July 5th

DAILY PONDERABLES

Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny

Daily Reflections

A NEW DIRECTION

Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. . . . Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all our activities.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 45, 85

I hear talk of the "weak-willed" alcoholic, but I am one of the strongest-willed people on earth! I know my incredible strength of will is not enough to save my life. My problem is not one of "weakness," but rather of direction. When I, without falsely diminishing myself, accept my honest limitations and turn to God's guidance, my worst faults become my greatest assets. My strong will, rightly directed, keeps me working until the promises of the program become my daily reality.

From the book Daily Reflections

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought for the Day

Until we came into A.A. most of us had tried desperately to stop drinking. We were filled with the delusion that we could drink like our friends. We tried time and again to take it or leave it, but we could do neither. We always lapsed into ceaseless, unhappy drinking. Families, friends, and employers threw up their hands in hurt bewilderment, in despair, and finally in disgust. We wanted to stop. We realized that every reason for drinking was only a crazy excuse. Have I given up every excuse for drinking.?

Meditation for the Day

Many things can upset you and you can easily get off the track. But remember that God is near you all the time, ready to help you if you call on Him. You cannot forever stand against God's will for you, nor can you, forever upset God's plan for your life, even though Gods plan may be postponed by your willfulness and deliberate choice of evil. A whole world of men and women cannot permanently change God's laws nor His purpose for the universe. The sea of life may took very rough to us, but we can believe that our Captain steers the boat on a straight course.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to steer a straight course. I pray that I may accept God's direction in my life's journey.

From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day

NA - Just for Today

Exploring spiritual options

Page 195

"The nature of our belief will determine the manner of our prayers and meditations."

Basic Text, p. 44

How do we pray? For each NA member, this is a deeply personal matter. Many of us find that, over time, we develop a manner of prayer and meditation based on what we learn from others and what we are comfortable with.

Some of us arrive in NA with a closed mind toward a Power greater than ourselves. But when we sit down with our sponsor and discuss our difficulty, looking at the Second Step in depth, we are pleased to find that we can choose any concept of a Higher Power that appeals to us.

Just as our definition of a Power greater than ourselves differs from addict to addict, so does our manner of achieving a "conscious contact." Some attend religious services; some chant; some sit quietly or talk with whatever is out there; some find a spiritual connection by communing with nature. The "right way" to pray and meditate is whatever way helps us improve our conscious contact with our own Higher Power.

Asking others how they found their spiritual guidance is always a good place to begin. Reading literature before we enter periods of meditation can also help us. Many have gone before us on this search. As we seek spiritual growth, we can greatly benefit from their experience.

Just for Today: I will explore my options for improving my conscious contact with the God of my understanding.

From the book Just for Today

Thought for Today

Problems are not the problem: Coping is the problem.

~ Virginia Satir (thanks Gene H.)

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Willingness (thanks Ward S.)

At different meetings, I've heard and used that statement about claw marks being all over things that I've given up, which is really meant to say that I (and we) have all had a hard time letting go of (fill in the blank), hence the claw marks comment.

I think it's pretty honest and real. But, as the meditation continues, the important thing is that we did let go (and let God) and that we became willing.

If I'm not willing, then I'm shutting down all the possibilities.

Willingness leads to openness which leads to

Awareness which leads to

Understanding which leads to

Compassion which leads to

Non-judgment which leads to

Acceptance which leads to

Forgiveness which leads to

Peace which leads to

Loving-kindness which leads to

Gratitude which leads to

Humility which leads to

a sense of Oneness and Unity with Spirit and all of creation.

And it's Willingness that opens the door.

I pray that I become and remain willing to go where the Spirit leads me and do what it takes.

-Ward S.

STEP ZERO

I heard a member say a thing that I had never heard

He opened up our meeting with a statement, quite absurd

We know they’re only twelve steps in the program of AA

It came as a surprise to hear what this man had to say

Officially they’re only twelve, he made that very clear

But to his way of thinking, there’s another we should hear

He called the thing Step Zero, was convinced that it was real

The step before we did the Steps, the Ones that helped us heal

According to the speaker it’s a step we all have taken

It started when our will to give up booze had been forsaken

But, unlike the other twelve where you do one and then the next

We often times repeat this step under a false pretext

We tell ourselves that we can stop at any time we choose

If things get bad, we make a vow, of giving up the booze

Then bad things come, we shrug them off, a victim of bad luck

Arrested for a DUI, a wrong turn in our truck

That should have been a wake-up call, we might just have some problems

But then our thinking takes a turn, we know just how to solve them

We’ll only drink when we’re at home and maybe cut back it back

The spouse comes home at 2PM, we’re passed out in the sack

What used to be a pleasant thing has turned into obsession

We can not stop, it speaks to us, a victim of possession

Controls our thoughts and actions, has become our evil hero

Dictating we keep tethered to this thing some called step zero

When mired in this step it often seems there’s no way out

Until we reach the point where we’ve no choice except to shout

Please help us, someone, we‘re done, just can-not live this way

We’re willing to do anything, might even try AA

Moving past step zero is a harrowing event

We fought this change for so long, our exposure to prevent

Admitting we were hopeless and surrender to defeat

Unsure of the reaction from those people that we’ll meet

To our surprise, they welcomed us, invited us to stay

A fellowship of folks like us, to show us a new way

To put that step behind us, find serenity and fun

It all begins the moment we decide to take Step One.

Larry R.

Buddha/Zen Thoughts

There is pleasure when a sore is scratched,

But to be without sores is more pleasurable still.

Just so, there are pleasures in worldly desires,

But to be without desires is more pleasurable still.

-Nagarjuna, "Precious Garland"

He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.

~Lao Tzu (thanks Gene H.)

Native American

"It does not require many words to speak the truth."

--Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE

The truth shall set you free. This is the truth. When we speak the Truth, we do not need to be defensive. Truth needs no defense. When we speak the Truth, we do not need to attack because Truth cannot be attacked. It is so easy to want to manipulate or to be deceitful or dishonest. My head tells me I can get away with doing these things, after all everybody does it.

My Creator, today let me know Truth. Let me live Truth. Let me risk the Truth. Let me make the Truth sweet. Help me to make my word good. Let Your spirit and intent be added to by words. Let My thoughts be Truth.

Keep It Simple

If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average. --- Ovid

Our program speaks of spiritual progress, not perfection. We can take all the time we need. Our bottom line is steady progress. We can ask ourselves, "Am I a little more spiritual than I was a year ago? A month ago?" If the answer is yes, we're doing great. If the answer is no, we should look at why.

Our illness pushes us to be prefect. In recovery, we learn that we are free to be what we are---human. Even the world's fastest runners are average in most other areas of their lives.. This is okay. Remember, "spiritual progress, not perfection."

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, I'll not be ashamed of how average I am. I'll remember I'm average---and that's good.

Action for the Day: I'll list what is average about me. I'll share this with a friend. Than I'll ask my friend what is special about me.

Big Book

Chapter 8 To Wives (pg 120 & 121)

Perhaps your husband will make a fair start on the new basis, but just as things are going beautifully he dismays you be coming home drunk. If you are satisfied he really wants to get over drinking, you need not be alarmed. Though it is infinitely better that he have no relapse at all, as has been true with many of our men, it is by no means a bad thing in some cases. Your husband will see at once that he must redouble his spiritual activities if he expects to survive. You need not remind him of his spiritual deficiency-he will know of it. Cheer him up and ask him how you can be still more helpful.

The slightest sign of fear or intolerance may lessen your husband’s chance or recovery. In a weak moment he may take your dislike of his high-stepping friends as one of those insanely trivial excuses to drink.

We never, never try to arrange a man’s life so as to shield him from temptation. The slightest disposition on your part to guide his appointment or his affairs so he will not be tempted will be noticed. Make him feel absolutely free to come and go as he likes. This is important. If he gets drunk, don’t blame yourself. God has either removed your husband’s liquor problem or He has not. If not, it had better be found out right away. Then you and your husband can get right down to fundamentals. If a repetition is to be prevented, place the problem, along with everything else, in God’s hands.

We realize that we have been giving you much direct advice. We may have seemed to lecture. If that is so we are sorry, for we ourselves, don't always care for people who lecture us. But what we have related is based upon experience, some of it painful. We had to learn these things the hard way. That is why we are anxious that you understand, and that you avoid these unnecessary difficulties.

So to you out there who may soon be with us - we say Good luck and God bless you.