Just for Today
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Just for today, understanding that a "substitute" chemical to replace alcohol that alters my perception of reality is not working toward recovery from an addictive personality, grant me the wisdom to also understand that "mind- and mood-altering chemicals" may not necessarily include prescribed medications. If depression continues to be a condition even in sobriety, for example, let me listen to reasons why anti-depressants may not compromise my sobriety but may even improve its quality. The debate in AA and other 12-Step groups that any substance which affects my mood is as old as the Program itself. But the Program admits that it is not a medical one, and that tells me it is my responsibility to seek out the knowledge from sources that may be more qualified than me to determine if my sobriety is at risk. Today, understanding that the substances I ingested are not the same as prescribed medications, let me also consider the possibility that acting as my own physican may be my writing my own relapse somewhere down the road. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Nov. 30, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
An inspiring book, a caring friend, a moment of silence - all can offer the guidance we seek.
We are learning to seek guidance on how to handle the serious circumstances of our lives. We used to feel we had to figure out everything for ourselves. What a gift it is to seek suggestions from friends we can trust. And hearing others tell how a line in a book gave them a needed answer has become a valuable tool too.
Relying on the silence for our answers, we are less certain at first. We can't always tell if it's our ego directing us rather than our Higher Power. The important thing is that we are looking for help. We are no longer blocked by our need to be self-reliant in all matters.
Guidance is always available. We simply have to know where to look and be willing to hear.
I will look at my problems today as opportunities for intimacy with other people. Problems will free me from isolation.
From the book:
A Life of My Own by Karen Casey
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
An inspiring book, a caring friend, a moment of silence - all can offer the guidance we seek.
We are learning to seek guidance on how to handle the serious circumstances of our lives. We used to feel we had to figure out everything for ourselves. What a gift it is to seek suggestions from friends we can trust. And hearing others tell how a line in a book gave them a needed answer has become a valuable tool too.
Relying on the silence for our answers, we are less certain at first. We can't always tell if it's our ego directing us rather than our Higher Power. The important thing is that we are looking for help. We are no longer blocked by our need to be self-reliant in all matters.
Guidance is always available. We simply have to know where to look and be willing to hear.
I will look at my problems today as opportunities for intimacy with other people. Problems will free me from isolation.
From the book:
A Life of My Own by Karen Casey
Nov. 30, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Evidence
My abuse of alcohol was the exterior manifestation of a disease
much more complex and consuming than simple drunkenness, and similarly,
my abstinence is the exterior manifestation of a wellness
much more rewarding than simple sobriety.
The most convincing evidence I have today that I'm an alcoholic
is not how much or how long I drank, nor how drunk I got;
the most convincing evidence I have is that AA is working for me.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 181
Thought to Ponder ...
If you think you are an alcoholic, chances are you are.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
T H I N K = Thank Heavens I Now Know.
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Evidence
My abuse of alcohol was the exterior manifestation of a disease
much more complex and consuming than simple drunkenness, and similarly,
my abstinence is the exterior manifestation of a wellness
much more rewarding than simple sobriety.
The most convincing evidence I have today that I'm an alcoholic
is not how much or how long I drank, nor how drunk I got;
the most convincing evidence I have is that AA is working for me.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 181
Thought to Ponder ...
If you think you are an alcoholic, chances are you are.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
T H I N K = Thank Heavens I Now Know.
Nov. 30, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
We have slips in AA. It has been said these are not slips but premeditated drunks, because we have to think about taking a drink before we actually take one. The thought always comes before the act. It is suggested that people should always get in touch with an AA before taking that first drink. The failure to do so makes it probable that they had decided to take the drink anyway. And yet the thoughts that come before taking a drink are often largely subconscious. People usually don't know consciously what made them do it. Therefore, the common practice is to call these things slips.
Am I on guard against wrong thinking?
Meditation for the Day
"The eternal God is thy refuge." He is a sanctuary, a refuge from the cares of life. You can get away from the misunderstanding of others by retiring into your own place of meditation. But from yourself, from your sense of failure, your weakness, your shortcomings, whither can you flee? Only to the eternal God, your refuge, until the immensity of His spirit envelopes your spirit and it loses its smallness and weakness and comes into harmony again with His.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may lose my limitations in the immensity of God's love. I pray that my spirit may be in harmony with His spirit.
Hazelden Foundation
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
We have slips in AA. It has been said these are not slips but premeditated drunks, because we have to think about taking a drink before we actually take one. The thought always comes before the act. It is suggested that people should always get in touch with an AA before taking that first drink. The failure to do so makes it probable that they had decided to take the drink anyway. And yet the thoughts that come before taking a drink are often largely subconscious. People usually don't know consciously what made them do it. Therefore, the common practice is to call these things slips.
Am I on guard against wrong thinking?
Meditation for the Day
"The eternal God is thy refuge." He is a sanctuary, a refuge from the cares of life. You can get away from the misunderstanding of others by retiring into your own place of meditation. But from yourself, from your sense of failure, your weakness, your shortcomings, whither can you flee? Only to the eternal God, your refuge, until the immensity of His spirit envelopes your spirit and it loses its smallness and weakness and comes into harmony again with His.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may lose my limitations in the immensity of God's love. I pray that my spirit may be in harmony with His spirit.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 30, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Reflection for the Day
If you're a negative thinker and are not yet ready to do an about-face, here are some guidelines that can keep you miserable for just as long as you wish to remain so. First, don't go to meetings of The Program, especially discussion groups. If you somehow find yourself at a meeting, keep your mouth shut, your hands in your pockets and your mind closed. Don't try to solve any of your problems, never laugh at yourself and don't trust the other people in The Program. Above all, under no conditions should you try to live in the Now.
Am I aware that negative thinking means taking myself deadly serious at all times, leaving no time for laughter - and for living?
Today I Pray
If I am feeling negative, may I check myself in the mirror that is the group for any symptoms of a closed mind; tight lips, forced smile, set jaw, straight-ahead glance - and not a glimmer of humor. God, grant me the ability to laugh at myself - often - for I need that laughter to cope with the everyday commotion of living.
Today I Will Remember
To laugh at myself.
Hazelden Foundation
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Reflection for the Day
If you're a negative thinker and are not yet ready to do an about-face, here are some guidelines that can keep you miserable for just as long as you wish to remain so. First, don't go to meetings of The Program, especially discussion groups. If you somehow find yourself at a meeting, keep your mouth shut, your hands in your pockets and your mind closed. Don't try to solve any of your problems, never laugh at yourself and don't trust the other people in The Program. Above all, under no conditions should you try to live in the Now.
Am I aware that negative thinking means taking myself deadly serious at all times, leaving no time for laughter - and for living?
Today I Pray
If I am feeling negative, may I check myself in the mirror that is the group for any symptoms of a closed mind; tight lips, forced smile, set jaw, straight-ahead glance - and not a glimmer of humor. God, grant me the ability to laugh at myself - often - for I need that laughter to cope with the everyday commotion of living.
Today I Will Remember
To laugh at myself.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 30, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Many who are active in AA work come to feel that they just can't carry on any longer. There is so much to do; so little time can be spared to do it; so few to do the work. There is a limit to their endurance. After all, a guy has just so much health, strength and patience.
When the burdens get too heavy and too numerous, take it up with the Big Boss, tell Him you like to do His work but that it is more than you can handle - ask Him for more help - and you'll get it.
Hazelden Foundation
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
Many who are active in AA work come to feel that they just can't carry on any longer. There is so much to do; so little time can be spared to do it; so few to do the work. There is a limit to their endurance. After all, a guy has just so much health, strength and patience.
When the burdens get too heavy and too numerous, take it up with the Big Boss, tell Him you like to do His work but that it is more than you can handle - ask Him for more help - and you'll get it.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, November 29, 2010
Nov. 29, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Just for today, if my candle is burning at both ends with responsibilities, obligations and expections that have been entrusted to me since I started following the Program, I will not complain or seek adulation and, instead, will seek gratitude and humility that I now am trusted and can carry out what is asked and expected of me. But if I feel overwhelmed at times, I can fall back on the Program's edicts to prioritize and take "First Things First." The first thing is sobriety and, without it, there is literally nothing. With it, there is literally everything. The benefits sobriety bring to me include service to the sufferer who needs to hear the Program's message, and I should not shirk or complain about being in service. Not only does what I contribute to another soul strengthen my own against a possible slip or relapse, I need only to remember the days when I was drunk literally 24/7 and ask if those days were better than now when I have been given the gift to be of some greater good. Today, my yesterdays are nowhere better than now, and now is where I will stay without complaining, without seeking recognition and instead asking in humility what His will is for me and the power to carry it out. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Just for today, if my candle is burning at both ends with responsibilities, obligations and expections that have been entrusted to me since I started following the Program, I will not complain or seek adulation and, instead, will seek gratitude and humility that I now am trusted and can carry out what is asked and expected of me. But if I feel overwhelmed at times, I can fall back on the Program's edicts to prioritize and take "First Things First." The first thing is sobriety and, without it, there is literally nothing. With it, there is literally everything. The benefits sobriety bring to me include service to the sufferer who needs to hear the Program's message, and I should not shirk or complain about being in service. Not only does what I contribute to another soul strengthen my own against a possible slip or relapse, I need only to remember the days when I was drunk literally 24/7 and ask if those days were better than now when I have been given the gift to be of some greater good. Today, my yesterdays are nowhere better than now, and now is where I will stay without complaining, without seeking recognition and instead asking in humility what His will is for me and the power to carry it out. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Nov. 29, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Fill up your life.
One of the good things about the blues is their power to make me feel better. No matter how bad it gets in my little world, I can be pretty sure that B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, or Stevie Ray Vaughn has seen worse. Sometimes, it just feels good to vocalize all those bad feelings.
Bad things happen in life. Sometimes they are small annoyances; sometimes they are the major grief mongers. What matters is not what happens to us, but how we react to it. He left you. That is a fact. Now after you get done with the quart of rocky road that you are drowning your sorrows in, what are you going to do about it? You can sit around and complain to your friends about how unfair life is, or you can get up, put the empty bowl in the dishwasher, and go fill up your life.
Feelings are one of the blessings of being human. All of them. Sometimes we feel good; sometimes we feel bad. Take some time. Take some energy and be upset. Be aware of the feeling of being upset. But then get up, go out, and make positive use of your life.
God, help me put to positive use all of the feelings in my life.
From the book:
More Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Fill up your life.
One of the good things about the blues is their power to make me feel better. No matter how bad it gets in my little world, I can be pretty sure that B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, or Stevie Ray Vaughn has seen worse. Sometimes, it just feels good to vocalize all those bad feelings.
Bad things happen in life. Sometimes they are small annoyances; sometimes they are the major grief mongers. What matters is not what happens to us, but how we react to it. He left you. That is a fact. Now after you get done with the quart of rocky road that you are drowning your sorrows in, what are you going to do about it? You can sit around and complain to your friends about how unfair life is, or you can get up, put the empty bowl in the dishwasher, and go fill up your life.
Feelings are one of the blessings of being human. All of them. Sometimes we feel good; sometimes we feel bad. Take some time. Take some energy and be upset. Be aware of the feeling of being upset. But then get up, go out, and make positive use of your life.
God, help me put to positive use all of the feelings in my life.
From the book:
More Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
Nov. 29, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Contact
Almost any experienced AA will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable
and unexpected turns for the better
as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God.
He will also report that out of every season of grief or suffering,
when the hand of God seemed heavy or unjust,
new lessons for living were learned, new resources for courage were uncovered,
and that finally, inescapably, the conviction
that God does "move in a mysterious way His wonders to perform."
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 104-105
Thought to Ponder ...
God enters us through our wounds.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
G I F T = God Is Forever There.
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Contact
Almost any experienced AA will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable
and unexpected turns for the better
as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God.
He will also report that out of every season of grief or suffering,
when the hand of God seemed heavy or unjust,
new lessons for living were learned, new resources for courage were uncovered,
and that finally, inescapably, the conviction
that God does "move in a mysterious way His wonders to perform."
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 104-105
Thought to Ponder ...
God enters us through our wounds.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
G I F T = God Is Forever There.
Nov. 29, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
The AA way is the way of sobriety, and yet there are slips. Why do these slips occur? Why don't we all accept AA and stay sober from then on? There are many reasons, but it has been proved without exception that once we have become alcoholics, we can never drink successfully again. This has never been disproved by any case we know of. Many alcoholics have tried drinking after a period of sobriety from a few days to a few years, and no one that we know of has been successful in becoming a normal drinker.
Meditation for the Day
"We are gathered together in Thy name." First, we are gathered together, bound by a common loyalty to God and to each other. Then, when this condition has been fulfilled, God is present with us. Then, when God is there and one with us, we voice a common prayer. Then it follows that our prayer will be answered according to God's will. Then, when our prayer is answered, we are bound together in a lasting fellowship of the spirit.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be loyal to God and to others. I pray that my life today may be lived close to His and to theirs.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
The AA way is the way of sobriety, and yet there are slips. Why do these slips occur? Why don't we all accept AA and stay sober from then on? There are many reasons, but it has been proved without exception that once we have become alcoholics, we can never drink successfully again. This has never been disproved by any case we know of. Many alcoholics have tried drinking after a period of sobriety from a few days to a few years, and no one that we know of has been successful in becoming a normal drinker.
Meditation for the Day
"We are gathered together in Thy name." First, we are gathered together, bound by a common loyalty to God and to each other. Then, when this condition has been fulfilled, God is present with us. Then, when God is there and one with us, we voice a common prayer. Then it follows that our prayer will be answered according to God's will. Then, when our prayer is answered, we are bound together in a lasting fellowship of the spirit.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be loyal to God and to others. I pray that my life today may be lived close to His and to theirs.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 29, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Contrary to what some people think, our slogan "Let Go and Let God" isn't an expression of apathy, an attitude of defeatism or an unwillingness to accept responsibility. Those who turn their backs on their problems are not "letting go and letting God" but, instead, are abandoning their commitment to act on God's inspiration and guidance. They neither ask for nor expect help; they want God to do it all.
In seeking God's guidance, do I realize that the ultimate responsibility is mine?
Today I Pray
May I not allow myself to be lazy just because I think God is going to do everything anyway. (Such apathy reminds me of my old powerless self, the one that moaned that the world was going up in smoke, civilization was going down the drain and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.) Neither may I use "letting God" do it as an excuse for shrugging off my problems without even trying. May God be my inspiration; may I be an instrument of God.
Today I Will Remember
God guides those who help themselves.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Contrary to what some people think, our slogan "Let Go and Let God" isn't an expression of apathy, an attitude of defeatism or an unwillingness to accept responsibility. Those who turn their backs on their problems are not "letting go and letting God" but, instead, are abandoning their commitment to act on God's inspiration and guidance. They neither ask for nor expect help; they want God to do it all.
In seeking God's guidance, do I realize that the ultimate responsibility is mine?
Today I Pray
May I not allow myself to be lazy just because I think God is going to do everything anyway. (Such apathy reminds me of my old powerless self, the one that moaned that the world was going up in smoke, civilization was going down the drain and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.) Neither may I use "letting God" do it as an excuse for shrugging off my problems without even trying. May God be my inspiration; may I be an instrument of God.
Today I Will Remember
God guides those who help themselves.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 29, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
We find in life exactly what we are looking for. In your drinking days, you courted trouble constantly and you probably found more than your share of it.
Today we are looking for a better way of life and this, too, we find at every turn.
We get what we want if we put forth sufficient effort to look for it, if we have the ability to recognize it when we see it, and the tenacity to hold on to it when once we grasp it.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
We find in life exactly what we are looking for. In your drinking days, you courted trouble constantly and you probably found more than your share of it.
Today we are looking for a better way of life and this, too, we find at every turn.
We get what we want if we put forth sufficient effort to look for it, if we have the ability to recognize it when we see it, and the tenacity to hold on to it when once we grasp it.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Nov. 28, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
" ...(W)e launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.
"Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Ch 5 ("How It Works"), pp 64-5.
Just for today, the "vigorous action" of the Fourth Step cannot and should not be associated with a vigorous schedule, that is, we should not expect a thoroughly honest moral inventory to be done in one sitting. In our impatience or zeal to get to the Promises of the Program, we risk skirting the depth of some Steps, and the Fourth is vulnerable. But without depth and absolute honesty, and neglecting to come to terms with some issues identified in the Fourth Step, the integrity and effectiveness of subsequent Steps may be less than what they could and should be. I am required to submit to Step Fourth, yes, and honestly assess both my character defects and moral attributes. But I should not expect that I can honestly compile a thorough list in one sitting, particularly when identifying the "causes and conditions" of which alcohol was "but a symptom." After all, those defects will likely still be there tomorrow if I need a break today from the "vigorous action" that the Fourth requires. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
" ...(W)e launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.
"Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Ch 5 ("How It Works"), pp 64-5.
Just for today, the "vigorous action" of the Fourth Step cannot and should not be associated with a vigorous schedule, that is, we should not expect a thoroughly honest moral inventory to be done in one sitting. In our impatience or zeal to get to the Promises of the Program, we risk skirting the depth of some Steps, and the Fourth is vulnerable. But without depth and absolute honesty, and neglecting to come to terms with some issues identified in the Fourth Step, the integrity and effectiveness of subsequent Steps may be less than what they could and should be. I am required to submit to Step Fourth, yes, and honestly assess both my character defects and moral attributes. But I should not expect that I can honestly compile a thorough list in one sitting, particularly when identifying the "causes and conditions" of which alcohol was "but a symptom." After all, those defects will likely still be there tomorrow if I need a break today from the "vigorous action" that the Fourth requires. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Nov. 28, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.
--Mother Teresa
Our spiritual nature must be nurtured. Prayer and meditation lovingly kindle the flame that guides us from within. Because we're human, we often let the flame flicker and perhaps go out. And then we sense the dreaded aloneness. Fortunately, some time away, perhaps even a few moments in quiet communion with God, rekindles the flame.
For most of us, the flame burned low, or not at all, for many years. The flickering we may feel today, or tomorrow, or felt yesterday, will not last, so we may put away our fears. We can listen to the voice of our higher power in others. We can listen, too, as we carry the message. Prayer surrounds us every moment. We can fuel our inner flame with the messages received from others. We can let our spirit spring forth; let it warm our hearts and the hearts of others.
We each have a friend whose flame may be flickering today. I will help my friend and thus myself. A steady flame can rekindle one that's flickering.
From the book:
Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.
--Mother Teresa
Our spiritual nature must be nurtured. Prayer and meditation lovingly kindle the flame that guides us from within. Because we're human, we often let the flame flicker and perhaps go out. And then we sense the dreaded aloneness. Fortunately, some time away, perhaps even a few moments in quiet communion with God, rekindles the flame.
For most of us, the flame burned low, or not at all, for many years. The flickering we may feel today, or tomorrow, or felt yesterday, will not last, so we may put away our fears. We can listen to the voice of our higher power in others. We can listen, too, as we carry the message. Prayer surrounds us every moment. We can fuel our inner flame with the messages received from others. We can let our spirit spring forth; let it warm our hearts and the hearts of others.
We each have a friend whose flame may be flickering today. I will help my friend and thus myself. A steady flame can rekindle one that's flickering.
From the book:
Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey
Nov. 28, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Singleness of Purpose
. . . our Society has concluded that it has but one high mission
-- to carry the AA message to those who don't know there's a way out.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 160
Thought to Ponder ...
Our primary purpose is to stay sober
and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering Together.
(courtesy AAOnline.net
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Singleness of Purpose
. . . our Society has concluded that it has but one high mission
-- to carry the AA message to those who don't know there's a way out.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 160
Thought to Ponder ...
Our primary purpose is to stay sober
and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering Together.
Nov. 28, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
The AA way is the way of sobriety. AA is known everywhere as a method that has been successful with alcoholics. Doctors, psychiatrists and clergymen have had some success. Some men and women have got sober all by themselves. We believe that AA is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet AA is, of course, not wholly successful. Some are unable to achieve sobriety and some slip back into alcoholism after they have had some measure of sobriety.
Am I deeply grateful to have found AA?
Meditation for the Day
Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our AA fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be very grateful today, I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
The AA way is the way of sobriety. AA is known everywhere as a method that has been successful with alcoholics. Doctors, psychiatrists and clergymen have had some success. Some men and women have got sober all by themselves. We believe that AA is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet AA is, of course, not wholly successful. Some are unable to achieve sobriety and some slip back into alcoholism after they have had some measure of sobriety.
Am I deeply grateful to have found AA?
Meditation for the Day
Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our AA fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be very grateful today, I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 28, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Our faith in God's power - at work in us and in our lives - doesn't relieve us of responsibility. Instead, our faith strengthens our efforts, makes us confident and assured, and enables us to act decisively and wisely. We're no longer afraid to make decisions; we're not afraid to take the steps that seem called for in the proper handling of giving situations.
Do I believe that God is at work beyond my human efforts, and that my faith and trust in Him will bring forth results far exceeding my expectations?
Today I Pray
May my trust in my Higher Power never falter. May my faith in that Power continue to shore up my optimism, my confidence, my belief in my own decision-making. May I never shut my eyes to the wonder of God's work or discount the wisdom of His solutions.
Today I Will Remember
Our hope in ages past, our help for years to come.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Our faith in God's power - at work in us and in our lives - doesn't relieve us of responsibility. Instead, our faith strengthens our efforts, makes us confident and assured, and enables us to act decisively and wisely. We're no longer afraid to make decisions; we're not afraid to take the steps that seem called for in the proper handling of giving situations.
Do I believe that God is at work beyond my human efforts, and that my faith and trust in Him will bring forth results far exceeding my expectations?
Today I Pray
May my trust in my Higher Power never falter. May my faith in that Power continue to shore up my optimism, my confidence, my belief in my own decision-making. May I never shut my eyes to the wonder of God's work or discount the wisdom of His solutions.
Today I Will Remember
Our hope in ages past, our help for years to come.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 28, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Knowledge is of great value, and nothing of value is acquired without price. Wisdom is even more to be desired than knowledge, which can be but an accumulation of facts. Humility is greater than wisdom for there is no real wisdom without humility. The wise are humbled by the knowledge of the limitations of their knowledge.
No man is born with these characteristics, they are born of the vicissitudes of life. Sorrow, despair and failure are their breeding grounds.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
Knowledge is of great value, and nothing of value is acquired without price. Wisdom is even more to be desired than knowledge, which can be but an accumulation of facts. Humility is greater than wisdom for there is no real wisdom without humility. The wise are humbled by the knowledge of the limitations of their knowledge.
No man is born with these characteristics, they are born of the vicissitudes of life. Sorrow, despair and failure are their breeding grounds.
Hazelden Foundation
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Nov. 27, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
"There may be some wrongs we can never fully right. We don't worry about them if we can honestly say to ourselves that we would right them if we could. Some people cannot be seen - we send them an honest letter. And there may be a valid reason for postponement in some cases. But we don't delay if it can be avoided. We should be sensible, tactful, considerate and humble without being servile or scraping." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 6 ("Into Action"), p 83.
Just for today, I cannot nor should worry or take on guilt if I determine in absolute honesty that making an amend to someone I have hurt will further injure them or anyone else. This is a vital qualifier of the Ninth Step - that we make amends directly "except when to do so would injure them or others." This qualification does not excuse me from making amends or accepting responsibility, however. It may be possible that making an amend needs to be postponed if an immediate amend would inflict harm. It is just as possible that I can never make amends to someone if that person cannot be found or is no longer available. In either case, if for no one than myself, I can make "indirect" amends by admitting my wrong in writing, in a private journal even if no one else will ever read it. In doing that, I am at least giving voice to a silent wrong. The benefit could be that the guilt or fear of being "caught" are disempowered because I have acknowledged my culpability and responsibility. If today I take the Ninth Step, I must temper my "confession" with the qualification that an act of atonement now could do what the Ninth warns against - inflicting further hurt. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
"There may be some wrongs we can never fully right. We don't worry about them if we can honestly say to ourselves that we would right them if we could. Some people cannot be seen - we send them an honest letter. And there may be a valid reason for postponement in some cases. But we don't delay if it can be avoided. We should be sensible, tactful, considerate and humble without being servile or scraping." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 6 ("Into Action"), p 83.
Just for today, I cannot nor should worry or take on guilt if I determine in absolute honesty that making an amend to someone I have hurt will further injure them or anyone else. This is a vital qualifier of the Ninth Step - that we make amends directly "except when to do so would injure them or others." This qualification does not excuse me from making amends or accepting responsibility, however. It may be possible that making an amend needs to be postponed if an immediate amend would inflict harm. It is just as possible that I can never make amends to someone if that person cannot be found or is no longer available. In either case, if for no one than myself, I can make "indirect" amends by admitting my wrong in writing, in a private journal even if no one else will ever read it. In doing that, I am at least giving voice to a silent wrong. The benefit could be that the guilt or fear of being "caught" are disempowered because I have acknowledged my culpability and responsibility. If today I take the Ninth Step, I must temper my "confession" with the qualification that an act of atonement now could do what the Ninth warns against - inflicting further hurt. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
Nov. 27, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.
--Madeline Bridges
Sometimes we feel lazy or bored, and then we don't do our best work. Perhaps we are daydreaming instead of listening closely to what a friend is trying to tell us. When we are not really paying attention to our activities or the people around us, we'll likely miss out on something important because we do receive in equal measure what we give. And this truth works in every aspect of our lives.
When we treat our friends, our families, even people we don't know well with kindness, we'll experience kindness in return. Our own actions and attitudes toward others are what we can expect from others as well.
From the book:
Today's Gift by Anonymous
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.
--Madeline Bridges
Sometimes we feel lazy or bored, and then we don't do our best work. Perhaps we are daydreaming instead of listening closely to what a friend is trying to tell us. When we are not really paying attention to our activities or the people around us, we'll likely miss out on something important because we do receive in equal measure what we give. And this truth works in every aspect of our lives.
When we treat our friends, our families, even people we don't know well with kindness, we'll experience kindness in return. Our own actions and attitudes toward others are what we can expect from others as well.
From the book:
Today's Gift by Anonymous
Nov. 27, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Living Sober
Somewhat to our surprise, staying sober turns out not to be the grim,
wet-blanket experience we had expected!
While we were drinking, a life without alcohol seemed like no life at all.
But for most members of AA, living sober is really living -- a joyous experience.
We much prefer it to the troubles we had with drinking.
One more note: anyone can get sober. We have done it lots of times.
The trick is to stay and live sober.
- Living Sober, Preface
Thought to Ponder ...
The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Always Alive.
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Living Sober
Somewhat to our surprise, staying sober turns out not to be the grim,
wet-blanket experience we had expected!
While we were drinking, a life without alcohol seemed like no life at all.
But for most members of AA, living sober is really living -- a joyous experience.
We much prefer it to the troubles we had with drinking.
One more note: anyone can get sober. We have done it lots of times.
The trick is to stay and live sober.
- Living Sober, Preface
Thought to Ponder ...
The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Always Alive.
Nov. 27, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
The way of AA is the way of sobriety, fellowship, service and faith. Let us take up each one of these things and see if our feet are truly on the way. The first and greatest to us is sobriety. The others are built on sobriety as a foundation. We could not have the others if we did not have sobriety. We all come to AA to get sober, and we stay to help others get sober. We are looking for sobriety first, last and all the time. We cannot build any decent kind of a life unless we stay sober.
Am I on the AA way?
Meditation for the Day
To truly desire to do God's will, therein lies happiness for a human being. We start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied. We take and we do not give. Gradually we find that we are not happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other peoples' wills. But this again does not give us full happiness, and we begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's will. In these times of meditation, we seek to get guidance so that we can find God's will for us.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that I may be guided today to find His will for me.
Hazelden Foundation
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
The way of AA is the way of sobriety, fellowship, service and faith. Let us take up each one of these things and see if our feet are truly on the way. The first and greatest to us is sobriety. The others are built on sobriety as a foundation. We could not have the others if we did not have sobriety. We all come to AA to get sober, and we stay to help others get sober. We are looking for sobriety first, last and all the time. We cannot build any decent kind of a life unless we stay sober.
Am I on the AA way?
Meditation for the Day
To truly desire to do God's will, therein lies happiness for a human being. We start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied. We take and we do not give. Gradually we find that we are not happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other peoples' wills. But this again does not give us full happiness, and we begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's will. In these times of meditation, we seek to get guidance so that we can find God's will for us.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that I may be guided today to find His will for me.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 27, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Reflection for the Day
The Program shows us how to transform the pipe-dream of our pasts into reality and a true sense of purpose, together with a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. It's alright to keep our head in the clouds with Him, we're taught, but our feet should remain firmly planted here on earth. Here's where other people are; here's where our work must be accomplished.
Do I see anything incompatible between spirituality and a useful life in the here and now?
Today I Pray
May my new "reality" include not only the nuts and bolts and pots and pans of daily living, but also my spiritual reality, my growing knowledge of the presence of God. May this new reality have room, too, for my dreams - not the drug-induced, mind-drifting fantasies of the past or the remnants of my delusions - but the products of a healthy imagination. May I respect these dreams, anchor them in earth's possibilities and turn them into useful creativity.
Today I Will Remember
Heaven has a place in the here-and-now.
Hazelden Foundation
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Reflection for the Day
The Program shows us how to transform the pipe-dream of our pasts into reality and a true sense of purpose, together with a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. It's alright to keep our head in the clouds with Him, we're taught, but our feet should remain firmly planted here on earth. Here's where other people are; here's where our work must be accomplished.
Do I see anything incompatible between spirituality and a useful life in the here and now?
Today I Pray
May my new "reality" include not only the nuts and bolts and pots and pans of daily living, but also my spiritual reality, my growing knowledge of the presence of God. May this new reality have room, too, for my dreams - not the drug-induced, mind-drifting fantasies of the past or the remnants of my delusions - but the products of a healthy imagination. May I respect these dreams, anchor them in earth's possibilities and turn them into useful creativity.
Today I Will Remember
Heaven has a place in the here-and-now.
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 27, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Sorrow and happiness are mental states, but the effect they have upon our nervous system and our blood pressure is a recognized fact.
The "Atmosphere" of a hospital and its staff can lengthen or shorten the duration of an illness.
We alcoholics spent years driving nails into our coffins; let us spend today drawing those nails out.
Hazelden Foundation
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Sorrow and happiness are mental states, but the effect they have upon our nervous system and our blood pressure is a recognized fact.
The "Atmosphere" of a hospital and its staff can lengthen or shorten the duration of an illness.
We alcoholics spent years driving nails into our coffins; let us spend today drawing those nails out.
Hazelden Foundation
Friday, November 26, 2010
Nov. 26, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
"Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn't enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. It may mean the loss of many nights' sleep, great interference with your pleasures, interruptions to your business. It may mean sharing your money and your home, counseling frantic (spouses) and relatives, innumerable trips to police courts, sanitariums, hospitals, jails and asylums. Your telephone may jangle at any time of the day or night. ...A drunk may smash the furniture in your home, or burn a mattress. You may have to fight with him if he is violent. Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer sedatives under his direction." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 7 ("Working With Others"), p 97.
Just for today, just as I was responsible for the consequences of my drinking, so I am also responsible to the benefits of my sobriety and recovery. Both sobriety and recovery are a gift, and both require nurturing and work to grow. "(T)he foundation stone of ...recovery" is helping others, that is 12th-stepping by carrying the message and hope of sobriety to others who need to receive it. But in our 12th Step work, we must understand that we are also required to stress individual obligation to the gift that we receive in the Program, that the gift is neither a right nor given without responsibility to it. The work of the truly effective and committed 12th-stepper is seldom limited to just talking to someone who reaches out for help. But the work to carry the message and in the process holding onto it ourselves is nowhere near the work needed to get and stay drunk. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
"Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn't enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. It may mean the loss of many nights' sleep, great interference with your pleasures, interruptions to your business. It may mean sharing your money and your home, counseling frantic (spouses) and relatives, innumerable trips to police courts, sanitariums, hospitals, jails and asylums. Your telephone may jangle at any time of the day or night. ...A drunk may smash the furniture in your home, or burn a mattress. You may have to fight with him if he is violent. Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer sedatives under his direction." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 7 ("Working With Others"), p 97.
Just for today, just as I was responsible for the consequences of my drinking, so I am also responsible to the benefits of my sobriety and recovery. Both sobriety and recovery are a gift, and both require nurturing and work to grow. "(T)he foundation stone of ...recovery" is helping others, that is 12th-stepping by carrying the message and hope of sobriety to others who need to receive it. But in our 12th Step work, we must understand that we are also required to stress individual obligation to the gift that we receive in the Program, that the gift is neither a right nor given without responsibility to it. The work of the truly effective and committed 12th-stepper is seldom limited to just talking to someone who reaches out for help. But the work to carry the message and in the process holding onto it ourselves is nowhere near the work needed to get and stay drunk. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 26, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
You start preparing when you're thirty for the person you'll be at eighty.
--Janice Clark
We can't get away from ourselves, at least not entirely. Who we were at ten and twenty and forty and fifty remain as threads in our tapestries. Many of us shudder because some details of our personal panorama weren't so very pretty. But that's the way life is. We are what we are. And yet, we have examples of favorable changes, too. How we were never kept us from becoming who we wanted to be. This truth continues to reign in our lives.
We all know women and men who continue to be enthused about even the tiny happenings in the passing of a day. A bird's flight from the porch to a nearby tree to feed its young, the laughter of children passing the house on their way home from school, the family reunions, large or small, bring smiles and memories that comfort. Probably we envy those folks, unless we happen to be them already. In either case, imitating others or serving as their role models helps to strengthen our positive responses to life's details. No matter how old we are, there is still joy to be felt. And there is still time to change and grow.
There is no rule that says I have to be and think and act the same way my whole life. Today is a clean slate. I can be who I want to be.
From the book:
Keepers of the Wisdom by Karen Casey
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
You start preparing when you're thirty for the person you'll be at eighty.
--Janice Clark
We can't get away from ourselves, at least not entirely. Who we were at ten and twenty and forty and fifty remain as threads in our tapestries. Many of us shudder because some details of our personal panorama weren't so very pretty. But that's the way life is. We are what we are. And yet, we have examples of favorable changes, too. How we were never kept us from becoming who we wanted to be. This truth continues to reign in our lives.
We all know women and men who continue to be enthused about even the tiny happenings in the passing of a day. A bird's flight from the porch to a nearby tree to feed its young, the laughter of children passing the house on their way home from school, the family reunions, large or small, bring smiles and memories that comfort. Probably we envy those folks, unless we happen to be them already. In either case, imitating others or serving as their role models helps to strengthen our positive responses to life's details. No matter how old we are, there is still joy to be felt. And there is still time to change and grow.
There is no rule that says I have to be and think and act the same way my whole life. Today is a clean slate. I can be who I want to be.
From the book:
Keepers of the Wisdom by Karen Casey
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 26, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
Metaphor
I remember when I bought my first Big Book,
I was told by an old timer that "meetings are the icing on the cake,
but the Big Book is the meat in the sandwich."
The AA's who were standing around the literature table that night
all nodded knowingly at this metaphor.
I realize now just how true those words are.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 193
Thought to Ponder ...
Walk softly and carry a Big Book.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
B I G B O O K = Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
Metaphor
I remember when I bought my first Big Book,
I was told by an old timer that "meetings are the icing on the cake,
but the Big Book is the meat in the sandwich."
The AA's who were standing around the literature table that night
all nodded knowingly at this metaphor.
I realize now just how true those words are.
- Thank You For Sharing, p. 193
Thought to Ponder ...
Walk softly and carry a Big Book.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
B I G B O O K = Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 26, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
Continuing our thoughts about the rewards that have come to us as a result of our new way of living, we have found we have got rid of many of our fears, resentments, inferiority complexes, negative points of view, self-centeredness, criticism of others, over-sensitiveness, inner conflicts, the habits of procrastination, undisciplined sex, wasting money, boredom, false perfectionism, jealousy and envy of others. We are glad to be rid of our drinking, and we are also very glad to be rid of these other things. We can now go forward in the new way of life, as shown us by AA.
Am I ready to go forward in the new life?
Meditation for the Day
"He that has eyes to see, let him see." To the seeing eye, the world is good. Pray for a seeing eye, to see the purpose of God in everything good. Pray for enough faith to see God's care in His dealings with you. Try to see how He has brought you safely through your past life so that now you can be of use in the world. With the eyes of faith, you can see God's care and purpose everywhere.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may have a seeing eye. I pray that with the eye of faith I may see God's purpose everywhere.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
Continuing our thoughts about the rewards that have come to us as a result of our new way of living, we have found we have got rid of many of our fears, resentments, inferiority complexes, negative points of view, self-centeredness, criticism of others, over-sensitiveness, inner conflicts, the habits of procrastination, undisciplined sex, wasting money, boredom, false perfectionism, jealousy and envy of others. We are glad to be rid of our drinking, and we are also very glad to be rid of these other things. We can now go forward in the new way of life, as shown us by AA.
Am I ready to go forward in the new life?
Meditation for the Day
"He that has eyes to see, let him see." To the seeing eye, the world is good. Pray for a seeing eye, to see the purpose of God in everything good. Pray for enough faith to see God's care in His dealings with you. Try to see how He has brought you safely through your past life so that now you can be of use in the world. With the eyes of faith, you can see God's care and purpose everywhere.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may have a seeing eye. I pray that with the eye of faith I may see God's purpose everywhere.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 26, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
Reflection for the Day
During our first days in The Program, we got rid of alcohol and pills. We had to get rid of our chemicals, for we knew they surely would have killed us. We got rid of the addictive substances, but we couldn't get rid of our addictions until we took further actions. So we also had to learn to toss self-pity, self-justifications, self-righteousness and self-will straight out the window. We had to get off the rickety ladder that supposedly led to money, property and prestige. And we had to take personal responsibility. To gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all, we had to give up our most valued possessions - our ambition and our pride.
Am I well rid of the weights and chains that once bound me?
Today I Pray
May I give credit to my Higher Power not only for removing my addiction, but for teaching me to remove my old demanding, pushy "self" from all my spiritual and earthly relationships. For all the things I have learned and unlearned, for my own faith and for the grace of God, I am fully and heartily thankful.
Today I Will Remember
Gratitude for the grace of God.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
Reflection for the Day
During our first days in The Program, we got rid of alcohol and pills. We had to get rid of our chemicals, for we knew they surely would have killed us. We got rid of the addictive substances, but we couldn't get rid of our addictions until we took further actions. So we also had to learn to toss self-pity, self-justifications, self-righteousness and self-will straight out the window. We had to get off the rickety ladder that supposedly led to money, property and prestige. And we had to take personal responsibility. To gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all, we had to give up our most valued possessions - our ambition and our pride.
Am I well rid of the weights and chains that once bound me?
Today I Pray
May I give credit to my Higher Power not only for removing my addiction, but for teaching me to remove my old demanding, pushy "self" from all my spiritual and earthly relationships. For all the things I have learned and unlearned, for my own faith and for the grace of God, I am fully and heartily thankful.
Today I Will Remember
Gratitude for the grace of God.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 26, 2010 - The Eye Opener
A Day at a Time
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
In our drinking days, fear of everything and everybody was our constant companion. These fears continued until we finally, in desperate necessity, found the courage to surrender - to quit unconditionally. Then we found AA and a ray of Hope. Hope became desire, desire became determination. With necessity as our charger and with determination as our lance, we were adequately armed to overcome our despair.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
In our drinking days, fear of everything and everybody was our constant companion. These fears continued until we finally, in desperate necessity, found the courage to surrender - to quit unconditionally. Then we found AA and a ray of Hope. Hope became desire, desire became determination. With necessity as our charger and with determination as our lance, we were adequately armed to overcome our despair.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Nov. 25, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Just for today, when we are taught by tradition to be thankful, let me know that simply voicing gratitude is not sufficient but, additionally, that the measure and extent of that gratitude is reflected in my actions. Today, then, let me not be content with merely saying I am grateful and show me how to express it in my action and behavior as well, that is, to walk the walk while I talk the talk. If today someone for whom I say I am grateful is in need of my time or if I am called upon to make some sacrifice such as missing part of a football game or giving up the holiday dinner dessert, let me be willing to do so without reservation. We are compelled in the 12th Step to put our Program into action by being in service to others even if it might inconvenience us. If today I am called upon to do something that slows or impedes my schedule and I refuse the call, I will fail as an effective 12th-stepper and, later, I will probably regret not answering the call. Today, when we are asked to be thankful, let me go a step further and express my gratitude in more than mere words. And, today, that I am clean and sober in the current 24 Hours is literally everything. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Just for today, when we are taught by tradition to be thankful, let me know that simply voicing gratitude is not sufficient but, additionally, that the measure and extent of that gratitude is reflected in my actions. Today, then, let me not be content with merely saying I am grateful and show me how to express it in my action and behavior as well, that is, to walk the walk while I talk the talk. If today someone for whom I say I am grateful is in need of my time or if I am called upon to make some sacrifice such as missing part of a football game or giving up the holiday dinner dessert, let me be willing to do so without reservation. We are compelled in the 12th Step to put our Program into action by being in service to others even if it might inconvenience us. If today I am called upon to do something that slows or impedes my schedule and I refuse the call, I will fail as an effective 12th-stepper and, later, I will probably regret not answering the call. Today, when we are asked to be thankful, let me go a step further and express my gratitude in more than mere words. And, today, that I am clean and sober in the current 24 Hours is literally everything. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 25, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Gratitude
Sometimes in life, things happen too fast. We barely solve one problem when two new problems surface. We're feeling great in the morning, but we're submerged in misery by nightfall.
Every day we face interruptions, delays, changes, and challenges. We face personality conflicts and disappointments. Often when we're feeling overwhelmed, we can't see the lessons in these experiences.
One simple concept can get us through the most stressful of times. It's called gratitude. We learn to say thank you for these problems and feelings. Thank you for the way things are. I don't like this experience, but thank you anyway.
Force gratitude until it becomes habitual. Gratitude helps us stop trying to control outcomes. It is the key that unlocks positive energy in our life. It is the alchemy that turns problems into blessings, and the unexpected into gifts.
Today, I will be grateful. I will start the process of turning today's pain into tomorrow's joy.
From the book:
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Gratitude
Sometimes in life, things happen too fast. We barely solve one problem when two new problems surface. We're feeling great in the morning, but we're submerged in misery by nightfall.
Every day we face interruptions, delays, changes, and challenges. We face personality conflicts and disappointments. Often when we're feeling overwhelmed, we can't see the lessons in these experiences.
One simple concept can get us through the most stressful of times. It's called gratitude. We learn to say thank you for these problems and feelings. Thank you for the way things are. I don't like this experience, but thank you anyway.
Force gratitude until it becomes habitual. Gratitude helps us stop trying to control outcomes. It is the key that unlocks positive energy in our life. It is the alchemy that turns problems into blessings, and the unexpected into gifts.
Today, I will be grateful. I will start the process of turning today's pain into tomorrow's joy.
From the book:
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 25, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Gratitude
I am very grateful that my Higher Power has given me
a second chance to live a worthwhile life.
Through AA, I have been restored to sanity.
The promises are being fulfilled in my life.
I am grateful to be free from the slavery of alcohol.
I am grateful for peace of mind and the opportunity to grow. . .
I need to put my gratitude into action today.
- Daily Reflections, p. 154
Thought to Ponder ...
I am grateful for this minute. My eternity may be in it.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Gratitude
I am very grateful that my Higher Power has given me
a second chance to live a worthwhile life.
Through AA, I have been restored to sanity.
The promises are being fulfilled in my life.
I am grateful to be free from the slavery of alcohol.
I am grateful for peace of mind and the opportunity to grow. . .
I need to put my gratitude into action today.
- Daily Reflections, p. 154
Thought to Ponder ...
I am grateful for this minute. My eternity may be in it.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 25, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I am not so envious of other people, nor am I so jealous of other people's possessions and talents. When I was drinking, I was secretly full of jealousy and envy of those people who could drink normally, who had the love and respect of their families, who lived a normal life and were accepted as equals by their friends. I pretended to myself that I was as good as they were, but I knew it wasn't so. Now I don't have to be envious any more. I try not to want what I don't deserve. I'm content with what I have earned by my efforts to live the right way. More power to those who have what I have not. At least, I'm trying.
Have I got rid of the poison of envy?
Meditation for the Day
"My soul is restless till it finds its rest in Thee." A river flows on, until it loses itself in the sea. Our spirits long for rest in the Spirit of God. We yearn to realize a peace, a rest, a satisfaction that we have never found in the world or its pursuits. Some are not conscious of their need and shut the doors of their spirits against the spirit of God. They are unable to have true peace.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may feel the divine unrest. I pray that my soul may find its rest in God.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I am not so envious of other people, nor am I so jealous of other people's possessions and talents. When I was drinking, I was secretly full of jealousy and envy of those people who could drink normally, who had the love and respect of their families, who lived a normal life and were accepted as equals by their friends. I pretended to myself that I was as good as they were, but I knew it wasn't so. Now I don't have to be envious any more. I try not to want what I don't deserve. I'm content with what I have earned by my efforts to live the right way. More power to those who have what I have not. At least, I'm trying.
Have I got rid of the poison of envy?
Meditation for the Day
"My soul is restless till it finds its rest in Thee." A river flows on, until it loses itself in the sea. Our spirits long for rest in the Spirit of God. We yearn to realize a peace, a rest, a satisfaction that we have never found in the world or its pursuits. Some are not conscious of their need and shut the doors of their spirits against the spirit of God. They are unable to have true peace.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may feel the divine unrest. I pray that my soul may find its rest in God.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 25, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Reflection for the Day
"What you have may seem small; you desire so much more. See children thrusting their hands into a narrow-necked jar, striving to pull out the sweets. If they fill the hand, they cannot pull it out and then they fall to tears. When they let go a few, they can draw out the rest. You, too, let your desire go; covet not too much ..." - Epictetus
Let me expect not too much of anyone, particularly myself. Let me learn to settle for less than I wish were possible, and be willing to accept it and appreciate it.
Do I accept gratefully and graciously the good that has already come to me in the Program?
Today I Pray
May I search my soul for those little hankerings of want which may keep me from delighting in all that I have. If I can just teach myself not to want too much, not to expect too much, then when those expectations are not satisfied, I will not be let down. May I accept with grace what the grace of God has provided.
Today I Will Remember
I, alone, can grant myself the "freedom from want."
Hazelden Foundation
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Reflection for the Day
"What you have may seem small; you desire so much more. See children thrusting their hands into a narrow-necked jar, striving to pull out the sweets. If they fill the hand, they cannot pull it out and then they fall to tears. When they let go a few, they can draw out the rest. You, too, let your desire go; covet not too much ..." - Epictetus
Let me expect not too much of anyone, particularly myself. Let me learn to settle for less than I wish were possible, and be willing to accept it and appreciate it.
Do I accept gratefully and graciously the good that has already come to me in the Program?
Today I Pray
May I search my soul for those little hankerings of want which may keep me from delighting in all that I have. If I can just teach myself not to want too much, not to expect too much, then when those expectations are not satisfied, I will not be let down. May I accept with grace what the grace of God has provided.
Today I Will Remember
I, alone, can grant myself the "freedom from want."
Hazelden Foundation
Nov. 25, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Probably the first permanent benefit we received in AA was received when we undertook a personal inventory of ourselves. Then for the first time our faults were dragged out into the open where we could meet them face to face and endeavor to do something about them.
Had we not recognized these defects, we would never have taken steps to eradicate them. It is dead certain that if we still had them in the same degree, we would not now be sober. It was a definite step toward getting wise to ourselves.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
Probably the first permanent benefit we received in AA was received when we undertook a personal inventory of ourselves. Then for the first time our faults were dragged out into the open where we could meet them face to face and endeavor to do something about them.
Had we not recognized these defects, we would never have taken steps to eradicate them. It is dead certain that if we still had them in the same degree, we would not now be sober. It was a definite step toward getting wise to ourselves.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Nov. 24, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Just for today, or any other day, I cannot place too much significance on how many 24 Hours of sobriety I have, whether it be a single 24 Hours or five years' worth. All of us who follow or practice an AA program have only a day-to-day reprieve from where we once were, and those with years of sobriety are no less protected from a slip or relapse than those whose last drink was yesterday. This is not to say there is no benefit to being sober in terms of months or years; the major benefit is that we may need that long simply to emerge from the alcoholic fog, from the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual damage that we self-inflicted. And this is no overnight journey. But once we emerge from the fog, we may be better equipped to grasp the vision of the Program and start to put it to work. Yet even when we move from being dry to sober and embark on the journey to recovery, we are not insulated from surrendering in one foolish and potentially deadly second to the temptation or craving, or to some emotion we don't want to feel. Today, I might take some limited pride in how many 24 Hours since my last drink. But I cannot risk the folly that it is promised tomorrow. That is why, today, we take everything one thing at a time, one day at a time. And our common journey continues. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Just for today, or any other day, I cannot place too much significance on how many 24 Hours of sobriety I have, whether it be a single 24 Hours or five years' worth. All of us who follow or practice an AA program have only a day-to-day reprieve from where we once were, and those with years of sobriety are no less protected from a slip or relapse than those whose last drink was yesterday. This is not to say there is no benefit to being sober in terms of months or years; the major benefit is that we may need that long simply to emerge from the alcoholic fog, from the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual damage that we self-inflicted. And this is no overnight journey. But once we emerge from the fog, we may be better equipped to grasp the vision of the Program and start to put it to work. Yet even when we move from being dry to sober and embark on the journey to recovery, we are not insulated from surrendering in one foolish and potentially deadly second to the temptation or craving, or to some emotion we don't want to feel. Today, I might take some limited pride in how many 24 Hours since my last drink. But I cannot risk the folly that it is promised tomorrow. That is why, today, we take everything one thing at a time, one day at a time. And our common journey continues. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 24, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
When I hear somebody sigh "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, compared to what?
--Sydney J. Harris
We've probably heard all the negative quotations about life. There was also probably a time when we believed them all. Based on the state of our lives at the time, it was probably no surprise that life was difficult and brutal.
Certainly there are many things in life that are harsh and cruel; we see such things in the paper every day. But there are some very wonderful things, too. It's just that we've been conditioned to believe the horrors instead of the wonders.
Today may have been a long, tiring, boring day. But that doesn't mean all days are long, tiring, and boring. There's much good in life that we can see if we let ourselves. We can get off our life-is-difficult soapbox and hear the humor, see the smiles, and feel the caring. Life may be difficult at times, but it is also quite fulfilling.
I need to feel that life is good. Tonight I will consider what event happened today that I can feel good about.
From the book:
Night Light by Amy E. Dean
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
When I hear somebody sigh "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, compared to what?
--Sydney J. Harris
We've probably heard all the negative quotations about life. There was also probably a time when we believed them all. Based on the state of our lives at the time, it was probably no surprise that life was difficult and brutal.
Certainly there are many things in life that are harsh and cruel; we see such things in the paper every day. But there are some very wonderful things, too. It's just that we've been conditioned to believe the horrors instead of the wonders.
Today may have been a long, tiring, boring day. But that doesn't mean all days are long, tiring, and boring. There's much good in life that we can see if we let ourselves. We can get off our life-is-difficult soapbox and hear the humor, see the smiles, and feel the caring. Life may be difficult at times, but it is also quite fulfilling.
I need to feel that life is good. Tonight I will consider what event happened today that I can feel good about.
From the book:
Night Light by Amy E. Dean
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 24, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Selfishness
Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. . .
So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.
They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example
of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so.
Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness.
We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62
Thought to Ponder ...
The smallest package in the world is an alcoholic all wrapped up in himself.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
B A T H = Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, Habits.
www,friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Selfishness
Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. . .
So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.
They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example
of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so.
Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness.
We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62
Thought to Ponder ...
The smallest package in the world is an alcoholic all wrapped up in himself.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
B A T H = Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, Habits.
www,friendsofbill.net
Nov. 24, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
Instead of pretending to be perfectionists, in AA we are content if we are making progress. The main thing is to be growing. We realize that perfectionism is only a result of false pride and an excuse to save our faces. In AA, we are willing to make mistakes and to stumble, provided we are always stumbling forward. We are not so interested in what we are as in what we are becoming. We are on the way, not at the goal. And we will be on the way as long as we live. No AA has ever "arrived." But we are getting better.
Am I making progress?
Meditation for the Day
Each new day brings an opportunity to do some little thing that will help to make a better world, that will bring God's kingdom a little nearer to being realized on earth. Take each day's happenings as opportunities for something you can do for God. In that spirit, a blessing will attend all that you do. Offering this day's service to God, you are sharing in His work. You do not have to do great things.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that today I may do the next thing, the unselfish thing, the loving thing. I pray that I may be content with doing small things as long as they are right.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
Instead of pretending to be perfectionists, in AA we are content if we are making progress. The main thing is to be growing. We realize that perfectionism is only a result of false pride and an excuse to save our faces. In AA, we are willing to make mistakes and to stumble, provided we are always stumbling forward. We are not so interested in what we are as in what we are becoming. We are on the way, not at the goal. And we will be on the way as long as we live. No AA has ever "arrived." But we are getting better.
Am I making progress?
Meditation for the Day
Each new day brings an opportunity to do some little thing that will help to make a better world, that will bring God's kingdom a little nearer to being realized on earth. Take each day's happenings as opportunities for something you can do for God. In that spirit, a blessing will attend all that you do. Offering this day's service to God, you are sharing in His work. You do not have to do great things.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that today I may do the next thing, the unselfish thing, the loving thing. I pray that I may be content with doing small things as long as they are right.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 24, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Although we came into The Program to deal with a specific problem, we soon became aware that we would find not only freedom from addiction, but feedom to live in the real world without fear and frustration. We learned that the solutions are within ourselves. With the help of my Higher Power, I can enrich my life with comfort, enjoyment and deep-down serenity.
Am I changing from my own worst enemy to my own best friend?
Today I Pray
May I praise my Higher Power for my freedoms - from addiction, from spiritual bankruptcy, from loneliness, from fear, from the seesaw of pride, from despair, from delusions, from shallowness, from doom. I give thanks for the way of life that has given me these freedoms and replaced the empty spaces with extra goodness and peace of mind.
Today I Will Remember
To give thanks for all my freedoms.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Although we came into The Program to deal with a specific problem, we soon became aware that we would find not only freedom from addiction, but feedom to live in the real world without fear and frustration. We learned that the solutions are within ourselves. With the help of my Higher Power, I can enrich my life with comfort, enjoyment and deep-down serenity.
Am I changing from my own worst enemy to my own best friend?
Today I Pray
May I praise my Higher Power for my freedoms - from addiction, from spiritual bankruptcy, from loneliness, from fear, from the seesaw of pride, from despair, from delusions, from shallowness, from doom. I give thanks for the way of life that has given me these freedoms and replaced the empty spaces with extra goodness and peace of mind.
Today I Will Remember
To give thanks for all my freedoms.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 24, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Every practicing alcoholic is firmly convinced that the Devil has all the good tunes. It was the music we had wanted and the tunes to which we had attuned our ears. His music was louder, more catchy and, to our thinking, was prettier. We suspected, however, that it did not have the soul-satisfying qualities that make good music.
We must learn all over again to train our senses to appreciate those things which are really good and not cheap imitations.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Every practicing alcoholic is firmly convinced that the Devil has all the good tunes. It was the music we had wanted and the tunes to which we had attuned our ears. His music was louder, more catchy and, to our thinking, was prettier. We suspected, however, that it did not have the soul-satisfying qualities that make good music.
We must learn all over again to train our senses to appreciate those things which are really good and not cheap imitations.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Nov. 23, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Just for today, may I embrace and respect the virtue of patience and loosen my grip on a character defect that can be as crippling as any other - impatience. Whether I am new to the Program or have worked it for countless 24 Hours, may I understand in expecting too much too soon that recovery requires growth - and growth is not a one-time "event" but an ever-changing dynamic. If today I am tempted or have an impulse to drink or shoot up, grant me the wisdom of patience. I have the 12 Steps at my disposal to overcome a potential relapse and my own history to know where impatience has taken me before. And let me know that the temptation to slip will pass, as all things do. But the temptation will not pass if I feed it. If people in my life do not live up to what I expect of them or in the time I think they should, let me use patience to ask myself if I am unfairly asking anything of someone else and, if not, grant me patience to "allow" others to do what needs to be done in their own time. If something looms for me three weeks in the future, let me not fret over it today or every other today for the next three weeks for I risk igniting other potentially crippling emotions, including anger, resentment and a possible blow-up like a pressure cooker left unattended. Today, let me recognize that impatience can be as deadly a character defect as any other that is "popular" in AA discussion and that I need to respect life evolving on its time schedule, not mine. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Just for today, may I embrace and respect the virtue of patience and loosen my grip on a character defect that can be as crippling as any other - impatience. Whether I am new to the Program or have worked it for countless 24 Hours, may I understand in expecting too much too soon that recovery requires growth - and growth is not a one-time "event" but an ever-changing dynamic. If today I am tempted or have an impulse to drink or shoot up, grant me the wisdom of patience. I have the 12 Steps at my disposal to overcome a potential relapse and my own history to know where impatience has taken me before. And let me know that the temptation to slip will pass, as all things do. But the temptation will not pass if I feed it. If people in my life do not live up to what I expect of them or in the time I think they should, let me use patience to ask myself if I am unfairly asking anything of someone else and, if not, grant me patience to "allow" others to do what needs to be done in their own time. If something looms for me three weeks in the future, let me not fret over it today or every other today for the next three weeks for I risk igniting other potentially crippling emotions, including anger, resentment and a possible blow-up like a pressure cooker left unattended. Today, let me recognize that impatience can be as deadly a character defect as any other that is "popular" in AA discussion and that I need to respect life evolving on its time schedule, not mine. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 23, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
There is no total answer.
Studying and reading are traditional methods of spiritual growth. With a lifelong routine of study each day, a person or couple grows under the guidance of the sages. Civilization exists because each generation builds upon the progress of the past. We do not have to reinvent the wheel.
After we learn from those who have gone before, we may even discover and create beyond the point where they left off. But if we are in a willful, defiant mood, we may say, "I have to find my own way. I don't feel like learning from anyone." Our individualism then becomes a half-truth, silently trapping us in problems that others have found answers to.
There is no total answer - no total freedom - only continued growth. Daily reading, openness to learn from others' encounters with life, and study of how they faced their most challenging spiritual questions will bring us progress.
From the book:
The More We Find In Each Other by Merle Fossum and Mavis Fossum
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
There is no total answer.
Studying and reading are traditional methods of spiritual growth. With a lifelong routine of study each day, a person or couple grows under the guidance of the sages. Civilization exists because each generation builds upon the progress of the past. We do not have to reinvent the wheel.
After we learn from those who have gone before, we may even discover and create beyond the point where they left off. But if we are in a willful, defiant mood, we may say, "I have to find my own way. I don't feel like learning from anyone." Our individualism then becomes a half-truth, silently trapping us in problems that others have found answers to.
There is no total answer - no total freedom - only continued growth. Daily reading, openness to learn from others' encounters with life, and study of how they faced their most challenging spiritual questions will bring us progress.
From the book:
The More We Find In Each Other by Merle Fossum and Mavis Fossum
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 23, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Stopping
I remember telling a friend years ago that I didn't have a drinking problem,
I had a stopping problem. We laughed.
It was true, but there was something else going on,
something that never occurred to me until I came to AA.
I didn't just have a stopping problem. I had a starting problem too.
No matter how often I stopped, or for how long, I always started drinking again.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 372-373
Thought to Ponder ...
I can't start doing what's right until I stop doing what's wrong.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
S T O P = Start Thinking Of Positives.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Stopping
I remember telling a friend years ago that I didn't have a drinking problem,
I had a stopping problem. We laughed.
It was true, but there was something else going on,
something that never occurred to me until I came to AA.
I didn't just have a stopping problem. I had a starting problem too.
No matter how often I stopped, or for how long, I always started drinking again.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 372-373
Thought to Ponder ...
I can't start doing what's right until I stop doing what's wrong.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
S T O P = Start Thinking Of Positives.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 23, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I no longer refuse to do anything because I cannot do it to perfection. Many of us alcoholics use the excuse of not being able to do something perfectly to enable us to do nothing at all. We pretend to be perfectionists. We are good at telling people how a thing should be done, but when we come to the effort of doing it ourselves, we balk. We say to ourselves: "I might make a mistake, so I'd better let the whole thing slide." In AA, we set our goals high, but that does not prevent us from trying. The mere fact that we will never fully reach these goals does not prevent us from doing the best we can.
Have I stopped hiding behind the smoke-screen of perfectionism?
Meditation for the Day
"In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." Keep an undaunted spirit. Keep your spirit free and unconquered. You can be undefeated and untouched by failure and all its power, by letting your spirit overcome the world; rise above earth's turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember you have God's help and nothing can wholly defeat you.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may have confidence and be of good cheer. I pray that I may not fear the power of failure.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I no longer refuse to do anything because I cannot do it to perfection. Many of us alcoholics use the excuse of not being able to do something perfectly to enable us to do nothing at all. We pretend to be perfectionists. We are good at telling people how a thing should be done, but when we come to the effort of doing it ourselves, we balk. We say to ourselves: "I might make a mistake, so I'd better let the whole thing slide." In AA, we set our goals high, but that does not prevent us from trying. The mere fact that we will never fully reach these goals does not prevent us from doing the best we can.
Have I stopped hiding behind the smoke-screen of perfectionism?
Meditation for the Day
"In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." Keep an undaunted spirit. Keep your spirit free and unconquered. You can be undefeated and untouched by failure and all its power, by letting your spirit overcome the world; rise above earth's turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember you have God's help and nothing can wholly defeat you.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may have confidence and be of good cheer. I pray that I may not fear the power of failure.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 23, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Before I came to The Program, I was like an actor who insisted on writing the script, producing, directing and, in short, running the whole show. I had to do it my way, forever trying to arrange and re-arrange the lights, lines, sets and, most of all, the other players' performances. If only my arrangements would stay put, and people would behave as I wished, the show would be fantastic. My self-delusion led me to believe that if they all would just shape up, everything would be fine. Of course, it never worked out that way.
Isn't it amazing how others seem to be "shaping up" now that I've stopped trying to manage everything and everybody?
Today I Pray
May I talk myself out of that old urge to control everything and everybody. Time was, if I couldn't manage directly, I would do it indirectly, through manipulation, secret conferences and asides. May I know that if I am the one who is always pulling the strongs on the marionettes, then I am also the one who feels the frustration when they collapse or slip off the stage.
Today I Will Remember
I can only "shape up" myself.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Before I came to The Program, I was like an actor who insisted on writing the script, producing, directing and, in short, running the whole show. I had to do it my way, forever trying to arrange and re-arrange the lights, lines, sets and, most of all, the other players' performances. If only my arrangements would stay put, and people would behave as I wished, the show would be fantastic. My self-delusion led me to believe that if they all would just shape up, everything would be fine. Of course, it never worked out that way.
Isn't it amazing how others seem to be "shaping up" now that I've stopped trying to manage everything and everybody?
Today I Pray
May I talk myself out of that old urge to control everything and everybody. Time was, if I couldn't manage directly, I would do it indirectly, through manipulation, secret conferences and asides. May I know that if I am the one who is always pulling the strongs on the marionettes, then I am also the one who feels the frustration when they collapse or slip off the stage.
Today I Will Remember
I can only "shape up" myself.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 23, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Isn't it strange to note the absence of a lot of our old pre-AA friends over the weekend? We have not offended them, surely, and we are just as good friends as we used to be but, somehow, they don't call on us with the same regularity. The answer is simple - the bar is closed.
Now home is what it should be, and the people who do call do so because they like us and not just to get a drink.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
Isn't it strange to note the absence of a lot of our old pre-AA friends over the weekend? We have not offended them, surely, and we are just as good friends as we used to be but, somehow, they don't call on us with the same regularity. The answer is simple - the bar is closed.
Now home is what it should be, and the people who do call do so because they like us and not just to get a drink.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Monday, November 22, 2010
Nov. 22, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Just for today: choices. The ones I am making now can partly measure my progress in the Program and the quality of my sobriety. As a drinking alcoholic, many of my choices were dictated by lying, by fear, by anger, by loneliness, by resentment and by selfishness. As a recoverying alcoholic, the choices I make hopefully are based in truth, logic, without emotion and with a sense of the greater good instead of just my good. My choices then and now, while hopefully made from different perspectives, retain one constant: in the end, there are consequences of my choices and I alone am held responsible to those consequences. Unlike then, however, now I pray for the foresight to see the consequences and, if I see those consequences coming with a responsibility I do not want to be held to, sobriety gives me the freedom to choose wisely. Drinking denied me that freedom; choices then almost always produced consequences that are even now too costly. Today, being sober, I have the freedom of choice, and I pray for the Higher Power's knowledge to make the right choices. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Just for today: choices. The ones I am making now can partly measure my progress in the Program and the quality of my sobriety. As a drinking alcoholic, many of my choices were dictated by lying, by fear, by anger, by loneliness, by resentment and by selfishness. As a recoverying alcoholic, the choices I make hopefully are based in truth, logic, without emotion and with a sense of the greater good instead of just my good. My choices then and now, while hopefully made from different perspectives, retain one constant: in the end, there are consequences of my choices and I alone am held responsible to those consequences. Unlike then, however, now I pray for the foresight to see the consequences and, if I see those consequences coming with a responsibility I do not want to be held to, sobriety gives me the freedom to choose wisely. Drinking denied me that freedom; choices then almost always produced consequences that are even now too costly. Today, being sober, I have the freedom of choice, and I pray for the Higher Power's knowledge to make the right choices. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 22, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Security
I am facing the truth that there are no platforms of security in AA.
Because if one tarries on a platform, he leaves the living stream of AA life.
He becomes alone.
And I am remembering that when an alcoholic tries to stay sober alone,
he returns to drink. At least I always did.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], p. 34
Thought to Ponder ...
The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes sobriety for granted.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Always Aware.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Security
I am facing the truth that there are no platforms of security in AA.
Because if one tarries on a platform, he leaves the living stream of AA life.
He becomes alone.
And I am remembering that when an alcoholic tries to stay sober alone,
he returns to drink. At least I always did.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], p. 34
Thought to Ponder ...
The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes sobriety for granted.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Always Aware.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 22, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I have got rid of most of my boredom. One of the hardest things that a new member of AA has to understand is how to stay sober and not be bored. Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring people or boring situations. But once you have taken up the interest of AA, once you have given it your time and enthusiasm, boredom should not be a problem to you. A new life opens up before you that can be always interesting. Sobriety should give you so many new interests in life that you shouldn't have time to be bored.
Have I got rid of the fear of being bored?
Meditation for the Day
"If I have not charity, I am becoming as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Charity means to care enough about other people to really want to do something for them. A smile, a word of encouragement, a word of love, goes winged on its way, simple though it may seem, while the mighty words of an orator fall on deaf ears. Use up the odd moments of your day in trying to do some little thing to cheer up another person. Boredom comes from thinking too much about yourself.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that my day may be brightened by some little act of charity. I pray that I may try today to overcome the self-centeredness that makes me bored.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I have got rid of most of my boredom. One of the hardest things that a new member of AA has to understand is how to stay sober and not be bored. Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring people or boring situations. But once you have taken up the interest of AA, once you have given it your time and enthusiasm, boredom should not be a problem to you. A new life opens up before you that can be always interesting. Sobriety should give you so many new interests in life that you shouldn't have time to be bored.
Have I got rid of the fear of being bored?
Meditation for the Day
"If I have not charity, I am becoming as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Charity means to care enough about other people to really want to do something for them. A smile, a word of encouragement, a word of love, goes winged on its way, simple though it may seem, while the mighty words of an orator fall on deaf ears. Use up the odd moments of your day in trying to do some little thing to cheer up another person. Boredom comes from thinking too much about yourself.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that my day may be brightened by some little act of charity. I pray that I may try today to overcome the self-centeredness that makes me bored.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 22, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Reflection for the Day
"We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess," wrote de Tocqueville, "but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects." We learn in The Program that our defects do have value - to the extent that we use them as the starting point for change and the pathway to better things. Fear can be a stepping stone to prudence, for example, as well as to respect for others. Fear can also help us turn away from hate and toward understanding. In the same way, pride can lead us toward the road of humility.
Am I aware of my direction today? Do I care where I'm going?
Today I Pray
I pray that my Higher Power will show me how to use my defects in a positive way, because nothing - not even fear or selfishness or greed - is all bad. May I trust that every quality that leads me into trouble has a reverse side that can lead me out. Pride, for instance, can't puff itself up unduly without bursting and demonstrating that it is, in essence, only hot air. May I learn from my weaknesses.
Today I Will Remember
Good news out of bad.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Reflection for the Day
"We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess," wrote de Tocqueville, "but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects." We learn in The Program that our defects do have value - to the extent that we use them as the starting point for change and the pathway to better things. Fear can be a stepping stone to prudence, for example, as well as to respect for others. Fear can also help us turn away from hate and toward understanding. In the same way, pride can lead us toward the road of humility.
Am I aware of my direction today? Do I care where I'm going?
Today I Pray
I pray that my Higher Power will show me how to use my defects in a positive way, because nothing - not even fear or selfishness or greed - is all bad. May I trust that every quality that leads me into trouble has a reverse side that can lead me out. Pride, for instance, can't puff itself up unduly without bursting and demonstrating that it is, in essence, only hot air. May I learn from my weaknesses.
Today I Will Remember
Good news out of bad.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 21, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Moderation is not an alcoholic's strong point. Few improve much after joining AA; they simply direct their energies to other activities but with the same amount of intemperance.
"Easy Does it" is a nice-sounding slogan, but seldom do we see any great display of it among the members. They usually jump into their jobs with increased enthusiasm or they find an outlet for their energies in AA work. It is probably for the best, however, for excessive activities are not as prone to make a man return to the bottle as too much inactivity.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Monday, Nov. 22, 2010
Moderation is not an alcoholic's strong point. Few improve much after joining AA; they simply direct their energies to other activities but with the same amount of intemperance.
"Easy Does it" is a nice-sounding slogan, but seldom do we see any great display of it among the members. They usually jump into their jobs with increased enthusiasm or they find an outlet for their energies in AA work. It is probably for the best, however, for excessive activities are not as prone to make a man return to the bottle as too much inactivity.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Nov. 21, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
"Here was - power! ...(T)o live to the end of any given day, power to have the courage to face the next day, power to have friends, power to help people, power to be sane, power to stay sober. That was seven years ago - and many AA meetings ago - and I haven't had a drink during those seven years. ...What is this power? With my AA friends, all I can say is that it's a power greater than myself." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "They Stopped in Time," Ch 16 ("Me An Alcoholic?"), pp 436-37.
Just for today, we are told in the First Step that we are powerless over alcohol - not powerless over everything. In surrendering in Step One, I have begun to reclaim the power to take back what my powerless over alcohol has taken. I can assert my power not to be controlled by alcohol simply by not drinking. I can take back the power to face the new day with full remembrance of the day and night before, and I can work for the power to overcome powerlessness, helplessness and hopelessness. The power that is at my command is in the choices I make, and the benefit to have choices is a gift - graced on me by whatever Power is greater than myself. Today, while I must acknowledge that over which I am powerless, let me understand the strength of the power that I DO possess. God grant that I use it wisely. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
"Here was - power! ...(T)o live to the end of any given day, power to have the courage to face the next day, power to have friends, power to help people, power to be sane, power to stay sober. That was seven years ago - and many AA meetings ago - and I haven't had a drink during those seven years. ...What is this power? With my AA friends, all I can say is that it's a power greater than myself." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "They Stopped in Time," Ch 16 ("Me An Alcoholic?"), pp 436-37.
Just for today, we are told in the First Step that we are powerless over alcohol - not powerless over everything. In surrendering in Step One, I have begun to reclaim the power to take back what my powerless over alcohol has taken. I can assert my power not to be controlled by alcohol simply by not drinking. I can take back the power to face the new day with full remembrance of the day and night before, and I can work for the power to overcome powerlessness, helplessness and hopelessness. The power that is at my command is in the choices I make, and the benefit to have choices is a gift - graced on me by whatever Power is greater than myself. Today, while I must acknowledge that over which I am powerless, let me understand the strength of the power that I DO possess. God grant that I use it wisely. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 21, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Love involves a willingness to suffer and to be inconvenienced.
--Lewis F. Presnall
The act of loving another broadens our understanding of the human condition and often pinches our egos. Indeed, one of the greatest gifts, though not necessarily cherished, which is granted through loving another, is that we gain humility and thus healthier, smaller egos.
How often do we say the words, "I love you," and yet resent being detained by our loved ones? How frequently do we expect to get our own way when resolving a conflict? Is the silent treatment a manipulative ploy we commonly rely on when problem solving with a spouse or lover?
Love wears many faces and it means not always getting our own way, or never doubting the other's sincerity. We aren't guaranteed happiness forever after, even when we know we're loved. But what giving and receiving love does promise us is growth, periods of peacefulness, some poignantly painful times, and many chances to demonstrate that another's well being is a priority, which in turn assures us of our own well being.
From the book:
Worthy of Love by Karen Casey
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Love involves a willingness to suffer and to be inconvenienced.
--Lewis F. Presnall
The act of loving another broadens our understanding of the human condition and often pinches our egos. Indeed, one of the greatest gifts, though not necessarily cherished, which is granted through loving another, is that we gain humility and thus healthier, smaller egos.
How often do we say the words, "I love you," and yet resent being detained by our loved ones? How frequently do we expect to get our own way when resolving a conflict? Is the silent treatment a manipulative ploy we commonly rely on when problem solving with a spouse or lover?
Love wears many faces and it means not always getting our own way, or never doubting the other's sincerity. We aren't guaranteed happiness forever after, even when we know we're loved. But what giving and receiving love does promise us is growth, periods of peacefulness, some poignantly painful times, and many chances to demonstrate that another's well being is a priority, which in turn assures us of our own well being.
From the book:
Worthy of Love by Karen Casey
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 21, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
Decisions
My decisions had been based on fear, pride, or ego.
As a result, those decisions led me down a path of self-destruction.
Today I try to allow God to guide me on the road to sanity.
I am responsible for my action - or inaction -- whatever the consequences may be.
- Daily Reflections, p. 78
Thought to Ponder ...
Maturity is the ability to make a decision and follow through.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
W O W = Willingness Over Willpower.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
Decisions
My decisions had been based on fear, pride, or ego.
As a result, those decisions led me down a path of self-destruction.
Today I try to allow God to guide me on the road to sanity.
I am responsible for my action - or inaction -- whatever the consequences may be.
- Daily Reflections, p. 78
Thought to Ponder ...
Maturity is the ability to make a decision and follow through.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
W O W = Willingness Over Willpower.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 21, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I no longer waste money, but try to put it to good use. Like all of us, when I was drunk, I threw money around like I really had it. It gave me a feeling of importance - a millionaire for a day. But the morning after, with an empty wallet and perhaps also some undecipherable checks, was a sad awakening. How could I have been such a fool? How will I ever make it up? Thoughts like these get you down. When we are sober, we spend our hard-earned money as it should be spent. Although perhaps some of us could be more generous in our AA giving, at least we do not throw it away.
Am I making good use of my money?
Meditation for the Day
You were meant to be at home and comfortable in the world. Yet some people live a life of quiet desperation. This is the opposite of being at home and at peace in the world. Let your peace of mind be evident to those around you. Let others see that you are comfortable and, seeing it, know that it springs from your trust in a Higher Power. The dull, hard way of resignation is not God's way. Faith takes the sting out of the winds of adversity and brings peace even in the midst of struggle.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be more comfortable in my way of living. I pray that I may feel more at home and at peace within myself.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I no longer waste money, but try to put it to good use. Like all of us, when I was drunk, I threw money around like I really had it. It gave me a feeling of importance - a millionaire for a day. But the morning after, with an empty wallet and perhaps also some undecipherable checks, was a sad awakening. How could I have been such a fool? How will I ever make it up? Thoughts like these get you down. When we are sober, we spend our hard-earned money as it should be spent. Although perhaps some of us could be more generous in our AA giving, at least we do not throw it away.
Am I making good use of my money?
Meditation for the Day
You were meant to be at home and comfortable in the world. Yet some people live a life of quiet desperation. This is the opposite of being at home and at peace in the world. Let your peace of mind be evident to those around you. Let others see that you are comfortable and, seeing it, know that it springs from your trust in a Higher Power. The dull, hard way of resignation is not God's way. Faith takes the sting out of the winds of adversity and brings peace even in the midst of struggle.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be more comfortable in my way of living. I pray that I may feel more at home and at peace within myself.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 21, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2009
Reflection for the Day
Adversity introduces man to himself, a poet once said. For me, the same is true of even imagined adversity. If I expect another person to react in a certain way in a given situation - and he or she fails to meet my expectation - well, then I hardly have the right to be disappointed or angry. Yet I occasionally still experience feelings of frustration when people don't act or react as I think they should. Through such imagined - or, better yet, self-inflicted - adversity, I come face to face again with my old self - the one who wanted to run the whole show.
Is it time for me to finally stop expecting and to start accepting?
Today I Pray
May I stop putting words in people's mouths, programming them - in my own mind - to react as I expect them to. Expectations have fooled me before; I expected unbounded love and protection from those close to me, perfection from myself, undivided attention from casual acquaintances. On the adverse side, I expected failure from myself, and rejection from others. May I stop borrowing trouble - or triumph either - from the future.
Today I Will Remember
Accept. Don't expect.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2009
Reflection for the Day
Adversity introduces man to himself, a poet once said. For me, the same is true of even imagined adversity. If I expect another person to react in a certain way in a given situation - and he or she fails to meet my expectation - well, then I hardly have the right to be disappointed or angry. Yet I occasionally still experience feelings of frustration when people don't act or react as I think they should. Through such imagined - or, better yet, self-inflicted - adversity, I come face to face again with my old self - the one who wanted to run the whole show.
Is it time for me to finally stop expecting and to start accepting?
Today I Pray
May I stop putting words in people's mouths, programming them - in my own mind - to react as I expect them to. Expectations have fooled me before; I expected unbounded love and protection from those close to me, perfection from myself, undivided attention from casual acquaintances. On the adverse side, I expected failure from myself, and rejection from others. May I stop borrowing trouble - or triumph either - from the future.
Today I Will Remember
Accept. Don't expect.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Nov. 20, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
" ...(T)he man with the grown-up brain and the childish emotions - vanity, self-interest, false pride, jealousy, longing for social approval, to name a few - become a prime candidate for alcohol. ...(T)hat is the definition of alcholism: a state of being in which the emotions have failed to grow to the stature of the intellect. ...(T)here are some alcoholics who seem terribly, terribly grown-up, but ...they are trying to make themselves think they are grown-up, and the strain of their effort is what is causing them to drink - a sense of inadequacy, a childish vanity to be the most popular, the most sought after, the mostest of the most. And all this, of course, is, in the popular modern jargon, 'compensation' for immaturity." - Alcoholics Anonymous, "They Lost Nearly All," Ch 11 ("He Who Loses His Life"), pp 534-35.
Just for today: " ...emotions have failed to grow to the stature of the intellect." Are we to interpret this to mean that we as alcoholics are childish? Not at all! Only that somewhere along the line, something impeded our emotional development that lended itself vulnerable to a false "stimulus," in our cases, alcohol or drugs and a dependancy on a behavior that became compulsive. Accepting that my alcoholism is partly an emotional dis-ease, I must accept that abstinence by itself is not enough to reach my goal of a serene sobriety. And this is when I must look to the First and Second Steps - to accept my powerlessness and open myself to the possibility of a Higher Power that might show me the way. Such is the basis of recovery; without surrender to these two basic but essential Steps, the emotions that contributed to my diseased character likely will not heal. Today, I pray for the healing to begin. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
" ...(T)he man with the grown-up brain and the childish emotions - vanity, self-interest, false pride, jealousy, longing for social approval, to name a few - become a prime candidate for alcohol. ...(T)hat is the definition of alcholism: a state of being in which the emotions have failed to grow to the stature of the intellect. ...(T)here are some alcoholics who seem terribly, terribly grown-up, but ...they are trying to make themselves think they are grown-up, and the strain of their effort is what is causing them to drink - a sense of inadequacy, a childish vanity to be the most popular, the most sought after, the mostest of the most. And all this, of course, is, in the popular modern jargon, 'compensation' for immaturity." - Alcoholics Anonymous, "They Lost Nearly All," Ch 11 ("He Who Loses His Life"), pp 534-35.
Just for today: " ...emotions have failed to grow to the stature of the intellect." Are we to interpret this to mean that we as alcoholics are childish? Not at all! Only that somewhere along the line, something impeded our emotional development that lended itself vulnerable to a false "stimulus," in our cases, alcohol or drugs and a dependancy on a behavior that became compulsive. Accepting that my alcoholism is partly an emotional dis-ease, I must accept that abstinence by itself is not enough to reach my goal of a serene sobriety. And this is when I must look to the First and Second Steps - to accept my powerlessness and open myself to the possibility of a Higher Power that might show me the way. Such is the basis of recovery; without surrender to these two basic but essential Steps, the emotions that contributed to my diseased character likely will not heal. Today, I pray for the healing to begin. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 20, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Going Easy
Go easy. You may have to push forward, but you don't have to push so hard. Go in gentleness, go in peace.
Do not be in so much of a hurry. At no day, no hour, no time are you required to do more than you can do in peace. Frantic behaviors and urgency are not the foundation for our new way of life.
Do not be in too much of a hurry to begin. Begin, but do not force the beginning if it is not time. Beginnings will arrive soon enough.
Enjoy and relish middles, the heart of the matter.
Do not be in too much of a hurry to finish. You may be almost done, but enjoy the final moments. Give yourself fully to those moments so that you may give and get all there is.
Let the pace flow naturally. Move forward. Start. Keep moving forward. Do it gently, though. Do it in peace. Cherish each moment.
Today, God, help me focus on a peaceful pace rather than a harried one. I will keep moving forward gently, not frantically. Help me let go of my need to be anxious, upset, and harried. Help me replace it with a need to be at peace and in harmony.
From the book:
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Going Easy
Go easy. You may have to push forward, but you don't have to push so hard. Go in gentleness, go in peace.
Do not be in so much of a hurry. At no day, no hour, no time are you required to do more than you can do in peace. Frantic behaviors and urgency are not the foundation for our new way of life.
Do not be in too much of a hurry to begin. Begin, but do not force the beginning if it is not time. Beginnings will arrive soon enough.
Enjoy and relish middles, the heart of the matter.
Do not be in too much of a hurry to finish. You may be almost done, but enjoy the final moments. Give yourself fully to those moments so that you may give and get all there is.
Let the pace flow naturally. Move forward. Start. Keep moving forward. Do it gently, though. Do it in peace. Cherish each moment.
Today, God, help me focus on a peaceful pace rather than a harried one. I will keep moving forward gently, not frantically. Help me let go of my need to be anxious, upset, and harried. Help me replace it with a need to be at peace and in harmony.
From the book:
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 20, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Loneliness
The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself.
As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm,
the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down.
It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places,
hoping to find understanding companionship and approval.
Momentarily we did -- then would come oblivion and the awful awakening
to face the hideous Four Horsemen -- Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.
Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand!
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 151
Thought to Ponder ...
Alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful!
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Loneliness
The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself.
As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm,
the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down.
It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places,
hoping to find understanding companionship and approval.
Momentarily we did -- then would come oblivion and the awful awakening
to face the hideous Four Horsemen -- Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.
Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand!
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 151
Thought to Ponder ...
Alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful!
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 20, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Loneliness
The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself.
As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm,
the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down.
It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places,
hoping to find understanding companionship and approval.
Momentarily we did -- then would come oblivion and the awful awakening
to face the hideous Four Horsemen -- Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.
Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand!
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 151
Thought to Ponder ...
Alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful!
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Loneliness
The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself.
As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm,
the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down.
It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places,
hoping to find understanding companionship and approval.
Momentarily we did -- then would come oblivion and the awful awakening
to face the hideous Four Horsemen -- Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.
Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand!
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 151
Thought to Ponder ...
Alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful!
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 20, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I no longer try to escape life through alcoholism. Drinking built up an unreal world for me and I tried to live in it. But in the morning light, the real life was back again,and facing it was harder than ever because I had less resources with which to meet it. Each attempt at escape weakened my personality by the very attempt. Everyone knows that alcohol, by relaxing inhibitions, permits a flight from reality. Alcohol deadens the brain cells that preside over our highest faculties and we are off to the unreal world of drunkenness. AA taugh me not to run away, but to face reality.
Have I given up trying to escape life?
Meditation for the Day
In these times of quiet meditation, try more and more to set your hopes on the grace of God. Know that whatever the future may hold, it will hold more and more of good. Do not set all your hopes and desires on material things. There is weariness in an abundance of things. Set your hopes on spiritual things so that you may grow spiritually. Learn to rely on God's power more and more and, in that reliance you, will have an insight into the greater value of the things of the spirit.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things. I pray that I may realize the higher value of spiritual things.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I no longer try to escape life through alcoholism. Drinking built up an unreal world for me and I tried to live in it. But in the morning light, the real life was back again,and facing it was harder than ever because I had less resources with which to meet it. Each attempt at escape weakened my personality by the very attempt. Everyone knows that alcohol, by relaxing inhibitions, permits a flight from reality. Alcohol deadens the brain cells that preside over our highest faculties and we are off to the unreal world of drunkenness. AA taugh me not to run away, but to face reality.
Have I given up trying to escape life?
Meditation for the Day
In these times of quiet meditation, try more and more to set your hopes on the grace of God. Know that whatever the future may hold, it will hold more and more of good. Do not set all your hopes and desires on material things. There is weariness in an abundance of things. Set your hopes on spiritual things so that you may grow spiritually. Learn to rely on God's power more and more and, in that reliance you, will have an insight into the greater value of the things of the spirit.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things. I pray that I may realize the higher value of spiritual things.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 20, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Reflection for the Day
I've come to measure success in a whole new way. My success today isn't limited by social or economic benchmarks. Success is mine today, no matter what the undertaking, when I tap the power of God within me and allow myself to be an open channel for the expression of His good. The spirit of success works through me as increased vision and understanding, as creative ideas and useful service - as efficient use of my time and energy, and as cooperative effort with others.
Will I try to keep my mind centered in the realization that within me is the God-implanted power to succeed?
Today I Pray
May I develop a new concept of success, based on measurements of the good qualities which come from God's treasure-filled bank of good. To draw from that bank, all I have to do is look within myself. May I know that God's riches are the only kind that are fully insurable, because they are infinite. May I look in God's bank for my security.
Today I Will Remember
Spiritual "success" is my security.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Reflection for the Day
I've come to measure success in a whole new way. My success today isn't limited by social or economic benchmarks. Success is mine today, no matter what the undertaking, when I tap the power of God within me and allow myself to be an open channel for the expression of His good. The spirit of success works through me as increased vision and understanding, as creative ideas and useful service - as efficient use of my time and energy, and as cooperative effort with others.
Will I try to keep my mind centered in the realization that within me is the God-implanted power to succeed?
Today I Pray
May I develop a new concept of success, based on measurements of the good qualities which come from God's treasure-filled bank of good. To draw from that bank, all I have to do is look within myself. May I know that God's riches are the only kind that are fully insurable, because they are infinite. May I look in God's bank for my security.
Today I Will Remember
Spiritual "success" is my security.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 20, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Man has within him something that is higher than man, and we can lift ourselves beyond our physical and human status in becoming absorbed by the highest instincts in ourselves.
Man is mortal, it is true, but you surpass man when you live in strict accordance with the God-like characteristics you possess.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010
Man has within him something that is higher than man, and we can lift ourselves beyond our physical and human status in becoming absorbed by the highest instincts in ourselves.
Man is mortal, it is true, but you surpass man when you live in strict accordance with the God-like characteristics you possess.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, November 19, 2010
Nov. 19, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
" ...(T)he main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body. If you ask him why he started on that last bender, the chance are he will offer you any one of a hundred alibis. Sometimes these excuses have a certain plausibility, but none of them really makes sense in the light of the havoc an alcoholic's drinking bout creates. They sound like the philosophy of the man who, having a headache, beats himself on the head with a hammer so that he can't feel the ache." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 2 ("There Is a Solution"), p 23.
Just for today, I will not waste precious time asking, analyzing or over-analyzing why I set out on the pattern of drinking that helped get me to where I am today. The answer is simple and obvious: I am an alcoholic. And if a gnawing question persists why I am an alcoholic, this passage from the Big Book hints to the direction that might lead me to an answer - the Fourth Step. How many mornings, days and nights did I beat myself on the head with a hammer so that I couldn't feel the ache of physical, emotional and spiritual defeat? In the Program, I am armed with an arsenal to counter that defeat, focus not on wasting anything more on how to live without alcohol,but to prosper in sobriety. Why did I set off that pattern of drinking that got me here, in this Program? I am alcoholic. Today, I can deal with it. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
" ...(T)he main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body. If you ask him why he started on that last bender, the chance are he will offer you any one of a hundred alibis. Sometimes these excuses have a certain plausibility, but none of them really makes sense in the light of the havoc an alcoholic's drinking bout creates. They sound like the philosophy of the man who, having a headache, beats himself on the head with a hammer so that he can't feel the ache." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 2 ("There Is a Solution"), p 23.
Just for today, I will not waste precious time asking, analyzing or over-analyzing why I set out on the pattern of drinking that helped get me to where I am today. The answer is simple and obvious: I am an alcoholic. And if a gnawing question persists why I am an alcoholic, this passage from the Big Book hints to the direction that might lead me to an answer - the Fourth Step. How many mornings, days and nights did I beat myself on the head with a hammer so that I couldn't feel the ache of physical, emotional and spiritual defeat? In the Program, I am armed with an arsenal to counter that defeat, focus not on wasting anything more on how to live without alcohol,but to prosper in sobriety. Why did I set off that pattern of drinking that got me here, in this Program? I am alcoholic. Today, I can deal with it. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 19, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Behind an able man there are always other able men.
--Chinese proverb
Most of us have had a strong desire in our lives to "do it ourselves." We have had the idea that strength and independence meant we should not rely on or receive help from others. Now, in recovery, we are learning a far more mature and time-honored principle. We find strength to develop to our fullest as members of a community. Maybe we never learned how to ask for help. Perhaps we haven't learned yet how to accept it. It may still be difficult to express our gratitude for the help that brought us where we are today.
In recovery, we get many lessons about these things. If we are actively growing, we will get help from others and give it too. The rewards of recovery give us ample reasons and opportunities to express our gratitude. We are no longer loners. Now we have a network of friends who truly enjoy and enhance each other's strength.
Today, I pray for help in learning how to share my strength and to appreciate the strength of others.
From the book:
Touchstones by Anonymous
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Behind an able man there are always other able men.
--Chinese proverb
Most of us have had a strong desire in our lives to "do it ourselves." We have had the idea that strength and independence meant we should not rely on or receive help from others. Now, in recovery, we are learning a far more mature and time-honored principle. We find strength to develop to our fullest as members of a community. Maybe we never learned how to ask for help. Perhaps we haven't learned yet how to accept it. It may still be difficult to express our gratitude for the help that brought us where we are today.
In recovery, we get many lessons about these things. If we are actively growing, we will get help from others and give it too. The rewards of recovery give us ample reasons and opportunities to express our gratitude. We are no longer loners. Now we have a network of friends who truly enjoy and enhance each other's strength.
Today, I pray for help in learning how to share my strength and to appreciate the strength of others.
From the book:
Touchstones by Anonymous
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 19, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
Self-restraint
Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.
We must avoid quick-tempered criticism, furious power-driven argument,
sulking, and silent scorn.
These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. . .
We can neither think nor act to good purpose
until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 179
Thought to Ponder ...
If I am upset, I am the problem.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Accountable Actions.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
Self-restraint
Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.
We must avoid quick-tempered criticism, furious power-driven argument,
sulking, and silent scorn.
These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. . .
We can neither think nor act to good purpose
until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 179
Thought to Ponder ...
If I am upset, I am the problem.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Accountable Actions.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 19, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
In AA, we do not speak much of sex. And yet putting sex in its proper place in our lives is one of the rewards that has come to us as a result of our new way of living. The Big Book says that many of us needed an overhauling there. It also says that we subjected each sex relation to this test - was it selfish or not? "We remembered always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore good, neither to be given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly, nor to be despised or loathed." We can ask God to mold our ideals and to help us to live up to them. We can act accordingly.
Have I got my sex life under proper control?
Meditation for the Day
"I will lift up my eyes unto the heights whence cometh my help." Try to raise your thoughts from the depths of the sordid and mean and impure things of the earth to the heights of goodness and decency and beauty. Train your insight by trying to take the higher view. Train it more and more until distance heights become more familiar. The heights of the Lord, whence cometh your help, will become nearer and dearer and the false values of the earth will seem farther away.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not keep my eyes forever downcast. I pray that I may set my sights on higher things.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
In AA, we do not speak much of sex. And yet putting sex in its proper place in our lives is one of the rewards that has come to us as a result of our new way of living. The Big Book says that many of us needed an overhauling there. It also says that we subjected each sex relation to this test - was it selfish or not? "We remembered always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore good, neither to be given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly, nor to be despised or loathed." We can ask God to mold our ideals and to help us to live up to them. We can act accordingly.
Have I got my sex life under proper control?
Meditation for the Day
"I will lift up my eyes unto the heights whence cometh my help." Try to raise your thoughts from the depths of the sordid and mean and impure things of the earth to the heights of goodness and decency and beauty. Train your insight by trying to take the higher view. Train it more and more until distance heights become more familiar. The heights of the Lord, whence cometh your help, will become nearer and dearer and the false values of the earth will seem farther away.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not keep my eyes forever downcast. I pray that I may set my sights on higher things.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 19, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
Reflection for the Day
I no longer argue with people who believe that satisfaction of our natural desires is the primary purpose of life. It's not our business in The Program to knock material achievement. When we stop and think about it, in fact, no group of people ever made a worse mess of trying to live by that "la doulce vita" formula than we did. We always insisted on more than our share - in all areas. And even when we seemed to be succeeding, we fueled our addictions so that we could dream of still greater successes.
Am I learning that material satisfactions are simply by-products and not the chief aim of life? Am I gaining the perspective to see that character-building and spiritual values must come first?
Today I Pray
May I recongnize that I never did handle excesses very well, based on my past experience. I have been apt to "want more" of whatever it is I have - love, money, property, things, chemicals, foods, winnings. May The Program teach me that I must concentrate on my spiritual, rather than my material bounty.
Today I Will Remember
It's okay to be spiritually greedy.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
Reflection for the Day
I no longer argue with people who believe that satisfaction of our natural desires is the primary purpose of life. It's not our business in The Program to knock material achievement. When we stop and think about it, in fact, no group of people ever made a worse mess of trying to live by that "la doulce vita" formula than we did. We always insisted on more than our share - in all areas. And even when we seemed to be succeeding, we fueled our addictions so that we could dream of still greater successes.
Am I learning that material satisfactions are simply by-products and not the chief aim of life? Am I gaining the perspective to see that character-building and spiritual values must come first?
Today I Pray
May I recongnize that I never did handle excesses very well, based on my past experience. I have been apt to "want more" of whatever it is I have - love, money, property, things, chemicals, foods, winnings. May The Program teach me that I must concentrate on my spiritual, rather than my material bounty.
Today I Will Remember
It's okay to be spiritually greedy.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 19, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
A large segment of humanity, stumbling in alcoholic darkness, resigned to a belief that nothing can possibly be done about the situation, has at long last caught a gleam of light and presses on to that beacon of Hope.
Alcoholics Anonymous is that light shining forth in the night of despair, and your hand holds the torch. Be sure you hold it high, that all suffering alcoholics may see it, and direct their faltering steps over the proven pathway that you trod.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Friday, Nov. 19, 2010
A large segment of humanity, stumbling in alcoholic darkness, resigned to a belief that nothing can possibly be done about the situation, has at long last caught a gleam of light and presses on to that beacon of Hope.
Alcoholics Anonymous is that light shining forth in the night of despair, and your hand holds the torch. Be sure you hold it high, that all suffering alcoholics may see it, and direct their faltering steps over the proven pathway that you trod.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Nov. 18, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
"We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. ...We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 6 ("Into Action"), p 75.
Just for today, if I have approached the all-important Fourth Step with reluctance and even fear because I perceive it as a laundry list of all my wrongs, let me understand that it also has a selfish and cathartic benefit. If I have hidden my wrongs, fears and dread in a dark and locked closet and I can muster the courage and honesty to unlock the door and confront them, I have given voice and identity to those defects. And in so doing, I can see what I need to do what needs to be done. With faith and determination, in doing what has to be done, I might even have enthusiasm to do what has to be done. With that, I can give myself permission not to fear the wrongs of my life any longer, and that fear might be disempowered. And in overcome my fear to face myself, both then and now, I might understand for the first time what spiritual experience means. Today, I can begin the job of beginning. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
"We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. ...We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 6 ("Into Action"), p 75.
Just for today, if I have approached the all-important Fourth Step with reluctance and even fear because I perceive it as a laundry list of all my wrongs, let me understand that it also has a selfish and cathartic benefit. If I have hidden my wrongs, fears and dread in a dark and locked closet and I can muster the courage and honesty to unlock the door and confront them, I have given voice and identity to those defects. And in so doing, I can see what I need to do what needs to be done. With faith and determination, in doing what has to be done, I might even have enthusiasm to do what has to be done. With that, I can give myself permission not to fear the wrongs of my life any longer, and that fear might be disempowered. And in overcome my fear to face myself, both then and now, I might understand for the first time what spiritual experience means. Today, I can begin the job of beginning. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 18, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn't we?
--Rose Kennedy
Some of us have been through an awful lot. We have endured pain and hopelessness. Now we have some choices to make. We can allow our pasts to make us feel bad about ourselves or we can sing after the storm. We can feel proud that we are not giving up, we are not willing to be destroyed.
The past won't change, and the bad things won't magically go away. But we can learn to move forward.
We can put the past where it belongs, close enough so we'll never forget, and far enough away so we don't give it all of our attention. The sun doesn't just make rainbows for other people; they're for us too.
Today let me tell myself that it's okay to feel good about myself.
From the book:
Our Best Days by Nancy Hull-Mast
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn't we?
--Rose Kennedy
Some of us have been through an awful lot. We have endured pain and hopelessness. Now we have some choices to make. We can allow our pasts to make us feel bad about ourselves or we can sing after the storm. We can feel proud that we are not giving up, we are not willing to be destroyed.
The past won't change, and the bad things won't magically go away. But we can learn to move forward.
We can put the past where it belongs, close enough so we'll never forget, and far enough away so we don't give it all of our attention. The sun doesn't just make rainbows for other people; they're for us too.
Today let me tell myself that it's okay to feel good about myself.
From the book:
Our Best Days by Nancy Hull-Mast
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 18, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
A Choice
At my first meeting, I heard "You don't have to drink again."
This was a total revelation to me.
For a long time I had believed that alcohol
was one of the few positive things left in my life. . .
I had to drink to survive, let alone to have any comfort.
Yet here, people who had been in the same boat
were telling me that I didn't have to drink. I don't think I believed them that night,
but it gave me enough hope to avoid drinking the rest of the day.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 364-365
Thought to Ponder ...
Just for today, I choose not to drink.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
O D A A T = One Day At A Time.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
A Choice
At my first meeting, I heard "You don't have to drink again."
This was a total revelation to me.
For a long time I had believed that alcohol
was one of the few positive things left in my life. . .
I had to drink to survive, let alone to have any comfort.
Yet here, people who had been in the same boat
were telling me that I didn't have to drink. I don't think I believed them that night,
but it gave me enough hope to avoid drinking the rest of the day.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 364-365
Thought to Ponder ...
Just for today, I choose not to drink.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
O D A A T = One Day At A Time.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 18, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I have got over my procrastination. I was always putting things off till tomorrow and as a result they never got done. "There is always another day" was my motto instead of, "Do it now." Under the influence of alcohol, I had grandiose plans. When I was sober, I was too busy getting over my drunk to start anything. "Some day I'll do that" - but I never did it. In AA, I have learned that it's better to make a mistake once in a while than to never do anything at all. We learn by trial and error. But we must act now and not put it off until tomorrow.
Have I learned to do it now?
Meditation for the Day
"Do not hide your light under a bushel. Arise and shine, for the light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen in thee." The glory of the Lord shines in the beauty of your character. It is risen in you, even though you can realize it only in part. "Now you see as in a glass darkly, but later you will see face to face." The glory of the Lord is too dazzling for mortals to see fully on earth. But some of this glory is risen in you when you try to reflect that light in your life.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may try to be a reflection of the Divine Light. I pray that some of its rays may shine in my life.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
I have got over my procrastination. I was always putting things off till tomorrow and as a result they never got done. "There is always another day" was my motto instead of, "Do it now." Under the influence of alcohol, I had grandiose plans. When I was sober, I was too busy getting over my drunk to start anything. "Some day I'll do that" - but I never did it. In AA, I have learned that it's better to make a mistake once in a while than to never do anything at all. We learn by trial and error. But we must act now and not put it off until tomorrow.
Have I learned to do it now?
Meditation for the Day
"Do not hide your light under a bushel. Arise and shine, for the light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen in thee." The glory of the Lord shines in the beauty of your character. It is risen in you, even though you can realize it only in part. "Now you see as in a glass darkly, but later you will see face to face." The glory of the Lord is too dazzling for mortals to see fully on earth. But some of this glory is risen in you when you try to reflect that light in your life.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may try to be a reflection of the Divine Light. I pray that some of its rays may shine in my life.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 18, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
Reflection for the Day
"Nothing is enough to the man for whom enough is too little," wrote the Greek philosopher Epicurus. Now that we're free from addiction, rebuilding our self-respect and winning back the esteem of family and friends, we have to avoid becoming smug about our new-found success. For most of us, success has always been a heady brew; even in our new life, it's still possible to fall into the dangerous trap of "big-shot-itis." As insurance, we ought to remember that we're free today only by the grace of God.
Will I remember that any success I may be having is far more His success than mine?
Today I Pray
May I keep a constant string-on-the-finger reminder that I have found freedom through the grace of God - just so I don't let my pride try to convince me I did it all myself. May I learn to cope with success by ascribing it to a Higher Power, not to my own questionable superiority.
Today I Will Remember
Learn to deal with success.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
Reflection for the Day
"Nothing is enough to the man for whom enough is too little," wrote the Greek philosopher Epicurus. Now that we're free from addiction, rebuilding our self-respect and winning back the esteem of family and friends, we have to avoid becoming smug about our new-found success. For most of us, success has always been a heady brew; even in our new life, it's still possible to fall into the dangerous trap of "big-shot-itis." As insurance, we ought to remember that we're free today only by the grace of God.
Will I remember that any success I may be having is far more His success than mine?
Today I Pray
May I keep a constant string-on-the-finger reminder that I have found freedom through the grace of God - just so I don't let my pride try to convince me I did it all myself. May I learn to cope with success by ascribing it to a Higher Power, not to my own questionable superiority.
Today I Will Remember
Learn to deal with success.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 18, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
Money is a medium of exchange and is as good as the things you can get with it.
If you have enough money in your pocket when you fall overboard, it can drown you.
Love of money can make you the most despised of men, but love of mankind can make your money a blessing to you and to them.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
Money is a medium of exchange and is as good as the things you can get with it.
If you have enough money in your pocket when you fall overboard, it can drown you.
Love of money can make you the most despised of men, but love of mankind can make your money a blessing to you and to them.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Nov. 17, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Just for today, I seek understanding that not drinking or using, by themselves, do not equal sobriety or recovery. Alcoholism and drug addiction are three-tiered maladies of the physical, spiritual and emotional; while abstaining treats the first, by itself it neglects the spiritual and emotional. My self-imposed wounds to the spiritual and mental, not to mention to other people like spouses, companions, friends and employers, can only be treated by a basic change within myself. My Fourth Step, if thorough and honest, may show that many of the feelings, perceptions and attitudes toward myself, other people and the world itself were developed in an alcohol- or drug-induced haze. Removing the haze, then, by itself, does not treat those feelings, perceptions and attitudes. Let me then appreciate that the reason for the 12 Steps is required for more than staying off alcohol and any other substance and that they target the spirit and emotional for treatment. Today, while swearing off alcohol or other substances is a giant step forward, God grant me the intelligence to understand that I must work for recovery and sobriety beyond abstinence alone. On this day, I choose sobriety over dry. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Just for today, I seek understanding that not drinking or using, by themselves, do not equal sobriety or recovery. Alcoholism and drug addiction are three-tiered maladies of the physical, spiritual and emotional; while abstaining treats the first, by itself it neglects the spiritual and emotional. My self-imposed wounds to the spiritual and mental, not to mention to other people like spouses, companions, friends and employers, can only be treated by a basic change within myself. My Fourth Step, if thorough and honest, may show that many of the feelings, perceptions and attitudes toward myself, other people and the world itself were developed in an alcohol- or drug-induced haze. Removing the haze, then, by itself, does not treat those feelings, perceptions and attitudes. Let me then appreciate that the reason for the 12 Steps is required for more than staying off alcohol and any other substance and that they target the spirit and emotional for treatment. Today, while swearing off alcohol or other substances is a giant step forward, God grant me the intelligence to understand that I must work for recovery and sobriety beyond abstinence alone. On this day, I choose sobriety over dry. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 17, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
We're not here to lose our sense of humor.
--Richie Berlin
Being too serious is habit forming. However, many aspects of our lives are serious and need to be addressed. Our disease, for one, is very serious. Working the Twelve Step program to the best of our ability is serious too. So are being honest and loving with friends, taking responsibility for all of our behavior, and being willing to change. But we can get in the habit of being too serious in many areas of our lives where a lighter touch is called for.
Cultivating laughter, so it too can become habit forming, benefits us immeasurably; however, this may not be easy. Our family of origin taught us that some things were funny and other things weren't. If we were laughed at rather than encouraged to see the humor in situations affecting us, we may find it hard to be comfortable with anyone's laughter. But we can work on this. We can begin by spending time with people who laugh and see the humor in situations that affect them. Our families were our earliest teachers; we can pick some new teachers now.
The more often I laugh today, the lighter my spirit will feel and the healthier my emotional life will become.
From the book:
A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
We're not here to lose our sense of humor.
--Richie Berlin
Being too serious is habit forming. However, many aspects of our lives are serious and need to be addressed. Our disease, for one, is very serious. Working the Twelve Step program to the best of our ability is serious too. So are being honest and loving with friends, taking responsibility for all of our behavior, and being willing to change. But we can get in the habit of being too serious in many areas of our lives where a lighter touch is called for.
Cultivating laughter, so it too can become habit forming, benefits us immeasurably; however, this may not be easy. Our family of origin taught us that some things were funny and other things weren't. If we were laughed at rather than encouraged to see the humor in situations affecting us, we may find it hard to be comfortable with anyone's laughter. But we can work on this. We can begin by spending time with people who laugh and see the humor in situations that affect them. Our families were our earliest teachers; we can pick some new teachers now.
The more often I laugh today, the lighter my spirit will feel and the healthier my emotional life will become.
From the book:
A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 17, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Divine Mystery
My memories no longer fill me with shame and remorse.
On the contrary, they fill me with gratitude and joy.
My whole story is a sort of divine mystery to me.
I don't know how an intelligent human being
ever could have got into such a mess,
and the more firmly established in sanity I become,
the more amazed I am that I ever got out of the mess.
- Came To Believe. . ., pp. 98-99
Thought to Ponder ...
I saw, I felt, I believed.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Divine Mystery
My memories no longer fill me with shame and remorse.
On the contrary, they fill me with gratitude and joy.
My whole story is a sort of divine mystery to me.
I don't know how an intelligent human being
ever could have got into such a mess,
and the more firmly established in sanity I become,
the more amazed I am that I ever got out of the mess.
- Came To Believe. . ., pp. 98-99
Thought to Ponder ...
I saw, I felt, I believed.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 17, 2010 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
Everyone has two personalities, a good and a bad. We are all dual personalities to some extent. When we were drinking, the bad personality was in control. We did things when we were drunk that we would never do when we were sober. When we sober up, we are different people. Then we wonder how we could have done the things we did. But we drink again, and again our bad side comes out. So we are back and forth, always in conflict with our other selves, always in a stew. This division of our selves is not good; we must somehow become unified. We do this by giving ourselves wholeheartedly to AA and to sobriety.
Have I become unified?
Meditation for the Day
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of Thy Lord." These words are for many ordinary people whom the world may pass by, unrecognizing. Not to the world-famed, the proud, the wealthy, are these words spoken, but to the quiet followers who serve God unobtrusively yet faithfully, who bear their crosses bravely and put a smiling face to the world. "Enter into the joy of Thy Lord." Pass into that fuller spiritual life, which is a life of joy and peace.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not desire the world's applause. I pray that I may not seek rewards for doing what I believe is right.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
AA Thought for the Day
Everyone has two personalities, a good and a bad. We are all dual personalities to some extent. When we were drinking, the bad personality was in control. We did things when we were drunk that we would never do when we were sober. When we sober up, we are different people. Then we wonder how we could have done the things we did. But we drink again, and again our bad side comes out. So we are back and forth, always in conflict with our other selves, always in a stew. This division of our selves is not good; we must somehow become unified. We do this by giving ourselves wholeheartedly to AA and to sobriety.
Have I become unified?
Meditation for the Day
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of Thy Lord." These words are for many ordinary people whom the world may pass by, unrecognizing. Not to the world-famed, the proud, the wealthy, are these words spoken, but to the quiet followers who serve God unobtrusively yet faithfully, who bear their crosses bravely and put a smiling face to the world. "Enter into the joy of Thy Lord." Pass into that fuller spiritual life, which is a life of joy and peace.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not desire the world's applause. I pray that I may not seek rewards for doing what I believe is right.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 17, 2010 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Many of us in The Program stubbornly cling to false ideas and positions simply because we fear we'd be left defenseless if we admitted having been wrong. The thought of "backing down" still seems distasteful to some of us. But we come to learn that our self-esteem soars when we're able to push pride into the background and truly face the facts. Chances are that people with true humility have more genuine self-esteem than those of us who are repeatedly victimized by pride.
Does pride deviously keep me from thorough and continuing attention to the Tenth Step?
Today I Pray
May pride stay out of my way, now that I've found a road to follow. May I avoid that familiar, destructive cycle of pride - the ego that balloons up out of all proportion and then deflates with a fizzle. May I learn the value of "backing down."
Today I Will Remember
Pride is the arch-enemy of self-esteem.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Reflection for the Day
Many of us in The Program stubbornly cling to false ideas and positions simply because we fear we'd be left defenseless if we admitted having been wrong. The thought of "backing down" still seems distasteful to some of us. But we come to learn that our self-esteem soars when we're able to push pride into the background and truly face the facts. Chances are that people with true humility have more genuine self-esteem than those of us who are repeatedly victimized by pride.
Does pride deviously keep me from thorough and continuing attention to the Tenth Step?
Today I Pray
May pride stay out of my way, now that I've found a road to follow. May I avoid that familiar, destructive cycle of pride - the ego that balloons up out of all proportion and then deflates with a fizzle. May I learn the value of "backing down."
Today I Will Remember
Pride is the arch-enemy of self-esteem.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Nov. 17, 2010 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
All forward steps in the progress of civilization have been the results of great ideas. All advances in the field of science were first ideas, many of which were conceived years before they became realities. Their creators were thinking far in advance of their times.
Alcoholics Anonymous is not a new system of ideas, but it is rather a new application of old ideas whose time has come.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
All forward steps in the progress of civilization have been the results of great ideas. All advances in the field of science were first ideas, many of which were conceived years before they became realities. Their creators were thinking far in advance of their times.
Alcoholics Anonymous is not a new system of ideas, but it is rather a new application of old ideas whose time has come.
Hazelden Foundation
http://www.friendsofbill.net/
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Nov. 16, 2010 - AA Thought for the Day
AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
Singleness of Purpose
It is the great paradox of AA that we know we can seldom keep the precious gift
of sobriety unless we give it away. . .
For us, if we neglect those who are still sick,
there is unremitting danger to our own lives and sanity.
our Society has concluded that it has but one high mission --
to carry the AA message to those who don't know there's a way out.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 151
Thought to Ponder ...
There is no strength without unity.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Always Awesome.
www.friendsofbill.net
(courtesy AAOnline.net)
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
Singleness of Purpose
It is the great paradox of AA that we know we can seldom keep the precious gift
of sobriety unless we give it away. . .
For us, if we neglect those who are still sick,
there is unremitting danger to our own lives and sanity.
our Society has concluded that it has but one high mission --
to carry the AA message to those who don't know there's a way out.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 151
Thought to Ponder ...
There is no strength without unity.
AA-related 'Alconym' ...
A A = Always Awesome.
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 16, 2010 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
"I remember the day when I decided to drink myself to death quietly, without bothering anyone, because I was tired of having been a dependable, trustworthy person for about 39 years without having received what I thought was a proper reward for my virtue. That was the day, that was the decision ...when I crossed over the line and became an active alcoholic. ...(w)ith a great sense of relief, I no longer had to pretend. I was giving up the struggle." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "They Lost Nearly All," Ch 11 ("He Who Loses His Life"), p 531.
Just for today, if I even remember the point when I crossed from abusive to alcoholic drinking, was I "giving up the struggle" or giving in? Had I reached a point when I rationalized or justified drinking because my ego had become so twisted that I thought other people, life itself, hadn't appreciated me enough to give me my just due? For me, whenever I crossed the line between abusive drinking and alcoholism, I was not "giving up the struggle;" I was giving in. But what difference does it make now? Whenever and whatever the force that drove me to alcoholism, the Program of AA tells me it matters only as it fits into my own Program of working the Steps that clear out the garbage, that reconcile my past with my present and my hopes for my future. And if, indeed, I was one of those who drank out of some deranged belief that I hadn't gotten what I thought I deserved from people I thought didn't appreciate my worth, perhaps now I should be grateful that I DIDN'T get all that I deserved. Today, I am an alcoholic grateful to be in recovery. How I became one doesn't matter anymore because knowing the reason won't "cure" me. But the Program will. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
"I remember the day when I decided to drink myself to death quietly, without bothering anyone, because I was tired of having been a dependable, trustworthy person for about 39 years without having received what I thought was a proper reward for my virtue. That was the day, that was the decision ...when I crossed over the line and became an active alcoholic. ...(w)ith a great sense of relief, I no longer had to pretend. I was giving up the struggle." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "They Lost Nearly All," Ch 11 ("He Who Loses His Life"), p 531.
Just for today, if I even remember the point when I crossed from abusive to alcoholic drinking, was I "giving up the struggle" or giving in? Had I reached a point when I rationalized or justified drinking because my ego had become so twisted that I thought other people, life itself, hadn't appreciated me enough to give me my just due? For me, whenever I crossed the line between abusive drinking and alcoholism, I was not "giving up the struggle;" I was giving in. But what difference does it make now? Whenever and whatever the force that drove me to alcoholism, the Program of AA tells me it matters only as it fits into my own Program of working the Steps that clear out the garbage, that reconcile my past with my present and my hopes for my future. And if, indeed, I was one of those who drank out of some deranged belief that I hadn't gotten what I thought I deserved from people I thought didn't appreciate my worth, perhaps now I should be grateful that I DIDN'T get all that I deserved. Today, I am an alcoholic grateful to be in recovery. How I became one doesn't matter anymore because knowing the reason won't "cure" me. But the Program will. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2010
www.friendsofbill.net
Nov. 16, 2010 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Fair play is primarily not blaming others for anything that is wrong with us.
--Eric Hoffer
It's tempting to blame others for our problems. Recovery asks us to answer for our actions. Admitting we are powerless over our alcohol and other drugs is a start. Each of the Twelve Steps asks us to answer for our actions in some way. And the program shows us how to do this.
Over time, we see that being responsible for our actions is the best way to live. Our self-confidence grows as we become more responsible. We start to see just how much we can do. We have gone from being drunks to being responsible people. If we can do this, then we can do anything!
Prayer for the Day
I pray to remember that I'm responsible for my actions. Blaming puts distance between me and other people. Higher Power, help me to play fair.
Action for the Day
Today, I'll list four times I've blamed someone else for a problem that was really my problem.
From the book:
Keep It Simple by Anonymous
www.friendsofbill.net
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Fair play is primarily not blaming others for anything that is wrong with us.
--Eric Hoffer
It's tempting to blame others for our problems. Recovery asks us to answer for our actions. Admitting we are powerless over our alcohol and other drugs is a start. Each of the Twelve Steps asks us to answer for our actions in some way. And the program shows us how to do this.
Over time, we see that being responsible for our actions is the best way to live. Our self-confidence grows as we become more responsible. We start to see just how much we can do. We have gone from being drunks to being responsible people. If we can do this, then we can do anything!
Prayer for the Day
I pray to remember that I'm responsible for my actions. Blaming puts distance between me and other people. Higher Power, help me to play fair.
Action for the Day
Today, I'll list four times I've blamed someone else for a problem that was really my problem.
From the book:
Keep It Simple by Anonymous
www.friendsofbill.net
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