Daily Recovery Readings - 8/4

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Daily Reflections

SEEDS OF FAITH

Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can avail nothing. We
can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 34

As a child I constantly questioned the existence of God. To a
"scientific thinker" like me, no answer could withstand a thorough
dissection, until a very patient woman finally said to me, "You must
have faith." With that simple statement, the seeds of my recovery
were sown!
Today, as I practice my recovery -- cutting back the weeds of
alcoholism -- slowly I am letting those early seeds of faith to grow and
bloom. Each day of recovery, of ardent gardening, brings the Higher
Power of my understanding more fully into my life. My God has
always been with me through faith, but it is my responsibility to have
the willingness to accept His presence.
I ask God to grant me the willingness to do His will.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

We in A.A. are offering a kind of psychological program as well as a
spiritual one. First, people must be mentally able to receive it. They
must have made up their minds that they want to quit drinking, and
they must be willing to do something about it. Their confidence must
be obtained. We must show them that we are their friends and really
desire to help them. When we have their confidence, they will listen to
us. Then the A.A. fellowship is a kind of group therapy. Newcomers
need the fellowship of other alcoholics who understand their problem
because they have had it themselves. Individuals must learn to
reeducate their minds. They must learn to think differently. Do I do
my best to give mental help?

Meditation For The Day

"And this is life eternal, that they may know Thee." It is the flow of
life eternal through spirit, mind, and body that cleanses, heals,
restores, and renews. Seek conscious contact with God more and more
each day. Make God an abiding presence during the day. Be conscious
of His spirit helping you. All that is done without God's spirit is
passing. All that is done with God's spirit is life eternal.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may be in the stream of eternal life. I pray that I may be
cleansed and healed by the Eternal Spirit.

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As Bill Sees It

The Way Of Strength, p. 129

We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator.
We have good reason to disbelieve those who think spirituality is the
way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength.

The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage.
They trust their God. So we never apologize for our belief in Him.
Instead, we try to let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 68

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Walk In Dry Places

Treating loved ones worse than strangers.
Personal Relations
Some of us grew up with resentments about the way our families treated us. It was confusing to notice how nice our parents could be toward strangers and then how abruptly they could become abusive toward us.
The best release for this kind of resentment is forgiveness, but we should also ask ourselves if we're guilty of the same faults. Are we discourteous and inconsiderate toward our own children and family members? Do we apologize when we offend strangers, but not when we hurt our own children?
We should try to treat everyone with fairness and kindness. No family member should be subjuected to our incessant criticism and rudeness. We owe them the same courtesies we extend to strangers.
If I've had bad examples of abusive treatment in my own early years, I'll change the pattern by treating my own family with fairness and kindness, starting today.

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Keep It Simple

Let him that would move the world, first move himself.---Socrates
Before recovery, most of us were big talkers. The Twelve Steps are for
doers, not talkers. In the Steps we find action words: admitted, humbly
asked, made direct amends, continued to take personal inventory. All these
words speak of action, of doing. Recovery is about action. It's for doers.
An action may be very simple. Such as going to a meeting early to set up
chairs. Or it could be helping a neighbor. The program teaches that
spirituality active, we grow and change.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, give me movement. Give me spiritual movement. Help me be a
doer, not just a talker. Teach me to work my program.
Today's Action: Today, I'll remember the words actions go together.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

My Chance To Live

A.A. gave this teenager the tools to climb out of her dark abyss of despair.

Now, I had been thinking that my problem was insanity, and what happened on my night off clinched it: I missed this motley crew who had plagued my existence for over a month. I missed the laughter and their bright smiles. I went and had coffee with them.

p. 313

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Five - "Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry it's message to the alcoholic who still suffers."

"Then, hesitantly, I ventured to talk about the spiritual side of our program. What a freeze that drunk gave me! I'd no sooner got the word `spiritual' out of my mouth than he pounced. `Oh!' he said. `Now I get it! You're proselytizing for some **************** religious sect or other. Where do you get that "no angle" stuff? I belong to a great church that means everything to me. You've got a nerve to come in here talking religion!"

pp. 152-153

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Keep looking for the positive and that's what you'll get!
--unknown

Having a resentment is like drinking poison and expecting
someone else to die.
--unknown

>From a little spark comes a great fire.
--Polish Proverb

Sometimes love has its ups and downs. Mostly though, there are more
ups than downs and true love will weather any storm.
--K. Lytestone

"Wake up with a smile and go after life . . .. Live it, enjoy it, taste it,
smell it, feel it."
--Joe Knapp

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself.
What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.
--Hermann Hesse

Expectation is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of
tomorrow, it loses today.
--Seneca

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

POTENTIAL

"Education is helping the child
realize his potentialities."
-- Eric Fromm

When I was drinking, I behaved like a child. I behaved not just like a
child but "childish". I was so dependent upon my alcohol, so addicted,
that I never realized my potential in life. I never realized the gift of
life!

Today I have a spiritual program that offers me the world; it sets no
limits on my horizons; it encourages me to discover my potential and
live it. Today I am learning new languages, visiting different countries
and enjoying alternative cultures, making new friendships and, most
importantly, discovering the "bigness" of God in His world. The
education I have gained in my sobriety seems unending and
unstoppable. Each day produces a new opportunity and a different
experience. Everyday is a time to receive.

Teach me to journey through the words into the experience.

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"I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
Psalm 91:2

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:10

This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light
and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we
have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are
not living in the truth. But if we are living in the light of God's
presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.
1 John 1:5-7

Don't be impatient for the LORD to act! Travel steadily along his
path. He will honor you, giving you the land. You will see the wicked
destroyed.
Psalm 37:34

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Daily Inspiration

Never worry about the opinion others have of you because there is only one opinion that counts. Lord, I will walk in Your footsteps and seek to please You in my daily life.

When you live in the spirit of God you will always feel the love within you. Lord, may I seek peace in You and not from the outside world.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Do I love you because you're beautiful Or are you beautiful because I love you? --Oscar Hammerstein
Once, a powerful king agreed to help a small, lost boy find his mother. Since the boy described his mother as the most beautiful woman in the world, the king commanded all the beautiful women in the kingdom to come to the castle.
>From miles around, they came--women with complexions of porcelain and hair of spun gold, with cheeks the color of apricots and eyes as dark as the raven's. But none of them was the boy's mother. When the last of the women had paraded before them, and the king and the boy had begun to despair, they heard a timid knock on the door. "Come in," the king said wearily. In shuffled an old washer woman, her grey hair tied up in a kerchief, her hands rough and red, her dress coarse and patched.
"Mother!" the boy cried when he saw her, and he leapt from his chair and raced into the woman's arms. The king stared in amazement.
Will I be able to see the real beauty in others today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
The craftsman does not always build toward a prior vision. Often images come in the process of working. The material, his hands - together they beget. --M. C. Richards
We awaken in the morning, and the day is an un-built creation. We have some ideas about what we will accomplish today. But our Higher Power also has some things in mind, which are not yet part of our consciousness. We have lived long enough to know that every day brings surprises. We know in advance we will be frustrated in some of our desires, and we may be helped or advanced in others. But what about the totally unexpected? Will we even notice the subtle opportunities? Will we see an opportunity for a friendly conversation? Do our plans unwittingly prevent other possibilities from intruding?
When we hold loosely to our daily plans, we are more open to knowing the will of our Higher Power. Then each day is a spiritual process. It becomes a combined creation of our Higher Power and our own consciousness.
Today, I will hold my own plan loosely so that I can continue to be open to the healing powers of God.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Let me tell thee, time is a very precious gift of God; so precious that it's only given to us moment by moment. --Amelia Barr
Where are our minds right now? Are we focused fully on this meditation? Or are our minds wandering off to events scheduled for later today or tomorrow perhaps? The simple truth is that this moment is all God has allowed right now. It's God's design that we will live fully each moment, as it comes. Therein lies the richness of our lives. Each moment contributes to the full pattern that's uniquely our own.
We must not miss the potential pleasure of any experience because our thoughts are elsewhere. We never know when a particular moment, a certain situation, may be a door to our future. What we do know is that God often has to work hard getting our attention, perhaps allowing many stumbling blocks in order to get us back on target.
Being in tune with now, this moment, guarantees a direct line of communication to God. It also guarantees a full, yet simple life. Our purpose becomes clear as we trust our steps to God's guidance. How terribly complicated we make life by living in the past, the present, and many future times, all at once!
One step, one moment, and then the next step and its moment. How the simple life brings me freedom!


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Vulnerability
I've learned that the more vulnerable I allow myself to be, the more in control of myself I really am. --Anonymous
Many of us feel that we can only show our strong, confident side. We believe the face we have to show to the world should always be one of politeness, perfection, calm, strength, and control.
While it is certainly good and often appropriate to be in control, calm, and strong, there is another side to all of us--that part of us that feels needy, becomes frightened, has doubts, and gets angry. That part of us that needs care, love, and reassurance those things will be okay. Expressing these needs makes us vulnerable and less than perfect, but this side needs our acceptance too.
Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable will help us build lasting relationships. Sharing our vulnerabilities helps us feel close to people and helps others feel close to us. It helps us grow in self-love and self-acceptance. It helps us become healing agents. It allows us to become whole and accessible to others.
Today, I will allow myself to be vulnerable with others when it's safe and appropriate to do so.


Today I will take enough time to do something good for myself only. I will buy myself a gift or spend worthwhile time doing something pleasant and fulfilling. I have enough time today and I deserve this time for myself. --Ruth Fishel

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When Is A Secret Not A Secret?

"Addicts tend to live secret lives.... It is a great relief to get rid of all our secrets and to share the burden of our past."
Basic Text, p.32

We've heard it said that "we're as sick as our secrets" What do we keep secret, and why?

We keep secret those things that cause us shame. We may hold onto such things because we don't want to surrender them. Yet if they're causing us shame, wouldn't we live more easily with ourselves if we were rid of them?

Some of us hold onto the things that cause us shame for another reason. It's not that we don't want to be rid of them; we just don't believe we can be rid of them. They've plagued us for so long, and we've tried so many times to rid ourselves of them, that we've stopped hoping for relief. Yet still they shame us, and still we keep them secret.

We need to remember who we are: recovering addicts. We who tried so long to keep our drug use a secret have found freedom from the obsession and compulsion to use. Though many of us enjoyed using right to the end, we sought recovery anyway. We just couldn't stand the toll our using was taking on us. When we admitted our powerlessness and sought help from others, the burden of our secret was lifted from us.

The same principle applies to whatever secrets may burden us. Yes, we're as sick as our secrets. Only when our secrets stop being secret can we begin to find relief from those things that cause us shame.

Just for today: My secrets can make me sick only as long as they stay secret. Today, I will talk with my sponsor about my secrets.
pg. 226

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Wisdom for Today
Recovery is not always easy; in fact there are times when it is down right hard. In these difficult times we must be careful not to act impulsively. This is where the AA motto, "Think, Think, Think," comes in. First, we must think the drink or drug through till the end. What this means is that we must think past the drinking or drugging to the consequences that wait for us on the other side. And they do wait; and because we are alcoholics and addicts, we cannot know how bad these consequences may be. Secondly, we must think about what the program tells us to do in these situations. How can we use the steps to help us get through these difficult times. What would my sponsor say to me? What principles of the program can I rely on to help me choose to do the next right thing.
Finally, I must think about what my Higher Power would want me to do in this situation. How can I use God to help me with my current situation? What does my Higher Power want me to do? Each of these statements summarizes a plan to help me deal with life on life's terms. So when things get difficult as they sometimes do, I must train myself to use this motto in my life as a plan of action. This motto will help me make healthy decisions. It will guide me step by step back to a place of stability in my recovery. I can even use this motto when life is not so difficult. It will keep me on track, and I will be less likely to end up in difficult situations. Do I use, "Think, think, think," in my daily life?
Meditations for the Heart
As we grow closer and closer to our God, as we understand Him, we become less and less entangled in in the frustrations of humanity and its limitations. Man is filled with shortcomings and cannot satisfy all our desires. But God can indeed fill our every need. Whenever we need His help, He is there. Whenever we need His encouragement, He is there. Whenever we need His encouragement, He is there. And whenever we need His wisdom, He is there. This is where we all need look to have our needs fulfilled. Should we turn only to our fellow man to satisfy our needs, we will surely be let down sooner or later. But God always satisfies our needs. This does not always happen in the ways in which we might expect, but it will happen in the way God wants it to. Do I go to God and lay my needs before Him?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Sometimes life gets frustrating, and I know I need to turn to You for Help. Let me learn to use the program as a guide for my life, and let me always slow down and look to You for whatever I need. Give me answers for this day, and help me to think before I act. Let me use Your wisdom in the difficult times I may face.
Amen

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You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

God's Time

When we feel under pressure and fear that there will not be enough time to do the things we think we need to do, it helps to stop for a moment and remember that all time is God's. We may be wanting to do more than we should in the same way that we wanted to eat more than we needed. Exchanging compulsive overeating for compulsive activity is no solution to our problem.

Turning over our lives to our Higher Power as we begin each day allows Him to schedule what we will do and when we will do it. He knows our capabilities even better than we do, and He does not give us more to do than we can manage. To benefit from His guidance, we need to stay in touch with our inner selves and not get swept away by external demands.

In the past, we may have alternated between periods of non-productive lassitude and frantic bursts of activity. As we maintain ourselves on an even keel physically by abstaining from compulsive overeating, we learn moderation and order as God shows us how to use the time He gives us.

Please order the time which You give me every day.