AA Loving Fellowship

Daily Reflection, January 1st

I AM A MIRACLE

The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us we could never do by ourselves.

-ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 25

This truly is a fact in my life today, and a real miracle. I always believed in God, but could never put that belief meaningfully into my life. Today, because of Alcoholics Anonymous, I now trust and rely on God, as I understand Him; I am sober today because of that! Learning to trust and rely on God was something. I could never have done alone. I now believe in miracles because I am one!

January 1st

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

When I came into A.A., was I a desperate person? Did I have a soul-sickness? Was I so sick of myself and my way of living that I couldn't stand looking at myself in a mirror? Was I ready for A.A.? Was I ready to try anything that would help me to get sober and to get over my soul-sickness? Should I ever forget the condition I was in?

Meditation for the Day

In the New Year, I will live one day at a time. I will make each day one of preparation for better things ahead. I will not dwell on the past or the future, only on the present. I will bury every fear of the future, all thoughts of unkindness and bitterness, all my dislikes, my resentments, my sense of failure, my disappointments in others and in myself, my gloom and my despondency. I will leave all these things buried and go forward, in this New Year, into a new life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that God will guide me one day at a time in the New Year. I pray that for each day, God will supply the wisdom and the strength that I need.

NA - Just for Today, January 1st

Vigilance

"We keep what we have only with vigilance..."

-Basic Text, p. 57

How do we remain vigilant about our recovery? First, by realizing that we have a disease we will always have. No matter how long we've been clean, no matter how much better our lives have become, no matter what the extent of our spiritual healing, we are still addicts. Our disease waits patiently, ready to spring the trap if we give it the opportunity.

Vigilance is a daily accomplishment. We strive to be constantly alert and ready to deal with signs of trouble. Not that we should live in irrational fear that something horrible will possess us if we drop our guard for an instant; we just take normal precautions. Daily prayer, regular meeting attendance, and choosing not to compromise spiritual principles for the easier way are acts of vigilance. We take inventory as necessary, share with others whenever we are asked, and carefully nurture our recovery. Above all, we stay aware.

We have a daily reprieve from our addiction as long as we remain vigilant. Each day, we carry the principles of recovery into all we do, and each night, we thank our Higher Power for another day clean.

Just for today I will be vigilant, doing everything necessary to guard my recovery.

From the book Just for Today, pg. 1

January 1st

Thought For The Day

Wherever you are, be all there.

-Jim Elliott, martyred missionary

"Doing the same thing, expecting different results is the true meaning of insanity. "

Most people are creatures of habit. Even if we know that something we are doing is not good for us, we will continue doing it. Break the cycle today, dare to kick one of your bad habits. Ask a friend for help or join a support group. When we become aware of the vicious cycle of addiction, and dare to change it, that's when the miracles start to happen.

- From the book " Wisdom, Magic and Miracles " ( Tools for today, Wisdom for life)

January 1st

Buddha / Zen Thoughts

Live in serenity and joy. The wise person delights in the truth And follows the law of the awakened. The farmer channels water to his land. The fletcher whittles his arrows. And the carpenter turns his wood. So the wise direct their mind.

- Dhammapada, translated by Thomas Byrom

January 1st

Native American

"because if you believe in something, and believe in it long enough, it will come into being."

- Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

We are created by the Great One to accomplish His will through our mental pictures or visions. Our thoughts are three dimensional: words, pictures and feelings. We create the vision by thinking the words and we create feeling for the vision by feeling enthusiasm, desire, commitment and other strong beliefs. Once we create the vision, we move toward and become like that which we think about. All visions are tested by our self talk; for example, "This isn't going to happen, where is the money coming from anyway?" When this happens, we need to let go of the test and focus on belief in the vision. Why? Because God said if we believe it long enough, He will guarantee it!!!

Great One, let my beliefs be strong today. Help me to have faith in my visions.

January 1st

Keep It Simple

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol...

- First part of Step One.

In Step One, we accept our powerlessness over alcohol and other drugs. But we are powerless over many parts of life. We are powerless over other people. We are powerless over what our HP has planned for us. Before recovery, we only believed in control. We tried to control everything. We fought against a basic truth, the truth that we are powerless over much of life. When we accept this truth, we begin to see what power we do have. We have the power to make choices. When we're lonely, we have the power to reach out to others. We have power over how we live our own lives.

Prayer for Today

HP, help me to know that it's You who is running my life. Help me to know that power comes from accepting I am powerless.

Action for Today

I am powerless over much of life. Today, I'll look to see how this is true. I'll look to see what I really have control over and what I don't.

Big Book - Quotes

We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is our experience. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition.