Nov. 3, 2013 - Step by Step

Step by Step
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

"There is no more 'aloneness,' with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again.
"Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "Personal Stories, Pioneers of AA," Ch 12 ("The Keys of the Kingdom"), p 312.

Today, I cannot minimize or take for granted that I indeed have been given "the keys of the kingdom" by surrendering in Step One and then proceeding to the nuts and bolts of the Program. But I also cannot take for granted that the keys given to me won't be taken away in a disastrous split second in which I cave into self-pity, anger, remorse or hopelessness and pick up the bottle again. If I do, perhaps the single most anguishing emotion of alcoholism - desperate loneliness - once again will engulf me and all that I have worked for thus far will lay in ruins. But, today, I need not cave into those temptations or my own self-defeating character if I internalize the Steps and their principles, and they can and will get me through any situation and over any mountain of any height. Today, I will not trade my "keys to the kingdom" for "just one more." And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2013

Nov. 3, 2013 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

AA Thought for the Day
I have charity, another word for love. That right kind of love which is not selfish passion but an unselfish, out-going desire to help other people. To do what is best for the other person, to put what is best for him or her above my own desires. To put God first, the other person second and myself last. Charity is gentle, kind, understanding, long-suffering and full of desire to serve. AA has given me this. What I do for myself is lost; what I do for others may be written somewhere in eternity.

Have I charity?

Meditation for the Day
"Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." God has unlimited power. There is no limit to what His power can do in human hearts. But we must will to have God's power and we must ask God for it. God's power is blocked off from us by our indifference to it. We can go along our own selfish way without calling on God's help and we get no power. But when we trust in God, we can will to have the power we need. When we sincerely ask God for it, we get it abundantly.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may will to have God's power. I pray that I may keep praying for the strength I need.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 3, 2013 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

Reflection for the Day
The Program's Twelve Steps comprise a body of living spiritual wisdom. To the degree that we continue to study The Steps and apply them to our daily lives, our knowledge and understanding expand without limitation. As we say in The Program, "It gets better ...and better ...and better." The Eleventh Step speaks of prayer and meditation, urging us to apply our minds quietly to the contemplation of spiritual truth. By its nature, the Eleventh Step illuminates for us the purpose and value of the other Steps. As we seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, the remaining Steps become ever more useful in our new way of life.

Do I take the time each day to pray and meditate?

Today I Pray
May I seek - as the Eleventh Step says - to know God better through prayer and meditation, talking to and listening for God. As my life becomes more full of the realities of earth - and the goodness thereof - may I always keep aside a time for communion with God. May this communion define my life and give it purpose.

Today I Will Remember
Take time out for God.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 3, 2013 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

Our philosophy of living does not reach as far as immortality - it concerns itself with living this life one day at a time.

We do feel, however, that if we live this day to the best of our ability, endeavoring each day to improve over the preceding day, then when the time comes for us to consider immortality, we will be in a very favorable position, to say the least.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 3, 2013 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

Sometimes it seems I've spent my life trying to live up to others' expectations of me, and failing. I never thought much about pleasing myself. That would have been "selfish."
 -- JoAnn Reed
We can feel burdened, inadequate, and overwhelmed by expectations, even when they are our own. More often, however, the problem originates from outside ourselves. Before we got into the program, we may have been easily caught in the trap of other people's expectations because we didn't know who we really were. Now that we are in recovery, the Fourth Step offers us an opportunity to understand ourselves better, which in turn helps us to set out own goals. No longer must someone else's goals guilt us into action.

Getting to know real freedom from the expectations of others is a two-step process. First we need to see clearly which expectations are ours and which belong to someone else. Then we need to turn to our Higher Power for help in fulfilling our own expectations, and only our own.

Before taking any action today I will pause to make certain I am fulfilling my expectations not someone else's. God will help me with this task.

From the book:

A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey

A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey. © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2013 - Step by Step

Step by Step
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013

" ...(Y)ou are ready to take certain steps.
"At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Ch 5 ("How It Works"), p 58.

Today, after concluding I want what AA and its Program of recovery offer, I stand on the ledge of a journey that might appear uncertain and terrifying, at least as much as the certainty and terror of continued drinking. But I must begin; if I don't, the certain terror of an alcoholic disintegration or death are all that await me. And as I set out on this journey of recovery, grant me the wisdom to yield to the experience of those who have already been where I am headed, and the humility to seek and do only the will of whatever Higher Power I define. Let me also understand completely and be willing and ready to accept whatever change comes about as I hopefully leave behind those days of drinking and take on whatever changes come about in sobriety. Today, if I am setting out on the path toward recovery, let me be sensitive to and appreciate how demanding it will be and that I must be "fearless and thorough from the very start." Any less is a prescription for certain relapse. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2013

Nov. 2, 2013 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013

AA Thought for the Day
I have faith. That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my mouth or bitter to the taste. It is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it together. Faith - that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken, that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity.

Have I faith?

Meditation for the Day
Keep yourself like an empty vessel for God to fill. Keep pouring out yourself to help others so that God can keep filling you up with His spirit. The more you give, the more you will have for yourself. God will see that you are kept filled as long as you are giving to others. But if you selfishly try to keep all for yourself, you are soon blocked off from God, your source of supply, and you will become stagnant. To be clear, a lake must have an inflow and an outflow.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may keep pouring out what I receive. I pray that I may keep the stream clear and flowing.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2013 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013

Reflection for the Day
The more self-searching we do, the more we realize how often we react negatively because our "pride has been hurt." Pride is at the root of most of my personal problems. When my pride is "hurt," for example, I almost invariably experience resentment and anger - sometimes to the point where I'm unable to talk or think rationally. When I'm in that sort of emotional swamp, I must remind myself that my pride - and nothing but my pride - has been injured. I have to pause and try to cool off until such time as I can evaluate the problem realistically.

When my pride is injured or threatened, will I pray for humility so that I can rise above myself?

Today I Pray
May I know that if my pride is hurt, the rest of me may not be injured at all. May I know that my pride can take a battering and still come back stronger than ever for more. May I know that every time my pride takes a blow, it is liable to get more defensive, nastier, more unreasonable, more feisty. May I learn to keep my upstart pride in another place, where it will not be so easily hurt - or so willing to take credit.

Today I Will Remember
Humility is the only authority over pride.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2013 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013

Have you ever visited the General Service Headquarters in New York? Do you have any conception of the vast amount of work that passes through the Foundation every year?

It is highly possible that your Group would not exist today were it not for them. It is likewise probable that if your Group did not exist, you would still be beating your brains out.

The New York Office is functioning beautifully, but they require the support of every Group to do so. Make it your business to see that your Group is doing its share.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 2, 2013 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake.
 -- Confucius
Step Ten tells us that when we are wrong, we must "promptly" admit it. We aren't used to admitting our mistakes. We defend ourselves or blame others. This is called denial.

Denial is bad for two reasons. First, it keeps us from learning from our mistakes, so we keep making them. Second, we don't listen to others, so we close off ourselves and become lonely.

What a relief it is to admit our wrongs! We don't have to keep trying to do things the hard way. We can learn new ways to think and act that will work better for us. We can let other people be our teachers.
Prayer for the Day
Higher Power, help me out of denial, so I can see the changes I need to make.
Action for the Day
Today, if I disagree with someone, I'll promptly admit it when I'm wrong. If I'm right, I'll be gentle. I don't have to prove anything.

From the book:

Keep It Simple by Anonymous

Keep It Simple © 1989 by Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2013 - Step by Step

Step by Step

Friday, Nov. 1, 2013

Today, remembering that I worked the Steps as hard as I could when I surrendered in Step One, I must know that I will have to rework them again if I choose to slip or relapse. Some of the Steps required to gain and maintain sobriety also require some of the most brute honesty possible, and seeing myself as I truly was coming off drinking is an experience I hope not to repeat. Thus, the solution to avoid having to see myself again as I was is simple: don't slip, don't relapse. Sometimes easier said than done, but the power of the 12 Steps gives us the control not to bow to that which we cannot control - alcohol. It is a fact that the sober alcoholic has another drunk inside but may not have another recovery. For me, even if I have another recovery, I don't want to go through the grueling experience of seeing myself as I might become during a slip or relapse. And my insurance against having to go through that is the Program. Today, I'll use it. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2013

Nov. 1, 2013 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Friday, Nov. 1, 2013

AA Thought for the Day
I have hope. That magic thing that I had lost or misplaced. The future looks dark no more. I do not even look at it, except when necessary to make plans. I try to let the future take care of itself. The future will be made up of todays and todays, stretching out as short as now and as long as eternity. Hope is justified by many right nows, by the rightness of the present. Nothing can happen to me that God does not will for me. I can hope for the best, as long as I have what I have and it is good.

Have I hope?

Meditation for the Day
Faith is the messenger that bears your prayers to God. Prayer can be like incense, rising ever higher and higher. The prayer of faith is the prayer of trust that feels the presence of God which it rises to meet. It can be sure of some response from God. We can say a prayer of thanks to God every day for His grace, which has kept us on the right way and allowed us to start living the good life. So we should pray to God with faith and trust and gratitude.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may feel sure of some response to my prayers. I pray that I may be content with whatever form that response takes.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2013 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Friday, Nov. 1, 2013

Reflection for the Day
Those whom I most respect in The Program - and, in turn, those from whom I've learned the most - seem convinced that pride is, as one person put it, the "root-sin." In moral theology, pride is the first of the seven deadly sins. It is also considered the most serious, standing apart from the rest by virtue of its unique quality. Pride gets right into our spiritual victories. It insinuates itself into all our successes and accomplishments, even when we attribute them to God.

Do I struggle against pride by working the Tenth Step regularly, facing myself freshly and making things right where they've gone wrong?

Today I Pray
May I be on guard constantly against the sneakiness of pride, which can creep into every achievement, every triumph, every reciprocated affection. May I know that whenever things are going well for me, my pride will be on the spot, ready to take credit. May I watch for it.

Today I Will Remember
Put pride in its place.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2013 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Friday, Nov. 1, 2013

If life is only a preparation for something yet to come, as many believe, then the manner of our living will determine the success or failure in this preparation. It would naturally follow, therefore, that a man could not live a devil and die a saint.

We do not feel that we are qualified to evaluate the worth of deathbed repentance, but this we do feel - if you live right, deathbed repentance would hardly seem necessary.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 1, 2013 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Friday, Nov. 1, 2013

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

Listening and Sharing

"I've found that many of my painful experiences with others are the result of past memories," stated a friend.

"Often I'm not reacting so much to what is going on between me and another person right at the time; I'm responding to some previous wound or hurt from my past that hasn't quite healed. Let me give you an example of what I mean.

"Just the other day, a friend of mine said she needed some time to herself and didn't want to see me for a week. Well, rather than accept her statement, I was hurt. I immediately thought of a past friendship I had helped destroy by being too possessive and demanding. I thought I was making the same mistake again and that my present girl friend was trying to get rid of me, too. I felt so defeated I couldn't respond. I just sat there stunned and tried not to cry.

"My friend was uncomfortable with my change in attitude, but since I wasn't able to communicate what I was feeling, she left feeling at loose ends, too."

"Thank goodness I had enough sense to call her and share my unsettling feelings a day or two after that experience. I found my friend wasn't rejecting me at all. She really did need some time to herself."

Today I will not allow past, painful memories to cripple my current relationships. When I am hurt or confused, I will talk out my feelings and reactions before I make harsh criticisms or assume another's motives.

From the book:

The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes

The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes. © 1981 by Hazelden Foundation