A Prayer & Some Thoughts - March

[bluidkiti]

March 3

Prayer in Time of Trouble

Lord,
In all my doubts, perplexities, and temptations, Lord, help me.
In hours of loneliness, weariness, and trials, Lord, help me.
In the failure of my plans and hopes; in disappointments, troubles, and sorrows, Lord, help me.
When others fail me and Your grace alone can assist me, help me.
When my heart is cast down by failure at seeing no good come from my efforts, Lord, help me.
When I feel impatient and irritable, Lord, help me.
When I am ill and my head and hands cannot work and I am lonely, Lord, help me.
Always, always, in spite of weakness, falls, and shortcomings of every kind, Lord, help me.
Lord, in every need let me come to You with humble trust saying, "Lord, help me."

Amen.

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Just a Thought
Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it.

We know now that all we've been through led us to A.A. and was part of our spiritual journey. We found it in A.A. what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We've learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles.

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

Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to A.A.?


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Just a Contemplation

Understanding Life

Why do bad things happen?
No one has been able to explain why pain and misfortune must be part of the human condition. Bad things can and do happen to everybody, and sometimes there's no way to explain it. Even in sobriety, AA members have misfortunes---times when it appears that God is hiding. We even hear members share such experiences at meetings.

Many of us have found ways to use misfortunes constructively, however, by seeing how the program helps us deal with it. In some cases---but not all---we even learn that a misfortune was a disguised blessing.

Most importantly, by using the program, we are eliminating the drinking that has been the cause of many misfortunes in our lives. That alone makes our immediate world a much better place for everyone.

My life today can be both easy and hard. It gives me great comfort to know that I am not making conditions worse for myself and others.

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Spiritual Experience

A "spiritual experience" to me meant attending meetings, seeing a group of people, all there for the purpose of helping each other; hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at a meeting, and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an AA meeting has such great meaning -- "Thy will be done, not mine." A spiritual awakening soon came to mean trying each day to be a little more thoughtful, more considerate, a little more courteous to those with whom I came in contact.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition Page 356

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Just a Few Quotes

“Who do you spend time with? Criticizers or encouragers? Surround yourself with those who believe in you. Your life is too important for anything less.” ~ Steve Goodier

“Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” ~ Walt Disney