05/08

DAILY PONDERABLES

Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny

Daily Reflections

A RESTING PLACE

All of A.A.'s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural

desires . . . they all deflate our egos. When it comes to ego

deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five. But scarcely

any Step is more necessary to longtime sobriety and peace of

mind than this one.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55

After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling to

talk about them, and decided it was time to stop carrying this

burden alone. I needed to confess those defects to someone else.

I had read - and been told - I could not stay sober unless I

did. Step Five provided me with a feeling of belonging, with

humility and serenity when I practiced it in my daily living.

It was important to admit my defects of character in the order

presented in Step Five: "to God, to ourselves and to another

human being." Admitting to God first paved the way for admission

to myself and to another person . As the taking of the Step is

described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man

brought me to a resting place where I could prepare myself for

the remaining Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety.

From the book Daily Reflections

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

I'm grateful that I found a program in A.A. that could keep me

sober. I'm grateful that A.A. has shown me the way to faith in

a Higher Power, because the renewing of that faith has changed

my way of life. And I've found a happiness and contentment that

I had forgotten existed, by simply believing in God and trying

to live the kind of a life that I know He wants me to live. As

long as I stay grateful, I'll stay sober. Am I in a grateful

frame of mind?

Meditation For The Day

God can work through you better when you are not hurrying. Go

very slowly, very quietly, from one duty to the next, taking

time to rest and pray between. Do not be too busy. Take

everything in order. Venture often into the rest of God and

you will find peace. At work that results from resting with

God is good work. Claim the power to work miracles in human

lives. Know that you can do many things through the Higher

Power. Know that you can do good things through God who rests

you and gives you strength. Partake regularly of rest and

prayer.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may not be in too much of a hurry. I pray that

I may take time out often to rest with God.

From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day

NA - Just for Today

Teachable

Page 134

"We have learned that it is okay to not know all the answers, for then we are teachable and can learn to live our new life successfully."

Basic Text, p. 96

In a way, addiction is a great teacher. And if addiction teaches us nothing else, it will teach us humility. We hear it said that it took our very best thinking to get to NA. Now that we're here, we're here to learn.

The NA Fellowship is a wonderful learning environment for the recovering addict. We aren't made to feel stupid at meetings. Instead, we find others who've been exactly where we've been and who've found a way out. All we have to do is admit that we don't have all the answers, then listen as others share what's worked for them.

As recovering addicts and as human beings, we have much to learn. Other addicts-and other humans-have much to teach us about what works and what doesn't. As long as we remain teachable, we can take advantage of the experience of others.

Just for Today: I will admit that I don't have all the answers. I will look and listen to the experience of others for the answers I need.

From the book Just for Today

Thought for Today

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Whoa Jah by Jah Creation

I find many roots reggae songs very inspirational. God in the Rastafarian Religion is referred to as Jah.

Thought I'd share with you the words of Jah Creation's Whoa Jah. Song is about changing our perspective, i.e., getting a new pair of glasses.

Hope you enjoy listening via link below on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8EsoEjFtuA

One Love & Respect to All

Buddha/Zen Thoughts

Fields are spoiled by weeds; people, by passion. So what's given to those free of passion bears great fruit. Fields are spoiled by weeds; people, by aversion. So what's given to those free of aversion bears great fruit.

- Dhammapada, 24, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Native American

"Anyways, with medicine there's a time and a place for everything. It only comes around once. You have to get it at the right time."

---- Cecilia Mitchell, MOHAWK

The old ones say two things must be present for a miracle to take place. One, the right time. Two, the right place. This is why we need to honor our ceremonies. Ceremonies are done in an order. This order is applied to open a "door" to the right time and place of the medicine. This door opens to the Spiritual World. The Spiritual World is available to us at the right time and the right place.

My Creator, let me be patient today so the timing is right.

Keep It Simple

The only way to speak truth is to speak lovingly. ---Thoreau

Recovery teaches us to tell the truth. We must be honest if we want to save our lives. We must learn to speak with care---care for ourselves and for others. To be honest means to speak in a fair and truthful way. To be honest and loving means learning when to speak, and how to speak, in a caring way. We can help others by honestly telling them what we think and feel and see---but only when we do this with love. We must be careful when we speak. Speaking the truth is like using a sharp knife---it can be used for good, or it can be used to hurt others. We should never handle it carelessly of use it to hurt someone.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me know the truth. Help me speak the truth to others with love.

Action for the Day: I'll make a list of three times I've hurt someone be being honest, but not with love. I'll also list three times I've helped someone by being truthful, with love.

Big Book

Chapter 5 How It Works (pg 59 &60)

Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. we asked His protection and care with complete abandon.

Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.