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August 16
EVEN ME “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” 1 John 4:12 (New Living Translation) “They do not drive by mandate; they lead by example.” Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 135 For what it’s worth: While enslaved in the bottle, I certainly was not a good example of anything other than the progressive horror of alcoholism. Its terror and despair drove me to Alcoholics Anonymous. There, finally and fortunately, I found hope and sobriety. The members did not judge me, nor did they dictate a God to me. They led me to God by their example and their sharing about His love in their lives. After many sober years with these godly people, I have seen God in the expressions of their love for each other, even me. God bless you. Joe W. |
August 17
RETIRE THE SWORD “We relax and take it easy.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 86 “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 For what it's worth: Control was the answer to life’s trials, but it never worked, and that was always reason for another drink. As with everything else, in sobriety I found the opposite; “letting go”, however, required years of practice in Alcoholics Anonymous. My experience during those years included many hard lessons and convinced this hard-headed drunk that shaking my little, rubber sword at the Powerful Almighty does absolutely no good. I am convinced “the Lord’s purpose” is always for my good, so why not “relax and take it easy”. After all, He is my Heavenly Father; I am His child; He holds me close to His Heart; and, He gives me lollipops every day. Still, occasionally, I shake my little, rubber sword and the Almighty just smiles, but one day soon I will retire my sword and join that serene bunch of drunks who go around smiling all the time. God bless you! Joe W. |
August 18
“be strong and courageous” “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 “We need not be discouraged when we fall into the error of our old ways, for these disciplines are not easy.” Twelve and Twelve, page 91 For what it's worth: My alcoholism bred discouragement and fear. Every attempt to find even a small piece of happiness was drowned in alcohol. Despair became intolerable, and relief was sought in Alcoholics Anonymous. In the beginning of A.A., the disciplines certainly were not easy. Often I wanted to give up, but encouragement and support were always available…when humble enough to ask. Trusting God was with me, and the example of A.A. members, carried me through many days of just hanging in there and not drinking. Although, I must admit, God seemed awfully far away on some days. God bless you. Joe W. |
August 19
A SIMPLE PURPOSE “Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?” 12&12 p.88 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 For what it's worth: Day after day, I wandered around in a haze, lost, with no purpose except to get drunk. I had no life until I was sober in Alcoholics Anonymous; and it was there I found purpose for my life. Fulfilling that purpose each day is vital; it is my life. I may travel the world, discuss the latest scientific findings, understand the deepest philosophies, and expound about the beliefs of every religion, but if I do not keep it simple and maintain my purpose in life, I will have no life. Above all else, no matter what, today I will not drink! God bless you! Joe W. |
August 20
The Daily Reprieve DOUBTS “We have shared his honest doubt and prejudice.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 45:3 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Mark 11:23 For what it's worth: There was no faith left in me by the time I arrived at the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. Fortunately, years of witnessing the miracles in AA have birthed faith and trust in me. I can still doubt. However, my experience proves it is always a waste because God always comes through for me. I can hear Him asking me: “Joe, how often do I have to prove that I love you and will never let you down?” I tell Him I am sorry that I still doubt, and beg Him to keep showing me. I do not doubt that He will. God bless you! Joe W. |
August 21
The Daily Reprieve HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS “The remorse, horror and hopelessness of the next morning are unforgettable.” - Alcoholics Anonymous, page 6 “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him…” - Isaiah 57:18 For what it’s worth: The daily worship of my idol, alcohol, led to the “remorse, horror and hopeless of the next morning.” Yet, I returned to my bottled god over and over, drowning out all that had ever been sacred to me, rushing into the dread and despair of an empty soul. I was convinced that God wanted nothing to do with me. By the time I finally walked into a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, my spirit was dark and near death. But that single, simple act was the beginning of my resurrection. I was too sick to see it then, but it is clear now. I believe that my Heavenly Father had been waiting for me there in AA. He had seen my ways and knew He had to guide me to a place of empathy where my lost, empty soul would find comfort and healing, with people who knew how to bring hope to the hopeless: Alcoholics Anonymous. God bless you! Joe W. |
August 22
THE DAILY REPRIEVE BLESSINGS FROM CURSES “It is a most wonderful blessing to be relieved of the terrible curse with which I was afflicted.” - Alcoholics Anonymous, page 180 _______________________ “... (By faith) weakness was turned to strength…” – Hebrews 11:34 _______________________ FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: Everyday was doomsday during my diseased years. When I walked into my first AA meeting, seeking only relief from agony, I had no faith, no trust, and no hope of finding anything worthwhile. I was too sick to realize it back then, but I did find hope there. That’s why I kept coming back long enough to start understanding that Something was involved in my life, keeping me sober, helping me heal. And, eventually, my sober, healing experiences taught me that I could trust that I was going to be OK. My doomsday attitude gave way to hope and faith. I was getting to know a loving God. More and more experiences proved to me over and over again that my Heavenly Father changes curses into blessings and weakness into strength. God bless you! Joe W. |
August 23
THE DAILY REPRIEVE PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION “To some extent we have become God-conscious.” - Alcoholics Anonymous, page 85 _______________________ “If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.” – Romans 8: 6 _______________________ FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: Spirits certainly controlled my mind. But they were not holy. I never thought about God except with fear and shame. No wonder my spiritual recovery was slow. Looking back, it is miraculous that I even started. Only AA and God could have put this hopeless drunk on a path to spiritual well being. Over the years, thanks to climbing the Steps, I have come to be somewhat “God-conscious.” My problem today is that I have trouble staying focused. I am so easily distracted. My “sinful nature” takes control and before I know it, I’m way off somewhere instead of staying right there with my Heavenly Father. For me, I guess it will always be “spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” But I don’t want to let myself off too easy on this matter, because it is vital to my daily reprieve to have the Holy Spirit be in control. I want the “life and peace” part of that Bible verse above. God bless you! Joe W. |
August 24
READY FOR SOME HEAT “Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are.” 12&12 p. 42 “It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire.” Ezekiel 24:12 For what it's worth: Denial was not only a part of my alcoholism, it was deeply implanted in the other areas of my character. I would never have recognized this reality had God not granted be sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous where the Twelve Steps opened the windows of my soul and I could see myself clearly. Some of what I saw had to be corrected immediately or I would have relapsed. But I resisted or even denied other defects until they caused enough pain to demand attention and removal. Still, some are like old cooking pot deposits that refuse to be removed no matter how hard you scrub. Only intense heat can melt them away. These are the defects of my character that I must carry to my Heavenly Father in my daily Seventh Step prayer, begging for the willingness and the strength needed to be rid of any dirt and grime that may remain in my soul. I need to persevere in prayer and be ready for some heat. God bless you. Joe W. |
August 25
ACTS OF CHARITY “You will learn the full meaning of ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’”. Alcoholics Anonymous, page 153 “Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns.” Ecclesiastes 11:1 (The Message) For what it's worth: Doing for others was not what I did when I was drinking. Once sober, that changed. The people in Alcoholics Anonymous showed me how to do for others by the way they cared for me and by their unselfish acts of charity. Actually, doing for others, carrying the message is part of Alcoholics Anonymous primary purpose. And what an honor it is to be blessed by the grace of God to be one who carries the message! An additional blessing is the plan of action I have been given for coping with many of life’s rough spots. When I hit one and it starts to gather me in, if I do a charitable act for some one, I am free. It works every time I work it. God bless you! Joe W. |
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Then I learn to I put my gratitude into ACTION for Him |
August 26
EXPECT A MIRACLE “That is the miracle of it.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 85 “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel 9:3 For what it's worth: Life was miserable and I was a slave to alcoholism; so much for my best efforts……..alone. I no longer work alone, and the results are miraculously different. What happened? The misery of my alcohol addiction drove me to Alcoholics Anonymous, where I found the Twelve Steps and a Higher Power. Many sober years were required, but those Steps and God’s grace created me a new man. The power of that fact and my experiences during that time prove to me that, when I turn to God and confidently ask His help, I am no longer working alone, and I need to expect a miracle. It may not look like one and it may be a little one, but it will be a miracle. God bless you! Joe W. |
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August 27
IMAGINE THAT! "For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" 2 Corinthians 4:17 (New Living Translation) "Our basic troubles are the same as everyone else's, but when an honest effort is made "to practice these principles in all our affairs," well-grounded A.A.'s seem to have the ability, by God's grace, to take these troubles in stride and turn them into demonstrations of faith." Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 114 For what it's worth: All trouble was gigantic during my active alcoholism, until I drank to oblivion. Then I did not notice them until I arrived back in reality and saw they had grown even larger. So, alcoholic oblivion again as soon as possible. Only after years of sobriety, living the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as best I could day by day, did I learn to trust God's love. Being the mistrusting drunk I was, I had to ask God to teach me to trust His love. He did so through some difficult experiences I did not appreciate at the time. Now, however, I see His wisdom. Every suffering, heavy or light, He turned into a blessing He used to build me spiritually or help someone else using me and my experience. Imagine God using this once worthless drunk as His instrument of peace and hope to others! God bless you. Joe W. |
August 28
PLANS FOR MY LIFE "…Our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 25 "The Lord will work out his plans for my life -- for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever." Psalm 138: 8 For what it's worth: For years I wandered through life in a drunken haze with no plan other than to drink for oblivion to escape the sad reality of what my life had become. In futile attempts to change, I would make notes on a tablet about altering my life. Of course, I was drinking. I could not read it the next morning. Change did occur, though, I got worse. Despair drove me to seek help. Professionals and Church failed. In desperation I finally attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, expecting failure, and finding hope and strength. I was too sick to realize it back then, but today I know that was when my Creator entered into my heart and life. Since then untold miracles have happened. My Heavenly Father is working out "His plans for my life." He works better when I get out of the way. It is like the mechanic’s work shop sign reads: "Labor $50.00 an hour. If you watch $100. If you help $500." God bless you. Joe W. |
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