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01-12-2007, 04:04 PM
Daily Reflections
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily
reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85
The most common alcoholic fantasy seems to be: "If I just don't
drink, everything will be all right." Once the fog cleared for me, I
saw -- for the first time -- the mess my life had become. I had family,
work, financial and legal problems; I was hung up on old religious
ideas; there were sides of my character to which I was inclined to stay blind
because they easily could have convinced me that I was hopeless and
pushed me toward escape again. The Big Book guided me in
resolving all of my problems. But it didn't happen overnight -- and
certainly not automatically -- with no effort on my part. I need always to
recognize God's mercy and blessings that shine through any problem
I have to face.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
When we were drinking, we were living an unnatural life
physically and mentally. We were punishing our bodies by
loading them with alcohol. We didn't eat enough and we
ate the wrong things. We didn't get enough sleep or the
right kind of rest. We were ruining ourselves physically.
We had an alcoholic obsession and we couldn't imagine
life without alcohol. We kept imagining all kinds of
crazy things about ourselves and about other people. We
were ruining ourselves mentally. Since I came into A.A.,
am I getting better physically and mentally?
Meditation For The Day
I believe that my life is being refined like gold in a
crucible. Gold does not stay in the crucible, only until
it is refined. I will never despair or be despondent. I
now have friends who long for me to conquer. If I should
err or fail, it would cause pain and disappointment to
them. I will keep trying to live a better life.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may always call on God's strength, while
the gold of my life is being refined. I pray that I may
see it through, with God's help.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
People Of Faith, p. 300
We who have traveled a path through agnosticism or atheism beg you
to lay aside prejudice, even against organized religion. We have
learned that, whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be,
those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions. People of
faith have a rational idea of what life is all about.
Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We
used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and
practices, when we might have seen that many spiritually-minded
persons of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree
of stability, happiness, and usefulness that we should have sought for
ourselves.
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 49
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
The need for approval.
Raising self-esteem.
Although drinking behavior may have been defiant and antisocial, most of us wanted others to think well of us. If we are not watchful, this need for approval can tyrannize us in sobriety.
A fierce need for approval can drives us to do more than our share of talking at discussion meetings. On the other hand, the fear of disapproval may cause us to "pass" when we really do have something to say. Outside of the fellowship, a strong desire for others' approval can make us anxious and unsure of ourselves. In the same way, a strong fear of being rejected or criticized can make us afraid to act.
In sobriety, we can free ourselves from an unreasonable desire for approval. When we learn to like ourselves more, we do not need constant reassurance and applause from others. We may also discover that we have been doing certain things against our will simply because we wanted somebody's approval. This is our fault, not theirs, and we can get such practices out of our lives when we no longer need them.
I will accept myself as I am today. I will give others the approval that I desire for myself. I will not try to win approval by being a people-pleaser
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
The junkie can never start to cure himself until he recognizes his true condition.----Malcoln X
Now we know what the problem is. Now we can do something about it. The truth of our problem is, we can't handle alcohol or other drugs. They handle us. They control us. The Steps ask us to face the truth.
And the truth sets us free. What a wonderful gift! We feared the truth, but now it's our friend. It's a relief.
Facing the truth means we're honest. And honestly is our best friend in recovery. It's like a cozy fire on a winter's night. Honesty is how we get well. It's also what will keep us well. Do I truly believe I can't use alcohol or other drugs?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me know that I must work this program with care and respect.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll make two list, On one list, I'll write ways I work on my program. On the other list, I'll write way I play with my program. And I'll put my energy into working the program.
************************************************** *********
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 started to work on the steps, and even with my difficulty over the Third Step and "the God concept," I began to develop a sense of trust in the A.A. group and in the ideas of the Fellowship as a manifestation of a Power greater than myself. Although for many years I did not come to an acceptance of a God who intervened personally and directly in the lives of individuals, I was able to accept the idea of a force that moved in the rooms and animated A.A. members with a sense of unconditional love. That satisfied my spiritual needs for a long time.
pp. 366-367
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Four - "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."
But it is from our twisted relations with family, friends, and society at large that many of us have suffered the most. We have been especially stupid and stubborn about them. The primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a true partnership with another human being. Our egomania digs two disastrous pitfalls. Either we insist upon dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much. If we lean too heavily on people, they will sooner or later fail us, for they are human, too, and cannot possibly meet our incessant demands. In this way our insecurity grows and festers. When we habitually try to manipulate others to our own willful desires, they revolt, and resist us heavily. Then we develop hurt feelings, a sense of persecution, and a desire to retaliate. As we redouble our efforts at control, and continue to fail, our suffering becomes acute and constant. We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society. Always we tried to struggle to the top of the heap, or to hide underneath it. This self-centered behavior blocked a partnership relation with any one of those about us. Of true brotherhood we had small comprehension.
p. 53
************************************************** *********
Nothing is so bad, that a drink won't make worse.
A contented mind is a continual feast.
--American Proverb
Daylight follows a dark night.
--Maasai Proverb
Even the longest day has its end.
--Irish Proverb
"Lord, take me where You want me to go:
Let me meet who You want me to meet:
Tell me what You want me to say, and
Keep me out of Your way"
--Franciscan friar, Mychal F. Judge
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
ACCEPTANCE
"Treat the other man's faith
gently; it is all he has to believe
with."
-- Henry Hoskins
I said that I was a nonviolent drunk. Today I am able to see that I was
sarcastic and verbally violent, and this was no less painful or
destructive to the victim. A target for my anger and venom was the
faith and beliefs of others, especially when they differed radically
from my own. My alcoholism made me a prejudiced and bigoted man,
a prisoner of my arrogance.
My sobriety teaches me to be accepting and tolerant of the views and
opinions of others. A spirituality that embraces all men --- rather than
a narrow and restrictive religion --- is my prescription for life. I have
exchanged bigotry for freedom, and I am happy in God's world.
I pray that my acceptance of my fellow man, regardless of culture or
creed, may lead to understanding.
************************************************** *********
"But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 2:9
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Don't worry about tomorrow because God is already taking care of it. Lord, help me set aside needless worry and anxiety so that I have time to do all that I need to do today.
When life seems hard and filled with troubles, look for reasons to be thankful. Lord, Your beautiful presence is always with me.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily
reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85
The most common alcoholic fantasy seems to be: "If I just don't
drink, everything will be all right." Once the fog cleared for me, I
saw -- for the first time -- the mess my life had become. I had family,
work, financial and legal problems; I was hung up on old religious
ideas; there were sides of my character to which I was inclined to stay blind
because they easily could have convinced me that I was hopeless and
pushed me toward escape again. The Big Book guided me in
resolving all of my problems. But it didn't happen overnight -- and
certainly not automatically -- with no effort on my part. I need always to
recognize God's mercy and blessings that shine through any problem
I have to face.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
When we were drinking, we were living an unnatural life
physically and mentally. We were punishing our bodies by
loading them with alcohol. We didn't eat enough and we
ate the wrong things. We didn't get enough sleep or the
right kind of rest. We were ruining ourselves physically.
We had an alcoholic obsession and we couldn't imagine
life without alcohol. We kept imagining all kinds of
crazy things about ourselves and about other people. We
were ruining ourselves mentally. Since I came into A.A.,
am I getting better physically and mentally?
Meditation For The Day
I believe that my life is being refined like gold in a
crucible. Gold does not stay in the crucible, only until
it is refined. I will never despair or be despondent. I
now have friends who long for me to conquer. If I should
err or fail, it would cause pain and disappointment to
them. I will keep trying to live a better life.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may always call on God's strength, while
the gold of my life is being refined. I pray that I may
see it through, with God's help.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
People Of Faith, p. 300
We who have traveled a path through agnosticism or atheism beg you
to lay aside prejudice, even against organized religion. We have
learned that, whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be,
those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions. People of
faith have a rational idea of what life is all about.
Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We
used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and
practices, when we might have seen that many spiritually-minded
persons of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree
of stability, happiness, and usefulness that we should have sought for
ourselves.
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 49
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
The need for approval.
Raising self-esteem.
Although drinking behavior may have been defiant and antisocial, most of us wanted others to think well of us. If we are not watchful, this need for approval can tyrannize us in sobriety.
A fierce need for approval can drives us to do more than our share of talking at discussion meetings. On the other hand, the fear of disapproval may cause us to "pass" when we really do have something to say. Outside of the fellowship, a strong desire for others' approval can make us anxious and unsure of ourselves. In the same way, a strong fear of being rejected or criticized can make us afraid to act.
In sobriety, we can free ourselves from an unreasonable desire for approval. When we learn to like ourselves more, we do not need constant reassurance and applause from others. We may also discover that we have been doing certain things against our will simply because we wanted somebody's approval. This is our fault, not theirs, and we can get such practices out of our lives when we no longer need them.
I will accept myself as I am today. I will give others the approval that I desire for myself. I will not try to win approval by being a people-pleaser
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
The junkie can never start to cure himself until he recognizes his true condition.----Malcoln X
Now we know what the problem is. Now we can do something about it. The truth of our problem is, we can't handle alcohol or other drugs. They handle us. They control us. The Steps ask us to face the truth.
And the truth sets us free. What a wonderful gift! We feared the truth, but now it's our friend. It's a relief.
Facing the truth means we're honest. And honestly is our best friend in recovery. It's like a cozy fire on a winter's night. Honesty is how we get well. It's also what will keep us well. Do I truly believe I can't use alcohol or other drugs?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me know that I must work this program with care and respect.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll make two list, On one list, I'll write ways I work on my program. On the other list, I'll write way I play with my program. And I'll put my energy into working the program.
************************************************** *********
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 started to work on the steps, and even with my difficulty over the Third Step and "the God concept," I began to develop a sense of trust in the A.A. group and in the ideas of the Fellowship as a manifestation of a Power greater than myself. Although for many years I did not come to an acceptance of a God who intervened personally and directly in the lives of individuals, I was able to accept the idea of a force that moved in the rooms and animated A.A. members with a sense of unconditional love. That satisfied my spiritual needs for a long time.
pp. 366-367
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Four - "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."
But it is from our twisted relations with family, friends, and society at large that many of us have suffered the most. We have been especially stupid and stubborn about them. The primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a true partnership with another human being. Our egomania digs two disastrous pitfalls. Either we insist upon dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much. If we lean too heavily on people, they will sooner or later fail us, for they are human, too, and cannot possibly meet our incessant demands. In this way our insecurity grows and festers. When we habitually try to manipulate others to our own willful desires, they revolt, and resist us heavily. Then we develop hurt feelings, a sense of persecution, and a desire to retaliate. As we redouble our efforts at control, and continue to fail, our suffering becomes acute and constant. We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society. Always we tried to struggle to the top of the heap, or to hide underneath it. This self-centered behavior blocked a partnership relation with any one of those about us. Of true brotherhood we had small comprehension.
p. 53
************************************************** *********
Nothing is so bad, that a drink won't make worse.
A contented mind is a continual feast.
--American Proverb
Daylight follows a dark night.
--Maasai Proverb
Even the longest day has its end.
--Irish Proverb
"Lord, take me where You want me to go:
Let me meet who You want me to meet:
Tell me what You want me to say, and
Keep me out of Your way"
--Franciscan friar, Mychal F. Judge
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
ACCEPTANCE
"Treat the other man's faith
gently; it is all he has to believe
with."
-- Henry Hoskins
I said that I was a nonviolent drunk. Today I am able to see that I was
sarcastic and verbally violent, and this was no less painful or
destructive to the victim. A target for my anger and venom was the
faith and beliefs of others, especially when they differed radically
from my own. My alcoholism made me a prejudiced and bigoted man,
a prisoner of my arrogance.
My sobriety teaches me to be accepting and tolerant of the views and
opinions of others. A spirituality that embraces all men --- rather than
a narrow and restrictive religion --- is my prescription for life. I have
exchanged bigotry for freedom, and I am happy in God's world.
I pray that my acceptance of my fellow man, regardless of culture or
creed, may lead to understanding.
************************************************** *********
"But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 2:9
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Don't worry about tomorrow because God is already taking care of it. Lord, help me set aside needless worry and anxiety so that I have time to do all that I need to do today.
When life seems hard and filled with troubles, look for reasons to be thankful. Lord, Your beautiful presence is always with me.