A Prayer & Some Thoughts - June

[bluidkiti]

June 1


Feeling Fearful Prayer

Lord,
I am feeling fearful right now, I need your comfort and assurance.
Take away my fears and replace them with your peace.
Give me your comfort and assurance.
Help me to not lose heart but renew my spirit each day.
Thank you for not giving me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We are so glad to be free from alcohol that we do something about it.

We get into action. We come to meetings regularly. We go out and try to help other alcoholics. We pass on the good news whenever we get a chance. In a spirit of thankfulness to God, we get into action. The A.A. program is simple. Submit yourself to God, find release from alcohol, and get into action. Do these things and keep doing them and you're all set for the rest of your life.

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

Have I got into action?

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Just a Contemplation

Suffering

Knowing that others have survived experiences equally devastating as ours, gives us hope, but it doesn't diminish our own personal suffering. Nor should it; out of suffering comes new understanding. Suffering also encourages our appreciation of the lighter, easier times. Pain experienced fully enhances the times of pleasure.

Our sufferings are singular, individual, and lonely. But our experiences with it can be shared; thereby lessening the power they have over us. Sharing our pain with another person also helps them remember that their pain, too, is survivable.

Suffering softens us, helps us to feel more compassion and love toward another. Our sense of belonging to the human race, our recognition of the interdependence and kinship of us all, are the most cherished results of the gift of pain.

Each of our sufferings, sharing them as we do, strengthens me and heals my wounds of alienation.

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Trouble

There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered.
Then came AA. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimaginable blessings.

As Bill Sees It Page 110

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Just a Few Quotes

“Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.” ~ Karl Augustus Menninger

“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” ~ Seneca

[bluidkiti]

June 2

Growing Older Prayer

Lord, You know that I am growing older.

Keep me from becoming talkative and possessed
with the idea that I must express myself
on every subject.

Release me from the craving to straighten out
everyone's affairs.

Keep me from the recital of endless detail.
Give me wings to get to the point.

Seal my lips when I am inclined to tell of my
aches and pains. They are increasing with
the years and my love to speak of them
grows sweeter as time goes by.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally
I may be wrong.

Make me thoughtful but not nosey;
helpful but not bossy.

With my vast store of wisdom and experience it
does seem a pity not to use it all. But You know,
Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.

~From: Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR (Franciscan Order)

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of hope.

It's a program of hope because when new members come into A.A., the first thing they get is hope. They hear older members tell how they had been through the same kind of hell that they have and how they found the way out through A.A. And this gives them hope that if others can do it, they can do it.

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

Is hope still strong in me?

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Just a Contemplation

Our Own Pain

Sometimes we walk around with chips on our shoulders. We're like a tightly wound spring ready to jump at the slightest trigger, when other times we would let the same event go unnoticed. We even say self-righteously, "I didn't start it. Maybe we have a problem with being like a spring ready to jump. When we are like that, we are difficult to live with or be around.

We can change by getting in touch with our pain. We need to explore our feelings. Perhaps we need to be honest with ourselves about low self-esteem, about feelings of loneliness or fear. Then we must talk with another person or our group about our feelings and continue to talk about them. In this way we become reconciled to ourselves and to our friends around us.

God, help me accept my own pain, and help me be tolerant of my friends' mistakes.

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Honesty

I know the biggest word for me in AA is "honesty."
I don't believe this program would work for me if I didn't get honest with myself about everything. Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand because it is the exact opposite of what I've been doing all my life. Therefore, it will be the hardest to work on. But I will never be totally honest -- that would make me perfect, and none of us can claim to be perfect. Only God is.

Experience, Strength and Hope Pages 400-401

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Just a Quote

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” ~ Spencer Johnson

[bluidkiti]

June 2


Negative People Prayer


Dear Lord,

Please help me when those around me try to bring me down.
Allow me to recognize the hurts and issues in their lives and how I can be of help to them.
Help me to keep my natural human tendencies in check and not to retaliate back.
Quietly remind me where my true worth and value really lie.
Give me comfort in knowing that You are leading me on a better path and give me the strength to continue pursuing it.
Please clear my heart of any issues that will hinder me from praying for those around me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

By drinking, we escaped from boredom for a while. We 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?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Pity


"Ah, poor me," we sometimes say, "I have to work so hard!" "I have so much stress!" "If only my problem with money would get better, then I could be content!" "I just don't understand people!" "Why can't my family have fewer troubles?"

This attitude of self-pity is as ancient as humanity. Every person has problems and challenges, and life often is not fair. Self-pity becomes a stumbling block when we get so narrowly focused upon our problems. We forget we are a part of a whole throng of fellow pilgrims on this path. It helps to notice others beside ourselves who are seeking courage to live their lives.

Sometimes we reawaken our awareness of our God by seeing that we are "carried on great winds across the sky." We have many blessings; we are not alone. Often within problems we discover our greatest blessings.

I will ask God to help me find the spiritual path in the choices I make today. Help me turn away from self-pity.

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Fear

We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those about us. We have seen that we were prodded by unreasonable fears and anxieties into making a life business of winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership. So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin marked 'Fear.' We simply had to be Number One people to cover up our deep-lying inferiorities.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 123

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Just a Quote

"Continuing to beat our heads against the brick walls of past failures is insanity. We have a new life to live, provided we relinquish the attitudes and behavior, which we now know to be insane." ~ Cristina Ferrare

[bluidkiti]

June 4


A Morning Prayer

I come before you O Lord
As the sun rises may your hope rise up in me.
As the birds sing may your love flow out of me.
As the light floods into this new day,
May your joy shine through me.
I come before you, O Lord
And drink in this moment of peace,
That I may carry something of your hope, love and joy
Today in my heart.
Amen

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Just a Thought


If we allow an alcoholic thought to lodge in our minds for any length of time, we are in danger of having a slip.

Therefore we must dispel such thoughts at once, by refusing their admittance and by immediately putting constructive thoughts in their place. Remember that alcohol is poison to you. Remember that it is impossible for you to drink normally. Remember that one drink will lead to another and you will eventually be drunk. Remember what happened to you in the past as a result of your drinking. Think of every reason you have learned in A.A. for not taking that drink. Fill your mind with constructive thoughts.

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

Am I keeping my thoughts constructive?

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Just a Contemplation

Beliefs

Life is full of questions. Many people tell us they have the answers. We have to be careful of who and what we believe. Other people's ideas may not fit us.
The program doesn't tell us much about what to believe. It teaches us how to believe. How well the program works for us depends on what we believe and how well we live it. When we face all the facts, we can really believe. We believe we are powerless over alcohol. We believe we must and can change some things in our lives. We believe we can trust a Higher Power to care for us. When we choose to believe, we want to choose the best beliefs we can. And once we believe, we must not forget.

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Hope

Hope is the priceless ingredient for recovery. This, AA gives most frequently not in mere words.
Upon the alcoholic's first contact with AA, as he looks across the room and sees men and women respectably clothed and in their right minds, enjoying themselves, that flicker of hope begins to burn. And he says to himself, "If those jokers can do it, I can."
The first need, beyond any other, is hope. Without it, there is nothing.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Pages 156-157

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Just a Quote

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

[bluidkiti]

June 5


Prayer for Wisdom

In everything we do, Lord, give us a desire to seek out the truth;
give us a willingness to heed the advice of others;
give us wisdom in reaching decisions;
give us faith to believe in our conclusions;
give us courage to put our ideas to the test;
and, if we prove ourselves wrong, give us the grace to admit it.
Amen.

~ Jesuit Prayer

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Just a Thought

Have I turned to a Higher Power for help?

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 into a sober, useful citizen? Do I believe that this Higher Power can keep me from drinking alcohol? Am I living one day at a time? Do I ask God to give me the power to stay sober for twenty-four hours?

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

Do I attend A.A. meetings regularly?

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Just a Contemplation

Back to Life

Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous

All over the world, recovering men and women use the same Twelve Steps to live their lives.
Our fellowship keeps growing. The bigger it gets, the faster it grows. Why? Because the program brings our spirits back to life. All over the world, many of us were dying, and now we’re full of life and love. We are bringing our world back to life. As we share our experience, strength, and hope, we help others join us in coming back to life.

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Growing Up in AA

Life is meant to be lived by facing the challenges it brings.
Otherwise, I'm not living, just existing. God didn't give me this gift of sobriety to sit in a rocking chair, imagining myself as some old wise woman who has arrived somewhere.
There is no easier, softer way.

The Best Of The Grapevine [Vol.3], Page 320

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Just a Quote

"Our conscience may still guide our actions at times, but as we grow in our recovery, we begin to intuitively know what keeps us on track and in sync with God." ~ Karen Casey

[bluidkiti]

June 6


For Courage to Do Justice

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others
Open my ears that I may hear their cries;
Open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
And use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears
That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.

~ Alan Paton, South Africa, United Methodist

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Just a Thought

Fear and worry had me down.

They were increased by my drinking. I worried about what I had done when I was drunk. I was afraid of what the consequences might be. I was afraid to face people because of the fear of being found out. Fear kept me in hot water all the time. I was a nervous wreck from fear and worry. I was a tied-up bundle of nerves. I had a fear of failure, of the future, of growing old, of sickness, of hangover, of suicide. I had a wrong set of ideas and attitudes. When A.A. told me to surrender these fears and worries to a Higher Power, I did so. I now try to think of faith instead of fear.

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

Have I put faith in place of fear?

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Just a Contemplation

Just Begin

Let us begin! Whether it be working on our First Step, Finding a sponsor, or talking to someone we hurt---Let us begin. Doubt will set in if we wait too long. Fear will follow. So, let us begin. We learn by doing. Recovery is for doers. Sobriety doesn't just happen. We create it. We create it by working the Steps and learning from them. We'll never totally understand the Steps unless we work them. In the same way, we'll never learn how to have friends unless we try. So, call your friends, instead of waiting to be called. Begin and begin again. Each day is a new beginning.

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A New Life

Is sobriety all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening?
No, sobriety is only a bare beginning; If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. As it does go on, 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 8

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D Day -- June 6, 1944

Today is the 77th anniversary of D-Day, Operation Overlord, the day during World War II on which the Allies -- American, British, and Canadian troops -- invaded France, a giant milestone on the road to defeating Nazi Germany.

It's tough today to understand the scope and risk that was involved in the invasion, and to appreciate the sacrifices of 4,414 Allied soldiers killed and more than 9,000 wounded or missing.
-----------------------

"They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate."
-- President Franklin D. Roosevelt's official address announcing the invasion

"So much of the progress that would define the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, came down to the battle for a slice of beach only six miles long and two miles wide."
--President Barak Obama, 10 years ago, in Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day

[bluidkiti]

June 7


Prayer of Support

Lord,
Still my tongue. Replace useless words with silent understanding.
Let compassion be my guide as I offer help and healing with only my presence and my prayers.
I pray that I will know when to speak and when not to.
May my support be felt without uttering a single syllable.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of charity.

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?

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Just a Contemplation

Service

Service is a word we hear in our recovery program. Service means work we do for others. It's the backbone of our program. The reason is simple. Service to our Higher Power and to others breaks down our wanting to be self-centered. Service brings us back into the world. We really are part of the group when we pitch in to make coffee, set up chairs, or talk in meetings. We really feel like part of the family when we run errands and help with meals and housework. We really connect with our Higher Power when we pray, "Use me today to help others." Service breaks down the feeling of being alone that being self -centered brings.

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The Tyrant

The truth is, that in the life of each AA member, there still lurks a tyrant.
His name is alcohol. And his weapons are misery, insanity, and death. No matter how long we may be sober, he always stands at each man's elbow, ever watchful of an opportunity to resume his destruction.

The Language of the Heart Page 34

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Just a Quote

"To recognize one’s own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence." ~ Eckhart Tolle

[bluidkiti]

June 8


Prayer To Serve Others

Lord,
Thank You for the opportunity to serve others. I pray that You would continue to instill this value into us and our children. Help us to see others the way you see them.


Lord, we pray that You show us the needs of those around us. Help us to be focused on others and in tune to Your Spirit, so that we can help those that are hurting. Lord, give us the grace to serve when it’s hard. Give us the strength to keep going when we are worn out from our own situations.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we often hear the slogan "Easy Does It."

Alcoholics always do everything to excess. They drink too much. They worry too much. They have too many resentments. They hurt themselves physically and mentally by too much of everything. So when they come into A.A., they have to learn to take it easy. None of us knows how much longer we have to live. It's probable that we wouldn't have lived very long if we had continued to drink the way we used to. By stopping drinking, we have increased our chances of living for a while longer.

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

Have I learned to take it easy?

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Just a Contemplation

Being Happy

If only I had a new bike, then I'd be happy. If only my family were more understanding, then I'd be happy. If only my hair were styled better. If only I had more friends. If only... Sometimes we begin to sound like a broken record when things go wrong, so certain that if the events and conditions of our lives were different, we'd be happy.

It's an old and unfortunate habit that we look around outside ourselves for happiness. We can never be sure of it if we count on certain conditions to guarantee it. However, we can always be sure of happiness if we carry it with us wherever we go. The happiness habit can be developed, with practice, just as surely as good piano playing or accurate pitching. We can control our own thoughts. The decision to make them happy ones is ours to make.

Am I carrying my happiness within me right now?

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Only Try

I'm glad you are going to try that new job. But make sure that you are only going to 'try.' If you approach the project in the attitude that "I must succeed, I must not fail, I cannot fail,' then you practically guarantee the flop which in turn will guarantee a drinking relapse. But if you look at the venture as a constructive experiment only, then all should go well.

As Bill See It Page 214

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Just a Quote

“As we lose ourselves in the service of others we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” ~ Dieter

[bluidkiti]

June 9


Prayer for Understanding

Lord,
As I walk through life, give me wisdom and understanding in every decision I make.
Guide my thoughts and direct my steps.
When I experience uncertainty and confusion, may I lean on your limitless wisdom.
Help me to think clearly and calmly.
Help me to act with confidence and wisdom.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The way of A.A. is the way of fellowship.

We have read a good deal about fellowship and yet it is such an important part of the A.A. program that it seems that we cannot think too much about it. Human beings were not meant to live alone. A hermit's life is not a normal or natural one. We all need to be by ourselves at times, but we cannot really live without the companionship of others. Our natures demand it. Our lives depend largely upon it. The fellowship of A.A. seems to us to be the best in the world.

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

Do I fully appreciate what the fellowship of A.A. means to me?

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Just a Contemplation

Fellowship

A.A. is a fellowship united against the same enemy--alcoholism. Our bonds give us strength to recover. We may not even know each other's last name, but we'll do anything to help each other stay sober. Our illness has taken much. But it has also given us much. We have millions of new friends. Almost anywhere in the world, we can find a member of our fellowship. Our new way of life depends on the strength of the fellowship. We should do nothing to weaken it. When you don't feel like going to a meeting--go, not only for yourself but for the sake of the fellowship. It truly needs you.

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Action

Action is the magic word!
With a positive, helpful attitude and regular AA action, I can stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety. My attitude now is that I am willing to go to any length to stay sober!

Daily Reflections, p. 161

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Just a Quote

“Willingness is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” ~ J. W. Reed

[bluidkiti]

June 10


Smile Prayer

Lord,

I know that every day may not be good, but there is good in every day.
Make this one the best day yet.
Let my eyes be open to the natural beauty in the commonplace things I see.
May my heart feel love for everyone I meet.
Encourage my heart to embrace each and every person I see with a genuine smile.
Show me the way to living well.
Thank You for the guidance.
Amen

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Just a Thought

As I look back over my drinking career, have I learned that you take out of life what you put into it?

When I put drinking into my life, did I take out a lot of bad things? Hospitals with the D.T.'s? Jails for drunken driving? Loss of job? Loss of home and family?

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

When I put drinking into my life, was almost everything I took out bad?

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Just a Contemplation

Kindness

In our illness, we takers. Now, we've changed this around. We are now givers. Giving is a big part of recovery. Our word for it is service. Our program is based on care, respect, and service. Our program tells us to “practice these principles in all our affairs." No matter if it's getting to our meeting early to put on the coffee, or going on a Twelfth Step call, we are giving of ourselves. We give so that we know we can make a difference. We give so that we can know how to love better. The healing power of recovery is love. As we give love and kindness to others, we heal. Why? Because people grow by giving kindness and love to others.

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Alcoholism

Alcoholism is deadly, ugly, and tough. It is also cunning, baffling, and powerful. It wants me to consider perfection attainable. . . It wants me to try to fix myself with the right therapist or the right religion. . . It wants me to forget that it is a snake in the brain, hoping to catch my eye, watching, waiting. The gritty pain of alcoholism is the traction of recovery. I cannot afford to sell off the principles for an easier, softer way.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], page 165

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Just a Few Quotes

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop


Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give. ~ Ben Carson

[bluidkiti]

June 11


Acceptance of Change Prayer

Lord,
Change isn’t always bad, and I need to accept that.
Help me as I face changes in my life and show me ways to manage them.
Give me wisdom and guide me as I enter these changes.
May others be an encouragement as well and allow me to do the same in return.
Keep me from always questioning why things are happening and just show me how to accept them.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The longer we're in A.A., the more natural this way of life seems.

Our old drinking lives were a very unnatural way of living. Our present sober lives are the most natural way we could possibly live. During the early years of our drinking, our lives weren't so different from the lives of a lot of other people. But as we gradually became problem drinkers, our lives became more and more unnatural.

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

Do I realize now that the things I did were far from natural?

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Just a Contemplation

Gratitude

I do not have to worry about tomorrow, because if I live well today, tomorrow will take care of itself.

When I am full of gratitude, there is no room left for anger, envy, fear, or hatred. Nor is there room for pride, since when I am grateful I am humbly aware of my dependence on my God. Being filled with gratitude is ever so much better than being filled with anger & fear!

May I be grateful today and every day.

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Spot-Checking

A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of disturbances can be of very great help in quieting stormy emotions. Today's spot check finds its chief application to situations which arise in each day's march. The consideration of long-standing difficulties had better be postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for that purpose.

The quick inventory is aimed at our daily ups and downs, especially those where people or new events throw us off balance and tempt us to make mistakes.

As Bill Sees It Page 132

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Just a Quote

"Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still." ~ Lou Erickson

[bluidkiti]

June 12


Healing Prayer

Lord,
Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy.
I pray that my discomforts will turn to comforts, my pains to gains,
my deprivation to more blessings, my losses to profits, my tears to smiles,
my sorrows to pleasures, my illness to wellness, my debits to credits and my dreams to realities.
I trust in you Lord and in you alone to heal me with any form of skepticism.
I trust, Lord, that this agony and suffering that is only in my head will come to end and positivism will shine upon me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When drinking, I had to show off and boast so that people would think I amounted to something.

But of course, both they and I knew that I really didn't amount to anything. I didn't fool anybody. Although I've been sober for quite a while, the old habit of building myself up is still with me. I still have a tendency to think too well of myself and to pretend to be more than I really am.

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

Am I always in danger of becoming conceited just because I'm sober?

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Just a Contemplation

Remember

Do you remember what it was like to not have sobriety? Remember the shame? Remember loneliness? Remember lying and wishing you could stop? Remember the powerlessness? Do you remember, also, how it felt when you began to believe you had an illness? Your shame was lifted. Remember what it was like to look around at your meeting and know you belonged? Your loneliness was lifted. Remember when your family started to trust you again? Your dishonesty has been lifted. Sobriety gives us many roses. Our memory will help to keep them fresh.

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Fellowship

The fellowship I found in AA enabled me to face my problem honestly and squarely. I couldn't do it among my relatives, I couldn't do it among my friends. No one likes to admit they're a drunk, that they can't control this thing. But when we come into AA, we can face our problem honestly and openly. I went to closed meetings and open meetings. And I took everything that AA had to give me. It was at that point I reached surrender.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 340

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Just a Quote

“It is better to live one day wisely and reflectively than to live a hundred years in ignorance and indulgence." ~ Buddha

[bluidkiti]

June 13


Prayer To Understand Others

Lord,
Grant me the gift of understanding.
Help me to understand the feelings of others, the desires of others, the goals of others.
At the same time, help me to understand myself in my actions and reactions.
Widen my vision beyond my own small world to embrace with knowledge and love the worlds of others.
Help me, Lord, to always see you at work in my own life and in the lives of others.
Bless me with insight, acceptance and love. Help me to understand.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

When we first came into A.A., a sober life seemed strange.

We wondered what life could possibly be like without ever taking a drink. At first, a sober life seemed unnatural. But the longer we're in A.A., the more natural this way of life seems. And now we know that the life we're living in A.A., the sobriety, the fellowship, the faith in God, and trying to help each other, is the most natural way we could possibly live.

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

Do I believe it's the way God wants me to live?

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Just a Contemplation

Anger

Anger is part of life. We need not dwell in it or seek it out, but we can't afford to ignore it. It's one of our emotions.

We can learn that we can shamelessly feel all our feelings, including anger, and still take responsibility for what we do when we feel angry. We don't have to let anger control us, but it surely will if we prevent ourselves from feeling it.

Being grateful, being positive, being healthy, does not mean we never feel angry. Being grateful, positive, and healthy means we feel angry when we need to.

I can let myself be angry, if I need to. I can feel and release my emotions, including anger, constructively. I will be grateful for my anger and the things it is trying to show me. I can feel and accept all my emotions without shame, and I can take responsibility for my actions.

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Awakening

Alcoholism is a grievous and often fatal malady of the mind and body. We have found that these awful conditions invariably bring on the third phase of our malady. This is the sickness of the spirit; a sickness for which there must necessarily be a spiritual remedy. We AA's recognize this in the first five words of Step Twelve. Those words are: 'Having had a spiritual awakening...' Here we name the remedy for our threefold sickness of body, mind, and soul.
~ Bill W

The Language of the Heart Page 297

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Just a Quote

"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving." ~ Dale Carnegie

[bluidkiti]

June 14


Stress Prayer

Dear Lord,
I have so many things I’m worried about bombarding my brain.
I am so tired from worrying about all of these things.
I’m not going to hold them anymore.
I cast them on You, knowing You are fully capable of catching them.
You carefully hold me, my loved ones, my dreams, and anything else I take care of and love in Your hands.
You are infinitely wise, resourceful, powerful, and loving.
You can take care of me and everything I care about.
Thank You, Lord!
Amen

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Just a Thought

It's very important to keep in a grateful frame of mind, if we want to stay sober.

We should be grateful that we're living in a day and age when an alcoholic isn't treated as he often used to be treated before Alcoholics Anonymous was started. In the old days, every town had its town drunk who was regarded with scorn and ridicule by the rest of the townspeople. We have come into A.A. and found all the sympathy, understanding, and fellowship that we could ask for. There's no other group like A.A. in the world.

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

Am I grateful?

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Just a Contemplation

The Past

We're told that we should forget the past when we come into AA. Since we can't change it, we should not waste time and energy reliving it.

Let's be careful, however, not to take this advice too literally. There was much in our past that was good, even when we were drinking. We have a right and a need to treasure these important things.
The real dangers of living in the past come either from brooding about its mistakes or from thinking that our best days are already behind us. We can think of the past as a foundation for the good we expect today and in all the days ahead.

I'll preserve the best in my memories of the past, knowing that these helped bring me to my present state of recovery.

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Willing To Believe

Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they might mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things which had seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth. But if we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere. So at first we used our own conceptions of God, however limited they were.

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question: "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, even in this small degree, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 47

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Just a Quote

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." ~ Nido Qubein

[bluidkiti]

June 15

Prayer When Frustrated

Lord,
I feel so frustrated.
Give me strength to overcome these negative feelings
and to get all the tasks that I have to do, completed,
efficiently and effectively, and on time!
Calm my mind.
Give me peace, as I recollect all the tasks I need to complete.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I'm grateful that I found the program of A.A. that keeps me sober.

I'm grateful that A.A. has shown me the way to faith in a Higher Power, because the renewing of that faith has changed my way of life. And I've found a happiness and contentment that I had forgotten existed, by simply believing in God and trying to live the kind of a life that I know He wants me to live. As long as I stay grateful, I'll stay sober.

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

Am I in a grateful frame of mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Remembering

When we see someone drunk and out of control, can we see the beautiful person inside them?

If we can't, who will? Step Twelve reminds us that we have to help the alcoholic who suffers. This task has been given to us because we, most of all, should be able to look past the drunkenness and see the person. We were there. We know what it's like to be trapped in a world without meaning. If these memories have faded, we may need to go back over Step One. We may find ourselves angry with the practicing drunk or other drug addict. This is a sign that we have gotten too far from our past. Remember, "But for the grace of God..."

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Self-Concern

If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now.
We are of no value to anyone, including ourselves, until we find salvation from alcohol.
Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first -- a right and necessary kind of self-concern.

As Bill Sees It Page 81

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Just a Few Quotes

“One of the greatest sources of insecurity and frustration is our tendency to try and change things that we don't have any control of.” ~ Ryan Help

“How many times have we attempted the impossible and tried to change other people. Often this ends up being an exercise of frustration as attempting to change others truly is a waste of time!” ~ Catherine Pulsifer