DAILY PONDERABLES
Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny
Daily Reflections
WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN
When we developed still more, we discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would. If we really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our fellows nor would we feel the urge wholly to rely on human protection and care.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 116
It has been my experience that, when all human resources appear to have failed, there is always One who will never desert me. Moreover, He is always there to share my joy, to steer me down the right path, and to confide in when no one else will do. While my well-being and happiness can be added to, or diminished, by human efforts, only God can provide the loving nourishment upon which I depend for my daily spiritual health.
From the book Daily Reflections
© Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
People who have had a slip are ashamed of themselves-sometimes so ashamed that they fear to go back to A.A. They develop the old inferiority complex and tell themselves that they are no good, that they have let down their friends in A.A., that they are hopeless, and that they can never make it. This state of mind is perhaps worse than it was originally. They have probably been somewhat weakened by their slip. But their A.A. training cannot ever be entirely lost. They always know they can go back if they want to. They know there is still God's help for them if they will again ask for it. Do I believe that I can never entirely lose what I have learned in A.A.?
Meditation for the Day
Nobody entirely escapes temptation. You must expect it and be ready for it when it comes. None of us is entirely safe. You must try to keep your defenses up by daily thought and prayer. That is why we have these daily meditations. You must be able to recognize temptation when it comes. The first step toward conquering temptation always is to see it clearly as temptation and not to harbor it in your mind. Dissociate yourself from it, put it out of your mind as soon as it appears. Do not think of excuses for yielding to it. Turn at once to the Higher Power for help.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be prepared for whatever temptation may come to me. I pray that I may see it clearly and avoid it with the help of God.
From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day
© Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation
NA - Just for Today
Romance And Recovery
"Relationships can be a terribly painful area."
Basic Text pg. 78
Love is like an elixir for some of us. The excitement of a new lover, the intrigue of exploring intimacy, the sense of release we get from allowing ourselves to become vulnerable - these are all powerful emotions. But we can't forget that we have only a daily reprieve from our addiction. Holding onto this daily reprieve must be the top priority in any recovering addict's life.
We can become too involved in our relationship. We can neglect old friends and our sponsor in the process. Then, when things get difficult, we often feel that we can no longer reach out to those who helped us prior to our romantic involvement. This belief can lay the groundwork for a relapse. By consistently working our program and attending meetings, we ensure that we have a network of recovery, even when we're deep in a romance.
Our desire to be romantically involved is natural. But we mustn't forget that, without our program, even the healthiest relationship will not guard us against the strength of our addiction.
Just for today: In my desire for romance, I will not ignore my recovery.
pg. 356
From the book Just for Today
© Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought for Today
There are no endings ... only new beginnings.
"Life is lived forward, but understood backwards"
"God never puts two people together to help just one of them."
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
Compassion is the willingness to play in the field of dreams even though you are awake.
-Matthew Flickstein, "Swallowing the River Ganges"
Native American
"And that, I guess, is what it all boils down to-do the right thing, everything goes fine; do the wrong thing, everything's a mess."
--Robert Spott, YUROK
The Elders say every person is born with free will and every person has a specific purpose to accomplish during their life time. When our life is relatively free from obstacles we are walking the path of God's will. If our life is full of obstacles, we are not doing the will of God. Often, the Great Spirit guides us through a system of coincidences. We need to pay attention to coincidences. If we are aware of these, we often can recognize the path which God is showing us. We need to pray and ask Him to show us the path in terms we can understand.
Oh, Great Mystery, let me recognize the coincidences.
Keep It Simple
The strongest of all warriors are these two--Time and Patience. -- Leo Tolstoy
One of the first things we learn about in recovery is time. Before, we may have tried to control time by Pushing it along. We tried to hurry everything and everybody. We wanted our "quick fix." But the program tells us to slow down. Easy Does It.
We probably couldn't picture ourselves staying sober for the rest of our life. So we were told to just work at staying sober today. We learned to work our program One Day at a Time. We were taught that time can be our friend. Time is our Higher Power's way of not having everything happen at once.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, you are my teacher. You are in charge of the lesson. Help me accept this. Teach me how to use my time wisely.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list five ways I use my time in ways that aren't helpful to me. I'll work at making time my friend.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Scelerisque facilisis a rhoncus sed! Non in duis dictumst natoque a nec in pellentesque, auctor augue et platea elementum eros, integer urna, scelerisque, hac lundium! Dignissim purus urna tortor? Rhoncus, cras massa. Porttitor cras auctor turpis lorem adipiscing, odio nec mus diam
Big Book
"On the other hand -- and strange as this may seem to those who do not
understand -- once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person
who seemed doomed, who had so many problems he despaired of ever
solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire
for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a
few simple rules."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctors Opinion, pg. xxix~
Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others,to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you,
to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contactwith newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,pg. 89
----------------------------
Resent Somebody
The moment you start to resent somebody you become their slave. They control your dreams, absorb your digestion, rob you of your peace of mind and good will, take away the pleasure of your work.
They ruin your spirituality and nullify your prayers. You cannot take a vacation without them going along! They destroy your freedom of mind and hound you wherever you go. There is no way to escape the person you resent.
They are with you when you are awake. They invade your privacy when you sleep. They are close beside you when you eat, when you drive your car, and when you are on the job.
You can never have efficiency or happiness. They influence even the tone of your voice. They require you to take medicine for indigestion, headaches and loss of energy. They even steal your last moment of consciousness before you go to sleep.
So if you want to be a slave, harbor your resentment.
To subscribe click the link below:
https://app.getresponse.com/site/dailyponderables/webform.html?wid=108246