A Prayer & Some Thoughts - April

[bluidkiti]

April 16


The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we have to re-educate our minds.

We have to learn to think differently. We have to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view. We have to look through the glass to what lies beyond it. We have to look through the night before to the morning after. No matter how good liquor looks from the short view, we must realize that in the long run it is poison to us.

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

Have I learned to look through the bottle to the better life that lies ahead?

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Just a Contemplation

Ugly Duckling

“I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.” ~ Hans Christian Andersen

The ugly duckling was not really ugly at all, he was just different. The other ducks teased and pecked and even bit him until the ugly duckling flew away. He wandered around for a year, and was treated as an outcast everywhere. In the spring, he saw a group of swans on a lake, and wanted very much to join them. As he swam out toward them, he was astounded to notice his reflection in the water--he was a swan! The other swans welcomed him warmly, and found him to be beautiful.

Most of us go through times when we feel different from those around us. These are painful and lonely times, but it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with us. Like the ugly duckling, we will come into a time when we will be loved. All the pain and loneliness we have felt will help us fully appreciate the acceptance when we find it.

I can treasure the ways I am different from others.

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New Direction

Where my life had been full of mental turmoil there is now an ever-increasing depth of calmness. Where there was a hit or miss attitude toward living there is now new direction and force.

Experience, Strength and Hope Page 134

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Just a Few Quotes

“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.” ~ Francis of Assisi

“The only thing ever achieved in life without effort is failure.” ~ Francis of Assisi

[bluidkiti]

April 17


Being a Better Person Prayer

I pray that I can become a much stronger individual and gain wisdom, hope, courage and understanding very soon in order to become a better person.

I pray that I continue to move forward and become a more responsible individual. That I gain the strength to move in a positive direction and that I become the best version of myself. I pray that I soon become more gracious, understanding and patient in all of my ways.
Amen

~ Thea Cooper

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Just a Thought

We alcoholics were on a merry go-round, going round and round, and we couldn't get off.

That merry go round is a kind of hell on earth. In A.A. I got off that merry go-round by learning to stay sober. I pray to my Higher Power every morning to help me to keep sober. And I get the strength from that Power to do what I could never do with my own strength. I do not doubt the existence of that Power. We're not speaking into a vacuum when we pray. That Power is there, if we will use it.

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

Am I off the merry go round of drinking for good?

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Just a Contemplation

Removing the Victim

Don't others see how much I'm hurting? Can't they see I need help? Don't they care?

The issue is not whether others see or care. The issue is whether we see and care about ourselves. Often, when we are pointing a finger at others, waiting for them to have compassion for us, it's because we have not fully accepted our pain. We have not yet reached that point of caring about ourselves. We are hoping for awareness in another that we have not yet had.

It is our job to have compassion for ourselves. When we do, we have taken the first step toward removing ourselves as victims. We are on the way to self-responsibility, self-care, and change.

I will not wait for others to see and care; I will take responsibility for being aware of my pain and problems, and caring about myself.

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Miracles

How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute and hopelessness? The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us, they can happen with you. Should you wish them above all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure they will come. The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 153

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Just a Quote

“Ask yourself if what you are spending your thoughts and energy on will matter in a week, a month, or a year.” ~ Robin Sharma

[bluidkiti]

April 18


Prayer For An Alcoholic Family Members

Lord, it is so hard when someone we love gets caught up in an addiction to alcohol.. and when it is a member of your own family it makes it even more hurtful to accept and more difficult to cope with.
Lord, alcoholism is such a disabling condition as it affects every area of life and is like a virus that spreads out of control, infecting everything that it touches – but we know that there is nothing that cannot be helped and healed by You.
So we lift them up to You in prayer and ask that You would convince them of their need to break free from alcohol and the grace to conquer this disabling disease.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Before we decide to quit drinking, most of us have to come up against a blank wall.

We saw that we were exhausted, that we have to quit. But we don't know which way to turn for help. There seems to be no door in that blank wall. A.A. opens the door that leads to sobriety. By encouraging us to honestly admit that we're alcoholics and to realize that we can't take even one drink, and by showing us which way to turn for help, A.A. opens the door in that blank wall.

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

Have I gone through that door to sobriety?

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Just a Contemplation

Positive Energy

It's so easy to look around and notice what's wrong. It takes practice to see what's right. Many of us have lived around negativity for years. We've become skilled at labeling what's wrong with other people, our life, our work, our day, our relationships, our conduct, our recovery, and ourselves.

We want to be realistic, and our goal is to identify and accept reality. However, this is often not our intent when we practice negativity. The purpose of negativity is usually annihilation. Negative thinking empowers the problem. It takes us out of harmony. Negative energy sabotages and destroys. It has a powerful life of its own.

So does positive energy. Each day, we can ask what's right, what's good - about other people, our life, our work, our day, our relationships, ourselves, our conduct, our recovery. Positive energy heals, conducts love, and transforms. Choose positive energy.

God help me let go of negativity. Transform my beliefs and thinking, at the core, from negative to positive. Put me in harmony with the good.

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Progress Rather than Perfection

On studying the Twelve Steps, many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints.

The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 60

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Just a Quote

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism," ~ Norman Vincent Peale

[bluidkiti]

April 19


Release Anger & Resentment Prayer

God,
You know I am troubled by thoughts and feelings of anger, resentment and bitterness.
You also know why.
And You know how deep the hurt goes and how long I have lived with it.
But I don’t want to live with it any longer.
I don’t want to be an angry, resentful and bitter person.
With Your help, I release my anger into Your hands. I surrender my resentment.
I let go of my bitterness.
Help me to keep letting go and release these toxic emotions as often as they try to return.
Amen

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Just a Thought


A.A. helps us to hang onto sobriety.

By having regular meetings so that we can associate with other alcoholics who have come through that same door in the wall, by encouraging us to tell the story of our own sad experiences with alcohol, and by showing us how to help other alcoholics, A.A. keeps us sober. Our attitude toward life changes from one of pride and selfishness to one of humility and gratitude.

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

Am I going to step back through that door in the wall to my old helpless, hopeless, drunken life?

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Just a Contemplation

True Friendship

The comfort of a true friend in a time of trouble, the strength we sense in being with someone who truly knows us, the affirmation of life that comes with enduring friendships - no other experience is like these.

True friendship happens when we lower our guard and let our feelings show. It happens when we listen without judgment. It accumulates over time in many little experiences with someone. There is friendship in returning to someone when we feel offended or hurt so the relationship can be repaired - and in returning to him when we have been the offender. Sometimes friendship means humility, or accepting our worthiness to be forgiven. The development and deepening of our friendships, with other men, with women, and with ourselves sustains us in life.

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Neighbors

Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people on a sinking ship. If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. High and low, rich and poor, these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among them you will make lifelong friends. You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and you will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of “Love thy neighbor as thyself."

Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3

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Just a Quote

"I am still arrogant, egocentric, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times, but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman. Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA." ~ AA Grapevine, July 1975

[bluidkiti]

April 20

Prayer to Release the Illusion of Control

God,
For too long I have wanted to be in control, tried to be in control and cherished the illusion that I am in control. I release myself and my illusions into Your hands. I surrender my need to feel in control, and embrace the truth that You are in control and that I can control only my inner life and not my outward circumstances—and certainly not other people. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot control, courage to change the few things I can (my thoughts and actions) and wisdom to know the difference.
Amen

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Just a Thought

A new way of living.

When we alcoholics first come into A.A. and we face the fact that we must spend the rest of our life without alcohol, it often seems like an impossibility to us. So A.A. tells us to forget about the future and take it one day at a time. All we really have is now. We have no past time and no future time. As the saying goes: "Yesterday is gone, forget it; tomorrow never comes, don't worry; today is here, get busy." All we have is the present. The past is gone forever and the future never comes. When tomorrow gets here, it will be today.

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

Am I living one day at a time?

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Just a Contemplation

Pain of Change

When we learn something new, we see how it could have made our life better at an earlier time. We regret being stubborn, immature, or impulsive. Now we see our mistakes in a new light and it hurts. This is one of the pains of change. Some people turn away from growth because they refuse to tolerate the pain of honest hindsight.

We need to face these regrets, but not indulge in them. We take a bow to the past and move on to live in the only place we can - the present. We can acknowledge our guilt and remorse and then turn them over to the care of God. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. Getting stuck in guilt over past deeds only repeats our mistakes by failing to use our learning today.

I need to acknowledge and let go of my grief and regrets so I can attend to life here and now.

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Faith and Step Three

Step Three is an action step. Many analogies used to explain the 12 Steps describe Step One as the diagnosis, Step Two as the prescription, and Step Three as following the various steps prescribed by the physician in order to heal. This step requires a submission of one's will to follow directions and guidance from a source outside oneself. When we apply this analogy to our larger life, it means we surrender our need to control every last detail and allow ourselves to be guided by Divine will. In Christianity, this surrender is often called repentance. Repentance comes from the Latin word penser or ponder, meaning "to rethink." It requires us to rethink who is actually in charge of our lives, our destiny, our eternity.

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Just a Quote

"With a bit of effort, I can smile at someone today, even though I'm frowning inside. We both will be better for it." ~ Karen Casey

[bluidkiti]

April 21


Prayer For Courage

Lord,
I ask You to help me, with my battles over fear and worry. Most of all, I pray for courage.
Create in me a clean heart, God, and help me to have the faith and courage to overcome any fears.
Lord, there is so much uncertainty in life, but I trust that you will guide me and sustain me.
Please give me the courage to be the person, friend and loved one You created me to be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past.

Remorse is terrible mental punishment: ashamed of ourselves for the things we've said and done, afraid to face people because of what they might think of us, afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In A.A. we forget about the past. Do I believe that God has forgiven me for everything I've done in the past, no matter how black it was, provided I'm honestly trying to do the right thing today?

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

I have completed Steps 4 and 5?
Do I visit Step 10 on a daily basis?

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Just a Contemplation

Others Turmoil

We do not have to get caught in the middle of other people's issues, problems, or communication. We can let others take responsibility for themselves in their relationships. We can let them work out their issues with each other.

Being a peacemaker does not mean we get in the middle. We are bearers of peace by staying peaceful ourselves and not harboring turmoil. We are peacemakers by not causing the extra chaos created when we get in the middle of other people's affairs and relationships.

I will refuse to accept any invitations to jump in the middle of others' affairs, issues, and relationships. I will trust others to work out their own affairs, including the ideas and feelings they want to communicate to each other.

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A.A. Regeneration

Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding a new one.

A thousand beatings by John Barleycorn did not encourage me to admit defeat. I believed it was my moral obligation to conquer my “enemy-friend.” At my first A.A. meeting I was blessed with a feeling that it was all right to admit defeat to a disease which had nothing to do with my “moral fiber.” I knew instinctively that I was in the presence of a great love when I entered the doors of A.A. With no effort on my part, I became aware that to love myself was good and right, as God had intended. My feelings set me free, where my thoughts had held me in bondage. I am grateful.

A.A. Comes Of Age Page 46

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Just a Quote

"It isn't "me" and "you" anymore; it's "we" and "us." I get drunk. We stay sober! It's a we program." ~ Saying in many A.A. Rooms

[bluidkiti]

April 22


Prayer of Surrender

Lord, I surrender to you my past, present and future problems, habits, character defects, attitudes, livelihood, resources, finances, occupation and all my relationships. I give you my health, disabilities, physical appearance, home, family and friendships.

Lord, I ask you to control over every aspect of my life. I surrender to you all my hurt, pain, worry, anxiety and fear, and I ask you to wash me clean. I release everything into your compassionate care. Please speak to me clearly, Lord. Open my ears to hear your voice. Open my heart to commune with you more deeply.

Lord, shut the doors that need to be shut and open the doors that need to be opened. Set my feet upon the straight and narrow road that leads to everlasting life.
Amen

~ Abe and Stacey, 21st August 2012

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, we used to worry about the future.

Worrying is terrible mental punishment. What's going to become of me? Where will I end up? In the gutter or the sanitarium? We can see ourselves slipping, getting worse and worse, and we wonder what the finish will be. Sometimes we get so discouraged in thinking about the future that we toy with the idea of suicide.

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

In A.A. have I stopped worrying about the future?

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Just a Contemplation

Releasing

Let fears slip away. Release any negative, limiting, or self-defeating beliefs buried in your subconscious too. These beliefs may be about life, love, or yourself. Beliefs create reality.

Let go. From as deep within as your fears, resentments, and negative beliefs are stored, let them all go. Let the belief or feeling surface. Accept it; surrender to it. Feel the discomfort or unrest. Then let it go. Let new beliefs replace the old. Let peace and joy and love replace fear.

Give yourself and your body permission to let go of fears, resentments, and negative beliefs. Release that which is no longer useful. Trust that you are being healed and prepared for receiving what is good.

Just for today, God help me become willing to let go of old beliefs and feelings that may be hurting me. Gently take them from me and replace them with new beliefs and feelings. I do deserve the best life and love has to offer. Help me believe that.

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Release From Fear

The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible for us to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courage and grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.

As Bill Sees It Page 61

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Just a Quote

"I will remember to turn to the program to help maintain my peace and serenity, especially through the bad times." ~ Rhonda Crawford

[bluidkiti]

April 23


Simple Morning Prayer

God, please enlighten my mind with truth, inflame my heart with love, inspire my will with courage, enrich my life with service.
Pardon what I have been, sanctify what I am, and order what I shall be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We're all looking for the power to overcome drinking.

When we alcoholics come into A.A., our first question is: "How do I get the strength to quit?" At first it seems to us that we will never get the necessary strength. We see older members who have found the power we are looking for, but we don't know the process by which they got it. This necessary strength comes in many ways.

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

Have I found all the strength I need?

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Just a Contemplation

Being a Victim

It's okay to have a good day. Really. It's okay to be doing okay and to feel like our life is manageable and on track. Many of us have learned, as part of our survival behaviors, that the way to get the attention and approval we want is to be victims. If life is awful, too difficult, unmanageable, too hard, unfair, then others will accept, like, and approve of us, we think.

We may have learned this from living and associating with people who also learned to survive by being a victim. We are not victims. We do not need to be victimized. We do not need to be helpless and out of control to get the attention and love we desire. In fact, the kind of love we are seeking cannot be obtained that way

We learn that we can stand on our own two feet, even though it sometimes feels good to lean a little. We learn that the people we are leaning on are not holding us up. They are standing next to us. We all have bad days -- days when things are not going the way we'd like, days when we have feelings of sadness and fear. But we can deal with our bad days and darker feelings in ways that reflect self-responsibility rather than victimization.

It's okay to have a good day too. We might not have as much to talk about, but we'll have more to enjoy.

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Realization

The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try. For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. ... That you try. I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking .

Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Page 50

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Just a Quote

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.” ~ Brene Brown

[bluidkiti]

April 24


Honest Communications Prayer

Lord, I come to You today in need of wisdom and discernment. As I seek to communicate with others in a loving, respectful way, I also seek courage to say the hard things. Please help me to stop avoiding unpleasant conversations. Instead, please help me to discern when to let things go and when to speak up. I pray for an open mind and heart to listen well, hear what others have to say, and receive the truth without anger or resentment. Please give me wisdom in what I say and how I say it.
Amen

~ Jennifer Waddle

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Just a Thought

Strength comes from the fellowship.

You will find it when you come into A.A.
Just being with men and women who have found the way out gives you a feeling of security. You listen to the speakers, you talk with other members, and you absorb the atmosphere of confidence and hope that you find in the place.

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

Am I receiving strength from the fellowship with other A.A. members?

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Just a Contemplation

Reaction to Setting Boundaries

When we set a boundary, say no, and change an old pattern - we may get flack from some people. That's okay. We don't have to let their reactions control us, stop us, or influence our decision to take care of ourselves.We don't have to control their reactions to our process of self-care. That is not our responsibility. We don't have to expect them not to react either.

People will react when we do things differently or take assertive action to nurture ourselves, particularly if our decision in some way affects them. Let them have their feelings. Let them have their reactions. But continue on your course anyway.

If people are used to us behaving in a certain way, they'll attempt to convince us to stay that way to avoid changing the system. If people are used to us saying yes all the time, they may start mumbling and murmuring when we say no. If people are used to us taking care of their responsibilities, feelings, and problems, they may give us some flack when we stop. That's normal. We can learn to live with a little flack in the name of healthy self-care. Not abuse, mind you flack.

If people are used to controlling us through guilt, bullying, and badgering, they may intensify their efforts when we change and refuse to be controlled. That's okay. That's flack too. We don't have to let flack pull us back into old ways if we've decided we want and need to change. We don't have to react to flack or give it much attention. It doesn't deserve it. It will die down.

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Trusting Others

But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would be folly. Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would trust. Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation.

As Bill Sees It Page 144

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Just a Quote

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~ Buddha

[bluidkiti]

April 25


A Gratitude Prayer

Father,
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
that thy gifts to us may be used for others.
Amen

~ Abigail van Buren

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Just a Thought

Strength comes from honesty.

One can start by telling your own experiences with drinking. In religion, they call it confession. We call it witnessing or sharing. You give a personal witness, you share your past experiences, the troubles you got into, the hospitals, the jails, the break up of your home, the money wasted, the debts, and all the foolish things you did when you were drinking. This personal witness lets out the things you had kept hidden, brings them out into the open, and you find release and strength.

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


Am I receiving strength from my personal witnessing?

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Just a Contemplation

Appreciating Ourselves


It is so easy, and tempting, to get down on ourselves, to focus on an imperfect face, a dismal batting average, our fear of math, or our big feet. The trouble is, the more we feel sorry for ourselves, and the more we have to feel sorry about. And though it probably doesn't hurt to indulge in a little self-pity once in a while, how unfortunate--and limiting--it can be to let those attitudes define us.

The things we hate about ourselves are no more real than the things we like about ourselves. The trick is to dwell on the things we like instead of those we don't. Even on days when we are sure we are the least loveable creatures in the world, we can "act as if" we like ourselves. What a surprise at the end of the day, to find out that we actually do!

It is time to stop this nonsense of running around picking on ourselves. We are good enough, and deserving. We have a right to be here.

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Happy & Useful

Every day, I feel a little bit more useful, more happy, and more free. Life, including some ups and downs, is a lot of fun. I am part of AA which is a way of life. If I had not become an active alcoholic and joined AA, I might never have found my own identity or become a part of anything.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 417, 3rd Edition

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Just a Quote

“There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

[bluidkiti]

April 26


Change Me Prayer

Lord,
You are the one I turn to for help in moments of weakness and times of need.
I ask you to turn my weakness into strength, my suffering into compassion, my sorrow into joy, and my pain into comfort for others.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Strength comes from coming to believe in a Higher Power that can help you.

You can't define this Higher Power, but you can see how it helps other alcoholics. You hear them talk about it and you begin to get the idea yourself. You try praying in a quiet time each morning and you begin to feel stronger, as though your prayers were heard. So you gradually come to believe there must be a Power in the world outside yourself, which is stronger than you and to which you can turn for help.

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

Am I receiving strength from my faith in a Higher Power?

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Just a Contemplation

Living Day by Day

"Life by the mile is a trial; by the inch it's a cinch."
In the past, we got into trouble when we thought we had to have our lives mapped out forever. That just did not work.

We need only deal with the problems and joys of today. If we try to see too far ahead, we lose touch with the reality of the here and now. The Lord lets us know what we need to know when we need to know it.

What seems impossible when looked at in total --writing a book, putting the children through college, abstaining for the rest of our lives -- becomes manageable when worked at step-by-step, day-by-day.

So many of the things we worry about never happen. How much better it is to concentrate our energies on the real demands and challenges of today, insignificant as they may seem.

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Belonging

There is no more 'aloneness,' with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 312, 3rd Edition

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Just a Quote

“A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake.” ~ Confucius

[bluidkiti]

April 27


Worry Prayer

God,
Help me to live one day at a time.
Help me to not worry about tomorrow but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now.
I want to trust in your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional.
Help me to trust you more and worry less.
Amen

~ Roger G.

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Just a Thought

Strength comes also from working with other alcoholics.

When you are trying to help a new prospect with the program, you are building up your own strength at the same time. You see the other person in the condition you might be in yourself and it makes your resolve to stay sober stronger than ever. Often, you help yourself more than the other person, but if you do succeed in helping the prospect to get sober, you are stronger from the experience of having helped another person.

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

Am I receiving strength from working with others?

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Just a Contemplation

Trust in Today

For many of us, to look forward to today with secure anticipation, to trust in what the future holds can be a challenge!
We can still remember, all too vividly perhaps, the darker periods in our lives, periods that seemed to hold no promise; a time when we dreaded the future, fearing it would only compound those awful times.

The fear and the dread are not gone completely. They hover about us, on occasion. They no longer need to darken all of a day, however. We can recognize their presence as parts of our whole, not all of it. How free we are, today! Our choices are many.

I can step toward today with assurance, reaching out to others along the way, trusting that my accumulated steps add stability to my future.

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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

“Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others.” ~ Wilfred Peterson

[bluidkiti]

April 28


Natural Beauty 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 and grace You have in store for me today.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The power to stop drinking.

You get the power to overcome drinking through the fellowship of other alcoholics who have found the way out. You get power by honestly sharing your past experience by a personal witness. You get power by coming to believe in a Higher Power, the Divine Principle in the universe which can help you. You get power by working with other alcoholics. In these four ways, thousands of alcoholics have found all the power they needed to overcome drinking.


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

Am I ready and willing to accept this power and work for it?

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Just a Contemplation

Restlessness

Restlessness is born of frustration. Perhaps we want to move ahead with our lives more quickly. Does a job have us trapped? Do past troubles haunt us still? Maybe perfectionism tarnishes every attempt to achieve. We can learn from our restlessness, if we let it guide us to our inner reservoir of peace and spiritual support.

The search for serenity often takes us farther from it. We mistakenly think a different job or home or relationship will answer all our needs. But we find that our restlessness has accompanied us to our new surroundings. Peace has its home within. And prayer opens the door to it. In the stillness of our patience, we are privy to its blessing.

Restlessness indicates our distance from our Higher Power. It may be time for a change in our lives. Change is good; however, our relationship with God will vouchsafe any needed changes. Restlessness is self-centered and will only hamper the steps we may need to take.

Restlessness is a barometer that reveals my spiritual health.

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Down To Earth

Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make-believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives.

We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where our work must be done. These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 130

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Just a Quote

“Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.” ~ Gerald G. Jampolsky

[bluidkiti]

April 29


Prayer To Let Go

Lord, I don’t know which way to turn nor do I know what to do, and I am coming to You confessing my need for You in my life, and pray that You will forgive me of my pride in trying to be the god of my own existence. Lord, I have made me the center of my life and I pray You would help me to change.

Lord, I don’t really know how to “let go”. I don’t really know what to do to give You control of my life, but I am coming to You in humility of heart to admit that I can do nothing in my own strength and to confess my need for You in my life. Lord, I pray that Your grace and mercy would lead and guide me.

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Just a Thought

I see change in A.A. Meetings.

When you come into an A.A. meeting, you're not just coming into a meeting, you're coming into a new life. I'm always impressed by the change I see in people after they've been in A.A. for a while. I sometimes take an inventory of myself, to see whether I have changed, and if so, in what way. Before I met A.A., I was very selfish. I wanted my own way in everything. I don't believe I ever grew up. When things went wrong, I sulked like a spoiled child and often went out and got drunk.

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

Am I still all get and no give?

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Just a Contemplation

Feel Your Feelings

You don't have to do anything about your feelings. Understand that. Believe that. They are only feelings. Emotional energy is important. It's important not to block it, stop it, deny it, or repress it. It's important to discharge it. To value it. To value ourselves.

But you don't have to do anything. You don't have to act on every feeling. You don't need to control every emotion or let your emotions control you. Doing something is the old way, the way of control. Simply feel whatever you need to feel. Become fully and completely conscious of what you feel. Take responsibility for the way you choose to express your feelings. Then let your feelings go. Release the emotional energy.

Soon you will know what to do next, know what lesson is under way. You will naturally take the action that's right for you to take.

All you have to do about your feelings is feel them.

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Progress

Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 100

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Just a Quote

“Forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

[bluidkiti]

April 30


Morning Prayer

Lord,
When evil darkens our world, give us light.
When despair numbs our souls, give us hope.
When we stumble and fall, lift us up.
When doubts assail us, give us faith.
When nothing seems sure, give us trust.
When ideals fade, give us vision.
When we lose our way, be our guide!
That we may find serenity in Your presence and purpose in doing Your will.

~ John D. Rayner

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Just a Thought

Before I met A.A., I was very dishonest.

I lied to my spouse constantly about where I had been and what I'd been doing. I took time off from my work and pretended I'd been sick or gave some other dishonest excuse. I was dishonest with myself, as well as with other people. I would never face myself as I really was or admit when I was wrong. I pretended to myself that I was as good as the next person, although I suspected I wasn't.

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

Am I now really honest?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Pity

It requires very little effort - and no imagination - to start feeling sorry for ourselves. Often, it is easy to feel sorry for ourselves in our families. Instead of being inspired by the sports talents of an older brother, the popularity of a lovely sister, or the fame of a parent or relative, we often take the easier attitude: "I'm denied all that he or she has."

If we work hard at developing our own abilities so that we can excel, we will find ourselves proud of, and applauding, what others do. If a personal problem brings us self-pity, we must remind ourselves that all people have problems. We can cope as well as the best of people if we learn from them and think positively.

Who among those close to me can I be proud of today?

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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

”When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~ Catherine Ponder