Daily Recovery Readings - April 27

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God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.

April 27

Daily Reflections

JOYFUL DISCOVERIES

We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose
more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what
you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers
will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you
cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your
relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to
pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for
us.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164

Sobriety is a journey of joyful discovery. Each day brings new
experience, awareness, greater hope, deeper faith, broader
tolerance. I must maintain these attributes or I will have
nothing to pass on.
Great events for this recovering alcoholic are the normal
everyday joys found in being able to live another day in
God's grace.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

By submitting to God, we're released from the power of liquor.
It has no more hold on us. We're also released from the things
that were holding us down: pride, selfishness, and fear. And
we're free to grow into a new life, which is so much better
than the old life that there's no comparison. This release
gives us serenity and peace with the world. Have I been
released from the power of alcohol?

Meditation For The Day

We know God by spiritual vision. We feel that He is beside us.
We feel His presence. Contact with God is not made by the
senses. Spirit-consciousness replaces sight. Since we cannot
see God, we have to perceive Him by spiritual perception. God
has to span the physical and the spiritual with the gift to us
of spiritual vision. Many persons, though they cannot see God,
have had a clear spiritual consciousness of Him. We are inside
a box of space and time, but we know there must be something
outside of that box, limitless space, eternity of time, and
God.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may have a consciousness of God's presence. I
pray that God will give me spiritual vision.

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As Bill Sees It

Prelude to the Program, p. 118

Few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless
they have "hit bottom," for practicing A.A.'s Steps means the
adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still
drinking can dream of taking. The average alcoholic, self-centered in
the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect--unless he has to do these
things in order to stay alive himself.

<< << << >> >> >>

We know that the newcomer has to "hit bottom"; otherwise, not
much can happen. Because we are drunks who understand him, we
can use at depth the nutcracker of the-obsession-plus-the-allergy as a
tool of such power that it can shatter his ego. Only thus can he be
convinced that on his own unaided resources he has little or no
chance.

1. 12 & 12, p. 24
2. A.A. Today, p. 8

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Walk in Dry Places

Happy People are likable.
Personal relations.
Who are the people we really like, and to be with? Most of the time, they are happy people, people who like themselves and others.
Being happy is almost the entire secret of being likable. Though no person can expect to be liked by everybody, likable people have the inside track most of the time.
How do we become happy and thus likable? We're continuously told that happiness cannot be found in property, power, and prestige. It is rooted instead in self-acceptance. In feeling loved and wanted, and in giving genuine service, maybe just in the form of very useful work.
Twelve Step programs are structured to make us happy if we persevere long enough in working the individual steps. While it may seem contradictory, even people with heavy burdens and personal sorrows can find underlying happiness in the program. A great deal of this also hinges on our belief in a Higher Power and a confidence that we have a place in the universal system.
I can be happy today in spite of things that others would consider burdensome and depressing. Happiness really comes from God, and it also serves to attract friends into my life.

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Keep It Simple

I noticed my hopelessness was because I had lost my freedom of choice.---AA member
By doing a Fourth Step, we start to see ourselves more clearly. We see how we've acted against ourselves. Soon, we hear a little voice inside telling us to stop before we act. "Are you sure you want to say or do that?" the little voice asks. Then we make a choice: we do something the same old way, or we try a new way. One part of us will always want to do things the old, sick way. This is natural. But we're getting stronger every day. Our spirit wants to learn new ways so we can be honest and loving. Sometimes we don't know how. But we still have a choice. We can ask for help.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me listen to the little voice inside that helps me see that I have choices.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll make a choice between old ways and new ways of acting. I will call my sponsor this evening to talk about my choices.

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Each Day a New Beginning

So much to say. And so much not to say! Some things are better left unsaid. But so many unsaid things can become a burden. --Virginia Mae Axline
The occasions are many when we'd like to share a feeling, an observation, perhaps even a criticism with someone. The risk is great, however. She might be hurt, or he might walk away, leaving us alone.
Many times, we need not share our words directly. Weighing and measuring the probable outcome and asking for some inner guidance will help us decide when to speak up and when to leave things unsaid. But if our thoughts are seriously interfering with our relationships, we can't ignore them for long.
Clearing the air is necessary sometimes, and it freshens all relationships. When to take the risk creates consternation. But within our quiet spaces, we always know when we must speak up. And the direction will come. The right moment will present itself. And within those quiet spaces the right words can be found.
If I am uncomfortable with certain people, and the feelings don't leave, I will consider what might need to be said. I will open myself to the way and ask to be shown the steps to take. Then, I will be patient.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 10 - To Employers

Today I own a little company. There are two alcoholic employees, who produce as much as five normal salesmen. But why not? They have a new attitude, and they have been saved from a living death. I have enjoyed every moment spent in getting them straightened out.*

* See Appendix VI-We shall be happy to hear from you if we can be of help.

pp. 149-150

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

GROUNDED - Alcohol clipped this pilot's wings until sobriety and hard work brought him back to the sky.

For a long time I did not consider flying again, but I could not purge the dream of doing so from my heart. One of my meditation books had said, "Before any dream can come true, there must first be a dream." I had been told if I wanted to fly again, I would have to begin at the very bottom, with a private license, even though I had previously held the highest license the FAA awarded, the air transport pilot license. I studied for and took all the lengthy FAA written examinations. I had to go back and relearn things I had learned thirty years before and had long since forgotten. I had, unexpectedly, been able to reacquire my FAA medical certificate after proving the quality of my sobriety for more than two years.

p. 527

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Four - "Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole."

But alas, this bright scene was not long in darkening. Confusion replaced serenity. It was found that some drunks yearned for education, but doubted if they were alcoholics. The personality defects of others could be cured maybe with a loan. Some were club-minded, but it was just a question of taking care of the lonely heart. Sometimes the swarming applicants would go for all three floors. Some would start at the top and come through to the bottom, becoming club members; others started in the club, pitched a binge, were hospitalized, then graduated to education on the third floor. It was a beehive of activity, all right, but unlike a beehive, it was confusion compounded. An A.A. group, as such, simply couldn't handle this sort of project. All too late that was discovered. Then came the inevitable explosion - something like that day the boiler burst in Wombley's Clapboard Factory. A chill chokedamp of fear and frustration fell over the group.

pp. 148-149

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Never give up ten minutes before the miracle.
--Anonymous

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone
who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep
your mind young.
--Henry Ford

God is a never ending source of all we need.
--SweetyZee

Just as we experience joy in caring for others, they experience joy in caring for us.
--Linda Nocks Shah

"Invest the first hour of the day, the 'Golden Hour,' in yourself."
--Brian Tracy

"Pray not for lighter burdens but for stronger backs."
--Theodore Roosevelt

"The easiest way to save face is to keep the lower half shut."
--Anon

"A good laugh is sunshine in a house."
--William Makepeace Thackeray

"If you keep doing things like you've always done them, what you'll get is what you've already got."
--Anon

"Action conquers fear."
--Peter N. Zarlenga

"The best way out of a difficulty is through it"
--Anon

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

RELIGION

"All religions must be tolerated .
. . for . . . every man must get to
heaven his own way."
--Frederick the Great

There are many ways to God and I believe that Christianity is one way.
However, I am convinced that there are other ways with or without
religion. My experience of the church has been good, and I have been
encouraged to question and doubt, search for new areas of faith within
my agnosticism, explore other religions. My experience of Christianity
has been supportive of openness and compassion.

God is not a prisoner of any religion and we can all learn from each
other's experiences - but we need to listen. To dismiss arrogantly the
value that a religion can bring is, to my way of thinking, as negative and
sick as to accept what a religion says without question.

Let me find in the religions of the world the ONENESS of Your truth.

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The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn; shining brighter
till the full light of day.
Proverbs 4 :18

We love Him, because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19

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Daily Inspiration

Rely on the strength and understanding that you possess. Each of us has more of it in us that we can imagine possible. Lord, through faith in You I can face any difficulty and conquer it.

Have the courage to forgive. Lord, may I bring myself to a place of peace by never holding a grudge.

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NA Just For Today

Recognizing And Releasing Resentments

"We want to look our past in the face, see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today."
Basic Text p. 28

Many of us had trouble identifying our resentments when we were new in recovery. There we sat with our Fourth Step in front of us, thinking and thinking, finally deciding that we just didn't have any resentments. Perhaps we talked ourselves into believing that we weren't so sick after all.

Such unwitting denial of our resentments stems from the conditioning of our addiction. Most of our feelings were buried, and buried deep. After some time in recovery, a new sense of understanding develops. Our most deeply buried feelings begin to surface, and those resentments we thought we didn't have suddenly emerge.

As we examine these resentments, we may feel tempted to hold onto some of them, especially if we think they are "justified." But what we need to remember is that "justified" resentments are just as burdensome as any other resentment.

As our awareness of our liabilities grows, so does our responsibility to let go. We no longer need to hang on to our resentments. We want to rid ourselves of what's undesirable and set ourselves free to recover.

Just for today: When I discover a resentment, I'll see it for what it is and let it go.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Crying only a little bit is no use. You must cry until your pillow is soaked. Then you can get up and laugh. . . . --Galway Kinnell
Many of us were raised to deny our feelings; that is, we might have been allowed to describe them politely, but we were not allowed to express feelings on the spot by wailing, jumping for joy, or dancing. This is often considered rude. In a proper home, we often hear, if people have feelings, they have them quietly. But many of us have suffered living this way.
We need a full and thorough expression of a feeling in order to know it, experience it, and move beyond it. This is the way we let go of sadness, for instance.
Feelings come and go. If we are not afraid to let them have their moment, we will not be afraid to express them.
What am I feeling right now?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
Fine friendship requires duration rather than fitful intensity. --Aristotle
Once we have embarked upon this program, we find spiritual recovery through relationships more than any other single factor. We find it through relationships with other people, with ourselves, and with our Higher Power. But most men in recovery need to learn how to be in a relationship. We have to give up ideas that a friendship is an intense connection or a conflict-free blending of like minds.
A meaningful friendship is a long-term dialogue. If there is conflict or if we make a mistake or fail to do what our friend wants of us, we don't end the friendship. We simply have the next exchange to resolve the differences. Our dialogue continues over time, and time - along with many amends - builds the bond. With it develops a deepening sense of reliability and trusting one another. When we have lived with our friend through many experiences - or with our Higher Power - we gain a feeling that we really know him or her in a way we could never have in a brief intense connection.
Today, I will do what I need to do to be reliable in my friendships.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
So much to say. And so much not to say! Some things are better left unsaid. But so many unsaid things can become a burden. --Virginia Mae Axline
The occasions are many when we'd like to share a feeling, an observation, perhaps even a criticism with someone. The risk is great, however. She might be hurt, or he might walk away, leaving us alone.
Many times, we need not share our words directly. Weighing and measuring the probable outcome and asking for some inner guidance will help us decide when to speak up and when to leave things unsaid. But if our thoughts are seriously interfering with our relationships, we can't ignore them for long.
Clearing the air is necessary sometimes, and it freshens all relationships. When to take the risk creates consternation. But within our quiet spaces, we always know when we must speak up. And the direction will come. The right moment will present itself. And within those quiet spaces the right words can be found.
If I am uncomfortable with certain people, and the feelings don't leave, I will consider what might need to be said. I will open myself to the way and ask to be shown the steps to take. Then, I will be patient.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Letting Go of the Need to Control
The rewards from detachment are great: serenity; a deep sense of peace; the ability to give and receive love in self enhancing, energizing ways; and the freedom to find real solutions to our problems. --Codependent No More
Letting go of our need to control can set others and us free. It can set our Higher Power free to send the best to us.
If we weren't trying to control someone or something, what would we be doing differently?
What would we do that were not letting ourselves do now? Where would we go? What would we say?
What decisions would we make?
What would we ask for? What boundaries would be set? When would we say no or yes?
If we weren't trying to control whether a person liked us or his or her reaction to us, what would we do differently? If we weren't trying to control the course of a relationship, what would we do differently? If we weren't trying to control another persons behavior, how would we think, feel, speak, and behave differently than we do now?
What haven't we been letting ourselves do while hoping that self-denial would influence a particular situation or person? Are there some things we've been doing that wed stop?
How would we treat ourselves differently?
Would we let ourselves enjoy life more and feel better right now? Would we stop feeling so bad? Would we treat ourselves better?
If we weren't trying to control, what would we do differently? Make a list, and then do it.
Today, I will ask myself what I would be doing differently if I weren't trying to control. When I hear the answer, I will do it. God, help me let go of my need to control. Help me set others and myself free.

Today I choose to accept live on life's terms...all of it. I am open to all I see, hear, think and feeling the moment, without resistance. I am opening to be fully alive and enjoying the adventure. --Ruth Fishel

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Journey To The Heart

Love Sets Others Free

One of love’s most challenging lessons is freedom.

Much of my life I thought love meant restraint. I couldn’t do this if I loved you. You wouldn’t do that if you loved me. Certainly there are times when love asks us to make choices. But love doesn’t limit, it doesn’t confine, as I once believed.

Love brings with it the gift of freedom. Love teaches us to allow the person we love to do as he or she chooses. It teaches us to encourage the people we love to freely make their own choices, to seek their own path, to learn their lessons their way in their own time.

Love that restrains isn’t love. It’s insecurity. We may tell others how we feel about something they do or don’t do. We may make decisions as a reaction to others choices. That is our right and our responsibility. But to restrain another in the name of love doesn’t create love, it creates restraint.

Love means each person is free to follow his or her own heart, seek his or her own path. If we truly love, our choices will naturally and freely serve that love well. When we give freedom to another, we really give freedom to ourselves.

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More Language Of Letting Go

Stop reading between the lines

Chelsea dated Tom for five years. During the course of those years, Tom told Chelsea that he didn’t want a serious relationship, and she shouldn’t get serious about him. Chelsea didn’t like what she heard. She thought Tom must care about her, because their times together were so good and because he kept coming back to see her.

Whether Tom was being manipulative isn’t the issue. Whether he was keeping a door open for himself isn’t the issue. The issue is, Chelsea wasn’t believing what Tom said– until he left her for someone else.

Yes, sometimes people are coy. Yes, sometimes people are reluctant to get involved. But if people tell you they feel a certain way, don’t read between the lines. Take them at face value. Correct your behavior to match the reality of the situation, not the fantasies in your mind.

Take people at face value. Say what you mean in your dealings with others, so they can take you at face value,too.

God, help me make a practice out of facing, dealing with, and accepting the truth.

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In God’s Care

The presence of faith is no gaurantee of deliverance from times of distress and vicissitude but there can be a certainty that nothing will be encountered that is overwhelming.
~~William Barr Oglesby Jr.

We’ve all experienced times so seriously troubling that we feared for our sanity: the loss of a job, divorce, or the death of a loved one. And in each instance we learned that the more we relied on our Higher Power’s support, the less we stumbled and the more we could allow ourselves our grief and get on with our life, perhaps even stronger and wiser than before.

Facing our addictions and working our program won’t guarantee that our future will be free of struggles. Everyone has to live through difficult times, some of us more than others it seems. But we needn’t sacrifice our serenity and security through these times as long as we let God share them with us. It’s such a relief knowing that nothing has to overwhelm us as long as we remember to let God shoulder the burden we’re carrying.

Whatever happens today will trouble me less if I let God handle it.

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You Are Who You Are, Not What You Do
Becoming Your Wrong Decisions

Our perception of the traits and characteristics that make us who we are is often tightly intertwined with how we live our life. We define ourselves in terms of the roles we adopt, our actions and inactions, our triumphs, and what we think are failures. As a result it is easy to identify so strongly with a decision that has resulted in unexpected negative consequences that we actually become that "wrong" decision. The disappointment and shame we feel when we make what we perceive as a mistake grows until it becomes a dominant part of our identities. We rationalize our "poor" decisions by labeling ourselves incompetent decision-makers. However, your true identity cannot be defined by your choices. Your essence—what makes you a unique entity—exists independently of your decision-making process.

There are no true right or wrong decisions. All decisions contribute to your development and are an integral part of your evolving existence yet they are still separate from the self. A decision that does not result in its intended outcome is in no way an illustration of character. Still, it can have dire effects on our ability to trust ourselves and our self-esteem. You can avoid becoming your decisions by affirming that a "bad decision" was just an experience, and next time you can choose differently. Try to avoid lingering in the past and mulling over the circumstances that led to your perceived error in judgment. Instead, adapt to the new circumstances you must face by considering how you can use your intelligence, inner strength, and intuition to aid you in moving forward more mindfully. Try not to entirely avoid thinking about the choices you have made, but reflect on the consequences of your decision from a rational rather than an emotional standpoint. Strive to under! stand why you made the choice you did, forgive yourself, and then move forward.

A perceived mistake becomes a valuable learning experience and is, in essence, a gift to learn and grow from. You are not a bad person and you are not your decisions; you are simply human. Published with permission from Daily OM

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A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

Am I so sure I’m doing everything possible to make my new life a success? Am I using my capabilities well? Do I recognize and appreciate all I have to be grateful for? The Program and its Twelve Steps teach me that I am not the possessor of unlimited resources. The more I do with them, the more they will grow — to overshadow and cancel out the difficult and painful feelings that now get so much of my attention. Am I less sensitive today than when I first came to The Program?

Today I Pray

May I make the most of myself in all ways. May I begin to look outward to people and opportunities and wonderful resources around me. As I become less ingrown and understand myself better in relation to others, may I be less touchy and thin-skinned.l May I shrug off my old “the world-is-out-to-get-me” feeling and see that same world as my treasure-house, God-given and boundless.

Today I Will Remember

My resources are unlimited.

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One More Day

Solitude: A good place to visit, but a poor place to stay.
– Joan Billings

We probably recognize our need for solitude in our lives — private time when we can sit and think, or listen to music, or simply enjoy the quiet. When solitude becomes a way of life, however, it can lead to loneliness, and loneliness can lead to self-pity. This is a dangerous position.

We tread a real tightrope with our need for solitude. We need to be alone, but not isolated. In our solitude, we can find serenity through meditation and prayer. Once we are re energized, it will be easier for us to balance our lives by inviting a friend into our home or reaching out to another who is in pain. Solitude encourages us to turn our backs on loneliness and to reach out to others once again.

I will not impose a sentence of solitary confinement upon myself. I am still a valuable member of society.

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Food For Thought

Food Is No Cure all

In spite of what we compulsive overeaters may have believed, food does not solve our emotional or spiritual problems. Food cannot fill our hearts with love, no matter how much we eat. Rather than erasing our difficulties with family, friends, and self, overeating multiplies them.

If our problem were that of not having enough to eat, food would be the solution. It is possible for us to be overweight and undernourished at the same time, if we are eating the wrong foods. For most of us, though, the difficulty is simply that we like to eat too much. The only cure all for that problem is eating less!

The good news for compulsive overeaters is that a life of abstinence and control is possible. We do not have to be destroyed by our disease. When we recognize that we have been using food to do what only our Higher Power can do, we are on the way to recovery. Instead of turning to food to ease our aches and satisfy our cravings, we turn to God.

Thank You for being there for me.

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One Day At A Time

~ RELATIONSHIPS ~
And let there be no purpose in friendship
save the deepening of Spirit.
Kahlil Gibran

My initial experience of relationships in recovery was one of wonder and relief. I was so amazed to find that there actually were other people who understood life as I lived it! Until I walked into the rooms of recovery, I felt so alone and different from other people. Finding people who had also lived the nightmare of compulsive eating, helped my isolation fade away. Seeing that they had found a new way of living gave me hope!!

As I began to share more deeply with my sponsor and other people in recovery, I discovered a deeper gift of friendship in recovery. I received unconditional love and focused guidance toward the steps of recovery which would transform me completely. This was the greatest gift of relationship that I had ever known. This was the beginning of the transformation that invited me to share the Spirit of recovery with others.

As I carry the principles of recovery into all aspects of my life, I find my relationships with all people are transformed. My character defects no longer stand in the way of my honesty, and fear no longer holds me prisoner. The Spirit of recovery which has been so generously shared with me, continues to be shared joyously through me.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will be carried by the Spirit of recovery into all of my relationships.
~ Cate ~

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AA 'Big Book' - Quote

Suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives. If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We are not theorizing. These are facts out of our experience. - Pg. 70 - How It Works

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

You may at times feel particularly antsy or confused. Like now. This is a normal reaction of withdrawing our bodies from chemicals and changing our past behavior. When this happens, we call another person, write down our feelings, pray about it, or do some physical activity.

Right this minute I am alright and I will fill the rest of this hour with one of the above activities.

Seeing Perfection in What Is

I see life as it is today. I do not ask that the world conform to my idea of perfection in order to love it. I see beauty and perfection in things as they are, not as I wish them to be. I forgive life for being imperfect. I forgive people for being imperfect. I forgive myself for being imperfect.I let life, people and me be what we are.

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

Having a God of our own under-standing does not mean we have to withhold saying 'God' around non-believers. People who try to get the word 'God' out of the Twelve Steps in order not to offend others, are missing the point. The point is, no one has to say 'God' in order to recover, it does not mean others can't call their Higher Power 'God.'

God is the answer. Now what is my problem?

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Today you are leading a life. When you were drinking, you were a life being led.

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

Today I have the courage to face life as it is and make progress a part of my life. I am willing to take chances and grow and risk and feel what it means to be fully alive in the moment.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

It takes a lot of courage to stay sober. And if you don't have it, get it from the person sitting next to you, so you can recover for one more day. - Patti O.

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AA Thought for the Day

April 27

Convinced
Practicing AA's Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions
that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking.
The average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect
-- unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself.
- As Bill Sees It, p.118

Thought to Ponder . . .
I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic,
than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Aware.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Meetings
"Sobriety and a plan for living
that produces a personality change
and a spiritual awakening are imperative.
Through AA, many receive the needed change
and awakening just by trying to live
by AA principles and with AA people.
We do this by going to many AA meetings
with an open mind and a desire to live the
good-feeling life without chemicals--
liquid or otherwise."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 459

Thought to Consider . . .
Seven days without an AA meeting makes one weak.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ABC
Acceptance, Belief, Change

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Upkeep
From Having Fun Yet:
When my own house is in order, I find the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt and
remorse that cloaked my drinking years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this condition requires
maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult or painful,
perhaps I'm taking myself too seriously and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my practice of working the
program to keep my house in order.
1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 31

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We cannot just keep chipping away at defects of character without developing something to replace them. Assets are
the only item I can find to develop, and the Fourth Step seems to be the ideal way of monitoring where I am at with both
assets and defects."
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 1979
"Taking Stock,"
Step By Step

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them
help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up
about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you
must not miss."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~

"Faith without works is dead."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 76~

If our circumstances happened to be good, we no longer dreaded a change for the worse, for we had learned that these
troubles could be turned into great values
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 122

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The Sense of Belonging
Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us. We no longer
live in a completely hostile world. We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless.
The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and
eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in
purely human affairs. We know that God lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will be well
with us, here and hereafter. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 105

Prayer For The Day: Heavenly Father, thou hast made my life dear; forgive me if I have made dearer the things that I
have put around it. Many days have been used for costly things that have faded and are laid aside. May I realize the
meaning of days that have been lost. Make me more concerned for what I put in the days to come. Amen.