Daily Recovery Readings - August

[bluidkiti]

August 10

Daily Reflections

REDOUBLING OUR EFFORTS

To a degree, he has already done this when taking moral
inventory, but now the time has come when he ought to
redouble his efforts to see how many people he had hurt,
and in what ways.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 77

As I continue to grow in sobriety, I become more aware
of myself as a person of worth. In the process, I am
better able to see others as persons, and with this comes
the realization that these were people whom I had hurt in
my drinking days. I didn't just lie, I lied about Tom. I
didn't just cheat, I cheated Joe. What were seemingly
impersonal acts, were really personal affronts, because
it was people - people of worth - whom I had harmed. I
need to do something about the people I have hurt so that
I may enjoy a peaceful sobriety.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

"The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have
discovered a common solution. We who have found this
solution to our alcoholic problem, we who are properly armed
with the facts about ourselves, can generally win the
entire confidence of another alcoholic. We who are making
the approach to new prospects have had the same difficulty
they have had. We obviously know what we are talking about.
Our whole deportment shouts at new prospects that we are
people with a real answer." Am I a person with the real
answer to the alcoholic problems of others?

Meditation For The Day

For straying from the right way there is no cure except to
keep so close to the thought of God that nothing, no other
interest, can seriously come between you and God. Sure of
that, you can stay on God's side. Knowing the way, nothing
can prevent your staying in the way and nothing can cause
you to seriously stray from it. God has promised peace if
you stay close to Him, but not leisure. You still have to
carry on in the world. He has promised heart-rest and
comfort, but not pleasure in the ordinary sense. Peace and
comfort bring real inward happiness.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may keep my feet on the way. I pray that I
may stay on God's side.

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As Bill Sees It

Who Is To Blame?, p. 222

At Step Four we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where
had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and frightened?
Though a given situation had not been entirely our fault, we often
tried to cast the whole blame on the other person involved.

We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other
man's. So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to
set these matters straight.

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 67

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Walk In Dry Places

Am I getting too busy?
Time Management.
It's always risky when a recovering person gets too busy for meetings. It's also dangerous when business and personal concerns crowd out interest in the program.
We should never deceive ourselves by thinking that we're somehow safe just because our time is filled with useful and interesting work. Many of us have a tendency to become addicted to "busy-ness". Though less destructive than drinking, this serves as an escape, just as alcohol did.
The danger is that when the work no longer satisfies us, we'll find our lives becoming empty again. We could then be very vulnerable to taking a drink.
We should never be too busy for the wonderful, constructive work of the program. Far from taking time away from our other actives, work in the program will enhance everything we do.
I'll try to balance my activities today, making sure that I have time for the program.

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Keep It Simple

There are time we must grab God's and walk forward.--- Anonymous
Sometimes we struggle with being part of the problem, instead of being part of the solution.
Inside we know this, but somehow we can't Let Go and Let God.
To let go takes faith that the outcome will be okay. When we have faith, we know our Higher Power believes in us and will guide us. When we have faith, we believe in ourselves.
When we let go, we let go of our need to always be right. Letting go first takes place on the inside. Letting go allows us to change how we view what's happening. Often, all we really need is this change of attitude. This is the beauty of faith: it allows us to see the same thing in different
Ways.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, permit me to let go. Let me see that believing in You must also mean believing in myself.
Action for the Day: I will review my life since entering the Twelve Step program. I will work at seeing what good partners my Higher Power and I make.

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Each Day a New Beginning

...the growth of understanding follows an ascending spiral rather than a straight line. --Joanna Field
We each are traveling our own, very special path in this life. At times our paths run parallel to each other. On occasion they may intersect. But we do all have a common destination: knowledge of life's meaning. And we'll arrive at knowledge when we've arrived at the mountain's summit, separately and yet together.
We do not go straight up the side of the mountain on this trip. We circle it, slowly, carefully, sometimes losing our footing, sometimes back-tracking because we've reached an impasse. Many times we have stumbled, but as we grow in understanding, as we rely more and more on our inner strength, available for the taking, we become more sure-footed.
We have never needed to take any step alone on this trip. Our troubles in the past were complicated because we did not know this; but now we do. Our lifeline is to our higher power. If we hang onto it, every step of the way will feel secure. The ground will be stable under us.
I am on a path to full understanding. I am learning to trust the lifeline offered by the program and God and my friends. As I learn, my footing is less tentative, and it supports me more securely.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

In some circumstances we have gone out deliberately to get drunk, feeling ourselves justified by nervousness, anger, worry, depression, jealousy or the like. But even in this type of beginning we are obliged to admit that our justification for a spree was insanely insufficient in the light of what always happened. We now see that when we began to drink deliberately, instead or casually, there was little serious or effective thought during the period of premeditation of what the terrific consequences might be.

p. 37

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Eight - "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all."

Having carefully surveyed this whole area of human relations, and having decided exactly what personality traits in us injured and disturbed others, we can now commence to ransack memory for the people to whom we have given offense. To put a finger on the nearby and most deeply damaged ones shouldn't be hard to do. Then, as year by year we walk back through our lives as far as memory will reach, we shall be bound to construct a long list of people who have, to some extent or other, been affected. We should, of course, ponder and weigh each instance carefully. We shall want to hold ourselves to the course of admitting the things we have done, meanwhile forgiving the wrongs done us, real or fancied. We should avoid extreme judgments, both of ourselves and of others involved. We must not exaggerate our defects or theirs. A quiet, objective view will be our steadfast aim.

pp. 81- 82

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Joy is the echo of God’s life in us.
--Abbot Columba Mormion

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis."
--Margaret Bonnano

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart ...
Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.
--Carl Jung

"We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or
desperation."
--Jim Rohn

"The time is always right to do what is right."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.

"What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a
butterfly."
--Lao Tsu

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

FAITH

"Faith must trample underfoot
all reason, sense and
understanding."
-- Martin Luther

An obstacle to my understanding the spiritual life was my
intellectualization; my head was forever getting in the way of my
heart. It was much easier to me to think rather than to feel; my faith
was smothered by logic. My manipulating and controlling mind was
stopping me experiencing the adventure of faith.

The poet in me grew as I began to trust others. God became alive in
my confusion. The answer was in not having to have the answers.
Today spirituality involves all the varied confusions and paradoxes of
life that I have discovered in me and in others --- and it's okay.

Today the love I give and receive is beyond my wildest dreams, and I
smile at the joy of my confusion.

May my head unite with my heart in the daily maze of life.

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"Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore!"
1 Chronicles 16:11

"For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in him. That is why we
say "Amen" when we give glory to God through Christ."
2 Corinthians 1:20

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Daily Inspiration

Whatever the problem, stressing over it will not solve it. Lord, I turn to You for solutions because I believe that You care for all of my needs. Bless me with the ability to remain level headed and calm as we work our way through my day.

Never forget that home is Heaven and life on earth is only temporary. Lord, may I live with deep awareness of my spiritual nature and live a life of truth.