Daily Recovery Readings - 6/28

[admin]

Daily Reflections

THE DETERMINATION OF OUR FOUNDERS

A year and six months later these three had succeeded with seven
more.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 159

If it had not been for the fierce determination of our founders, A.A.
would have quickly faded like so many other so-called good causes. I
look at the hundreds of meetings weekly in the city where I live and I
know A.A. is available twenty-four hours a day. If I had had to hang on
with nothing but hope and a desire not to drink, experiencing rejection
wherever I went, I would have sought the easier, softer way and
returned to my previous way of life.

************************************************** *********

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

You can prove to yourself that life is basically and fundamentally an
inner attitude. Just try to remember what troubled you most a week
ago. You probably will find it difficult to remember. Why then should
you unduly worry or fret over the problems that arise today? Your
attitude toward them can be changed by putting yourself and your
problems in God's hands and trusting Him to see that everything will
turn out all right, provided you are trying to do the right thing. Your
changed mental attitude toward your problems relieves you of their
burden and you can face them without fear. Has my mental attitude
changed?

Meditation For The Day

You cannot see the future. It's a blessing that you cannot. You could
not bear to know all the future. That is why God only reveals it to you
day by day. The first step is to lay your will before God as an
offering, ready for God to do what is best for you. Be sure that, if
you trust God, what He does for you will be for the best. The second
step is to be confident that God is powerful enough to do anything He
wills, and that no miracle in human lives is impossible with Him. Then
leave the future to God.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may gladly leave my future in God's hands. I pray that I
may be confident that good things will happen, as long as I am on the
right path.

************************************************** *********

As Bill Sees It

Fear No Evil, p. 166

Though we of A.A. find ourselves living in a world characterized by destructive fears
as never before in history, we see great areas of faith, and tremendous aspirations
toward justice and brotherhood. Yet no prophet can presume to say whether the
world outcome will be blazing destruction or the beginning, under God's intention, of
the brightest era yet known to mankind.

I am sure we A.A.'s will comprehend this scene. In microcosm, we have experienced
this identical state of terrifying uncertainty, each in his own life. In no sense pridefully,
we can say that we do not fear the world outcome, whichever course it may take.
This is because we have been established to deeply feel and say, "We shall fear no
evil--Thy will, not ours, be done."

Grapevine, January 1962

************************************************** *********

Walk In Dry Places

Why it works.
Confidence.
Twelve Step meetings often begin with a reading from a famous Fifth chapter, "How it works." We know that the program does work, but why? Is there a secret or magic to it?
The real reason the program works is neither secret nor magic. The program actually relies on ancient principles that always amaze people when they are employed: Help Others, and you help yourself. Clean up your own house. Put your trust in God, not frail human beings or shaky institutions. Remove false gods, such as alcohol and other drugs.
There may be additional reasons for the program's success, but these are enough for a start. The Twelve Step program does work.
I'll take comfort today in knowing that I'm walking in a way that has been tested and proven. The program works if I let it work.

************************************************** *********

Keep It Simple

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form. --Stanley J. Randall
Trying to be perfect get us into trouble. Trying to be perfect means we're trying to control things.
We may be trying to cover up something. Maybe we aren't facing our pain. Maybe we've hurt
someone and we need to make amends.
We need to practice being human. Humans aren't perfect. In Steps Six and Seven, we face our human limits and our shortcomings. We then start the lifelong job of letting them go. To accept our human limits leads us to our Higher Power. We see how we need a guide in life. Our Higher Power makes a perfect guide.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me accept that I can't be perfect. Help me be a good human being.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list my shortcoming. I'll talk with a friend about them. I'll ask my friend to tell me what my good qualities are.

************************************************** *********

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Physician, Heal Thyself

Psychiatrist and surgeon, he had lost his way until he realized that God, not he, was the Great Healer.

The second way in which, perhaps, I differ from some other alcoholic is this: Many alcoholics state that they don't particularly like the taste of alcohol but that they liked the effect. I loved alcohol! I used to like to get it on my fingers so I could lick them and get another taste. I had a lot of fun drinking. I enjoyed it immensely. And then, one ill-defined day, one day that I can't recall, I stepped across the line that alcoholics know so well, and from that day on, drinking was miserable. When a few drinks made me feel good before I went over that line, those same drinks made me wretched. In an attempt to get over that feeling, there was a quick onslaught of a greater number of drinks, and then all was lost. Alcohol failed to serve the purpose.

pp. 301-302

************************************************** *********

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Two - "For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience."

"It was meeting night. Although none of the alcoholics we boarded seemed to get sober, some others had. With their wives they crowded into our downstairs parlor. At once I burst into the story of my opportunity. Never shall I forget their impassive faces, and the steady gaze they focused upon me. With waning enthusiasm, my tale trailed off to the end. There was a long silence.

p. 137

************************************************** *********

I can get more out of God by believing Him for one minute than
by shouting at Him all night.
--Smith Wigglesworth

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming
conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go.
--Abraham Lincoln

LORD, Let me want what I have.
--Anonymous

"A positive attitude is like a fire - Unless you continue to add fuel, it
goes out."
--Alexander Lockhart

What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
--John Lubbock

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not
seen.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

When life seems just a dreary grind; and things seem fated to annoy;
say something nice to someone else and watch the world light up with
joy.
--Unknown

Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good on earth!
--George W. Crane

***********************************************

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

WINE

"One of the disadvantages of wine
is that it makes a man mistake
words for thoughts."
--Samuel Johnson

Alcohol produced problems in my life. I was unable to control my
drinking and the result was catastrophe. I hurt people. I
endangered my health. I ruin my productivity. I became lonely. I
felt isolated. I was forever getting into arguments. The police were
often involved. People who loved me had to walk away from me
for their own sanity. Alcohol made my life a mess!

Today I can see this and I am glad I made the spiritual decision to
refuse the first drink. Today I am getting my life together. I am
becoming a productive citizen. I have friends and relationships again.
But I need to remember what I must never forget:

Alcohol + Me = Problems.

Lord, alcohol is a gift I can refuse.

************************************************** *********

"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life."
John 5:24

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will
set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon
Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver
him and honor him.
Psalm 91:14-15

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."
Proverbs 25:11
And your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk
in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
Isaiah 30:21

************************************************** *********

Daily Inspiration

Be easier on yourself and more forgiving so that you can begin to recognize the depth of the wisdom you already possess. Lord, help me look beyond my shortcomings so that I am better able to get through my difficult moments and am able to spend more time enjoying who I am.

One of life's greatest rewards is not what we get, but what we become. Lord, teach me as I am able to learn and give me the courage to be all that I can.

[admin]

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
It's the deepest channel that runs most true. --Kate Wolf
The greatest rivers spread themselves out wide and lazy over the earth. They roll over on themselves like great turtles turning in the warm sun. A river flows, drawn to the oceans, carving ever-deepening channels, nestling snug in the earth's welcoming lap. The current is strongest in the deepest channel. Boat navigators know that finding that channel means finding the swiftest current and the safest voyage home.
When we look at a river, or at another person, we see only the surface. What keeps our attention is usually some movement or activity on the surface. But there is more than meets the eye, especially to people. When we overlook someone because that person is quiet or simple, we may be robbing ourselves of an eye-opening discovery.
Which deeper things can I look for in my day?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
We fear our highest possibility (as well as our lowest one). We are generally afraid to become that which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments. --Abraham Maslow
In our daily lives, we may dream of success and achievement. We strive and compete in the workplace. We go to meetings and do our part on each Step in the program searching for better lives. When success comes, we are faced with a new problem we could not have expected. It comes as an outcome of some hard work, some good luck, and some help from our friends. It is frightening to have a good thing in our lives and not be in control of it.
We are just as powerless over our successes as we are over the worst of our behaviors. We can only be faithful to our duties and ourselves. The successes, which flow from our work come and go. Since we can't nail them down, they may make us feel insecure. Many a man has destroyed his moment of success because he couldn't stand the powerless feeling. We must return to our program and allow success to rise and fall, as it will.
Today, I turn to my Higher Power for help in accepting success.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Joy fixes us to eternity and pain fixes us to time. But desire and fear hold us in bondage to time, and detachment breaks the bond. --Simone Weil
We live both in the material realm and the spiritual. In our material dimension we seek material pleasures, inherent in which is pain. Our human emotions are tied to our material attachments, and joy, at its fullest, is never found here. Real joy lies outside of the material dimension while living fully within us too, in the secret, small place inside where we always know that all is well.
We are on a trip in this life. And our journey is bringing us closer to full understanding of joy with every sorrowful circumstance. When you or I are one with God, have aligned our will with the will of God, we know joy. We know this, fully, that all is well. No harm can befall us.
Each circumstance in the material realm is an opportunity for us to rely on the spiritual realm for direction, security, and understanding. As we turn within, to our spiritual nature, we will know joy.
Every day in every situation I have an opportunity to discover real joy. It's so close and so ready for my invitation.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
When Things Don't Work
Frequently, when faced with a problem, we may attempt to solve it in a particular way. When that way doesn't work, we may continue trying to solve the problem in that same way.
We may get frustrated, try harder, get more frustrated, and then exert more energy and influence into forcing the same solution that we have already tried and that didn't work.
That approach makes us crazy. It tends to get us stuck and trapped. It is the stuff that unmanageability is made of.
We can get caught in this same difficult pattern in relationships, in tasks, in any area of our life. We initiate something, it doesn't work, doesn't flow, we feel badly, then try the same approach harder, even though it's not working and flowing.
Sometimes, it's appropriate not to give up and to try harder. Sometimes, it's more appropriate to let go, detach, and stop trying so hard.
If it doesn't work, if it doesn't flow, maybe life is trying to tell us something. Life is a gentle teacher. She doesn't always send neon road signs to guide us. Sometimes, the signs are more subtle. Something not working may be a sign!
Let go. If we have become frustrated by repeated efforts that aren't producing desired results, we may be trying to force ourselves down the wrong path. Sometimes, a different solution is appropriate. Sometimes, a different path opens up. Often, the answer will emerge more clearly in the quietness of letting go than it will in the urgency, frustration, and desperation of pushing harder.
Learn to recognize when something isn't working or isn't flowing. Step back and wait for clear guidance.
Today, I will not make myself crazy by repeatedly trying solutions that have proven themselves unsuccessful. If something isn't working, I will step back and wait for guidance.


My quiet sitting meditation time helps me to develop new quiet times during the rest of the day. Today I can look at any problem I have and release its energy so that I can be free to allow harmony to unfold. --Ruth Fishel

[admin]

Group Conscience

"Working with others is only the beginning of service work."
Basic Text, p.56

Service work calls for a selfless devotion to carrying the message to the still-suffering addict. But our attitude of service cannot stop there. Service also requires that we look at ourselves and our motives. Our efforts at service make us highly visible to the fellowship. In NA, it is easy to become a "big fish in a small pond." Our controlling attitude can easily drive away the newcomer.

Group conscience is one of the most important principles in service. It is vital to remember that the group conscience is what counts, not just our individual beliefs and desires. We lend our thoughts and beliefs to the development of a group conscience. Then when that conscience arises, we accept its guidance. The key is working with others, not against them. If we remember that we strive together to develop a collective conscience, we will see that all sides have equal merit. When all the discussions are over, all sides will come back to carry a unified message.

It is often tempting to think that we know what is best for the group. If we remember that it doesn't matter if we get our way, then it is easier to allow service to be the vehicle it is intended to be - a way to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.

Just for today: I will take part in the development of group conscience. I will remember that the world won't end just because I don't get my way. I will think about our p[primary purpose in all my service efforts. I will reach out to a newcomer.
pg. 186

[admin]

Wisdom for Today
The program depends on us as much as we depend on the program. It works on the principle of service. Everything within the program itself happens through the service of others. Whether it is the individual who arrives early to setup and make coffee, the meeting chairperson, volunteering to serve on a committee, speaking at a meeting of workshop, or doing twelve-step work; the program depends on volunteers to keep going and growing. It is through the willingness to volunteer service that the program works.
As we walk through the recovery process, each of us will be given opportunities to serve. The program depends on our willingness to say yes to these opportunities. This willingness on our part is what makes the program effective. This service work is equally important for us as we find that in saying yes to the program we are also helping ourselves. In volunteering we help to carry the program and the program in turn helps to carry us. Do I do my part to carry the load? Am I willing to do something concrete to help the program? Will I volunteer to give service to others? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves. By doing our part we help to keep the program healthy and in turn the program keeps us healthy. Am I doing my part to grow in and with the program?
Meditations for the Heart
It is in our times of weakness and pain that we perhaps need to find God more than any other. It is in these times that He is most available to us. In these troubling times, we reach out in quiet desperation and we find His Quiet Strength – a Strength, which passes our understanding. It is in these tough times that we struggle most with our daily routine, structure, and responsibilities. Yet it is in these times that we rely on this Quiet Strength to lead us and guide us. This Quiet Strength will renew our courage for the day. This quiet strength will feed us in compassion and will provide us with the energy that we need. It will quiet our unrest and bring us inner peace. This Quiet strength ion always available to us, all we need do is accept it into our lives. This supply of Quiet Strength is ceaseless and will never run out. In it we can be filled with whatever we need for the tasks of the day. Do I seek His Quiet Strength in all that I do?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You do not scream from some mountain top, but instead You come to me in Quiet Strength. Help me to be aware of this Quiet Strength in my day today. Open my eyes this day to the opportunities to give back to the program, for this service will strengthen the program and it will strengthen me. Help me to have a mindset to say yes to these opportunities and to carry my share of the load.
Amen

[admin]

You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Spiritual Awakening

Many of us remember back to a vague time in childhood when our world seemed right and we were full of enthusiasm. Somehow, somewhere along the way, we lost that feeling of rightness and security.

For some of us who experience a spiritual awakening through the OA program, childhood faith is rediscovered and takes on new meaning. We may have lost sight of our real selves and abandoned our original faith in a Higher Power. When we have a spiritual awakening as a result of the Twelve Steps, everything falls into place, and what was lost is recovered, plus much more.

This spiritual awakening continues as we continue to work the program. It gives new meaning to our present lives and new hope for the future. We see that spiritual growth is "where it's at" and that nothing else will satisfy our needs and our longing.

May I continue to awaken.