Daily Recovery Readings - 8/24

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Daily Reflections

A RIDDLE THAT WORKS

It may be possible to find explanations of spiritual experiences
such as ours, but I have often tried to explain my own and have
succeeded only in giving the story of it. I know the feeling it
gave me and the results it has brought, but I realize I may never
fully understand its deeper why and how.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 313

I had a profound spiritual experience during an open A.A. meeting,
which led me to blurt out. "I'm an alcoholic!" I have not had a
drink since that day. I can tell you the words I heard just prior
to my admission, and how those words affected me, but as to why it
happened, I do not know. I believe a power greater than myself
chose me to recover, yet I do not know why. I try not to worry or
wonder about what I do not yet know; instead, I trust that if I
continue to work the Steps, practice the A.A. principles in my
life, and share my story, I will be guided lovingly toward a deep
and mature spirituality in which more will be revealed to me. For
the time being, it is a gift for me to trust God, work the Steps
and help others.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

"When we saw our faults, we listed them. We placed them before us in
black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and we were
willing to set these matters straight. We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We
asked God to remove our fears and we commenced to outgrow fear.
Many of us needed an overhauling in regard to sex. We came to
believe that sex powers were God-given and therefore good, if used
properly. Sex is never to be used lightly or selfishly, nor is it to be despised
or loathed. If sex is troublesome, we throw ourselves the harder into
helping others, and so take our minds off ourselves." Am I facing my
sex problems in the proper way?

Meditation For The Day

Cling to the belief that all things are possible with God. If this
belief is truly accepted, it is the ladder upon which a human soul
can climb from the lowest pit of despair to the sublime heights of
peace of mind. It is possible for God to change your way of living.
When you see the change in another person through the grace of God,
you cannot doubt that all things are possible in the lives of people
through the strength that comes from faith in Him who rules us all.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may live expectantly. I pray that I may believe deeply
that all things are possible with God.

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As Bill Sees It

Freedom Through Acceptance, p. 109

We admitted we couldn't lick alcohol with our own remaining
resources, and so we accepted the further fact that dependence upon a
Higher Power (if only our A.A. group) could do this hitherto impossible
job. The moment we were able to accept these facts fully, our release
from the alcohol compulsion had begun.

For most of us, this pair of acceptances had required a lot of exertion
to achieve. Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to
be cast aside. This had not been done with sheer will power; it came
instead as the result of developing the willingness to accept these new
facts of living.

We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we begun to
be free.

Grapevine, March 1962

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Walk In Dry Places

Is Life Unfair?
Justice
The glib remark "Life is Unfair" is sometimes used to dismiss any concern about trouble or seeming injustice. This usually implies that all such matters are part of God's plan..... that somehow God couldn't create life without making it unfair. But nobody really knows whether life is unfair or not, since what we see
is only a small part of it.
We should know, however, that we can practice fairness ourselves. We will live better if we forget how unfair
life can be and make the best of the opportunities we have.
Some of us could even argue that life treated us unfairly by giving us a susceptibility to alcoholism. In the long run, this turned out to be an opportunity to live the Twelve Step program. Some of us even consider
this to be outworking of divine justice that has proved to be eminently fair. As one AA member put it, It was a case of one of the worst things becoming one of the best that ever happened to me !
I'll not let any seeming unfairness or injustice keep me from doing my best today. My real belief is that there is an eternal justice underlying all things.

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Keep It Simple

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. Oscar Wilde
There’s a big difference between being self-centered and having self love. We’re self-centered when we think we don’t need people. We might think, “I’m more important than others.� Being self-centered ends up hurting us.
It makes us lonely. It keeps us from our Higher Power. Addiction is about being self-centered.
Recovery and the Twelve Steps are about self-love. If we love ourselves, we say, “We’re all equal and in need of each other.� Self-love includes having good relationships.
It includes trusting that they we’ll do what is best, with the help of our Higher Power. We must believe in ourselves to trust others.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me love myself as You love me. Help me take good care of myself.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list three things I like about myself. I’ll talk with a friend and share these things. I’ll ask my friend what he or she likes about me.

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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.

Growing up in A.A., I have been blessed with children who have never seen their mother drunk. I have a husband who loves me simply because I am, and I have gained the respect of my family. What more could a broken-down drunk ask for? Lord knows it is more than I ever thought possible, and ever so much more than I deserved. All because I am willing to believe A.A. just might work for me too.

p. 318

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Seven - "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."

"The meeting that night was at New York's old 24th Street Clubhouse. During the intermission, the treasurer gave a timid talk on how broke the club was. (That was in the period when you couldn't mix money and A.A.) But finally he said it--the landlord would put us out if we didn't pay up. He concluded his remarks by saying, "Now boys, please go heavier on the hat tonight, will you?"

p. 163

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"My father gave me these hints on speech-making: Be sincere . . . be brief . . . be seated."
--James Roosevelt

"Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state
of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy
attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful."
--Norman Vincent Peale

You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always
control what goes on inside.
--Wayne Dyer

Not what we gain, but what we give measures the worth of the life we
live.
--Cited in BITS & PIECES

"Yesterday's home run doesn't win today's ball game."
--Unknown

"Some people think that hanging in there shows great strength when
the truth is 'letting go' is the real test of character."
--Unknown

It is not God's will that makes me miserable. It is my resistance to
God's will that makes me miserable.
--unknown

Dear God, Please keep your arm around my shoulder, but keep your hand
over my mouth!
--unknown

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

LIMITATIONS

"Why would we kill off a good
watchdog just because he could
not fly?"
-- Frank Mar

God has created this world with variety and we all have different gifts.
Some people make music, others write stories and many are practical
at home or in industry. We need to understand what gifts and skills we
have and develop them.

It is both fruitless and negative to spend our time complaining that we
are not like other people --- or are without their talents. Such an
attitude stops us from discovering our own creative talents. We are so
busy comparing ourselves with others that we miss our own
uniqueness.

Today I enjoy discovering more about me and the abundant gifts that
God has freely given to me. What about you?

I pray that I may be truly grateful for what I have.

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In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we
must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself
said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.’�
Acts 20:35

I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2

When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and
pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets,
will reward you.
Matthew 6:6

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
Proverbs 23:7

"Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong."
Job 6:24

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Daily Inspiration

Frequently remind yourself of that which is important in your life. Lord, help me to treasure my family and friends, recognize how valuable they are and tell them often how happy that I am because they are in my life.

There is light behind every shadow. Lord, You are the light of the world. May I never forget to turn to You when my life fills with shadows.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
To those of us who knew the pain
of valentines that never came
and those whose names were never called
when choosing sides for basketball.
--Janis Ian
Each of us at some time has known the feeling of not belonging; the painful emptiness of feeling left out. We've stood on the sidelines longing to be invited into what we think is some sort of magical circle. If only they would ask us in, we think, we'd be transformed--we'd be somebody then.
But look around. The circle is composed of people just like us: insecure at times, frightened, unsure. They have felt anxiety and feared rejection just as we have.
The pain will pass, and if we use these times to get to know and understand ourselves a bit better, we'll be better able to understand others when they're feeling left out and lonely. And when it's our turn to choose a team or send a valentine, we'll remember.
Who can I remember today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
There is no greater weakness than stubbornness. If you cannot yield, if you cannot learn that there must be compromise in life - you lose. --Maxwell Maltz
Glass is very hard, but fragile. By contrast, leather is tough and resilient. A blow to a glass dish will break it, but a blow to a shoe will just be absorbed. Our program leads us to avoid the folly of being hard like glass, and we become tougher like leather. We must endure surprises, pressures, and blows from the world as a normal part of life. The more able we are to absorb the blows, the stronger and more whole we are as men.
A friend who has a different opinion from ours can be listened to and his ideas considered. There is no need to compete with him or prove that we are right. When our plan for a project at work gets set aside, we will feel the frustration but we need not come apart over it. Perhaps our Higher Power is leading us to a better plan. Frustrations with spouses or friends can be turned over to our Higher Power. We do not have a rigid recipe for life, and we must be open to more learning.
I will surrender my fragile stubbornness in exchange for the toughness I can learn in compromise.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
There were many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream--whatever that dream might be. --Pearl S. Buck
No new door is opened without the inner urge for growth. Dreams guide us, encourage us, stretch us to new heights--and leave us momentarily empty when they are dashed.
Recovery has given us resilience and a multitude of reasons for living. We have come to understand that when one dream serves us no longer, it is making way for an even better one. Our dreams are our teachers. When the student is ready, a new one comes into focus.
Dreams in our earlier years often come to nought. They couldn't compete for our attention as effectively as the self-pity. The direction they offered was lost. Each day that we look forward with positive anticipation, we put the wreckage of the past farther from our minds.
Our dreams are like the rest areas on a cross-country trip. They refresh us, help us to gauge the distance we've come, and give us a chance to consider our destination.
Today's dreams and experiences are points on the road map of my life. I won't let them pass, unnoticed.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Step Eight
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. --Step Eight of Al Anon
The Eighth Step is not meant to punish us; it is meant to set us free from guilt, anxiety, and discord.
We begin by making a list of everyone we have harmed on our journey, as we have struggled to survive. We have probably done more damage to ourselves than to anyone else, so we put ourselves first on the list.
Often, our tendency is to feel guilty about everything we've ever done, everyone we've come in contract with. That is unearned guilt. Writing helps us clarify whether or not we are punishing ourselves for no reason. But we need to be open to guidance as we work this Step, getting everything out of us and on to paper, so we can be healed.
Once we have made the list, we strive to become willing to make amends to everyone on it because that is how we heal. Making amends does not mean feeling guilty and ashamed and punishing ourselves; it means swallowing our pride and defenses, and doing what we can to take care of ourselves. We become ready to improve our self-esteem by taking responsibility for our behaviors. We become willing to have our relationships with ourselves, others, and our Higher Power restored.
Today, I will open myself to an honest understanding of the people I have harmed. God, help me let go of my defenses and pride. Help me become willing to make amends to those I have harmed, so that I can improve my relationships with others and myself.


I no longer want to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Today I take the time to slow down and examine the source of my difficulties so I can move on a clear path with freedom. --Ruth Fishel

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Seeking God's Will

"We learn to be careful of praying for specific things."
Basic Text p. 45

In our active addiction, we usually did not pray for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry it out. On the contrary, most of our prayers were for God to get us out of the mess we had made for ourselves. We expected miracles on demand. That kind of thinking and praying changes when we begin practicing the Eleventh Step. The only way out of the trouble we have made for ourselves is through surrender to a Power greater than ourselves.

In recovery, we learn acceptance. We seek knowledge in our prayers and meditation of how we are to greet the circumstances that come our way. We stop fighting, surrender our own ideas of how things should be, ask for knowledge, and listen for the answers. The answers usually won't come in a flash of white light accompanied by a drum roll. Usually, the answers will come merely with a quiet sense of assurance that our lives are on course, that a Power greater than ourselves is guiding us on our paths.

We have a choice. We can spend all our time fighting to make things come out our way, or we can surrender to God's will. Peace can be found in accepting the ebb and flow of life.

Just for today: I will surrender my expectations, look to my Higher Power for guidance, and accept life.
pg. 246

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Wisdom for the Day
When I walked into my first meeting I was carrying a heavy load. All the years of dishonesty, guilt, shame, and pain. I had been foolish enough to carry that load everywhere I went. It had gotten so heavy that I was slumped over from the burden. I could not look at myself in the mirror. As time passed I began to learn from others in the program that not only did I not need to carry the burdens from the past but I did not need to carry the fears associated with the future. All I needed to carry was the burdens of the day. Man is only strong enough to carry today, and he does not need to carry that weight alone. With the help of a Higher Power and other recovering addicts I have found that the burdens of life are much easier to carry. By working the steps and following the advice and wisdom of others on the path of life I can find it possible to stand up straight again.
Meditation for the Heart
Each day brings new possibilities and new challenges. Not every day is pain free. Yet the longer I stay clean and sober, the more I trust that God will only give me what I can carry. The load I carry today is much lighter than the one I used to carry. This is not to say that I don’t have problems. Recovery is all about exchanging my current problems for a better set of problems. Then I must take those problems and exchange them for a new set of problems. Recovery does not eliminate
problems, it just makes it much easier to deal with the ones I have today. Have I found it easier to carry the burdens I have this day? Am I still trying to carry the past and the future?

Staying in close contact with my Higher Power is one of the easiest ways to lighten my load. Turning over the burdens of the past and the fears of the future to God makes it possible to deal with the burdens of this day. Am I willing to let go of the past and not fear the future?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
As I begin this day, help me to be rid of the past and to trust that You will guide my footsteps into the future. Help me to focus on just this day and to accept the burdens I am given. Help me make the choices to keep my load light. Guide my footsteps into the future. Help me walk through this day with courage.

Amen

[admin]

You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Exercise

We are made to be physically active. When we were loaded down with food and fat, we probably moved around as little as possible. Now that we eat for health, we have the necessary energy to exercise our bodies.

Taking the stairs rather than the elevator, walking instead of riding, a few simple calisthenics when we need a break from work, a jump rope - there are many ways to begin an exercise program in easy stages. We do not need to train to become Olympic athletes, but we do need to keep our bodies in good working order.

Each day we also need mental, emotional, and spiritual exercise. Reading something worthwhile, refraining from criticism, performing a service for someone anonymously, taking time for prayer and meditation --these are actions which develop our minds, hearts, and spirits. Our growth in the program depends on overcoming resistance and inertia each day and taking concrete steps to improvement.

By Your power, may I overcome laziness.