Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 20
"THY WILL, NOT MINE"
. . . when making specific requests, it will be well to add to
each one of them this qualification. ". . . if it be Thy will"
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 102
I ask simply that throughout the day God place in me the
best understanding of His will that I can have for that day,
and that I be given the grace by which I may carry it out. As
the day goes on, I can pause when facing situations that
must be met and decisions that must be made, and renew
the simple request: "Thy will, not mine, be done."
I must always keep in mind that in every situation I am
responsible for the effort and God is responsible for the
outcome. I can "Let Go and Let God" by humbly repeating:
"Thy will, not mine, be done." Patience and persistence in
seeking His will for me will free me from the pain of selfish
expectations.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 19
"I WAS SLIPPING FAST"
We A.A.'s are active folk, enjoying the satisfactions of
dealing with the realities of life, . . . So it isn't surprising
that we often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer as
something not really necessary.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96
I had been slipping away from the program for some time,
but it took a death threat from a terminal disease to bring
me back, and particularly to the practice of the Eleventh
Step of our blessed Fellowship. Although I had fifteen years
of sobriety and was still very active in the program, I knew
that the quality of my sobriety had slipped badly. Eighteen
months later, a checkup revealed a malignant tumor and a
prognosis of certain death within six months. Despair
settled in when I enrolled in a rehab program, after which I
suffered two small strokes which revealed two large brain
tumors. As I kept hitting new bottoms I had to ask myself
why this was happening to me. God allowed me to recognize
my dishonesty and to become teachable again.
Miracles began to happen. But primarily I relearned the
whole meaning of the Eleventh Step. My physical condition
has improved dramatically, but my illness is minor
compared to what I almost lost completely.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 18
A SAFETY NET
Occasionally. . . . We are seized with a rebellion so
sickening that we simply won't pray. When these things
happen we should not think too ill of ourselves. We should
simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we
know to be good for us.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105
Sometimes I scream, stomp my feet, and turn my back on
my Higher Power. Then my disease tells me that I am a
failure, and that if I stay angry I'll surely get drunk. In those
moments of self-will it's as if I've slipped over a cliff and
am hanging by one hand. The above passage is my safety
net, in that it urges me to try some new behavior, such as
being kind and patient with myself. It assures me that my
Higher Power will wait until I am willing once again to risk
letting go, to land in the net, and to pray.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 17
OVERCOMING LONELINESS
Almost without exception, alcoholics are tortured by
loneliness Even before our drinking got bad and people
began to cut us off, nearly all of us suffered the feeling that
we didn't quite belong.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 90
The agonies and the void that I often felt inside occur less
and less frequently in my life today. I have learned to cope
with solitude. It is only when I am alone and calm that I am
able to communicate with God, for He cannot reach me
when I am in turmoil. It is good to maintain contact with
God at all times, but it is absolutely essential that, when
everything seems to go wrong, I maintain that contact
through prayer and meditation.

Words Of Wisdom From His Holiness Dalai Lama

However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. When we are sick or very young or very old, we must depend on the support of others. There is no significant division between us and other people, because our basic natures are the same. If we wish to ensure everyone’s peace and happiness we need to cultivate a healthy respect for the diversity of our peoples and cultures, founded on an understanding of this fundamental sameness of all human beings.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 16
A DAILY REPRIEVE
What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the
maintenance of our spiritual condition.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85
Maintaining my spiritual condition is like working out
every day, planning for the marathon, swimming laps,
jogging. It's staying in good shape spiritually, and that
requires prayer and meditation. The single most important
way for me to improve my conscious contact with a Higher
Power is to pray and meditate. I am as powerless over
alcohol as I am to turn back the waves of the sea; no human
force had the power to overcome my alcoholism. Now I am
able to breathe the air of joy, happiness and wisdom. I have
the power to love and react to events around me with the
eyes of a faith in things that are not readily apparent. My
daily reprieve means that, no matter how difficult or
painful things appear today, I can draw on the power of the
program to stay liberated from my cunning, baffling and
powerful illness.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 15
VITAL SUSTENANCE
Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer
would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food,
or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air,
light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away
from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds,
our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 97
Step Eleven doesn't have to overwhelm me. Conscious
contact with God can be as simple, and as profound, as
conscious contact with another human being. I can smile. I
can listen. I can forgive. Every encounter with another is an
opportunity for prayer, for acknowledging God's presence
within me.
Today I can bring myself a little closer to my Higher
Power. The more I choose to seek the beauty of God's work
in other people, the more certain of His presence I will
become.

Words Of Wisdom From His Holiness Dalai Lama

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 14
INTUITION AND INSPIRATION
. . we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a
decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86
[ invest my time in what I truly love. Step Eleven is a
discipline that allows me and my Higher Power to be
together, reminding me that, with God's help, intuition and
inspiration are possible. Practice of the Step brings on selflove.
In a consistent attempt to improve my conscious
contact with a Higher Power, I am subtly reminded of my
unhealthy past, with its patterns of grandiose thinking and
false feelings of omnipotence. When I ask for the power to
carry out God's will for me, I am made aware of my
powerlessness. Humility and a healthy self-love are
compatible, a direct result of working Step Eleven.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 13
LOOKING OUTWARD
We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are
careful to make no requests for ourselves only. We may ask
for ourselves, however, if others will be helped We are
careful never to pray for our own selfish ends.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87
As an active alcoholic, I allowed selfishness to run rampant
in my life. I was so attached to my drinking and other
selfish habits that people and moral principles came
second. Now, when I pray for the good of others rather
than my "own selfish ends," I practice a discipline in letting
go of selfish attachments, caring for my fellows and
preparing for the day when I will be required to let go of all
earthly attachments.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 12
MORNING THOUGHTS
Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each
day for the man who is still sick
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164
For many years I pondered over God's will for me,
believing that perhaps a great destiny had been ordained for
my life. After all, having been born into a specific faith,
hadn't I been told early that I was "chosen"? It finally
occurred to me, as I considered the above passage, that
God's will for me was simply that I practice Step Twelve
on a daily basis. Furthermore, I realized I should do this to
the best of my ability. I soon learned that the practice aids
me in keeping my life in the context of the day at hand.

Veterans Day