A Prayer & Some Thoughts - January

[bluidkiti]

January 7


Prayer to Restore

Lord,
Replace the tension within me with relaxation.
Replace the turbulence within me with calm.
Replace the anxiety within me with a quiet confidence.
Replace the fear within me with a strong faith.
Replace the bitterness within me with the sweetness.
Replace the darkness within me with a glowing light.
Replace the coldness within me with gentle warmth.
Amen

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Just a Thought

There is some alcoholic thought, conscious or unconscious that comes before every slip.

As long as we live, we must be on the lookout for such thoughts and guard against them. In fact, our A.A. training is mostly to prepare us, to make us ready to recognize such thoughts at once and to reject them at once. The slip comes when we allow such thoughts to remain in our minds, even before we actually go through the motions of lifting the glass to our lips. The A.A. program is largely one of mental training.

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

How well is my mind prepared?

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Just a Contemplation

Faith

What is faith? It is believing in possibilities. It is the ability to carry on with our plans or to be true to our work even though we feel discouraged or tired. It is staying active in relationships even when we receive little in return or when our friends aren't able to respond.

If there were no doubt, there would be no need for faith. Faith is temporarily putting our doubts on the shelf and working toward our goals. Faith is trusting that help and support will be there for us even though they're not in view. It is looking at a map and choosing a new destination, getting on the road to go there, and trusting the marks on the map symbolize a real place that we will find.

I will leave room for my doubts and discouragement, but I will not indulge them. I will choose to go with hope. I will give my energy to the better possibilities.

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Open Mind

To get sober and to stay sober, all you really need is a truly open mind. Just resign from the debating society and quit bothering yourself with such deep questions as whether it was the hen or the egg that came first. Again I say, all you need is the open mind.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 26

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Just a Quote

“Try to make at least one person happy every day. If you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word. If you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind thought. Count up, if you can, the treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week, in a year, in a lifetime.” ~ Lawrence G. Lovaski

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Note ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today Is Orthodox Christmas Day

Most Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day on January 7 in the Gregorian calendar, in use today. This date works to be December 25 in the Julian calendar, which pre-dates the Gregorian calendar. For many Orthodox Christians, Christmas Day is not about presents, it is a time to heal the soul. It is also a time of peace and unity.