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A Prayer & Some Thoughts - March
March 1
Positive Thinking Prayer Lord, I believe in the power of positive thinking, but lately I need your help to get there. Please fill me with faith, hope and optimism. Thank you for helping me to be genuinely positive. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought What a load hangovers put on your shoulders! What terrible physical punishment we've all been through. The pounding headaches and jumpy nerves, the shakes and the jitters, the hot and cold sweats! When you come into A.A. and stop drinking, that terrible load of hangovers falls off your shoulders. What a load remorse puts on your shoulders! That terrible mental punishment we've all been through. Ashamed of the things you've said and done. Afraid to face people because of what they might think of you. Afraid of the consequences of what you did when you were drunk. What an awful beating the mind takes! When you come into A.A., that terrible load of remorse falls off your shoulders. So ........... Have I got rid of these loads of hangovers and remorse? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Staying in the Present Often, one of our biggest questions is "What's going to happen?" We may ask this about our relationships, our career and our life. It is easy to tangle us up in worrisome thoughts. Worrying about what's going to happen blocks us from functioning effectively today. It keeps us from doing our best now. It blocks us from learning and mastering today's lessons. Staying in the now, doing our best, and participating fully today are all we need to do to assure ourselves that what's going to happen tomorrow will be for the best. Worrying about what's going to happen is a negative contribution to our future. Living in the here and now is ultimately the best thing we can do, not only for today, but also for tomorrow. It helps our relationships, our career and our life. I will remember that staying in the present is the best thing I can do for my future. I will focus on what's happening now instead of what's going to happen tomorrow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Self-will I can recognize that I'm caught up in my will, when I desperately struggle to slam a square peg into a round hole. That's the time for me to back off and trust that God's will is far better than mine. The AA Grapevine, November, 2013 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Out of every crisis comes the chance to be reborn, to reconceive ourselves as individuals, to choose the kind of change that will help us to grow and to fulfill ourselves more completely.” ~ Nena O'Neill |
March 2
Fellowship Prayer Dear God, I want to thank you for the work you are doing in my life. I am so grateful for every new opportunity that this day will bring. Your grace is so amazing. As I grow stronger, my faith in you grows deeper and I am so thankful. I know that the plan you have for my life will slowly unfold with each new day. I will be patient as change comes because I know you are in charge. Help me to help others today. God, I pray for the hurting; for those still living in their misery. I pray for those whose lives have been impacted by the disastrous touch of addiction; for the families torn apart and especially for the children left to wonder and grieve. God, give them your peace and guide them gently through this next twenty-four hours. Amen ~ C.L.Murphy 2014 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought What a load wasting money puts on your shoulders! It's been said that members of A.A. have paid the highest initiation fee of any club members in the world, because we've wasted so much money on liquor. We'll never be able to figure out how much it was. We not only wasted our own money, but also the money we should have spent on our families. When you come into A.A., that terrible load of wasted money falls off your shoulders. We alcoholics were getting round-shouldered from carrying all those loads that drinking put on our shoulders. But when we come into A.A., we get a wonderful feeling of release and freedom. So ............ Can I throw back my shoulders and look the whole world in the face again? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Irresponsibility Irresponsible behavior is not unfamiliar to us. Passivity is equally familiar. In the past, excusing ourselves of all responsibility prevented us from being blamed. We have learned that it also prevented us from feeling worthy, from fulfilling our potential, from feeling the excitement that comes with achievement. Our fear of failure helped us to be irresponsible. We may still fear failure, but the program offers us an antidote. We can't fail if we have turned our lives over to our higher power. We will be shown the way to proceed. Our fellow travelers have messages for us that will smooth our path. I will celebrate that I am taking responsibility for my life today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More than Comfort When I am feeling depressed, I repeat to myself statements such as these: "Pain is the touchstone of progress." . . . "Fear no evil." . . . "This, too, will pass." . . . "This experience can be turned to benefit." These fragments of prayer bring far more than mere comfort. They keep me on the track of right acceptance; they break up my compulsive themes of guilt, depression, rebellion, and pride; and sometimes they endow me with the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. As Bill Sees It Page 148 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "I use my own greatest defeat and failure and sickness as a weapon to help others." ~ Richmond Walker |
March 3
A Prayer for a Child From here on earth, from my small place, I ask of You way out in space: Please tell all men in every land what You and I both understand. Please tell all men that peace is good. That's all that need be understood in every world in Your great sky. We understand. Both You and I. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought A drinking life isn't a happy life. Drinking cuts you off from other people and from God. One of the worst things about drinking is the loneliness. And one of the best things about A.A. is the fellowship. Drinking cuts you off from other people, at least from the people who really matter to you, your family, your co-workers, and your real friends. No matter how much you love them, you build up a wall between you and them by your drinking. You're cut off from any real companionship with them. As a result, you're terribly lonely. So ............ Have I got rid of my loneliness? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Religious Freedom We each have the freedom to define, and understand, our Higher Power - God - as we choose. It means that we do not try to impose our religious beliefs, or our understanding of God, on anyone else. We do not try to force the particulars of our religious beliefs on others. We give each person, the right to a personal understanding of God/ Higher Power and ourselves. I will respect other people's understanding of God, as well as my own. I will not allow others' judgment of my beliefs to cause me anxiety and distress. I will seek to grow spiritually with or without the assistance of a particular religion or denomination. This is real religious freedom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unity Practically never have I heard a heated religious, political, or reform argument among AA members. So long as we don't argue these matters privately, it's a cinch we never shall publicly. As by some deep instinct, we AA's have known from the very beginning that we must never, no matter what the provocation, publicly take sides in any fight, even a worthy one. . . . . . We do not enter into public controversy, because we know that our Society will perish if it does. We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 176-177 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “True religion... is giving and finding one's happiness by bringing happiness into the lives of others.” ~ William J. H. Boetcker |
March 4
Guidance Prayer Lord, You have guided me this far and have watched out for me in tough times and dark places. Lord you blessed me with an intelligent mind, great spirit and a strong body, help me to use these attributes do well for others and make a positive influence in this life that you have given me. Grant me success and confidence in all I do…. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Drinking cuts you off from God and other people. No matter how you were brought up, no matter what your religion is, no matter if you say you believe in God, nevertheless you build up a wall between you and God by your drinking. You know you're not living the way God wants you to. As a result, you have that terrible remorse. When you come into A.A., you begin to get right with other people and with God. A sober life is a happy life, because by giving up drinking, we've got rid of our loneliness and remorse. So ............ Do I have real fellowship with other people and with God? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Going with the Flow Going with the flow doesn’t mean that we don’t know where we’re going; it means that we are open to multiple ways of getting there. We are also open to changing our destination, clinging more to the essence of our goal than to the particulars. We acknowledge that letting go and modifying our plans is part of the process. Going with the flow means that we are aware of an energy that is larger than our small selves and we are open to working with it, not against it. Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don’t trust that we will get where we want to go if we do. This causes us to cling to plans that aren’t working, stick to routes that are obstructed, and obsess over relationships that aren’t fulfilling. When you find yourself stuck in these kinds of patterns, do yourself a favor and open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Trust that the big river of your life has a plan for you and let it carry you onward. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsorship Dr. Bob led me through all of these Steps. At the moral inventory, he brought up some of my bad personality traits or character defects, such as selfishness, conceit, jealousy, carelessness, intolerance, ill-temper, sarcasm and resentments. We went over these at great length and then he finally asked me if I wanted these defects of character taken away. When I said yes, we both knelt at his desk and prayed . . . If I live to be a hundred, this will always stand out in my mind. I wish that every AA could have the benefit of this type of sponsorship today. Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 292 (3rd Edition) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” ~ Joseph Campbell |
March 5
Heavy Heart Prayer Lord, My heart is heavy. I feel like I have to carry the burden alone. Words like overwhelmed, distraught, exhausted seem to describe where I am. I am not sure how to let you carry my heavy load, so please show me how. Take it from me. Let me rest and be refreshed so that my heart won't be so heavy in the morning. Amen. ~ Ron Moore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Thinking about drinking!! When we think about having a drink, we're thinking of the kick we get out of drinking, the pleasure, the escape from boredom, the feeling of self-importance, and the companionship of other drinkers. What we don't think of is the letdown, the hangover, the remorse, the waste of money, and the facing of another day. In other words, when we think about that first drink, we're thinking of all the assets of drinking and none of the liabilities. What has drinking really got that we haven't got in A.A.? So ............ Do I believe that the liabilities of drinking outweigh the assets? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Noticing Plants grow best when we pay attention to them. That means watering, touching them, putting them in places where they will receive good light. They need people around them to notice if they are drooping at the edges or looking particularly happy in the sunlight. The more attention a plant receives, the better it will grow. We need to be noticed in the same way. If we notice a family member or friend is drooping, perhaps we can pay some special attention to him or her. All of us need someone to care about how we are and to truly listen to us. We can share and double someone's happiness by noticing and talking about it also. We help the people around us to grow by listening to their droopy edges as well as their bright days. People need this as much as plants need light and water. How can I help someone grow today? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conception In Ebby's words to Bill: "Why don't you choose your own conception of God?" 'I've tried everything else,' I thought, 'and I've got no place else to go. I might just as well.' I sat down at my desk, got a pad of paper and a pencil, and asked myself, 'If you could pick the kind of God that you could believe in, what would He be like?' I bore in mind the facts that I was an alcoholic and that I had been a perfectionist all my life. The world was never perfect enough for me. Everything that I ever believed in, every ideal that I ever followed turned out to have feet of clay. Here was my chance. For the first time in my life, I could create something perfect. All right! "I wrote across the page, 'God is the perfection I've been searching for all my life. He is too perfect to have human characteristics and faults.' That was the start. Then I wrote, 'God is the ultimate perfection. He is the perfect love, the perfect truth, the perfect goodness, the perfect understanding, tolerance, mercy, forgiveness. God is so perfect that no matter how evil, how unclean we may be, He'll forgive us if we ask, and grant us strength to overcome our shortcomings. Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Pages 63-64 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Value what you have and who you are. God didn't make you purely to receive and experience problems." ~ Faith Starr |
March 6
Grace For Today Prayer Lord, give me the grace for today. Before me, the day looms with great possibilities and even greater challenges. I put it all in your hands. Help me to embrace every challenge, to be open to all you have to give and to see all as an opportunity. One moment at a time. One person at a time. One gift at a time. Help me to breathe in your Spirit and to exhale any fear that may cause me to question and to worry. The world causes stress. You offer peace. I choose you! Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Getting a real kick out of life. We got a kick out of the first few drinks, before we got stupefied by alcohol. For a while, the world seemed to look brighter. But how about the letdown, the terrible depression that comes the morning after? In A.A., we get a real kick: not a false feeling of exhilaration, but a real feeling of satisfaction with ourselves, self respect, and a feeling of friendliness toward the world. We got a sort of pleasure from drinking. For a while we thought we were happy. But it's only an illusion. The hang over the next day is the opposite of pleasure. So ............ In A.A., am I getting real pleasure and serenity and peace? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Fear & Faith We all experience fear. Sometimes we fear small things that only seem large at the time, like a test in school, or meeting a new boss, or going to the dentist. Sometimes we fear big things like serious illness or death, or that someone we love will come to harm. Fear is healthy, and we all feel it. It keeps us from doing foolish things sometimes, but too much fear can also keep us from doing what we need for our growth. If we have faith in God and in ourselves, we can turn and face whatever frightens us, believing we can, with help, do what seems impossible. And we will, and the fear will vanish. The important first step in dealing with fear is to take action--either by tackling what we fear ourselves, or by asking for help. Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happiness I feel myself a useful member of the human race at last. I have something to contribute to humanity, since I am peculiarly qualified, as a fellow-sufferer, to give aid and comfort to those who have stumbled and fallen over this business of meeting life. I get my greatest thrill of accomplishment from the knowledge that I have played a part in the new happiness achieved by countless others like myself. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 229 (3rd Edition) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Don’t let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things. Believe in yourself. Do what you love. And most importantly, be kind to others, even if you don’t like them." ~ Stacy London |
March 7
The Prayer for Today Just for today, help me, God, to remember that my life is a gift, that my health is a blessing, that this new day is filled with awesome potential, that I have the capacity to bring something wholly new and unique and good into this world. Just for today, help me, God, to remember to be kind and patient to the people who love me, and to those who work with me too. Teach me to see all the beauty that I so often ignore, and to listen to the silent longing of my own soul. Let this be a good day, God, full of joy and love. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought By drinking, we escaped from boredom for a while and almost forgot our troubles. But when we sobered up, our troubles were twice as bad. Drinking had only made them worse. In A.A., we really escape boredom. Nobody's bored at an A.A. meeting. We stick around after it's over and we hate to leave. Drinking gave us a temporary feeling of importance. When we're drinking, we kid ourselves into thinking we are somebody. We tell tall stories to build ourselves up. In A.A., we don't want that kind of self-importance. We have real self-respect and honesty and humility. So ............ Have I found something much better and more satisfactory than drinking? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Accepting Failures Perfectionism and its control over our lives stands seriously in the way of our growth and well-being, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. Life's lessons come through failures probably more than successes. Through our failures we learn humility. We learn to look to others for help and guidance. We learn how to let others fail, too. We fail because we are human. When we no longer fear failure, we are free to attempt greater feats. We dare to learn more, and life is fuller for it--not just our own lives, but the lives that we touch. Laughter over our mistakes eases the risk of trying again. Laughter keeps us young, and the lighthearted find more pleasure in each day. If I fail at something, I can laugh about it and try again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Consistency What right do I have to expect perfection and efficiency in my spiritual growth when the rest of my life is so full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and backs and forths? Throughout this whole adventure, the only consistency I have maintained is an absolute and total faith in AA, come what may. The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page 187 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't make them all yourself.” ~ Usher |
March 8
Prayer for Strength Lord, I’m struggling with Life. My heart is weighed down with anxiety, frustration, anger and fear. Please help me turn this over to you. I can’t fix it. I want to trust you to handle it. Give me the strength to let go and accept the outcome, whatever it may be. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought One thing we learn in A.A. is to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view. When we were drinking we thought more about the pleasure or release that a drink would give us than we did about the consequences that would result from our taking that drink. Liquor looks good from the short view. When we look in a package store window, we see liquor dressed up in its best wrappings, with fancy labels and decorations. They looked splendid. So ............ Have I learned that what's inside those beautiful bottles is just plain poison to me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Financial Responsibility We are responsible for ourselves financially. What a frightening, grown up thought that is for many of us - taking responsibility for money and our financial affairs. Some of our emotional dependency on others, on this tight tie that binds us to others, not in love, but in need and desperation, is directly related to financial dependency. Financial responsibility is an attitude. Money goes out to pay for necessities and luxuries. Money must come in, in order to go out. How much needs to come in to equal that which is going out? Taxes... savings plans...appropriate spending habits that demonstrate an attitude of financial responsibility.... Part of being alive means learning to handle money. Self-esteem will increase when we increase our sense of being financially responsible for ourselves. We can start where we are, with what we have today. We are responsible for ourselves financially. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Magic When I couldn't find an easier, softer way, I looked for the person with the magic wand, the one person in AA who could make me all better, right now. This was a frustrating task, and I finally realized that if I wanted this life, I was going to have to do what the others had done. No one made me drink, and no one was going to make me sober. This program is for people who want it, not people who need it. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 315 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind." ~ T.T. Munger |
March 9
For Today Prayer God, Give me strength to live another day; Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties; Let me not lose faith in other people; Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness; Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them; Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity; Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things; Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth; Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The A.A. program is one of charity. Because the real meaning of the word charity is to care enough about other people to really want to help them. To get the full benefit of the program, we must try to help other alcoholics. We may try to help somebody and think we have failed, but the seed we have planted may bear fruit some time. We never know the results even a word of ours might have. But the main thing is to have charity for others, a real desire to help them, whether we succeed or not. So ............ Do I have real charity? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Feeling Offended Were we offended by someone today? Do we harbor resentment for remarks, oversights, or unpleasant mannerisms? Do we feel tense or uneasy about how someone else has treated us? We can probably make a good case to justify our reactions. Perhaps we are in the right and they are in the wrong. Yet, even if we are justified, it doesn't matter. We may be puffing ourselves up and wasting energy. When we are oversensitive, we take a self-righteous position, which leads us far from our path of spiritual awakening. Our strength is diminished. How much better it is to let go of the lightness, let go of our grandiosity, and accept the imperfections in others. We need to accept our own imperfections too. When we do, we are better men, and our strength and energy can be focused on richer goals. I will accept others' imperfections; I do not need to be always right. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Allergy We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once having lost their self- confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve. Alcoholics Anonymous Page xxviii ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” ~ Carl Jung |
March 10
Prayer for Direction Lord, Thank You for the people You have divinely placed in my life who speak the truth, love and words of wisdom. Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard. Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail. Amen ~ Tracie Miles ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Drinking is the way we alcoholics express our maladjustments to life. I believe that I was a potential alcoholic from the start. I had an inferiority complex. I didn't make friends easily. There was a wall between me and other people. And I was lonely. I was not well adjusted to life. So ............ Did I drink to escape from myself? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Pride Pride, like all emotions, has two faces: one healthy and one sick. It is our challenge to use the healthy side well. Sick pride fills us with ourselves, looks down on others, and has no room for generosity. Healthy pride is heavy with humility. If we can feel joyful when we succeed, and tell others about it honestly, we are not being boastful. Sick pride often keeps us from doing things because we are too proud to ask for help when we need it, or too proud to risk failure, or too proud to do anything that might not turn out perfect. Healthy pride about our greatest victories always comes with the awareness that we did not do it all by ourselves. We had the aid, advice, and encouragement of loved ones. In all things that really count, we never walk alone. Even those who claim pride is not a virtue admit that it is the parent of many virtues. Pride works from within; it is the direct appreciation of oneself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Awakening I think I have had a spiritual awakening, as undramatic as it may have been, and that it will go on and on as long as I continue to practice this program in my daily affairs. To me, there is no "spiritual side" to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous; the entire program is spiritual. Came To Believe Page 48 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “As an alcoholic, you will violate your standards quicker than you can lower them.”~ Robin Williams |
March 11
Prayer for the Simple Things God, Sometimes life gets me down and I find it hard to see things to be thankful for. Open my eyes to see the gifts you’ve given me in my life. Thank you, Lord, for all your blessings to me and my family; for the strength you give me each day and for all the people around me who make life more meaningful. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In A.A., we learn to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view. In a nightclub crowded with men and women all dressed up in evening clothes looks like a very happy place. But you should see the rest rooms of that nightclub the next morning. What a mess! People have been sick all over the place and it smells! The glamour of the night before is all gone and only the stink of the morning after is left. In A.A. we learn to think less about the pleasure of the moment and more about the consequences. So ............ Do I take the long view or the short view now? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Strength When we think of strength, do we think of someone who shows no emotion and intimidates others with physical power? True strength is the freedom to show all kinds of feelings. Strong people aren't afraid of being vulnerable. A person who feels insecure may not feel free to show any kind of softness or be able to share gentle feelings. If we have true inner strength, we are not afraid to show what is a part of us, gentle feelings included. It is wonderful to see a well-conditioned athlete cry tears of joy after a victory. In such an example we can see physical and emotional strength. In our lives together, we will be stronger if we do not try to hide our feelings out of fear. As our feelings flow, we will increase our self-understanding and build our true strength. I am strong enough to show how I really feel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tolerance in Practice We found that the principles of tolerance and love had to be emphasized in actual practice. We can never say (or insinuate) to anyone that he must agree to our formula or be excommunicated. The atheist may stand up in an A.A. meeting still denying the Deity, yet reporting how vastly he has been changed in attitude and outlook. Much experience tells us he will presently change his mind about God, but nobody tells him he must do so. In order to carry the principles of inclusiveness and tolerance still further, we make no religious requirement of anyone. All people having an alcoholic problem who wish to get rid of it and so make a happy adjustment with the circumstances of their lives, become A.A. members by simply associating with us. Nothing but sincerity is needed. But we do not demand even this. In such an atmosphere the orthodox, the unorthodox, and the believer mix happily and usefully together. An opportunity for spiritual growth is open to all. As Bill Sees It Page 158 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a few Quotes "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." ~ Corrieten Boom "There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy." ~Ralph H. Blum |
March 12
Prayer to Release Fear Lord, Sometimes I feel afraid in the tough trials of life. Sometimes the darkness overwhelms me, and I grow discouraged as I face the uncertainties of life. Help me remember I am not alone in my battles.I can count on your presence wherever I go, and rely on the power and provision of your presence in my times of deepest need. Thank you for being near, for walking with me every day. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought. What a change our lives are today. When the morning sun comes up on a nice bright day and we jump out of bed, we're thankful to God that we feel well and happy instead of sick and disgusted. Serenity and happiness have become much more important to us than the excitement of drinking, which lifts us up for a short while, but lets us way down in the end. Of course, all of us alcoholics had a lot of fun with drinking. We might as well admit it. We can look back on a lot of good times, before we became alcoholics. But the time comes for all of us alcoholics when drinking ceases to be fun and becomes trouble. So ............ Have I learned that drinking can never again be anything but trouble for me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Jumbled Mess A rolled-up ball of yarn does not take up much space - it sits, ready to be used when needed. It gets unrolled a little bit at a time - just as much as is needed and no more. But a ball of yarn that gets unraveled can be strewn across an entire room. It becomes a jumbled mess, entangled and confusing. When we live our lives a day at a time, we are like that rolled-up ball of yarn. Our thoughts, feelings, and skills are ready to be used as they are needed. But when we worry, our spirit becomes a jumbled mass of yarn. We get ahead of and behind ourselves - our thoughts are scattered and often our feelings are confused. Worry adds clutter and confusion to life. What is most helpful is to put the worry away--to roll up the ball of yarn and bring ourselves into the present moment. In this way, we stand ready for each new stitch--and we will never be given more than we are able to handle. Do I have worries that are cluttering my life today? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Release From Fear The practice of AA's Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in our personal lives also brought incredible releases from fear of every description, despite the wide prevalence of formidable personal problems. When fear did persist, we knew it for what it was, and under God's grace we became able to handle it. The Language of the Heart Page 268 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." ~ Yoda |
March 13
Powerless Prayer Dear God, I am powerless and my life is unmanageable without Your help and guidance. I come to you today because I believe that You can restore and renew me to meet my needs today. Since I cannot manage my life or affairs, I have decided to give them to You. I put my life, my will, my thoughts, my desires and ambitions in Your hands. I cannot control or change my friends or loved ones, so I release them into Your care for Your loving hands to do with as You will. Just keep me loving and free from judging them. If they need changing, God, You’ll have to do it; I can’t. Just make me willing and ready to be of service to You, to have my shortcomings removed, and to do my best. ~ Anonymous ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In the past, we kept right on drinking in spite of all the trouble we got into. We were foolish enough to believe that drinking could still be fun in spite of everything that happened to us. When we came into A.A., we found a lot of people who, like ourselves, had had fun with drinking, but who now admitted that alcohol had become nothing but trouble for them. And when we found that this thing had happened to a lot of other people beside ourselves, we realized that perhaps we weren't hopeless after all. So ............ Have I learned to admit that for me drinking has ceased to be fun and has become nothing but trouble? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Detachment & Boundaries At times we need to be firm, assertive. At those times we need to convince others and ourselves we have rights. We may need to get angry to make a decision or set a boundary, but we can't afford to stay resentful. It is difficult to have compassion for one who is victimizing us, but once we've removed ourselves as victims, we can find compassion. Our path, our way, is a gentle one, walked in love - love for self, love for others. Set boundaries. Detach. Take care of ourselves. And as quickly as possible, do those things in love. Today, and whenever possible. God let me be gentle with others and myself. Help me find the balance between assertive action taken in my own best interests, and love for others. Help me understand that at times those two ideas are one. Help me find the right path for me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wants or Needs We are taught to differentiate between our wants (which are never satisfied) and our needs (which are always provided for). We cast off the burdens of the past and the anxieties of the future, as we begin to live in the present, one day at a time. We are granted 'the serenity to accept the things we cannot change' - and thus lose our quickness to anger and our sensitivity to criticism. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 560, 3rd Edition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.” ~ Brian Tracy |
March 14
Stress Prayer Lord, I worry. Fear is a real enemy. Finances, a difficult decision, a conflict with a partner, a challenge in my work scenario… These situations matter. I know You are not asking me to deny reality here. I’m not. But whatever my case, imagined or real, I turn the worry portion of this situation back to You, here and now. Settle my stress. Calm my anxiety and the agitation in my body. I see myself handing this entire matter into Your strong and good hand. As I do that now, I won’t neglect to add, “Thank you!” Amen! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Since I have been a member of A.A., I have realized some facts. I realized that I had become an alcoholic and could never have any more fun with alcohol and since I knew that from then on drinking alcohol would always get me into trouble, common sense told me that the only thing left for me was a life of sobriety. But I learned another thing in A.A., the most important thing anyone can ever learn: that I could call on a Higher Power to help me keep away from the need of drinking alcohol; that I could work with that Divine Principle in the universe; and that God would help me to live a sober, useful, happy life. So now I no longer care about the fact that I can never have any more fun with drinking. So ............ Have I learned that I am much happier without alcohol? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Completion Letting Go of Sadness In the past, we told ourselves many things to deny the pain: It doesn't hurt that much.... Maybe if I just wait, things will change.... It's no big deal. I can get through this.... Maybe if I try to change the other person, I won't have to change myself. We denied that it hurt because we didn't want to feel the pain. Unfinished business doesn't go away. It keeps repeating itself, until it gets our attention, until we feel it, deal with it, and heal. Many of us didn't have the tools, support, or safety we needed to acknowledge and accept pain in our past. We can now begin the process of feeling what we have denied so long - not to blame, not to shame, but to heal ourselves in preparation for a better life. It's okay to cry when we need to cry and feel the sadness many of us have stored within for so long. We can feel and release these feelings. Grief is a cleansing process. It's an acceptance process. It moves us from our past, into today, and into a better future - a future free of sabotaging behaviors, a future that holds more options than our past. I ask my God, as I move through this day, let me be open to my feelings Today, help me know that I don't have to either force or repress the healing available to me in recovery. Help me trust that if I am open and available, the healing will happen naturally, in a manageable way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Action In shame and despair, I went to my first AA meeting. By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgment, and criticism, and instead to listen and hear. I heard someone say that AA works for those who work for it, those who put action into the program. . . I heard that I should forget about yesterday and instead concentrate on today and staying away from the first drink today -- now. I tried it and it worked. Came To Believe Page 42 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind." ~ Robert G. Ingersoll |
March 15
Need of a Miracle Prayer Lord, the days ahead may be a little scary at times, but I understand now that the path to a miracle is through uncomfortable territory. I understand now that the source of a miracle will be unexpected, so I shouldn’t try to figure it out. I should just trust you. When you tell me what to do, and it doesn’t always make sense, I will still do what you want me to do. Help me to remember that you’re all I need and that where you guide, you’ll provide. I want to learn to trust you one day at a time. I want to go your way, not my way. I want to follow you, and I ask you to save me and come into my life. I claim your promise that if I trust you, you’ll meet my needs. Amen. ~ Rick Warren ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought If we're going to stay sober, we've got to learn to want something else more than we want to drink. When we first came into A.A., we couldn't imagine wanting anything else so much or more than drinking. So we had to stop drinking on faith, on faith that someday we really would want something else more than drinking. But after we've been in A.A. for a while, we learn that a sober life can really be enjoyed. We learn how nice it is to get along well with our family, how nice it is to do our work well whether at home or outside how nice it is to try to help others. So ............ Have I found that when I keep sober, everything goes well for me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Disagreements Many of us haven't learned there is room for disagreement in a relationship. Many learned to be always pleasing and agreeable, no matter how they felt. Others took it as a personal insult when someone disagreed with them. We choke the vitality and excitement in our relationships if we are too intent on avoiding conflict. Nothing can be resolved if we smooth everything over. Differences between people don't just go away. If we don't bring them out, they fester and create silent tension or boredom. If we willingly express our thoughts and feelings, we can learn how to resolve our disagreements and to appreciate each other for our differences as well as our similarities. If two people in a relationship were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary. I will try to be more open about my differences with people, not as a way of fighting, but as a way of letting them know me better. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Let’s Keep It Simple We need to distinguish sharply between spiritual simplicity and functional simplicity. When we say that A.A. advocates no theological proposition except God as we understand Him, we greatly simplify A.A. life by avoiding conflict and exclusiveness. But when we get into questions of action by groups, by areas, and by A.A. as a whole, we find that we must to some extent organize to carry the message--or else face chaos. And chaos is not simplicity. As Bill Sees It Page 162 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes "Seeing a miracle will inspire you, but knowing you are a miracle will change you." ~ Deborah Brodie "A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love." ~ Marianne Williamson |
March 16
Restore Power Prayer Lord, I pray for Your strength to be renewed in me, a boost of faith to overcome my fears and a splurge of power in my state of powerlessness. Help me to get back on my feet once again and to run the race that is set before me. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought As we look back on all those troubles we used to have when we were drinking: The hospitals, the jails, we wonder why we could have wanted that kind of a life. As we look back on it now, we see our drinking life as it really was and we're glad we're out of it. So after a few months in A.A., we find that we can honestly say that we want something else more than drinking. We've learned by experience that a sober life is really enjoyable and we wouldn't go back to the old drunken way of living for anything in the world. So ............ Do I want to keep sober a lot more than I want to get drunk? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Acceptance Today Many of us made a mess of trying to run our own lives. We are amazed at how much better things go when we acknowledge that the Power greater than ourselves is in control. Every experience, the bad one as well as the good one, becomes an opportunity to learn and to serve. We may not like what it is that we are given to do or to feel on a particular day, but we learn to accept it as necessary for our growth. We can look back and see that we have learned even more from our failures than from our successes. Positive change and growth become possible when we accept our lives and ourselves as part of God's creation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Release and Joy We think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this? Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 132 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "The power behind me is greater than the problem in front of me." ~ Rose H. |
March 17
Aging Person's Prayer Lord, teach me to grow old gracefully. Help me to see that my community does me no wrong when gradually it takes from me my duties; when it no longer seems to seek my views. Rid me of my pride in all the "wisdom" I have learned. Rid me of the illusion that I am indispensable. Lord, let me still be useful, contributing to the world of my optimism, adding my prayers to the joyful fervor and courage of those who now take their turn at the helm. Let my lifestyle now become one of humble and serene contact with the world in change, shedding no tears for the past; making of my human sufferings a fit of reparation to all my brothers. And now, finally, may I have a clear, deep understanding of the joyful destiny you have prepared for me, guiding my every step from the first day of my life. Lord, teach me to grow old... Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Sometimes we can't help thinking: Why can't we ever drink again? We know it's because we're alcoholics, but why did we have to get that way? The answer is that at some time in our drinking careers, we passed what is called our "tolerance point." When we passed this point, we passed from a condition in which we could tolerate alcohol to a condition in which we could not tolerate it at all. After that, if we took one drink, we would sooner or later end up drunk. So ............ When I think of alcohol now, do I think of it as something that I can never tolerate again? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Old Relationships Some of the baggage we can let go of is lingering feelings and unfinished business with past relationships: anger, resentments; feelings of victimization, hurt, or longing. If we have not put closure on a relationship, if we cannot walk away in peace, we have not yet learned our lesson. That may mean we will have to have another go around with that lesson before we are ready to move on. What feelings did we leave with in a particular relationship? Are we still carrying those feelings around? Do we want the heaviness and impact of that baggage on our behavior today? Are we still feeling victimized, rejected, or bitter about something that happened two, five, ten, or even twenty years ago? It may be time to let it go. It may be time to open ourselves to the true lesson from that experience. It may be time to put past relationships to rest, so we are free to go on to new, more rewarding experiences. We can choose to live in the past, or we can choose to finish our old business from the past and open ourselves to the beauty of today. Let go of your baggage from past relationships. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Direction Where my life had been full of mental turmoil there is now an ever-increasing depth of calmness. Where there was a hit or miss attitude toward living there is now new direction and force. Experience, Strength and Hope Page 134 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Somebody once asked me how I define sobriety, and my response was ‘liberation from dependence’.” ~ Leslie Jamison |
March 18
Prayer to Heal Friends God, of our friends who are ill, whom we now commend to Your compassionate regard. Comfort them upon their sickbeds, and ease their suffering. We beg for deliverance and submit that no healing is too hard for the Lord if it be His will. We, therefore, pray that You bless our friends with Your loving care, renew their strength, and heal what ails them. Amend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought After that first drink, we had a single-track mind. It was like a railroad train. The first drink started it off and it kept going on the single track until it got to the end of the line, drunkenness. We alcoholics knew this was the inevitable result when we took the first drink, but still we couldn't keep away from liquor. Our willpower was gone. We had become helpless and hopeless before the power of alcohol. It's not the second drink or the tenth drink that does the damage. It's the first drink. So ............ Will I ever take that first drink again? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Showing Love Receiving a loving hug from a parent or perhaps a smile from a friend or even a stranger gives us a special feeling inside. We know we are important to others when they show us their love through attention. And we sometimes forget that we matter to others. Family members and friends feel good in the same way when we show them our love. Everyone needs to be loved. How can we show our love? Must it be through a hug? Doing a favor for someone is loving. Helping around the house or the yard is loving, particularly when we've volunteered our help. Giving an unexpected gift to a friend is a way of showing love. Showing others we care, even when they are angry, is perhaps the nicest of all expressions of love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twelfth-Stepping "Success" We now see that in twelfth-stepping the immediate results are not so important. Some people start out working with others and have immediate success. They are likely to get cocky. Those of us who are not so successful at first get depressed. As a matter of fact, the successful worker differs from the unsuccessful only in being lucky about his prospects. He simply hits newcomers who are ready and able to stop at once. Given the same prospects, the seemingly unsuccessful person would have produced almost the same results. You have to work on a lot of newcomers before the law of averages commences to assert itself. As Bill See It Page 165 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Where there is charity and wisdom there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility there is neither anger nor worry.” ~ Francis of Assisi |
March 19
Surrender Prayer God, I thank you for all that you are, and all that you do for me. Lord, I place myself entirely in your hands. I surrender to you my whole self, my heart, my mind, my memory, my imagination, my will, my emotions, my passions, my body, my sexuality, my desire for human approval, my weaknesses, my desires. Lord, I surrender every person in my life to you. I surrender every situation in my life to you. I surrender every relationship I am in to you. I surrender every concern I have to you. I surrender every fear I have to you. I surrender every doubt I have to you. I surrender all confusion I have to you. I surrender all sadness I am experiencing in my heart to you. I surrender all my wounds to you. I surrender all anxiety and worry I have to you. I surrender all that deceives me in my heart to you. I trust you to care for me and others in a perfectly loving way Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought If alcoholism were just a physical allergy!! Like asthma or hay fever, it would be easy for us, by taking a skin test with alcohol, to find out whether or not we're alcoholics. But alcoholism is not just a physical allergy. It's also a mental allergy or obsession. After we've become alcoholics, we can still tolerate alcohol physically for quite a while, although we suffer a little more after each binge and each time it takes a little longer to get over the hangovers. So ............ Do I realize that since I have become an alcoholic, I cannot tolerate alcohol mentally at all? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Faults It is easy to look outward and find faults with the world and people around us. We criticize family members or complain about our friends. We always notice disease in the trees around us. But if we take time to be quiet, to sit alone in a tree or by a lake, we become more aware of how connected we are to the life around us. We are part of the beauty and the imperfection. When we notice our own tree is not perfect, it becomes easier to forgive the blights of those around us. It is also important to forgive ourselves our faults. Though all the trees are beautiful, they each have their scars. Being human means we are, like all humanity, both beautiful and imperfect. I will see through the flaws to another's beauty!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fear No Evil Though we of A.A. find ourselves living in a world characterized by destructive fears as never before in history, we see great areas of faith, and tremendous aspirations toward justice and brotherhood. Yet no prophet can presume to say whether the world outcome will be blazing destruction or the beginning, under God's intention, of the brightest era yet known to mankind. I am sure we A.A.'s will comprehend this scene. In microcosm, we have experienced this identical state of terrifying uncertainty, each in his own life. In no sense pridefully, we can say that we do not fear the world outcome, whichever course it may take. This is because we have been established to deeply feel and say, "We shall fear no evil--Thy will, not ours, be done. As Bill Sees It Page 166 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Fear is a killer. It stops the God-given spirituality in our lives from taking shape and making life enjoyable." ~ Reverend Leo Booth |
March 20
Prayer For Change Lord, Change me from the inside out, so that I do not fret and worry about things that may never happen, but help me rather to focus my mind on what is good and lovely. Enable me to give others the support and encouragement that they need, and not always expect others to address the needs and concerns that I have. Lord I know without You, I cannot change. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought One drink started a train of thought that became an obsession. From then on, we couldn't stop drinking. We developed a mental compulsion to keep drinking until we got good and drunk. People generally make two mistakes about alcoholism. One mistake is that it can be cured by physical treatment only. The other mistake is that it can be cured by willpower only. Most alcoholics have tried both of these ways and have found that they don't work. But we members of A.A. have found a way to arrest alcoholism. So ............. Have I got over my obsession by following the A.A. program? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Feeling Worthless Nobody is rotten to the core. Whenever we start to believe we are bad all the way through, we can picture good things we have done, days when someone else was happy to be with us, and see for ourselves that we have many good points that outweigh the bad. If we have done something wrong, we must apologize and make amends. Making a mistake is not the same as being worthless. Mistakes are a natural part of living, not something to be ashamed of. Our freedom to make mistakes is one of our greatest assets, for this is the way we learn humility, persistence, courage to take risks, and better ways of doing things. All of us are valuable and lovable. How could we be otherwise? Since mistakes are natural aspects of growth, we can salute them in others and ourselves as signs of life and celebrate our ability to learn and to forgive. I now see that mistakes have helped me grow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Solitude In solitude, we take our inventories. In solitude, we admit to ourselves the exact nature of our wrongs. In solitude, our spirits seek that Power greater than we are; In solitude, we seek through prayer and meditation to be aware of God's will for us. . . We are alone, but not lonely. Came To Believe Page 109 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Hatred is never anything but fear - if you feared no one, you would hate no one.” ~ Hugh Downs |
March 21
Prayer To Change Life Lord, I look up to you in this time of change. Allow me to have the courage to change my life for the better. Allow all my burdens to be risen up to you as I know that You will see me through. Forgive those who have done evil and allow me to do the same. Teach me to love with an open heart and open spirit. Take time for me today to help with all the trials you have set out for me and allow me the strength and energy to follow you. Give me the blessing to keep my family together, and bless those who are away, may they be strong and know how much love is out there. Bless me with love, strength, wisdom, health, courage, forgiveness, and a willingness to learn. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Alcohol is poison to the alcoholic. Poison is not too strong a word, because alcoholism leads eventually to the death of the alcoholic. It may be a quick death or a slow death. When we go by package stores and see various kinds of liquor all dressed up in fancy packages to make it look attractive, we should always make it a point to say to ourselves so we'll never forget it: "That stuff's all poison to me." And it is. Alcohol poisoned our lives for a long time. So ............ Do I know that since I'm an alcoholic, that all alcohol is poison to me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Acceptance We do not achieve acceptance in a moment. We often have to work through a mirage of feelings - sometimes anger, outrage, shame, self-pity, or sadness. But if acceptance is our goal, we will achieve it. What is more freeing than to laugh at our weaknesses and to be grateful for our strengths? To know the entire package called "us" - with all our feelings, thoughts, tendencies, and history - is worthy of acceptance and brings healing feelings. To accept our circumstances is another miraculous cure. For anything to change or anyone to change, we must first accept others, the circumstance, and ourselves exactly as they are. Then, we need to take it one step further. We need to become grateful for our circumstances or ourselves. We add a touch of faith by saying, "I know this is exactly the way it's supposed to be for the moment." No matter how complicated we get, the basics never lose their power to restore us to sanity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Progress On studying the Twelve Steps, many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 60 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” ~ Henry Ford |
March 22
Accepting Others Prayer God, it's sometimes hard for me to understand or accept or love those who are different from me. I find myself wanting to change them so that they fit my accepted patterns. I know that the difference between us need not separate us, but my lack of understanding makes me want to stay within the safety of my own perceptions rather than embrace what seems foreign. Give me curiosity of mind so that I am open to the perspectives that others can offer me. Help me see the similarities that bind us together. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought I became an alcoholic and alcohol poisoned my life. Alcohol poisoned my love for my family and friends, it poisoned my ambition, it poisoned my self-respect. It poisoned my whole life, until I met A.A. My life is happier now than it has been for a long time. I don't want to commit suicide. So with the help of God and A.A., I'm not going to take any more of that alcoholic poison into my system. And I'm going to keep training my mind never even to think of liquor again in any way except as a poison. So ............ Do I believe that liquor will poison my life if I ever touch it again? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Being Right That concept can be difficult for many of us if we have lived in systems that functioned on the "right/wrong" justice scale. The person who was right was okay; the person who was wrong was shamed. All value and worth may have depended on being right; to be wrong meant annihilation of self and self-esteem. We strive for love in our relationships, not superiority. Yes, we may need to make decisions about people's behavior from time to time. If someone is hurting us, we need to stand up for ourselves. We have a responsibility to set boundaries and take care of ourselves. But we do not need to justify taking care of ourselves by condemning someone else. We can avoid the trap of focusing on others instead of ourselves. What we do needs to be right only for us. What others do is their business and needs to be right only for them. It's tempting to rest in the superiority of being right and in analyzing other people's motives and actions, but it's more rewarding to look deeper. I will remember that I don't have to hide behind being right. I don't have to justify what I want and need with saying something is "right" or "wrong." I can let myself be who I am. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Changing Beliefs When I arrived, trembling and terrified, at my first meeting, I thought I no longer believed in anything. What a miracle that, after one talk with my sponsor and one meeting, I could have hope in A.A.! This hope kept me coming to meetings and gradually grew into a true belief that A.A. had all the answers for me, that, if I would be willing and try, I could stay sober—one day at a time. However, I found that this involved the effort to practice the program. Come To Believe Page 103 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ Frederick Douglass |
March 23
Embracing Differences Prayer God, help us be gracious to one another regarding areas where we are very different. Assist us to appreciate that we don’t need to have the same personality or the same preferences in everything. Help us recognize that a happy relationship is one in which the other person completes you – and often that requires different strengths, different abilities, and different ways of looking at things. Teach us to accept the other for the wonderful person they are. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We have this choice every day of our lives. We can take the path that leads to insanity and death. And remember, our next drunk could be our last one. Or we can take the path that leads to a reasonably happy and useful life. The choice is ours each day of our lives. God grant that we take the right path. So ............ Have I made my choice today? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Choices The day ahead offers us choices of many kinds - some big ones, many that will affect other persons close to us, a few that will have profound effects on our destiny. But no choice, no decision we make, will be wrong. A particular decision may lead us slightly astray. Down a dead-end path perhaps - but we can always turn back and choose again. We are seldom aware of the gravity of a particular choice at the time of making it. Only hindsight reveals the wisdom of an important choice. Nevertheless, no choice is without importance in the overall picture of our lives. And at the same time, no choice is all-powerful regarding our destiny. We are offered chances again and again for making the right choices, the ones that will most contribute to the bigger plan for our lives. I need not worry about today's opportunities for decision-making. I will listen to those around me. I will seek guidance in the messages coming to me. I will make the choices I need to, today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Character Defects If I drew a line between active alcoholism on one side and life as God wants me to live and has equipped me to on the other, then I'm somewhere in the middle, striving toward the ideal. If I allow my character defects to rule my life again and forget the AA program, forget where the power to change for the better comes from, I will, in the long run, inevitably drink again. The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], Page 187 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Acceptance doesn’t mean that life gets better; it just means that my way of living life on life’s terms improves.” ~ Sharon E. Rainey |
March 24
Peaceful Sleep Prayer Dear God, as I lay me down to sleep, relax the tension of my body; calm the restlessness of my mind; still the thoughts which worry and perplex me. Help me to rest myself and all my problems in your strong and loving arms. ... Grant me sleep tonight, and tomorrow power to live. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Alcohol 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 alcohol became my enemy. I don't know just when it turned against me and became my enemy; but I know it happened, because I began to get into trouble. And since I realize that alcohol is now my enemy, my main business is keeping sober. Making a living or keeping house is no longer my main business. It's secondary to the business of keeping sober. So ............ Do I realize that my main business is keeping sober? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Deception Think of the trouble of excuses and lies that have caused us. When we invent a long line of lies, we have to memorize each one. It's easiest just to be trustful, using plain and simple words. So when accusers spear us with their stares, we can disarm them by looking them right in the eye. Not only do lies deceive others, they keep us hidden from ourselves, and make our real reasons for the choices we've made seem unworthy, if we feel we can't express ourselves truthfully. Better that we be truthful, even if a little pain results. Truth keeps communication lines open. Then, when someone really wants to know what's on our minds, we can simply open our hearts. There should not be anything that we cannot tell a real friend. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dividends The A.A. preoccupation with sobriety is sometimes misunderstood. To some, this single virtue appears to be the sole dividend of our Fellowship. We are thought to be dried-up drunks who otherwise have changed little, or not at all, for the better. Such a surmise widely misses the truth. We know that permanent sobriety can be attained only by a most revolutionary change in the life and outlook of the individual--by a spiritual awakening that can banish the desire to drink. As Bill Sees It Page 171 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.” ~ Edward R. Murrow |
March 25
Prayer for Healing I ask you to please humble me to take any selfishness from me. Plus any greed, any hypocritical attitudes, any hate, any envy, any jealousy, and unkind words and actions. Please heal me in mind, body, spirit, and soul. Make me whole again and please bless me with wisdom and peace. Amen ~ Mary Graves ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Intelligent faith in that Power greater than ourselves can be counted on to stabilize our emotions. It has an incomparable capacity to help us look at life in a balanced perspective. We look up, around, and away from ourselves, and we see that nine out of ten things that at the moment upset us will shortly disappear. Problems solve themselves, criticism and unkindness vanish as though they had never been. So ............ Have I got the proper perspective toward life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Living in the Present The present moment is all we have. Yes, we have plans and goals, a vision for tomorrow. But now is the only time we possess. And it is enough. We can clear our mind of the residue of yesterday. We can clear our mind of fears of tomorrow. We can be present, now. We can make ourselves available to this moment, this day. It is by being fully present now that we reach the fullness of tomorrow. Have no fear, child, a voice whispers. Have no regrets. Relinquish your resentments. Let Me take your pain. All you have is the present moment. Be still. Be here Trust. All you have is now. It is enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Matter of Honesty Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is. Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be--to the best of our ability. Fallible as we all are, and will be in this life, it would be presumption to suppose that we could ever really achieve absolute honesty. The best we can do is to strive for a better quality of honesty. Sometimes we need to place love ahead of indiscriminate 'factual honesty.' We cannot, under the guise of 'perfect honesty,' cruelly and unnecessarily hurt others. Always one must ask, 'What is the best and most loving thing I can do?'" As Bill Sees It Page 177 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” ~ Eddie Cantor |
March 26
Prayer for Self Acceptance I accept myself completely. I accept my strengths and my weaknesses, my gifts and my shortcomings. I accept myself as a human being. I accept that I am here to learn and grow, and I accept that within my mind are both fear and love, and I accept my power to choose which I will experience as real. I accept mistakes as a part of growth. I am willing to forgive myself and give myself another chance. I accept my own life as a blessing and a gift. My heart is open to receive, and I am deeply grateful. May I always share the gifts that I receive fully, freely, and joyfully. I accept all that I was, all that I am, and all that I choose to become. ~ Lise Storgaard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Now we can take an inventory of the good things. To begin with, we're sober today. That's the biggest asset on any alcoholic's books. Sobriety to us is like goodwill 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 A.A., real friends who are always ready to help us. So ............ Do I realize that my life today is dependent upon my sobriety? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Solving Problems Many of us lived in situations where it wasn't okay to identify, have, or talk about problems. Denial became a way of life - our way of dealing with problems A problem doesn't mean life is negative or horrible. Having a problem doesn't mean a person is deficient. All people have problems to work through. We must learn to focus on solving our problems. First, we make certain the problem is our problem. If it isn't, our problem is establishing boundaries. Then we seek the best solution. This may mean setting a goal, asking for help, gathering more information, taking an action, or letting go. Having problems does not mean our God is picking on us. Some problems are part of life; others are ours to solve, and we'll grow in necessary ways in the process. Face and solve today's problems. Don't worry needlessly about tomorrow's problems, because when they appear, we'll have the resources necessary to solve them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Realization “The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try.” For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. '... That you try.' I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking. Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Page 50 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” ~ Brené Brown |
March 27
Prayer For Self Confidence Lord, Let a ray of Your brilliance Penetrate my understanding Grant me a retentive memory And the ability to grasp things Correctly and completely. Let me be convincing in my explanations Steadfast and unwavering in my presentations Give me Your confidence To trust my God-given capabilities. Help me with each task at hand Guide me through its completion. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Most of us have found faith thought A.A. 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. So ............ Do I make one resolution every day of my life to stay sober? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Strength We don't always have to be strong. Sometimes, our strength is expressed in being vulnerable. Sometimes, we need to fall apart to regroup and stay on track. We all have days when we cannot push any harder, cannot hold back self-doubt, cannot stop focusing on fear, cannot be strong. There are days when we cannot focus on being responsible. Occasionally we don't want to get out of our pajamas. Sometimes, we cry in front of people. We expose our tiredness, irritability, or anger. Those days are okay. They are just okay. Part of taking care of ourselves means we give ourselves permission to "fall apart" when we need to. We do not have to be perpetual towers of strength. We are strong. We have proven that. Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable when we need to experience those feelings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inner Resource I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills -- it is the unsuspected Inner Resource. . . I trust it today and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the right thought or action today. Daily Reflections Page 28 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” ~ Peter T. Mcin |
March 28
Helping Others Prayer God, There are so many people in this world who are in need. Please show us how we can help. Use us Lord, to be a blessing to others. I pray You would show us how to use our resources to help others. Give us eyes to see those who are in need. I pray that our lives are used for a great purpose of service to others. Amen ~ Jeanne Lucas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought "But for the grace of God." When we came to our first A.A. 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. So ............ Am I depending on the grace of God to help me stay sober? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Obstacles The truck was in mud to its axles. Three lumberjacks sat in stony silence in the cab. There they were, stuck in the woods on their way to the cutting site. The first man slammed the steering wheel, cursed, and stormed out of the truck. The second thought the early morning woods inviting and said he'd just crawl under a pine to nap until someone came along to pull them out. The third man, left alone, grabbed an axe and a saw and set about cutting wood to slide under the wheels. Within an hour he managed to pull the truck out of its muddy bath and they got on their way. We can choose how we respond to an obstacle. As with the three men, our response may be to curse and give up, to sit back and wait for someone else to help us, or to set to work fearlessly to try to overcome it ourselves. The event itself isn't important; how we think about it is. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 24-hour Plan Getting away from the pull of the first drink is like putting a space vehicle in orbit. It takes a lot of thrust to overcome the pull of gravity and get the vehicle off the ground. But once it gets in orbit, all that's required is a small correction from time to time. That's how the 24-hour plan works -- a small daily checkup and correction to keep us away from the pull of that first drink. The 24-hour plan is a discipline whose yield is freedom. The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page 152 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” ~ Sally Koch “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ Dr. Seuss |
March 29
Discouragement Prayer Lord, I come to You today, feeling discouraged and worn out emotionally. I ask for You to renew me inwardly. I know that what I’m going through is temporary. Please help me to focus on the things that are positive and uplifting, rather than these things that are wearing me down because they are transient. Please restore, confirm, strengthen and reestablish me. Amen ~ John Driscoll ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought No chain is stronger than its weakest link. Likewise, if you fail in the day-by-day program, in all probability it will be your weakest point. Great faith and constant contact with God's power can help you discover, guard, and undergird your weakest point with a strength not your own. Intelligent faith in God's power can be counted on to help you master your emotions, help you to think kindly of others, and help you with any task that you undertake, no matter how difficult. So ............ Am I master of my emotions? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Laughter We are told that laughter is sunshine filling a room. And where there is laughter, there also is life. They say that people who laugh a lot live longer than do the sour-faced. When we laugh together, gratitude comes more easily, companionship thrives, and all praise is sincere. Laughter brings us joy that cannot be bought. Such joy is with us throughout each day. To hoard joy, to hide it away deep within us away from others, will make us lonely misers. We cannot buy or trade for joy, but we can give or receive it as a gift. Laughter's joy celebrates the moment we are living right now. It is a gift we must share, or it will wither and die. Shared, it grows and thrives, and always returns to us when we need it most. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Belonging There is no more 'aloneness,' with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 312 (3rd Edition) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” ~ Calvin & Hobbes |
March 30
Selfishness Prayer Lord, Please forgive me. I am still such a selfish person. I don’t know why I struggle so much with this. Every day my flesh is confronted with a decision and I want so badly, and oftentimes do, justify my reasoning for what I choose to do. I do what benefits me. If it is inconvenient or outside of my desire, I don’t want to do it. The worst part is when my family are the ones asking and I deny them. Please help me not to be so selfish. If my family or friends need help with anything please help me to do it with a joyful heart. Change me Lord. Remove my selfish ways. Give me a heart and mind that is focused on serving others. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When we came into A.A., we came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves. We came to believe in that Divine Principle in the universe, which many of us call God, and to whom we can turn for help. Each morning we have a quiet time. We ask God for the power to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. And each night we thank Him for helping us to keep sober that day. So ............ Do I believe that each man or woman I see in A.A. is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard to a sober person? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Bad Days We all have days from time to time when it feels like the world is against us or that the chaos we are experiencing will never end. One negative circumstance seems to lead to another. You may wonder, on a bad day, whether anything in your life will ever go right again. But a bad day, like any other day, can be a gift. Having a bad day can show you that it is time to slow down, change course, or lighten up. A bad day can help you glean wisdom you might otherwise have overlooked or discounted. Bad days can certainly cause you to experience uncomfortable feelings you would prefer to avoid, yet a bad day may also give you a potent means to learn about yourself. You may consider a bad day to be one where you’ve missed an important meeting because your car stalled, the dryer broke, and you received a piece of very bad news earlier in the morning. Multiple misfortunes that take place one after the other can leave us feeling vulnerable and intensely cognizant of our fragility. But bad days can only have a long-term negative effect on us if we let them. It is better to ask yourself what you can learn from these kinds of days. The state of your bad day may be an indicator that you need to stay in and hibernate or let go of your growing negativity. Bad days contribute to the people we become. Though we may feel discouraged and distressed on our bad days, a bad day can teach us patience and perseverance. It is important to remember that your attitude drives your destiny and that one negative experience does not have to be the beginning of an ongoing stroke of bad luck. A bad day is memorable because it is one day among many good days – otherwise, we wouldn’t even bother to acknowledge it as a bad day. Know too, that everybody has bad days, you are not alone, the world is not against you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Surrender We surrender to win. On the face of it, surrendering certainly does not seem like winning. But it is in AA. Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish sobriety which we could never accomplish before. We must, and we do, surrender in order to win." Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, Page 341 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. 'How everything affects me' is the center of all that matters - self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking.” ~ Ezra Taft Benson |
March 31
Prayer For Patience God, teach us what it means to have faith in silence. When we face trials that are beyond our understanding, help us to find peace. Help me be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. You set all things in accordance to your time. Remind us to wait patiently, and find peace in your plan. ~ Dick Woodward ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When we came into A.A. The first thing we did was to admit that we couldn't do anything about our drinking. We admitted that alcohol had destroyed our lives 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. So ............ Have I done this honestly and fully? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation People-Pleasing Have you ever been around people-pleasers? Being around someone who is turned inside out to please another is often irritating and anxiety- producing. People-pleasing is a behavior we may have adapted to survive in our family. We may not have been able to get the love and attention we deserved. People-pleasing can be overt or covert. We may run around fussing over others, chattering a mile a minute when what we are really saying is, "I hope I'm pleasing you." Or, we may be more covert, quietly going through life making important decisions based on pleasing others. Taking other people's wants and needs into consideration is an important part of our relationships. We have responsibilities to friends and family and employers. We have a strong inner responsibility to be loving and caring. But, people-pleasing backfires. Not only do others get annoyed with us, we often get annoyed when our efforts to please do not work as we planned. The most comfortable people to be around are those who are considerate of others but ultimately please themselves. I need to work through my fears and begin to please myself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Freedom HOW The A.A. members who sponsored me told me in the beginning that I would not only find a way to live without having a drink, but that I would find a way to live without wanting to drink, if I would do these simple things. They said if you want to know how this program works, take the first word of your question-- the "H" is for honesty, the "O" is for open-mindedness, and the "W" is for willingness; these our Big Book calls the essentials of recovery. They suggested that I study the A.A. book and try to take the Twelve Steps according to the explanation in the book, for it was their opinion that the application of these principles in our daily lives will get us sober and keep us sober. I believe this, and I believe too that it is equally impossible to practice these principles to the best of our ability, a day at a time, and still drink, for I don't think the two things are compatible. Alcoholics Anonymous. 4th Edition, Pages 549-550 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.” ~ David G. Allen |
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