A Prayer & Some Thoughts - April

[bluidkiti]

April 1


Give Me Strength Prayer

Lord, today is rough. There’s too much clouding my mind, too much to face, and I can already feel the meltdown brewing inside. I don’t have enough patience—with myself or anyone else—to make it through the morning, let alone the day.

Would you meet me here and give me yours? Would you lift me up and carry me out of my room? Would you walk me through my day? Thank you for never being tired or drained. Thank you for having the power to renew my patience and my strength.
Amen

~ Jill St. John

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Just a Thought

We should be free from alcohol for good.

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

So ............

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

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Just a Contemplation

Difficulties

All difficult times in our lives come to an end. And no matter the depth of our disturbance, we will survive. We forget that the depths teach us how to better appreciate the heights.

Sorrow heightens joy. Depression heightens laughter. We wouldn't know the joys and laughter were it not for the sorrows. In them we learn to be patient, waiting for the wisdom which will light our way. In them we learn to listen for the guidance that beckons us forth.b We must reflect on the troubling experiences we've passed through of late. They did make us wiser; they gave us strength.

Difficulties often precede enlightenment. They pull us inward, perhaps push us to search for our connectedness to God, a connectedness that is at home in our hearts. The paradox is that these painful periods strengthen our oneness with the Spirit.

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Coping With Anger

Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These "dry benders' often led straight to the bottle.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 90

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Just a Quote

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." ~ Margaret Thatcher

[bluidkiti]

April 2


Pride Prayer


Lord, it’s hard to admit, but I need to be right. I just know if I explain my way one more time with one more example, the other person will see my side. But the more I push my view, the more my words and actions destroy my relationships.


Lord, remind me that relationships are more important than who’s right and who’s wrong. Tell me to back off when I can’t seem to pull the plug on my pride. Cover my frustration with your patience. Thank you for putting things into perspective and showing me what doesn’t really matter. Thank you for loving me when I think I know everything and you know I know nothing.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Alcoholics are unable or unwilling, during their addiction to alcohol, to live in the present.

The result is that they live in a constant state of remorse and fear because of their unholy past and its morbid attraction, or the uncertain future and its vague foreboding. So the only real hope for the alcoholic is to face the present. Now is the time. Now is ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain as life itself. Only the now belongs to us.

So ............

Am I living in the present, now?

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Just a Contemplation

Other People's Problems

Sometimes we wear ourselves out trying to solve another person's problem. Is this not perhaps a form of egotism? We feel that somehow we should have all the answers and be able to find a solution to every problem, especially when someone close to us is in trouble.

We may be sympathetic and supportive and helpful, but we cannot play the role of God in another person's life. Even our children must learn from their mistakes, just as we continue to learn from our own. If I trust my Higher Power to lead and direct me, then surely He will also direct my family and friends.

The best thing I can do for anyone else is to maintain my own sanity. There are times when no solution seems forthcoming, when an unfortunate or tragic circumstance must be accepted and lived with in the best manner possible. We may not be able to change the circumstance, but we can be sure that God will give us the strength to deal with it.

"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change."

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Puzzle

"By nature touchy and suspicious, the alcoholic likes to be left alone to work out his puzzle, and he has a convenient way of ignoring the tragedy which he inflicts meanwhile upon those who are close to him. He holds desperately to a conviction that, although he has not been able to handle alcohol in the past, he will ultimately succeed in becoming a controlled drinker. One of medicine's queerest animals, he is, as often as not, an acutely intelligent person. He fences with professional men and relatives who attempt to aid him and he gets a perverse satisfaction out of tripping them up in argument."

The Jack Alexander Article
From the March 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post

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Just a Quote

“There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. 'Good pride' represents our dignity and self-respect. 'Bad pride' is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” ~ John C. Maxwell

[bluidkiti]

April 3


Prayer to Awaken Dormant Faith

Dear God,
... may this Easter grandeur that Spring lavishly imparts
Awaken faded flowers of faith lying dormant in our hearts,
And give us ears to hear, dear God, the Springtime song of birds
With messages more meaningful than man’s often empty words
Telling harried human beings who are lost in dark despair –
‘Be like us and do not worry for God has you in His care.’

~ excerpted from Helen Steiner Rice

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Just a Thought

The program of Alcoholics Anonymous involves a continuous striving for improvement.

There can be no long resting period. We must try to work at it all the time. We must continually keep in mind that it is a program not to be measured in years, because we never fully reach our goals nor are we ever cured. Our alcoholism is only kept in abeyance by daily living of the program. It is a timeless program in every sense. We live it day by day, or more precisely, moment by moment - now.

So ............

Am I always striving for improvement?

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Just a Contemplation

Anger

We have a right to claim our own feelings. Sometimes we get angry, but hold it inside because we think it's wrong to feel it. If anger builds inside us, it expands like a balloon ready to burst. If not released, it can make us depressed, or even physically ill. When we give ourselves permission to feel anger, we are better able to get rid of it in a healthy way. Our inner voice can tell us how to let go of our anger. And once we've released it, we can easily get in touch with the feelings that caused it.

When we recognize our anger for what it is--one feeling among many others that makes us unique--it loses its significance, and we can prevent it from consuming us. Indira Ghandi said, "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." When we let go of our anger we can honestly embrace each other with open arms.

I will stop carrying around anger which should be released today.

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Meeting Adversity

Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.

We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us.

As Bill Sees It Page 184

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Just a Quote

"The past is not always an indication of your future. Do not engross yourself in grief and shame over past deeds. Forgive yourself and move on." ~ Aulus Persius Flaccus (Roman writer & poet)

[bluidkiti]

April 4


An Easter Prayer

Lord, today we remember the veil of darkness transforming to the brightest light.
The most dreadful end becoming the most beautiful beginning.
We remember with trembling hearts the depths of despair fading to reveal hope everlasting.
The curse of death defeated by eternal life.
Today we remember with thankfulness your willingness to be pierced for our sins.
We sing with abounding joy of your miraculous rise, from death’s tomb to resplendent life.
Thank you for the promise of heaven and your generous invitation of eternal life for all.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I know the Fellowship of A.A. doesn’t offer any guarantees, but I also know that in the future I do not have to drink. I want to keep this life of peace, serenity, and tranquility that I have found. Today, I have found again the home I left and the woman I married when she was still so young. We have two more children, and they think their dad is an important man. I have all these wonderful things—people who mean more to me than anything in the world. I shall keep all that, and I won’t have to drink, if I remember one simple thing: to keep my hand in the hand of God.

Dave B., one of the founders of A.A. in Canada in 1944
(from: AA Big Book 4th Edition, "Gratitude In Action,” Page 199)

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The Jelly Bean Poem

Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sunflowers so bright.
Black is for the dark of night.
White is for the grace He gave.
Orange is for the sun He made.
Purple is for the hours of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow.
A bag full of jelly beans,
colorful and sweet.
It’s a prayer, a promise,
and a child’s treat.
~ Author Unknown

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Easter Grace Blessing

May the grace of our Lord be with us this day.
May this meal be blessed as we gather to celebrate together.
May your love be shared amongst us as we enjoy the gift of fellowship.
May we remember to give out the grace and forgiveness that you have freely given us,
And may we always give thanks for your love.
Amen

~ Author Unknown

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Just a Quote

“I'm not at all religious but I do love this holiday. As a recovering alcoholic in AA, for me it's a day to celebrate my own "resurrection" from the living death of alcoholism and reflect on how grateful I am to have been delivered from a hopeless, helpless state of mind, body and spirit by my higher power and the fellowship of AA. Thank you, one and all!” ~ Anonymous A.A.

[bluidkiti]

April 5


Prayer For This Day

Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day.
When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going.
Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don't go my way.
And give me courage to do whatever needs to be done.
Your will. not mine be done.
Amen


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Just a Thought

After we've made a surrender, the drink problem is out of our hands and in the hands of God.

The thing we have to do is to be sure that we never reach out and take the problem back into our own hands. Leave it in God's hands. Whenever I'm tempted to take a drink, I must say to my self: "I can't do that. I've made a bargain with God not to drink. I know God doesn't want me to drink and so I won't do it." At the same time I say a little prayer to God for the strength needed to keep the bargain with Him.

So ............

Am I going to keep my bargain with God?

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Just a Contemplation

Accepting Ourselves

Some of us may have felt confused when people encouraged us to be ourselves. How could we know ourselves, or be who we are, when, for years, many of us submerged ourselves in the needs of others? We do have a self.

We're learning to accept ourselves, as we are for the present moment - to accept our feelings, thoughts, flaws, wants, needs, and desires. If our thoughts or feelings are confused, we accept that too. To be who we are means we accept our past - our history - exactly as is.

To be ourselves means we are entitled to our opinions and beliefs - for the present moment and subject to change. We accept our limitations and our strengths. To be who we are means we accept our physical selves, as well as our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves.

Being whom we are, loving and accepting ourselves, is not a limiting attitude. Accepting and loving ourselves is how we enable growth and change. If I'm not yet certain who I am, I will affirm that I have a right to that exciting discovery.

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Relapses--and the Group

An early fear was that of slips or relapses. At first nearly every alcoholic we approached began to slip, if indeed he sobered up at all. Others would stay dry six months or maybe a year and then take a skid. This was always a genuine catastrophe. We would all look at each other and say, "Who next?"

Today, though slips are a very serious difficulty, as a group we take them in stride. Fear has evaporated. Alcohol always threatens the individual, but we know that it cannot destroy the common welfare.

A.A. Comes Of Age Page 97

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Just a Quote

“Option A:
Spend your life trying to get others to accept you.
Option B:
Accept yourself, and spend your life with others who recognize what a beauty you are.”
~ Scott Stabile

[bluidkiti]

April 6


To be Myself Prayer

Lord,
Why am I so unsatisfied? Why is it so hard for me to be me?
I reject myself even though you forgive me.
Help me accept myself for who I am, here, now.
Free me from my desire to copy others and please everyone else.
I want to be a better me.
Show me what’s really mine.
My faults, my virtues.
Then mold me, oh Lord, shape me and make me confident.
And may it all manifest in acts of kindness, mercy and love.
Let me always understand and do your will.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We have surrendered our lives to God.

That doesn't mean that we'll never be tempted to drink. So we must build up strength for the time when temptation will come. In this quiet time, we read and pray and get our minds in the right mood for the day. Starting the day right is a great help in keeping sober. As the days go by and we get used to the sober life, it gets easier and easier. We begin to develop a deep gratitude to God for saving us from that old life. And we begin to enjoy peace and serenity and quiet happiness.

So ............

Am I trying to live the way God wants me to live?

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Just a Contemplation

Goals

Goals give direction to our lives. We need to know who we are and where we want to go. But the trip itself, the steps we travel, offer us daily satisfaction moment by moment - fillment, if we'd but realize it. Too often we keep our sights on the goal's completion, rather than the process--the day-to-day living that makes the completion possible.

How often do we think, "When I finish college, I'll feel stronger." Or even, "When I land that promotion, my troubles are over." Life will begin "when" - so it seems in our minds. And when this attitude controls our thinking, we pass up our opportunity to live, altogether.

Many times, looking back on goals already completed in our lives, what so quickly follows the end of a job well done is a let-down. And how sad that the hours, the days, the weeks, maybe even the months we toiled are gone, with little sense of all they could have meant.

The goal I'm striving toward will carry with it a special gift; it will offer the growing person within me an extra thrill, if I've attended to the journey as much as its end.

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Built By The Many

We give thanks to our Heavenly Father, who, through so many friends and through so many means and channels, has allowed us to construct this wonderful edifice of the spirit in which we are now dwelling--this cathedral whose foundations already rest upon the corners of the earth.

On its great floor we have inscribed our Twelve Steps of recovery. On the side walls, the buttresses of the A.A. Traditions have been set in place to contain us in unity for as long as God may will it so. Eager hearts and hands have lifted the spire of our cathedral into its place. That spire bears the name of service. May it ever point straight upward toward God.

A.A. Comes Of Age Page 234

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Just a Quote

"Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life." ~ Steve Jobs

[bluidkiti]

April 7


Making Wise Choices Prayer

Lord, please give me the wisdom to know when I’m being tempted. Be with me when I am angry, so I don’t make a bad situation much worse. In these times, give me the strength to keep my mouth closed. Keep me from reacting. Keep the sharp words out of my heart, so I don’t use them for destruction.

Please give me the strength to be someone who is patient, and who thinks before I speak. May I have the strength to listen and not be angry. Grant me the wisdom to know when to speak and what to speak, so that others will hear my words and know that they come from a heart that is grateful

Lord, help me to be wise counsel for others. Help me to be a person who lifts others up, who is helpful, and who is loving.
Amen

~ James C.

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Just a Thought

Sometimes we try too hard to get this program.

It is better to relax and accept it. It will be given to us, with no effort on our part, if we stop trying too hard to get it. Sobriety can be a free gift of God, which He gives us by His grace when He knows we are ready for it. But we have to be ready. Then we must relax, take it easy, and accept the gift with gratitude and humility. We must put ourselves in God's hands. We must say to God: "Here am I and here are all my troubles. I've made a mess of things and can't do anything about it. You take me and all my troubles and do anything You want with me."

So ............

Do I believe that the grace of God can do for me what I could never do for myself?
(Let go and let God)

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Just a Contemplation

Be Who You Are

Sometimes, our instinctive reaction to being in a new situation is: Don't be yourself. Who else can we be? Who else would you want to be? We don't need to be anyone else. The greatest gift we can bring to any relationship wherever we go is being who we are.

We may think others won't like us. We may be afraid that if we just relax and be ourselves, the other person will go away or shame us. We may worry about what the other person will think. But, when we relax and accept ourselves, people often feel much better being around us than when we are rigid and repressed. We can be fun to be around.

Giving ourselves permission to be who we are can have a healing influence on our relationships. The tone relaxes. We relax. The other person relaxes. Then everybody feels a little less shame, because they have learned the truth. Who we are is all we can be, all were meant to be, and it's enough. It's fine.

If others don't appreciate us, do we really want to be around them? Do we need to let the opinions of others control our behavior and us? Our opinion of ourselves is truly all that matters. And we can give ourselves all the approval we want and need.

I can and will relax and be who I am in my relationships. I will do this not in a demeaning or inappropriate way, but in a way that shows I accept myself and value who I am.

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Perception of Humility

An improved perception of humility starts a revolutionary change in our outlook. Our eyes begin to open to the immense values which have come straight out of painful ego-puncturing. Until now, our lives have been largely devoted to running from pain and problems. Escape via the bottle was always our solution.

Then, in A.A., we looked and listened. Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 74-75

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Just a Quote

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way." ~ Helen West

[bluidkiti]

April 8


Slow Down Prayer


Lord, it doesn’t matter how old I get; adulting is hard. Someone should’ve told me that most of being a grown up was making it up as you go along. That there wasn’t some magic manual that would be imprinted on my brain. The responsibilities keep piling on—family, financial, my future. It never ends.


Give me your patience to handle the big and small. Slow me down. Teach me how to be calm. I don’t want to waste my life frazzled, exhausted, and weighted down. Thank you for offering me rest and for not making me to do life on my own.

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we must surrender, give up, admit that we're helpless.

We surrender our lives to God and ask Him for help. When He knows that we're ready, He gives us by His grace the free gift of sobriety. And we can't take any credit for having stopped drinking, because we didn't do it by our own willpower. There's no place for pride or boasting. We can only be grateful to God for doing for us what we could never do for ourselves.

So ............

Do I believe that God has made me a free gift of the strength to stay sober?

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Just a Contemplation

Peace

Anxiety is often our first reaction to conflict, problems, or even our own fears. In those moments, detaching and getting peaceful may seem disloyal or apathetic. We think: If I really care, I'll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying.

Our best problem-solving resource is peace. Solutions arise easily and naturally out of a peaceful state. Often, fear and anxiety block solutions. Anxiety gives power to the problem, not the solution. It does not help to harbor turmoil. It does not help.

Peace is available if we choose it. In spite of chaos and unsolved problems around us, all is well. Things will work out. We can surround ourselves with the resources of the Universe: water, earth, a sunset, a walk, a prayer, a friend. We can relax and let ourselves feel peace.

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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

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Just a Quote

“If you’re always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in? Slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.” ~ Nanette Mathews

[bluidkiti]

April 9


Guidance Prayer

Good morning, Lord!
Today's a new day, a chance for a new start.
Yesterday is gone and with it any regrets, mistakes, or failures I may have experienced.
It's a good day to be glad and give thanks.
Thank you for today, a new opportunity to love, give, and be all that you want me to be.
Amen

~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

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Just a Thought

There are two important things we have to do if we want to get sober and stay sober.

Having admitted that we're helpless before alcohol, we have to turn our alcoholic problem over to God and trust Him to take care of it for us. This means asking Him every morning for the strength to stay sober that day and thanking Him every night. It means really leaving the problem in God's hands and not reaching out and taking the problem back to ourselves. Second, having given our drink problem to God, we must cooperate with Him by doing something about it ourselves.

So ............

Am I doing these two things?

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Just a Contemplation

Our Actions

We like ourselves best when we like those around us. When we smile at them, they smile back; when we ask them, they tell us about themselves. When we scowl at people, they'll frown back; when we ignore them, they'll walk away.

It's true that we get back what we put into things, whether it's work, play, love, or gardening. We decide by the extent of our commitment how valuable or enjoyable or depressing an experience can be for us.

Our actions toward others come right back to us. When we smile at people, they smile back, and we feel good. Sometimes feeling good about ourselves depends on feeling good about others. When we send out that smile of ours, those who get it pass it on, and we have added power to the happiness of the world.

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Long-Term Hope

Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural desires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceed their intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions or pleasures than are possible or due us, that is the point at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 65

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Just a Quote

"One of the weakness of our age is our apparent inability to distinguish our needs from our greeds." ~ Don Robinson

[bluidkiti]

April 10


Letting Go Prayer


Lord,
I’m stuck in a place I don’t want to be. It seems everyone else is speeding forward. It’s so hard to watch sometimes. What if my life always looks and feels this way? Things have to change. I must move on. I need something new right now.


But that’s not your way. You want me to grow when I want to run away. Soothe my anxiety. Take away my desperation. Stretch my perseverance. Thank you for knowing what’s best for me. Thank you for helping me let go and giving me the patience to wait on your timing, not mine.
Amen


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Just a Thought

We must learn to think differently.

We must change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. We must reeducate our minds. We must try to help other alcoholics. We must cooperate with God by spending at least as much time and energy on the A.A. program as we did on drinking. We must follow the A.A. program to the best of our ability. Interacting with other A.A.’s often, especially before & after meetings helps develop new sober thinking.

So ............

Have I turned my alcoholic problem over to God and am I cooperating with Him?

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Just a Contemplation

Laughter

A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many of us are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us.

The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift from God. All we need to do is grab it and use it. Then we will see how healthy and powerful laughter can be.

I can find the humor in my mistakes today.

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Opening Up to Change

Self-searching is the means by which we bring new vision, action, and grace to bear upon the dark and negative side of our natures. With it comes the development of that kind of humility that makes it possible for us to receive God's help. . . . we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life -- the one that did not work -- for a new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever.

As Bill Sees It Page 10

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Just a Quote

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” ~ Sally Koch

[bluidkiti]

April 11


Prayer for Empathy

Lord,
You understood the needs of those impoverished in mind,
body, or spirit, and never shamed or shunned them.
May we come to recognize our own vulnerability
and our longing to be healed.
As we encounter our own pain,
let it deepen in us a capacity to feel for others.
Enlarge our souls, expand our minds,
and soften our hearts towards all who suffer.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We finally came to the bottom.

We did not have to be financially broke, although many of us were. But we were spiritually bankrupt. We had a soul-sickness, a revulsion against ourselves and against our way of living. Life had become impossible for us. We had to end it all or do something about it.

So ............

Am I glad I did something about it?

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Just a Contemplation


Taking Care of Ourselves

We cannot simultaneously set a boundary and take care of another person's feelings. It's impossible; the two acts contradict. What a tremendous asset to have compassion for others! How difficult that same quality can make it to set boundaries!

Some of us live with a deeply ingrained message from our family, or from church, about never hurting other people's feelings. We can replace that message with a new one; one that says it's not okay to hurt ourselves. Sometimes, when we take care of ourselves, others will react with hurt feelings.

That's okay. We will learn, grow, and benefit by the experience; they will too. The most powerful and positive impact we can have on other people is accomplished by taking responsibility for ourselves, and allows others to be responsible for themselves.

It's good to care about other people and their feelings; it's essential to care about ourselves too. Sometimes, to take good care of ourselves, we need to make a choice. Caring works. Caretaking doesn't. We can learn to walk the line between the two.

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Living In The Now

First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works. Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24 hour segments is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well.

Living Sober Page 7

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Just a Quote

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~ James Baldwin

[bluidkiti]

April 12


Empathy Prayer

Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
You made us live together in communities.
We are nothing without relationships.
You have given us the virtue of empathy to ensure that we are able to identify with
and feel other people’s concerns.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to follow your plan and to form
a safe, caring, inclusive community. May your gift of empathy lead
us to know and feel your presence among us.
Amen

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Just a Thought

One of the mottoes of A.A. is "But for the Grace of God."

Once we have fully accepted the program we become humble about our achievement. We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the Grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God which has given us another chance.

So ............

Am I truly grateful for the grace of God?

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Just a Contemplation

Living with Families

We may love and care about our family very much. Family members may love and care about us. But interacting with some members may be a real trigger to a deep abyss of shame, rage, anger, guilt, and helplessness.

It can be difficult to achieve detachment, or an emotional level, with certain family members. It can be difficult to separate their issues from ours. It can be difficult to own our power. Difficult, but not impossible.

First is awareness and acceptance - simple acknowledgment, without guilt, of our feelings and thoughts. We do not have to blame our family members. We do not have to blame or shame ourselves. Acceptance is the goal - acceptance and freedom to choose what we want and need to do to take care of ourselves with that person. We can become free of the patterns of the past. We are recovering. Progress is the goal.

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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

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Just a Quote

“Anyone who has experienced a certain amount of loss in their life has empathy for those who have experienced loss.” ~ Anderson Cooper

[bluidkiti]

April 13

Inner Peace Prayer

Lord,
I'm worried and anxious.
My mind races and obsesses.
I can't help thinking about my problems.
And the more I think about them,
the more depressed I become.
I feel like I'm sinking down in quicksand
and can't get out.
Calm me, Lord.
Slow me down, put Your peace in my heart.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Most alcoholics started having quiet times each morning.

We come to depend on God's help during the day, especially if we should be tempted to take a drink. And we can honestly thank Him each night for the strength He has given us. So our faith is strengthened by these quiet times of prayer. By listening to other members, by working with other alcoholics, by times of quiet meditation, our faith in God gradually becomes strong.

So ............

Have I turned my drink problem entirely over to God, without reservations?

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Just a Contemplation

Letting Go of Confusion

Sometimes, the way is not clear. Our minds get clouded, confused. We aren't certain what our next step should be, what it will look like, what direction we are headed.

This is the time to stop, ask for guidance, and rest. That is the time to let go of fear. Wait. Feel the confusion and chaos, and then let it go. The path will show itself. The next step shall be revealed. We don't have to know now. We will know in time. Trust that. Let go and trust.

I will trust that out of the chaos will come clarity.

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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

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Just a few Quotes

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” ~ Dalai Lama

[bluidkiti]

April 14


Crises Prayer

Lord, I can’t move. I can’t sit still or stand. I can’t breathe. Everything’s falling apart inside me and around me. I don’t know what to do.

Please wrap your arms around me and don’t ever let go. Slow my racing heart. Clear my spinning head. Calm my frantic lungs. I need Your patience to breathe through this moment and make it to the next. Thank you for being a God who cares, a God able to guard my heart and mind.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When we came into A.A., we made a tremendous discovery.

We found that we were sick persons rather than moral lepers. We were not such “odd balls” as we thought we were. We found other people who had the same illness that we had, who had been through the same experiences that we had been through. They had recovered. if they could do it, we could do it.


So ............

Was hope born in me the day I walked into A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Timing

“If we could untangle the mysteries of life and unravel the energies which run through the world; if we could evaluate correctly the significance of passing events; if we could measure the struggles, dilemmas, and aspirations of mankind, we could find that nothing is born out of time. Everything comes at its appointed moment.”
~ Joseph R. Sizoo

Timing can be frustrating. We can wait and wait for something to happen, and it seems to be forever until it comes to pass. Or, suddenly, an event or circumstance is thrust upon us, catching us by surprise. Believing that things happen too slowly or too quickly is an illusion. Timing is perfect. I will accept the timing in my life today.

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Release and Joy

Who can render an account of all the miseries that once were ours, and who can estimate the release and joy that later years have brought to us? Who can possibly tell the vast consequences of what God's work through A.A. has already set in motion?

And who can penetrate the deeper mystery of our wholesale deliverance from slavery, a bondage to a most hopeless and fatal obsession which for centuries possessed the minds and bodies of men and women like ourselves?

As Bill Sees It Page 263

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Just a Few Quotes

“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.” ~ Chinese Proverb

“When it comes to patience, we don’t have to change old habits; we can build better ones.” ~ Sue Bender

[bluidkiti]

April 15

Prayer Against Depression

Lord,
Please strengthen our hearts, and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us.
Please guard our hearts from depression.
Give us the strength to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down.
Amen

~ John Barnett

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Just a Thought

Can I get well?

If I mean: "Can I ever drink normally again?" the answer is no. But if I mean, "Can I stay sober?" the answer is definitely yes. I can get well by turning my drink problem over to a Power greater than myself, that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and by asking that Power each morning to give me the strength to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. I know from the experience of thousands of people that if I honestly want to get well, I can get well.

So ............

Am I faithfully following the A.A. program?

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Just a Contemplation

Being Different

What does it mean to be different? How does it feel? Is it okay to act or look or be different from everyone else at times? Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, it feels safer to blend into the crowd. We don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. But sometimes it's when we are different that we discover new things no one has ever thought of or done before.

We don't want to spend our whole lives doing only what others do. And there are times when we must take a stand if what others are doing is wrong. Perhaps it's good practice to try to do some little thing differently once in a while, to stand out from the crowd, just to get used to it. We might even like it. After all, if no one ever dares to be different, how would our world ever change for the better?

“Each man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.” ~ Mark Twain

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"Success" in Twelfth-Stepping

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 Sees It Page 165

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Just a Quote

“’Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” ~ Alice Walker