[bluidkiti]

August 3

Daily Reflections

. . .TO BE OF SERVICE

Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God
and the people about us.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 77

It is clear that God's plan for me is expressed through love. God loved
me enough to take me from alleys and jails so that I could be made a
useful participant in His world. My response is to love all of His
children through service and by example. I ask God to help me imitate
His love for me through my love for others.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

We in A.A. must remember that we are offering something intangible.
We are offering a psychological and spiritual program. We are not
offering a medical program. If people need medical treatment, we call
in a doctor. If they need a medical prescription, we let the doctor
prescribe for them. If they need hospital treatment, we let the hospital
take care of them. Our vital A.A. work begins when a person is
physically able to receive it. Am I willing to leave medical care to the
doctors?

Meditation For The Day

Each moment of your day which you devote to this new way of life is a
gift to God. The gift of the moments. Even when your desire to serve
God is sincere, it is not an easy thing to give Him many of these
moments: the daily things you had planned to do, given up gladly so
that you can perform a good service or say a kind word. If you can see
Gods purpose in many situations, it will be easier to give Him many
moments of your day. Every situation has two interpretations -- your
own and God's. Try to handle each situation in the way you believe
God would have it handled.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may make my day count somewhat for God. I pray that I
may not spend it all selfishly.

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As Bill Sees It

Constructive Workouts, p. 215

There are those in A.A. whom we call "destructive" critics. They
power-drive, they are "politickers," they make accusations to
gain their ends--all for the good of A.A., of course! But we have
learned that these folks need not be really destructive.

We ought to listen carefully to what they say. Sometimes they are
telling the whole truth; at other times, a little truth. If we are
within their range, the whole truth, the half-truth, or no truth at all
can prove equally unpleasant to us. If they have got the whole truth,
or even a little truth, then we had better thank them and get on
with our respective inventories, admitting we were wrong. If they
are talking nonsense, we can ignore it, or else try to persuade them.
Failing this, we can be sorry they are too sick to listen, and we can
try to forget the whole business.

There are few better means of self-survey and of developing patience
than the workouts these usually well-meaning but erratic members so
often afford us.

Twelve Concepts, p. 40

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Walk In Dry Places

Watch out for peer pressure
Maintaining Sobriety
It's said that peer pressure often draws young people into alcoholism and drug addition. As adults following a recovery program, we also are susceptible to peer pressure.
At a cocktail reception, for example, some people may express mild pity that we're having "only soft drinks," as if we're doing a form of penance. Or they may express exaggerated admiration for our success in recovery. Even this can make us feel different.
We need not be critical of such reactions. The fact is that we are somewhat different when we're staying sober in situations where excessive drinking is normal.
We should not, however, make this our problem if others draw attention to it. This is peer pressure, but we should be mature enough to dismiss it.
Whatever situation I'm in today, if I know I'm on the right path, I'll not be swayed by the opinions and comments of others. Their opinions cannot affect me if I know I'm doing the right thing.

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Keep It Simple

Alcoholism isn't a spectator sport. Eventually the whole family gets to play.
---Joyce Rebeta-Burditt
One of the biggest lies addicts can tell themselves is, "I'm not hurting
anyone but myself."
This is just another way we don't see how important we are to others.
During our using, love was a burden. When anyone showed love for us, we turned away. They hurt. And we hurt.
In recovery, when ready, we try and help our families heal. We listen as
they speak of how our illness has hurt them. We comfort them as they tell their stories. Remember, our illness hurt them. Remember, our recovery will help them heal.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me face the pain my illness has brought to others. Let me know their pain.
Let it help me stay sober.
Action for the Day: I will list all persons my illness has hurt. I will say a prayer for them,
even if they have harmed me.

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Each Day a New Beginning

All that is necessary to make this world a better place to live is to love - to love as Christ loved, as Buddha loved. --Isadora Duncan
To be unconditionally loved is our birthright, and we are so loved by God. We desire just such a love from one another, and we deserve it; yet, it's a human quality to look for love before giving it. Thus many of us search intently for signs of love.
Too many of us are searching, rather than loving. Truly loving another means letting go of all expectations. It means full acceptance, even celebration of another's personhood. Not easy, but so rewarding, to ourselves as well as to the one who is the focus of our love.
Love is a balm that heals. Loving lightens whatever our burdens. It invites our inner joy to emerge. But most of all, it connects us, one with another. Loneliness leaves. We are no longer alienated from our environment. Love is the mortar that holds the human structure together. Without the expression of love, it crumbles. This recovery program has offered us a plan for loving others, as well as ourselves. Love will come to us, just as surely as we give it away.
Each and every expression of love I offer today will make smooth another step I take in this life.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 11 - A Vision For You

Every few days this doctor suggests our approach to one of his patients. Understanding our work, he can do this with an eye to selecting those who are willing and able to recover on a spiritual basis. Many of us, former patients, go there to help. Then, in this eastern city, there are informal meetings such as we have described to you, where you may now see scores of members. There are the same fast friendships, there is the same helpfulness to one another as you find among our western friends. There is a good bit or travel between East and West and we foresee a great increase in this helpful interchange.

p. 162

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Seven - "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."

Humility, as a word and as an ideal, has a very bad time of it in our world. Not only is the idea misunderstood; the word itself is often intensely disliked. Many people haven't even a nodding acquaintance with humility as a way of life. Much of the everyday talk we hear, and a great deal of what we read, highlights man's pride in his own achievements.

p. 70

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Life is a gift ... open it every day.
--Unknown

When I live in the past, I live in regret.
When I live in the future, I live in fear.
When I stay in the NOW, everything's always okay.
--Joan T.

Be grateful for spiritual community. None of us are smart enough or
sufficiently sensitive to notice every subtle sign that something is
amiss before it becomes a large problem. Through community,
through those who hold the energy that keeps us awake, we can
tune in and ask God for guidance. No individual knows everything,
but God does. Spiritual community reminds us that we are connected.
--Mary Manin Morrissey

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the
length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well."
--Diane Ackerman

Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome
danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly
that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful
even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always
tomorrow.
--Dorothy Thompson

There is no personal history or past experience that is bigger or more
powerful than the great God that resides within us.
--Mary Manin Morrissey

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

UNDERSTANDING

"Man --- a being in search of
meaning."
-- Plato

Today I am on my way. With my sobriety has come a desire to
understand --- understand life, understand me, understand my
relationships and understand God. Meaning --- what is true? What is
noble? What is spiritual? These are important to me today.

I no longer wish to hurt, damage, ridicule, destroy, fight, lie or cheat
in my life. I've had enough of being negative. I've had enough of
being lost and isolated in my arrogance. I've had enough of
standing on the outside of life, feeling resentful and afraid.

Sobriety, for me today, involves my search for meaning ---
knowing full well that my understanding will always be imperfect
and I can never comprehend fully. The ultimate answer is in living
with confusion. I am not God . . . but I still intend to reach for the
stars.

Lord, my cry for self-awareness is answered in the journey and
not the destination.

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"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."
James 3:17

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ."
II Corinthians 10:5

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain
strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels
without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:1-2

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because
you know they produce quarrels."
II Timothy 2:23

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."
Philippians 2:14

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Daily Inspiration

Begin every day as if it were your very first because you really are always at the beginning. Lord, thank you for the constant ability to stop any offensive behaviors that I have and the gift of being forgiven and being able to forgive myself.

When your world turns upside down and everything seems so frightening, thank God for His unchanging and constant love. Lord, Your love is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In You I am safe and cared for.