Daily Recovery Readings
November 29, 2018

Daily Reflection

“ACTIVE GUARDIANS”

To us, however, it represents far more than a sound public relations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking. This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A. In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 183

The basic concept of humility is expressed in the Eleventh Tradition: it allows me to participate completely in the program in such a simple, yet profound, manner; it fulfills my need to be an integral part of a significant whole. Humility brings me closer to the actual spirit of togetherness and oneness, without which I could not stay sober. In remembering that every member is an example of sobriety, each one living the Eleventh Tradition, I am able to experience freedom because each one of us is anonymous.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Big Book Quote

Because I’m An Alcoholic

This drinker finally found the answer to her nagging question, “Why?”

I went to that meeting–a small women’s group. I was scared and in withdrawal. Someone greeted me and I muttered my name aloud. Someone brought me a cup of coffee. People gave me their phone numbers and urged me to call, to pick up the telephone instead of a drink. They were warm and friendly. They said keep coming back.

~ Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition Stories, p. 344

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

The A.A. way is the way of sobriety, and yet there are slips. Why do these slips occur? Why don’t we all accept A.A. and stay sober from then on? There are many reasons, but it has been proven 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. Could I be the only exception to this rule?

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 brotherhood of the spirit.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may be loyal to God and my fellow men. I pray that my life today may be lived close to His and theirs.

Keep It Simple

One is happy as the result of one’s own efforts.— George Sand

Happiness is not an accident. It comes from following the spiritual voice found in each of us.

This isn’t always easy. Sometimes, the voice tells us to do things we’re afraid of. For Example, if we’re lonely and the voice tells us to call someone on our phone list, we may make excuses to not do it. Again, the voice may say, “Just make the call. It will be okay.” If we follow the voice, we will find happiness. The spiritual voice inside us speaks of care and love. It will never tell us to hurt others or ourselves. It’s our Higher Power’s voice . It’s what Step Eleven calls “conscious contact.” If we follow this guiding voice, it will lead us to happiness.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I’ll come to know my Higher Power by listening to the spiritual voice in me.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll meditate and listen to my higher power gentle voice within.

Each Day a New Beginning

Faith is like the air in a balloon. If you’ve got it you’re filled. If you don’t, you’re empty.
–Peggy Cahn

Being faith-filled takes effort, not unlike becoming a good writer, tennis player, or pianist. Faith grows within our hearts, but we must devote time to foster this growth. Daily discussions with God are required, frequent quiet times to hear God’s messages to us–just as practice on the court, hitting balls or sitting for extended periods at the typewriter or a piano are necessary to attainment of these goals.

Life’s difficulties are eased when we have faith. The most frightening situation, a job interview, an evaluation with our boss, a showdown with a friend, can be handled confidently when we let our faith work for us. But, we must first work for it, work to attain it and work to keep it. Like any skill, it gets rusty with lack of use.

I will make sure to add to my reserves today. We never know when we may need to let our faith direct our every action. I will make a friend of my higher power, and that partnership will carry me over any troubled time.

Elder’s Meditation

“Life, the circle, a measurement with no beginning and no end.”
–Phillip Deere, MUSKOGEE-CREEK

The circle teaches us how the Creator made things and how to live. It teaches us how we should look at creation. Life travels in a circle. In the East is the baby, to the South is the youth, in the West is the adult and in the North is the Elder. Then we return to the Earth Mother to start the cycle again. We observe what is `around us’ from the center of the circle. This develops our point of view. We must be careful not to become self-centered.

Great Spirit, let me observe life from the circle’s point of view.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Increasing your concentration is key to increasing your productivity. It’s no wonder that paying keen attention is a challenge since there are so many tech gadgets and media outlets clamoring for your ears and eyeballs. Unfortunately, trying to multitask to accomplish more won’t help; you’ll only end up scattering your energy even more. Guard your focus today like you protect your passport or your credit card numbers. Whether you care to admit it or not, time is a limited commodity; treasure it by making the most out of every moment.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 28, 2018

Daily Reflection

ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION

Through many painful experiences, we think we have arrived at what that policy ought to be. It is the opposite in many ways of usual promotional practice. We found that we had to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than of promotion.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 180-81

While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity and defiance against anyone who wanted to change me. All I wanted then was to be accepted by another human simply as I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A. I became the custodian of this concept of attraction, which is the principle of our Fellowship’s public relations. It is by attraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who still suffers.

I thank God for having given me the attraction of a well-planned and established program of Steps and Traditions. Through humility and the support of my fellow sober members, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of life through attraction, not promotion.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Big Book Quote

“In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 101~

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

The A.A. way is the way of sobriety. A.A. 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 A.A.
is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet
A.A. is 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 A.A.?

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 us at all the things we
have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families,
our homes, our friends, our A.A. 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.

Keep It Simple

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.   —Bernard Malamud

Sobriety is freedom. With this freedom, we have a responsibility to help other addicts who still suffer. The program tells us this in Step Twelve. We do this by telling our stories and offering hope.
We must be ready to care, to give ourselves. This is what spirituality is about. When we help others, we prepare the road for those who enter the program after us.

Tradition Five of the Twelve Traditions says, “Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” It means we get better by helping others.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me create more freedom. Bring me to where I’m needed. Help me carry the message well.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of ways I can help the addict who still suffers. Then I’ll chose one way I can be of help. I’ll talk with my sponsor about it, and I’ll follow through with my plan.

Each Day a New Beginning

The idea of God is different in every person. The joy of my recovery was to find God within me.    –Angela L. Wozniak

The program promises peace. Day by day, step by step, we move closer to it. Each time we clearly are touched by someone else, and each time we touch another, carries us closer to a realization of God’s presence, in others, in ourselves, in all experiences. The search for God is over, just as soon as we realize the Spirit is as close as our thoughts, our breath.

Coming to believe in a greater power brings such relief to us in our daily struggles. And on occasion we still fight for control to be all-powerful ourselves, only to realize that the barriers we confront are of our own making. We are on easy street, just as soon as we choose to let God be our guide in all decisions, large and small.
The program’s greatest gift to us is relief from anxiety, the anxiety that so often turned us to booze, or pills, or candy. Relief is felt every time we let go of the problem that’s entrapped us and wait for the comfort and guidance God guarantees.
God’s help is mine just as quickly as I fully avail myself of it. I will let go of today’s problems.

Elder’s Meditation

“People say that crisis changes people and turns ordinary people into wiser or more responsible ones.”  — Wilma Mankiller, CHEROKEE

There is a saying, conflict precedes clarity. The Medicine Wheel teachings say, in order for something to change it must first go through a struggle. When a crisis enters our lives, other powers are there to help us. We will learn some lessons. Will I honor and respect the next crisis?

Great Spirit, if a crisis occurs today, let me learn the lessons of wisdom.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Sometimes coping with a problem takes a village. There’s no shame in calling in a consultant or a committee of experts if you are at a loss for a viable solution. The truth is you may be depending too much on the abstractions of your emotions and memory now. Getting out of your head enables you to get out of your own way. Although you might not be making noticeable progress yet, stick with your current program. A cosmic boost can help only if you’re already aiming in the right direction.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 27, 2018

Daily Reflection

THE PERILS OF THE LIMELIGHT

In the beginning, the press could not understand our refusal of all personal publicity. They were genuinely baffled by our insistence upon anonymity. Then they got the point. Here was something rare in the world—a society which said it wished to publicize its principles and its work, but not its individual members. The press was delighted with this attitude. Ever since, these friends have reported A.A. with an enthusiasm which the most ardent members would find hard to match.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 182

It is essential for my personal survival and that of the Fellowship that I not use A.A. to put myself in the limelight. Anonymity is a way for me to work on my humility. Since pride is one of my most dangerous shortcomings, practicing humility is one of the best ways to overcome it. The Fellowship of A.A. gains worldwide recognition by its various methods of publicizing its principles and its work, not by its individual members advertising themselves. The attraction created by my changing attitudes and my altruism contributes much more to the welfare of A.A. than self-promotion.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Big Book Quote

Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead. Thus we find the fellowship, and so will you.

“How is that to come about?” you ask. “Where am I to find these people?”

Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition, Chapter 11, A Vision For You, p. 152

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

The way of A.A. 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 A.A. 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 kind of decent life unless we stay sober. Am I on the A.A. 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.

Keep It Simple

Life is not lost by dying; life is lost by minute, day by day, in all the thousands, small, uncaring ways.

— Stephen V. Benet

Our Twelve Step program promises us a new way of life. But most of us won’t just wake up one day with a new attitude. We only gain this new way of life if we get involved.

The Twelve Step are tools to build a new life. The more we use a tool, the easier it is to use. The same goes for the Twelve Steps, just as carpenters depend on their tools. If we only wait for the new way of life, it’ll never come. The quicker we get involved, the quicker we’ll get fixed.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me get involved. Help me build a new way of life.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll look for ways to use the Twelve Steps. If I have a problem, I’ll first stop and think of how the Twelve Steps can help me solve it.

Each Day a New Beginning

Limited expectations yield only limited results.

–Susan Laurson Willig

Schoolchildren perform according to the expectations their teachers have of them. Likewise, what we women achieve depends greatly on what we believe about ourselves, and too many of us have too little belief in ourselves. Perhaps we grew up in a negative household or had a non-supportive marriage. But we contributed, too, in our negative self-assessment. The good news is that it no longer needs to control us.

We can boost our own performance by lifting our own expectations, even in the absence of support from others. It may not be easy, but each of us is capable of changing a negative self-image to a positive one. It takes commitment to the program, a serious relationship with our higher power, and the development of positive, healthy relationships with others.

It’s true, we can’t control other people in our lives. And we can’t absolutely control the outcome of any particular situation. But we can control our own attitudes. Interestingly, when we’ve begun tagging ourselves competent and capable, instead of inadequate, we find that other people and other situations become more to our liking, too.

I will be fair with myself. I can do what I need to do wherever I am today. Only I can hold myself down.

Elder’s Meditation

“The Natural Law is a spiritual law. Its powers are both light and dark.”

–Oren R. Lyons, Spokesman Traditional Circle of Elders

There are some characteristics that are evident in the system which the Creator made. He made balance, harmony, and polarity. In other words, every (+) plus has a (-) minus. Every positive has a negative; every up has a down; every problem has a solution. The Spiritual Law is the same – it has light and dark. Both are good, so both need to be honored. Lessons can be learned on both sides.
Great Spirit, teach me the powers of the Natural Laws.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

It’s easy to grow discouraged if you don’t produce immediate results now. Thankfully, your disillusionment can be avoided if you are clear about the trajectory of your goals. For instance, you’re unlikely to notice improvements overnight if you modify your diet to lose or gain weight. But you might see results quickly if the immediate present could be extended into the future in your mind’s eye. Persevere with your daily changes by remembering progress often happens in fits and starts. Remain persistent in your faith and tenacious in your efforts.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 26, 2018

Daily Reflection

THE HAZARDS OF PUBLICITY

People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need. We of A.A. do not question that. But we do have to soberly face the fact that being in the public eye is hazardous, especially for us.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 181

As a recovered alcoholic I must make an effort to put into practice the principles of the A.A. program, which are founded on honesty, truth and humility. While I was drinking I was constantly trying to be in the limelight. Now that I am conscious of my mistakes and of my former lack of integrity, it would not be honest to seek prestige, even for the justifiable purpose of promoting the A.A. message of recovery. Is the publicity that centers around the A.A. Fellowship and the miracles it produces not worth much more? Why not let the people around us appreciate by themselves the changes that A.A. has brought in us, for that will be a far better recommendation for the Fellowship than any I could make.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Big Book Quote

“We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, ‘This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.'”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. 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 that we have got rid of many of our fears, resentments, inferiority complexes, negative points of view, self-centeredness, inner conflicts, the habits of procrastination, undisciplined sex, wasting money, boredom, false perfectionism, and 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 A.A. 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.

Keep It Simple

Love is the reward of love.—Johann von Schiller

When we used alcohol and other drugs, we shared little as possible. There was little love in our hearts. We had become selfish. This caused us to be lonely.

Then something happened to change all of that. Remember the first time you walked into a meeting? You were met by people who shared. Maybe they shared a smile, their story, or just a cup of coffee with you. The sharing that goes on in a Twelve Step program is great. We learn that the more we give, the more we get. We get well by giving to others. Helping others is a great way to hold on to sobriety. Love is the reward of love.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I will be there when others need me. I pray that service will become a big part of my program.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of friends who could use my help. I’ll talk to them and offer to be there for them.

Each Day a New Beginning

We are all held in place by the pressure of the crowd around us. We must all lean upon others. Let us see that we lean gracefully and freely and acknowledge their support.
–Margaret Collier Graham

We did not come into this world alone. And our voyage through this life is in concert with many others: some who directly aid us, while others seem to hinder our paths. We don’t have full knowledge, however. We can’t determine the many ways we are being helped to take the right steps, even by those who block our way for the moment.

Likewise, our presence is helping to pave the way for both the friends and the strangers we will encounter today, at work, on the street, at the meeting perhaps. We have all been charged, in this life, with a similar responsibility–to help one another fulfill our destinies. Our impatience with one another, our wavering love and acceptance of each other, at times our disavowal of our brothers and sisters comes because we fail to understand the necessary part we each play in the drama of one another’s life.

In my personal drama, I am sharing the stage with everyone else I encounter today. I need a supporting cast. And I need applause. I will give it freely today.

Elder’s Meditation

“In our traditional ways, the woman is the foundation of the family.”

— Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders

We must pay attention to the role of the woman in the family. She is the heartbeat of the family. She should be respected and treated in a sacred manner. We should listen to her guidance. We should help make her role easier by helping with chores or just telling her how much we appreciate her.

Great Spirit, I ask you to bless all the moms.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

The more you attempt to adhere to your agenda today, the more things seem to unravel. Thankfully, the less you push, the sooner you will understand why it’s best to go slow and enjoy the rhythm of the stars. Cultivate an attitude that is spiritually uplifting, one that inspires you and others to give your all to the details, rather than trying to accomplish every task you can. If your ego demands you do more for pride’s sake, acknowledge your humanness and stop taking yourself so seriously now. A Yiddish proverb teaches, “Man plans, God laughs.”

Daily Recovery Readings
November 25, 2018

Daily Reflection

A POWERFUL TRADITION

In the years before the publication of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous,” we had no name. . .by a narrow majority the verdict was for naming our book “The Way Out.” . . .One of our early lone members. . . found exactly twelve books already titled “The Way Out.”. . . So “Alcoholics Anonymous” became first choice. That’s how we got a name for our book of experience, a name for our movement and, as we are now beginning to see, a tradition of the greatest spiritual import.

“A.A. TRADITION: HOW IT DEVELOPED.” pp. 35-36

Beginning with Bill’s momentous decision in Akron to make a telephone call rather than a visit to the hotel bar, how often has a Higher Power made itself felt at crucial moments in our history! The eventual importance that the principle of anonymity would acquire was but dimly perceived, if at all, in those early days. There seems to have been an element of chance even in the choice of a name for our Fellowship. God is no stranger to anonymity and often appears in human affairs in the guises of “luck”, “chance,” or “coincidence.” If anonymity, somewhat fortuitously, became the spiritual basis for all of our Traditions, perhaps God was acting anonymously on our behalf.

Big Book Quote

“I suppose some would be shocked at our seeming worldliness and levity. But just underneath there is deadly earnestness. Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill’s Story, pg. 16~

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. 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 to live 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 down 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.

Keep It Simple

Love is the reward of love.   —Johann von Schiller

When we used alcohol and other drugs, we shared little as possible. There was little love in our hearts. We had become selfish. This caused us to be lonely.

Then something happened to change all of that. Remember the first time you walked into a meeting? You were met by people who shared. Maybe they shared a smile, their story, or just a cup of coffee with you. The sharing that goes on in a Twelve Step program is great. We learn that the more we give, the more we get. We get well by giving to others. Helping others is a great way to hold on to sobriety. Love is the reward of love.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I will be there when others need me. I pray that service will become a big part of my program.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of friends who could use my help. I’ll talk to them and offer to be there for them.

Each Day a New Beginning

Change occurs when one becomes what she is, not when she tries to become what she is not.      –Ruth P. Freedman

Learning self-acceptance, and then loving the selves we are, present perhaps our two biggest hurdles to the attainment of emotional and spiritual health. Fortunately, they are not insurmountable hurdles. The program offers ready assistance.

Women everywhere are making great strides in self-love and self-acceptance. We are learning self-love. And we are changing. The support we can give our sisters, and the support we receive, multiplies many times the healthy energy created–healthy energy that touches us all.

Emotional and spiritual health are gifts promised by the program, when we work it. We must move beyond our perfectionism and relish our humanness. And the Steps are the way. We must learn humility and develop faith, and the Steps are the way. Learning to love all our parts, the qualities we like and the traits that discouragingly hang on, offers a new freedom. A freedom that invites change. A freedom that safeguards the emotional and spiritual well-being that we strive for.

Confidence will come with my healthy self-acceptance.

Elder’s Meditation

“People and nations who understand the Natural Law are self-governing, following the principles of love and respect that insure freedom and peace.”

— Traditional Circle of Elders, NAVAJO-HOPI Joint Use Area

The Natural Laws work hand-in-hand with the circle. Each part of a circle will look to the center and will see something different. For example, if you put an irregular shaped object in the center of a circle and you have people standing in a circle around the object, each one will describe it differently. Everyone in the circle will be right. Only by honoring and respecting everyone’s input, can the truth about the object be revealed. We need to learn to honor differences.

My Creator, let me honor all differences.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Achieving the kind of intimacy you desire could be a struggle now. Perhaps you want a longer hug from your children before they run off, or a little more snuggle time with your partner. However, there’s a solid chance that you can find the affection you seek from someone who loves you, if you’re willing to ask. The Cancer Moon’s delightful trine with Mars and Neptune indicates that a visit to a museum, theatre, or your favorite restaurant will take your mind off your troubles and offer the solace you need. Giving away what you want the most often brings it back to you.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 24, 2018

Daily Reflection

A UNIVERSAL SEARCH

Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

I do not claim to have all the answers in spiritual matters, any more than I claim to have  all the answers about alcoholism. There are others who are also engaged in a spiritual search. If I keep an open mind about what others have to say, I have much to gain. My sobriety is greatly enriched, and my practice of the Eleventh Step more fruitful, when I
use both the literature and practices of my Judeo-Christian tradition, and the resources of other religions. Thus, I receive support from many sources in staying away from the first drink.

Big Book Quote

“But my friend sat before me, and he made the pointblank declaration that God had done for him what he could not do for himself. His human will had failed. Doctors had pronounced him incurable. Society was about to lock him up. Like myself, he had admitted complete defeat. Then he had, in effect, been raised from the dead, suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than the best he had ever known!”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill’s Story, pg. 11~

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

Instead of being pretended perfectionists, in A.A. 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 A.A. 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 A.A. 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.

Keep It Simple

Freedom is not enough.     —Lyndon B. Johnson

We are free of alcohol and other drugs. We’ve been given a second chance or third chance.

For that, we thank our Higher Power. We’ve started a new life. But to keep this life, we need to change. We need new friends. We need to let a Higher Power guide our hearts, minds, and bodies. We need new friends. We need to let a Higher Power guide our hearts, and bodies. We need to learn new values and how to stand up for them. We need to learn how to give and receive.

Freedom from dependence is not enough. We also want to be happy, and to do something with our lives. So each day we keep learning, we keep growing. Each day without alcohol or other drugs is a gift, a gift from God.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, You set me free. Now teach me to stay free. Guide me, for keeping my freedom is a big task

Action for the Day:
I will meditate on my freedom. I will take time to list all the ways I am now free.

Each Day a New Beginning

“If onlys” are lonely.      –Morgan Jennings
The circumstances of our lives seldom live up to our expectations or desires. However, in each circumstance we are offered an opportunity for growth or change, a chance for greater understanding of life’s heights and pitfalls. Each time we choose to lament what isn’t, we close the door on the invitation to a better existence.

We simply don’t know just what’s best for us. Our vision is limited. Less so today than yesterday, but limited still. The experiences we are offered will fail to satisfy our expectations because we expect so much less than God has planned for us in the days ahead.

We get what we need, in the way of relationships, adventures, joys and sorrows, today and every day. Celebrating what we get and knowing there is good in it eases whatever trial we are undergoing. We are cared for, right now. We need not lament what we think we need. We do have what we need. We will always get what we need, when we need it.
I will breathe deeply and relax. At this moment my every need is being attended to. My life is unfolding exactly as it should.

Elder’s Meditation

“Things would go well for us if we would think positively about everything.”

— Mary Hayes, CLAOQUOT

Each of our thoughts are like individual seeds. These thoughts will plant our life
garden. Whatever our thoughts, they grow in our gardens. Each day we will process
about 50,000 thoughts or thought seeds. Positive thoughts will produce positive results.
Have you ever been aware of what you are thinking about during the day? Of the
possible 50,000 thoughts in one day – if the positive thoughts were flowers and the
negative thoughts were weeds – how would your garden look at the end of the day?
Great Spirit, let me plant positive seeds.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

There’s nothing wrong with giving others permission to relax as long as you give yourself the same kindness. Dieters allow themselves cheat days, so you’re certainly entitled to your own version of a day when you can slack off a little. Extending this same courtesy to those around you offers everyone a chance to breathe and regroup. Lower your expectations today. It’s not that you drop the ball, or anyone intentionally lets you down now. Sometimes you just don’t feel like stretching too hard to reach those lofty ideals. Taking the time to rediscover your bliss will help you find your flow again.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 23, 2018

Daily Reflection

HOLD YOUR FACE TO THE LIGHT

Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see.

~  AS BILL SEES IT, p. 3

One Sunday in October, during my morning meditation, I glanced out the window at the  ash tree in our front yard. At once I was overwhelmed by its magnificent, golden color! As I stared in awe at God’s work of art, the leaves began to fall and, within minutes, the branches were bare. Sadness came over me as I thought of the winter months ahead, but just as I was reflecting on autumn’s annual process, God’s message came through. Like the trees, stripped of their leaves in the fall, sprout new blossoms in the spring, I had had my compulsive, selfish ways removed by God in order for me to blossom into a sober, joyful member of A.A. Thank you, God, for the changing seasons and for my ever-changing life.

Big Book Quote

“All these, and many others, have one symptom in common: they cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving. This phenomenon, as we have suggested, may be the manifestation of an allergy which differentiates these people, and sets them apart as a distinct entity. It has never been, by any treatment with which we are familiar, permanently eradicated. The only relief we have to suggest is entire abstinence.

This immediately precipitates us into a seething caldron of debate. Much has been written pro and con, but among physicians, the general opinion seems to be that most chronic alcoholics are doomed.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor’s Opinion, pg. xxx~

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. 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 A.A. 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 the earth’s turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember that 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.

Keep It Simple

Let me listen to me and not to them. —Gertrude Stein

Often we try to please everyone around us. But this may not make us happy, and so we get angry.

We feel taken advantage of.

We may be kind to others, but first we must love ourselves. How? By learning to listen to ourselves. To our dreams. To our higher power. By doing this we’ll be more happy. And those around us will probably be more happy too.

As our AA medallions say, “To Thine Own Self Be True.”

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I’ll listen to that gentle, loving voice inside me. Higher Power, help me make  me make my “conscious contact” with You better.

Action for the Day:
I will write down why I need to be true to myself.

Each Day a New Beginning

When you send out real love, real love will return to you. –Florence Scovel Shinn

Real love is selfless love. It expects nothing in return. It is not conditional. It doesn’t keep score. It is too seldom given. Many of us came into the program hurting, feeling unloved, looking desperately for love, unable to love selflessly. But we are learning.

We are climbing the same mountain, all of us. Our particular paths will cross the paths of many others before reaching the top, where we will find full enlightenment. And any path we cross has a special contribution to make to our own progress. We can be grateful for all intersecting paths, no matter how adverse they seem at the time. We can offer all our fellow-travelers real love, and our own trip will benefit manyfold.

We need not be ashamed of our desire for love. Nor need we feel shame that we’ve bargained for it. But we do need to understand that the kind of love we seek can only be gained when we quit searching for it and simply offer it to all the people in our midst.
I will look into the hearts of all the people I encounter today and offer them love. I’ll receive that which I give.

Elder’s Meditation

“We’re sitting on our blessed Mother Earth from which we get our strength and determination, love and humility, all the beautiful attributes that we’ve been given. So turn to one another; love one another; respect one another; respect Mother Earth; respect the waters-because that’s life itself!”

— Phil Lane, Sr. YANKTON SIOUX

Our entire point of view can be altered by making one change to align with the
principles of the Great Spirit. Let’s say we decide to become respectful. As we
become respectful, our attitude will change. We will automatically draw into our
lives knowledge about the other principles of the Great Spirit such as love, appreciation,
trust, beauty, and peace of mind. By focusing on these principles, we will let go of
selfishness, self centeredness, self pity, dishonesty, and fear. You focus on respect, you
get respect; you focus on love, you get love; you focus on the Red Road, you get
peace of mind.

Great Spirit, let me learn the lessons of respect.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You may discover that a newly acquired routine has unexpected kinks. For example, maybe you’re not going to bed early enough to get up in time to exercise. You might silently resist a new protocol that could improve your workflow while the Gemini Full Moon brightens your 12th House of Secrets. Glitches and micro-failures can fuel improvements if you choose to embrace them rather than retreating. Acknowledge the current challenges as constructive feedback, not insurmountable obstacles. Henry Ford said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

Daily Recovery Readings
November 22, 2018

Daily Reflection

ONLY TWO SINS

. . . . there are only two sins; the first is to interfere with the growth of another human being, and the second is to interfere with one’s own growth.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 542 ~

Happiness is such an elusive state. How often do my “prayers” for others involve “hidden” prayers for my own agenda? How often is my search for happiness a boulder in the path of growth for another, or even myself? Seeking growth through humility and acceptance brings things that appear to be anything but good, wholesome and vital. Yet in looking back, I can see that pain, struggles and setbacks have all contributed eventually to serenity through growth in the program.

I ask my Higher Power to help me not cause another’s lack of growth today – or my own.

Big Book Quote

“Next we 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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

I have got rid of most of my boredom. One of the hardest things that a new member of A.A. has to understand is how he can stay sober and not be bored. Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring people and boring situations. But once you have taken up the interest of A.A., 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 become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.” Charity means to care enough about your fellow man to really want to do something for him. A smile, a word of encouragement, a word of love, goes winged on its way, simple enough 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 your fellow man.

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.

Keep It Simple

We are healed of a suffering only be experiencing it in full. —Marcel Proust

We must never forget our past. We need to remember the power that our illness has over us. Why? So we can remember how our recovery began. So we can remember we’re not cured. So we can tell our stories.

We must remember how we acted. Why? So we don’t act and think like addicts. Most of us had a poor relationships with friends, family, and ourselves. We need to remember how lonely we felt. That way, we’ll make recovery grow stronger One Day at a Time.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me always remember how my illness almost destroyed me. Help me face the pain of these memories.

Action for the Day:
I will talk about my past life with those who support my recovery. I will tell them what it is that I must remember about my past.

Each Day a New Beginning

. . . as awareness increases, the need for personal secrecy almost proportionately decreases. –Charlotte Painter

We hang onto secrets when we’re unsure of ourselves and the role we’re asked to play–secrets about our inner thoughts, our dreams and aspirations, our feared inadequacies.

Because we strive for perfection, assume it’s achievable, and settle for no less in all our activities, we are haunted by our secret fears of not measuring up. The more committed we become to this program, the greater is our understanding of the fallacy of this way of thinking. And as our awareness increases, the more accepting we become of our human frailty, and the less need we have to cover it up. Our mental health is measurable by the openness we offer to the world. Secrets belie good health and heighten the barriers to it.

The program’s Fourth and Fifth Steps are the antidotes to being stuck in an unhealthy state of mind. They push us to let go of our secrets, freeing us from the power they wield. Practicing the principles of the program offers the remedy we need for the happiness we deserve.

I will share a secret today and be free of its power over my life.

Elder’s Meditation

“It’s the most precious thing…to know absolutely where you belong. There’s a whole emotional wrapping-around-of-you here. You see the same rock, tree, road, clouds, sun — you develop a nice kind of intimacy with the world around you.

To be intimate is to grow, to learn…[it] is absolutely fulfilling. Intimacy, that’s my magic word for why I live here.”

— Tessie Maranjo, SANTA CLARA PUEBLO

Every human being, to be mentally healthy, must have the feeling of belonging. When we have a sense of belonging we can be intimate. We can feel. We can connect. If we cannot develop this feeling of belonging, then we will feel lost
of disconnected. To be disconnected from life is like walking around during the day not knowing the Sun exists. To have the feelings of intimacy is warm, glowy, joyful, loving, and connected. The feeling this Elder is talking about is available to everyone.

Great Spirit, let me be intimate.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You’re liable to delight in the glow a new routine or health regimen gives you. Perhaps you put extra effort into making your breakfast, seeking a tastier and more energetic jumpstart. Or you find a way to run through your morning exercises that makes them halfway tolerable. Overall, your positive expectations are matched with affirming results. You enjoy researching more detailed ways to improve on your lifestyle choices. In turn, the more you know, the more you want to share your findings with others. Vitality is contagious.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 21, 2018

Daily Reflection

A CLASSIC PRAYER

Lord, make me a channel for thy peace – that where
there is hatred, I may bring love – that where there
is wrong. I may bring the spirit of forgiveness –
that where there is discord, I may bring harmony –
that where there is error, I may bring truth –
that where there is doubt, I may bring faith –
that where there is despair, I may bring hope –
that where there are shadows, I may bring light –
that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than
to be comforted – to understand, than to be
understood – to love, than to be loved. For it is
by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by
forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying
that one awakens to Eternal Life.
Amen.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 99

No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, the St. Francis prayer helps me improve my conscious contact with the God of my understanding. I think that one of the great advantages of my faith in God is that I do not understand Him, or Her, or It. It may be that my relationship with my Higher Power is so fruitful that I do not have to understand.

All that I am certain of is that if I work the Eleventh Step regularly, as best I can, I will continue to improve my conscious contact, I will know His will for me, and I will have the power to carry it out.

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. 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 a drunken sailor.” It gave me a feeling of importance–a millionaire for a day. But the morning after, with an empty wallet and perhaps some undecipherable checks to boot, was a sad awakening. One of the hardest things to face is the fact of wasted money. 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 some of us could be more generous in our A.A. 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 with the world. Let your peace of mind be evident to those around you. Men should 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 with myself.

Big Book Quote

“Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further and that means more action.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

Each Day A New Beginning

Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential.
–Liane Cordes

Perseverance may well be our greatest asset. As we forge ahead on a project, it loses its power over us. Our confidence and abilities grow in concert with our progress on the project, preparing us to tackle the next one too.

We have something special, uniquely our own to offer in this life. And we also have the potential to offer it successfully. However, we don’t always realize our potential. Many of us stifled our development with fears of failure, low self-worth, assumed inadequacies. The past need plague us no longer.

Help is readily available for us to discover our capacities for success. Abilities stand ready to be tapped, goals and projects await our recognition. Any commitment we make to a task that draws our interest will be reinforced by God’s commitment to our efforts. We have a partner. Our efforts are always doubled when we make them–truly make them.

I will not back away from a project today. I will persevere and find completion. I’ll feel completed.

Elder’s Meditation

“In the absence of the sacred, nothing is sacred, everything is for sale.”

— Oren Lyons, ONONDAGA

The Elders often say that when something is sacred it has spiritual value. You’ll hear, on the Earth there are sacred spots. You’ll hear, our ceremonies are sacred, our children are sacred, marriage is sacred. When something is sacred it means it’s so holy you can’t attach a value to it. Therefore, it’s not for sale. It’s an insult to suggest buying something sacred. On the other hand, if we look at it differently, as there is no sacred land, ceremonies are not sacred, our children are not sacred, etc., then everything is for sale. Sacredness creates spiritual space. Sacredness makes things holy. Sacredness shows respect for God.

Great Spirit, let me honor things that are sacred.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You prove to be an excellent collaborator, whether as a partner or team member. You perform best now when goals are clearly defined, even if the means are still cloudy. It doesn’t matter if the task is redecorating the living room or building a new home. You can be patient enough to figure things out, but you’re unwilling to blindly relinquish control. Although you’re quite capable of standing your ground, you’re happy to hash out the details for a win-win agreement that makes everyone smile. Compromise is key for your success.

Daily Recovery Readings
November 20, 2018

Daily Reflection

“THY WILL, NOT MINE”

. . . when making specific requests, it will be well to add to each one of them this qualification. .” . . . if it be Thy will.”

~TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 102-03

I ask simply that throughout the day God place in me the best understanding of His will that I can have for that day, and that I be given the grace by which I may carry it out. As the day goes on, I can pause when facing situations that must be met and decisions that must be made, and renew the simple request: “Thy will, not mine, be done.” I must always keep in mind that in every situation I am responsible for the effort and God is responsible for the outcome. I can “Let Go and Let God” by humbly repeating: “Thy will, not mine, be done.” Patience and persistence in seeking His will for me willfree me from the pain of selfish expectations.

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A.A. 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 world was back again nd 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. A.A. taught 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 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.

Big Book Quote

“When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 51~

Keep It Simple

A man is too apt to forget that in this world he cannot have everything. A choice is all that is left him.—H. Mathews.

Sobriety is about choice. Each day we choose to stay sober, we teach ourselves how
to make better choices.

Life is about choice. To be spiritual people, we must make spiritual choices. Honesty is a spiritual choice. And working the Steps is a spiritual choice.

Our life is the sum total of our choices. We owe it to ourselves to choose wisely. We can do that now, thanks to the program.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me choose a spiritual way of life. Help me to see choice as my way to a better relationship with you.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll be aware of the many choices I make. At the end of the day, I’ll think about all the choices I’ve made. Am I proud of my choices?

Each Day A New Beginning

Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills. –Minna Antrim

It is not by chance but by design that the sorrows we experience throughout our lives are countered by equal servings of joy. One offsets the other. And we are strengthened by their combination.

Our longing for only life’s joys is human–also folly. Joy would become insipid if it were our steady diet. Joyful times serve us well as respites from the trying situations that push our growth and development as women.

Laughter softens the cutting edges of the lessons we seek or are cornered by. It offers perspective when the outlook is bleak. And for those of us who are recovering,
wallowing in the bleaker times used to be acceptable behavior. But no more. The reality is that each day will present both occasions for anguish and ones inviting easy laughter. Both are valuable. Neither should dominate.

Joy and sorrow are analogous to the ebb and flow of the ocean tide. They are natural rhythms. And we are mellowed by their presence when we accept them as necessary to our very existence.

Any pain today guarantees an equal amount of pleasure, if I willingly accept them both.

Elder’s Meditation

“Money cannot buy affection.”

— Mangas Coloradas, APACHE

In these modern times we put too much emphasis on material things and on money. We believe that money is power. If we have money, people will respect us. If we have money, people will admire us. If we have money, we can have anything we want. Maybe we can purchase anything in the material world, but we cannot purchase anything in the Unseen World. The Unseen World is not for sale. It can only be given away. Love, affection, admiration, trust, respect, commitment — these must be earned or given away. If we use these things from the Unseen World, we are using real power.

My Creator, let me demonstrate Your power today. Let me be loving to all I meet.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You can’t seem to sit still, and your restlessness will only increase as the day lengthens. Ironically, you might have many cravings today, but no clear idea what will satisfy you. Your appetite proves to be a problem if you’re trying to adhere to a budget or diet. Fortuitously, the Moon guides and illuminates when she conjoins with unconventional Uranus later in the day. Experimenting with the unknown is better than sticking with the familiar. It’s also possible that sampling a new item makes a favorite indulgence even more appealing without breaking the bank or your calorie count.