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A Prayer & Some Thoughts - April
April 1
Give Me Strength Prayer Lord, today is rough. There’s too much clouding my mind, too much to face, and I can already feel the meltdown brewing inside. I don’t have enough patience—with myself or anyone else—to make it through the morning, let alone the day. Would you meet me here and give me yours? Would you lift me up and carry me out of my room? Would you walk me through my day? Thank you for never being tired or drained. Thank you for having the power to renew my patience and my strength. Amen ~ Jill St. John ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We should be free from alcohol for good. It's out of our hands and in the hands of God, so we don't need to worry about it or even think about it any more. But if we haven't done this honestly and fully, the chances are that it will become our problem again. Since we don't trust God to take care of the problem for us, we reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. Then it's our problem again and we're in the same old mess we were in before. We're helpless again and we drink. So ............ Do I trust God to take care of the problem for me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Difficulties All difficult times in our lives come to an end. And no matter the depth of our disturbance, we will survive. We forget that the depths teach us how to better appreciate the heights. Sorrow heightens joy. Depression heightens laughter. We wouldn't know the joys and laughter were it not for the sorrows. In them we learn to be patient, waiting for the wisdom which will light our way. In them we learn to listen for the guidance that beckons us forth.b We must reflect on the troubling experiences we've passed through of late. They did make us wiser; they gave us strength. Difficulties often precede enlightenment. They pull us inward, perhaps push us to search for our connectedness to God, a connectedness that is at home in our hearts. The paradox is that these painful periods strengthen our oneness with the Spirit. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Coping With Anger Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These "dry benders' often led straight to the bottle. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 90 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." ~ Margaret Thatcher |
April 2
Pride Prayer Lord, it’s hard to admit, but I need to be right. I just know if I explain my way one more time with one more example, the other person will see my side. But the more I push my view, the more my words and actions destroy my relationships. Lord, remind me that relationships are more important than who’s right and who’s wrong. Tell me to back off when I can’t seem to pull the plug on my pride. Cover my frustration with your patience. Thank you for putting things into perspective and showing me what doesn’t really matter. Thank you for loving me when I think I know everything and you know I know nothing. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Alcoholics are unable or unwilling, during their addiction to alcohol, to live in the present. The result is that they live in a constant state of remorse and fear because of their unholy past and its morbid attraction, or the uncertain future and its vague foreboding. So the only real hope for the alcoholic is to face the present. Now is the time. Now is ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain as life itself. Only the now belongs to us. So ............ Am I living in the present, now? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Other People's Problems Sometimes we wear ourselves out trying to solve another person's problem. Is this not perhaps a form of egotism? We feel that somehow we should have all the answers and be able to find a solution to every problem, especially when someone close to us is in trouble. We may be sympathetic and supportive and helpful, but we cannot play the role of God in another person's life. Even our children must learn from their mistakes, just as we continue to learn from our own. If I trust my Higher Power to lead and direct me, then surely He will also direct my family and friends. The best thing I can do for anyone else is to maintain my own sanity. There are times when no solution seems forthcoming, when an unfortunate or tragic circumstance must be accepted and lived with in the best manner possible. We may not be able to change the circumstance, but we can be sure that God will give us the strength to deal with it. "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Puzzle "By nature touchy and suspicious, the alcoholic likes to be left alone to work out his puzzle, and he has a convenient way of ignoring the tragedy which he inflicts meanwhile upon those who are close to him. He holds desperately to a conviction that, although he has not been able to handle alcohol in the past, he will ultimately succeed in becoming a controlled drinker. One of medicine's queerest animals, he is, as often as not, an acutely intelligent person. He fences with professional men and relatives who attempt to aid him and he gets a perverse satisfaction out of tripping them up in argument." The Jack Alexander Article From the March 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. 'Good pride' represents our dignity and self-respect. 'Bad pride' is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” ~ John C. Maxwell |
April 3
Prayer to Awaken Dormant Faith Dear God, ... may this Easter grandeur that Spring lavishly imparts Awaken faded flowers of faith lying dormant in our hearts, And give us ears to hear, dear God, the Springtime song of birds With messages more meaningful than man’s often empty words Telling harried human beings who are lost in dark despair – ‘Be like us and do not worry for God has you in His care.’ ~ excerpted from Helen Steiner Rice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The program of Alcoholics Anonymous involves a continuous striving for improvement. There can be no long resting period. We must try to work at it all the time. We must continually keep in mind that it is a program not to be measured in years, because we never fully reach our goals nor are we ever cured. Our alcoholism is only kept in abeyance by daily living of the program. It is a timeless program in every sense. We live it day by day, or more precisely, moment by moment - now. So ............ Am I always striving for improvement? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Anger We have a right to claim our own feelings. Sometimes we get angry, but hold it inside because we think it's wrong to feel it. If anger builds inside us, it expands like a balloon ready to burst. If not released, it can make us depressed, or even physically ill. When we give ourselves permission to feel anger, we are better able to get rid of it in a healthy way. Our inner voice can tell us how to let go of our anger. And once we've released it, we can easily get in touch with the feelings that caused it. When we recognize our anger for what it is--one feeling among many others that makes us unique--it loses its significance, and we can prevent it from consuming us. Indira Ghandi said, "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." When we let go of our anger we can honestly embrace each other with open arms. I will stop carrying around anger which should be released today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meeting Adversity Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down. We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us. As Bill Sees It Page 184 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "The past is not always an indication of your future. Do not engross yourself in grief and shame over past deeds. Forgive yourself and move on." ~ Aulus Persius Flaccus (Roman writer & poet) |
April 4
An Easter Prayer Lord, today we remember the veil of darkness transforming to the brightest light. The most dreadful end becoming the most beautiful beginning. We remember with trembling hearts the depths of despair fading to reveal hope everlasting. The curse of death defeated by eternal life. Today we remember with thankfulness your willingness to be pierced for our sins. We sing with abounding joy of your miraculous rise, from death’s tomb to resplendent life. Thank you for the promise of heaven and your generous invitation of eternal life for all. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought I know the Fellowship of A.A. doesn’t offer any guarantees, but I also know that in the future I do not have to drink. I want to keep this life of peace, serenity, and tranquility that I have found. Today, I have found again the home I left and the woman I married when she was still so young. We have two more children, and they think their dad is an important man. I have all these wonderful things—people who mean more to me than anything in the world. I shall keep all that, and I won’t have to drink, if I remember one simple thing: to keep my hand in the hand of God. Dave B., one of the founders of A.A. in Canada in 1944 (from: AA Big Book 4th Edition, "Gratitude In Action,” Page 199) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Jelly Bean Poem Red is for the blood He gave. Green is for the grass He made. Yellow is for the sunflowers so bright. Black is for the dark of night. White is for the grace He gave. Orange is for the sun He made. Purple is for the hours of sorrow. Pink is for our new tomorrow. A bag full of jelly beans, colorful and sweet. It’s a prayer, a promise, and a child’s treat. ~ Author Unknown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Easter Grace Blessing May the grace of our Lord be with us this day. May this meal be blessed as we gather to celebrate together. May your love be shared amongst us as we enjoy the gift of fellowship. May we remember to give out the grace and forgiveness that you have freely given us, And may we always give thanks for your love. Amen ~ Author Unknown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “I'm not at all religious but I do love this holiday. As a recovering alcoholic in AA, for me it's a day to celebrate my own "resurrection" from the living death of alcoholism and reflect on how grateful I am to have been delivered from a hopeless, helpless state of mind, body and spirit by my higher power and the fellowship of AA. Thank you, one and all!” ~ Anonymous A.A. |
April 5
Prayer For This Day Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don't go my way. And give me courage to do whatever needs to be done. Your will. not mine be done. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought After we've made a surrender, the drink problem is out of our hands and in the hands of God. The thing we have to do is to be sure that we never reach out and take the problem back into our own hands. Leave it in God's hands. Whenever I'm tempted to take a drink, I must say to my self: "I can't do that. I've made a bargain with God not to drink. I know God doesn't want me to drink and so I won't do it." At the same time I say a little prayer to God for the strength needed to keep the bargain with Him. So ............ Am I going to keep my bargain with God? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Accepting Ourselves Some of us may have felt confused when people encouraged us to be ourselves. How could we know ourselves, or be who we are, when, for years, many of us submerged ourselves in the needs of others? We do have a self. We're learning to accept ourselves, as we are for the present moment - to accept our feelings, thoughts, flaws, wants, needs, and desires. If our thoughts or feelings are confused, we accept that too. To be who we are means we accept our past - our history - exactly as is. To be ourselves means we are entitled to our opinions and beliefs - for the present moment and subject to change. We accept our limitations and our strengths. To be who we are means we accept our physical selves, as well as our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves. Being whom we are, loving and accepting ourselves, is not a limiting attitude. Accepting and loving ourselves is how we enable growth and change. If I'm not yet certain who I am, I will affirm that I have a right to that exciting discovery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Relapses--and the Group An early fear was that of slips or relapses. At first nearly every alcoholic we approached began to slip, if indeed he sobered up at all. Others would stay dry six months or maybe a year and then take a skid. This was always a genuine catastrophe. We would all look at each other and say, "Who next?" Today, though slips are a very serious difficulty, as a group we take them in stride. Fear has evaporated. Alcohol always threatens the individual, but we know that it cannot destroy the common welfare. A.A. Comes Of Age Page 97 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Option A: Spend your life trying to get others to accept you. Option B: Accept yourself, and spend your life with others who recognize what a beauty you are.” ~ Scott Stabile |
April 6
To be Myself Prayer Lord, Why am I so unsatisfied? Why is it so hard for me to be me? I reject myself even though you forgive me. Help me accept myself for who I am, here, now. Free me from my desire to copy others and please everyone else. I want to be a better me. Show me what’s really mine. My faults, my virtues. Then mold me, oh Lord, shape me and make me confident. And may it all manifest in acts of kindness, mercy and love. Let me always understand and do your will. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We have surrendered our lives to God. That doesn't mean that we'll never be tempted to drink. So we must build up strength for the time when temptation will come. In this quiet time, we read and pray and get our minds in the right mood for the day. Starting the day right is a great help in keeping sober. As the days go by and we get used to the sober life, it gets easier and easier. We begin to develop a deep gratitude to God for saving us from that old life. And we begin to enjoy peace and serenity and quiet happiness. So ............ Am I trying to live the way God wants me to live? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Goals Goals give direction to our lives. We need to know who we are and where we want to go. But the trip itself, the steps we travel, offer us daily satisfaction moment by moment - fillment, if we'd but realize it. Too often we keep our sights on the goal's completion, rather than the process--the day-to-day living that makes the completion possible. How often do we think, "When I finish college, I'll feel stronger." Or even, "When I land that promotion, my troubles are over." Life will begin "when" - so it seems in our minds. And when this attitude controls our thinking, we pass up our opportunity to live, altogether. Many times, looking back on goals already completed in our lives, what so quickly follows the end of a job well done is a let-down. And how sad that the hours, the days, the weeks, maybe even the months we toiled are gone, with little sense of all they could have meant. The goal I'm striving toward will carry with it a special gift; it will offer the growing person within me an extra thrill, if I've attended to the journey as much as its end. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Built By The Many We give thanks to our Heavenly Father, who, through so many friends and through so many means and channels, has allowed us to construct this wonderful edifice of the spirit in which we are now dwelling--this cathedral whose foundations already rest upon the corners of the earth. On its great floor we have inscribed our Twelve Steps of recovery. On the side walls, the buttresses of the A.A. Traditions have been set in place to contain us in unity for as long as God may will it so. Eager hearts and hands have lifted the spire of our cathedral into its place. That spire bears the name of service. May it ever point straight upward toward God. A.A. Comes Of Age Page 234 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life." ~ Steve Jobs |
April 7
Making Wise Choices Prayer Lord, please give me the wisdom to know when I’m being tempted. Be with me when I am angry, so I don’t make a bad situation much worse. In these times, give me the strength to keep my mouth closed. Keep me from reacting. Keep the sharp words out of my heart, so I don’t use them for destruction. Please give me the strength to be someone who is patient, and who thinks before I speak. May I have the strength to listen and not be angry. Grant me the wisdom to know when to speak and what to speak, so that others will hear my words and know that they come from a heart that is grateful Lord, help me to be wise counsel for others. Help me to be a person who lifts others up, who is helpful, and who is loving. Amen ~ James C. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Sometimes we try too hard to get this program. It is better to relax and accept it. It will be given to us, with no effort on our part, if we stop trying too hard to get it. Sobriety can be a free gift of God, which He gives us by His grace when He knows we are ready for it. But we have to be ready. Then we must relax, take it easy, and accept the gift with gratitude and humility. We must put ourselves in God's hands. We must say to God: "Here am I and here are all my troubles. I've made a mess of things and can't do anything about it. You take me and all my troubles and do anything You want with me." So ............ Do I believe that the grace of God can do for me what I could never do for myself? (Let go and let God) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Be Who You Are Sometimes, our instinctive reaction to being in a new situation is: Don't be yourself. Who else can we be? Who else would you want to be? We don't need to be anyone else. The greatest gift we can bring to any relationship wherever we go is being who we are. We may think others won't like us. We may be afraid that if we just relax and be ourselves, the other person will go away or shame us. We may worry about what the other person will think. But, when we relax and accept ourselves, people often feel much better being around us than when we are rigid and repressed. We can be fun to be around. Giving ourselves permission to be who we are can have a healing influence on our relationships. The tone relaxes. We relax. The other person relaxes. Then everybody feels a little less shame, because they have learned the truth. Who we are is all we can be, all were meant to be, and it's enough. It's fine. If others don't appreciate us, do we really want to be around them? Do we need to let the opinions of others control our behavior and us? Our opinion of ourselves is truly all that matters. And we can give ourselves all the approval we want and need. I can and will relax and be who I am in my relationships. I will do this not in a demeaning or inappropriate way, but in a way that shows I accept myself and value who I am. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Perception of Humility An improved perception of humility starts a revolutionary change in our outlook. Our eyes begin to open to the immense values which have come straight out of painful ego-puncturing. Until now, our lives have been largely devoted to running from pain and problems. Escape via the bottle was always our solution. Then, in A.A., we looked and listened. Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 74-75 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way." ~ Helen West |
April 8
Slow Down Prayer Lord, it doesn’t matter how old I get; adulting is hard. Someone should’ve told me that most of being a grown up was making it up as you go along. That there wasn’t some magic manual that would be imprinted on my brain. The responsibilities keep piling on—family, financial, my future. It never ends. Give me your patience to handle the big and small. Slow me down. Teach me how to be calm. I don’t want to waste my life frazzled, exhausted, and weighted down. Thank you for offering me rest and for not making me to do life on my own. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In A.A. we must surrender, give up, admit that we're helpless. We surrender our lives to God and ask Him for help. When He knows that we're ready, He gives us by His grace the free gift of sobriety. And we can't take any credit for having stopped drinking, because we didn't do it by our own willpower. There's no place for pride or boasting. We can only be grateful to God for doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. So ............ Do I believe that God has made me a free gift of the strength to stay sober? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Peace Anxiety is often our first reaction to conflict, problems, or even our own fears. In those moments, detaching and getting peaceful may seem disloyal or apathetic. We think: If I really care, I'll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying. Our best problem-solving resource is peace. Solutions arise easily and naturally out of a peaceful state. Often, fear and anxiety block solutions. Anxiety gives power to the problem, not the solution. It does not help to harbor turmoil. It does not help. Peace is available if we choose it. In spite of chaos and unsolved problems around us, all is well. Things will work out. We can surround ourselves with the resources of the Universe: water, earth, a sunset, a walk, a prayer, a friend. We can relax and let ourselves feel peace. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Awakening I think I have had a spiritual awakening, as undramatic as it may have been, and that it will go on and on as long as I continue to practice this program in my daily affairs. To me, there is no "spiritual side" to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous; the entire program is spiritual. Came To Believe Page 48 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “If you’re always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in? Slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.” ~ Nanette Mathews |
April 9
Guidance Prayer Good morning, Lord! Today's a new day, a chance for a new start. Yesterday is gone and with it any regrets, mistakes, or failures I may have experienced. It's a good day to be glad and give thanks. Thank you for today, a new opportunity to love, give, and be all that you want me to be. Amen ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought There are two important things we have to do if we want to get sober and stay sober. Having admitted that we're helpless before alcohol, we have to turn our alcoholic problem over to God and trust Him to take care of it for us. This means asking Him every morning for the strength to stay sober that day and thanking Him every night. It means really leaving the problem in God's hands and not reaching out and taking the problem back to ourselves. Second, having given our drink problem to God, we must cooperate with Him by doing something about it ourselves. So ............ Am I doing these two things? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Our Actions We like ourselves best when we like those around us. When we smile at them, they smile back; when we ask them, they tell us about themselves. When we scowl at people, they'll frown back; when we ignore them, they'll walk away. It's true that we get back what we put into things, whether it's work, play, love, or gardening. We decide by the extent of our commitment how valuable or enjoyable or depressing an experience can be for us. Our actions toward others come right back to us. When we smile at people, they smile back, and we feel good. Sometimes feeling good about ourselves depends on feeling good about others. When we send out that smile of ours, those who get it pass it on, and we have added power to the happiness of the world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Long-Term Hope Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural desires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceed their intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions or pleasures than are possible or due us, that is the point at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 65 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "One of the weakness of our age is our apparent inability to distinguish our needs from our greeds." ~ Don Robinson |
April 10
Letting Go Prayer Lord, I’m stuck in a place I don’t want to be. It seems everyone else is speeding forward. It’s so hard to watch sometimes. What if my life always looks and feels this way? Things have to change. I must move on. I need something new right now. But that’s not your way. You want me to grow when I want to run away. Soothe my anxiety. Take away my desperation. Stretch my perseverance. Thank you for knowing what’s best for me. Thank you for helping me let go and giving me the patience to wait on your timing, not mine. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We must learn to think differently. We must change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. We must reeducate our minds. We must try to help other alcoholics. We must cooperate with God by spending at least as much time and energy on the A.A. program as we did on drinking. We must follow the A.A. program to the best of our ability. Interacting with other A.A.’s often, especially before & after meetings helps develop new sober thinking. So ............ Have I turned my alcoholic problem over to God and am I cooperating with Him? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Laughter A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many of us are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us. The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift from God. All we need to do is grab it and use it. Then we will see how healthy and powerful laughter can be. I can find the humor in my mistakes today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Opening Up to Change Self-searching is the means by which we bring new vision, action, and grace to bear upon the dark and negative side of our natures. With it comes the development of that kind of humility that makes it possible for us to receive God's help. . . . we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life -- the one that did not work -- for a new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever. As Bill Sees It Page 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” ~ Sally Koch |
April 11
Prayer for Empathy Lord, You understood the needs of those impoverished in mind, body, or spirit, and never shamed or shunned them. May we come to recognize our own vulnerability and our longing to be healed. As we encounter our own pain, let it deepen in us a capacity to feel for others. Enlarge our souls, expand our minds, and soften our hearts towards all who suffer. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We finally came to the bottom. We did not have to be financially broke, although many of us were. But we were spiritually bankrupt. We had a soul-sickness, a revulsion against ourselves and against our way of living. Life had become impossible for us. We had to end it all or do something about it. So ............ Am I glad I did something about it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Taking Care of Ourselves We cannot simultaneously set a boundary and take care of another person's feelings. It's impossible; the two acts contradict. What a tremendous asset to have compassion for others! How difficult that same quality can make it to set boundaries! Some of us live with a deeply ingrained message from our family, or from church, about never hurting other people's feelings. We can replace that message with a new one; one that says it's not okay to hurt ourselves. Sometimes, when we take care of ourselves, others will react with hurt feelings. That's okay. We will learn, grow, and benefit by the experience; they will too. The most powerful and positive impact we can have on other people is accomplished by taking responsibility for ourselves, and allows others to be responsible for themselves. It's good to care about other people and their feelings; it's essential to care about ourselves too. Sometimes, to take good care of ourselves, we need to make a choice. Caring works. Caretaking doesn't. We can learn to walk the line between the two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Living In The Now First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works. Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24 hour segments is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well. Living Sober Page 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~ James Baldwin |
April 12
Empathy Prayer Gracious and merciful God of all creation, You made us live together in communities. We are nothing without relationships. You have given us the virtue of empathy to ensure that we are able to identify with and feel other people’s concerns. We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to follow your plan and to form a safe, caring, inclusive community. May your gift of empathy lead us to know and feel your presence among us. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought One of the mottoes of A.A. is "But for the Grace of God." Once we have fully accepted the program we become humble about our achievement. We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the Grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God which has given us another chance. So ............ Am I truly grateful for the grace of God? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Living with Families We may love and care about our family very much. Family members may love and care about us. But interacting with some members may be a real trigger to a deep abyss of shame, rage, anger, guilt, and helplessness. It can be difficult to achieve detachment, or an emotional level, with certain family members. It can be difficult to separate their issues from ours. It can be difficult to own our power. Difficult, but not impossible. First is awareness and acceptance - simple acknowledgment, without guilt, of our feelings and thoughts. We do not have to blame our family members. We do not have to blame or shame ourselves. Acceptance is the goal - acceptance and freedom to choose what we want and need to do to take care of ourselves with that person. We can become free of the patterns of the past. We are recovering. Progress is the goal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Action In shame and despair, I went to my first AA meeting. By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgment, and criticism, and instead to listen and hear. I heard someone say that AA works for those who work for it, those who put action into the program. . . I heard that I should forget about yesterday and instead concentrate on today and staying away from the first drink today -- now. I tried it and it worked. Came To Believe Page 42 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Anyone who has experienced a certain amount of loss in their life has empathy for those who have experienced loss.” ~ Anderson Cooper |
April 13
Inner Peace Prayer Lord, I'm worried and anxious. My mind races and obsesses. I can't help thinking about my problems. And the more I think about them, the more depressed I become. I feel like I'm sinking down in quicksand and can't get out. Calm me, Lord. Slow me down, put Your peace in my heart. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Most alcoholics started having quiet times each morning. We come to depend on God's help during the day, especially if we should be tempted to take a drink. And we can honestly thank Him each night for the strength He has given us. So our faith is strengthened by these quiet times of prayer. By listening to other members, by working with other alcoholics, by times of quiet meditation, our faith in God gradually becomes strong. So ............ Have I turned my drink problem entirely over to God, without reservations? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Letting Go of Confusion Sometimes, the way is not clear. Our minds get clouded, confused. We aren't certain what our next step should be, what it will look like, what direction we are headed. This is the time to stop, ask for guidance, and rest. That is the time to let go of fear. Wait. Feel the confusion and chaos, and then let it go. The path will show itself. The next step shall be revealed. We don't have to know now. We will know in time. Trust that. Let go and trust. I will trust that out of the chaos will come clarity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Let's Keep It Simple We need to distinguish sharply between spiritual simplicity and functional simplicity. When we say that A.A. advocates no theological proposition except God as we understand Him, we greatly simplify A.A. life by avoiding conflict and exclusiveness. But when we get into questions of action by groups, by areas, and by A.A. as a whole, we find that we must to some extent organize to carry the message--or else face chaos. And chaos is not simplicity. As Bill Sees It Page 162 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a few Quotes “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” ~ Dalai Lama |
April 14
Crises Prayer Lord, I can’t move. I can’t sit still or stand. I can’t breathe. Everything’s falling apart inside me and around me. I don’t know what to do. Please wrap your arms around me and don’t ever let go. Slow my racing heart. Clear my spinning head. Calm my frantic lungs. I need Your patience to breathe through this moment and make it to the next. Thank you for being a God who cares, a God able to guard my heart and mind. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When we came into A.A., we made a tremendous discovery. We found that we were sick persons rather than moral lepers. We were not such “odd balls” as we thought we were. We found other people who had the same illness that we had, who had been through the same experiences that we had been through. They had recovered. if they could do it, we could do it. So ............ Was hope born in me the day I walked into A.A.? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Timing “If we could untangle the mysteries of life and unravel the energies which run through the world; if we could evaluate correctly the significance of passing events; if we could measure the struggles, dilemmas, and aspirations of mankind, we could find that nothing is born out of time. Everything comes at its appointed moment.” ~ Joseph R. Sizoo Timing can be frustrating. We can wait and wait for something to happen, and it seems to be forever until it comes to pass. Or, suddenly, an event or circumstance is thrust upon us, catching us by surprise. Believing that things happen too slowly or too quickly is an illusion. Timing is perfect. I will accept the timing in my life today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Release and Joy Who can render an account of all the miseries that once were ours, and who can estimate the release and joy that later years have brought to us? Who can possibly tell the vast consequences of what God's work through A.A. has already set in motion? And who can penetrate the deeper mystery of our wholesale deliverance from slavery, a bondage to a most hopeless and fatal obsession which for centuries possessed the minds and bodies of men and women like ourselves? As Bill Sees It Page 263 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.” ~ Chinese Proverb “When it comes to patience, we don’t have to change old habits; we can build better ones.” ~ Sue Bender |
April 15
Prayer Against Depression Lord, Please strengthen our hearts, and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us. Please guard our hearts from depression. Give us the strength to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down. Amen ~ John Barnett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Can I get well? If I mean: "Can I ever drink normally again?" the answer is no. But if I mean, "Can I stay sober?" the answer is definitely yes. I can get well by turning my drink problem over to a Power greater than myself, that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and by asking that Power each morning to give me the strength to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. I know from the experience of thousands of people that if I honestly want to get well, I can get well. So ............ Am I faithfully following the A.A. program? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Being Different What does it mean to be different? How does it feel? Is it okay to act or look or be different from everyone else at times? Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, it feels safer to blend into the crowd. We don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. But sometimes it's when we are different that we discover new things no one has ever thought of or done before. We don't want to spend our whole lives doing only what others do. And there are times when we must take a stand if what others are doing is wrong. Perhaps it's good practice to try to do some little thing differently once in a while, to stand out from the crowd, just to get used to it. We might even like it. After all, if no one ever dares to be different, how would our world ever change for the better? “Each man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.” ~ Mark Twain ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Success" in Twelfth-Stepping We now see that in twelfth-stepping the immediate results are not so important. Some people start out working with others and have immediate success. They are likely to get cocky. Those of us who are not so successful at first get depressed. As a matter of fact, the successful worker differs from the unsuccessful only in being lucky about his prospects. He simply hits newcomers who are ready and able to stop at once. Given the same prospects, the seemingly unsuccessful person would have produced almost the same results. You have to work on a lot of newcomers before the law of averages commences to assert itself. As Bill Sees It Page 165 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “’Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” ~ Alice Walker |
April 16
The Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In A.A. we have to re-educate our minds. We have to learn to think differently. We have to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view. We have to look through the glass to what lies beyond it. We have to look through the night before to the morning after. No matter how good liquor looks from the short view, we must realize that in the long run it is poison to us. So ............ Have I learned to look through the bottle to the better life that lies ahead? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Ugly Duckling “I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.” ~ Hans Christian Andersen The ugly duckling was not really ugly at all, he was just different. The other ducks teased and pecked and even bit him until the ugly duckling flew away. He wandered around for a year, and was treated as an outcast everywhere. In the spring, he saw a group of swans on a lake, and wanted very much to join them. As he swam out toward them, he was astounded to notice his reflection in the water--he was a swan! The other swans welcomed him warmly, and found him to be beautiful. Most of us go through times when we feel different from those around us. These are painful and lonely times, but it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with us. Like the ugly duckling, we will come into a time when we will be loved. All the pain and loneliness we have felt will help us fully appreciate the acceptance when we find it. I can treasure the ways I am different from others. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Direction Where my life had been full of mental turmoil there is now an ever-increasing depth of calmness. Where there was a hit or miss attitude toward living there is now new direction and force. Experience, Strength and Hope Page 134 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.” ~ Francis of Assisi “The only thing ever achieved in life without effort is failure.” ~ Francis of Assisi |
April 17
Being a Better Person Prayer I pray that I can become a much stronger individual and gain wisdom, hope, courage and understanding very soon in order to become a better person. I pray that I continue to move forward and become a more responsible individual. That I gain the strength to move in a positive direction and that I become the best version of myself. I pray that I soon become more gracious, understanding and patient in all of my ways. Amen ~ Thea Cooper ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We alcoholics were on a merry go-round, going round and round, and we couldn't get off. That merry go round is a kind of hell on earth. In A.A. I got off that merry go-round by learning to stay sober. I pray to my Higher Power every morning to help me to keep sober. And I get the strength from that Power to do what I could never do with my own strength. I do not doubt the existence of that Power. We're not speaking into a vacuum when we pray. That Power is there, if we will use it. So ............ Am I off the merry go round of drinking for good? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Removing the Victim Don't others see how much I'm hurting? Can't they see I need help? Don't they care? The issue is not whether others see or care. The issue is whether we see and care about ourselves. Often, when we are pointing a finger at others, waiting for them to have compassion for us, it's because we have not fully accepted our pain. We have not yet reached that point of caring about ourselves. We are hoping for awareness in another that we have not yet had. It is our job to have compassion for ourselves. When we do, we have taken the first step toward removing ourselves as victims. We are on the way to self-responsibility, self-care, and change. I will not wait for others to see and care; I will take responsibility for being aware of my pain and problems, and caring about myself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Miracles How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute and hopelessness? The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us, they can happen with you. Should you wish them above all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure they will come. The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that! Alcoholics Anonymous Page 153 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Ask yourself if what you are spending your thoughts and energy on will matter in a week, a month, or a year.” ~ Robin Sharma |
April 18
Prayer For An Alcoholic Family Members Lord, it is so hard when someone we love gets caught up in an addiction to alcohol.. and when it is a member of your own family it makes it even more hurtful to accept and more difficult to cope with. Lord, alcoholism is such a disabling condition as it affects every area of life and is like a virus that spreads out of control, infecting everything that it touches – but we know that there is nothing that cannot be helped and healed by You. So we lift them up to You in prayer and ask that You would convince them of their need to break free from alcohol and the grace to conquer this disabling disease. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Before we decide to quit drinking, most of us have to come up against a blank wall. We saw that we were exhausted, that we have to quit. But we don't know which way to turn for help. There seems to be no door in that blank wall. A.A. opens the door that leads to sobriety. By encouraging us to honestly admit that we're alcoholics and to realize that we can't take even one drink, and by showing us which way to turn for help, A.A. opens the door in that blank wall. So ............ Have I gone through that door to sobriety? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Positive Energy It's so easy to look around and notice what's wrong. It takes practice to see what's right. Many of us have lived around negativity for years. We've become skilled at labeling what's wrong with other people, our life, our work, our day, our relationships, our conduct, our recovery, and ourselves. We want to be realistic, and our goal is to identify and accept reality. However, this is often not our intent when we practice negativity. The purpose of negativity is usually annihilation. Negative thinking empowers the problem. It takes us out of harmony. Negative energy sabotages and destroys. It has a powerful life of its own. So does positive energy. Each day, we can ask what's right, what's good - about other people, our life, our work, our day, our relationships, ourselves, our conduct, our recovery. Positive energy heals, conducts love, and transforms. Choose positive energy. God help me let go of negativity. Transform my beliefs and thinking, at the core, from negative to positive. Put me in harmony with the good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Progress Rather than Perfection On studying the Twelve Steps, many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 60 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism," ~ Norman Vincent Peale |
April 19
Release Anger & Resentment Prayer God, You know I am troubled by thoughts and feelings of anger, resentment and bitterness. You also know why. And You know how deep the hurt goes and how long I have lived with it. But I don’t want to live with it any longer. I don’t want to be an angry, resentful and bitter person. With Your help, I release my anger into Your hands. I surrender my resentment. I let go of my bitterness. Help me to keep letting go and release these toxic emotions as often as they try to return. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought A.A. helps us to hang onto sobriety. By having regular meetings so that we can associate with other alcoholics who have come through that same door in the wall, by encouraging us to tell the story of our own sad experiences with alcohol, and by showing us how to help other alcoholics, A.A. keeps us sober. Our attitude toward life changes from one of pride and selfishness to one of humility and gratitude. So ............ Am I going to step back through that door in the wall to my old helpless, hopeless, drunken life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation True Friendship The comfort of a true friend in a time of trouble, the strength we sense in being with someone who truly knows us, the affirmation of life that comes with enduring friendships - no other experience is like these. True friendship happens when we lower our guard and let our feelings show. It happens when we listen without judgment. It accumulates over time in many little experiences with someone. There is friendship in returning to someone when we feel offended or hurt so the relationship can be repaired - and in returning to him when we have been the offender. Sometimes friendship means humility, or accepting our worthiness to be forgiven. The development and deepening of our friendships, with other men, with women, and with ourselves sustains us in life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Neighbors Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people on a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of “Love thy neighbor as thyself." Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "I am still arrogant, egocentric, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times, but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman. Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA." ~ AA Grapevine, July 1975 |
April 20
Prayer to Release the Illusion of Control God, For too long I have wanted to be in control, tried to be in control and cherished the illusion that I am in control. I release myself and my illusions into Your hands. I surrender my need to feel in control, and embrace the truth that You are in control and that I can control only my inner life and not my outward circumstances—and certainly not other people. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot control, courage to change the few things I can (my thoughts and actions) and wisdom to know the difference. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought A new way of living. When we alcoholics first come into A.A. and we face the fact that we must spend the rest of our life without alcohol, it often seems like an impossibility to us. So A.A. tells us to forget about the future and take it one day at a time. All we really have is now. We have no past time and no future time. As the saying goes: "Yesterday is gone, forget it; tomorrow never comes, don't worry; today is here, get busy." All we have is the present. The past is gone forever and the future never comes. When tomorrow gets here, it will be today. So ............ Am I living one day at a time? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Pain of Change When we learn something new, we see how it could have made our life better at an earlier time. We regret being stubborn, immature, or impulsive. Now we see our mistakes in a new light and it hurts. This is one of the pains of change. Some people turn away from growth because they refuse to tolerate the pain of honest hindsight. We need to face these regrets, but not indulge in them. We take a bow to the past and move on to live in the only place we can - the present. We can acknowledge our guilt and remorse and then turn them over to the care of God. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. Getting stuck in guilt over past deeds only repeats our mistakes by failing to use our learning today. I need to acknowledge and let go of my grief and regrets so I can attend to life here and now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Faith and Step Three Step Three is an action step. Many analogies used to explain the 12 Steps describe Step One as the diagnosis, Step Two as the prescription, and Step Three as following the various steps prescribed by the physician in order to heal. This step requires a submission of one's will to follow directions and guidance from a source outside oneself. When we apply this analogy to our larger life, it means we surrender our need to control every last detail and allow ourselves to be guided by Divine will. In Christianity, this surrender is often called repentance. Repentance comes from the Latin word penser or ponder, meaning "to rethink." It requires us to rethink who is actually in charge of our lives, our destiny, our eternity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "With a bit of effort, I can smile at someone today, even though I'm frowning inside. We both will be better for it." ~ Karen Casey |
April 21
Prayer For Courage Lord, I ask You to help me, with my battles over fear and worry. Most of all, I pray for courage. Create in me a clean heart, God, and help me to have the faith and courage to overcome any fears. Lord, there is so much uncertainty in life, but I trust that you will guide me and sustain me. Please give me the courage to be the person, friend and loved one You created me to be. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past. Remorse is terrible mental punishment: ashamed of ourselves for the things we've said and done, afraid to face people because of what they might think of us, afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In A.A. we forget about the past. Do I believe that God has forgiven me for everything I've done in the past, no matter how black it was, provided I'm honestly trying to do the right thing today? So ........................ I have completed Steps 4 and 5? Do I visit Step 10 on a daily basis? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Others Turmoil We do not have to get caught in the middle of other people's issues, problems, or communication. We can let others take responsibility for themselves in their relationships. We can let them work out their issues with each other. Being a peacemaker does not mean we get in the middle. We are bearers of peace by staying peaceful ourselves and not harboring turmoil. We are peacemakers by not causing the extra chaos created when we get in the middle of other people's affairs and relationships. I will refuse to accept any invitations to jump in the middle of others' affairs, issues, and relationships. I will trust others to work out their own affairs, including the ideas and feelings they want to communicate to each other. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A.A. Regeneration Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding a new one. A thousand beatings by John Barleycorn did not encourage me to admit defeat. I believed it was my moral obligation to conquer my “enemy-friend.” At my first A.A. meeting I was blessed with a feeling that it was all right to admit defeat to a disease which had nothing to do with my “moral fiber.” I knew instinctively that I was in the presence of a great love when I entered the doors of A.A. With no effort on my part, I became aware that to love myself was good and right, as God had intended. My feelings set me free, where my thoughts had held me in bondage. I am grateful. A.A. Comes Of Age Page 46 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "It isn't "me" and "you" anymore; it's "we" and "us." I get drunk. We stay sober! It's a we program." ~ Saying in many A.A. Rooms |
April 22
Prayer of Surrender Lord, I surrender to you my past, present and future problems, habits, character defects, attitudes, livelihood, resources, finances, occupation and all my relationships. I give you my health, disabilities, physical appearance, home, family and friendships. Lord, I ask you to control over every aspect of my life. I surrender to you all my hurt, pain, worry, anxiety and fear, and I ask you to wash me clean. I release everything into your compassionate care. Please speak to me clearly, Lord. Open my ears to hear your voice. Open my heart to commune with you more deeply. Lord, shut the doors that need to be shut and open the doors that need to be opened. Set my feet upon the straight and narrow road that leads to everlasting life. Amen ~ Abe and Stacey, 21st August 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When we were drinking, we used to worry about the future. Worrying is terrible mental punishment. What's going to become of me? Where will I end up? In the gutter or the sanitarium? We can see ourselves slipping, getting worse and worse, and we wonder what the finish will be. Sometimes we get so discouraged in thinking about the future that we toy with the idea of suicide. So ............ In A.A. have I stopped worrying about the future? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Releasing Let fears slip away. Release any negative, limiting, or self-defeating beliefs buried in your subconscious too. These beliefs may be about life, love, or yourself. Beliefs create reality. Let go. From as deep within as your fears, resentments, and negative beliefs are stored, let them all go. Let the belief or feeling surface. Accept it; surrender to it. Feel the discomfort or unrest. Then let it go. Let new beliefs replace the old. Let peace and joy and love replace fear. Give yourself and your body permission to let go of fears, resentments, and negative beliefs. Release that which is no longer useful. Trust that you are being healed and prepared for receiving what is good. Just for today, God help me become willing to let go of old beliefs and feelings that may be hurting me. Gently take them from me and replace them with new beliefs and feelings. I do deserve the best life and love has to offer. Help me believe that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Release From Fear The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible for us to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courage and grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain. As Bill Sees It Page 61 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "I will remember to turn to the program to help maintain my peace and serenity, especially through the bad times." ~ Rhonda Crawford |
April 23
Simple Morning Prayer God, please enlighten my mind with truth, inflame my heart with love, inspire my will with courage, enrich my life with service. Pardon what I have been, sanctify what I am, and order what I shall be. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We're all looking for the power to overcome drinking. When we alcoholics come into A.A., our first question is: "How do I get the strength to quit?" At first it seems to us that we will never get the necessary strength. We see older members who have found the power we are looking for, but we don't know the process by which they got it. This necessary strength comes in many ways. So ............ Have I found all the strength I need? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Being a Victim It's okay to have a good day. Really. It's okay to be doing okay and to feel like our life is manageable and on track. Many of us have learned, as part of our survival behaviors, that the way to get the attention and approval we want is to be victims. If life is awful, too difficult, unmanageable, too hard, unfair, then others will accept, like, and approve of us, we think. We may have learned this from living and associating with people who also learned to survive by being a victim. We are not victims. We do not need to be victimized. We do not need to be helpless and out of control to get the attention and love we desire. In fact, the kind of love we are seeking cannot be obtained that way We learn that we can stand on our own two feet, even though it sometimes feels good to lean a little. We learn that the people we are leaning on are not holding us up. They are standing next to us. We all have bad days -- days when things are not going the way we'd like, days when we have feelings of sadness and fear. But we can deal with our bad days and darker feelings in ways that reflect self-responsibility rather than victimization. It's okay to have a good day too. We might not have as much to talk about, but we'll have more to enjoy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Realization The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try. For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. ... That you try. I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking . Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Page 50 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.” ~ Brene Brown |
April 24
Honest Communications Prayer Lord, I come to You today in need of wisdom and discernment. As I seek to communicate with others in a loving, respectful way, I also seek courage to say the hard things. Please help me to stop avoiding unpleasant conversations. Instead, please help me to discern when to let things go and when to speak up. I pray for an open mind and heart to listen well, hear what others have to say, and receive the truth without anger or resentment. Please give me wisdom in what I say and how I say it. Amen ~ Jennifer Waddle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Strength comes from the fellowship. You will find it when you come into A.A. Just being with men and women who have found the way out gives you a feeling of security. You listen to the speakers, you talk with other members, and you absorb the atmosphere of confidence and hope that you find in the place. So ............ Am I receiving strength from the fellowship with other A.A. members? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Reaction to Setting Boundaries When we set a boundary, say no, and change an old pattern - we may get flack from some people. That's okay. We don't have to let their reactions control us, stop us, or influence our decision to take care of ourselves.We don't have to control their reactions to our process of self-care. That is not our responsibility. We don't have to expect them not to react either. People will react when we do things differently or take assertive action to nurture ourselves, particularly if our decision in some way affects them. Let them have their feelings. Let them have their reactions. But continue on your course anyway. If people are used to us behaving in a certain way, they'll attempt to convince us to stay that way to avoid changing the system. If people are used to us saying yes all the time, they may start mumbling and murmuring when we say no. If people are used to us taking care of their responsibilities, feelings, and problems, they may give us some flack when we stop. That's normal. We can learn to live with a little flack in the name of healthy self-care. Not abuse, mind you flack. If people are used to controlling us through guilt, bullying, and badgering, they may intensify their efforts when we change and refuse to be controlled. That's okay. That's flack too. We don't have to let flack pull us back into old ways if we've decided we want and need to change. We don't have to react to flack or give it much attention. It doesn't deserve it. It will die down. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trusting Others But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would be folly. Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would trust. Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation. As Bill Sees It Page 144 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~ Buddha |
April 25
A Gratitude Prayer Father, We thank thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank thee for health and remember the sick. We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless. We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, that thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen ~ Abigail van Buren ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Strength comes from honesty. One can start by telling your own experiences with drinking. In religion, they call it confession. We call it witnessing or sharing. You give a personal witness, you share your past experiences, the troubles you got into, the hospitals, the jails, the break up of your home, the money wasted, the debts, and all the foolish things you did when you were drinking. This personal witness lets out the things you had kept hidden, brings them out into the open, and you find release and strength. So ............ Am I receiving strength from my personal witnessing? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Appreciating Ourselves It is so easy, and tempting, to get down on ourselves, to focus on an imperfect face, a dismal batting average, our fear of math, or our big feet. The trouble is, the more we feel sorry for ourselves, and the more we have to feel sorry about. And though it probably doesn't hurt to indulge in a little self-pity once in a while, how unfortunate--and limiting--it can be to let those attitudes define us. The things we hate about ourselves are no more real than the things we like about ourselves. The trick is to dwell on the things we like instead of those we don't. Even on days when we are sure we are the least loveable creatures in the world, we can "act as if" we like ourselves. What a surprise at the end of the day, to find out that we actually do! It is time to stop this nonsense of running around picking on ourselves. We are good enough, and deserving. We have a right to be here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy & Useful Every day, I feel a little bit more useful, more happy, and more free. Life, including some ups and downs, is a lot of fun. I am part of AA which is a way of life. If I had not become an active alcoholic and joined AA, I might never have found my own identity or become a part of anything. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 417, 3rd Edition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda |
April 26
Change Me Prayer Lord, You are the one I turn to for help in moments of weakness and times of need. I ask you to turn my weakness into strength, my suffering into compassion, my sorrow into joy, and my pain into comfort for others. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Strength comes from coming to believe in a Higher Power that can help you. You can't define this Higher Power, but you can see how it helps other alcoholics. You hear them talk about it and you begin to get the idea yourself. You try praying in a quiet time each morning and you begin to feel stronger, as though your prayers were heard. So you gradually come to believe there must be a Power in the world outside yourself, which is stronger than you and to which you can turn for help. So ............ Am I receiving strength from my faith in a Higher Power? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Living Day by Day "Life by the mile is a trial; by the inch it's a cinch." In the past, we got into trouble when we thought we had to have our lives mapped out forever. That just did not work. We need only deal with the problems and joys of today. If we try to see too far ahead, we lose touch with the reality of the here and now. The Lord lets us know what we need to know when we need to know it. What seems impossible when looked at in total --writing a book, putting the children through college, abstaining for the rest of our lives -- becomes manageable when worked at step-by-step, day-by-day. So many of the things we worry about never happen. How much better it is to concentrate our energies on the real demands and challenges of today, insignificant as they may seem. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Belonging There is no more 'aloneness,' with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 312, 3rd Edition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake.” ~ Confucius |
April 27
Worry Prayer God, Help me to live one day at a time. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now. I want to trust in your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Help me to trust you more and worry less. Amen ~ Roger G. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Strength comes also from working with other alcoholics. When you are trying to help a new prospect with the program, you are building up your own strength at the same time. You see the other person in the condition you might be in yourself and it makes your resolve to stay sober stronger than ever. Often, you help yourself more than the other person, but if you do succeed in helping the prospect to get sober, you are stronger from the experience of having helped another person. So ............ Am I receiving strength from working with others? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Trust in Today For many of us, to look forward to today with secure anticipation, to trust in what the future holds can be a challenge! We can still remember, all too vividly perhaps, the darker periods in our lives, periods that seemed to hold no promise; a time when we dreaded the future, fearing it would only compound those awful times. The fear and the dread are not gone completely. They hover about us, on occasion. They no longer need to darken all of a day, however. We can recognize their presence as parts of our whole, not all of it. How free we are, today! Our choices are many. I can step toward today with assurance, reaching out to others along the way, trusting that my accumulated steps add stability to my future. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now Now is the time, the only time there is. And if we are not kind to ourselves right now, we certainly cannot rightfully expect respect or consideration from others. We have found we can enjoy, sober, every good thing we enjoyed while drinking -- and many, many more. It takes a little practice, but the rewards more than make up for the effort. . . Unless we cherish our own recovery, we cannot survive to become unselfish, ethical, and socially responsible people. Living Sober Page 42 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others.” ~ Wilfred Peterson |
April 28
Natural Beauty Prayer Lord, I know that every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. Make this one the best day yet. Let my eyes be open to the natural beauty in the commonplace things I see. May my heart feel love for everyone I meet. Encourage my heart to embrace each and every person I see with a genuine smile. Show me the way to living well. Thank You for the guidance and grace You have in store for me today. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The power to stop drinking. You get the power to overcome drinking through the fellowship of other alcoholics who have found the way out. You get power by honestly sharing your past experience by a personal witness. You get power by coming to believe in a Higher Power, the Divine Principle in the universe which can help you. You get power by working with other alcoholics. In these four ways, thousands of alcoholics have found all the power they needed to overcome drinking. So ............ Am I ready and willing to accept this power and work for it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Restlessness Restlessness is born of frustration. Perhaps we want to move ahead with our lives more quickly. Does a job have us trapped? Do past troubles haunt us still? Maybe perfectionism tarnishes every attempt to achieve. We can learn from our restlessness, if we let it guide us to our inner reservoir of peace and spiritual support. The search for serenity often takes us farther from it. We mistakenly think a different job or home or relationship will answer all our needs. But we find that our restlessness has accompanied us to our new surroundings. Peace has its home within. And prayer opens the door to it. In the stillness of our patience, we are privy to its blessing. Restlessness indicates our distance from our Higher Power. It may be time for a change in our lives. Change is good; however, our relationship with God will vouchsafe any needed changes. Restlessness is self-centered and will only hamper the steps we may need to take. Restlessness is a barometer that reveals my spiritual health. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Down To Earth Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make-believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where our work must be done. These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 130 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.” ~ Gerald G. Jampolsky |
April 29
Prayer To Let Go Lord, I don’t know which way to turn nor do I know what to do, and I am coming to You confessing my need for You in my life, and pray that You will forgive me of my pride in trying to be the god of my own existence. Lord, I have made me the center of my life and I pray You would help me to change. Lord, I don’t really know how to “let go”. I don’t really know what to do to give You control of my life, but I am coming to You in humility of heart to admit that I can do nothing in my own strength and to confess my need for You in my life. Lord, I pray that Your grace and mercy would lead and guide me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought I see change in A.A. Meetings. When you come into an A.A. meeting, you're not just coming into a meeting, you're coming into a new life. I'm always impressed by the change I see in people after they've been in A.A. for a while. I sometimes take an inventory of myself, to see whether I have changed, and if so, in what way. Before I met A.A., I was very selfish. I wanted my own way in everything. I don't believe I ever grew up. When things went wrong, I sulked like a spoiled child and often went out and got drunk. So ............ Am I still all get and no give? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Feel Your Feelings You don't have to do anything about your feelings. Understand that. Believe that. They are only feelings. Emotional energy is important. It's important not to block it, stop it, deny it, or repress it. It's important to discharge it. To value it. To value ourselves. But you don't have to do anything. You don't have to act on every feeling. You don't need to control every emotion or let your emotions control you. Doing something is the old way, the way of control. Simply feel whatever you need to feel. Become fully and completely conscious of what you feel. Take responsibility for the way you choose to express your feelings. Then let your feelings go. Release the emotional energy. Soon you will know what to do next, know what lesson is under way. You will naturally take the action that's right for you to take. All you have to do about your feelings is feel them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Progress Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 100 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder |
April 30
Morning Prayer Lord, When evil darkens our world, give us light. When despair numbs our souls, give us hope. When we stumble and fall, lift us up. When doubts assail us, give us faith. When nothing seems sure, give us trust. When ideals fade, give us vision. When we lose our way, be our guide! That we may find serenity in Your presence and purpose in doing Your will. ~ John D. Rayner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Before I met A.A., I was very dishonest. I lied to my spouse constantly about where I had been and what I'd been doing. I took time off from my work and pretended I'd been sick or gave some other dishonest excuse. I was dishonest with myself, as well as with other people. I would never face myself as I really was or admit when I was wrong. I pretended to myself that I was as good as the next person, although I suspected I wasn't. So ............ Am I now really honest? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Self-Pity It requires very little effort - and no imagination - to start feeling sorry for ourselves. Often, it is easy to feel sorry for ourselves in our families. Instead of being inspired by the sports talents of an older brother, the popularity of a lovely sister, or the fame of a parent or relative, we often take the easier attitude: "I'm denied all that he or she has." If we work hard at developing our own abilities so that we can excel, we will find ourselves proud of, and applauding, what others do. If a personal problem brings us self-pity, we must remind ourselves that all people have problems. We can cope as well as the best of people if we learn from them and think positively. Who among those close to me can I be proud of today? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meditation Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of the first fruits is emotional balance. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 101-102 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote ”When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~ Catherine Ponder |
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