Daily Recovery Readings - 8/8

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Daily Reflections

"MADE A LIST. . . . "

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, . . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 77

When I approached the Eighth Step, I wondered how I could
list all the things that I have done to other people
since there were so many people, and some of them weren't
alive anymore. Some of the hurts I inflicted weren't bad,
but they really bothered me. The main thing to see in
this Step was to become willing to do whatever I had to
do to make these amends to the best of my ability at that
particular time. Where there is a will, there's a way,
so if I want to feel better, I need to unload the guilt
feeling I have. A peaceful mind has no room for feeling
of guilt. With the help of my Higher Power, if I am honest
with myself, I can cleanse my mind of these feelings.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

For awhile, we are going back to the Big Book, Alcoholics
Anonymous, and pick out passages here and there, so that
they may become fixed in our minds, a little at a time,
day by day, as we go along. There is no substitute for
reading the Big Book. It is our "bible." We should study
it thoroughly and make it a part of ourselves. We should
not try to change any of it. Within its covers is the
full exposition of the A.A. program. There is no substitute
for it. We should study it often. Have I studied the Big
Book faithfully?

Meditation For The Day

All of life is a fluctuation between effort and rest. You
need both every day. But effort is not truly effective until
first you have had the proper preparation for it, by resting
in a time of quiet meditation. This daily time of rest and
meditation gives you the power necessary to make your best
effort. There are days when you are called on for much effort
and then comes a time when you need much rest. It is not good
to rest too long and it is not good to carry on great effort
too long without rest. The successful life is a proper
balance between the two.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may be ready to make the proper effort. I pray
that I may also recognize the need for relaxation.

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As Bill Sees It

Look Beyond The Horizon, p. 125

My workshop stands on a hill back of our home. Looking over the
valley, I see the village community house where our local group
meets. Beyond the circle of my horizon lies the whole world of A.A.

<< << << >> >> >>

The unity of A.A. is the most cherished quality our Society has. Our
lives, the lives of all to come, depend squarely upon it. Without unity,
the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; our world arteries would no
longer carry the life-giving grace of God.

1. A.A. Today, p. 7
2. 12 & 12, p. 129

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Walk In Dry Places

No self-deception
Honesty
Most of the time, other people don't really deceive us. We deceive ourselves by refusing to face life realistically. We often believe false information simply because we want to believe it.
Living on a 12 Step basis should enable us to face reality without becoming cynical or pessimistic. If a friend appears to be lying to us, for example, we can accept this as a single lie, not as a complete betrayal. In addition, we learn not to lie to ourselves. This helps us avoid shaky business schemes and unrealistic hopes.
At the same time, we can still retain our capacity for believing in wonders and miracles. We have experienced enough miracles to prove that they really happen.
I'll use my head as much as possible today to help keep my heart from getting me into trouble, but I'll remember that it's what's in my heart that counts.

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Keep It Simple

Adventure is not outside a man; it is within.---David Grayson
Sobriety. It's an exciting adventure. It's a spiritual adventure. We look inward. We find where our Higher Power lives: within us. We then reach outward. We share our joy with others. Not with words and preaching, but by trying to help others. Sobriety is faith turned into action.
Sobriety. It's an adventure in coming to know one's self. At times, we'll have to face our fears. But we'll also find just how much love we have for life.
Sobriety. It's as if we're on a trip. Our Higher Power holds the map. Our job is to listen. And we go in the direction we're told.
Prayer for the Day: I pray to be an adventurer. Higher Power, I pray to follow Your direction.
Action for the Day: I'll ask some friends to tell me about an adventure their Higher Power has taken them on.

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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.

It took about three months for me to realize I was my problem and drinking made my problem much worse. The other substances were simply tools to control my drinking. Given a choice, I'd take a drink over the other stuff in a heartbeat. Angry doesn't begin to describe how I felt when I had to admit I was an alcoholic.

p. 314

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Six - "An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose."

It occurred to us that we could take what we had into the factories and cause laborers and capitalists to love each other. Our uncompromising honesty might soon clean up politics. With one arm around the shoulder of medicine, we'd resolve their differences. Having learned to live so happily, we'd show everybody else how. Why, we thought, our Society of Alcoholics Anonymous might prove to be the spearhead of a new spiritual advance! We might transform the world.

p. 156

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I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some
marmalade. It's amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and
scrub the floor.
--D. H. Lawrence

There is more time than life.
--Mexican Proverb

If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would get done.
--unknown

I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who 'have'
to dance.
--George Balanchine

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds
you plant."
--Robert Louis Stevenson

"You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people
actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must
take action."
--Anthony Robbins

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

MONEY

"Money often costs too much."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Money can be a curse. It can destroy people. Money in itself has no
value. It needs to be "used" or "put to work". The problem is that
many people think it can work miracles, i.e., "make me happy", "give
me self-esteem", "bring love into my life", "remove my loneliness",
"cure my insecurities and remove my alcohol or drug problems!" The
historical list of wealthy casualties indicates that this is not the case.
We cannot "buy" ourselves out of a disease! In this sense, money
costs too much.

Because I have a compulsive nature, I need to be aware of my desire
for money and the responsible way I need to use it. Spirituality
involves the use of money. I need to be positive in my attitude towards
money but also creative about how to use it.

I need always to remember that true wealth is found in my discovery
of the God within and not in the clothes I wear.

O God, let me make money serve me; may I never be foolish enough
to serve it.

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"Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes; And I shall keep it to
the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; Indeed, I
shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of
Your commandments, for I delight in it."
Psalm 119:33-35

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your
own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:5

"He answered: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind';
and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Luke 10:27

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:7

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Romans 12:2b

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Daily Inspiration

There is never a moment that we cease being a child of God. Lord, Your love fills me with the ability to love all of Your children. Help me to set aside any hurts or reservations that I have and treat all as You would.

Often times that which we find difficult is that which teaches. Lord, may I always be able to see the good that comes from even my trials.

[admin]

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
The important thing is not to conquer but to have fought at all. --Olympic motto
People come from all over the world to participate in the Olympics, and they come with a wide range of talent. A lot of them know they will not win a medal, yet they have trained hard for their event. They meet people from all corners of the earth who love the same activity.
There is a contagious joy and excitement the athletes share in their time together. It is a sense that the sharing of worldwide joy and peace is indeed possible.
Whether we succeed or fail in what we do is not the essential thing. What is important is the heart with which we live our lives.
If I could share something with the world, what would it be?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It's amazing how it cheers one up to 'shred oranges and scrub the floor. --D. H. Lawrence
Focusing on pain or having difficulties can put us in a rut, and we neglect the other things in our lives. A simple task like making marmalade can be a brief vacation. We change our thought patterns when we change activities. The simple action of doing something pleasant might inject a new feeling into our outlook. Sharing a problem with a friend may be all we need to see it more clearly or let it go. Moving from busy physical activity to a few moments of quiet contemplation creates an inner balance. A problem that seems overwhelming at night may be met with new insight and new energy after a night's rest.
We don't have to continue feeling like victims of circumstance or remain stuck with a nagging problem. Just like changing the subject of a conversation, we can change the subject of our attention for a time. When we do, we regain our sense of hope and change our responses.
Today, I will give myself a break when I become caught or obsessed with a problem.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
I'm a most lucky and thankful woman. Lucky and thankful for each morning I wake up. For three wonderful daughters and one son. For an understanding and very loving husband with whom I've shared 52 blessed years, all in good health.
--Thelma Elliott
Gratitude for what's been offered us in our lives softens the harsh attitudes we occasionally harbor. Life presents us with an assortment of blessings; some bring us immediate joy; some invite tears; others foster fear. What we need help in understanding is that all experiences are meant for our good, all bless us in some manner. If we are able to see the big picture, we'd greet all situations, large and small, with a thankful heart.
It's so very easy to wish away our lives, never finding satisfaction with our families, our jobs, and our friends. The more we find fault with life, the more fault we are guaranteed to find. Negative attitudes attract negative experiences; while positive attitudes lighten whatever burden we may be learning from.
The years pass so quickly. Our chances to enjoy life pass quickly too. We can grab what comes our way and be grateful. We are never certain that this experience offered now might not be our last.
Each morning I awake is blessing number one.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Saying Yes
Yesterday we talked about learning to say no. Today let's discuss another important word: Yes.
We can learn to say yes to things that feel good, to what we want - for others and ourselves.
We can learn to say yes to fun. Yes to meetings, to calling a friend, asking for help.
We can learn to say yes to healthy relationships, to people and activities that are good for us.
We can learn to say yes to ourselves, what we want and need, our instincts, and the leading of our Higher Power.
We can learn to say yes when it feels right to help someone. We can learn to say yes to our feelings. We can learn to identify when we need to take a walk, take a nap, have our back rubbed, or buy ourselves flowers.
We can learn to say yes to work that is right for us.
We can learn to say yes to all that will nurture and nourish us. We can learn to say yes to the best life and love has to offer.
Today, I will say yes to all that feels good and right.


The peace that I feel in my life is growing richer every day. As I continue to walk on my spiritual path to recovery, I let myself be guided by truth and love. Conflict is leaving, making more and more room for charity, serenity and usefulness. --Ruth Fishel

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Responsible Recovery

"We accept responsibility for our problems and see that we're equally responsible for our solutions."
Basic Text, p.94

Some of us, well accustomed to leaving our personal responsibilities to others, may attempt the same behavior in recovery. We quickly find out it doesn't work.

For instance, we are considering making a change in our lives, so we call our sponsor and ask what we should do. Under the guise of seeking direction, we are actually asking our sponsor to assume responsibility for making decisions about our life. Or maybe we've been short with someone at a meeting, so we ask that person's best friend to make our apologies for us. Perhaps we've imposed on a friend several times in the last month to cover our service commitment. Could it be that we've asked a friend to analyze our behavior and identify our shortcomings, rather than taking our own personal inventory?

Recovery is something that has to be worked for. It isn't going to be handed to us on a silver platter, nor can we expect our friends or our sponsor to be responsible for the work we must do ourselves. We recover by making our own decisions, doing our own service, and working our own steps. By doing it for ourselves, we receive the rewards.

Just for today: I accept responsibility for my life and my recovery.
pg. 230

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Wisdom for Today

In the end of my drinking and using career, I kept on drinking and using despite the fact that it gave me nothing but trouble. In those times nothing much mattered anymore. That is, except for keeping myself supplied with enough to get high the next day. I knew what would happen if I ever ran out. It would not take long, and I would be sick. Still I kept using. I remember thinking I must be crazy. Why would anyone behave in the way that I was? Everyone else still seemed to have a good time, but I was too busy thinking about the next day to have a good time.

In recovery I no longer need to be focused on tomorrow. I have learned to live life one day at a time. I have learned that I was not crazy, at least not any crazier than the other people I see at meetings. I no longer feel alone. I feel empowered by the fellowship of the program and the Twelve Steps. So much good is happening to me living life in the here and now. No more need to worry about tomorrow! Have I learned that I am not alone? Do I work at living life to its fullest each day?
Meditations for the Heart

Years ago before my addiction took over, I worked as a lifeguard. I knew how important it was to keep a watchful eye on those under my care. I knew what to do in case there was trouble, and I knew that I had a lifeline I could throw to those in need. The program is like this; and so is God, as I understand Him. He watches out for me, and He knows what to do if I get into trouble. I have faith in His lifeline. All I need do is call out to Him when I get into trouble, and His power and care are there for me. Do I know that God watches over me?
Petitions to my Higher Power

God,

Help me this day to live my life to the fullest. Give me the inner peace that comes from knowing that You are always watching over me. Let me be filled with a grateful heart as I walk through this day. Let me seek You out whenever I am in need. Grant me courage in this new day.
Amen.

[admin]

You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Reflecting Light

We are made to reflect the goodness and light of our Higher Power. In order to do this, we need to be as free as possible of the negative emotions and self-will which block out God's light. The light is always here. It is our job to keep ourselves free from the entanglements and hang-ups, which cloud our vision.

Our primary means of staying in the light is to abstain from compulsive overeating. Without clean abstinence, we become muddled in our thinking and in our emotions. God's light and love can shine through our lives if we are physically ready to receive and reflect.

Working the Steps frees us from the negative emotions, which block out the light. At first we may have wondered how the Twelve Steps were related to our problems. As we progress in the program, we see that without the spiritual growth, which they facilitate, we cannot be fully open to the light from our Higher Power.

Prepare me to reflect Your light.