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bluidkiti · 10-27-2014, 10:25 AM

October 28

Daily Reflections

AN UNBROKEN TRADITION

We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far
greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177

How much it means to me that an unbroken tradition of more than half a century is a
thread that connects me to Bill W. and Dr. Bob. How much more grounded I feel to be in
a Fellowship whose aims are constant and unflagging. I am grateful that the energies of
A.A. have never been scattered, but focused instead on our members and on individual
sobriety. My beliefs are what make me human; I am free to hold any opinion, but A.A.'s
purpose -- so clearly stated fifty years ago -- is for me to keep sober. That purpose has
promoted round-the-clock meeting schedules, and the thousands of intergroup and central
service offices, with their thousands of volunteers. Like the sun focused through a
magnifying glass, A.A.'s single vision has lit a fire of faith in sobriety in millions of hearts,
including mine.

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

What other rewards have come to me as a result of my new way of living? Each one of us
can answer this question in many ways. My relationship with my husband or my wife is on
an entirely new plane. The total selfishness is gone and more cooperation has taken its
place. My home is a home again. Understanding has taken the place of misunderstanding
recriminations, bickering, and resentment. A new companionship has developed which
bodes well for the future. "There are homes where fires burn and there is bread, lamps
are lit and prayers are said. Though people falter through the dark and nations grope,
with God Himself back of these little homes, we still can hope." Have I come home?

Meditation For The Day

We can bow to God's will in anticipation of the thing happening which will, in the long run,
be the best for all concerned. It may not always seem the best thing at the present time,
but we cannot see as far ahead as God can. We do not know how His plans are laid, we
only need to believe that if we trust Him and accept whatever happens as His will in a
spirit of faith, everything will work out for the best in the end.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may not ask to see the distant scene. I pray that one step may be enough for
me.

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

As Bill Sees It

Anonymity and Sobriety, p. 299

As the A.A. groups multiplied, so did anonymity problems.
Enthusiastic over the spectacular recovery of a brother alcoholic, we'd
sometimes discuss those intimate and harrowing aspects of his case
meant for his sponsor's ear alone. The aggrieved victim would then
rightly declare that his trust had been broken.

When such stories got into circulation outside of A.A., the loss of
confidence in our anonymity promise was severe. It frequently turned
people from us. Clearly, every A.A. member's name--and story,
too--had to be confidential, if he wished.

<< << << >> >> >>

We now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity before the
public is just as vital to the life of A.A. as 100 per cent sobriety is to
the life of each and every member. This is not counsel of fear; it is the
prudent voice of long experience.

1. 12 & 12, p. 185
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 293

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Walk In Dry Places

The new problems in sobriety
Fortitude
Sometimes sobriety turns up problems that were never apparent during one's drinking days. Some people, for example, encounter marriage problems that lead to divorce. It almost appears that some things were better when we were drinking.
But there are good reasons why sobriety brings new problems. One is that we become aware of problems that were there all the time, although not acknowledged. It's possible, too, that sobriety brings more responsibility, along with risks of failure. At the same time, we might be more sensitive to the real problems of living.
We should never use such problems as an excuse for drinking. It is true, as many people say, that drinking can only make matters worse. Nothing can be improved by a return to drinking.
I must remember today that sobriety means living on a new basis. This includes facing problems and dealing with them... not running from them as I did in the past.

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Keep It Simple

I wish you the courage to be warm when the world would prefer you to be cool.Robert A. Ward
Our program and the Steps have warmed us from the inside out. Just as a bonfire warms those who stand around it, the Steps take away the chill we have felt for so long.
At Times, we’ll be tempted to move away from the Steps. At times, we’ll get tired of looking at our behavior and attitudes. We are by nature, controlling people. We’ll want to
“prove our point” about something when our program tells us to let it go. We need to stay close to the Steps and the warmth they hold. Remember the chill of our disease.
Prayer for the Day: I need to member that the Steps and the fellowship of the program keep me sober, not me alone.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll thank about what the Steps have done for me. I will think of how they have kept me warm.

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Each Day a New Beginning

The most elusive knowledge of all is self-knowledge. --Mirra Komarovsky
Discovering who we are is an adventure, one that will thrill and sometimes trouble us and will frequently occupy our thoughtful reflections. We are growing and changing as a result of our commitment to the program. And it's that process of commitment that heightens our self-awareness.
We learn who we are by listening to others, by sensing their perceptions of us, by taking an honest, careful inventory of our own behavior. The inner conversations that haunt us while we're interacting with others are poignant guidelines to self-knowledge, self-definition. Just when we think we've figured out who we are and how to handle our flaws, a new challenge will enter our realm of experiences, shaking up all the understandings that have given us guidance heretofore.
It is not an easy task to discover who we really are. It's an even harder job to love and accept the woman we discover. But too many years went by while we avoided or denied or, worse yet, denounced the only person we knew how to be. The program offers us the way to learn about and love fully the person within. Nor will we find the way easy every day. But there's time enough to let the process ease our investigation.
I will be soft and deliberate today as I listen to others and myself.

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

The Doctor's Opinion

The doctor’s theory that we have an allergy to alcohol interests us. As laymen, our opinion as to its soundness may, of course, mean little. But as exproblem drinkers, we can say that his explanation makes good sense. It explains many things for which we cannot otherwise account.

p. xxvi

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

Women Suffer Too

Despite great opportunities, alcohol nearly ended her life. Early member, she spread the word among women in our pioneering period.

The shakes grew worse and I looked at my watch—six o'clock. It had been one o'clock when I last remembered looking. I'd been sitting comfortably in a restaurant with Rita, drinking my sixth martini and hoping the waiter would forget about the lunch order—at least long enough for me to have a couple more. I'd only had two with her, but I'd managed four in the fifteen minutes I'd waited for her, and of course I'd had the usual uncounted swigs from the bottle as I painfully got up and did my slow spasmodic dressing. In fact I had been in very good shape at one o'clock—feeling no pain. What could have happened? That had been in the center of New York, on noisy 42nd Street . . . this was obviously a quiet residential section. Why had "Dorothy" brought me here? Who was she? How had I met her? I had no answers, and I dared not ask. She gave no sign of recognizing anything wrong, but what had I been doing for those lost five hours? My brained whirled. I might have done terrible things, and I wouldn't even know it!

p. 201

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Twelve - "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

Now, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step? The wonderful energy it releases and the eager action by which it carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic and which finally translates the Twelve Steps into action upon all our affairs is the payoff, the magnificent reality, of Alcoholics Anonymous.

p. 109

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 -1882)

Although we have been made to believe that if we let go we will end up with nothing,
life itself reveals again and again the opposite; that letting go is the path to real
freedom.
--Sogyai Rinpoche

This above all else: to your own self be true.
--unknown

Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If
people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.
--Sam Walton

The deeds you do today may be the only sermon some people will hear today.
--St. Francis of Assisi

Make big decisions in the calm.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

************ ********* ********* ********* ********

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

ORATORY

"The finest eloquence is that
which get things done."
-- David Lloyd George

I know how to talk. I know how to sound good. I know how to convince a person of my
good intentions --- indeed that was part of my manipulation for years.

Today I try to walk the talk. I try to demonstrate what I say in the behavior I exhibit.
The bottom line is action. Talking never stopped me from drinking --- my physical refusal
of the first drink was the start of my recovery.

God is to be discovered not merely in pious sentiments, as attractive as they may
sound, but rather in the small steps of altered behavior.

Am I doing what I am saying? Lord give me the courage to live my words.

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

God blesses the people who patiently endure testing.
James 1:12

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart.
Psalm 86:11

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
Ephesians 4:31-32

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* **

Daily Inspiration

It is usually easier to start a project than to finish it. Lord, help me spend less time thinking about what I want to do, so that I can have the time to feel the gratification of completing what I started.

Pray even when your heart has no words rather than to pray words with no heart. Lord, You faithfully answer all prayers. I will trust in Your answers and never take Your love for granted.

10-27-2014, 10:25 AM	#28
bluidkiti Administrator Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 70,436	October 28 Daily Reflections AN UNBROKEN TRADITION We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177 How much it means to me that an unbroken tradition of more than half a century is a thread that connects me to Bill W. and Dr. Bob. How much more grounded I feel to be in a Fellowship whose aims are constant and unflagging. I am grateful that the energies of A.A. have never been scattered, but focused instead on our members and on individual sobriety. My beliefs are what make me human; I am free to hold any opinion, but A.A.'s purpose -- so clearly stated fifty years ago -- is for me to keep sober. That purpose has promoted round-the-clock meeting schedules, and the thousands of intergroup and central service offices, with their thousands of volunteers. Like the sun focused through a magnifying glass, A.A.'s single vision has lit a fire of faith in sobriety in millions of hearts, including mine. ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day What other rewards have come to me as a result of my new way of living? Each one of us can answer this question in many ways. My relationship with my husband or my wife is on an entirely new plane. The total selfishness is gone and more cooperation has taken its place. My home is a home again. Understanding has taken the place of misunderstanding recriminations, bickering, and resentment. A new companionship has developed which bodes well for the future. "There are homes where fires burn and there is bread, lamps are lit and prayers are said. Though people falter through the dark and nations grope, with God Himself back of these little homes, we still can hope." Have I come home? Meditation For The Day We can bow to God's will in anticipation of the thing happening which will, in the long run, be the best for all concerned. It may not always seem the best thing at the present time, but we cannot see as far ahead as God can. We do not know how His plans are laid, we only need to believe that if we trust Him and accept whatever happens as His will in a spirit of faith, everything will work out for the best in the end. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may not ask to see the distant scene. I pray that one step may be enough for me. ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** As Bill Sees It Anonymity and Sobriety, p. 299 As the A.A. groups multiplied, so did anonymity problems. Enthusiastic over the spectacular recovery of a brother alcoholic, we'd sometimes discuss those intimate and harrowing aspects of his case meant for his sponsor's ear alone. The aggrieved victim would then rightly declare that his trust had been broken. When such stories got into circulation outside of A.A., the loss of confidence in our anonymity promise was severe. It frequently turned people from us. Clearly, every A.A. member's name--and story, too--had to be confidential, if he wished. << << << >> >> >> We now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity before the public is just as vital to the life of A.A. as 100 per cent sobriety is to the life of each and every member. This is not counsel of fear; it is the prudent voice of long experience. 1. 12 & 12, p. 185 2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 293 ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Walk In Dry Places The new problems in sobriety Fortitude Sometimes sobriety turns up problems that were never apparent during one's drinking days. Some people, for example, encounter marriage problems that lead to divorce. It almost appears that some things were better when we were drinking. But there are good reasons why sobriety brings new problems. One is that we become aware of problems that were there all the time, although not acknowledged. It's possible, too, that sobriety brings more responsibility, along with risks of failure. At the same time, we might be more sensitive to the real problems of living. We should never use such problems as an excuse for drinking. It is true, as many people say, that drinking can only make matters worse. Nothing can be improved by a return to drinking. I must remember today that sobriety means living on a new basis. This includes facing problems and dealing with them... not running from them as I did in the past. ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Keep It Simple I wish you the courage to be warm when the world would prefer you to be cool.Robert A. Ward Our program and the Steps have warmed us from the inside out. Just as a bonfire warms those who stand around it, the Steps take away the chill we have felt for so long. At Times, we’ll be tempted to move away from the Steps. At times, we’ll get tired of looking at our behavior and attitudes. We are by nature, controlling people. We’ll want to “prove our point” about something when our program tells us to let it go. We need to stay close to the Steps and the warmth they hold. Remember the chill of our disease. Prayer for the Day: I need to member that the Steps and the fellowship of the program keep me sober, not me alone. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll thank about what the Steps have done for me. I will think of how they have kept me warm. ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Each Day a New Beginning The most elusive knowledge of all is self-knowledge. --Mirra Komarovsky Discovering who we are is an adventure, one that will thrill and sometimes trouble us and will frequently occupy our thoughtful reflections. We are growing and changing as a result of our commitment to the program. And it's that process of commitment that heightens our self-awareness. We learn who we are by listening to others, by sensing their perceptions of us, by taking an honest, careful inventory of our own behavior. The inner conversations that haunt us while we're interacting with others are poignant guidelines to self-knowledge, self-definition. Just when we think we've figured out who we are and how to handle our flaws, a new challenge will enter our realm of experiences, shaking up all the understandings that have given us guidance heretofore. It is not an easy task to discover who we really are. It's an even harder job to love and accept the woman we discover. But too many years went by while we avoided or denied or, worse yet, denounced the only person we knew how to be. The program offers us the way to learn about and love fully the person within. Nor will we find the way easy every day. But there's time enough to let the process ease our investigation. I will be soft and deliberate today as I listen to others and myself. ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition The Doctor's Opinion The doctor’s theory that we have an allergy to alcohol interests us. As laymen, our opinion as to its soundness may, of course, mean little. But as exproblem drinkers, we can say that his explanation makes good sense. It explains many things for which we cannot otherwise account. p. xxvi ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories Women Suffer Too Despite great opportunities, alcohol nearly ended her life. Early member, she spread the word among women in our pioneering period. The shakes grew worse and I looked at my watch—six o'clock. It had been one o'clock when I last remembered looking. I'd been sitting comfortably in a restaurant with Rita, drinking my sixth martini and hoping the waiter would forget about the lunch order—at least long enough for me to have a couple more. I'd only had two with her, but I'd managed four in the fifteen minutes I'd waited for her, and of course I'd had the usual uncounted swigs from the bottle as I painfully got up and did my slow spasmodic dressing. In fact I had been in very good shape at one o'clock—feeling no pain. What could have happened? That had been in the center of New York, on noisy 42nd Street . . . this was obviously a quiet residential section. Why had "Dorothy" brought me here? Who was she? How had I met her? I had no answers, and I dared not ask. She gave no sign of recognizing anything wrong, but what had I been doing for those lost five hours? My brained whirled. I might have done terrible things, and I wouldn't even know it! p. 201 ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Step Twelve - "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs." Now, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step? The wonderful energy it releases and the eager action by which it carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic and which finally translates the Twelve Steps into action upon all our affairs is the payoff, the magnificent reality, of Alcoholics Anonymous. p. 109 ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way. --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 -1882) Although we have been made to believe that if we let go we will end up with nothing, life itself reveals again and again the opposite; that letting go is the path to real freedom. --Sogyai Rinpoche This above all else: to your own self be true. --unknown Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish. --Sam Walton The deeds you do today may be the only sermon some people will hear today. --St. Francis of Assisi Make big decisions in the calm. --Dwight D. Eisenhower ********** ***** ***** ***** **** Father Leo's Daily Meditation ORATORY "The finest eloquence is that which get things done." -- David Lloyd George I know how to talk. I know how to sound good. I know how to convince a person of my good intentions --- indeed that was part of my manipulation for years. Today I try to walk the talk. I try to demonstrate what I say in the behavior I exhibit. The bottom line is action. Talking never stopped me from drinking --- my physical refusal of the first drink was the start of my recovery. God is to be discovered not merely in pious sentiments, as attractive as they may sound, but rather in the small steps of altered behavior. Am I doing what I am saying? Lord give me the courage to live my words. ******** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. James 1:12 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart. Psalm 86:11 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32 ********** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Daily Inspiration It is usually easier to start a project than to finish it. Lord, help me spend less time thinking about what I want to do, so that I can have the time to feel the gratification of completing what I started. Pray even when your heart has no words rather than to pray words with no heart. Lord, You faithfully answer all prayers. I will trust in Your answers and never take Your love for granted. __________________ "No matter what you have done up to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." --Brian Tracy AA gives us an opportunity to recreate ourselves, with God's help, one day at a time. --Rufus K. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. --Franklin D. Roosevelt We stay sober and clean together - one day at a time! God says that each of us is worth loving.