January 16

Prayer for Releasing the Past

Lord, my past is trying to consume my present. I am constantly reminded of it. It replays in my mind daily, like a broken record.

All the hurt, all the pain and all the suffering: I release it! Every grudge, the uneasy thoughts and all the negativity, I rebuke it!

All the fear, all the doubt and lack of faith, I curse it out! Every chain that binds me to my past shall be broken and I am set free.
Amen!

-- Cheryce Rampersad

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Just a Thought



The way of A.A. is the way of service.


Without that, it would not work. We have been "on the wagon" and hated it. We have taken the pledge and waited for the time to be up with impatience. We have tried in all manner of ways to help ourselves. But not until we begin to help other people do we get full relief. It is an axiom that the A.A. program has to be given away in order to be kept. A river flows into the Dead Sea and stops. A river flows into a clear pool and flows out again. We get and then we give. If we do not give, we do not keep.


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


Have I given up all ideas of holding A.A. for myself alone?

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Just a Contemplation

Interaction with Others

Sharing coffee with a friend or playing a game of golf with him provides a little relaxation, a little fun, and a chance to catch up on each other's lives. Such things are the meetings of life. These are relationships with other lives based on sharing time with one another.

Meetings - this sharing of time - can be with the full range of our existence. A tree, a lake, a mountain, the stars meet with us in solitude and enlarge our lives. Meeting is more than driving by. We meet a neighbor, a person walking down the sidewalk, a driver in the next car. Each meeting inspires different responses in us. With some, we may be open and receiving; with others, fearful; and yet with others, we want to exploit and use. If all life is meeting, perhaps I do not wish to meet in the way I have been. The way I meet others changes me. Maybe I am missing something. I can have more life by making more contact.

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Desire

Each day that I try to have a desire to be sober and to remember to keep an open heart, love and help flow into me. These bounties are unlimited in A.A. if we are fortunate enough to have the desire.

Came to Believe page 51

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Just a Quote

“The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.” – Edward John Phelps

January 17


Prayer to Let Go of Pride

Dear Lord,

I want to believe I am not a prideful person…but the truth is I still wrestle with pride. Please help me to let go of pride. I pray for a humble heart. I pray I would not see myself as better than anyone. I pray I would not hinder others from helping just so I can receive praise for doing it all myself. I pray I would not let pride motivate me to argue with others. Instead I pray humility would lead me. I pray love would be my motivation not pride.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Service to others makes the world a good place.

Civilization would cease if all of us were always and only for ourselves. We alcoholics have a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the well-being of the world. We have a common problem. We find a common answer. We are uniquely equipped to help others with the same problem. What a wonderful world it would be if everybody took his own greatest problem and found the answer to it and spent the rest of his life helping others with the same problem in his spare time. Soon we would have the right kind of a world.

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

Do I appreciate my unique opportunity to be of service?

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Just a Contemplation

Feelings

It's okay to have and feel our feelings - all of them. Many of us needed to shut down the emotional part of ourselves to survive certain situations. We shut down the part of us that feels anger, sadness, fear, joy, and love. We may have turned off our sexual or sensual feelings too. Many of us lived in systems with people who refused to tolerate our emotions. We were shamed or reprimanded for expressing feelings, usually by people who were taught to repress their own.

It is okay now for us to acknowledge and accept our emotions. We don't need to allow our emotions to control us; neither do we need to allow our emotions to control us; neither do we need to rigidly repress our feelings. Our emotional center is a valuable part of us. It's connected to our physical well being, our thinking, and our spirituality. Our feelings are also connected to that great gift, instinct. They enable us to give and receive love.

We are neither weak nor deficient for indulging in our feelings. It means we're becoming healthy and whole. I will allow myself to recognize and accept whatever feelings pass through me. Without shame, I will tune in to the emotional part of myself.

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Pride

Some see pride as just a minor issue. I see pride, and resistance to change, as the deadliest character flaw every alcoholic deals with on a daily basis. The only answer I've ever found in dealing with such a high level of denial, is written about in the Big Book, and can be found in action at just about any AA meeting in the world.

From: The AA Grapevine, April 2014

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Just a Quote

"A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. " ~ C.S. Lewis

January 18


When This is Over
(A Prayer)

When this is over,
may we never again take for granted
a handshake with a stranger
conversations with neighbors
a crowded theater
Friday night out
a routine checkup
the school rush each morning
coffee with a friend
the stadium roaring
each deep breath
a boring Tuesday
life itself.

When this ends,
may we find that we have become
more like the people we wanted to be,
we were called to be,
we hoped to be.
And may we stay that way – better for each other because of the worst.

~ Laura Kelly Fanucci

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Just a Thought

The way of A.A. is the way of faith.

We don't get the full benefit of the program until we surrender our lives to some Power greater than ourselves and trust that Power to give us the strength we need. There is no better way for us. We can get sober without it. We can stay sober for some time without it. But if we are going to truly live, we must take the way of faith in God. That is the path for us. We must follow it.

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

Have I taken the way of faith?

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Just a Contemplation

What Counts

It's not what we do for a job that counts, it's how we do it. It's not what our chores at home might be, it's how we do them. And it's not what grades we get in school, but rather how hard we try. Doing our best, whether it's making a bed, writing a report, or listening to a friend tell us about an experience gives us a good feeling about ourselves.

Each of us is special to one another. And we are special to this very moment. Because what is past can't be repeated, let's remember to enjoy every moment as it comes. Let's pay close attention to each person, each activity that we encounter today. It's not what we do today, but how we do it that counts.

Can I do each thing well today, even the small things?

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Fellowship

I have a wealth of friends and, with my AA friends, an unusual quality of fellowship. For, to these people, I am truly related. First, through mutual pain and despair, and later through mutual objectives and newfound faith and hope. And, as the years go by, working together, sharing our experiences with one another, and also sharing a mutual trust, understanding, and love -- without strings, without obligation -- we acquire relationships that are unique and priceless.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 276

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Just a Quote

"No matter what you have done to this moment, you get 24 brand-new hours to spend every single day." ~ Brian Tracy

January 19


Prayer When Confused

Lord, I desire to be clear-minded in a time when deceit and deception floods into my minds from so many quarters, and so I pray that you endow me with your wisdom, so that I may not be tossed about by the many winds of challenges and troubles of the world that can cause confusion, and distort the truth.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The way of faith is, of course, not confined to A.A. It is for everybody who really wants to live.

But many people can go through life without much of it. Many are doing so, to their own sorrow. The world is full of lack of faith. Many people have lost confidence in any meaning in the universe. Many are wondering if it has any meaning at all. Many are at loose ends. Life has no goal for many. They are strangers in the land. They are not at home. But for us in A.A., the way of faith is the way of life. We have proved by our past lives that we could not live without it.

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

Do I think I could live happily without faith?

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Just a Contemplation

Volunteering

The most precious time we will ever have we give away by doing volunteer chores to help others get more out of life. There is no material wage for this kind of work, but a host of emotional rewards.

What great humility this can bring to us, who live in a world where selfish people often insist on credit for all their deeds - often things they had nothing to do with.

All we need do is think of all we have received without deserving it or asking for it. By taking part in the giving end of life, we find the true wealth of our own generosity.

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Fear

For all its usual destructiveness, we have found that fear can be the starting point for better things. Fear can be a stepping-stone to prudence and to a decent respect for others. It can point the path to justice, as well as to hate. And the more we have respect and justice, the more we shall begin to find the love which can suffer much, and yet be freely given. So fear need not always be destructive, because the lessons of its consequences can lead us to positive values.
~ Bill W.

The Language of the Heart, April 2014

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Just a Quote

"What goes around comes around. I will look for the opportunities to be kind and feel the results." ~ Karen Casey

January 20


Smile Prayer

Dear God,

I know that every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. Make this one the best day yet. Let my eyes be open to the natural beauty in the commonplace things I see. May my heart feel love for everyone I meet. Encourage my heart to embrace each and every person I see with a genuine smile. Show me the way to living well. Thank You for the guidance and grace You have in store for me today.
Amen

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Just a Thought

As I look back over my drinking career, have I learned that you take out of life what you put into it?

When I put drinking into my life, did I take out a lot of bad things? Hospitals with the D.T.'s? Jails for drunken driving? Loss of job? Loss of home and family?

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

When I put drinking into my life, was almost everything I took out bad?

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Just a Contemplation

Relationships & Responsibility

The process of untangling the relationships between ourselves and our parents - as well as with our children - is a long term process. Each of us came into the world helpless. As sons & daughters, we had no choice about relying on our parents. We reached adulthood with a mixture of gratitude, guilt, and resentment. The same is true of our children. Those of us who are parents began with an obligation to our children. We may now feel a mixture of commitment, fulfillment, and guilt.

No parent can teach a child everything he or she will need. We all do what we can to continue to learn and grow. We have lifelong commitments to each other - within reason. We are all trying to make our way as best we can. We each need to advance our own well-being and not destroy our lives for the sake of a parent or a child.

I will try to be responsible for myself; so that I can be more responsible to others.

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Alcoholism

Alcoholism is deadly, ugly, and tough. It is also cunning, baffling, and powerful. It wants me to consider perfection attainable. . . It wants me to try to fix myself with the right therapist or the right religion. . . It wants me to forget that it is a snake in the brain, hoping to catch my eye, watching, waiting. The gritty pain of alcoholism is the traction of recovery. I cannot afford to sell off the principles for an easier, softer way.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], page 165

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Just a Quote

"Don't allow anger, bitterness, and other character defects to affect your family, friends, and fellowship. It is all too easy to lash out at ones close to you who will 'understand' your hostility and give you room because you are in recovery. Treat them as you would a newcomer for they deserve as much." ~ John D.

January 21


Prayer to Accept Change

Lord,
I don’t like change. I like newness, excitement and adventure; but, when it’s all said and done, I love to come home to the predictable and manageable—to my favorite chair and comfortable routines. So I need fresh grace to accept change, because there’s so much change going on everywhere I look.

Lord, I ask that your wisdom direct me to my guest for change. Help me to feel confident in the direction and make your will recognizable. Help me to have no doubt or confusion on the path I am choosing.
Amend

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Just a Thought

The identification that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual--almost incomprehensible.

But it is there. I "feel" it. Today I feel that I can help people and that they can help me. It is a new and exciting feeling for me to care for someone; to care what they are feeling, hoping for, praying for; to know their sadness, joy, horror, sorrow, grief; to want to share those feelings so that someone can have relief. I never knew how to do this--or how to try. I never even cared.

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

The Fellowship of A.A., and God, are teaching me how to care about others.

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Just a Contemplation

Accepting Change

The winds of change blow through our life, sometimes gently, sometimes like a tropical storm. Yes, we have resting places - time to adjust to another level of living, time to get our balance, time to enjoy the rewards. We have time to catch our breath. But change is inevitable, and desirable.

Sometimes, when the winds of change begin to rustle, we are not certain the change is for the better. We may call it stress or a temporary condition, certain well to be restored to normal. Sometimes, we resist. We tuck our head down and buck the wind, hoping that things will quickly calm down, get back to the way things were. Is it possible we're being prepared for a new normal?

Change will sweep through our life, as needed, to take us where we're going. We can trust that our Higher Power has a plan in mind, even when we don't know where the changes are leading. We can trust that the change-taking place is good. The wind will take us where we need to go.

I will trust in God, to let go of my resistance to change. Help me be open to the process. Help me believe that the place I'll be dropped off will be better than the place where I was picked up. Help me surrender, trust, and accept, even if I don't understand.

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Freedom Through Acceptance

We admitted we couldn't lick alcohol with our own remaining resources, and so we accepted the further fact that dependence upon a Higher Power (if only our A.A. group) could do this hitherto impossible job. The moment we were able to accept these facts fully, our release from the alcohol compulsion had begun.

For most of us, this pair of acceptances had required a lot of exertion to achieve. Our whole treasured a lot of exertion to achieve. Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to be cast aside. This had not been done with sheer will power; it came instead as the result of developing the willingness to accept these new facts of living. We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we began to be free.

From the Grapevine March 1962

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Just a Quote

“Today I will let my Higher Power handle my worry so I can be free, I choose to be alive in this moment and not blocked by the conversations that go on over and over in my head. I will stop trying to figure everything out and will trust that I will get the right answers at the right time. “ ~ Ruth Fishel

January 22


Obsession Prayer

Lord,
You have all the power to set me free from these chains of thoughts that obsess my mind.
I pray that this bondage which steals away my happiness and peace of mind be shattered right now.
Let Your power remove these evil thoughts and establish peace in my heart.
I commit my thoughts into Your mighty hands.
I thank You for relieving me from this obsession.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Our faith should control the whole of our life.

We alcoholics were living a divided life. We had to find a way to make it whole. When we were drinking, our lives were made up of a lot of scattered and unrelated pieces. We must pick up our lives and put them together again. We do it by recovering faith in a Divine Principle in the universe, which holds us together and holds the whole universe together and gives it meaning and purpose. We surrender our disorganized lives to that Power, we get into harmony with the Divine Spirit, and our lives are made whole again.

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

Is my life whole again?

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Just a Contemplation

Expectations of Others

It is our job to identify our needs, and then determine a balanced way of getting those needs met. It is unreasonable to expect anyone to be able or willing to meet our every request. We are responsible for asking for what we want and need. It's the other person's responsibility to freely choose whether or not to respond to our request.

There's a difference between asking and demanding. We want love that is freely given. It is unreasonable and unhealthy to expect one person to be the source for meeting all our needs. Ultimately, we will become angry and resentful, maybe even punishing, toward that person for not supporting us as we expected. If a person cannot or will not be there for us, then we need to take responsibility for ourselves in that relationship.

The issue of expectations goes back to knowing that we are responsible for identifying our needs, believing they deserve to get met, and discover an appropriate, satisfactory way to do that in our life.

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Growth

Growth and understanding came slowly, but they came steadily. And finally, I could feel gratitude for my sobriety -- for the saving grace of God. Now I feel totally free, because I know the truth about myself. . . I know that spiritual growth is a great, wide, beautiful thing and that I have only stepped up to the open door.

Came To Believe Page 94

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Just a Quote

"How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now, and there will never be a time when it is not now." ~ Gerald Jampolsky

January 23


The Tolerance Prayer

Lord, give me tolerance towards those whose thoughts and ways conflict with mine. For though I would, I cannot always know what constitutes the Absolute Truth. The other person may be right, while I may be all wrong, yet unaware.

Lord, make my motives right, for only this can ease my conscience when I sometimes err.

Lord, give me tolerance, for who am I to stand in judgment on another person's mistakes? No one knows better than my inward self how many little blunders I have and can make.

Life is full of stones that somehow trip us, and meaning not, we stumble now and then.

Lord, give me tolerance, for only you are rightly fit to judge my fellow travelers.
Amen

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Just a Thought

As we look back over our drinking careers, we must realize that our lives were a mess because we were a mess inside.

The trouble was in us, not in life itself. Life itself was good enough, but we were looking at it the wrong way. We were looking at life through the bottom of a whiskey glass, and it was distorted. We could not see all the beauty and goodness and purpose in the world because our vision was blurred. We were in a house with one-way glass in the windows. People could see us but we could not look out and see them and see what life meant to them and should mean to us. We were blind then, but now we can see.

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

Can I now look at life as it really is?

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Just a Contemplation

Coping With Stress

Inevitably, there are times of stress in our lives. Sometimes, the stress is outside or around us, our circumstances are stressful. But sometimes, the stress is within. When the stress is external and internal, we experience our most difficult times.

Our friends and groups can help us feel more balanced and peaceful in spite of our stressful conditions. Affirming that the events taking place are a temporarily uncomfortable part of a good, solid plan can help. We can assure ourselves that we will get through. We won't be destroyed. We won't crumple or go under.

Our most important focus during times of stress is taking care of ourselves. We are better able to cope with the most irregular circumstances; we are better able to be there for others, if we're caring for ourselves. We can ask ourselves regularly: What do we need to do to take care of ourselves? What might help us feel better or more comfortable? Self-care may not come as easily during times of stress. Self-neglect may feel more comfortable. But taking care of us always works.

I will try to remember that there is no situation that can't be benefited by taking care of myself.

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New Beginning

I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here. 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 Quote

"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. " ~ John F. Kennedy

January 24


Release Anger, Resentment and Bitterness Prayer

God,
You know I am troubled by thoughts and feelings of anger, resentment and bitterness. You also know why. And You know how deep the hurt goes and how long I have lived with it. But I don’t want to live with it any longer. I don’t want to be an angry, resentful and bitter person. With Your help, I release my anger into Your hands. I surrender my resentment. I let go of my bitterness. Help me to keep letting go and release these toxic emotions as often as they try to return.
Amen


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Just a Thought

We have definitely left that dream world behind.

It was only a sham. It was a world of our making and it was not the real world. We are sorry for the past, yes, but we learned a lot from it. We can put it down to experience, valuable experience, as we see it now, because it has given us the knowledge necessary to face the world as it really is. We had to become alcoholics in order to find the A.A. program. We would not have got it any other way. In a way, it was worth it.

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

Do I look at my past as valuable experience?

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Just a Contemplation

Time Alone

We all need some time alone.
It's a good idea to set aside a few minutes every day to be alone with ourselves. This goes for every member of the family, and it's important that we allow others some time for themselves. This is a very special time that is all our own. It's a time to relax and refresh ourselves.

If we want to have healthy, fulfilling relationships with each other, we all need time to ourselves every day. Without being "real people"--truly ourselves - how can we be full members of our family?

When I am alone, I can talk with my God.

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To Be Fair-Minded

Too often, I think, we have depreciated and even derided projects of our friends in the field of alcoholism just because we do not always see eye to eye with them. We should very seriously ask ourselves how many alcoholics have gone on drinking simply because we have failed to cooperate in good spirit with these many agencies--whether they be good, bad, or indifferent. No alcoholic should go mad or die merely because he did not come straight to A.A. at the beginning. Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint. This carries a top-priority rating. When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 91

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Just a Quote

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." ~ Friedrich Engels

January 25


Just for Today Prayer

May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities
that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing that you are a child of God.
Let His presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
dance, and to bask in the sun.
It is there for each and every one of you.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We have been given a new life just because we happened to become alcoholics.

We certainly don't deserve the new life that has been given us. There is little in our past to warrant the life we have now. Many people live good lives from their youth on, not getting into serious trouble, being well adjusted to life, and yet they have not found all that we drunks have found. We had the good fortune to find Alcoholics Anonymous and with it a new life. We are among the lucky few in the world who have learned a new way to live.

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

Am I deeply grateful for the new life that I have learned in A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

God's Name

It doesn't matter what name we use. No one name is ever fully adequate, and each of us has our own private way of trying to understand that which we can't ever understand fully. We give God names, which attempt to express what God means to us personally, what God does for us as individuals, and how we see ourselves in relation to God.

Could it also be true that other people can't be labeled and put into one box? Doing so limits them to one particular way of being understood, and it limits the ways we can get to know them. If we are all made in God's image, then we all deserve the freedom to be seen differently by different people.

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Self-restraint

Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen. We must avoid quick-tempered criticism and furious power-driven argument. The same goes for silent scorn. These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. We can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 91

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Just a Quote

“Just be honest with yourself. That opens the door.” ~ Vernon Howard

January 26


Prayer For Family & Friends

Dear God, thank you for the gift of family and friends.
Holding them in my heart is one of the most precious things I can never get tired of.
Bless everyone, for they deserve all goodness You have given to me.
If I may do something wrong today, please forgive me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I am glad to be a part of A.A., of that great fellowship that has spread all over the world.

I am only one of the many A.A.s, but I am one. I am grateful to be living at this time, when I can help A.A. to grow, when it needs me to put my shoulder to the wheel and help keep the movement going. I am glad to be able to be useful, to have a reason for living, a purpose in life. I want to lose my life in this great cause and so find it again.

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

Am I grateful to be an A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Growth

Just as when we were children and grew out of favorite toys and clothes, we sometimes grow out of things as adults - people, jobs, and homes. This can be confusing. We may wonder why someone or something that was so special and important to us last year doesn't fit the same way in our life today. We may wonder why our feelings have changed.

When we were children, we may have tried to fit an outgrown article of clothing on to our body. Now, as adults, we may go through a time of trying to force fit attitudes that we have outgrown. We may need to do this to give ourselves time to realize the truth. What worked last year, what was so important and special to us in times past, doesn't work anymore because we've changed. We've grown.

We can accept this as a valid and important part of recovery. We can let ourselves go through experimentation and grief as we struggle to make something fit, trying to figure out if indeed it no longer fits, and why. We can explore our feelings and thoughts around what has happened.

Then, we can put last year's toys away and make room for the new.

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Unity

For thousands of alcoholics yet to come, AA does have an answer. But there is one condition. We must, at all costs, preserve our essential unity; it must be made unbreakably secure. Without permanent unity there can be little lasting recovery for anyone.

The Language of the Heart Page 70

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Just a Quote

“Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” ~ Guy Finley

January 27


Prayer to Start Today

Lord, thank you for this day.
I ask that You would guide my path today and, more specifically, my thoughts, words and actions.
Please be with me throughout the day and help me navigate whatever comes my way.
Most importantly, help me to reflect and live out my life in a way that reflects our will, not mine.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I need the A.A. principles for the development of the buried life within me, that good life, which I had misplaced, but which I found again in this fellowship.

This life within me is developing slowly but surely, with many setbacks, many mistakes, many failures, but still developing. As long as I stick close to A.A., my life will go on developing, and I cannot yet know what it will be, but I know that it will be good. That's all I want to know. It will be good.

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

Am I thanking God for A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Courage

We pray for the courage to change the things we can. Making changes requires the courage to start out on a new, unknown course. Courage does not mean the elimination of fear. Courage means acting in spite of the fact that we are afraid.

It takes courage to learn to affirm one's rights as an individual, especially if the old way was to say yes to all demands and requests, reasonable and unreasonable. It takes courage to face the truth instead of continuing to live with comfortable illusions.

Sometimes courage comes when we are pressed to a wall of failure. There is nothing to do but turn around and step out in a new direction, even though we are afraid. The courage born of desperation can produce remarkable results.

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Convinced

Practicing AA's Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking. The average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect -- unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself.

As Bill Sees It Page 118

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Just a Quote

"Pray not for lighter burdens but for stronger backs." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

January 28


Unconditional Love Prayer

Lord,
I have to thank You for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally.
Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way.
Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs in a way that pleases You.
Amen

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Just a Thought

A.A. may be human in its organization, but it is divine in its purpose.

The purpose is to point me toward God and the good life. My feet have been set upon the right path. I feel it in the depths of my being. I am going in the right direction. The future can be safely left to God. Whatever the future holds, it cannot be too much for me to bear. I have the Divine Power with me to carry me through everything that may happen.

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

Am I pointed toward God and the good life?

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Just a Contemplation

Panic

If panic strikes, we do not have to allow it to control our behaviors. Behaviors controlled by panic tend to be self-defeating. No matter what the situation or circumstance, panic is usually not a good foundation. No matter what the situation or circumstance, we usually have at least a moment to breathe deeply and restore our serenity and peace.

The healthy way of life we are seeking, is built on a foundation of peace and quiet confidence - in ourselves, in our God. Do not panic. That takes us away from the path. Relax. Breathe deeply. Let peace flow through our body and mind. From this base, our Source shall supply the necessary resources.

I will treat panic as a separate issue that needs immediate attention. I will refuse to allow panicky thoughts and feelings to motivate me. Instead, I will let peace and trust motivate my feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

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Arrogance

I am a firm believer in both guidance and prayer. But I am fully aware, and humble enough, I hope, to see there may be nothing infallible about my guidance. The minute I figure I have got a perfectly clear pipeline to God, I have become egotistical enough to get into real trouble. Nobody can cause more needless grief than a power-driver who thinks he has got it straight from God.

As Bill Sees It Page 38

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Just a Quote

"When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all." ~ Les Brown

January 29


Guidance Prayer

God,
You know my weakness and failings, and that without Your help I can accomplish nothing for the good of souls, my own and others’. Grant me, therefore, the help of Your grace. Grant it according to my particular needs this day. Enable me to see the task You will set before me in the daily routine of my life, and help me work hard at my appointed tasks. Teach me to bear patiently all the trials of suffering or failure that may come to me today.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Seeing the privileges that the A.A. movement has given me ............

I shall share in the responsibilities, taking it upon myself to carry my fair share of the load, not grudgingly but joyfully. I am deeply grateful for the privileges I enjoy because of my membership in this great movement. They put an obligation upon me, which I will not shirk. I will gladly carry my fair share of the burdens. Because of the joy of doing them, they will no longer be burdens, but opportunities.

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

Will I accept every opportunity gladly?

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Just a Contemplation

Working Compulsively

Compulsive working is an attempt to escape reality. Working compulsively includes the fear that what we do will not be good enough. It is when we are unsure of our self worth that we have to continually prove how much we can accomplish. Compulsive work is also a way to avoid meaningful relationships with family and friends. If we fear intimacy and exposure, we sometimes try to hide behind a facade of busyness.

If we allow God our will and our lives, we work according to His direction. We have the faith that what we do will be acceptable and enough. Believing that God cares for us, we do not rely only on our own abilities. Working for a Higher Power means that we work with serenity and confidence, knowing that He directs and sustains our efforts.

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Appreciation

It is strictly my opinion, based on my experience, that one becomes richer in spirit as one grows in spirit. The more I accept God, the more He gives me. As I become more appreciative of the benefits received, I try harder to show my appreciation. My capacity to be content with life as it is has greatly increased. Therefore, as time goes on, I become more able to be at peace with my fellowman, with God, and within myself.

Came To Believe Page 87

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Just a Few Quotes

"To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." ~ Gautama Buddha

"The most difficult thing I have ever had to do is follow the guidance I prayed for." ~ Albert Schweitzer

January 30


Prayer for Hope

Lord send me hope. There are times when I feel helpless and weak. I want a better future and life but I can’t see it. I need love and kindness.

The sky is at its 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 from head to toe. 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. Amen

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Just a Thought

To the extent that I fail in my responsibilities, A.A. fails. To the extent that I succeed, A.A. succeeds.

Every failure of mine will set back A.A. work to that extent. Every success of mine will put A.A. ahead to that extent. I shall not wait to be drafted for service to others, but I shall volunteer. I shall accept every opportunity to work for A.A. as a challenge, and I shall do my best to accept every challenge and perform my task as best I can.

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

Will I accept every challenge gladly?

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Just a Contemplation

Honesty

Lying can be like sailing choppy waters. The more we lie, the higher the waves get, and the harder the sailing. When we lie, we feel we've failed ourselves and others. We have to work hard to cover up our lies, and the fear of someone finding out is always with us.

If we ask God for courage to tell the truth, we can be like the sailboat on a clear and calm day. We can enjoy the small waves and the light warm breeze we've given ourselves. Honesty is a good habit, and is easy. With a little faith in our own worth, we can choose the calm waters' honesty and apply our creativity to new, growth-oriented activities instead of covering up old mistakes.

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Inspiration

From "Alcoholics Anonymous Number Three": I thought, I think I have the answer. Bill was very, very grateful that he had been released from this terrible thing and he had given God the credit for having done it, and he's so grateful about it he wants to tell other people about it. That sentence, 'The Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep telling people about it,' has been a sort of a golden text for the A.A. program and for me.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 191

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Just a Quote

“No matter the storm... When you're with God there's always a rainbow waiting. Remember, God answers knee-mail!” ~ Anonymous A.A.