A Prayer & Some Thoughts - August

[bluidkiti]

August 1


Prayer to Do Good

Lord
If this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world.
Pardon the unkind word, the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the failure to show sympathy and kindly help where I had the opportunity, but missed it; and enable me so to live that I may daily do something to lessen the tide of human sorrow, and add to the sum of human happiness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Alcohol is our weakness.

We suffer from mental conflicts from which we look for escape by drowning our problems in drink. We try through drink to push away from the realities of life. But alcohol does not feed, alcohol does not build, it only borrows from the future and it ultimately destroys. We try to drown our feelings in order to escape life's realities, little realizing or caring that in continued drinking we are only multiplying our problems.

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

Have I got control over my unstable emotions?

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Just a Contemplation

Expressing Gratitude

How can we express gratitude when we feel it?
We can begin by simply using the proper forms of courtesy at all times; this reminds us that we can't live without other people. The best way to express gratitude, however, is to "pass on" the good that has come to us. This is more effective when we share ideas and experiences that have helped us on the way to self-improvement.

It's also a good idea to dismiss thoughts and statements that are forms of prideful boasting. Even telling people how hard we've worked for the 12 Step program can detract from our gratitude. And never, under any circumstances, should we put others under obligation to us. I'll discover ways to express my gratitude today. I'll know that my best way of doing it is to pass on good ideas to others.

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Rewards

The rewards of sobriety are bountiful and as progressive as the disease they counteract. Certainly among these rewards for me are the release from the prison of uniqueness, and the realization that participation in the AA way of life is a blessing and a privilege beyond estimate -- a blessing to live a life free from the pain and degradation of drinking and filled with the joy of useful, sober living, and a privilege to grow in sobriety one day at a time and bring the message of hope as it was brought to me.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 451

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Just a Quote

"I will seek direction and strength from God while moving toward my goals today." ~ Jack Casey

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August 2


Prayer to End Anxiety

God,
I feel hopeless. Give me the strength to banish anxiety from my heart.
Help me find a place where my mind can rest easy and appreciate and enjoy today without fretting.
I can’t banish the stranglehold of anxiety on my own, but I know and trust You will help me overcome it.
With you all things are possible. Help me free my heart and mind.
Amen

~ Kristy H.

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Just a Thought

We got a kick out of the first few drinks, before we got stupefied by alcohol.

For a while, the world seemed to look brighter. But how about the letdown, the terrible depression that comes the morning after? In A.A., we get a real kick, not a false feeling of exhilaration, but a real feeling of satisfaction with ourselves and self-respect. And a feeling of friendliness toward the world. We got a sort of pleasure from drinking. For a while we thought we were happy. But it's only an illusion. The hangover the next day is the opposite of pleasure.

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

In A.A., am I getting real pleasure and serenity and peace?

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Just a Contemplation

Believe

It may be easy to say the words and phrases we've heard without really meaning them. Someone says something at a meeting that sounds good. Our sponsor or counselor has a favorite saying. We may say these words, but are we taking the time to ask the question? Do I believe what I'm saying?

Step Two speaks of, "Came to believe..." By really believing in the Twelve Steps, we let them become part of us. The more we believe in the Steps the more we turn our lives over to them. Hopefully, over time, the Twelve Steps will guide us more and more. We'll speak to our family with respect we've found in the Twelve Steps. Our spirit must truly believe. Then we can work the Steps.

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Now

Now is the time, the only time there is.
And if we are not kind to ourselves right now, we certainly cannot rightfully expect respect or consideration from others.
We have found we can enjoy, sober, every good thing we enjoyed while drinking -- and many, many more.
It takes a little practice, but the rewards more than make up for the effort. . . Unless we cherish our own recovery, we cannot survive to become unselfish, ethical, and socially responsible people.

Living Sober Page 42

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Just a Quote

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” ~ Kahlil Gibran

[bluidkiti]

August 3


Forgiving Others Prayer

Lord, please help me to remember the power of forgiveness, and please help me to extend this to others.
I know what it means to forgive, and I know all of the things you have forgiven me for.
Despite my feelings about them, please help me to remember that, like me, You love this person and care about his/her well-being.
Please help me to find love in my heart as well and to move past what was said and done.
Please help me to forgive them and to move past this.
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

Sponsor

We often hear, "Stick with the winners." Not everyone in Twelve Step meetings is there for recovery.. But many members follow a Twelve Step way of living. We need to find those people. This is really true when it comes to finding a sponsor. Look for a sponsor who gets good things from his or her program. Why pick a sponsor who isn't happy in the program? Recovery is hard work. You deserve the best. Find the best sponsor you can. Remember, ours is a selfish program. we're fighting for our lives.

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Material Well-Being

Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we find we cannot place money first. For us, material well-being always follows spiritual progress; it never precedes.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 127

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Just a Quote

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." ~ Lewis B. Smedes

[bluidkiti]

August 4


Prayer for Worry and Anxiety

Lord,
Sometimes I feel I can not face today, it is hard to keep going with such anxious thoughts running through my mind.
I ask for your peace to flood my being, that each moment I would surrender these worries, fears and anxieties to you.
I ask for your presence to walk with me through each part of my day, so that I would not feel alone but know that I am loved.
And I ask for your strength to wake me each morning and keep me going. May I trust in you to see me through, lead me to calmer seas, balance and rest in heart, mind, body and soul.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Living a sober life.

If you can take your troubles as they come, if you can maintain your calm and composure amid pressing duties and unending engagements, if you can rise above the distressing and disturbing circumstances in which you are set down, you have discovered a priceless secret of daily living. Even if you are forced to go through life weighed down by some inescapable misfortune or handicap and yet live each day as it comes with poise and peace of mind, you have succeeded where most people have failed. You have wrought a greater achievement than a person who rules a nation.

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

Have I achieved poise and peace of mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Moments

It's the moment that's important. Each moment holds a choice. Our spirits grow through working our program moment to moment. Moments lead to days, days to years, and years to a life of honest recovery.
It will be the moments of choice that we remember. The moment we call a friend instead of being alone. The moment we decide to go for a walk instead of arguing with our partner. The moment we decide to go to an extra meeting instead of drinking. The moments lead us to our Higher Power.
These moments teach us that we're human, that we need others. At these moments, we know others care about us--our joys, and our struggles.

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Faith

To go along with this deep-seated belief in God, I have developed an enormous faith in God. He is good. My understanding is that everything He sends my way is for my benefit. But the growth of this understanding has taken time, as well as a relinquishing of my resistance to change. I needed the trials and tribulations I have had, so that I could surrender and give up self. Only in complete acceptance of the utter defeat of my pride and ego could I begin to win.

Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Pages 86-87

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Just a Quote

"Today I will try to raise, rather than lower, someone’s self-esteem." ~ Homer Pyle

[bluidkiti]

August 5


Living This Day Prayer

God, please come and be with me in my circumstances. Fill my thoughts with Your thoughts and Your wisdom. Please come and act on my behalf. Show me what to do and give me the power and strength to take responsibility where I can but let go of the rest and lay down the burden. Fill my heart with courage to act and to do the next right thing.

Please help me to change the things I can change, and leave the things I cannot change in Your care. Help me to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness as I live one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Life is basically and fundamentally an inner attitude.

Just try to remember what troubled you most a week ago. You probably will find it difficult to remember. Why then should you unduly worry or fret over the problems that arise today? Your attitude toward them can be changed by putting yourself and your problems in God's hands and trusting Him to see that everything will turn out all right, provided you are trying to do the right thing. Your changed mental attitude toward your problems relieves you of their burden and you can face them without fear.

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

Has my mental attitude changed?

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Just a Contemplation

Spiritual Awakening

Many of us remember back to a vague time in childhood when our world seemed right and we were full of enthusiasm. Somehow, somewhere along the way, we lost that feeling of rightness and security.

For some of us who experience a spiritual awakening through the A.A. program, childhood faith is rediscovered and takes on new meaning. We may have lost sight of our real selves and abandoned our original faith in a Higher Power. When we have a spiritual awakening as a result of the Twelve Steps, everything falls into place, and what was lost is recovered, plus much more.

This spiritual awakening continues as we continue to work the program. It gives new meaning to our present lives and new hope for the future. We see that spiritual growth is "where it's at" and that nothing else will satisfy our needs and our longing.

May I continue to awaken.

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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 91

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Just a Quote

"Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day absorb all your interest, energy and enthusiasm. The best preparation for tomorrow is to live today superbly well." ~ William Osler

[bluidkiti]

August 6

Prayer When Confused

Lord,
I come before you today with my mind swirling with different thoughts and feelings.
I have a hard decision to make and I just don't know what to do.
I feel helpless and confused. I'm worried about the consequences of my decision.
I worry about the impact my decision will have not only on myself but on others as well.
To be honest, I fear making the wrong decision.
I need your assistance making sure the decision I arrive at conforms to your will.
Amen

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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

Kindness

Kindness is among the gifts we can most easily spread among others. The more we give of kind words and deeds, the more we discover that kindness is like a burning candle which lights many other candles without losing a trace of its own brightness. Our kindnesses are assets, which return unexpected dividends when we invest them in the happiness of others. Kindness is the very basis of love. It softens the most severe anger and gladdens the hardest hearts.

No kindness is too small to win and hold the affection of others because it is made up of gentleness, love, generosity, unselfishness, and caring.

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Meditation

Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way.
But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of the first fruits is emotional balance.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 101-102

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Just a Quote

" I need to face life and not run from it." ~ Leo Booth

[bluidkiti]

August 8


Living Well Prayer

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 and grace You have in store for me today.
Amen

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Just a Thought

As we became alcoholics, the bad effects of drinking came more and more to outweigh the good effects.

But the strange part of it is that, no matter what drinking did to us, loss of our health, our jobs, our money, and our homes, we still stuck to it and depended on it. Our dependence on drinking became an obsession. In A.A., we find a new outlook on life. We learn how to change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. And we find out that we can no longer depend on drinking for anything. We depend on a Higher Power instead.

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

Have I entirely given up that obsession and dependence on drinking?

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Just a Contemplation

Taking Responsibility

In the AA program, however, there's nothing that serves as a basis for blaming others. In every way, AA insists that alcoholics take personal responsibility… not only for finding and maintaining sobriety, but also for past wrongs and personal shortcomings. This is a difficult change for alcoholics who have believed that others caused many of their problems.

But being forced to take responsibility for our actions is a blessing in disguise. It fairly shouts the good news that we can take charge of our lives despite what others think and do. With God's help, we can change ourselves into the people we ought to be. We are fortunate that life is arranged to give us this personal responsibility.. where would we be if our recovery depended only on others?
We also learn that this responsibility is not limited to our drinking. We are responsible for everything we think and do, and we have the power to make improvements in our lives beginning today.

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Transformation

To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and business.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 143

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Just a Quote

“If you can take responsibility for your own life, then you will begin to realize that you can change it.” ~ H. K. Abell

[bluidkiti]

August 8

For Today Prayer

God,
Give me strength to live another day;
Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;
Let me not lose faith in other people;
Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;
Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;
Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;
Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth;
Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness.
Amen

(from: Episcopal Church's Revised Common Lectionary)

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Just a Thought

Change using the 12 Steps of A.A.

In following the A.A. program with its twelve steps, we have the advantage of a better understanding of our problems. Day after day our sobriety results in the formation of new habits, normal habits. As each twenty-four hour period ends, we find that the business of staying sober is a much less trying and fearsome ordeal than it seemed in the beginning.

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

Do I find it easier as I go along?

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Just a Contemplation

Good Ideas

Each day we're flooded with ideas. Everyone seems to have found the truth, and now they want to share it. We may feel loaded down with all these ideas. Who and what do we believe? We've fallen on a set of ideas that hold great promise: The Twelve Steps. The ideas of the program have much promise because they're simple. They ask nothing that isn't good for us. They have been proven to work. Now we're people with more than ideas that work. We're people with good ideas that work. When we find ourselves wondering how to live, all we need to do is look at the 12 Steps.

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Challenges

There is no easier, softer way.
To bring the great escape act into sobriety is to travel with a companion that led me to despair long ago.
The teaching I receive in Alcoholics Anonymous about courage and love helps me to continue to grapple with the challenges of life as they are given to me, one day at a time.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], Page 320

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Just a Quote

"Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity." ~ Stephen Covey

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August 9

Prayer of Trust

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We found friendship in the fellowship.

In the association with members of the A.A. group to which we belong, we have the advantage of sincere friendship and understanding of the other members who, through social and personal contact, take us away from our old haunts and environments and help to remove in large measure the occasions of alcoholic suggestion. We find in this association a sympathy and a willingness on the part of most members to do everything in their power to help us.

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

Do I appreciate the wonderful fellowship of A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

H.A.L.T.

H.A.L.T. stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These feelings can be dangerous to us. They can lead us away from our program. We need to eat regular meals. When we get too hungry, we get cranky. Then we say and do things we regret. We need to turn anger over to our Higher Power, or else our anger turns into rage. We need friends to help us in recovery. If we get too lonely, we may turn to alcoholic ways for friendship. We don't stay sober by ourselves. We need a clear mind to deal with life. If we get too tired, we tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Being tired gets us into crazy thinking.

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Walk the Walk

A.A.'s often say, 'Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by example.' If we would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice what we preach--and forget the 'preaching,' too. The quiet good example speaks for itself.

As Bill Sees It Page 183

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Just a Quote

"We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversations with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk." ~ Thomas Moore

[bluidkiti]

August 10


A Morning Prayer

Lord,
Thank You for this day.
I ask that You guide my path today.
More specifically, my thoughts, words and actions.
Please be with me throughout the day and help me navigate whatever comes my way.
Most importantly, help me to reflect and live out your will.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous there were only two people.

Now there are many groups and millions of members. But there are probably millions of others who need our help. More and more people are making a start in A.A. each day. In the case of individual members, the beginning has been accomplished when they admit they are powerless and turn to a Power greater than themselves, admitting that their lives have become unmanageable. That Higher Power works for good in all things and helps us to accomplish much in individual growth and in the growth of A.A. groups.

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

Am I doing my part in helping A.A. to grow?

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Just a Contemplation

Achievements

Even the continuous sobriety we're enjoying is no shield from traps we seem to set for ourselves. At times, we can find ourselves in the foolish game of continuing to fight battles we've won or lost.

One losing battle is the attempt to win the approval of someone who has always disliked us. That person may be gone, but we still fight....and lose..... the same battle when we find ourselves in a similar situation.

We also may have won some battles without knowing it. This can happen when we've set our goals unrealistically high. We may be fairly successful in our work, for example, but still feel that we have failed because a high goal we set eluded us. That goal, however, may have been all but impossible to attain, and while we mourn our perceived failure, we ignore the successes we may have achieved in the meantime. Consequently, we should never let any of these battles interfere with our plan for sobriety. We must stay sober at all costs.

I'll not strive to impress people who may always disapprove of me. I will also accept my successes even if they fall short of my highest dreams.

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Choice

Like so many, I do not always surrender completely; I allow the cares and worries of the day to distort my thinking.
But as soon as I get back on the right track, I realize I have everything I need.
Whatever problems confront me, large or small, they can be solved wisely. Or they can be solved my way. The choice is mine.

Came To Believe Page 60

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Just a Quote

"There is no investment you'll ever make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer wherever you are." ~ John Quincy

[bluidkiti]

August 11


Prayer for Strength & Courage

Lord,

Please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we don't just stop drinking.

The A.A. program is a way of building a new life rather than just a way of getting over drinking. We did that plenty of times in the old days when we "went on the wagon." And, of course, we always started to drink again because we were only waiting for the time when we could start drinking. Once we've got sober through the A.A. program, we start moving upward. In our drinking days, we were going downhill, getting worse and worse.

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

We either go down or up. Am I now going upward, getting better and better?

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Just a Contemplation

Prayer and Meditation

Prayer and meditation are not necessarily connected to organized religion. Prayer and meditation are ways to improve our personal relationship with a Higher Power to benefit our life, our growth, and us. Praying is how we connect with God. We don't pray because we have to; we pray because we want to. It is how we link our soul to our Source.

We're learning to take care of our emotions, our mind, and our physical needs. We're learning to change our behaviors. But we're also learning to take care of our spirit, our soul, because that is where all true change begins.

Each time we talk to God, we are transformed. Each time we connect with our Higher Power, we are heard, touched, and changed for the best. I will practice prayer and meditation, whether I feel desperate, uneasy, or peaceful, I will make the effort to connect with my Higher Power.

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The Answer

It finally became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort. He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came. His answer was threefold: the opportunity for a life of sobriety; Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety; fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me each twenty-four hour day.

Came To Believe Page 11

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Just a Quote

“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

[bluidkiti]

August 12


Prayer to Cast-Out Cares

Lord, it seems that so much in my life is broken.
I have so many concerns and cares, and they weigh me down.
While I desire to cast my cares upon You, I find I usually pick them back up again, and they only add more anxiety and stress.
Please help me learn to cast my cares on You as I learn what it means to rest and trust in You.
Amen.

~ Chrystal Evans Hurst

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Just a Thought

Until we came into A.A., most of us had tried desperately to stop drinking.

We were filled with the delusion that we could drink like our friends. We tried time and again to take it or leave it, but we could do neither. We always lapsed into ceaseless, unhappy drinking. Wives or husbands, families, friends, and employers threw up their hands in hurt bewilderment, in despair, and finally in disgust. We wanted to stop. We realized that every reason for drinking was only a crazy excuse.

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

Have I given up every excuse for drinking?

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Just a Contemplation

Forgiveness

Today I am learning that as long as I refuse to forgive others, I am not capable of forgiving myself. Part of my denial is reflected in my attitudes towards others. Those character traits I refuse to forgive in others are buried within myself. I know that without forgiveness there is no freedom -- and I wish to grow in freedom.

Today I am learning the difference between forgiveness and acceptance. I can forgive other people without accepting their lifestyle. I can forgive myself and still see the need for change. In my forgiveness is the hope for tomorrow.

Without forgiveness, there can be no pure love.

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Simplicity

A willingness to do whatever I was told to do simplified the program for me. Study the AA book - don't just read it. They told me to go to meetings, and I still do at every available opportunity, whether I am at home or in some other city. Attending meetings has never been a chore for me. Nor have I attended them with a feeling of just doing my duty. Meetings are both relaxing and refreshing to me after a hard day. They said 'Get active," so I helped whenever I could, and still do.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 381

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Just a Quote

“Love casts out fear; but conversely fear casts out love. And not only love. Fear also casts out intelligence, casts out goodness, casts out all thought of beauty and truth." ~ Aldous Huxley

[bluidkiti]

August 14


Enjoying Life Prayer


Lord,
I believe that everything is possible. I love life.
I appreciate life. I am enthusiastic about life. I am thankful for life.
Every phase of my life is fascinating and interesting to me.
Every day brings new ideas, new discoveries, new revelations, and new involvements.
There is no part of my life without purpose, and without meaning.
Everyday is a new opportunity to enjoy life in a multitude of ways.
Thank You for giving me so many reasons to smile.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Sometimes we can't help thinking: Why can't we ever drink again?

We know it's because we're alcoholics, but why did we have to get that way? The answer is that at some point in our drinking careers, we passed what is called our "tolerance point." When we passed this point, we passed from a condition in which we could tolerate alcohol to a condition in which we could not tolerate it at all. After that, if we took one drink we would sooner or later end up drunk.

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

When I think of drinking alcohol now, do I think of it as something that I can never tolerate again?

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Just a Contemplation

Today

Life is found in the present. One of the first things we hear when we enter the program is, One Day at a Time. We break life into short time periods. This gives us the power to change. We're not sure we can stay sober for a lifetime. But we know that with God, and our program, we can stay sober for today.

This holds true for many other things in our lives. We're not sure we can go a lifetime without feeling self-pity, but we can give it up for a day. By living One Day at a Time, we become more sure of our strength. We have the power to change things only in the present. The present holds much for us, if we get a hold on it.

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Unmanageability

All the laws that are at work in the world are going to make every life unmanageable to one degree or another from time to time. But for the alcoholic there is not only an additional danger, but also an additional opportunity.
AA offers us a program of recovery from our past feelings about the unmanageability of life, a program that put life's unmanageability into perspective. That's more than most of the rest of the people in the world have going for them when they find their lives have become unmanageable.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], Page 58

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Just a Quote

“The desire to stop suffering is not the same thing as the desire to stop the behavior we are doing which causes us to suffer.” ~ Dr. James Golden

[bluidkiti]

August 14

Prayer When I Arise

Lord, thank you for another day to live.
And once again, I’m here asking for your help.
Help me with everything that I’ve got to do today.
Also, with things that will come up that I’m not even going to know about.
I ask you for grace, mercy, guidance and protection.
I ask the same for my family and all those around me.
Amen

~ Susan Roulenski

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Just a Thought

We had become hopelessly sick people, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

The power that controlled us was greater than ourselves - it was Alcohol. Many drinkers have said: "I hadn't gone that far; I hadn't lost my job on account of drinking; I still had my family; I managed to keep out of jail. True, I drank too much sometimes and I guess I managed to make quite an ass of myself when I did, but I still thought I could control my drinking. I didn't really believe that I was “an alcoholic."

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

If I was one of these, have I fully changed my mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Accepting Help

Often in the past, we acted like we didn't need anyone. It takes courage to let others help us.
As we get better, our courage grows. We invite people into our lives. We help others, and we let others help us.

We will learn to let others help us if we work our program. Why? Because we need others to stay sober. When we have a problem, we talk about it in our group. When we need a shoulder to cry on, we call a friend or our sponsor. Over time, our relationships become one of the biggest rewards of recovery.

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Ready?

We shall need to make a brand-new venture into open-mindedness.
We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection, and be ready to walk in that direction.
It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk. The only question will be "Are we ready?”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 68

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Just a Quote

"Accepting help is its own kind of strength" ~ Kiera Cass

[bluidkiti]

August 15


Prayer For Inner Peace

Oh Lord, sometimes my insides feel like a battle zone, where missiles are falling too close to home. Other times I’m caught in an endless storm, with thoughts flying out of control. Confusion reigns, and defeat creeps in to steal my joy. I need your peace-the deep-down-in-your-heart kind that stays with me day and night and speaks confidently into the wind. Calm my anxious spirit, Lord; all the attacking “if-onlys” and “what-ifs” fill me with needless worry.

I surrender and admit: I can’t control people, plans, or even all my circumstances, but I can yield those things to you, and focus on your goodness. Thank you today for every good gift you’ve given, every blessing you’ve sent, all the forgiveness I did not deserve, and, yes, for every trial you’ve allowed into my life. You bring good out of every circumstance if I’ll only let go and believe you. I know that when I pray and give thanks instead of worrying, you have promised that I can experience the kind of peace that passes all understanding. That’s your kind of peace, Lord. And it’s the kind I crave.

~ Mel Johnson

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Just a Thought

A.A. members will tell you that they can look back and clearly see that they were out of control.

Every one of us has gone through that stage when we wouldn't admit that we were alcoholics. It takes a lot of punishment to convince us, but one thing is certain. We all know from actual experience that when it comes to dishing out punishment, Alcohol has no equal.

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

Have I any reservations as to my status as an alcoholic?

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Just a Contemplation

Easy Does It

We are people who push ourselves too hard. We try to be perfect. Well, we need to lighten up. Easy Does It.
We need to slow down our pace. Why? Because our program teaches us to give up trying to be perfect.
We begin to love ourselves for who we are. We are enough. Over and over we hear this as we live the Steps. It's the message of God's love. Our Higher Power wants us to live at a pace that's not fast and hard, so we always know we're loved. Remember, we've turned our life over to the care of God. And our life is a wonderful gift. As recovering people, we may know better than others.

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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; it is only the first gift of the first awakening. 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.

Regardless of worldly success or failure, regardless of pain or joy, regardless of sickness or health or even of death itself, a new life of endless possibilities can be lived if we are willing to continue our awakening, through the practice of A.A.'s Twelve Steps.

As Bill Sees It Page 8

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Just a Quote

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." ~ John Wesley