A Prayer & Some Thoughts - July
 

July 1

When You Feel Rushed Prayer

God,

Give us the strength we need to say no to the temptation of trying to do it all. Help us to use your wisdom in every decision, allowing you to work out the details, instead of trying to do things all on our own. Forgive us, Lord, for not trusting you enough, for truly, that’s the root of our constant striving. Help us to remember that all things are possible with you, and you are able to do in just a moment, what would take us years to work out on our own. Please help us when we struggle.
Amen

~ Charles Van Gath

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Just a Thought

Participating in a meetings helps more then ourselves.

If we get up in a meeting and say something about ourselves in order to help the other person, we feel a whole lot better. It's the old law of the more you give the more you get. Witnessing and confession are part of keeping sober. You never know when you may help somebody. Helping others is one of the best ways to stay sober yourself. And the satisfaction you get out of helping a fellow human being is one of the finest experiences you can have.

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

Am I helping others?

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Just a Contemplation

Impending Changes

Change is not easy, but it's absolutely unavoidable. Doors will close. Barriers will surface. Frustrations will mount. Nothing stays the same forever, and it's such folly to wish otherwise. Growth accompanies positive change; determining to risk the outcome resulting from a changed behavior or attitude will enhance our self-perceptions. We will have moved forward; in every instance our lives will be influenced by making a change that only each of us can make.

We have all dreaded the changes we knew we had to make. Perhaps even now we fear some impending changes. Where might they take us? It's difficult accepting that the outcome is not ours to control. Only the effort is ours. The solace is that positive changes, which we know are right for us and other people in our lives, are never going to take us astray. In fact, they are necessary for the smooth path just beyond this stumbling block.

When we are troubled by circumstances in our lives, a change is called for, a change that we must initiate. When we reflect on our recent as well as distant past, we will remember that the changes we most dreaded again and again have positively influenced our lives in untold ways.

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A Possibility

The idea that religion and spirituality were not one and the same was a new notion. My sponsor asked that I merely remain open-minded to the possibility that there was a Power greater than myself, one of my own understanding. . . Reluctantly, I opened my mind to the fact that maybe, just maybe, there was something to this spiritual lifestyle. Slowly but surely, I realized there was indeed a Power greater than myself.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 287

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Just a Quote

“Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.” ~ Mike Bree

July 2


Prayer to Battle Depression

Lord,
Help me to see if there is something physical that is causing my depression. Help me to sift through my circumstances to see if there is a need for change in some way. If I am experiencing depression as a result of a spiritual battle, please bring that to light and show me the best way to fight that battle. Today I surrender my depression to you and ask that you give me power and peace to win this battle once and for all. When my thoughts begin to spiral, may your promises and blessings bring healing.
Amen

~ Adrian Rogers

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Just a Thought

One of the finest things about A.A. is the sharing.

Sharing is a wonderful thing because the more you share the more you have. In our old drinking days, we didn't do much sharing. We used to keep things to ourselves, partly because we were ashamed, but mostly because we were selfish. And we were very lonely because we didn't share. When we came into A.A., the first thing we found was sharing. We heard other alcoholics frankly sharing their experiences with hospitals, jails, and all the usual mess that goes with drinking.

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

Am I sharing?

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Just a Contemplation

Expectations

So often our expectations exceed reality. We want more than we have; our homes, our loved ones, perhaps our jobs seem not to measure up. "If only. . ." we say to ourselves. The time has come to quit saying "if only" and be glad, instead, for what is.

We do have friends and family who care about us. We do have exactly what we need at this moment. We each can make a contribution today for the good of someone else and thus for ourselves. And in the act of looking to this day--to giving something to another human being - we will sense the inner perfection we mistakenly long for in our outer selves.

I can look around me today and be thankful. I will tell someone close that I'm glad we share one another's world.

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Complete Defeat

Every newcomer is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip. So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time. A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 72-73

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Just a Quote

“Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.” ~ Annette Funicello

July 3


Prayer for Relieving Anxiety & Stress

God,
I come before you full of fear and anxiety.
I ask that you help me through this day, this hour, and each and every moment.
I lay every problem and worry before you.
I will focus on the fact that you love and care for me.
I will allow you to carry my burdens as you surround me with peace, joy, and contentment.
Thank you, Lord, for all that you have and will do for me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

What impresses us most at an A.A. meeting is the willingness to share, without holding anything back.

Pretty soon we find ourselves sharing also. We start telling our own experiences and by so doing we help the other person. And when we've got these things off our chest, we feel a lot better. It does us a lot of good to share with some other poor unfortunate person who's in the same box that we were in. And the more we share, the more we have left for ourselves.

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

Do I know that the more I share, the better chance I'll have to stay sober?

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Just a Contemplation

Smiles

A smile is the earliest form of communication. A human infant smiles in the first few weeks of life. As the child grows, it learns how to turn the smile into a laugh - a joyous response reflecting pleasure.

A sense of humor, a feeling of fun, and an ability to laugh are all signs of emotional maturity. Healthy laughter frees us; it is the sunshine that makes life's shadows interesting. When we develop the ability to see the humor in a situation, we gain the ability to handle it.

We were born with smiles. They are as much a part of us as our teeth and hair. Polished and cared for, our smiles can grow into a sense of humor that will help us through the painful times.

How can I turn troubles into smiles today?

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No If's

Alcoholism respects no ifs. It does not go away, not even for a week, for a day, or even for an hour, leaving us nonalcoholic and able to drink again on some special occasion or for some extraordinary reason -- not even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, or if a big sorrow hits us, or if it rains in Spain or the stars fall on Alabama.
Alcoholism is for us unconditional, with no dispensations available at any price.

Living Sober Page 63

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Just a Quote

"Often we want to be shown the big picture but it is not always in our best interest as we can easily become overwhelmed." ~ Madisyn Taylor

July 4

Freedom From Alcohol Prayer

Lord,
Some people who are addicted to alcohol want to quit and live sober, but they're finding it hard to stop.
They need your divine intervention.
Strengthen them in their inner being that they may be able to deal with withdrawal symptoms without falling back into the temptation of drinking.
Make the crooked paths in the recovery journey straight that they may conquer all the setbacks that have been set before them.
Amen

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A 4th of July Prayer

We lift up our hearts, O God, on this day of celebration in gratitude for the gift of being Americans.

We rejoice with all those who share in the great dream of freedom and dignity for all.

With flags and feasting, with family and friends we salute those who have sacrificed that we might have the opportunity to bring to fulfill our many God-given gifts.

As we deny all prejudice a place in our hearts, may we also clearly declare our intention to work for the time when all people, regardless of race, religion, or sex, will be granted equal dignity and worth.

~ Fr. Ed Hays

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Just a Thought

Freedom in sobriety.

Means going out socially sober and having a great time. It means waking up in the morning without shakes or vomiting. It means showing up sober for your children. It means being a loving member of a family that can be counted on. It means hope, faith, and peace. It means living a life beyond your wildest dreams.

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

Am I living my wildest dreams yet??

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Just a Contemplation

Freedom to Choice

Human beings are not puppets. Sometimes when you hear people talk about God and prayer, they imply that we have no choice and that all actions in life are determined by God alone: a moment's reflection should make us hesitate from such a viewpoint. Murder, rape, child molestation and prejudice do not stem from God but are the results of God's gift of freedom to mankind.

Alcoholics need to comprehend on a daily basis that prayers that are not accompanied by actions are mere words. God's love for man does not obliterate man's need to love himself through choice and decision. Sobriety and serenity should be experienced in our lives when divinity is revealed in our choice.

God, help me to appreciate my involvement in my desire to be a winner.


"Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." ~ Albert Camus

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Resentment

“If you have a resentment you want to be free of, if you will pray for the person or the thing that you resent, you will be free. If you will ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free. Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness, and you will be free. Even when you don’t really want it for them and your prayers are only words and you don’t mean it, go ahead and do it anyway. Do it every day for two weeks, and you will find you have come to mean it and to want it for them, and you will realize that where you used to feel bitterness and resentment and hatred, you now feel compassionate understanding and love.”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Page 552

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Just a Quote

"First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

July 5


Prayer for Recurring Pain

Lord,
I feel worn down by recurring pain I have. It makes every small thing feel like a big deal. Please help me to manage this illness and continue to find time to rest and treat the pain. Most of all, Lord please touch the area of discomfort and bring healing. Please flood the inflammation with warmth and bring the swelling down. Come release the muscles that are tight and bring your restoration. May my waking hours be restful and my sleep be peaceful.
Amen

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Just a Thought

By frankly sharing with prospects, we get them talking about their own experiences.

They will open up and confess things to us that they haven't been able to tell other people. And they feel better when this confession has been made. It's a great load off their minds to get these things out into the open. It's the things that are kept hidden that weigh on the mind. They feel a sense of release and freedom when they have opened up their hearts to us.

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

Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them to make a confession?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Sabotage

There are some times when we seem bent on self-destruction. We may be disgruntled about the demands and responsibilities of the day and determined to punish ourselves for our inability to cope easily. Why we subvert our own best interests is often a mystery, but we all know the frustration and despair of not doing what we should do and doing what we should not do.

Often, we engage in self-sabotage when we are being emotional about a situation instead of viewing it rationally. We usually find that we have forgotten or refused to turn the problem over to our Higher Power. Frequently, we have allowed resentments to build up and cloud our perception.

Whether we indulge in any types of negative, destructive behavior and emotions, we are sabotaging ourselves. We are the ones who suffer the most from our destructiveness. No one else can disturb our serenity unless we permit them to do so.

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He Was Listening

It finally became obvious to me that the God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort.
He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came. His answer was threefold:
the opportunity for a life of sobriety; Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety; fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me each twenty-four-hour day.

Came To Believe Page 11

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Just a Quote

“Don’t let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.” ~ Robert Tew

July 6


Prayer for Family's Strength

Dear Lord,
Our family is struggling with fear and confusion.
We need your strength and power in our lives.
We need to sense your comfort and peace.
Wrap your arms around us and fill us with your love.
I pray for every member of my family.
You know each of our individual fears and needs.
Supply us all with the strength we need to keep going and comfort us as we continue along the journey of life.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Continuance means our staying with prospects after they have started on the new way of living.

We must stick with them and not let them down. We must encourage them to go to meetings regularly for fellowship and help. They will learn that keeping sober is a lot easier in the fellow ship of others who are trying to do the same thing. We must continue to help prospects by going to see them regularly or telephoning them or writing them so that they don't get out of touch with A.A. Continuance means good sponsorship.

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

Do I care enough about other alcoholics to continue with them as long as necessary?

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Just a Contemplation

Interests and Duties

It is sometimes easy to get overwhelmed by our duties, forgetting that our interests fit the scheme of our lives. They are inspired by our lives and flow from them. Our interests round us out; they beckon us to become our better selves.

Our duties have their places as well. In our careers, with our families and friends, we have responsibilities. People need to be able to count on us for our part in completing their particular scheme for life.

Finding the right balance between our duties and our interests takes daily attention. It is perhaps one of our greatest struggles. Feeling duty-bound is common; putting a low value on our interests is a familiar trick we play on ourselves.

We need reminding that our interests will cull out our better, inner selves. We must stretch to become all we are meant to be. Our interests entice us to live up to God's expectations.

Each day I need to pay heed to interests as well as duties. I will let no day go by without heeding an interest.

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“Our” Serenity Prayer

In 1941, a news clipping was called to our attention by a New York member. In an obituary notice from a local paper, there appeared these words: "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Never had we seen so much AA in so few words. With amazing speed the Serenity Prayer came into general use.

As Bill Sees It, p. 108

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Just a Quote

“Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of the situation. Then deciding what to do with it.” ~ Kathleen Casey Theisen

July 7

Iroquois Prayer of Gratitude

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with waters.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicine for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and the squashes, which give us life.
We return thanks to the wind, which moving the air has banished diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and the stars,
which have given us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children.

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Just a Thought

Prospects must be convinced that they honestly want to stop drinking.

They must see and admit that their life is unmanageable. They must face the fact that they must do something about their drinking. They must be absolutely honest with themselves and face themselves as they really are. They must be convinced that they must give up drinking and they must see that their whole life depends on this conviction.

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

Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them reach this conviction?

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Just a Contemplation

Awareness

When we first become aware of a problem, a situation, or a feeling, we may react with anxiety or fear. There is no need to fear awareness. No need.

Awareness is the first step toward positive change and growth. It's the first step toward solving the problem, or getting the need met, the first step toward the future. It's how we focus on the next lesson.

Awareness is how life, the Universe, and our Higher Power get our attention and prepare us for change. The process of becoming changed begins with awareness. Awareness, acceptance, and change - that's the cycle. We can accept the temporary discomfort from awareness because that's how we're moved to a better place. We can accept the temporary discomfort because we can trust God, and ourselves.

Today, I will be grateful for any awareness I encounter. I will display gratitude, peace, and dignity when life gets my attention. I will remember that it's okay to accept the temporary discomfort from awareness because I can trust that it's my Higher Power moving me forward.

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Three Choices

The immediate object of our quest is sobriety--freedom from alcohol and from all its baleful consequences. Without this freedom, we have nothing at all.

Paradoxically, though, we can achieve no liberation from the alcohol obsession until we become willing to deal with those character defects which have landed us in that helpless condition. In this freedom quest, we are always given three choices.

A rebellious refusal to work upon our glaring defects can be an almost certain ticket to destruction. Or, perhaps for a time, we can stay sober with a minimum of self-improvement and settle ourselves into a comfortable but often dangerous mediocrity. Or, finally, we can continuously try hard for those sterling qualities that can add up to fineness of spirit and action--true and lasting freedom under God.

As Bill Sees It Page 327

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Just a Few Quotes

"Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one's awareness of one's ignorance." ~Anthony de Mello

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." ~Nathaniel Branden

July 8


Help Me This Day, Lord

Lord, help me to live this day quietly, peacefully.
To lean upon Thy great strength trustfully, restfully.
To wait for the unfolding of Thy will patiently, serenely.
To meet others peacefully, joyously.
To face tomorrow confidently, courageously.
Amen

~ Saint Francis Of Assisi

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Just a Thought

Conversion means change.

Prospects must learn to change their way of thinking. Until now, everything they've done has been connected with drinking. Now they must face a new kind of life, without alcohol. They must see and admit that they cannot overcome drinking by their own willpower, so they must turn to a Higher Power for help. They must start each day by asking this Higher Power for the strength to stay sober. This conversion to belief in a Higher Power comes gradually, as they try it and find that it works.

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

Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them to make this conversion?

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Just a Contemplation

Being Grateful

"An attitude of gratitude," we sometimes hear, will help us on our path. There certainly are enough things for us to worry about, grieve over, and complain about. They have their place. But as we mature and no longer use addictive escapes, we learn that joy can exist side by side with grief. Gratitude is a tonic for our self-pity. Saying "thank you" actually opens us to receive more of life's blessings, which sit there waiting for us to notice.

In a pleasant moment we can look around and say, "Aren't we lucky!" That's a kind of prayer, and it connects us with our Higher Power. No matter how painful or worrisome a day may be, we can be thankful for our growth. Gratitude is so simple we sometimes dismiss it while looking for a more complicated answer in our lives. We can say "thank you" for all the simple things like trees, cool air, food, and love between people. It is a risk to be so grateful. Who will be in control? Perhaps God.

God, thank you for all that comes to me without my efforts.

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New

From: "Winner Takes All"
In working the steps, my life changed. I think differently today; I feel different today. I am new. We have a sign at the AA meetings I go to that says, Expect a Miracle. My sobriety is full of miracles. When my son filled out an application for college, I filled one out too, and was accepted. Soon I will be a senior and I have a 3.71 grade point average. Thanks to AA, I have come a long way from being near the bottom of my high school class. It takes me a bit longer to read the material, so I have a CCTV (I put my book under the camera and it comes out in big print on a monitor). I have a talking calculator that helped me get through statistics and a telescope that can help me see the board. I accept help from the disabled student services and gladly make use of the volunteer note takers.
I learned to accept the things I could not change (in this case my vision) and change the things I can (I could be grateful for and accept the visual aids instead of being embarrassed and rejecting them as I had when I was younger).

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, pages 380-381

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Just a Quote

“If you can’t do anything about it, then let it go. Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t change” – Tony Gaskins

July 9


Prayer for Relief of Stress and Anxiety

Lord,
The stresses in my life often reach a dangerous proportion—or so it seems. My body, mind, and spirit struggle to keep up physically, mentally, and yes, spiritually. Some days anxiety stalks me like a deceitful predator, and the temptation to worry draws me in. I know better, but some days the challenges outweigh the truths buried inside. My trust in You fades into the background, giving fear and concerns permission to discourage me.

Whether the anxiety stems from work, parenting, finances, physical issues, or even world conditions, You are there, Lord, to shoulder the weight. Teach me to recognize the stressful trials as tools for you to shape me and rearrange me. Through those difficult times, You will teach me patience, enlarge my faith, and help me see things I couldn't see earlier—if I will only let You. When I'm clueless as to what to do, Lord, I want to turn to you first, not last.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we learn that since we are alcoholics we can be uniquely useful people

We can help other alcoholics when perhaps somebody who has not had our experience with drinking could not help them. That makes us uniquely useful. The A.A.s are a unique group of people because they have taken their own greatest defeat and failure and sickness and used it as a means of helping others. We who have been through the same thing are the ones who can best help other alcoholics.

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

Do I believe that I can be uniquely useful?

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Just a Contemplation

Letting Go of Self Doubt

Not only is it okay to take care of ourselves, we can take good care of ourselves.

Many of us, so confident about our ability to take care of others, doubt our inherent strength to care for ourselves. We may have come to believe, from our past or present circumstances, that we need to take care of others and we need others to take care of us. No matter where this self-defeating belief was born, we can release it and replace it with a better one, a healthier one, a more accurate one.

We can take care of ourselves -- whether we are in or out of a relationship. Everything we need will be provided. We will have loved ones, friends, and our Higher Power to help.

Knowing that we can take care of ourselves doesn't mean we won't have feelings of fear, discomfort, doubt, anger, and fragility at times. It means we practice "courageous vulnerability," as Colette Dowling called it in Cinderella Complex. We may feel scared, but we do it anyway.

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To Grow Up

Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance--urges quite appropriate to age seventeen--prove to be an impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven.

Since A.A. began, I've taken huge wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.

As Bill Sees It Page 330

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Just a Quote


“Remember, most of your stress comes from the way you respond, not the way life is. Adjust your attitude, and all that extra stress is gone.” ~ Anonymous A.A.

July 10


Prayer To Help Let Go

Lord,
Would help me to simply let go of all the fears and worries, problems and doubts, guilt and disappointments that seem to be filling my heart and mind so often, during the course of a day.

Fill my hurting soul with Your love and peace I pray. Fill the emptiness and pain that is tearing my life asunder. Lord, You know what is in my heart and why I am going through this time of fear and worry. Help me Lord, to take every thought captive, to hand it over to You as it rears up in my mind.

Lord, I also ask that You would teach me how to submit my life to You. Show me how to abide in You day by day, and instruct me how to live in spirit and truth. Help me Lord, to give control of my life over to You in every way, and to become the person You would have me be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We who have learned to put our alcoholic problem in God's hands, can help others to do so.

We can be used as a connection between an alcoholic's need and God's supply of strength. We in Alcoholics Anonymous can be uniquely useful, just because we have the misfortune or fortune to be alcoholics ourselves. Do I want to be a uniquely useful person?

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

Will I use my own greatest defeat and failure and sickness as a weapon to help others?

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Just a Contemplation

Perspective

In our daily lives we often take a very short perspective. We see what is worrisome today, what is pressing hardest, or what is most frightening or confusing. Eventually, we may look back and have a totally different idea about what was truly important on this day.

Let us take a moment now to remember what does endure, what we value most, what counts in the long run. For a brief quiet time we can let go of all the anxieties of this moment. During these few quiet moments, we will identify our tensions and then place them totally into the hands of our Higher Power. This is our time to let go of our worries and be refreshed. It will provide a background of serenity for our day.

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Beginning

I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here. I could not start anywhere else. I had to let go of the past and forget the future.
As long as I held on to the past with one hand and grabbed at the future with the other hand, I had nothing to hold on to today with. So I had to begin here, now.

Came To Believe Page 46

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Just a Few Quotes

“Your reality is as you perceive it to be. So, it is true, that by altering this perception we can alter our reality.” ~ William Constantine

“Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.” ~ Dan Brown

July 11


Prayer about Serving Others

Father,
Allow me to serve others with a joyful heart;
Never keeping score;
Always giving;
Never expecting to receive.
Allow me to give of myself,
To give of my talents and of my goods,
To give of my time and of my energy,
To give of my heart and of my soul.
Help me understand the needs of others,
Never criticizing,
Never demeaning,
Never scolding,
Never condemning.
You have been so gracious to me,
Always Loving,
Always forgiving,
Always restoring;
Never gloating over my defeats,
Even when I have been so wrong.
Father, keep a condemning spirit
Far from my heart and further from my lips.
Allow me to serve others as You serve,
With gentleness, compassion, and tenderness,
Never diminishing the worth of another,
Choosing to extend mercy to the brokenhearted,
Like You have repeatedly shown it to me,
Amen.

~Jack Watts

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Just a Thought

I am part of A.A., one among many, but I am one.

I need the A.A. principles for the development of the buried life within me. A.A. may be human in its organization, but it is Divine in its purpose. The purpose is to point me toward God and a better life. Participating in the privilege of the movement, I shall share in the responsibilities, taking it upon myself to carry my fair share of the load, not grudgingly but joyfully. To the extent that I fail in my responsibilities, A.A. fails. To the extent that I succeed, A.A. succeeds.

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

Do I accept this as my A.A. credo?

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Just a Contemplation

Toward Emotional Maturity

Feeling unable to act is an embarrassment, perhaps even a humiliation , and it is habit-forming. Perhaps our inertia is due to our need to act "correctly" and the accompanying fear that we'll err. Unfortunately, our fear of action reinforces itself. The only way to end the vicious cycle is to act - right or wrong. The surprise in store for us is that no action we take will be truly wrong. We will learn not only from the action itself, but also from its ripples.

The response to life we make through action will gratify us; it will nourish us and will make us dread less the next situation that calls for a response. Opportunities for action are the stepping-stones to emotional maturity. The more we "act," the more able we are to act. And a new habit is formed.

Taking action, even when I fear it's wrong, is growth producing. Without growth there is no life. Today, I will live!

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Belief

One of the oldtimers used the electricity metaphor, which I later found in the Big Book. 'A person walking into a dark room does not worry about understanding electricity,' he said. 'He just finds the switch and turns on the light.' He explained that we can turn on the switch of spirituality by simply asking God each morning for another day of sobriety and thanking Him at night for another beautiful sober day. He said, 'Do it mechanically if you really don't believe in it. But do it every day. There is probably no one who really understands the wonderful ways of the Higher Power, and we don't need to. He understands us.

Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Page 30

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Just a Quote

"Serving others breaks you free from the shackles of self and self-absorption that choke out the joy of living." ~ James Hunter

July 12

Simple Morning Prayer

God,
Please enlighten my mind with truth, inflame my heart with love, inspire my will with courage, enrich my life with service.
Pardon what I have been, sanctify what I am, and order what I shall be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I shall volunteer for service in A.A.

I shall not wait to be drafted. I shall be loyal in my attendance, generous in my giving, kind in my criticism, creative in my suggestions, loving in my attitudes. I shall give to A.A. my interest, my enthusiasm, my devotion, and most of all, myself.

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

Do I also accept this as my A.A. credo?

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Just a Contemplation

What If?

I was talking to a friend one day about something I planned to do. Actually, I was worrying about how one particular person might react to what I intended to do.
"What if he doesn't handle it very well?" I asked.
"Then," my friend replied, "you're going to have to handle it well."

What if's can make us crazy. They put control over our life in someone else's hands. What if's are a sign that we have reverted to thinking that people have to react in a particular way for us to continue on our course. What if's are also a clue that we may be wondering whether we can trust ourselves and our Higher Power to do what's best for us. These are shreds of ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and they signal fear.

The reactions, feelings, likes or dislikes of others don't have to control our behaviors, feelings, and direction. We don't need to control how others react to our choices. We can trust ourselves, with help from a Higher Power, to handle any outcome - even the most uncomfortable. And, my friend, we can trust ourselves to handle it well.

I will not worry about other people's reactions or events outside of my control. Instead, I will focus on my reactions. I will handle my life well today and trust that, tomorrow, I can do the same.

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Belonging

Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us. We no longer live in a completely hostile world. We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless. The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence that surrounds us in purely human affairs.
We know that God lovingly watches over us.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 105

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Just a Quote

"Letting go of your painful past is how you open yourself to a wonderful future." ~ Bryant H. McGill

July 13

A Prayer for Hope

Lord, I come before you today in need of hope. There are times when I fell helpless, There are times when I feel weak. I pray for hope. I need hope for a better future. I need hope for a better life. I need hope for love and kindness.

Some say that the sky is at it’s darkest just before the light. I pray that this is true, for all seems dark. I need your light, Lord, in every way.

I pray to be filled with your light. To bask in your glory. To know that all is right in the world, as you have planned, and as you want it to be.

Help me to walk in your light, and live my life in faith.

Amen

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Just a Thought

Some things I do not miss since becoming sober:

That overall awful feeling physically, including the shakes, a splitting headache, pains in my arms and legs, bleary eyes, fluttering stomach, droopy shoulders, weak knees, a three day beard, and a flushed complexion. Also, facing my wife or my husband at breakfast. Also, composing the alibi and sticking to it. Also, trying to shave or put on makeup with a shaky hand. Also, opening up my wallet to find it empty.

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

I don't miss these things, do I?

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Just a Contemplation

Gossip

Gossip is ultimately a form of malicious cowardice. It is a "blasphemy" because it seeks to denigrate the human being that God has made in His image.

As a practicing alcoholic I was a gossip. I exaggerated and manipulated the truth with my gossip. I made up stories against those people I had a resentment towards; innocent people were abused and victimized by my gossip.

Also I loved listening to gossip. The listener plays an important role in the life of "gossip" because without the listener it could not exist. It takes two to gossip!

Today gossip is unacceptable behavior in my program.

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Quantity or Quality

About this slip business--I would not be too discouraged. I think you are suffering a great deal from a needless guilt. For some reason or other, the Lord has laid out tougher paths for some of us, and I guess you are treading one of them. God is not asking us to be successful. He is only asking us to try to be. That, you surely are doing, and have been doing. So I would not stay away from A.A. through any feeling of discouragement or shame. It's just the place you should be. Why don't you try just as a member? You don't have to carry the whole A.A. on your back, you know!

It is not always the quantity of good things that you do, it is also the quality that counts.

Above all, take it one day at a time.

As Bill Sees It Page 11

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Just a Quote

"It is a sign of strength, not of weakness, to admit that you don't know all the answers." ~ John P. Loughrane

July 14


Prayer for Direction


Lord,
Guide my heart with love.
Guide my mind with truth.
Guide my actions with faith.
Guide my soul with hope.
I trust in You.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The thoughts that come before having a slip seem to be partly subconscious.

Yet it is likely that at least part of these thoughts get into our consciousness. An idle thought connected with drinking casually pops into our mind. That is the crucial moment. Will I harbor that thought even for one minute or will I banish it from my mind at once? If I let it stay, it may develop into a daydream. I may begin to see a cool glass of beer or a Manhattan cocktail in my mind's eye. If I allow the daydream to stay in my mind, it may lead to a decision, however unconscious, to take a drink. Then I am headed for a slip.

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

Do I let myself daydream about drinking?

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Just a Contemplation

Fear of Inadequacy

We create problems for ourselves because we think we need to be more than we are. We fear that we are inadequate to the task before us, fear that another person is more attractive or more handsome, fear that the friends around us are bored by our presence.

Fear hinders us; it prevents full involvement with the experiences we are given to grow on. When we withdraw from a situation in order to save ourselves from failure, we have chosen instead another kind of failure: failure to take all we can from life; failure to be all that we can be. Every experience can move us forward in the understanding of ourselves. When we withdraw, we stay stuck in a world we need to leave behind.

I will not fear whatever looks like trouble today. Nothing I can't handle, in fact, nothing I can't grow from will come my way today. My inner strength can see me through.

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Grandiosity

In my teens, I had to be an athlete because I was not an athlete.
I had to be a musician because I could not carry a tune.
I had to be first in everything because in my perverse heart
I felt myself the least of God's creatures.
I could not accept my deep sense of inferiority, and so I strove to become captain of the baseball team, and I did learn to play the fiddle.
Lead I must -- or else.
This was the 'all or nothing' kind of demand that later did me in."

As Bill Sees It, p. 214

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Just a Quote

"You cannot control other people’s emotions, but you can control your own. If you sense yourself responding to their negativity, try not to let yourself." ~ Laura Archera Huxley

July 15


Prayer for Empathy, Vulnerability and Curiosity

God,
We pray for Empathy – seeking to understand: ideas, people, situations, ourselves, our faith, our hopes, seeking, exploring the why of life, the why of who we are.seeking because we know that only by seeking, do we go beyond ourselves, to where answers reside, answers that we had never considered. And we are enriched, by becoming more whole.

We pray that we would be Vulnerable – open to being influenced to new ideas, new possibilities. Lives enriched with new experiences, horizons, things we thought not possible. Surprise us, our God We know change causes us to be vulnerable; as we become less capable of adapting, changes seem greater as our limits become more apparent, our abilities seem to decline simple things, small changes take on greater magnitude. Keep ideas, possibilities, dreams, hopes, growing in and around us. So that change is not an inhibitor, but stimulation into new life. Cause our attitude to change to be invitational, not to create whirlwinds in our lives, but measured growth.

Keep us Curious about life, exploring and discovering, growing into understanding, more of the mystery of life as we walk with you, author of life, and our guide. As we seek these things for ourselves, we pray that they become realities for those around us. Use us as channels of understanding, influence, curiosity, to help others grow. We take our part in your creation more fully when we offer ourselves to others and to you. Use us, we pray. Place people in our path that will cause us to grow and whom we can help grow. The things we desire, we pray for those whom we find difficult to love, as well as those close to us. Lord, lead us into wholeness, whatever that may be,

Amen

~ C. Michael Thompson, Melbourne, Australia
(Hartwell Church of Christ)

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Just a Thought

We alcoholics are fortunate to be living in a day and age when there is such a thing as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Before A.A. came into being, there was very little hope for the alcoholic. A.A. is a great rebuilder of human wreckage. It takes men and women whose personality problem expresses itself in alcoholism and offers them a program that, if they are willing to accept it, allows them not only to get sober, but also to find a much better way of living.

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

Have I found a better way of living?

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Just a Contemplation

Flow of Life


Transitions and changes are often painful, sometimes frightening. Often the most troubled lives are those most unyielding to change. When we become so committed to stability that we cannot flow with the never- ending river of life, we wither and die spiritually. Every one of us has changes moving within our lives. Some changes are beneath the surface and we only vaguely sense them. Others are obvious and we are dealing with their effects. When we see change only as a problem or as pain, we have a harder time getting on with our lives.

Looking back, we can see other changes we would never have chosen or planned for ourselves. We can see now that we grew up with them. Change forced us into new realms, and we found sides of ourselves we hadn't known before. Through whatever strife and difficulty of change we face today, we have a stable program to fall back on. And we have our relationship with our Higher Power, which is with us through all times.

I will try to have a lighter grip upon life today so that as the river of change flows, I can flow with it.

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A New Notion

The idea that religion and spirituality were not one and the same was a new notion. My sponsor asked that I merely remain open-minded to the possibility that there was a Power greater than myself, one of my own understanding. He assured me that no person was going to impose a belief system on me, that it was a personal matter. Reluctantly, I opened my mind to the fact that maybe, just maybe, there was something to this spiritual lifestyle. Slowly, but surely, I realized there was indeed a Power greater than myself, and I soon found myself with a full-time God in my life and following a spiritual path that didn't conflict with my personal religious convictions.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 287

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Just a Quote

"The principles you live by create the world you live in; if you change the principles you live by, you will change your world." ~ Blaine Lee