A Prayer & Some Thoughts - May

[bluidkiti]

May 1


Prayer for Guidance

Lord,
I have a hard time deciding what to do.
I am afraid to make the wrong decision, and this torments me greatly.
Therefore, I turn to you and ask for your help.
Show me your will in this decision.
Give me peace of mind in the next steps!
I seek your will every day as long as I live the life you give me.
I know you will open the doors that need to be opened and you will close the ones that need to be closed.
I go boldly, knowing that you are going with me!
Amen

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Just a Thought

Today, I have more peace and contentment.

Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all in one piece. I am no longer cast around on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

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

Have I found contentment in A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Free Will

Our freedom was lost while we were in the grip of alcohol. Once free of drink, we still realized that many things in life are controlled by other people and things, such as political and economic forces. If our employer closes the business, for example, we may have to choose less satisfactory employment. If a person threatens physical violence, we may have to go along with his or her wishes against our will.

In all circumstances, our free will lies in the way we choose to think about what's happening. We always have the choice of turning to our Higher Power in thought, rather than reacting with fear and resentment. This is the only free will we can possibly have in the world, but it may be all we really need.

If a difficult situation or problem arises, I'll remember that no human power could have relieved my alcoholism. This will remind me that the true source of power is always at hand.

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Sacrifice + Unity = Survival

The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A. A. will always depend upon our continued willingness to give up some of our personal ambitions and desires for the common safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice means survival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice means unity and survival for the group and for A. A.'s entire Fellowship.

As Bill Sees It Page 220

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Just a Quote

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it. " ~ Tori Amos

[bluidkiti]

May 2


Prayer for Clarity

Lord,
I give you all of my concerns, anxieties and worries.
You know the inner beating of my heart and all of the troubles in my life.
I pray that you will guide me during this inner turmoil.
My heart weighs heavy as I struggle to discern the truth and the right path to take.
I know that you understand all of my life and have a plan for me.
I wait for your guidance and wisdom.
Lord, bring me clarity.
Amen

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Just a Thought

What makes A.A. work?

The first thing is to have a revulsion against myself and my way of living. Then I must admit I was helpless, that alcohol made me powerless and I couldn't do anything about it. The next thing is to honestly want to quit the old life. Then I must surrender my life to a Higher Power, put my drinking problem in His hands and leave it there. After these things are done, I should attend meetings regularly for fellowship and sharing. I should also try to help other alcoholics.

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

Am I doing these things?

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Just a Contemplation

Delusions

A binge is a chain reaction that starts with one drink. After a grim period of enforced abstinence, that first drink may have brought us intense emotional release and a peak feeling of euphoria. For the rest of the binge, there was a continuing delusion that the next drink would help us recapture that peak experience.

Delusion leads us to other excesses. Some alcoholics also binge on smoking, food, sex, and power and recognition. In this frantic seeking, our basic delusion is that substances and things can satisfy what is really a spiritual need. Instead of realizing that there is a law of diminishing returns in the enjoyment of such things, we cling to the delusion that "just one more" will bring the relief and satisfaction we want.

Delusions brought disillusionment, and only the truth set us free from alcohol. Other excesses might not hurt us to the extent alcohol did, but the excesses of our drinking years carry lessons that are equally applicable to other human problems.

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Paradox

We give away to keep.
That seems absurd and untrue.
How can you keep something if you give it away?
But in order to keep whatever it is we get in AA, we must go about giving it away to others, for no fees or rewards of any kind.

Experience, Strength & Hope Page 154

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Just a Quote

"Letting go of the past is the only way that you will ever be able to move forward and gain more mental clarity." ~ R.D. King

[bluidkiti]

May 3


Prayer for Procrastinators

Lord,
Help me with my prioritization.
Guide my thoughts and my hand as I break things down into tasks and lay out the order in which things need to get done.
Guide me toward what you think is best.
Bring me friends and family that will kindly push me in the right direction.
Unblock my thoughts and open my mind.
I ask that once I get started, you help me remain focused.
I know how easily I can be distracted by other things.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I have faith.

That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my mouth or bitter to the taste. It is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it together. Faith--that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken, that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity.

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

Have I faith?

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Just a Contemplation

Meditation

What does my heart have to say today? Am I happy ? Or I’m I troubled? We will find this out if we slow down and listen to our words. We can also hear our spirit in the tone of our words.

We are to meditate. Meditation is about slowing down so we can hear what our spirit is trying to tell us. Meditation is listening. Our spirit is but a quiet whisper inside us. To hear we must quiet ourselves.

Slowing down allows us to find our center. As we find our center we find our spirit and our Higher Power. Do I take the time needed to slow myself down? Do I take the time to listen---to listen to my heart?

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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

“There are people who are always anticipating trouble, and in this way they manage to enjoy many sorrows that never really happen to them.” ~ Josh Billings

[bluidkiti]

May 4


Prayer for Serenity & Peace

Give me the patience to be compassionate and helpful toward others and myself,
and to know when it is best to remain quiet.
Give me the clarity to be grateful for all that I have,
and to realize when I have something to give to others.
Give me the capacity to love and forgive others,
especially the ones who have wronged me.
Give me the serenity to find happiness and peace in each day.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I can do things that I never did before.

Alcohol took away my initiative and my ambition. I couldn't get up the steam to start anything. I let things slide. When I was drunk, I was too inert to even comb my hair. Now I can sit down and do something. I can write letters, answer posts, I can make telephone calls that should be made. I can pursue my hobbies. I have the urge to create something, that creative urge that was completely stifled by alcohol.

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

Have I recovered my initiative?

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Just a Contemplation

Gifts

How full life can be! We can untie the ribbons on this gift by keeping our spirits open.
Who knows what the gifts the day may bring? Maybe it brings a solution to a problem.
Maybe it brings the smile of a child. Maybe we’ll find a new friend. Whatever gifts the day brings, we must be able to receive them. How do we do this? We keep our spirit open and lively through prayer and meditation. Then we’ll be awake to see the beauty and the wonders life holds for us.

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Prayer

All of us, without exception, pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest exertion of will. Occasionally we go even further than this. We are seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray. When these things happen we should not think too ill of ourselves. We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we know to be good for us.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 105



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Just a Quote

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." ~ Benjamin Franklin

[bluidkiti]

May 5


Prayer This Morning

Lord,
Give me the patience to be compassionate and helpful toward others and myself,
and to know when it is best to remain quiet.
Give me the clarity to be grateful for all that I have,
and to realize when I have something to give to others.
Give me the capacity to love and forgive others,
especially the ones who have wronged me.
Give me the serenity to find happiness and peace in each day.

~ P.C. Cast

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Just a Thought

When I was drinking, I was absolutely selfish.

I thought of myself first, last, and always. The universe revolved around me at the center. When I woke up in the morning with a hangover, my only thought was how terrible I felt and about what I could do to make myself feel better. And the only thing I could think of was more liquor. To quit was impossible. I couldn't see beyond myself and my own need for another drink.

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

Can I now look out and beyond my own selfishness?

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Just a Contemplation

Acceptance & Faith

Acceptance and faith are the most important parts of our recovery. If we boil down Steps One and Two, we'll find acceptance and faith. Acceptance means we see the world as it is, not as we want it to be. We start to see ourselves as humans, not as gods. We are good, and we are bad. We need to fit in the world, not run it.

Acceptance also guides us toward faith. Faith is believing. We start to believe that someone or something will take care of us. Faith is about giving up control of outcomes. We learn to say to our Higher Power, “Thy will be done.”

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Consistency

What right do I have to expect perfection and efficiency in my spiritual growth when the rest of my life is so full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and backs and forths?
Throughout this whole adventure, the only consistency I have maintained is an absolute and total faith in AA, come what may.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page 187

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Just a Few Quotes

“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” ~ Dalai Lama

“Compassion is to look beyond your own pain, to see the pain of others.” ~ Yasmin Mogahed

[bluidkiti]

May 6


Prayer for Happiness and Peace

Lord,
I pray that you bless me with true happiness and peace in life.
Lead me away from hate and anger toward love.
From a restless mind and anxiety, give me peace.
Lead me from fear of death to eternal life.

Lord, when I suffer despair and lack of confidence, lead me to hope, faith, and trust.
Lead me away from dishonesty and deceit toward eternal truth.
Allow eternal peace and tranquility to fill my heart, my mind, my life, and my world.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Keeping sober is the most important thing in my life.

The most important decision I ever made was my decision to give up drinking. I am convinced that my whole life depends on not taking that first drink. Nothing in the world is as important to me as my own sobriety. Everything I have, my whole life depends on that one thing.

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

Can I ever afford to forget this, even for one minute?

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Just a Contemplation

"We"

We. This little word says a lot about the Twelve Steps. Our alcoholism made us lonely. The "we" of the program makes us whole again. It makes us a member of a living, growing group of people. Our alcoholism isolated us from others. We couldn't be honest. We felt a lot of shame. But all this is in the past. The "we" of the program helps us live outside ourselves. Now we tell each other about our pasts. We comfort each other. We try to help each other.

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Freedom

Looking back we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom.
When we chose because we 'must,' this was not a free choice either. But it got us started in the right direction.
When we chose because we 'ought to' we were really doing better.
This time we were earning some freedom, making ourselves ready for more.
But when, now and then, we could gladly make right choices without rebellion, holdout, or conflict, then we had our first view of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like.
Bill W., May 1960

The Language of the Heart Page 302

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Just a Quote

“When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

[bluidkiti]

May 7


On This Day Prayer

Dear God,
On this day I ask You to grant this request.
May I know who I am and what I am, every moment of every day.
May I be a catalyst for light and love, and bring inspiration to those whose eyes I meet.
May I have the strength to stand tall in the face of conflict, and the courage to speak my voice, even when I'm scared.
May I have the humility to follow my heart, and the passion to live my soul's desires.
May I seek to know the highest truth, and dismiss the gravitational pull of my lower self.
May I embrace and love the totality of myself? My darkness as well as my light.
May I be brave enough to hear my heart? To let it soften so that I may gracefully choose faith over fear.
Today is my day to surrender anything that stands between the sacredness of my humanity and my divinity.
May I be drenched in my Holiness and engulfed by Your love.
May all else melt away.
And so it is.

~ Debbie Ford

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Just a Thought

I have lost many of my resentments.

I have found that getting even with people doesn't do any good. When we try to get revenge, instead of making us feel better, it leaves us frustrated and cheated. Instead of punishing our enemies, we've only hurt our own peace of mind. It does not pay to nurse a grudge, it hurts us more than anyone else. Hate causes frustration, inner conflict, and neurosis. If we give out hate, we will become hateful. If we are resentful, we will be resented. If we do not like people, we will not be liked by people. Revengefulness is a powerful poison in our systems.

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

Have I lost my resentments?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Honesty

We were told at our first AA meeting that half-measures will avail us nothing. What's needed is a sincere desire to stop drinking and seek a new way of life.

As we continue in the program, we learn that sincerity is an ingredient for success in everything we do. Quite often, we may find that we're failing in something simply because our heart isn't really in it.
We can't force ourselves into a sincere posture. Instead, the answer is to know ourselves well enough to know just how we feel about everything we do.

We'll learn to be careful about attempting to do something when our heart is not really in it. We may be doing something we dislike merely for the recognition and money it gives us. For real sincerity, we need more than that, and the truths of the program will help us find it.

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Self-worth

I know that I am not a total loss, even when I think I am. I know that freedom, and usefulness, love, outgoingness and sharing are the important things in life. But even more important, I have to care for myself and achieve a sense of self-worth. So I continue to listen. I am still open to suggestions. I continue on my way. And I am on my way up.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page. 24

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Just a Quote

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

[bluidkiti]

May 8

Prayer for Laughter

Dear God,
As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more cheer than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so indifferent, that I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people up, make them happy, and forget momentarily, all the unpleasantness in their lives. And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper: When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.
Amen

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An Irish blessing
(for mothers)

There is but one and only one,
Whose love will fail you never.
One who lives from sun to sun,
With constant fond endeavor.

There is but one and only one
On earth there is no other.
In heaven a noble work was done
When God gave us a Mother.

- Author Unknown

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Just a Thought

I have lost much of my inferiority complex.

I was always trying to escape from life. I did not want to face reality. I was full of self-pity. I was constantly sorry for myself. I tried to avoid all responsibilities. I did not feel that I would handle the responsibilities for my family or my work. Owing to my inferiority complex, I was eager to be free of all responsibilities. I wanted to drift; I wanted to be "on the beach." A.A. showed me how to get over my feeling of inferiority. It made me want to accept responsibility again.

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

Have I lost my inferiority complex?

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Just a Contemplation

Mistakes

The way we face life's challenges is what gives meaning to our lives.
If we run from our mistakes, they follow us. If we stand up and work with them, we learn. Facing our mistakes teaches us wisdom and courage. Our self-respect grows. Spiritual growth means asking, “How would my Higher Power want me to deal with this mistake?” Then we listen for the answer and do what is needed.

The better we get at facing our mistakes, the better we become at learning from them. Native American culture teaches us that all mistakes in life are gifts. The gift is that we are given a chance to learn.

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Survive Trials

In our belief, any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes wholly to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but he usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed. Release from alcohol, and not flight from it, is our answer.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 101

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Just a Quote

"Worry is an extension of fear and can also set you up for attracting that which you don’t want in your life.' ~ Madisyn Taylor

[bluidkiti]

May 9


Prayer to Stop Worry

Lord,
It is so easy to fall into worry.
When my fears are reverberating in my mind, help me stop trying to fix everything myself.
Teach me to turn to You in prayer, trust You to be in charge and let Your peace reign over me.
Amen.

~ Francine Rivers

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Just a Thought

I have learned to be less negative and more positive.

I used to take a negative view of almost everything. Most people, in my estimation, were bluffing. There seemed to be very little good in the world, but lots of hypocrisy and sham. People could not be trusted. They would "take you " if they could. All church-goers were partly hypocrites. It seemed I should take everything "with a grain of salt." That was my general attitude toward life. Now I am more positive. I believe in people and in their capabilities. There is much love and truth and honesty in the world. I try not to run people down. Life now seems worthwhile and it is good to live.

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

Am I less negative and more positive?

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Just a Contemplation

Blame

There are so many occasions when we would like to blame somebody - wife, child, parent, or "the management," for our feelings. When we get frustrated, overworked, or angry, we want somebody else to take responsibility. In truth, each of us has his own path and is responsible for their feelings.

This blaming and not taking responsibility keep a person in the role of victim. When we accept the difficult message that our feelings are ours to deal with and no one else's, self-improvement begins. We begin to walk the difficult but self respecting path of spiritual awakening. We can do something about whatever hurts. Even in that awakening there are no guarantees that who we are will be totally what we want to find. Our only guarantee is that our God is with us to deal with the realities of our lives. I will try to be responsible for what I feel and do.

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Humility

Our AA program is spiritually centered. Most of us have found enough humility to believe in and depend upon God. We have found that humility by facing the fact that alcoholism is a fatal malady over which we are individually powerless.

The Language of the Heart Page 7

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Just a Quote

"We get so much in the habit of wearing a disguise before others that we eventually appear disguised before ourselves." ~ Jim Bishop

[bluidkiti]

May 10


Happy To Be Me Prayer

Dear God,
Give me the courage to be myself.
I’m always trying to be what others expect of me.
I’m wasting time and energy pleasing everyone but myself.
I’m not even very good at it.
Help me appreciate the best parts of being me.
Show me how to love myself so I can say with confidence:
“I am very happy to be me.”
Amen

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Just a Thought

Alcoholics in A.A. recover their faith in a Power greater than themselves.

They admit that they're helpless by themselves and they call on that Higher Power for help. They surrender their lives to God, as they understand Him. They put their drink problem in God's hands and leave it there. They recover their faith in a Higher Power that can help them.

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

Have I recovered my faith?

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Just a Contemplation

Unexpected Experiences

You can count on moments of laughter. And you can count on twinges of fear. Life is seldom what we expect, but we can trust that we will survive the rough times. They will, in fact, soften our edges. Pleasure and pain are shared equally in the context of our lives.

We so easily forget that our growth comes through the challenges we label "problems." We do have the tools at hand to reap the benefits inherent in the problems that may face us today. Let us move gently forward, take the program with us, and watch the barriers disappear.

Accepting powerlessness over our children, or spouse, or co-worker may free us of a burden today. Or perhaps amends will open the communication we seek with someone in our lives. A Well lived today, will prepare me for both the pleasure and the pain of tomorrow.

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Humility

On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility:
"Perpetual quietness of heart."
It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble.

Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers Page 222

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Just a Quote

"All time spent angry is time lost being happy." ~ Mexican Proverb

[bluidkiti]

May 11


Good Morning God Prayer

Good Morning God!
You are ushering in another day,
untouched and freshly new.
So here I am to ask you, God,
if You'll renew me too.

Forgive the many errors that I made yesterday
and let me try again dear God
to walk closer in Your way.

But Lord, I am well aware,
I can't make it on my own.
So take my hand and hold it tight,
for I cannot walk alone.

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, most of us never thought of helping others.

We liked to buy drinks for people, because that made us feel like big shots. But we only used others for our own pleasure. To really go out and try to help somebody who needed help never occurred to us. To us, helping others looked like a fool's game. But when we came into A.A., we began to try to help others. And we found out that helping others made us happy and also helped us to stay sober.

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

Have I learned that there is happiness in helping others?

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Just a Contemplation

Living Life

Living means facing all of life. Life is joy and sorrow. We used to be people who wanted joy without sorrow. But we can learn from hard times, maybe more than we do in easy times. Often, getting through hard times helps us grow. When things get tough, maybe we want to turn and run. Then, a gentle voice from within us says, “I am with you. You have friends who will help.” If we listen, we’ll hear our Higher Power. This is what is meant by “conscious contact” in Step eleven. As this conscious contact grows, our courage grows. And we find the strength to face hard times.

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Defense

The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 43

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Just a Quote

"Our program shows us how to change the way we think. And we change how we treat ourselves and others. We learn to live a new life based on love and care." ~ Simon Tyler

[bluidkiti]

May 12


Prayer for Good Humor

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good
and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.

~St. Thomas More

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Just a Thought

I am less critical of other people, inside and outside of A.A.

I used to run people down all the time. I realize now that it was because I wanted unconsciously to build myself up. I was envious of people who lived normal lives. I couldn't understand why I couldn't be like them. And so I ran them down. I called them sissies or hypocrites. I was always looking for faults in the other person. I loved to tear down what I called "a stuff shirt" or "a snob." I have found that I can never make a person any better by criticism. A.A. has taught me this.

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

Am I less critical of people today?

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Just a Contemplation

Detachment

Learning to detach for many is very demanding and difficult. Detachment means being filled with closeness and love toward someone, yet knowing we cannot fix or protect that person. It means we can be in emotional contact but don't have to react to someone else's issues. We respond from our own center with what is fitting for us. Being detached means we allow others to be in the hands of God because we cannot live their lives for them. Detachment gives us an inner calm, an acceptance of our limits, and the freedom to live our own lives with integrity.

Detachment is a skill in living, and like other skills, we can practice it. Gradually, it becomes a natural response. True detachment takes root and grows within us over a period of time, as we practice it.

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Setback
(Evidence of a Miracle)

Now I see how monumental my self-deception was. During that first thirteen years, my sobriety was not of the high quality it seemed to be. During the two years that followed, I actually convinced myself that it was a privilege to be able to drink. When I returned to A.A., its precepts seemed entirely new to me, particularly the meaning of the First Step, the 'atom bomb of the program.' Instead of taking the Steps and forgetting them, this time I began living them daily, finding new meaning in each one.

Came to Believe Page 96

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Just a Quote

"How many of us are killing ourselves with our own greed? In spite of all that we take in, we remain empty. Excessive consumption depresses our spirits even before it destroys our bodies." ~ Cristina D.

[bluidkiti]

May 13


Happiness in Tough Times Prayer

Dear Lord,
Teach me to be content when I’m facing a bad day.
How easy it is to be happy when everything goes well.
How tough it is to remember my joy when one thing after another appears to defeat me.
Let me in on the secret. Turn my frown into a smile. Tears into laughter.
I am Your humble student.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Who am I to judge other people?

Have I proved by my great success in life that I know all the answers? Exactly the opposite. Until I came into A.A., my life could be called a failure. I made all the mistakes a man could make. I took all the wrong roads there were to take. On the basis of my record, am I a fit person to be a judge of my fellow men? Hardly. In A.A. I have learned not to judge people. I am so often wrong. Let the results of what they do judge them. It's not up to me.

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

Am I less harsh in my judgment of people?

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Just a Contemplation

Acceptance and Patience

All of us have times when we don't enjoy our sobriety as much as we feel we should. Though we're still grateful, we sometimes feel bored and depressed.
What we have to remember at such times is our bleak history of using alcohol as a quick fix for boredom. However ruinous and false it proved to be, alcohol did temporarily bring the miraculous change we sought.

We thought of alcohol as a means of uplifting our mood. We were very surprised to learn that it's really a depressant. Maybe it lifted us up by depressing our self-doubt and self-criticism. Whatever the nature of our drinking, we need to stay sober while fighting our battles with boredom. We can do that by accepting a bit of boredom without succumbing to it. Meanwhile, we can look for ways of easing boredom that don't get us into trouble or lead back to the bottle.

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Ego

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.
The word "alcoholic" does not turn me off any more; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me.

Experience, Strength and Hope Page 382

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Just a Quote

" You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow" ~ Carrie Fisher

[bluidkiti]

May 14


Prayer for Relaxation and Rest

Dear Lord,

Please help me to rest.

I place my list of things to do in your hands.
Just for a moment, I let it go.

I place any thoughts about how things should be different in your hands.
Just for a moment, I let them go.

I place any thoughts about how someone else should be different in your hands.
Just for a moment, I let them go.

I place any thoughts about how I should be different in your hands.
Just for a moment, I let them go.

Right now, just for a moment,
I allow things to be as they are,
I allow someone else to be as they are,
I allow myself to be as I am,
And so I rest.

Amen

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Just a Thought

In that alcoholic world ............

I need to remember that one drink always leads to another and you can't stop till you're paralyzed. And the next morning it begins all over again. You eventually land in a hospital or jail. You lose your job. Your home is broken up. You're always in a mess. You're on the merry go round and you can't get off. You're in a squirrel cage and you can't get out.

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

Am I convinced that the alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for me to live in?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is a key part of living a sober life. We need it to get to our meetings regularly. We need it to understand the Steps. We need it to work the Steps.
And we get much in return. With self-discipline, we learn to trust ourselves. We learn to do what is most loving and caring for ourselves. What a great relief! One of the worst parts of our illness was that we couldn’t count on ourselves. We didn’t know what we’d do next. Self-discipline heals this part of our illness.

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Gifts

From: "The Opening to the Spiritual World"

This is the crux of the program and the crux of living: acceptance and action.
The gift of understanding has allowed the simple messages from my parents, my teachers, and my church to take on new meaning and soundness. With the gift of serenity, I am ready and willing to accept what God permits to happen to me; with the gift of courage, to take action to change the things I can for the good of myself and others. The gift of wisdom has been given to me so that in personal relationships I may act intelligently and with love or, as it has also been expressed, with competence and compassion.

Came to Believe Page 4

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Just a Quote

"Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are." ~ Chinese Proverb

[bluidkiti]

May 15

Prayer for Compassion

Lord,
Grant me the wisdom to see the good in each person I meet.

Grant me the empathy to understand their life situation and respect them enough to extend loving support, while sharing God's love with dignity.

Allow me, Lord, to recognize opportunities to stand with others, friend to friend.
Amen

~ John Wenger, Andersonville, IN

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Just a Thought

I have found my way into this new world.

By the grace of God and the help of A.A.; so am I going to take that first drink, when I know that just one drink will change my whole world? Am I deliberately going back to the suffering of that alcoholic world? Or am I going to hang onto the happiness of this sober world? Is there any doubt about the answer?

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

With God's help, am I going to hang onto A.A. with both hands?

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Just a Contemplation

Later

"Later." How often have we said this? This trick helps us avoid the tasks of the day. Life is full of tasks--many fun, some boring, others hard. Can I accept the task my Higher Power gives me, easy or hard?

When we used alcohol or other drugs, we'd avoid tasks, if they became hard for us. We believed we had more control than we really did. We started to believe we could control outcomes. What we really were doing was setting ourselves up for a great fall. We had to face the fact that when our Higher Power had given us a task, we said no, and turned away. Thus, we turned away from the guiding hand of our Higher Power.

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An Illness

Alcoholism, not cancer was my illness, but what was the difference? Was not alcoholism also a consumer of body and mind? Alcoholism took longer to do its killing, but the result was the same. So, I decided, if there was a great Physician who could cure alcoholic sickness, I had better seek Him at once.

A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 61

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Just a Quote

"To behave with dignity is nothing less than to allow others freely to be themselves." ~ Sol Chaneles