Friends
-
24 Hours A Day May 6 AA Thought for the Day I’ve noticed that the ones who do the most for AA are not in the habit of boasting about it. The danger of building myself up too much is that, if I do, I’m in danger of having a fall. That pattern of thought goes with drinking. If one side of a boat gets too far up out of the water, it’s liable to tip over. Building myself up and drinking go together. One leads to the other. So if I’m going to stay sober, I’ve got to keep small. Have I got the right perspective on myself? Meditation for the Day The way sometimes seems long and weary. So many people today are weary. The weariness of others must often be shared by me. The weary and the heavy-laden, when they come to me, should be helped to find the rest that I have found. There is only one sure cure for world-weariness and that is turning to spiritual things. In order to help bring about the turning of the weary world to God, I must dare to suffer, dare to conquer selfishness in myself, and dare to be filled with spiritual peace in the face of all the weariness of the world. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may be a help to discouraged people. I pray that I may have the courage to help bring about what the weary world needs but does not know how to get. -
Got back from Arizona, plane was delayed, phone was stolen and other reasons to get upset, thanks to the principles I learned at Stepworks I stayed calm, made the flight and amazingly phone was returned to me by a user!!? Stayed calm, and now I can proudly look back and see how silly all the anxiety was!!! GOD GOT THIS Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. -
December 28 Depression “We are no longer fighting fear, anger, guilt, self-pity, or depression.” Basic Text, p. 27 ––––=–––– As addicts, many of us experience depression from time to time. When we feel depressed, we may be tempted to isolate ourselves. However, if we do this, our depression may turn to despair. We can’t afford to let depression lead us back to using. Instead, we try to go about the routine of our lives. We make meeting attendance and contact with our sponsor top priorities. Sharing with others about our feelings may let us know we aren’t the only ones who have been depressed in recovery. Working with a newcomer can work wonders for our own state of mind. And, most importantly, prayer and meditation can help us tap the power we need to survive depression. We practice acceptance and remember that feelings like depression will unquestionably pass in time. Rather than struggle with our feelings, we accept them and ask for the strength to walk through them. ––––=–––– Just for today: I accept that my feelings of depression won’t last forever. I will talk openly about my feelings with my sponsor or another person who understands. -
Did government control lead to an opioid crisis? In this interview we hear from Addiction Expert and Stepworks Recovery Centers Founder, Dr. Tom Ingram. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BCoT0SP9Zs&t=5s -
We are loved and our lives have meaning today. We do remarkable things with our lives— sometimes by accomplishing big goals, and sometimes simply by being ourselves. A member complained to her sponsor that as a homemaker she felt she wasn’t really doing enough with her life or her time, that maybe she should have done something more important. Her sponsor smiled. “Are you kidding? By breaking the cycle of addiction in your family, you’re changing history!” Our greatest achievements may not be the things anyone else ever knows about: The simple fact that we survive our own stories is monumental. That we go on to help others and live lives we can be proud of is beyond our wildest dreams. Whatever we do, we make a difference in the world because we are clean. -LC🔷 -
Wednesday, September 8 Thought for the Day Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "But for the Grace of God." Once we have fully accepted the program we become humble about our achievement. We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God, which has given us another chance. Am I truly grateful for the grace of God? Meditation for the Day A consciousness of God's presence as One who loves you makes all life different. The consciousness of God's love promotes the opening of your whole being to God. It brings wonderful relief from the cares and worries of our daily lives. Relief brings peace and peace brings contentment. Try to walk in God's love. You will have that peace which passes all understanding and a contentment that no one can take from you. Feel sure of God's unfailing love and care for you and for all His children. There is freedom and serenity in those who walk in God's love, held safe in His loving care. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may walk in God's love. I pray that, as I go, I may feel the spring of God's power in my steps and the joy of His love in my heart. -
Grabbed this quote from Facebook, but it was too good not to share with my Stepworks fam: “Procrastination is the arrogant assumption that God owes you another opportunity, to do what you had to do, initially” Loved the SW live event last night. Y’all killed it! Many blessings!! ❤️ -
“Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 48 -
January 24 From isolation to connection Our disease isolated us... Hostile, resentful, self-centered, and self-seeking, we cut ourselves off from the outside world. Basic Text, p. 4 = Addiction is an isolating disease, closing us off from society, family, and self. We hid. We lied. We scorned the lives we saw others living, surely beyond our grasp. Worst of all, we told ourselves there was nothing wrong with us, even though we knew we were desperately ill. Our connection with the world, and with reality itself, was severed. Our lives lost meaning, and we withdrew further and further from reality. The NA program is designed especially for people like us. It helps reconnect us to the life we were meant to live, drawing us out of our isolation. We stop lying to ourselves about our condition; we admit our powerlessness and the unmanageability of our lives. We develop faith that our lives can improve, that recovery is possible, and that happiness is not permanently beyond our grasp. We get honest; we stop hiding; we show up and tell the truth, no matter what. And as we do, we establish the ties that connect our individual lives to the larger life around us. We addicts need not live lives of isolation. The Twelve Steps can restore our connection to life and livingif we work them. = Just for today: I am a part of the life around me. I will practice my program to strengthen my connection to my world. Copyright 1991-2016 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved -
Wednesday, March 17 Thought for the Day A.A. also helps us to hang onto sobriety. By having regular meetings so that we can associate with other alcoholics who have come through that same door in the wall, by encouraging us to tell the story of our own sad experiences with alcohol, and by showing us how to help other alcoholics, A.A. keeps us sober. Our attitude toward life changes from one of pride and selfishness to one of humility and gratitude. Am I going to step back through that door in the wall to my old helpless, hopeless, drunken life? Meditation for the Day Withdraw into the calm of communion with God. Rest in that calm and peace. When the soul finds its home of rest in God, then it is that real life begins. Only when you are calm and serene can you do good work. Emotional upsets make you useless. The eternal life is calmness and when you enter into that, then you live as an eternal being. Calmness is based on complete trust in God. Nothing in this world can separate you from the love of God. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may wear the world like a loose garment. I pray that I may keep serene at the center of my being.
