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04-14-2008, 04:50 PM
Daily Reflections
THE BONDAGE OF RESENTMENTS
. . . harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then
we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 5
It has been said, "Anger is a luxury I cannot afford."
Does this suggest I ignore this human emotion? I believe
not. Before I learned of the A.A. program, I was a slave
to the behavior patterns of alcoholism. I was chained to
negativity, with no hope of cutting loose.
The Steps offered me an alternative. Step Four was the
beginning of the end of my bondage. The process of
"letting go" started with an inventory. I needed not be
frightened, for the previous Steps assured me I was not
alone. My Higher Power led me to this door and gave me
the gift of choice. Today I can choose to open the door
to freedom and rejoice in the sunlight of the Steps, as
they cleanse the spirit within me.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
Terrible things could have happened to any one of us. We
never will know what might have happened to us when we
were drunk. We usually thought: "That couldn't happen to
me." But any one of us could have killed somebody or have
been killed ourselves, if we were drunk enough. But fear
of these things never kept us from drinking. Do I believe
that in A.A. we have something more effective than fear?
Meditation For The Day
I must keep calm and unmoved in the vicissitudes of life.
I must go back into the silence of communion with God to
recover this calm when it is lost even for one moment. I
will accomplish more by this calmness than by all the
activities of a long day. At all cost I will keep calm.
I can solve nothing when I am agitated. I should keep
away from things that are upsetting emotionally. I should
run on an even keel and not get tipped over by emotional
upsets. I should seek for things that are calm and good
and true and stick to those things.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not argue nor contend, but merely state
calmly what I believe to be true. I pray that I may keep
myself in that state of calmness that comes from faith in
God's purpose for the world.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Constructive Forces, p. 174
Mine was exactly the kind of deep-seated block we so often see today in new people who
say they are atheistic or agnostic. Their will to disbelieve is so powerful that apparently
they prefer a date with the undertaker to an open-minded and experimental quest for God.
Happily for me, and for most of my kind who have since come along in A.A., the
constructive forces brought to bear in our Fellowship have nearly always overcome
this colossal obstinacy. Beaten into complete defeat by alcohol, confronted by the living
proof of release, and surrounded by those who can speak to us from the heart, we have
finally surrendered.
And then, paradoxically, we have found ourselves in a new dimension, the real world of
spirit and faith. Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness--and there it is!
A.A. Today, p. 9
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
When Things are Not humanly possible._____ Facing Difficulties
We're reminded again and again that "No human power could have relieved our alcoholism." Whatever it is that keeps us sober must come from a Higher Power … God as we understand Him.
This fact about our alcoholism also has broader application to the general conditions of life. There's an almost endless list of conditions that are not humanly possible to change. Some of these conditions apply only to us; others, such as war and disease, cruelly afflict all of humankind. Looking at this sorry picture, many of us wish we had the power to apply Twelve Step principles to all human problems.
While we don't have such power at the moment, we do have the power to take a spiritual view of all seemingly hopeless conditions. This includes trying to do whatever we can about any problem, while recognizing that the real solution must eventually come from a Higher Power. We must never lose hope that God will cork with us and through us to create a better world. In a small way, we can help by sharing what happened to us in our recovery from alcoholism. No human power could have relieved our alcoholism, but God could and did.
Though I live and work with people who may be frightened and cynical, I'll hold to the idea that a Higher Power is working ceaselessly to improve the human condition in general. There is no reason why the miraculous healing power that relieved my alcoholism should not apply to other problems in my life.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
That day is lost on which one has not laughed. ---French proverb
For a long time, we didn't really laugh. It's surprising when we think about it: We hadn't really laughed for so long . . . we almost forgot how good we could feel. It feels so good to laugh again!
Now our spirits come more alive each day. Now we feel what alcohol and other drugs stuffed deep inside us. Pain, fear and anger come up. But so do happiness and joy, thankfulness and a sense of humor. In early recovery, we work through the hard feelings. As we grow in the program, we have more and more room for happiness.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, wake me up to the joy and laughter that today holds for me. Don't let me miss it!
Action for the Day: Today, I'll spread some laughter. I will learn a joke and tell it to three people.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
ANOTHER CHANCE - Poor, black, totally ruled by alcohol, she felt shut away from any life worth living. But when she began a prison sentence, a door opened.
I went to A.A. At least, my body went. I hated every minute of it. I couldn't wait until the meeting was over to get a drink. I was afraid to drink before the meeting. I thought if they smelled whiskey on my breath, they would lock me up, and I couldn't live without my bottle. I hated that judge for sending me to a place with all those drunks. I wasn't an alcoholic!
pp. 531-532
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Eight - "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all."
Some of us, though, tripped over a very different snag. We clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves. Our families didn't suffer, because we always paid the bills and seldom drank at home. Our business associates didn't suffer, because we were usually on the job. Our reputations hadn't suffered, because we were certain few knew of our drinking. Those who did would sometimes assure us that, after all, a lively bender was only a good man's fault. What real harm, therefore, had we done? No more, surely, than we could easily mend with a few casual apologies.
p. 79
************************************************** *********
To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its
own.
--Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Listen to your feelings. They tell you when you need to take care of
yourself, like finding a friend if you feel lonely, crying if you feel sad,
singing and smiling if you feel happy, and acting frisky if you feel good.
--Pat Palmer
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've
decided to see beyond the imperfections.
"The spiritual journey, the path of recovery and personal growth,
is a detoxification process in which we bring up and out the negative
beliefs we have carried with us from the past and that now poison the
present."
--Marianne Williamson
"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way
things turn out."
--Art Linkletter
As long as you're recreating yourself, why not start by simply being
GLAD! to be alive?
--LUMPYSEZ
"He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself
away."
--Raymond Hull
"God doesn't play dice."
--Albert Einstein
God always leads us toward life.
--Gracie M. Willingham
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SOLITUDE
"People who take time to be
alone usually have depth,
originality and quiet reserve."
--John Miller
I need to be alone. I need time to listen to my thoughts, consider my
opinions and strengthen my body. I need to pull away from my hectic
life to be alone with me.
As a drinking alcoholic I hated to be alone. I became paranoiac about
"leaving the fort" - today I accept that nobody is indispensable and
that the world will still be there when I return from the desert!
Today I grow in the stillness of solitude. I can rest in that "still" part
of me that is the essential me.
God is very close to me in the silence of self.
Lord, in the stillness of Your life, I am healed and rejuvenated.
************************************************** *********
"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness
until now."
1 John 2:9
"Whoever trusts in the Lord will be enriched."
Proverbs 28:25
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Never give up on yourself because God never gives up on you. Lord, You forgive me. Who am I not to forgive myself too?
God is always doing new things in our lives. Lord, help me to close the door to my past and take the time to notice and enjoy the newness I am experiencing right now.
THE BONDAGE OF RESENTMENTS
. . . harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then
we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 5
It has been said, "Anger is a luxury I cannot afford."
Does this suggest I ignore this human emotion? I believe
not. Before I learned of the A.A. program, I was a slave
to the behavior patterns of alcoholism. I was chained to
negativity, with no hope of cutting loose.
The Steps offered me an alternative. Step Four was the
beginning of the end of my bondage. The process of
"letting go" started with an inventory. I needed not be
frightened, for the previous Steps assured me I was not
alone. My Higher Power led me to this door and gave me
the gift of choice. Today I can choose to open the door
to freedom and rejoice in the sunlight of the Steps, as
they cleanse the spirit within me.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
Terrible things could have happened to any one of us. We
never will know what might have happened to us when we
were drunk. We usually thought: "That couldn't happen to
me." But any one of us could have killed somebody or have
been killed ourselves, if we were drunk enough. But fear
of these things never kept us from drinking. Do I believe
that in A.A. we have something more effective than fear?
Meditation For The Day
I must keep calm and unmoved in the vicissitudes of life.
I must go back into the silence of communion with God to
recover this calm when it is lost even for one moment. I
will accomplish more by this calmness than by all the
activities of a long day. At all cost I will keep calm.
I can solve nothing when I am agitated. I should keep
away from things that are upsetting emotionally. I should
run on an even keel and not get tipped over by emotional
upsets. I should seek for things that are calm and good
and true and stick to those things.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not argue nor contend, but merely state
calmly what I believe to be true. I pray that I may keep
myself in that state of calmness that comes from faith in
God's purpose for the world.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Constructive Forces, p. 174
Mine was exactly the kind of deep-seated block we so often see today in new people who
say they are atheistic or agnostic. Their will to disbelieve is so powerful that apparently
they prefer a date with the undertaker to an open-minded and experimental quest for God.
Happily for me, and for most of my kind who have since come along in A.A., the
constructive forces brought to bear in our Fellowship have nearly always overcome
this colossal obstinacy. Beaten into complete defeat by alcohol, confronted by the living
proof of release, and surrounded by those who can speak to us from the heart, we have
finally surrendered.
And then, paradoxically, we have found ourselves in a new dimension, the real world of
spirit and faith. Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness--and there it is!
A.A. Today, p. 9
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
When Things are Not humanly possible._____ Facing Difficulties
We're reminded again and again that "No human power could have relieved our alcoholism." Whatever it is that keeps us sober must come from a Higher Power … God as we understand Him.
This fact about our alcoholism also has broader application to the general conditions of life. There's an almost endless list of conditions that are not humanly possible to change. Some of these conditions apply only to us; others, such as war and disease, cruelly afflict all of humankind. Looking at this sorry picture, many of us wish we had the power to apply Twelve Step principles to all human problems.
While we don't have such power at the moment, we do have the power to take a spiritual view of all seemingly hopeless conditions. This includes trying to do whatever we can about any problem, while recognizing that the real solution must eventually come from a Higher Power. We must never lose hope that God will cork with us and through us to create a better world. In a small way, we can help by sharing what happened to us in our recovery from alcoholism. No human power could have relieved our alcoholism, but God could and did.
Though I live and work with people who may be frightened and cynical, I'll hold to the idea that a Higher Power is working ceaselessly to improve the human condition in general. There is no reason why the miraculous healing power that relieved my alcoholism should not apply to other problems in my life.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
That day is lost on which one has not laughed. ---French proverb
For a long time, we didn't really laugh. It's surprising when we think about it: We hadn't really laughed for so long . . . we almost forgot how good we could feel. It feels so good to laugh again!
Now our spirits come more alive each day. Now we feel what alcohol and other drugs stuffed deep inside us. Pain, fear and anger come up. But so do happiness and joy, thankfulness and a sense of humor. In early recovery, we work through the hard feelings. As we grow in the program, we have more and more room for happiness.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, wake me up to the joy and laughter that today holds for me. Don't let me miss it!
Action for the Day: Today, I'll spread some laughter. I will learn a joke and tell it to three people.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
ANOTHER CHANCE - Poor, black, totally ruled by alcohol, she felt shut away from any life worth living. But when she began a prison sentence, a door opened.
I went to A.A. At least, my body went. I hated every minute of it. I couldn't wait until the meeting was over to get a drink. I was afraid to drink before the meeting. I thought if they smelled whiskey on my breath, they would lock me up, and I couldn't live without my bottle. I hated that judge for sending me to a place with all those drunks. I wasn't an alcoholic!
pp. 531-532
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Eight - "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all."
Some of us, though, tripped over a very different snag. We clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves. Our families didn't suffer, because we always paid the bills and seldom drank at home. Our business associates didn't suffer, because we were usually on the job. Our reputations hadn't suffered, because we were certain few knew of our drinking. Those who did would sometimes assure us that, after all, a lively bender was only a good man's fault. What real harm, therefore, had we done? No more, surely, than we could easily mend with a few casual apologies.
p. 79
************************************************** *********
To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its
own.
--Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Listen to your feelings. They tell you when you need to take care of
yourself, like finding a friend if you feel lonely, crying if you feel sad,
singing and smiling if you feel happy, and acting frisky if you feel good.
--Pat Palmer
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've
decided to see beyond the imperfections.
"The spiritual journey, the path of recovery and personal growth,
is a detoxification process in which we bring up and out the negative
beliefs we have carried with us from the past and that now poison the
present."
--Marianne Williamson
"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way
things turn out."
--Art Linkletter
As long as you're recreating yourself, why not start by simply being
GLAD! to be alive?
--LUMPYSEZ
"He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself
away."
--Raymond Hull
"God doesn't play dice."
--Albert Einstein
God always leads us toward life.
--Gracie M. Willingham
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
SOLITUDE
"People who take time to be
alone usually have depth,
originality and quiet reserve."
--John Miller
I need to be alone. I need time to listen to my thoughts, consider my
opinions and strengthen my body. I need to pull away from my hectic
life to be alone with me.
As a drinking alcoholic I hated to be alone. I became paranoiac about
"leaving the fort" - today I accept that nobody is indispensable and
that the world will still be there when I return from the desert!
Today I grow in the stillness of solitude. I can rest in that "still" part
of me that is the essential me.
God is very close to me in the silence of self.
Lord, in the stillness of Your life, I am healed and rejuvenated.
************************************************** *********
"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness
until now."
1 John 2:9
"Whoever trusts in the Lord will be enriched."
Proverbs 28:25
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Never give up on yourself because God never gives up on you. Lord, You forgive me. Who am I not to forgive myself too?
God is always doing new things in our lives. Lord, help me to close the door to my past and take the time to notice and enjoy the newness I am experiencing right now.