Daily Recovery Readings - August

[bluidkiti]

August 18

Daily Reflections

GETTING WELL, p.239

Very deep, sometimes quite forgotten, damaging emotional
conflicts persist below the level of consciousness.
12 & 12, pp. 79-80

Only through positive action can I remove the remains of guilt and
shame brought on by alcohol. Throughout my misadventures when
I drank, my friends would say, "Why are you doing this? You're
only hurting yourself." Little did I know how true were those
words. Although I harmed others, some of my behavior caused
grave wounds to my soul. Step Eight provides me with a way of
forgiving myself. I alleviate much of the hidden damage when I
make my list of those I have hurt. In making amends, I free
myself of burdens, thus contributing to my healing.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

"We of agnostic temperament have found that as soon as we were
able to lay aside prejudice and express a willingness to believe in a
Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even
though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or
comprehend that Power, which we call God. As soon as you can
say that you do believe or are willing to believe, you are on your
way. Upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective
spiritual structure can be built." Am I willing to depend on a Power
that I cannot fully define or comprehend?

Meditation For The Day

We seek God's presence and "they who seek shall find." It is not
a question of searching so much as an inner consciousness of the
Divine spirit in your heart. To realize God's presence you must
surrender to His will in the small as well as in the big things of life.
This makes God's guidance possible. Some things separate you
from God--a false word, a fear-inspired failure, a harsh criticism, a
stubborn resentment. These are the things that put a distance
between your mind and God. A word of love, a selfless
reconciliation, a kind act of helpfulness--these bring God closer.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may think and say and do the things that bring God
closer to me. I pray that I may find Him in sincere prayer, a kind
word, or an unselfish deed.

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As Bill Sees It

Love Everybody?, p. 230

Not many people can truthfully assert that they love everybody.
Most of us must admit that we have loved but a few; that we have
been quite indifferent to the many. As for the remainder--well, we
have really disliked or hated them.

We A.A.'s find we need something much better than this in order to
keep our balance. The idea that we can be possessively loving of
a few, can ignore the many, and can continue to fear or hate
anybody at all, has to be abandoned, if only a little at a time.

We can try to stop making unreasonable demands upon those we
love. We can show kindness where we had formerly shown none.
With those we dislike we can at least begin to practice justice and
courtesy, perhaps going out of our way at times to understand and
help them.

12 & 12, pp. 92-93

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Walk In Dry Places

Handle Today's Problem
Living Today
Many of us face seemingly insurmountable
difficulties, perhaps because of our compulsion or simply through
misfortune. Whatever the scale of our problems,One Day at a
Time and First things First, are keys to handling them.
Today, we can deal only with today's problems. One of today's problems, of course,
may be worrying about the future. A good method of handling that problem
is to turn our concern about it over to our Higher Power. But when
we do have work that clearly should be done today, we must carry through
with it. It's neither reasonable nor sensible to put off things that we
can and should do today.
There are certain tasks and responsibilities that must be dealt with
today. I will not put them off.

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Keep It Simple

The Master doesn't talk, she acts. When her work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!"
Our Higher Power works like the Master. Quietly. In fact, we usually take the credit ourselves!
We're like the child who bakes cookies for the first time. Mother found the recipe, bought the ingredients, and got out the bowl and pans and spoons. She told us what to do, and finished when we got tired. Then she cleaned up after us. We proudly served our cookies, saying, "I made them all by my self!"
In recovery, our Higher Power helps and teaches us every step of the way, just like a loving parent.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank-you ---for my life, for my recovery, for love, for hope, and for faith. Thank-you for teaching me how to live in a better way.
Action for the Day: I'll list five ways my Higher Power has acted in my life.

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Each Day a New Beginning

Today was like a shadow. It lurked behind me. It's now gone forever. Why is it that time is such a difficult thing to befriend? --Mary Casey
Each passing minute is all that we are certain of having. The choice is ever present to relish the moment, reaping fully whatever its benefits, knowing that we are being given just what we need each day of our lives. We must not pass up what is offered today.
Time accompanies us like a friend, though often a friend denied or ignored. We can't recapture what was offered yesterday. It's gone. All that stands before us is here, now.
We can nurture the moment and know that the pain and pleasures offered us with each moment are our friends, the teachers our inner selves await. And we can be mindful that this time, this combination of events and people, won't come again. They are the gift of the present. We can be grateful.
We miss the opportunities the day offers because we don't recognize the experiences as the lesson designed for the next stage of our development. The moment's offerings are just, necessary, and friendly to our spiritual growth.
I will take today in my arms and love it. I will love all it offers; it is a friend bearing gifts galore.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

“In this frame of mind, I went about my business and for a time all was well. I had no trouble refusing drinks, and began to wonder if I had not been making too hard work of a simple matter. One day I went to Washington to present some accounting evidence to a government bureau. I had been out of town before during this particular dry spell, so there was nothing new about that. Physically, I felt fine. Neither did I have any pressing problems or worries. My business came off well, I was pleased and knew my partners would be too. It was the end of a perfect day, not a cloud on the horizon.

pp. 40-41

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."

As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to convince those about us that we are indeed changing for the better, it is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who have been seriously affected, even those who may be only a little or not at all aware of what we have done to them. The only exceptions we will make will be cases where our disclosure would cause actual harm. These conversations can begin in a casual or natural way. But if no such opportunity presents itself, at some point we will want to summon all our courage, head straight for the person concerned, and lay our cards on the table. We needn't wallow in excessive remorse before those we have harmed, but amends at this level should always be forthright and generous.

pp. 85-86

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The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new
landscapes but in having new eyes.
--Marcel Proust

"The first recipe for happiness is: Avoid too lengthy meditations on
the past."
--André Maurois

"Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself."
--Felix Adler

"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching
the egg - not by smashing it."
--Arnold Glasow

"Patience and perseverance at length / Accomplish more than anger
or brute strength."
--Jean de La Fontaine

Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. It gets
dark sometimes but morning comes... Keep hope alive.
--Jesse Jackson

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

ABILITY

"Man's ability is derived from
God and does not have to be
acquired."
-- James H. McReynolds

I woke this morning and remembered that sobriety and serenity are
gifts from God that are freely given. I need only discover them within
my capacity to be honest. I need only seek them in my new attitudes. I
need only discover them in the spiritual program from my life.

God is alive in my life and His acceptance of me is guaranteed.

May I continue to discover more of Your beauty in my life.

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"Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
James 1:19

"The Father and I are one."
John 10:30

"But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from
the evil one."
2 Thessalonians 3:3

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Daily Inspiration

The more frantic we feel on the inside, the more compulsive we try to organize the outside. Lord, help me bring peace and order to my inner spirit by letting go of the past, bring resolution to the issues that are pressing and making a commitment to enjoy my life right now.

Do not be afraid to ask everything of God. He is always present and always loving us. Lord, I trust in You and ask for Your help in all that I do and need and want. I also ask for Your help in accepting Your answers when they are different than I would want or expect.