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01-19-2007, 01:30 PM
Daily Reflections
"WE PAUSE . . . AND ASK"
As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or
doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.87
Today I humbly ask my Higher Power for the grace to
find the space between my impulse and my action; to
let flow a cooling breeze when I would respond with
heat; to interrupt fierceness with gentle peace; to
accept the moment which allows judgment to become
discernment; to defer to silence when my tongue would
rush to attack or defend. I promise to watch for every
opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for
guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within
me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills
- it is the unsuspected Inner Resource. I thank my
Higher Power for this world of light and truth I see
when I allow it to direct my vision. I trust it today
and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the
right thought or action today.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
In A.A., we're all through with lying, hangovers, remorse
and wasted money. When we were drinking, we were only
half alive. Now that we're trying to live decent, honest,
unselfish lives, we're really alive. Life has a new
meaning for us, so that we can really enjoy it. We feel
that we're some use in the world. We're on the right
side of the fence, instead of on the wrong side. We can
look the world in the face instead of hiding in alleys.
We come into A.A. to get sober and if we stay long
enough, we learn a new way of living. Am I convinced
that no matter how much fun I got out of drinking, that
life was never as good as the life I can build in A.A.?
Meditation For The Day
I want to be at one with the Divine Spirit of the
universe. I will set my deepest affections on things
spiritual, not on things material. As we think,
so we are. So I will think of and desire that which will
help, not hinder, my spiritual growth. I will try to be
at one with God. No human aspiration can reach higher
than this.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may think love, and love will surround me. I
pray that I may think health, and health will come to me.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Rebellion Or Acceptance, p.293
All of us pass through the times when we can pray only with the
greatest exertion. Occasionally we go even further than this. We
are seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray.
When these things happen, we should not think too ill of ourselves.
We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we
know to be good for us.
********************************
A man who persists in prayer finds himself in possession of great
gifts. When he has to deal with hard circumstances, he finds he can
face them. He can accept himself and the world around him.
He can do this because he now accepts a God who is All--and who
loves all. When he says, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be
Thy name," he deeply and humbly means it. When in good
meditation and thus freed from the clamors of the world, he knows
that he's in God's hands, that his own ultimate destiny is really
secure, here and hereafter, come what may.
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 105
2. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1958
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
First things first____Order
Busy people often declare, with some exasperation, that they cannot do everything at once. People with emotional problems, a group that includes many alcoholics, often feel that they are trying to do everything at once. Quite often, this pressure means that we waste our time fretting about all the things facing us, becoming totally ineffective as a result.
The simple slogan "First things First" shows us how to set priorities in an orderly way. In every situation or problem, there is always one step we can take that is more important than the others. Following that, we find a step of second importance, another of third importance, and so on. Sometimes, a certain action comes first simply because other things depend on it.
By using "First things first" as a guiding principle in our lives, we can live in an orderly, disciplined manner. If we have to reduce our activities, we can decide which few ought to retain. Having made these decisions, we can be at peace about our choices. We cannot do everything at once and we need not feel guilty about it.
Knowing that order is Heaven's first law, I'll do things today in an orderly manner.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
SERVICE---A beautiful word fallen upon bad days.---Claude McKay
Service is really a beautiful word. Service means respect. When we serve others we're part of the human race. We all need to help each other. Service is a sure way to stay sober. Helping someone else stay sober helps us stay sober. And service frees us from self-will. It teaches us about how to care for ourselves and others. It teaches us that we're worthwhile. It teaches us that we make a difference. Service keeps us feeling good. Am I quiet when the topic of service comes ap at meetings? If so, how can I change this?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, show me where I can be of help. Give me the courage to make a difference. Give me the courage to really serve others in need.
Action for the Day: I'll list five ways service has made or can make my life better.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
FLOODED WITH FEELING - When a barrier to God collapsed, this self-described agnostic was at Step Three.
The next week, a bunch of us went camping, and we brought cases of beer. We finished it all. The others drank a lot too, but I was the one who woke up in the middle of the night and started wandering around the countryside by the light of the moon. I was the one who walked for miles searching for something. I know now what I was looking for. Unlike the rest of them, I wanted another drink.
p. 369
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Five - "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
Yet if A.A.'s experience means anything at all, this is not only unwise, but is actually a perilous resolve. Few muddled attitudes have caused us more trouble than holding back on Step Five. Some people are unable to stay sober at all; others will relapse periodically until they really clean house. Even A.A. old timers, sober for years, often pay dearly for skimping this Step. They will tell how they tried to carry the load alone; how much they suffered of irritability, anxiety, remorse, and depression; and how, unconsciously seeking relief, they would sometimes accuse even their best friends of the very character defects they themselves were trying to conceal. They always discovered that relief never came by confessing the sins of other people. Everybody had to confess his own.
p. 56
************************************************** *********
I place my recovery in first place. --Shelley
The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, who will need our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt. --Leo Buscaglia
Today, help me God, to let go of my resistance to change. Help me to be open to the process. Help me believe that the place I will be dropped off will be better than the place I was picked up. Help me to surrender, trust and accept, even if I don't understand. --Melody Beattie
And we should not be discouraged because answers do not come immediately.
"You can read all the manuals on prayer and listen to other people pray, but until you begin to pray yourself you will never understand prayer. It's like riding a bicycle or swimming: You learn by doing." --Evangelist Luis Palau
"There are prayers that help us last through the day, or endure the night. There are prayers of friends and strangers that give us strength for the journey. And there are prayers that yield our will to a will greater than our own." --President George W. Bush
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
BELIEF
"One person with a belief is equal
to a force of ninety-nine who have
only interest."
-- John Stuart Mill
I believe in sobriety because it works for me. I believe in sobriety
because it makes me feel good about myself. I believe in sobriety
because it has enabled me to rejoin the human race; I was so tired of
feeling lonely, ashamed and isolated.
Also this belief I have in me has rekindled a positive relationship with
my higher power. Today God is a friend. Today I understand more
about what He wants for me. Today I am broad enough in my thinking
to find God in anything that is positive and creative --- from music to
hugs in the park!
Belief has developed with my spiritual program, and I am able to face
the daily pains and conflicts of life. Today I know what it is to be a
winner --- and, thank God, it doesn't mean I have to be perfect or in
control. My total belief in God and self enables me to love me through
my failings.
Master of the beliefs of all men, thank You for the gift of my believing
in myself.
************************************************** *********
He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
"This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13
"Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." Luke 18:1
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Each of us can change the world one person at a time. Lord, grant that I may be a positive influence on just one person today.
You have a responsibility to be the best that you can be. Lord, may I find a good balance in my life so that I neither neglect myself and my duties nor my responsibity to those that need or depend on me.
"WE PAUSE . . . AND ASK"
As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or
doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.87
Today I humbly ask my Higher Power for the grace to
find the space between my impulse and my action; to
let flow a cooling breeze when I would respond with
heat; to interrupt fierceness with gentle peace; to
accept the moment which allows judgment to become
discernment; to defer to silence when my tongue would
rush to attack or defend. I promise to watch for every
opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for
guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within
me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills
- it is the unsuspected Inner Resource. I thank my
Higher Power for this world of light and truth I see
when I allow it to direct my vision. I trust it today
and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the
right thought or action today.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
In A.A., we're all through with lying, hangovers, remorse
and wasted money. When we were drinking, we were only
half alive. Now that we're trying to live decent, honest,
unselfish lives, we're really alive. Life has a new
meaning for us, so that we can really enjoy it. We feel
that we're some use in the world. We're on the right
side of the fence, instead of on the wrong side. We can
look the world in the face instead of hiding in alleys.
We come into A.A. to get sober and if we stay long
enough, we learn a new way of living. Am I convinced
that no matter how much fun I got out of drinking, that
life was never as good as the life I can build in A.A.?
Meditation For The Day
I want to be at one with the Divine Spirit of the
universe. I will set my deepest affections on things
spiritual, not on things material. As we think,
so we are. So I will think of and desire that which will
help, not hinder, my spiritual growth. I will try to be
at one with God. No human aspiration can reach higher
than this.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may think love, and love will surround me. I
pray that I may think health, and health will come to me.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
Rebellion Or Acceptance, p.293
All of us pass through the times when we can pray only with the
greatest exertion. Occasionally we go even further than this. We
are seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray.
When these things happen, we should not think too ill of ourselves.
We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we
know to be good for us.
********************************
A man who persists in prayer finds himself in possession of great
gifts. When he has to deal with hard circumstances, he finds he can
face them. He can accept himself and the world around him.
He can do this because he now accepts a God who is All--and who
loves all. When he says, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be
Thy name," he deeply and humbly means it. When in good
meditation and thus freed from the clamors of the world, he knows
that he's in God's hands, that his own ultimate destiny is really
secure, here and hereafter, come what may.
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 105
2. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1958
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
First things first____Order
Busy people often declare, with some exasperation, that they cannot do everything at once. People with emotional problems, a group that includes many alcoholics, often feel that they are trying to do everything at once. Quite often, this pressure means that we waste our time fretting about all the things facing us, becoming totally ineffective as a result.
The simple slogan "First things First" shows us how to set priorities in an orderly way. In every situation or problem, there is always one step we can take that is more important than the others. Following that, we find a step of second importance, another of third importance, and so on. Sometimes, a certain action comes first simply because other things depend on it.
By using "First things first" as a guiding principle in our lives, we can live in an orderly, disciplined manner. If we have to reduce our activities, we can decide which few ought to retain. Having made these decisions, we can be at peace about our choices. We cannot do everything at once and we need not feel guilty about it.
Knowing that order is Heaven's first law, I'll do things today in an orderly manner.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
SERVICE---A beautiful word fallen upon bad days.---Claude McKay
Service is really a beautiful word. Service means respect. When we serve others we're part of the human race. We all need to help each other. Service is a sure way to stay sober. Helping someone else stay sober helps us stay sober. And service frees us from self-will. It teaches us about how to care for ourselves and others. It teaches us that we're worthwhile. It teaches us that we make a difference. Service keeps us feeling good. Am I quiet when the topic of service comes ap at meetings? If so, how can I change this?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, show me where I can be of help. Give me the courage to make a difference. Give me the courage to really serve others in need.
Action for the Day: I'll list five ways service has made or can make my life better.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
FLOODED WITH FEELING - When a barrier to God collapsed, this self-described agnostic was at Step Three.
The next week, a bunch of us went camping, and we brought cases of beer. We finished it all. The others drank a lot too, but I was the one who woke up in the middle of the night and started wandering around the countryside by the light of the moon. I was the one who walked for miles searching for something. I know now what I was looking for. Unlike the rest of them, I wanted another drink.
p. 369
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Five - "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
Yet if A.A.'s experience means anything at all, this is not only unwise, but is actually a perilous resolve. Few muddled attitudes have caused us more trouble than holding back on Step Five. Some people are unable to stay sober at all; others will relapse periodically until they really clean house. Even A.A. old timers, sober for years, often pay dearly for skimping this Step. They will tell how they tried to carry the load alone; how much they suffered of irritability, anxiety, remorse, and depression; and how, unconsciously seeking relief, they would sometimes accuse even their best friends of the very character defects they themselves were trying to conceal. They always discovered that relief never came by confessing the sins of other people. Everybody had to confess his own.
p. 56
************************************************** *********
I place my recovery in first place. --Shelley
The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, who will need our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt. --Leo Buscaglia
Today, help me God, to let go of my resistance to change. Help me to be open to the process. Help me believe that the place I will be dropped off will be better than the place I was picked up. Help me to surrender, trust and accept, even if I don't understand. --Melody Beattie
And we should not be discouraged because answers do not come immediately.
"You can read all the manuals on prayer and listen to other people pray, but until you begin to pray yourself you will never understand prayer. It's like riding a bicycle or swimming: You learn by doing." --Evangelist Luis Palau
"There are prayers that help us last through the day, or endure the night. There are prayers of friends and strangers that give us strength for the journey. And there are prayers that yield our will to a will greater than our own." --President George W. Bush
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
BELIEF
"One person with a belief is equal
to a force of ninety-nine who have
only interest."
-- John Stuart Mill
I believe in sobriety because it works for me. I believe in sobriety
because it makes me feel good about myself. I believe in sobriety
because it has enabled me to rejoin the human race; I was so tired of
feeling lonely, ashamed and isolated.
Also this belief I have in me has rekindled a positive relationship with
my higher power. Today God is a friend. Today I understand more
about what He wants for me. Today I am broad enough in my thinking
to find God in anything that is positive and creative --- from music to
hugs in the park!
Belief has developed with my spiritual program, and I am able to face
the daily pains and conflicts of life. Today I know what it is to be a
winner --- and, thank God, it doesn't mean I have to be perfect or in
control. My total belief in God and self enables me to love me through
my failings.
Master of the beliefs of all men, thank You for the gift of my believing
in myself.
************************************************** *********
He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
"This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13
"Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." Luke 18:1
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
Each of us can change the world one person at a time. Lord, grant that I may be a positive influence on just one person today.
You have a responsibility to be the best that you can be. Lord, may I find a good balance in my life so that I neither neglect myself and my duties nor my responsibity to those that need or depend on me.