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10-01-2008, 05:43 PM
Daily Reflections
THE ACID TEST
As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for
the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten
we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use,
day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid
test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and
live to good purpose under all conditions?
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88
I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I
want to maintain and develop them by the daily application
of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am
disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other
person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings.
When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the
cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes.
It isn't easy, but as long as I know I am progressing
spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well
done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there
is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain
lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take
the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain
gradually goes away.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
What makes an effective talk at an A.A. meeting? It is not a
fine speech with fine choices of words and an impressive
delivery. Often a few simple words direct from the heart are
more effective than the most polished speech. There is always
a temptation to speak beyond your experience, in order to
make a good impression. This is never effective. What does not
come from the heart does not reach the heart. What comes from
personal experience and a sincere desire to help the other
person, reaches the heart. Do I speak for effect or with a deep
desire to help?
Meditation For The Day
"Thy will be done" must be your oft-repeated prayer. And in
the willing of God's will there should be gladness. You should
delight to do that will because when you do, all your life goes
right and everything tends to work out for you in the long run.
When you are honestly trying to do God's will and humbly
accepting the results, nothing can seriously hurt you. He who
accepts the will of God in his life may not inherit the earth,
but he will inherit real peace of mind.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have a yielded will.
I pray that my will be attuned to the will of God.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Can We Choose?, p. 4
We must never be blinded by the futile philosophy that we are just the
hapless victims of our inheritance, of our life experience, and of our
surroundings--that these are the sole forces that make our decisions for
us. This is not the road to freedom. We have to believe that we can
really choose.
<< << << >> >> >>
"As active alcoholics, we lost our ability to choose whether we would
drink. We were the victims of a compulsion which seemed to decree
that we must go on with our own destruction.
"Yet we finally did make choices that brought about our recovery. We
came to believe that alone we were powerless over alcohol. This was
surely a choice, and a most difficult one. We came to believe that a
Higher Power could restore us to sanity when we became willing to
practice A.A.'s Twelve Steps.
"In short, we chose to 'become willing,' and no better choice did we ever
make."
1. Grapevine, November 1960
2. Letter, 1966
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Living or Waiting?
Using time wisely
What is the real secret of living 24 hours at a time? Isn't it really a matter of feeling completely comfortable in the present rather than believing that happiness depends on something in the future?
Whatever our situation today, it's something we must life through and deal with effectively. We may be overlooking many wonderful things in our present life simply because we believe we need some exciting experience that can only come later on.
We also might be overlooking present opportunities because we're spending too much time in the past. The past, whether it was god or bad, is beyond our control.
Our mission is to live effectively and happily today. We can do this best when we realize that yesterday and tomorrow don't really exist... today is all we can be sure of.
I'll live today in the present, handling every problem as well as I can and enjoying every experience that comes to me.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
. . .and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.---Second half of Step Ten
We are human. We make mistakes. This is half the fun of being human. Step Ten clearly tell us what to do when we are wrong: admit it. This keeps us honest. It keeps us from hiding secrets that could cause us to use alcohol or other drugs again.
Trust the gift we get from Step Ten. When we admit our wrongs, people start to trust us again. We feel good, and people feel good being around us. Even when they don’t like how we act, they can trust us to run our lives. No one will ever be prefect. The closet we get is that we admit it when we’re wrong. This is as good as it gets.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me admit my wrongs. Help me earn the trust of others by being honest about my mistakes.
Action for the Day: I will list any wrongs I’ve done today. That way, I’ll start tomorrow fresh and without any burdens from today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
The Doctor's Opinion
Though we work out our solution on the spiritual as well as an altruistic plane, we favor hospitalization for the alcoholic who is very jittery or befogged. More often than not, it is imperative that a man’s brain be cleared before he is approached, as he has then a better chance of understanding and accepting what we have to offer.
pp. xxvi-xxvii
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."
SELF-SUPPORTING alcoholics? Who ever heard of such a thing? Yet we find that's what we have to be. This principle is telling evidence of the profound change that A.A. has wrought in all of us. Everybody knows that active alcoholics scream that they have no troubles money can't cure. Always, we've had our hands out. Time out of mind we've been dependent upon somebody, usually money-wise. When a society composed entirely of alcoholics says it's going to pay its bills, that's really news.
p. 160
************************************************** *********
Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold
you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to
know they're standing by.
--Elizabeth Foley
"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes
misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate."
--Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
"In the hope of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet."
--Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in
the life of another.
--Helen Keller
"God, I do believe in Your power and Your wisdom. Your glory is far
greater than I could ever envision, and I am thankful to be within the circle of your
ever-renewing life."
--©2000 by Unity School of Christianity
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
REALITY
"The books that the world calls
immoral are the books that show
the world its own shame."
-- Oscar Wilde
In my addiction I avoided things that I did not like, did not want to consider. I hid from life
and condemned things I did not wish to understand. My ego created a hypocritical purity
that enabled me to judge, condemn and abuse the thoughts and ideas of those I
considered inferior to myself.
Today I try to live and let live. I do this not to avoid conflict or criticism but because I
have found, through experience, how my ideas and attitudes have changed during my
years of recovery. People who I would have condemned to Hell have now become my
friends and mentors. Concepts and lifestyles that were once abhorrent to me are now
appreciated and inspiring. What was once dismissed as immoral is today, for me, a part of
life.
God of Truth and Reality, help me to accept the difference that is in others.
************************************************** *********
May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 104:34
"Lord, I believe."
John 9:38
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
The condition of your heart is reflected in your face. Lord, help me to remove all harsh feelings from within my soul so that I will radiate love and kindness and others can feel safe in seeking me out.
If you exercise your mind, your spirit will never get old. Lord, give me the ability to rise above my worldly burdens and ability to always make things a little better.
THE ACID TEST
As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for
the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten
we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use,
day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid
test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and
live to good purpose under all conditions?
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88
I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I
want to maintain and develop them by the daily application
of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am
disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other
person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings.
When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the
cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes.
It isn't easy, but as long as I know I am progressing
spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well
done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there
is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain
lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take
the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain
gradually goes away.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
What makes an effective talk at an A.A. meeting? It is not a
fine speech with fine choices of words and an impressive
delivery. Often a few simple words direct from the heart are
more effective than the most polished speech. There is always
a temptation to speak beyond your experience, in order to
make a good impression. This is never effective. What does not
come from the heart does not reach the heart. What comes from
personal experience and a sincere desire to help the other
person, reaches the heart. Do I speak for effect or with a deep
desire to help?
Meditation For The Day
"Thy will be done" must be your oft-repeated prayer. And in
the willing of God's will there should be gladness. You should
delight to do that will because when you do, all your life goes
right and everything tends to work out for you in the long run.
When you are honestly trying to do God's will and humbly
accepting the results, nothing can seriously hurt you. He who
accepts the will of God in his life may not inherit the earth,
but he will inherit real peace of mind.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have a yielded will.
I pray that my will be attuned to the will of God.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Can We Choose?, p. 4
We must never be blinded by the futile philosophy that we are just the
hapless victims of our inheritance, of our life experience, and of our
surroundings--that these are the sole forces that make our decisions for
us. This is not the road to freedom. We have to believe that we can
really choose.
<< << << >> >> >>
"As active alcoholics, we lost our ability to choose whether we would
drink. We were the victims of a compulsion which seemed to decree
that we must go on with our own destruction.
"Yet we finally did make choices that brought about our recovery. We
came to believe that alone we were powerless over alcohol. This was
surely a choice, and a most difficult one. We came to believe that a
Higher Power could restore us to sanity when we became willing to
practice A.A.'s Twelve Steps.
"In short, we chose to 'become willing,' and no better choice did we ever
make."
1. Grapevine, November 1960
2. Letter, 1966
************************************************** *********
Walk In Dry Places
Living or Waiting?
Using time wisely
What is the real secret of living 24 hours at a time? Isn't it really a matter of feeling completely comfortable in the present rather than believing that happiness depends on something in the future?
Whatever our situation today, it's something we must life through and deal with effectively. We may be overlooking many wonderful things in our present life simply because we believe we need some exciting experience that can only come later on.
We also might be overlooking present opportunities because we're spending too much time in the past. The past, whether it was god or bad, is beyond our control.
Our mission is to live effectively and happily today. We can do this best when we realize that yesterday and tomorrow don't really exist... today is all we can be sure of.
I'll live today in the present, handling every problem as well as I can and enjoying every experience that comes to me.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
. . .and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.---Second half of Step Ten
We are human. We make mistakes. This is half the fun of being human. Step Ten clearly tell us what to do when we are wrong: admit it. This keeps us honest. It keeps us from hiding secrets that could cause us to use alcohol or other drugs again.
Trust the gift we get from Step Ten. When we admit our wrongs, people start to trust us again. We feel good, and people feel good being around us. Even when they don’t like how we act, they can trust us to run our lives. No one will ever be prefect. The closet we get is that we admit it when we’re wrong. This is as good as it gets.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me admit my wrongs. Help me earn the trust of others by being honest about my mistakes.
Action for the Day: I will list any wrongs I’ve done today. That way, I’ll start tomorrow fresh and without any burdens from today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
The Doctor's Opinion
Though we work out our solution on the spiritual as well as an altruistic plane, we favor hospitalization for the alcoholic who is very jittery or befogged. More often than not, it is imperative that a man’s brain be cleared before he is approached, as he has then a better chance of understanding and accepting what we have to offer.
pp. xxvi-xxvii
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."
SELF-SUPPORTING alcoholics? Who ever heard of such a thing? Yet we find that's what we have to be. This principle is telling evidence of the profound change that A.A. has wrought in all of us. Everybody knows that active alcoholics scream that they have no troubles money can't cure. Always, we've had our hands out. Time out of mind we've been dependent upon somebody, usually money-wise. When a society composed entirely of alcoholics says it's going to pay its bills, that's really news.
p. 160
************************************************** *********
Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold
you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to
know they're standing by.
--Elizabeth Foley
"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes
misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate."
--Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
"In the hope of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet."
--Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in
the life of another.
--Helen Keller
"God, I do believe in Your power and Your wisdom. Your glory is far
greater than I could ever envision, and I am thankful to be within the circle of your
ever-renewing life."
--©2000 by Unity School of Christianity
***********************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
REALITY
"The books that the world calls
immoral are the books that show
the world its own shame."
-- Oscar Wilde
In my addiction I avoided things that I did not like, did not want to consider. I hid from life
and condemned things I did not wish to understand. My ego created a hypocritical purity
that enabled me to judge, condemn and abuse the thoughts and ideas of those I
considered inferior to myself.
Today I try to live and let live. I do this not to avoid conflict or criticism but because I
have found, through experience, how my ideas and attitudes have changed during my
years of recovery. People who I would have condemned to Hell have now become my
friends and mentors. Concepts and lifestyles that were once abhorrent to me are now
appreciated and inspiring. What was once dismissed as immoral is today, for me, a part of
life.
God of Truth and Reality, help me to accept the difference that is in others.
************************************************** *********
May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 104:34
"Lord, I believe."
John 9:38
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
The condition of your heart is reflected in your face. Lord, help me to remove all harsh feelings from within my soul so that I will radiate love and kindness and others can feel safe in seeking me out.
If you exercise your mind, your spirit will never get old. Lord, give me the ability to rise above my worldly burdens and ability to always make things a little better.