Daily Recovery Readings - November

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November 30

Daily Reflections

PROTECTION FOR ALL

At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for
all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard
often of special importance to newcomers. At the level of
press, radio, TV, and films, anonymity stresses the
equality in the Fellowship of all members by putting the
brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A.
affiliation to achieve recognition, power, or personal
gain.
"UNDERSTANDING ANONYMITY," p. 5

Attraction is the main force in the Fellowship of A.A. The
miracle of continuous sobriety of alcoholics within A.A.
confirms this fact every day. It would be harmful if the
Fellowship promoted itself by publicizing, through the
media of radio and TV, the sobriety of well-known public
personalities who became members of A.A. If these
personalities happened to have slips, outsiders would think
our movement is not strong and they might question the
veracity of the miracle of the century. Alcoholics Anonymous
is not anonymous, but its members should be.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

We have slips in A.A. It has been said these are not slips
but premeditated drunks, because we have to think about
taking a drink before we actually take one. The thought always
comes before the act. It has been suggested that people
should always get in touch with an A.A. before taking that
first drink. The failure to do so makes it probable that
they decided to take the drink anyway. And yet the thoughts
that come before taking a drink are often largely
subconscious. People usually don't know consciously what
made them do it. Therefore, the common practice is to call
these things slips. Am I on guard against wrong thinking?

Meditation For The Day

"The eternal God is thy refuge." He is a sanctuary, a refuge
from the cares of life. You can get away from the
misunderstanding of others by retiring into your own place of
meditation. But from yourself, from your sense of failure,
your weakness, your shortcomings, whither can you flee? Only
to the eternal God, your refuge, until the immensity of His
spirit envelopes your spirit and it loses its smallness and
weakness and comes into harmony again with His.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may lose my limitations in the immensity of
God's love. I pray that my spirit may be in harmony with
His spirit.

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As Bill Sees It

I Am Responsible . . ., p. 332

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there.
And for that: I am responsible.
--Declaration of 30th Anniversary International Convention, 1965

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Walk In Dry Places

Spiritual pride
Seeking humility
Those of us who have found a Higher Power in our lives can feel truly blessed. We know we're on the right path by witnessing the wonderful changes that continue to come into our lives.
One pitfall in this, however, is the risk of becoming "spiritually proud." We sometimes feel that our beliefs are so superior that others should accept them as well. We even become critical of the beliefs of others.
If this happens, we actually will be severing our own conscious contact with our higher power. False pride is a new form will be back in charge. Others will sense this too, and may withdraw from us.
Our best safeguard against this trap of spiritual pride is a reminder that we don't have all the answers. We can share our understanding with others, but we should never imply that we know what's best for them. Spiritual growth should being humility, not more of the pride that was destroying us.
I can leave all outcomes in God's hands today, knowing that everything is being controlled in a spiritual way.

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Keep It Simple

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.---Bernard Malamud
Sobriety is freedom. With this freedom, we have a responsibility to help other addicts who still suffer. The program tells us this in Step Twelve. We do this by telling our stories and offering hope.
We must be ready to care, to give ourselves. This is what spirituality is about. When we help others, we prepare the road for those who enter the program after us.
Tradition Five of the Twelve Traditions says, “Each group has but one primary purpose---to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” It means we get better by helping others.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me create more freedom. Bring me to where I’m needed. Help me carry the message well.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll think of ways I can help the addict who still suffers. Then I’ll chose one way I can be of help. I’ll talk with my sponsor about it, and I’ll follow through with my plan.

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Each Day a New Beginning

Doubt indulged soon becomes doubt realized. --Frances Ridley Havergal
We are powerless over our addictions, whether liquor, pills, people, food. We are powerless over the outcome of all events involving us. And we are powerless over the lives of our friends and family members. We are not powerless, however, over our own attitudes, our own behavior, our own self-image, our own determination, our own commitment to life and this simple program.
Power aplenty we have, but we must exercise it in order to understand its breadth. We'll find all the day's activities, interactions, plans decidedly more exciting when we exercise control over our responses. We don't have to feel or respond except in the way that pleases us. We have total control and we'll find this realization exhilarating.
Our recovery is strengthened each time we determine the proper behavior, choose an action that feels right, take responsibility where it is clearly ours to take. The benefits will startle us and bring us joy.
I will take charge of my life today.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

BILL'S STORY

My brother-in-law is a physician, and through his kindness and that of my mother I was placed in a nationally-known hospital for the mental and physical rehabilitation of alcoholics. Under the so-called belladonna treatment my brain cleared. Hydrotherapy and mild exercise helped much. Best of all, I met a kind doctor who explained that though certainly selfish and foolish, I had been seriously ill, bodily and mentally.

p. 7

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

Our Southern Friend

Pioneer A.A., minister's son, and southern farmer, he asked, "Who am I to say there is no God?"

I am at the hospital to see my wife. We have another child. But she is not glad to see me. I have been drinking while the baby was arriving. Her father stays with her.
It is a cold, bleak day in November. I have fought hard to stop drinking. Each battle has ended in defeat. I tell my wife I cannot stop drinking. She begs me to go to a hospital for alcoholics which has been recommended. I say I will go. She makes the arrangements, but I will not go. I'll do it all myself. This time I'm off of it for good. I'll just take a few beers now and then.

pp. 212-213

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Seven - "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."

How we alcoholics did resent that verdict! We would not believe that our adult dreams were often truly childish. And considering the rough deal life had given us, we felt it perfectly natural that we were sensitive. As to our grandiose behavior, we insisted that we had been possessed of nothing but a high and legitimate ambition to win the battle of life.

p. 123

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A loving heart is the truest wisdom.
--Charles Dickens

"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all
yourself."
--unknown

He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has.
--Henry Ward Beecher

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To love another person is to see the face of God."
--Victor Hugo

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

FATE

"I am the master of my fate; I
am the captain of my soul."
-- William E. Henley

Things do not just happen, we make them happen. For years I thought that my getting
well was dependent upon my family getting well. I rooted my recovery in the recovery
of others. I was the typical co-dependent.

Then somebody said, "Why don't you start taking responsibility for your own life?" I
thought about that remark for weeks. I spent nights dwelling on the implications of
those words. I am sure that I had heard similar sentiments a hundred times but that
night, that special night, I was ready to hear them. A spiritual moment.

Today I believe that such spiritual moments produce a spiritual process that I must
keep alive. I am the deciding factor in what happens to me and what I can achieve.
God has created me to be involved in my recovery.

May I always steer my life in the direction of truth and love.

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"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the
body is weak."
Matthew 26:41

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

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Daily Inspiration

You cannot really listen to someone and do something else at the same time. Lord, teach me to truly pay attention when someone speaks to me because it is in listening that I will gain wisdom.

God doesn't always end the storm, but He will calm your spirit and give you the courage you need. Lord, I have come to know and believe in the love You have for me.