and peace flow through me even in my difficult moments.
CARRYING THE MESSAGE
Now, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step? The
wonderful energy it releases and the eager action by
which it carries our message to the next suffering
alcoholic and which finally translates the Twelve Steps
into action upon all our affairs is the payoff, the
magnificent reality, of Alcoholics Anonymous.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 109
To renounce the alcoholic world is not to abandon it,
but to act upon principles I have come to love and
cherish, and to restore in others who still suffer the
serenity I have come to know. When I am truly committed
to this purpose, it matters little what clothes I wear
or how I make a living. My task is to carry the message,
and to lead by example, not design.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
Our drinking fellowship was a substitute one, for lack of
something better. At the time, we did not realize what
real fellowship could be. Drinking fellowship has a fatal
fault. It is not based on a firm foundation. Most of it
is on the surface. It is based mostly on the desire to use
your companions for your own pleasure and using others is
a false foundation. Drinking fellowship has been praised
in song and story. The "cup that cheers" has become famous
as a means of companionship. But we realize that the higher
centers of our brains are dulled by alcohol and such
fellowship cannot be on the highest plane. It is at best
only a substitute. Do I see my drinking fellowship in its proper
light?
Meditation For The Day
Set for yourself the task of growing daily more and more
into the consciousness of a Higher Power. We must keep
trying to improve our conscious contact with God. This is
done by prayer, quiet times, and communion. Often all you
need to do is sit silent before God and let Him speak to
you through your thought. Try to think God's thoughts after
Him. When the guidance comes, you must not hesitate, but go
out and follow that guidance in your daily work, doing what
you believe to be the right thing.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be still and know God is with me. I pray
that I may open my mind to the leading of Divine Mind.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Comradeship in Peril, p. 302
We A.A.'s are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after
rescue from shipwreck, when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy
pervade the vessel from steerage to captain's table.
Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in
escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways.
The feeling of sharing in a common peril--relapse into
alcoholism--continues to be an important element in the powerful
cement which binds us of A.A. together.
<< << << >> >> >>
Our first woman alcoholic had been a patient of Dr. Harry Tiebout's,
and he had handed her a prepublication manuscript copy of the Big
Book. The first reading made her rebellious, but the second convinced
her. Presently she came to a meeting held in our living room, and from
there she returned to the sanitarium carrying this classic message to a
fellow patient: "We aren't alone any more."
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 18
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?
Good judgment.
All of our lives, many of us had to deal with "tempests in a teapot." These were minor problems that we somehow magnified until they became disasters.
Some of us also took refuge in the bottle when faced with problems. Remembering this with some guilt, we may feel a responsibility today to deal with every problem efficiently and promptly. This feeling might also create unnecessary anxiety. We can easily get to the heart of such matters by asking ourselves, "How Important is it?" We might be making something far more important than it really is.
The importance of problems is revealed by our inability to remember what was upsetting us a week ago. Asking, "How important is it?" can be a useful test to avoid excessive worrying about any problem.
I'll take a responsibility attitude today, but I'll watch myself for a tendency to go to pieces over things that really aren't important in the long run.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Kindness in giving creates love. --Lao-tzu.
In our illness, we takers. Now, we've changed this around. We are now givers. Giving is a big part of recovery. Our word for it is service. Our program is based on care, respect, and service. Our program tells us to “practice these principles in all our affairs." No matter if it's getting to our meeting early to put on the coffee, or going on a Twelfth Step call, we are giving of ourselves. We give so that we know we can make a difference. We give so that we can know how to love better. The healing power of recovery is love. As we give love and kindness to others, we heal. Why? Because people grow by giving kindness and love to others.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power with Your help I'll be a kind and loving giver. I'll look for way to share Your kindness.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list five ways I can be of service to others. I'll put at least one of these ways into action today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
BUILDING A NEW LIFE - Hallucinating and restrained by sheriff's deputies and hospital staff, this once-happy family man received an unexpected gift from God--a firm foundation in sobriety that would hold up through good times and bad.
When I look back now, I think I stopped maturing at fifteen when I started to get drunk with older guys. I wanted to feel at peace with myself and comfortable with other people. I never found it in drinking. The belonging I always wanted I have found in A.A. and in sobriety. I don't think about drinking. God is there. My sponsor is there. All the credit belongs to God. On my own I could not have quit. I know, I tried it.
p. 485
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Two - "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
"This is only one man's opinion based on his own experience, of course. I must quickly assure you that A.A.'s tread innumerable paths in their quest for faith. If you don't care for the one I've suggested, you'll be sure to discover one that suits if only you look and listen. Many a man like you has begun to solve the problem by the method of substitution. You can, if you wish, make A.A., itself your `higher power.' Here's a very large group of people who have solved their alcohol problem. In this respect they are certainly a power greater than you, who have not even come close to a solution. Surely you can have faith in them. Even this minimum of faith will be enough. You will find many members who have crossed the threshold just this way. All of them will tell you that, once across, their faith broadened and deepened. Relieved of the alcohol obsession, their lives unaccountably transformed, they came to believe in a Higher Power, and most of them began to talk of God."
pp. 27-28
************************************************** *********
"If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours".
--SHASEC
God, help me remember that when I admit and accept the truth,
I'll be given the power and guidance to change.
--Melody Beattie
Keep your sobriety first, to make it last.
--unknown
Today, I will focus on what's right about me. I will give myself some of the caring I've
extended to the world.
--Melody Beattie
Learn to Let Go. That is the key to happiness.
--Buddha
Worry is like a rocking chair -- it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you
anywhere.
--unknown
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SERVICE
"There is no higher religion
than human service. To work for
the common good is the greatest
creed."
-- Albert Schweitzer
I enjoy doing things for other people. I enjoy seeing other people happy, seeing
gratitude in their eyes and experiencing their hug of thankfulness.
Some people need to restrict how much they do for others and begin doing more for
themselves but I am happy and pleased with my service towards others. Why?
Because I used to be a "taker". For years I would walk away with all that you could give
me and only thank you because I wanted to return for more!
In sobriety I am beginning to change this. Now I am giving and I am enjoying it.
Lord, the gift of service is a precious gift.
************************************************** *********
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Matthew 5:6
I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your principles. Remember your
promise to me, for it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my
troubles."
Psalm 119:48-50
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let
the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
1 Chronicles 16:9-11
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
A blessing is an explosion of joy from God that ripples through your heart and fills your mind with God's light and hope. Lord, help me speak the words of blessing when they are needed by someone who is lonely, or who is dying or who is depressed.
As you draw closer and closer to God, you won't have to tell anyone because it will show in your face. Lord, teach me Your ways as I am ready and let Your love and peace flow through me even in my difficult moments.