Daily Recovery Readings - April 25

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God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.

April 25

Daily Reflections

ENTERING A NEW DIMENSION

In the late stages of our drinking, the will to resist has
fled. Yet when we admit complete defeat and when we become
entirely ready to try A.A. principles, our obsession leaves
us and we enter a new dimension - freedom under God as we
understand Him.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 283

I am fortunate to be among the ones who have had this awesome
transformation in my life. When I entered the doors of A.A.,
alone and desperate, I had been beaten into willingness to
believe anything I heard. One of the things I heard was,
"This could be your last hangover, or you can keep going
round and round." The man who said this obviously was a
whole lot better off than I. I liked the idea of admitting
defeat and I have been free ever since! My heart heard what
my mind never could: "Being powerless over alcohol is no
big deal." I'm free and I'm grateful!

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

I don't believe that A.A. works because I read it in a book
or because I hear people say so. I believe it because I see
people getting sober and staying sober. An actual demonstration
is what convinces me. When I see the change in people, I can't
help believing that A.A. works. We could listen to talk about
A.A. all day and still not believe it, but when we see it work,
we have to believe it. Seeing is believing. Do I see A.A. work
every day?

Meditation For The Day

Try saying "God bless her (or him)" of anyone who is in
disharmony with you. Also say it of those who are in trouble
through their own fault. Say it, willing that showers of
blessings may fall upon them. Let God do the blessing. Leave
to God the necessary correcting or disciplining. You should
only desire blessing for them. Leave God's work to God. Occupy
yourself with the task that He gives you to do. God's blessing
will also break down all your own difficulties and build up all
your successes.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may use God's goodness so that it will be a
blessing to others. I pray that I may accept God's blessing so
that I will have harmony, beauty, joy, and happiness.

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As Bill Sees It

Each Man's Vision, p. 116

"Beyond a Higher Power, as each of us may vision Him, A.A. must
never, as a society, enter the field of dogma or theology. We can
never become a religion in that sense, lest we kill our usefulness by
getting bogged down in the theological contention."

<< << << >> >> >>

"The really amazing fact about A.A. is that all religions see in our
program a resemblance to themselves. For example, Catholic
theologians declare our Twelve Steps to be in exact accord with their
Ignatian Exercises for Retreat, and, though our book reeks of sin,
sickness, and death, the Christian Science Monitor has often praised
it editorially.

"Now, looking through Quaker eyes, you, too, see us favorably.
What happy circumstances, these!"

1. Letter, 1954

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Walk in Dry Places

Fixing needs____ Inventory.
AA pioneers once thought of their work as "fixing" drunks. That was dropped in AA, but "getting a fix" survives in the drug culture
The truth is, we can't fix anybody, nor can we fix any problem with a destructive, mood altering drug. What we're really seeking … what every compulsive person really seeks…. Is to fix the conflicting needs that tear us apart at the seams.
We can fix many of those needs over time if we practice Twelve step principles. "That searching and fearless moral inventory", humbling though it may be, will expose the fierce drives that are consuming us. Sharing the truth about ourselves with others helps us understand both what is right and what is wrong in our lives. The power to change ourselves, when we desire it, comes from a Higher Power… God as we understand Him.
Somebody has summed this process up this way: "Need a fix? Fix the need!" We can use that idea to fix our needs today by following the Twelve step program. At times, we may not even by completely aware of our real needs. This too will be revealed to us as we continue in this program.
I'll start my day by affirming that there's no need that can cause me to do anything destructive. As any problem arises, I learn how to fix my needs in healthy ways.

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Keep It Simple

You're never to old to grow up.---Shirley Conran
Some of us have spent many years trying not to grow up. As children, we watched the adults around us. They may not have seemed happy. "Is life all hard work for grown-ups?" we wondered. No, it's not hard work. There are lots of good things about growing up. We can take charge of our life. We can learn to take care of ourselves. We can learn to share feelings with good friends. We can make our world safe enough for us to express feelings again. We learn how to love others. We do have choices.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me grow up into a happy, grateful adult.
Action for the Day: There are happy grown-ups. I'll find one to be my sponsor.

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Each Day a New Beginning

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content. --Helen Keller
There is wonder in the moment, if we but look for it, let it touch us, believe in it. And with the recognition and celebration of the wonder comes the joy we desire and await.
Being wholly in tune with the present moment is how we'll come to know the spiritual essence that connects all of life. We search for peace, happiness, and contentment outside of ourselves. We need instead to discover it within us, now and always, in whatever we are experiencing.
We can let our experiences wash over us. Longing for a different time, a distant place, a new situation breeds discontent. It prevents us from the thrill, the gifts offered in this present moment. But they are there.
We can practice feeling joyful in the present, be thrilled with the realization that right now, all is well. All is always well. Life is full of mystery and wonder and each moment of our awareness adds to the wonder.
I am moving forward; we all are. I am on target. I am participating in a glorious, wonderful drama. Let me jump for joy. I have been specially blessed.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

“As soon as I regained my ability to think, I went carefully over that evening in Washington. Not only had I been off guard, I had made no fight whatever against the first drink. This time I had not thought of the consequences at all. I had commenced to drink as carelessly as thought the cocktails were ginger ale. I now remembered what my alcoholic friends had told me, how they prophesied that if I had an alcoholic mind, the time and place would come—I would drink again. They had said that though I did raise a defense, it would one day give way before some trivial reason for having a drink. Well, just that did happen and more, for what I had learned of alcoholism did not occur to me at all. I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots. I had never been able to understand people who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated. I knew then. It was the crushing blow.

pp. 41-42

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

ME AN ALCOHOLIC? - Alcohol's wringer squeezed this author--but he escaped quite whole.

I'd had absolute faith in science, and only in science. "Knowledge is power," I'd always been taught. Now I had to face up to the fact that knowledge of this sort, applied to my individual case, was not power. Science could take my mind apart expertly, but it couldn't seem to put it together again. I crawled back to my analyst, not so much because I had faith in him, but because I had nowhere else to turn.
p. 385

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition One - "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. Unity."

"Does this mean," some will anxiously ask, "that in A.A. the individual doesn't count for much? Is he to be dominated by his group and swallowed up in it?"
We may certainly answer this question with a loud "No!" We believe there isn't a fellowship on earth which lavishes more devoted care upon its individual members; surely there is none which more jealously guards the individual's right to think, talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do anything; nobody can be punished or expelled. Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single "Don't." They repeatedly say "We ought . . ." but never "You must!"

p. 129

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God, when I am faced with a tough decision,
help me be gentle with myself and others
as I sort out, with your help, what's right for me.
--Melody Beattie

Every moment is an opportunity for Love.
Where there is hatred, may we bring Love.
Where there is prejudice and injustice, may we bring Love.
Where there is insecurity and small-mindedness, may we bring Love.
Where there is fear in any form, may we bring the illuminating Light
of Love.
We do not open our hearts 'when'; we open them 'in spite of.'
God grants us the opportunity and power to transform every
negativity into everlasting love.
--Mary Manin Morrissey

"Faith is like electricity. You can't see it, but you can see the light."
--Anonymous

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

IMPERFECTION

"In the country of the blind the one
eyed king can still goof up."
--Anonymous

For years I tried to control everything and everybody. Things had
their place; there was a correct code of behavior for doing things;
everything had to have its place. I felt responsible for the universe and
everybody in it.

Today I can laugh at my mistakes and the mistakes of others. When I
catch myself organizing the world, I remember where the "perfect"
yesterdays got me - and I laugh. God made me with a navel and flat
feet; I would have preferred something different but there is a loving
message within my imperfections. It is okay to goof up!

Today I relax in the humor of being human. Thank You for making me
an angel in the dirt.

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"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:13-14

"Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you."
Matthew 25:34

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Daily Inspiration

To allow past problems into your present moments can make you feel depressed, worried and overwhelmed. Lord, help me to let go of that which I can do nothing about so that I can take care of that which I can.

Take care of yourself so that you may give care to others. Lord, may I never totally ignore myself and my feelings for the sake of others and fit in time daily to refresh my spirit.

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NA Just For Today

Embracing Reality

"Recovery is a reality for us today"
Basic Text, p. 97

Pain and misery were realities in our using lives. We were unwilling either to accept our living situation or to change what was unacceptable in our lives. We attempted to escape life's pain by taking drugs, but using only compounded our troubles. Our altered sense of reality became a nightmare.

Through living the program of Narcotics Anonymous, we learn that our dreams can replace our nightmares. We grow and change. We acquire the freedom of choice. We are able to give and receive love. We can share honestly about ourselves, no longer magnifying or minimizing the truth. We accept the challenges real life offers us, facing them in a mature, responsible way.

Although recovery does not give us immunity from the realities of life, in the NA Fellowship we can find the support, genuine care, and concern we need to face those realities. We need never hide from reality by using drugs again, for our unity with other recovering addicts gives us strength. Today the support, the care, and the empathy of recovery give us a clean, clear window through which to view, experience, and appreciate reality as it is.

Just for today: A gift of my recovery is living and enjoying life as it truly is. Today, I will embrace reality.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Unused capacities atrophy, cease to be. --Tillie Olsen
Those of us who have suffered a broken bone and had to put up with a cast for several weeks know how hard it is to use muscles that have been inactive for so long. They have gotten weak from lack of use, and we have to begin to develop our strength all over again.
The same thing happens if we don't use our other capacities. If we don't constantly use our minds to think and learn, we become dull people, almost incapable of new thoughts and insights. If we don't use our hearts to love, we become uncaring and insensitive--much like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. If we don't use our creative talents--to draw or write or sew, or whatever it is we're into--we lose the ability to do those things.
On the other hand, like our muscles, our other capacities can be strengthened and developed by daily use. We exercise our hearts by being kind and loving, our minds by thinking, our imaginations by being creative. In this way, we become spiritually powerful, a force for good in the world.
How can I exercise my assets today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
The natural world is a spiritual house.... Man walks there through forests of physical things that are also spiritual things that watch him with affectionate looks. --Charles Baudelaire
As we live this program, we learn to see the spiritual in physical things. Whatever we see or hear, whatever happens in our lives may carry a spiritual message. Some of us will say, "God is telling me something." Others, whose understanding of God takes another form, will say, "There is a spiritual message in this if I can read it."
But many men, having had relationships that were abusive and painful, find it hard to imagine the spirit of things watching them with affection, and not hostility. Many of us have been used, and we have used others. We don't expect affectionate relationships, but could it be that the spiritual world loves us and we don't know it? Perhaps if we think about this for a while, we also will become more loving.
The generosity of God is expressed in all kinds of physical things. I will remember that the spiritual is affectionate toward me.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content. --Helen Keller
There is wonder in the moment, if we but look for it, let it touch us, believe in it. And with the recognition and celebration of the wonder comes the joy we desire and await.
Being wholly in tune with the present moment is how we'll come to know the spiritual essence that connects all of life. We search for peace, happiness, and contentment outside of ourselves. We need instead to discover it within us, now and always, in whatever we are experiencing.
We can let our experiences wash over us. Longing for a different time, a distant place, a new situation breeds discontent. It prevents us from the thrill, the gifts offered in this present moment. But they are there.
We can practice feeling joyful in the present, be thrilled with the realization that right now, all is well. All is always well. Life is full of mystery and wonder and each moment of our awareness adds to the wonder.
I am moving forward; we all are. I am on target. I am participating in a glorious, wonderful drama. Let me jump for joy. I have been specially blessed.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Finding Our Own Truth
We must each discover our own truth.
It does not help us if those we love find their truth. They cannot give it to us. It does not help if someone we love knows a particular truth in our life. We must discover our truth for ourselves.
We must each discover and stand in our own light.
We often need to struggle, fail, and be confused and frustrated. That's how we break through our struggle; that's how we learn what is true and right for ourselves.
We can share information with others. Others can tell us what may predictably happen if we pursue a particular course. But it will not mean anything until we integrate the message and it becomes our truth, our discovery, our knowledge.
There is no easy way to break through and find our truth.
But we can and will, if we want to.
We may want to make it easier. We may nervously run to friends, asking them to give us their truth or make our discovery easier. They cannot. Light will shed itself in its own time.
Each of us has our own share of truth, waiting to reveal itself to us. Each of us has our own share of the light, waiting for us to stand in it, to claim it as ours.
Encouragement helps. Support helps. A firm belief that each person has truth available - appropriate to each situation - is what will help.
Each experience, each frustration, each situation, has its own truth waiting to be revealed. Don't give up until you find it - for yourself.
We shall be guided into truth, if we are seeking it. We are not alone.
Today, I will search for my own truth, and I will allow others to do the same. I will place value on my vision and the vision of others. We are each on the journey, making our own discoveries - the ones that are right for us today.


Today I am practicing looking at all beings with the eyes of compassion. Not only do I feel good when I come from a place of love and understanding, I also feel useful and connected. --Ruth Fishel

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Journey To The Heart

Connect with Peace

Om ah hum varja guru padma siddi hum. Om mani padme hum.
–A Buddhist Chant

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary. Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
– A Catholic Petition

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
–A Non denominational Prayer

People have many ways of seeking and finding peace. Mantras– chants and prayers that align the mind with peaceful thoughts, with the river of peace that runs through our universe– are one way of returning to our center. Do you have a favorite prayer, a religious chant, or a saying that helps you? That puts you back on track? That takes you mind to that place of peace within your soul?

Value the mantras that touch and heal your mind, the sounds and thoughts that align you with peace. Find and value the words and prayers of your religion, the thoughts that work for you, that connect you to your center. These will help you discover your connection with the universe, the flow of life, the certainty that all is well. You and your life are on track. Know you’ll be given all the guidance and grace you need.

Find rituals that help you believe that peace is yours, rituals that connect you to the Divine in the universe. Ask for peace. Ask in a way that works for you.

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More Language Of Letting Go

Be as clear as possible

Marcia doesn’t like to hurt other people’s feelings. So when she doesn’t want to date or see someone anymore, she doesn’t tell them that. She lies. But she calls it “being nice.” She either sets up some dramatic scene that justifies her getting mad and breaking up, or she gives them an excuse that leaves them hanging.

Let go of the drama. Tie up loose ends. If you know where you’re at with someone, you can be diplomatic, but be as clear as you can be.

Be clear with yourself,too. Watch the behavior of other people. Are they making excuses to you why they can’t be with you? Are you making excuses about why they don’t call? Some of us wait a long time for someone who’s not even thinking about us.

Stop telling others what they want to hear, when that’s not the truth. Stop telling yourself what you want to hear, when what you’re telling yourself isn’t true, either. Don’t leave other people hanging. Don’t put yourself on hold.

Be as clear as you can be, with other people and with yourself.

It’s ths compassionate thing to do.

God, help me know that I don’t have to create dramas to get what I want. Help me live my life from a place of centered, diplomatic honesty, even when that means I need to tell people something they’d rather not hear.

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In God’s Care

When we spiritually awaken, our whole life changes from being hard and painful to becoming easier and happier, more pleasant and pain-free.
~~Jerry Hirshfield

Most of us awaken spiritually very slowly. Looking back on our more dangerous times and our miraculous survival helps us to believe that at least something like a guardian angel must have never been far away. And yet, much of the time many of us still struggle with the day-to-day turmoil of our recovery, trying to manage outcomes that are not ours to manage.

We complicate most events by our need to control what is clearly up to God to control. When we let go the outcome is generally to our satisfaction. Always, in time, we see that the outcome benefits us generously. We can’t do what belongs to God to do. Our job is simply to move aside.

The pain of forcing open a door or pushing through a decision can be relinquished forever if we simply trust God.

Life is often only as hard and painful as we in our self-centeredness make it.

I will not try to do God’s work today.

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Shifting with the Tide
Energetic Motion

by Madisyn Taylor

With each moment, we are given opportunities to create change using nothing more than our awareness.

Since our lives are constantly in motion energetically, change is a constant element of our existence. As dynamic as that energy is, it is not random or haphazard in nature—the shifts in energy that are constantly taking place are the result of our choices. The formulation of intention, a change in perspective, or the creation of a goal can transform our lives in blink of an eye. We think positive thoughts and the world becomes a brighter place. Or we decide who we want to be and become that person. With each passing moment, we are given innumerable opportunities to create change using nothing more than our awareness.

In the span of a single second, our lives can change immeasurably because energy moves at a pace more rapid than anything we can consciously fathom. Though we may not at first be sensitive to the vibrational shifts taking place, our choices are ultimately at the heart of these transformations. We can typically recognize the consequences of key decisions because we anticipated the resultant energetic shifts. But many, if not most, of the choices we make each day are a product of instantaneous reactions, and these still have a significant impact on the energy of our existence. It is for this reason that we should learn to wield what control we can over these shifts. If we bear in mind that all we think and all we do will shape the existence we know, we can deliberately direct the energetic motion of our lives.

Each day, you make an infinite array of decisions that cause energy shifts in the world around you. In many cases, these transitions are almost imperceptible, while in others the change that takes place is palpable not only to you but also to those in your sphere of influence. Your awareness of the immediate energetic consequences of your thoughts and actions can guide you as you endeavor to make the most of the autonomy that defines you as an individual. The myriad choices you make from moment to moment, however inconsequential they may seem, represent your personal power, which sanctions you to transform the energetic tide of your existence with nothing more than your will. Published with permission from Daily OM

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A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

I have much more to be grateful for than I realize. Too often, I don’t remember to give thought to all the things in my life that I could enjoy and appreciate. Perhaps I don’t take time for this important meditation because I’m too preoccupied with my own so-called woes. I allow my mind to overflow with grievances; the more I think about them, the more monumental they seem. Instead of surrendering to God and His goodness, I let myself be controlled by the negative thinking into which my thoughts are apt to stray unless I guide them firmly into brighter paths. Do I try to cultivate an “attitude of gratitude?”

Today I Pray

May god lead me away from my pile-up of negative thoughts, which make for detours in my path of personal growth. May I break the old poor-me habits of remembering the worst and expecting the most dire. May I turn my thoughts ahead to a whole new world out there. May I allow myself to envision the glory of God.

Today I Will Remember

Keep an attitude of gratitude.

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One More Day

Every tub must stand on its own bottom.
– Thomas Fuller

As we accomplish each goal in our lives, we feel a tremendous sense of pride. Whether from success at the job, in school, or in a volunteer capacity, achieving a goal is personally gratifying.

The challenge that chronic illness presents is to reorganize our goals so they are still practical and attainable. If we spend our time complaining rather than changing, we may never fear to live successfully with the illness. It’s not going to go away. Things will never be the same as before. Accepting this fact is a colossal challenge.

My faith in myself has waned with the onset of my illness. I am just realizing that I can still depend upon myself.

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Food For Thought

Forgetting Food

Abstinence enables us to stop being preoccupied with food. We decide that we will have three meals a day with nothing in between, and we have a definite plan for those meals. Whenever cravings or thoughts of food begin to distract us, we put them out of our mind. We remember that food has proved to be a false friend, and we no longer permit it to control our life.

Through OA, we have found new interests and activities. We have friends to call when we are lonely or upset. When we are feeling shaky, we can go to a meeting. Perhaps our new energies have led to involvement in community activities, new jobs, hobbies and projects.

Each of us faces a certain amount of sluggishness and inertia when we decide to get involved in something new. It is easier to stay in the same old rut, since we often fear what is untried and unknown. Let us not permit apathy or anxiety to weaken our resolution. Escape into food and overeating is no longer an option.

Keep my thoughts on the new possibilities, which You have opened for me.

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One Day At A Time

~ Understanding ~

Understanding is the wellspring of life.
The Bible, Book of Proverbs

Early on in my recovery I became aware that understanding myself and my disease was going to be a tool of success. For many years I lived day after day in my addiction, bemoaning it, suffering in it, struggling against it, and adopting the world view of my condition. I came to believe that losing weight was the answer to all my problems ... if I could stick to a diet. Because I couldn't, the thoughts of worthlessness, ignorance, shame and guilt were repeatedly reinforced.

In working the Steps, the idea of recovery through understanding myself was born. Through knowledge of my Higher Power, and by His guidance, the understanding of my past and my present have given me keys to freedom from compulsive overeating. I welcome working the Steps because they have opened doors of my heart to mend the past and receive hope for the future. Understanding who I am and why I'm like I am, allows me to be abstinent and to develop new ways of coping with the stresses of life. Understanding the disease frees me from guilt and shame and releases self-acceptance.

One Day at a Time . . .
I continue to seek knowledge and understanding as a way to recovery.
~ Diane ~

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AA 'Big Book' - Quote

Now we try to put spiritual principles to work in every department of our lives. When we do that, we find it solves our problems too; the ensuing lack of fear, worry and hurt feelings is a wonderful thing. - Pgs. 116-117 - To Wives

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

Get a sponsor, get a program, get into service, get a Higher Power in your life, pray every day, go to 90 meetings in 90 days, work the steps or die. Get a life. Wake up and smell the recovery.

When I am tempted to think these clean and sober people at meetings are full of ****, let me remember that they're full of clean and sober **** and I'd do well to listen.

Appreciating Life

I have the gift of life. I am here. I am alive, with all of my senses and able to experience the magic of this incredible world. Whatever this day has in store for me, I am open to receive. I will act on my day and allow my day to act on me. I am open. I will take steps that I know will make my day feel good, productive and pleasurable, and then I will let the rest happen. Each day presents me with gifts and surprises, if I know how to unwrap the present, if I remember how to be astonished or pleased.

Life itself is the gift.

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

Sobriety often brings us effects we never expected, like becoming the person we used to resent!

I used to resent people whose standards I could not live up to. Now, by the Grace of God, I am one!

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Respect the anonymity of others.

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

Positive energy attracts positive energy. Today my Higher Power continues to guide my growth so that I am more and more open. I am becoming free and unblocked and am attracting all that is good and right in my life.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

I couldn't handle the grog - and I was no longer my own boss. - Koori 1st Step. Australia.

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AA Thought for the Day

April 25

The Light
I approached AA with fear and hesitation.
Then, urged by the dread of what was behind me, I took tiny delicate steps onto this new path.
When I found the footing was firm, each tentative move brought me a little nearer to trust.
Confidence grew, faith in my Higher Power expanded,
and I came to recognize a light I had not known existed.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 542-543

Thought to Ponder . . .
Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A R T = Always Remain Teachable.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Self-restraint
"Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.
We must avoid quick-tempered criticism
and furious power-driven argument.
The same goes for silent scorn.
These are emotional booby traps
baited with pride and vengefulness.
We can neither think nor act to good purpose
until the habit of self-restraint
has become automatic."
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 91

Thought to Consider . . .
The Seven T's - Take Time To Think The Thing Through.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ACTION
Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Choices
From "'Use Me'":
"The voice that answered was calm and sweet beyond description. 'You have the strength. All you have to do is use it. I
am here. I am with you. Use Me.'
"I was born again that day. From that moment, the compulsion was lifted. In the eleven years since, I have found in
sobriety what I was searching for in the bottle. I wanted peace; God gave me peace. I wanted acceptance; God
accepted me. I wanted to be loved; God assured me that He loved me."
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 33

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"AA has given each and every one of its groups and members the inalienable right to be unerringly wrong, which has
many times resulted in the liberty to be foolish, the sovereignty to self-destruct, and the self-determination to learn from mistakes."
Bowling Green, Kentucky, April 2012
"Safe in the Storm,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which
is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in
everlasting ignorance that principle is contempt prior to
investigation.'"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual Experience, pg. 568~

"To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis
are not always easy alternatives to face."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, Page 44~

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Essence of Growth
Let us never fear needed change. Certainly we have to discriminate between changes for worse and changes for
better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in A.A. as a whole, it has long since
been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way.
The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder
whatever responsibility this entails.
GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965

Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, I thank you for this day. I ask for forgiveness for any wrong that I may do. Help me in my journey today as I share your kindness and wisdom.

Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7