Nov. 2, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

. . . love grows by service.
 -- Charlotte Perkins Gilman

When we shower someone special with much needed attention, or maybe flowers, or run an errand for a friend, or volunteer to do a favor for an unnamed person, we benefit in many ways. We're appreciated; we feel good about our own behavior, and we've tightened the connection to another person that fosters personal human development.

Most of us long for more signs of love from one another. Yet we fail to understand that our own expression of love to that special someone will release the love we long to feel.

Love multiplies with frequency of expression, whether stranger-to-stranger, friend-to-friend, lover-to-lover, parent-to-child; and everyone is the beneficiary.

Love's expression spontaneously generates more of itself, thus promising each of us what we long for.

You are reading from the book:

Worthy of Love by Karen Casey

Worthy of Love by Karen Casey. © 1985 by Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Step by Step

Step by Step
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016

" ...(Y)ou are ready to take certain steps.
"At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 5 ("How It Works"), p 58.

Today, I stand on a precipice that appears uncertain and terrifying, at least as much as the certainty and terror of continued drinking. But I must begin recovery. If I don't, the certain terror of an alcoholic disintegration or death are all that await me. And as I set out on this journey, grant me the wisdom to yield to the experience of those who have already been where I am headed, and the humility to seek and do only the will of whatever higher power I find. Let me also understand completely and be willing and ready to accept whatever change comes about as I hopefully leave behind those days of drinking and take on whatever changes sobriety brings. Today, if I am setting out on the path toward recovery, let me be know and appreciate how demanding it will be and that I must be "fearless and thorough from the very start." Anything less is a prescription for certain relapse. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2016

Nov. 2, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016

AA Thought for the Day
I have faith. That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my mouth or bitter to the taste. It is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it together. Faith - that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken, that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity.

Have I faith?

Meditation for the Day
Keep yourself like an empty vessel for God to fill. Keep pouring out yourself to help others so that God can keep filling you up with His spirit. The more you give, the more you will have for yourself. God will see that you are kept filled as long as you are giving to others. But if you selfishly try to keep all for yourself, you are soon blocked off from God, your source of supply, and you will become stagnant. To be clear, a lake must have an inflow and an outflow.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may keep pouring out what I receive. I pray that I may keep the stream clear and flowing.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016

Reflection for the Day
The more self-searching we do, the more we realize how often we react negatively because our "pride has been hurt." Pride is at the root of most of my personal problems. When my pride is "hurt," for example, I almost invariably experience resentment and anger - sometimes to the point where I'm unable to talk or think rationally. When I'm in that sort of emotional swamp, I must remind myself that my pride - and nothing but my pride - has been injured. I have to pause and try to cool off until such time as I can evaluate the problem realistically.

When my pride is injured or threatened, will I pray for humility so that I can rise above myself?

Today I Pray
May I know that if my pride is hurt, the rest of me may not be injured at all. May I know that my pride can take a battering and still come back stronger than ever for more. May I know that every time my pride takes a blow, it is liable to get more defensive, nastier, more unreasonable, more feisty. May I learn to keep my upstart pride in another place, where it will not be so easily hurt - or so willing to take credit.

Today I Will Remember
Humility is the only authority over pride.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016

Have you ever visited the General Service Headquarters in New York? Do you have any conception of the vast amount of work that passes through the Foundation every year?

It is highly possible that your Group would not exist today were it not for them. It is likewise probable that if your Group did not exist, you would still be beating your brains out.

The New York Office is functioning beautifully, but they require the support of every Group to do so. Make it your business to see that your Group is doing its share.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2016 - Rise 'n shine for a gorgeous Hump Day Wednesday

Nov. 1, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

Honesty is not enough

AA tells us that we must be honest about our problems if we hope to overcome them. Some people seem quite willing to do this. But an honest admission alone does not solve our problems. We have to go beyond honesty by taking needed action to correct what's wrong in our lives.

For example, we would not believe that anything had been corrected simply because a doctor diagnosed a physical problem. We know that such diagnosis is only a preliminary step that must lead to treatment to be effective. In the same way, an honest admission of our alcoholism does not lead to sobriety unless we take further action to address the problem.

We should also be careful about becoming prideful in announcing our shortcomings. If we are recovering from alcoholism but excuse a bad temper as one of our "alcoholic defects," are we attempting to correct our behavior? The more prideful we are about any fault, the more difficult it will be to change it.

Having become honest about my shortcomings, I'll look for opportunities today to make needed corrections in my behavior. If I find myself using my "alcoholic nature" as an excuse for unacceptable behavior, I'll take action to do something about it.

You are reading from the book:

Walk in Dry Places by Mel B.

Walk in Dry Places by Mel B. © 1996 by Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Step by Step

Step by Step

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016

Today, remembering that I worked the steps as hard as I could when I surrendered in Step One, I know I will have to rework them again if I choose to slip or relapse. Some of the steps required to gain and maintain sobriety also require some of the most brute honesty possible, and seeing myself as I truly was is an experience I don't want to repeat. Thus, the solution to avoid having to see myself again as I was is simple: don't slip, don't relapse. Sometimes easier said than done, but the 12 Steps give us the control not to bow to what we cannot control - alcohol. It is a fact that the sober alcoholic has another drunk inside but may not have another recovery. Even if I have another recovery, I don't want to go through the grueling experience of seeing myself as I might again become during a slip or relapse. And my insurance against having to go through that is the program. Today, I'll use it. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2016

Nov. 1, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Twenty-Four Hours a Day

The Serenity Prayer

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016

AA Thought for the Day
I have hope. That magic thing that I had lost or misplaced. The future looks dark no more. I do not even look at it, except when necessary to make plans. I try to let the future take care of itself. The future will be made up of todays and todays, stretching out as short as now and as long as eternity. Hope is justified by many right nows, by the rightness of the present. Nothing can happen to me that God does not will for me. I can hope for the best, as long as I have what I have and it is good.

Have I hope?

Meditation for the Day
Faith is the messenger that bears your prayers to God. Prayer can be like incense, rising ever higher and higher. The prayer of faith is the prayer of trust that feels the presence of God which it rises to meet. It can be sure of some response from God. We can say a prayer of thanks to God every day for His grace, which has kept us on the right way and allowed us to start living the good life. So we should pray to God with faith and trust and gratitude.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may feel sure of some response to my prayers. I pray that I may be content with whatever form that response takes.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

The Serenity Prayer

A Day at a Time
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016

Reflection for the Day
Those whom I most respect in The Program - and, in turn, those from whom I've learned the most - seem convinced that pride is, as one person put it, the "root-sin." In moral theology, pride is the first of the seven deadly sins. It is also considered the most serious, standing apart from the rest by virtue of its unique quality. Pride gets right into our spiritual victories. It insinuates itself into all our successes and accomplishments, even when we attribute them to God.

Do I struggle against pride by working the Tenth Step regularly, facing myself freshly and making things right where they've gone wrong?

Today I Pray
May I be on guard constantly against the sneakiness of pride, which can creep into every achievement, every triumph, every reciprocated affection. May I know that whenever things are going well for me, my pride will be on the spot, ready to take credit. May I watch for it.

Today I Will Remember
Put pride in its place.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016

If life is only a preparation for something yet to come, as many believe, then the manner of our living will determine the success or failure in this preparation. It would naturally follow, therefore, that a man could not live a devil and die a saint.

We do not feel that we are qualified to evaluate the worth of deathbed repentance, but this we do feel - if you live right, deathbed repentance would hardly seem necessary.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2016 - Good morning to a great and beautiful Tuesday

Oct. 31, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The Serenity Prayer

Monday, Oct. 31, 2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be either good or evil.
 -- Hannah Arendt

How often have we found ourselves in a predicament and innocently saying, "How did I get into this?" When someone has been injured by our actions because we failed to think about them, do we take the responsibility? If a friend is unfairly treated on the job, do we take a stand for him? When we know people are starving, what do we do about it? When our loved ones say they are lonely and wish we would talk to them, how do we respond?

In this program we have chosen to live by our values. We cannot sit passively and fail to live up to those values. Each situation is different, so we must think about what is called for. When we do not think about our reactions, we are in danger of adding to the evil in the world. When we act upon our principles, we feel more hopeful and wholesome.

Today, I will be alert to the difference between good and evil in my actions. I pray for the strength to take a stand.

You are reading from the book:

Touchstones by Anonymous

Touchstones ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

Oct. 31, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Step by Step

Step by Step
Monday, Oct. 31, 2016

"I spend a great deal of time passing on what I learned to others who want and need it badly. I do it for four reasons:
1. Sense of duty.
2. It is a pleasure.
3. Because in so doing I am paying my debt to the man who took time to pass it on to me.
4. Because every time I do it I take out a little more insurance for myself against a possible slip." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "Personal Stories, Pioneers of AA", Ch 1 ("Doctor Bob's Nightmare"), pp 180-81.

Today, admitting that my motive to quit drinking was self-serving and hardly altruistic, I am required now to be responsible to my sobriety. That responsibility is no clearer in any other than the 12th Step, the one that gives us our marching orders to carry the message to people who need and want it. A dividend like sobriety that we have earned through blood, sweat and tears brings with it a responsibility, and we appreciate and treasure that dividend when we share it with someone else, and when it works as well for them. As a drinking alcoholic, I blamed my problems on anyone and anything but myself, and it overwhelmed me. Sober now, I share it and, hopefully, sobriety will become even stronger. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2016

Oct. 31, 2016 - Readings in Recovery: Twenty-Four Hours a Day

The Serenity Prayer

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, Oct. 31, 2016

AA Thought for the Day
I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference."

Have I found contentment in AA?

Meditation for the Day
In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We can reach out into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book puts it: "Deep down in every man, woman and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude toward life."

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf ear to the urging of my conscience.

Hazelden Foundation