Daily Recovery Readings - 12/25

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Daily Reflections

AT PEACE WITH LIFE

Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of
God's will into all of our activities. "How can I
best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done."
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85

I read this passage each morning, to start off my
day, because it is a continual reminder to "practice
these principles in all my affairs." When I keep
God's will at the forefront of my mind, I am able to
do what I should be doing, and that puts me at peace
with life, with myself and with God.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

Many alcoholics will be saying today: "This is a good
Christmas for me." They will be looking back over the
past Christmases which were not like this one. They
will be thanking God for their sobriety and their new
found life. They will be thinking about how their
lives have changed when they came into A.A. They will
be thinking that perhaps God let them live through all
the hazards of their drinking careers, when they were
perhaps often close to death, in order that they may
be used by Him in the great work of A.A. Is this a happy
Christmas for me?

Meditation For The Day

The kingdom of heaven is also for the lowly, the
sinners, the repentant. "And they presented unto him
gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh." Bring your gifts
of gold--your money and material possessions. Bring
your frankincense--the consecration of your life to a
worthy cause. Bring your myrrh--your sympathy and
understanding and help. Lay them all at the feet of
God and let Him have full use of them.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may be truly thankful on this Christmas day.
I pray that I may bring my gifts and lay them on the altar.

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As Bill Sees It

Two Authorities, p. 319

Many people wonder how A.A. can function under a seeming anarchy.
Other societies have to have law and force and sanction and
punishment, administered by authorized people. Happily for us, we
found that we need no human authority whatever. We have two
authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other
malign.

There is God, our Father, who very simply says, "I am waiting for you
to do my will." The other authority is named John Barleycorn, and he
says, "You had better do God's will or I will kill you."

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

The A.A. Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. We obey
them willingly because we ought to and because we want to. Perhaps
the secret of their power lies in the fact that these life-giving
communications spring out of living experience and are rooted in love.

1. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 105
2. A.A. Today, p. 11

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Walk In Dry Places

Liking Ourselves
Self-esteem.
It's maybe unsettling to learn that we need to like ourselves more, especially when we've often been accused of being conceited.
Being conceited does not mean liking oneself; it's really a matter of being smug and contemptuous in our dealing with others. This attitude is easily recognized by others, and it causes them to dislike us.
However, if we like ourselves in the right way, others sense this too, and they will be drawn to us. We will truly like ourselves more as we learn to practice the principles of AA. We will like the kind of life we are trying to live. We will like ourselves for practicing fairness and honesty. We will also like ourselves for letting people see us as we are and feel comfortable doing so. In liking ourselves, we feel no need to impress or dazzle others.
I'll remember today that I have a right to be in the world. I will do my best to be fair toward others, but I will like myself regardless of their reactions.

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Keep It Simple

To love is to place our happiness in the happiness of another.--Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz.
Not that we're getting well. We feel the need for love more than ever. We tried to avoid love by using chemicals to feel good. But it didn't work. Addiction cut us off even more from people. How do we fill our needs for love? We can think about this fact: People give us love all the time. Only we just haven't seen it. Every time someone comes to a meeting to get well with us, that is love. Love isn't all-or-nothing.
Little gems of love are all over. Watch them. Enjoy them. Give them to others.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, love comes from You. Help me see it, and give it.
Action for the Day: I'll look three persons in the eye today and send them love in my smile.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

TIGHTROPE
Trying to separate worlds was a lonely charade that ended when this gay alcoholic finally landed in A.A.

I had to walk this tightrope while trying to build a solid professional life as well. After college I had gone on to law school, where drinking on a daily basis became the norm. I justified myself with the thought that a few drinks helped me to relax and "focus" on my studies. Somehow, I managed to do well in law school and to land several prestigious legal positions afterward. I soon learned that I could not drink during the day; if I had even one drink at lunch, the rest of the afternoon would be lost. Instead I postponed my drinking until immediately after work and would then make up for lost time.

p. 360

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Four - "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."

We also clutch at another wonderful excuse for avoiding an inventory. Our present anxieties and troubles, we cry, are caused by the behavior of other people--people who really need a moral inventory. We firmly believe that if only they'd treat us better, we'd be all right. Therefore we think our indignation is justified and reasonable--that our resentments are the "right kind." We aren't the guilty ones. They are!

pp. 45-46

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Every day is a gift.
That is why we call it the present.
--unknown

"Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others."
--Brian Tracy

"The duty of helping one's self in the highest sense involves the helping of one's neighbors."
--Samuel Smiles

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now,
don't say, 'Come back tomorrow, and then I'll help you.'"
--unknown

Life's lessons are not taught in classrooms.
--unknown

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them."
--Henry David Thoreau

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

GENEROSITY

"And the Word was made flesh
and dwelt amongst us."
-- John (1:14)

There is a beautiful fairy tale about a land where everybody had an abundance of "warm fuzzies" that they exchanged with
each other and shared with each other. Everything in this land was wonderful because all the people were generously giving
and receiving "warm fuzzies".

Then a rumor began that there was to be a shortage of "warm fuzzies," and people began to hoard and selfishly protect their
supply of "warm fuzzies." At this point, "cold pricklies" were introduced into the land. Sadness, pain, tension and persecution
developed in the land, and the growth of the "cold pricklies" kept people separated, fearful and alone.

The tragedy of this tale is that the rumor was not true! As long as people generously share their "warm fuzzies", they will
never disappear. The "warm fuzzies" only disappear when they are not shared. The more we give, the more we receive.
Abundance rests in giving, never hoarding!

Master, may I always be generous with all that You have given me.

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"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11

"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.'" John 20:29

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Daily Inspiration

Enthusiasm keeps the mind young and the spirit growing. Lord, may I always see wonder in the ordinary happenings of my day.

No detail is too insignificant for God's attention. Lord, You encourage me daily as You guide my humblest moments.

[admin]

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
We have no right to ask, when sorrow comes, Why did this happen to me? unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way. --Philip S. Bernstein
All of us have reasons to be grateful. Usually, the word implies we have received something. We often think of gratitude as that warm feeling we get from someone else's generosity. We are particularly grateful when we get unexpected gifts from those who owe us nothing. Within a family, we expect such acts of love because we are close to one another.
But gratitude doesn't always come from being a receiver. Gratitude is warmest when it accompanies the joy of being able to give without expecting anything in return. We find it isn't enough to feel grateful. We have to express our gratitude by showing kindness and service to everyone around us.
Gratitude is the greatest of all heart-openers. When it enters the heart, love pours out. For every kindness we receive, gratitude inspires a hundred acts of giving.
How can I show my gratitude today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
In the sphere of material things, giving means being rich. Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much. --Erich Fromm
Material possessions have great significance in our world. Not only do we strive to own a special car, electronic gear, and far more clothes than we need, but we also think in terms of possessing a girlfriend, or our health, or happiness, or things that cannot be owned. Some of us have become addicted to buying and owning things. This gimme-gimme mentality affects us all and, rather than enriching us, it impoverishes us. Tangible things enrich us only when we use them and share them to improve our lives and the lives of others. We don't need to be wealthy to share what we have with others. It is the sharing that nourishes us and builds bridges between us.
Wise people have known for thousands of years that a man's spirituality is deeply affected by his relationship to his possessions. When we respect what we own as a gift from God and share it with others, we grow richer spiritually.
I will hold my possessions loosely and with respect so they can be used well and shared.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
What we suffer, what we endure . . is done by us, as individuals, in private.
--Louise Bogan
Empathy we can give. Empathy we can find, and it comforts. But our pain, the depth of it, can never be wholly shared, fully understood, actually realized by anyone other than ourselves. Alone, each of us comes to terms with our grief, our despair, even our guilt.
Knowing that we are not alone in what we suffer, makes the difficulties each of us must face easier. We haven't been singled out, of that we're certain. Remembering that our challenges offer us the lessons we need in the school of life makes them more acceptable. In time, as our recovery progresses, we'll even look eagerly to our challenges as the real exciting opportunities for which we've been created.
Suffering prompts the changes necessary for spiritual growth. It pushes us like no other experience to God--for understanding, for relief, for unwavering security. It's not easy to look upon suffering as a gift. And we need not fully understand it; however, in time, its value in our lives will become clear.
I will not be wary of the challenges today. I will celebrate their part of my growth.


You are reading from the book The Language Of Letting Go.
The Holidays
Sometimes, the holidays are filled with the joy we associate with that time of year. The season flows. Magic is in the air.
Sometimes, the holidays can be difficult and lonely.
Here are some ideas I've learned through personal experience, and practice, to help us get through difficult holidays:
Deal with feelings, but try not to dwell unduly on them. Put the holidays in perspective: A holiday is one day out of 365. We can get through any 24-hour period.
Get through the day, but we aware that there may be a post holiday backlash. Sometimes, if we use our survival behaviors to get through the day, the feelings will catch up to us the next day. Deal with them too. Get back on track as quickly as possible.
Find and cherish the love that's available, even if it's not exactly what we want. Is there someone we can give love to and receive love from? Recovering friends? Is there a family who would enjoy sharing their holiday with us? Don't be a martyr; go. There may be those who would appreciate our offer to share our day with them.
We are not in the minority if we find ourselves experiencing a less than ideal holiday. How easy, but untrue, to tell ourselves the rest of the world is experiencing the perfect holiday, and we're alone in conflict.
We can create our own holiday agenda. Buy yourself a present. Find someone to whom you can give. Unleash your loving, nurturing self and give in to the holiday spirit.
Maybe past holidays haven't been terrific. Maybe this year wasn't terrific. But next year can be better, and the next a little better. Work toward a better life - one that meets your needs. Before long, you'll have it.
God, help me enjoy and cherish this holiday. If my situation is less than ideal, help me take what's good and let go of the rest.


Love fills me and heals me as I open to connect with the people that God has placed in my life. --Ruth Fishel

[admin]

You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Confidence

Our biggest problem was the inability to stop eating compulsively and the resultant obesity. This problem is never solved permanently, but it is overcome on a day-to-day basis. As we succeed in abstaining from compulsive overeating, we grow in confidence. Since by working the program we solve our biggest problem every day, we become confident that we can solve other problems as well.

Confidence is trust that our Higher Power and OA will not let us down. Confidence is the knowledge that however tough life gets, we have tools and resources for dealing with it. Confidence believes in ourselves as children of God and people of value. Confidence is the willingness to give what we have, with the faith that our gifts are needed and acceptable.

When we have confidence in our Higher Power and in ourselves, we are willing to try even though we may fail. If we fail, we are willing to try again. Since our will and our lives are turned over to God, as we understand Him, we have confidence that everything eventually works out for good.

You are the source of confidence.

[admin]

Wisdom for Today
Many of us will be celebrating today. Exchanging gifts, spending time with family, etc. is a good time for most. As addicts and alcoholics, we often remember when Christmas was not always a time to celebrate. Then we walked into the day with guilt and remorse or sadness. Today is indeed a day to celebrate, for we have been given the wonderful gift of sobriety. It is a day when we can be especially grateful. Although this gift does not come all wrapped up with ribbons and bows, it certainly is the most precious gift an addict can have, for without sobriety we have nothing. Take time to acknowledge this gift today, and look to your Higher Power with gratitude.
For some of us the holidays are not always easy. Memories can be painful. For some of us the holidays mean interacting with family, which can trigger all kinds of emotions and struggles even in recovery. Still we need to focus on the gift we have received. I find that asking myself what God wants me to do with this gift helps me even through any holiday struggles. Today I believe He just wants me to be the best person I can be regardless of my circumstances. I also believe He wants me to look for His peace and joy in this day. Do I treasure the gift that I am given this day?
Meditations for the Heart
Today is a day to experience God's heaven here on earth. With each smiling face and glimmering light in this day, I can experience joy. With each quiet moment and each deep thought I can experience peace. All that is around me may hustle and bustle with the excitement of the day, but I can carry this peace and joy inside of me. I can know God's closeness to me and rest in His arms today. I can feel His comfort in my heart as I walk through this day. This day in many ways is just like any other in recovery. Yes, there may be all the glitter and glitz and the fancy packages, but this day I am gifted with sobriety just like all the other twenty-four hours I am given. Yet it is also different because it is a holiday. So today I will be conscious of each breath I am given and seek out the inner peace and joy in my heart. Do I seek after joy and peace in my recovery?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You give me only one day at a time. For this I am grateful. Help me to make this a joyful holiday and to know Your peace. Walk through this day with me, and guide me away from the pitfalls or struggles I may encounter without Your help. Let me rest in Your arms this day.
Amen.