Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Feb. 29, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012

Just for today, I understand that even if my last drink was years ago, my next drunk, like the guy whose last drunk was 24 Hours ago, is just one drink away. My quantity of sobriety says little about its quality, and I have to re-examine that quality if my sobriety is riddled with anger, frustration, despair, hopelessness and a brain that processes my world with the same mind soaked with my last drunk. Even if my last drunk was months or even years ago, my next one is just as close as the man's who woke up with a hangover this morning. Quality - not quantity. This is the what recovery is about. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 29, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. -- Faith Baldwin
We are learning as we go, and the experiences shed light on our own plans for proceeding. The steps we are taking in unison as well as on separate but parallel paths enhance the particular movements of us all.
We often expect perfection from ourselves, forgetting that we're all beginners in life. The best we can do is willingly acknowledge our errors, grateful that we can always begin again on any task - grateful that we have the experiences of others to help guide us.
Life is process. We learn, we grow, share burdens, reformulate ideas, and restructure our values. Every change we make alters the steps we take, altering in turn someone else's movements, too.
From the book:
The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg. © 1983, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 29, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
"The alcoholic is absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. we must admit we can do nothing about it ourselves. Will power and self-knowledge will never help in the strange mental blank spots when we are tempted to drink. An alcoholic mentally is in a very sick condition. The last flicker of conviction that we can do the job ourselves must be snuffed out. The spiritual answer and the program of action are the only hope. Only spiritual principles will solve our problems. We are completely helpless apart from Divine help. Our defense against drinking must come from a Higher Power.

Have I accepted the spiritual answer and the program of action?

Meditation for the Day
Rest now until life, eternal life, flowing through your veins and heart and mind, bids you to bestir yourself. Then glad work will follow. Tired work is never effective. The strength of God's spirit is always available to the tired mind and body. He is your physician and your healer. Look to these quiet times of communion with God for rest, for peace, for cure. Then rise refreshed in spirit and go out to work, knowing that your strength is able to meet any problems because it is reinforced by God's power.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that the peace I have found will make me effective. I pray that I may be relieved of all strain during this day.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 29, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012

Reflection for the Day
Inventory-taking isn't always done in red ink. It's a rare day when haven't done something right. As I uncover and face my shortcomings, my many good qualities will be revealed to me also, reminding me that they have the same reality as my faults. Even when we've tried hard and failed, for instance, we can chalk that up as one of our greatest credits of all. I'll try to appreciate my good qualities because they not only offset the faults, but give me a foundation on which to grow. It's just as self-deceptive to discount what's good in us as to justify what is not.

Can I take comfort in my positive qualities, accepting myself as a friend?

Today I Pray
If I find only defects when I look in that Fourth Step mirrow, may I be sure that I am missing something - namely my good points. Although my ultra-modesty may be approved socially, may I learn that it is just as dishonest as rationalizing away my faults. Even an out-and-out failure, if examined from all sides, may turn up a plus along with the obvious minuses.

Today I Will Remember
To give myself, if an an A for effort, at least an average B minus.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 29, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012

The older some of us get in AA, the more we notice a tendency on our part to become a little bit less tolerant, a little less understanding of our relationship with the man still having trouble. We have been so long removed from the actual suffering that we are losing some of our understanding.

This is a good time to pick out the messiest case we can find and get back in the groove again. We can't afford to forget that we, too, are alcoholics and, but for the Grace of God, we would be in just as bad shape.

We may be years away from our last drunk, but we are only one drink away from our next one. Don't lose the common touch.

Hazelden Foundation

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Feb. 28, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2011

Just for today, I need to take my Program from theoretical to practical application to both my recovery and life. If I hear the motto, "Easy Does It," I cannot interpret it to mean that I have "permission" to neglect daily responsibilities and to do what must be done today and that it means, instead, take it easy in not expecting too much of either myself or another person. "Let Go and Let God" does not mean I can expect my Higher Power to take care of what is my responsibility and which is within my capability; instead, I must realize I am letting go of my own will for myself and letting God tell me what His will is for me. "One (drink) is one too many and never enough" tells me, simply, not to try to find out what is "never enough" and not to try the first one at all. "Making amends" isn't simply saying, "I'm sorry," but becoming willing to accept responsibility and consequences and working harder if some of those amends are rejected. "One Day at a Time" is simple: today is all I've got; yesterday can't be undone or redone, and tomorrow is no guarantee and, even if it isn't, I have to give today my best shot because it may well reverberate into tomorrow. Today, my Program moves from theory to the practical, and it's time to roll up the sleeves. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 28, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Finding balance
Let's not forget to play. Our new way of life is a serious matter, but it is not intended as a punishment; nor do we need to repent and suffer for the rest of our lives. Our new way of life is intended to produce growth.
But growth takes work. And work needs play for balance. If we forget to play and be joyful, our life will become unbalanced and we will suffer needlessly.
Have I found some balance in my life?
Higher Power, help me remember that all living things need balance: let me laugh, let me play, let me grow.
From the book:
Day by Day © 1974, 1998 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 28, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012

Thought for the Day
We should be free from alcohol for good. It's out of our hands and in the hands of God, so we don't need to worry about it or even think about it any more. But if we haven't done this honestly and fully, the chances are that it will become our problem again. Since we don't trust God to take care of the problem for us, we reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. Then it's our problem again and we're in the same old mess we were in before. We're helpless again and we drink.

Do I trust God to take care of the problem for me?

Meditation for the Day
No work is of value without preparation. Every spiritual work must have behind it much spiritual preparation. Cut short times of prayer and times of spiritual preparation and many hours of work may be profitless. From the point of view of God, one poor tool working all the time but doing back work because of lack of preparation, is of small value compared with the sharp, keen, perfect instrument working for only a short time but which turns out perfect work because of long hours of spiritual preparation.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may spend more time alone with God. I pray that I may get more strength and joy from such times, so that they will add much to my work.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 28, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012

Reflection for the Day
We're taught in The Program and the Twelve Steps that the chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear - mainly fear that we would lose something we already possessed or that we would fail to get something we demanded. Living on the basis of unsatisfied demands, we obviously were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, we are taught, no peace will be ours unless we find a means of reducing these demands.

Have I become entirely ready to have God remove all my defects of character?

Today I Pray
May I make no unrealistic demands on life which, because of their grandiosity, cannot be met. May I place no excessive demands on others which, when they are not fulfilled, leave me disappointed and let down.

Today I Will Remember
The set-up for a let-down.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 28, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012

Many of us would have been ready to do something about our drinking problem years before we did, except for the obstinate determination not to allow the wife, mother or boss to tell us what to do.

Hazelden Foundation

Monday, February 27, 2012

Feb. 27, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Monday, Feb. 27, 2012

Just for today, even if I am sober without attending meetings, I will consider the possibility that the quality of my sobriety might be enhanced if I resume regular meeting attendance - and participation. In neglecting meetings even if I am practicing the Program's Steps, I could be denying myself fresh perspectives that could lift me over some of the bumps on Sobriety Road. Adversely, I may be denying a newcomer or someone in relapse my own experience, strength and hope or anything else that might help them in their own journey. And if my lack of attendance at meetings is because of some rift within my home group, we have the freedom to "shop" for the meeting that we feel is best suited for our needs. But, in the end, neglecting meetings may well risk my own sobriety if for no other reason than I am not receiving someone else's experience, strength and hope and I am not fully Twelfth-Stepping by not sharing my own. Today, if I am only IN the Program, I will get WITH it. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 27, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Monday, Feb. 27, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Trouble is a part of life, and if you don't share it, you don't give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough. -- Dinah Shore
Just as gravity keeps us grounded and connected to the earth, our fellowship keeps us bound to sobriety. The fellowship available to us in our Twelve Step program keeps us in reality. A problem pondered in isolation seems immense; the same problem shared by those who truly understand is manageable. We need other people from the moment we are born. We need to be included, to feel we're a part of something larger than ourselves. Our spirits hunger for contact from others, and thirst for a relationship with God.
Our fellowship is there, a warm, friendly, and accepting family. Our Higher Power loves us. We are not alone, no matter where we travel, no matter how large our problems seem at the moment. Our joys are doubled and our sadness diminished through the sharing of our hearts.

Today help me listen carefully and give as well as take so I may fully experience this gift of fellowship.
From the book:
Body, Mind, and Spirit © 1990 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 27, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, Feb. 27, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
When we came into AA, the first thing we did was to admit that we couldn't do anything about our drinking. We admitted that alcohol had us licked and that we were helpless against it. We never could decide whether or not to take a drink. We always took the drink. And since we couldn't do anything about it ourselves, we put our whole drink problem into the hands of God. We turned the whole thing over to that Power greater than ourselves. And we have nothing more to do about it, except to trust God to take care of the problem for us.

Have I done this honestly and fully?

Meditation for the Day
This is the time for my spirit to touch the spirit of God. I know that the feeling of the spirit-touch is more important than all the sensation of material things. I must seek a silence of spirit-touching with God. Just a moment's contact and all the fever of life leaves me. Then I am well, whole, calm and able to rise and minister to others. God's touch is a potent healer. I must feel that touch and sense God's presence.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that the fever of resentment, worry and fear may melt into nothingness. I pray that health, joy, peace and serenity may take its place.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 27, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Monday, Feb. 27, 2012

Reflection for the Day
If I live just one day at a time, I won't so quickly entertain fears of what might happen tomorrow. As long as I'm concentrating on today's activities, there won't be room in my mind for worrying. I'll try to fill every minute of this day with something good - seen, heard, accomplished. Then, when the day is ended, I'll be able to look back on it with satisfaction, serenity and gratitude.

Do I sometimes cherish bad feelings so that I can feel sorry for myself?

Today I Pray
That I will get out of the self-pity act and live for today. May I notice the good things from dawn to nightfall, learn to talk about them and thank God for them. May I catch myself if I seem to be relishing my moans and complaints more often than appreciating the goodness of my life.

Today I Will Remember
Today is good.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 27, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Monday, Feb. 27, 2012

We know from past experiences that we actually invited all our troubles to enter our lives. We left the door wide open for them. Getting sober does not necessarily mean we have closed all the doors, for some of us have only closed the front door and left the back door wide open.

The chances are that you are not only vulnerable through the door marked Alcohol. As you advance to the front, watch well both flanks and the rear.

Hazelden Foundation

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Feb. 26, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012

Just for today, I must understand that I cannot take Step Seven of asking my Higher Power to "remove (my) shortcomings" without first surrendering completely to the Sixth Step of being "entirely ready" to be free of those shortcomings. And if I am clinging onto some character defect such as fear, resentment, anger, self-pity or remorse, I probably have not been thoroughly honest in my Fourth Step of "a searching and fearless moral inventory ..." Some - if not all - of those character dysfunctions likely triggered my drinking, at first abusively and eventually addictively, and holding onto them even with an honest desire to let go of them may threaten the quality of my sobriety - maybe my sobriety itself. An "honest desire" to surrender my defects, then, is not sufficient; because the Program is one of action, I must be active in releasing my defects and not taking them back. My thoughts, feelings and actions of yesterday influenced my subsequent tomorrows; thus, what I do today may well impact tomorrow, and my history of carrying from yesterday into tomorrow is one of self-destruction. Today, if I am mired in defects that I know contributed to my drinking, I must review my Fourth to see if it wasn't as "searching and fearless" as I had hoped. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 26, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Sunday, Nov. 26, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
The Power of Love
Love is the best motivation. When we are plugged in to our Higher Power, we are plugged in to love. It flows through us like a current, energizing our sluggish hearts and minds.
As we work the Steps of this program, we are given increased ability to love. By turning over our lives and our wills, we become receptive to the love which surrounds and sustains us. By taking inventory and being ready to have our character defects removed, we are able to get rid of old ways of thinking and acting which have been blocking out love.
We cannot produce love for others by ourselves, but we can receive it from our Higher Power.
We can even receive love for people we don't particularly like.
Love gives energy for action and directs its course. May I grow in love.
From the book:

Food for Thought by Elisabeth L. © 1980, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 26, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
When we came into AA, we came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves. We came to believe in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and to which we can turn for help. Each morning we have a quiet time. We ask God for the power to stay sober for the next 24 hours. And each night we thank Him for helping us to keep sober that day.

Do I believe that each man or woman I see in AA is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard to a sober person?

Meditation for the Day
I should pray for faith as a thirsty person prays for water in a desert. Do I know what it means to feel sure that God will never fail me? Am I sure of this as I am sure that I still breathe? I should pray daily and most diligently that my faith may increase. There is nothing lacking in my life because, really, all I need is mine, only I lack the faith to know it. I am like a rich man's child who sits in rags when all around me are stores of all I could desire.

Prayer for the Day
I pray for the realization that God has everything I need. I pray that I may know that His power is always available.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 26, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012

Reflection for the Day
"What if ..." How often we hear these words from newcomers to The Program. How often, in fact, we tend to say them ourselves. "What if I lose my job ...," "What if my car breaks down ...," "What if I get sick and can't work ...," "What if my child gets hooked on drugs?" What if - anything our desperate imaginings can project. Only two small words, yet how heavy-laden they are with dread, fear and anxiety. The answer to, "What if ...," is, plainly and simply, "Don't project." We can only live with our problems as they arise, living one day at a time.

Today I Pray
May I grow spiritually, without being held back by anxieties. May projected fears not hobble my pursuits or keep me from makig the most of today. May I turn out fear by faith. If I will only make a place for God within me, He will remove my fears.

Today I Will Remember
I can only borrow trouble at high interest rates.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 26, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012

Frequently we are asked, "Why waste your money on that guy? He's a phony if ever I saw one." We have all heard this and often it was true but, after all, the monetary loss each month was way below our old whiskey bills. Every once in a while, the long shot does come in and the payoff is tremendous.

It is simply a case of betting on people instead of horses. These bets on people can't lose, for if the phony abuses your generosity, the fault is his, not yours, and he is debited and you are credited by the Great Bookkeeper who has charge of the Treasury where "neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal."

Hazelden Foundation

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Feb. 25, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

Just for today, I am forced to admit that I abused, misused, took for granted and literally threw away through my drinking and subsequent alcoholism all that I had been GIVEN unconditionally - love, respect, self-respect, integrity, friends, family, my innocence - and traded it for selfishness, insecurity, fear, regret, pain, agony, anguish, loss and time that will never be recovered. Now, I am forced to admit that I cannot expect to be given what I drank away that once was mine - nor should I be enabled by regaining what I lost - without working for it. And I have the tools to begin the rebuilding process, courtesy of the Program. So simple! But the work to apply those tools forces me to ask my Higher Power, on bended knees, for the strength, courage, honesty, discipline, integrity and selflessness to earn back - not demand nor expect them to be handed to me - what I have lost. And, if I do the job right, I may get back more than what I lost. Today, I have the courage and strength to accept I must remake myself and, with the Program, I've got the tools to do it. All the remains is my choice to pick them up and put them to use. Today, I pick them up and begin the rebuilding process. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 25, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Happiness is a decision.
We came into this program desperate for help and perhaps solace too. We were more painful than most. Seeing all the smiles and hearing the laughter of the women and men at the meetings convinced us we were right! Fortunately, we have stuck around long enough to understand where their smiles and laughter are coming from.
The Twelve Steps are suggestions for living one day at a time. When we let the Steps guide our thinking and our actions, we discover that life doesn't have to be painful. Thinking and acting are fully in our control. Staying close to the program can bring us happiness.
I will set a good example for someone else today. I will be living proof of the maxim "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
From the book:

A Life of My Own by Karen Casey. © 1993 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 25, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
Some people find it hard to believe in a Power greater than themselves. But not to believe in such a Power forces us to atheism. It has been said that atheism is blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere. That's practically impossible to believe. I think we all can agree that alcohol is a power greater than ourselves. It certainly was in my case. I was helpless before the power of alcohol.

Do I remember the things that happened to me because of the power of alcohol?

Meditation for the Day
The spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the material and unmoral. That is the purpose and destiny of the human race. Gradually the spiritual is overcoming the material in our minds. Gradually the moral is overcoming the unmoral. Faith, fellowship and service are cures for most of the ills of the world. There is nothing in the field of personal relationships that they cannot do.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may do my share in making a better world. I pray that I may be part of the cure for the ills of the world.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 25, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

Reflection for the Day
Before we came to The Program, fear ruled our lives. Tyrannized by our addictions and obsessions, we feared everything and everybody. We feared ourselves and, perhaps most of all, feared fear itself. These days, when I am able to accept the help of my Higher Power, it makes me feel capable of doing anything I am called upon to do. I am overcoming my fears and acquiring a comfortable new confidence.

Can I believe that "courage is fear that has said its prayers ...?"

Today I Pray
God grant that through faith in Him I may overcome my obsessive fears. I have been running scared for so long it has become a habit. God help me to see that I may be purposely clinging to my fears to avoid making decisions, perhaps even to shirk the responsibility of success

Today I Will Remember
Fear keeps me safe from risk-taking.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 25, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

Few of us who are successfully working the AA Program have failed to notice the almost immediate influence our sobriety has brought about, not only in our homes and jobs but in the community as well.

Some of us who a short time ago stood before the judge and got the usual "$10 or 10 days" are now frequently closeted in the Judge's Chambers at his invitation to assist him in his handling of the alcoholic problem.

We know what we were, we know what we are, now let us be what we can be.

Hazelden Foundation

Friday, February 24, 2012

Feb. 24, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Just for today, I will apply the Program to a wider use by remembering that it is developed not solely to guide us to sobriety but to acknowledge and correct the character flaws that made us drink ourselves into alcoholism. Being dry is all we can expect if the only action we take is quit drinking; abstinence alone will not earn us the sobriety and peace that the Program promises if we do not uncover, admit and either give up or correct the dysfunctional dynamics of our spiritual and emotional character. Being dry is a major step forward from our drinking days, but being dry without peace with ourselves and everyone else puts us at significant risk of relapse if we turn a blind eye to the maladaptive parts of our characters. And because simply being dry positions me on the edge of a relapse waiting to happen, my Program will be applied to more than abstaining from drinking and will include what and how I must deal with the defects in my mental, spiritual and emotional characters. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 24, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Don't take storms personally.
Somewhere out in the Pacific, a storm brewed and swirled and thrashed and died without ever touching the land. Three days, later, under a clear blue sky, the storm surge reached the California coast near Los Angeles. The sea threw rocks at my house, and the waves stacked up and crashed down against the pilings of the foundation. Farther up the street, the ocean ate the back porch of two houses. All night the shoreline trembled and shook from the power of the sea.
The next morning the tide pulled back, the swells calmed, and the sky stayed blue. I walked down the beach, impressed at the way the ocean had littered it with huge chunks of driftwood and rocks. Then I walked back upstairs and drank my morning coffee.
Sometimes storms aren't about us.
Sometimes, friends or loved ones will attack us for no apparent reason. They'll fuss, fume, and snap at us. When we ask them why, they'll say, "Oh I'm sorry. I had a bad day at work." But we still feel hurt and upset.
Hold people accountable for their behavior. Don't let people treat you badly. But don't take the storms in their lives personally. These storms may have nothing to do with you.
Seek shelter if necessary. Get away from hurt friends until they have time to calm down; then approach when it's safe. If the storm isn't about you, there's nothing you need to do. Would you try to stop the ocean waves by standing in the surf with your arms outstretched?
God, help me not to take the storms in the lives of my friends and loved ones too personally.
From the book:

More Language of Letting Go © 2000 by Melody Beattie. All rights reserved.

Feb. 24, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
When we came to our first AA meeting, we looked up at the wall at the end of the room and saw the sign: "But for the Grace of God." We knew right then and there that we would have to call on the Grace of God in order to get sober and get over our soul-sickness. We heard speakers tell how they had come to depend on a Power greater than themselves. That made sense to us and we made up our minds to try it.

Am I depending on the Grace of God to help me stay sober?

Meditation for the Day
Share your love, your joy, your happiness, your time, your food, your money gladly with all. Give out all the love you can with a glad, free heart and hand. Do all you can for others and back will come countless stores of blessings. Sharing draws others to you. Take all who come as sent by God and give them a royal welcome. You may never see the results of your sharing. Today they may not need you, but tomorrow may bring results from the sharing you did today.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may make each visitor desire to return. I pray that I may never make anyone feel repulsed or unwanted.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 24, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Reflection for the Day
I can banish fear by realizing the truth. Am I afraid to be alone? This fear can be banished by the realization that I am never alone, that God is always with me wherever I am and whatever I do. Am I afraid that I won't have enough money to meet my needs? This fear can be banished by the realization that God is my inexhaustible, unfailing resource, now and always. Today I have the power to change fear into faith.

Can I say with confidence, "I will trust, and will not be afraid ...?"

Today I Pray
That I may fear no evil, for God is with me. That I may learn to turn to my Higher Power when I am afraid. I pray diligently that my faith in God and trust in what He has in store for me is strong enough to banish the fears that undermine my courage.

Today I Will Remember
Turn fear into faith.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 24, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

We alcoholics know that one drink is too much and a barrel isn't enough. That first drink starts the compulsion to drink.

Suppressing desires can become a habit just as their satisfaction does. Each time we Say "NO," we weaken the old habit and strengthen the new.

The efforts to satisfy our desires led us to the excesses that brought about our alcoholism. So let us follow the advise of John Stuart Mill and "learn to seek our happiness by limiting our desires, rather than attempting to satisfy them."

Hazelden Foundation

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Feb. 23, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012

Just for today, if "life" sneaks up with unexpected tasks or frustration after frustration that dely any intended plans, I will not cave in to anger or a sense of failure at not carrying out my plans to completion. Even if my patience or expectations of myself or others is stretched to the max, I will not whine with self-pity or anything else negative because, if I have gotten through the last 24 Hours sober, I have literally nothing to complain about and absolutely everything for which to be grateful and humble. I have no excuse to parlay frustration or anger into self-imposed isolation because isolation is the breeding ground for loneliness, and loneliness can be lethal when in recovery. But should I feel lonely, I will reach out to someone who can lend an empathetic - not sympathetic - ear or, in the spirit of Step 12, I will jump into some form of service to someone or something in need. An old saying is that the non-addict who has a flat tire calls Triple A, but the recovering alcoholic with a flat calls Suicide Prevention. Today, I will use the Steps to keep events and things in their proper perspective and, if I find I have a flat tire today, I'll call roadside assistance; Suicide Prevention has other people in greater need. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 23, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
There are sounds to seasons. There are sounds to places, and there are sounds to every time in one's life. -- Alison Wyrley Birch
Live is rich and full. Your life. My life. Even when the day feels flat or hollow, there's a richness to it that escapes our attention. We see only what we choose to see. We hear selectively, too. Our prejudgment precludes our getting the full effects of any experience. Some days we hear only the drum of the humdrum.
But the greater our faith in the program and a loving God, the clearer our perceptions become. We miss less of the day's events; we grow in our understanding of our unfolding, and we perceive with clarity the role others are playing in our lives.
We can see life as a concert in progress when we transcend our own narrow scope and appreciate the variety of people and situations all directed toward the same finale. The more we're in tune with the spiritual activity surrounding us, the more harmoniously we will be able to perform our parts.
I will listen to the music of today. I will get in tune, in rhythm. I am needed for the concert's beauty.
From the book:

Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey. © 1982, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 23, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
Besides our jobs, our families, our friends and our sobriety, we have something else which many of us found through AA. That's faith in a Power greater than ourselves, to which we can turn for help: faith in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God and which is on our side as long as we do the right thing. There have been many days in the past when, if we had taken an inventory, we'd have found ourselves very much in the red, without sobriety and, therefore, without jobs, families, friends or faith in God. We now have these things because we're sober.

Do I make one resolution every day of my life - to stay sober?

Meditation for the Day
Love the busy life. it is a joy-filled life. Take your fill of joy in the Spring. Live outdoors whenever possible. Sun and air are nature's great healing forces. That inward joy changes poisoned blood into a pure, healthy, life-giving flow. But never forget that the real healing of the spirit comes from within, from the close, loving contact of your spirit with God's spirit. Keep in close communion with God's spirit day by day.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may learn to live the abundant life. I pray that I may enjoy a close contact with God this day and be glad in it.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 23, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012

Reflection for the Day
The Twelve Steps teach us that as faith grows, so does security. The terrifying fear of nothingness begins to subside. As we work The Program, we find that the basic antidote for fear is a spiritual awakening. We lose the fear of making decisions, for we realize that if our choice proves wrong, we can learn from the experience. And should our decision be the right one, we can thank God for giving us the courage and the grace that caused us so to act.

Am I grateful for the courage and grace I receive from my Higher Power?

Today I Pray
I ask that I be given the power to act, knowing that I have at least a half-chance to make the right decision and that I can learn from a wrong one. For so long, decision-making seemed beyond my capabilities. Now, I can find joy in being able to make choices. Thank you, God, for courage.

Today I Will Remember
Freedom is choosing.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 23, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012

Criticism is often the sincerest form of flattery. We are all subject to it at times if we do anything at all. When criticism does arise, and before you build up a first-rate resentment, think first - who is it that criticizes? What is the motive behind it? Is it constructive or just plain antagonistic? Is it prompted by jealousy or ignorance? Would you do the same thing again if you had it to do over? What does you conscience say about it?

No great man escaped having enemies; all the old masters had critics; all political and social reforms had their adversaries and the early disciples of all new religions were persecuted, stoned and crucified.

If you are critized, you may possible be right. But, if you are ignored, you know you are wrong.

Hazelden Foundation

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Feb. 22, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

Just for today, I begin to understand WHY indecision is NO decision, and that no decision is stagnation - in growth, progress, sobriety, moving forward, moving on. If some issue has immobilized me with uncertainty or fear of the outcome, the strain of no resolution will likely progress to a breaking point. And, for me, the feared breaking point could be my sobriety. Today, enough is enough. I will decide, and I will call on the principles of the Program and my Higher Power how best to resolve the thing, whatever it is, that has hung over my head far too long. And in coming to a decision, God grant me the wisdom that the outcome may not be what I want - but I have faith that, at least as my Higher Power is concerned, the outcome is what I need. Today, no decision will fall to decision, and what kept me stagnant loses its control. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 22, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
The Fox and the Stork
One evening the fox invited his friend the stork to dinner. For a joke the fox prepared soup and served it in a shallow dish. The fox could easily lap up the soup. But the stork, with its long bill, went hungry. The fox gave the stork a sly grin and said, "I am so sorry. It seems as if the soup is not to your liking."
"There is no need to apologize," the stork replied. "I would like to repay your hospitality and invite you to dinner tomorrow night."
The next evening, the stork served the fox a meal in a long-necked jar with a narrow mouth. The stork could easily reach into the jar and eat, but the fox could not and went hungry. "I will not apologize for the dinner," the stork said. "because one bad turn deserves another." After that, the fox and the stork were no longer friends.
The Moral of the story: Revenge may be sweet, but the damage it does cannot be repaired.
No matter how wronged you may feel by the words or actions of another, remember that revenge, retaliation, and harboring resentment serve no useful purpose.
I will let go of past resentments and consider no one to be my enemy.
From the book:

Morning Light © 2011 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 22, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
Now we can take an inventory of the good things that have come to us through AA. To begin with, we're sober today. That's the greatest asset on any alcoh0olic's books. Sobriety to us is like good will in business. Everything else depends on that. Most of us have jobs which we owe to our sobriety. We know we couldn't hold these jobs if we were drinking, so our jobs depend on our sobriety. Most of us have wives or husbands and children, which we either had lost or might have lost, if we hadn't stopped drinking. We have friends in AA, real friends who are always ready to help us.

Do I realize that my job, my family and my real friends are dependent upon my sobriety?

Meditation for the Day
I must trust God to the best of my ability. This lesson has to be learned. My doubts and fears continually drive me back into the wilderness. Doubts lead me astray, because I am not trusting God. I must trust God's love. It will never fail me, but I must learn not to fail it by my doubts and fears. We all have much to learn in turning out fear by faith. All our doubts arrest God's work through us. I must not doubt. I must believe in God and continually work at stregthening my faith.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may live the way God wants me to live. I pray that I may get into that stream of goodness in the world.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 22, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

Reflection for the Day
When I came to The Program, I found people who knew exactly what I meant when I spoke finally of my fears. They had been where I had been; they understood. I've since learned that many of my fears have to do with projection. It's normal, for example, to have a tiny "back-burner" fear that the person I love will leave me. But when the fear takes precedence over my present and very real relationship with the person I'm afraid of losing, them I'm in trouble. My responsibility to myself includes this: I must not fear things which do not exist.

Am I changing from a fearful person into a fearless person?

Today I Pray
I ask God's help in waving away my fears - those figments, fantasies, monstrous thoughts, projections of disaster which have no bearing on the present. May I narrow the focus of my imagination and concentrate on the here-and-now, for I tend to see the future through a magnifying glass.

Today I Will Remember
Projected fears, like shadows, are larger than life.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 22, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

You cannot know and appreciate wisdom unless you are also acquainted with a liberal amount of pure folly. Folly provides the lessons that really stick in our memories and provide danger signals to govern our decisions in our future conduct.

For that reason, the lessons learned overnight in a jail cell outlast those acquired after long periods of study. Believe you me, those lessons are seldom forgotten.

Hazelden Foundation

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Feb. 21, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

Just for today, I "Keep It Sweet and Simple" because, in the end, the complexities and sometimes grueling work of the Twelve Steps come down to a cardinal action: if I do not want to deal with the shakes through the day and into the oblivion of the darkness of drunkenness; if I do not want to deal with guilt, remorse, shame and self-degredation; if I do not want the humbling pain of letting down myself and anyone who has stood with me through the worst of my drinking days and the best of my recovery; if I do not want to devote any part of the day and night with my head in a toilet throwing up and with the dry heaves; if I don't want to take bedsheets to the Laundromat for and unplanned wash because they got soaked by my own vomit; if I don't want to risk getting nailed for drunk driving and the subsequent court-ordered fines and fees, alcohol classes and triple car insurance rates; if I want to continue to progress in recovery and sobriety; if I want to nurture the re-established relationships that were previously broken and responsibilities that went neglected because of drinking; if I want to keep clear of self-pity, anger, confusion, and anguish; if I want to claim honestly that I am sober today; today, I won't drink. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 21, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all. -- Emily Dickinson
We often hum and sing to ourselves because it makes us feel content. It is the melody itself that makes us feel good - words and thoughts do not matter.
Having hope for ourselves and for our universe is like having a melody always moving inside us. The melody may be calm or exciting, but most of all it brings with it beauty and a sense of peace. Hope can overcome the need for words and thoughts and promises. Hope is the melody that keeps us going, the hum that continues even when there are no words to the song. Hope is not a melody we think about - it must come when we believe in the goodness of our world.
If we have faith in a power greater than ourselves, we will be able to find the melody of hope inside us at all times.
From the book:

Today's Gift © 1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

Feb. 21, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
I go to the AA meetings because it helps me in my business of keeping sober. And I try to help other alcoholics when I can, because that's part of my business of keeping sober. I also have a partner in this business, and that's God. I pray to Him every day to help me to keep sober. As long as I keep in mind that liquor can never be my friend again, but is now my deadly enemy, and as long as I remember that my main business is keeping sober and that it's the most important thing in my life, I believe I'll be prepared for that crucial moment when the idea of having a drink pops into my mind.

When that idea comes, will I be able to resist it and not take that drink?

Meditation for the Day
I will be more afraid of spirit-unrest, of soul-disturbance, of any ruffling of the mind, than of earthquake or fire. When I feel the calm of my spirit has been broken by emotional upset, then I must steal away alone with God, until my heart sings and all is strong and calm again. Uncalm times are the only times when evil can find an entrance. I will beware of unguarded spots of unrest. I will try to keep calm no matter what turmoil surrounds me.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that no emotional upsets will hinder God's power in my life. I pray that I may keep a calm spirit and a steady heart.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 21, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

Reflection for the Day
Do I waste my time and energy wrestling with situations that aren't actually worth a second thought? Like Don Quixote, the bemused hero of Spanish literature, do I imagine windmills as menacing giants, battling them until I am ready to drop from exhaustion? Today, I'll not allow my imagination to build small troubles into big ones. I'll try to see each situation clearly, giving it only the value and attenion it deserves.

Have I come to believe, as the second of the Twelve Steps suggests, that a Power greater than myself can restore me to sanity?

Today I Pray
God, keep my perspective sane. Help me to avoid aggrandizing petty problems, tying too much significance to casual conversations, making a Veruvius out of an anthill. Keep my fears from swelling out of scale, like shadows on a wall. Restore my values, which became distorted during the days of my chemical involvement.

Today I Will Remember
Sanity is perspective.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 21, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

The effectiveness of AA is largely built upon understanding and human sympathy. These characteristics were not acquired from a book but learned the hard way as we, too, traveled the long dark alley of despair in search of a helping hand and an understanding heart.

Creeds and ideologies are for preachers and students to debate and reason, but our doctrine of love and understanding has nothing to do with reason; frequently it is contrary to reason, as it comes from the heart and not the head.

Hazelden Foundation

Monday, February 20, 2012

Feb. 20, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

Just for today, I will, in these 24 Hours, put aside MY wants and hear the cry of someone whose need is greater, whose anguish cuts deeper and whose fears are more haunting than mine. My prayers and hopes will be for THAT person because HIS needs might, just might, be more important than mine. And in trying to put myself aside in favor of someone else this day, pray that I might experience a fundamental change, a change toward compassion, empathy and selflessness. But in achieving that, my motive hasn't really been altogether selfless: I may have progressed to my first or another spiritual awakening by attaining humility in the knowledge that my own fears, insecurities and problems may not be as heavy as someone else's. Today, someone whose burdens are heavier than mine will have my prayers. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 20, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Monday, Feb. 20, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:

Today I will be grateful for where I am now.
My life might not be perfect, and I might not have achieved the goals I thought I would have by now - I might not be living the kind of life I thought I would be or want to be, but I'm grateful for this day, right now, and the fact that I've made a commitment to myself to live a life in which I'm treated with respect and dignity.
I will use this day as a gift, one that I've given myself because I deserve it. I will use this day to be glad for all I've accomplished.
I'm deserving, worthy, and valuable.
I'm a lovable person, and today I thank the person who helped me understand this: me.
From the book:

Time to Fly Free © 2001 by Judith R. Smith. All rights reserved.

Feb. 20, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

Thought for the Day
Liquor used to be my friend. I used to have a lot of fun drinking. Practically all the fun I had was connected with drinking. But the time came when liquor became my enemy. I don't know just when liquor turned against me and became my enemy, but I know it happened because I began to get into trouble. And since I realize that liquor is now my enemy, my main business now is keeping sober. Making a living or keeping house is no longer my main business. It's secondary to the business of keeping sober.

Do I realize that my main business is keeping sober?

Meditation for the Day
I can depend on God to supply me with all the power I need to face any situation, provided that I will sincerely believe in that power and honestly ask for it, at the same time making all my life conform to what I believe God wants me to be. I can come to God as a business manager would come to the owner of the business, knowing that to lay the matter before Him means immediate cooperation, providing the matter has merit.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may believe that God is ready and willing to supply me with all that I need. I pray that I may ask only for faith and strength to meet any situation.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 20, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

Reflection for the Day
We are often told in The Program that "more will be revealed." As we are restored to health and become increasingly able to live comfortably in the real world without using chemicals, we begin to see many things in a new light. Many of us have come to realize, for example, that our arch-enemy - anger - comes disguised in many shapes and colors: intolerance, contempt, snobbishness, rigidity, tension, sarcasm, distrust, anxiety, envy, hatred, cynicism, dicontent, self-pity, malice, suspicion, jealousy.

Do I let my feelings get the best of me?

Today I Pray
May I recognize that my anger, like a dancer at a masquerade, wears many forms and many faces. May I strip off its several masks and know it for what it is.

Today I Will Remember
Anger wears a thousand masks.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 20, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

So many times we hear people say, "Don't preach to me about God. He has no time for the likes of me." It is hard for us alcoholics to conceive of a God, whom we have gone out of our way to alienate, who has time for the likes of us - yet we know that Je does have time for us and has demonstrated this fact in hundreds of cases, just as though He had nothing else in the world to do.

Hazelden Foundation

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Feb. 19, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012

Just for today, I begin the process of reconciling my emotional, spiritual and mental defects to the Program if I am not either willing or able yet to hand them off to my Higher Power. Reconciliation, needed for me to see that I must let go of what holds me back, requires that I understand recovery is more than not drinking and requires a fundamental change in my entire character - and abstinence alone, were it that easy, cannot achieve that change. It requires a brutally honest Fourth to find my defects and the 10th to understand why and how they impede what I could be in the Program - but am not yet. In reconciling myself to my defects character, I may finally be able to say they have not useful purpose in where I hope to go in my recovery, that they harbor a hidden spark to ignite the fire of a slip or relapse and, more important, that I am not just willing to release them to my Higher Power but want to be done with them once and for all. If the defect I found in the Fourth remains in my 10th and I know it is time to let it go, today, I seek from my Higher Power the courage to change what I can - myself. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

Feb. 19, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
Every day is a different day. You never know what it will bring. That's the exciting thing about getting up every morning. -- Alpha English
No doubt we have all hit spells when we didn't feel the urge to get the day going. Pulling the covers up around us seemed far more inviting. There's nothing wrong with occasionally resisting the next twenty-four hours. We do need variety in our lives. Even a healthy, fun routine is still a routine. Shaking it up is good for us. But if we make a habit of avoiding whatever plans we've made, we need to take an inventory of our feelings. Depression isn't foreign to most of us. Chronic depression needs to be addressed, however.
If we begin to feel blue about our lives, let's make sure we are expressing our feelings to a friend. Generally, there is a simple solution. Maybe we have forgotten to pray and meditate regularly. Perhaps we have become self-absorbed. Being appreciative of others generally changes how we see every aspect of our lives. Recounting with a confidant or in a journal all the blessings and achievements we've accumulated over these many decades often pushes us out of the doldrums.
Let's remember that most days surprised us with their outcomes. We never got exactly what we expected. This is one certainty about life that we can always count on.

Today is bound to surprise me in how it unfolds. I'll appreciate what comes my way.
From the book:

Keepers of the Wisdom © 1996 by Karen Casey. All rights reserved.

Feb. 19, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012

Thought for the Day
Many things we do in AA are in preparation for that crucial moment when, walking down the street on a nice sunshiny day, we see a nice cool cocktail lounge and the idea of having a drink pops into our minds. If we've trained our minds so that we're well prepared for that crucial moment, we won't take that first drink. In other words, if we've done our AA homework well, we won't slip when temptation comes.

In preparation for that crucial moment when I'll be tempted, will I keep in mind the fact that liquor is my enemy?

Meditation for the Day
How many of the world's prayers have gone unanswered because those who prayed did not endure to the end? They thought is was too late, that they must act for themselves, that God was not going to guide them. "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." Can I endure to the very end? If so, I shall be saved. I will try to endure with courage. If I endure, God will unlock those secret spiritual treasures which are hidden from those who do not endure to the end.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may follow God's guidance, so that spiritual success shall be mine. I pray that I may never doubt the power of God and so take things into my own hands.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 19, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012


Reflection for the Day
When a person says something rash or ugly, we sometimes say they are "forgetting themselves," meaning they're forgetting their best selves in a sudden outburst of uncontrolled fury. If I remember the kind of person I want to be, hopefully I won't "forget myself" and yield to a fit of temper. I'll believe that the positive always defeats the negative: courage overcomes fear; patience overcomes anger and irritablity; love overcomes hatred.

Am I always striving for improvement?

Today I Pray
Today I ask that God, to Whom all things are possible, help me turn negatives into positives - anger into super-energy, fear into a chance to be courageous, hatred into love. May I take time out to remember examples of such positive-from-negative transformations from the whole of my lifetime. Uppermost is God's miracle: my freedom from the slavery of addiction.

Today I Will Remember
Turn negatives into positives.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 19, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012

The AA way of living holds out, for all that will grasp it, everything that is advantageous to life. A healthy mind, a healthy body, a healthy soul. Complete harmony with God, your fellow man and yourself. Truly the peace that passeth all understanding.

Hazelden Foundation

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Feb. 18, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012

Just for today, I will recognize LOYALTY as part of my responsibility to sobriety, the Program and everyone who follows it. From them - sobriety, the Program and the people who comprise its fellowship - I have been given a gift. But no gift is completely free; to keep it while passing it on requires maintenance - and with maintenance comes loyalty, and respect of that gift. Today, I will be loyal to my sobriety and the Steps and Principles needed to develop that sobriety by not drinking or using, by answering the call if someone needing help reaches out. Today, I will not engage in the conduct of the character defects I seek to release to my Higher Power; I will act with loyalty and respect to everyone who, like me, have come to the Program to work for a rebirth. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012