Daily Reflections
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, pp. 102-03
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.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
November 20
A.A. Thought For The Day
I no longer try to escape life through alcoholism. Drinking built up an unreal world for me and I tried to live in it. But in the morning light the real world was back again and facing it was harder than ever, because I had less resources with which to meet it. Each attempt at escape weakened my personality by the very attempt. Everyone knows that alcohol, by relaxing inhibitions, permits a flight from reality. Alcohol deadens the brain cells that preside over our highest faculties and we are off to the unreal world of drunkenness. A.A. taught me not to run away, but to face reality. Have I given up trying to escape life?
Meditation For The Day
In these times of quiet meditation, try more and more to set your hopes on the grace of God. Know that whatever the future may hold, it will hold more and more of good. Do not set all your hopes and desires on material things. There is weariness in an abundance of things. Set your hopes on spiritual things so that you may grow spiritually. Learn to rely on God’s power more and more and in that reliance you will have an insight into the greater value of things of the spirit.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things. I pray that I may realize the higher value of spiritual things.
Walk In Dry Places
November 20
Estrangements
Amends
A number of alcoholics become estranged from members of their family. Sometimes these estrangements continue into sobriety and fester as a source of resentment.
Where estrangements have occurred, we are always responsible for any wrongs on our part. We need to check carefully to make sure that pride and bitterness on our part aren’t prolonging the estrangement.
But some of these estrangements have been chosen by others. We need to accept them if we’ve done everything possible to correct the problem.
Honesty will be our guide as we look carefully at any estrangements in our lives. All that’s ever necessary is that we use our best principles in dealing with any estrangements.
If I find today that an estrangement is bothering me or others in the program, I’ll examine it carefully with the thought that either making amends or acceptance might be required.
Keep It Simple
November 20
A man is too apt to forget that in this world he cannot have everything. A choice is all that is left him.
-H. Mathews.
Sobriety is about choice. Each day we choose to stay sober, we teach ourselves how to make better choices.
Life is about choice. To be spiritual people, we must make spiritual choices. Honesty is a spiritual choice. And working the Steps is a spiritual choice.
Our life is the sum total of our choices. We owe it to ourselves to choose wisely. We can do that now, thanks to the program.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me choose a spiritual way of life. Help me to see choice as my way to a better relationship with you.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll be aware of the many choices I make. At the end of the day, I’ll think about all the choices I’ve made. Am I proud of my choices?
“Life’s under no obligation to give us what we expect.”
-Margaret Mitchell“Faith is the only known cure for fear.”
-Lena K. SadlerThe more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.
-Barbara De AngelisLove is the master key which opens the gates of happiness.
-Oliver Wendell HolmesSometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.
-unknownThe right word spoken at the right time sometimes achieves miracles.
-unknownLove is the only thing you get more of by giving it away.
-Tom Wilson
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
November 20
YESTERDAYS
“When I want to understand what is happening today or try to decide what will happen tomorrow, I look back.”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
The writing is on the wall! My writing is on my wall and it is to be found in my life. My history of my life teaches me about my alcoholism. Alcoholism is a personal disease; it affects others through self.
Sometimes I am tempted to forget the past. Why live in yesterday? Because the events of my yesterdays affect my today. The future is forged from the recognition of my past. My disease grew strong in my denial. My recovery began with the acceptance of reality my reality.
Today does not exist in a vacuum and my tomorrows are determined by the decisions I make today. I also know and believe that my recovering life demands a true recognition of my yesterdays.
Thank You for the historical progressiveness of my recovery.
Daily Inspiration
November 20
Time is yours to use or lose. Lord, teach me to avoid all upsetting thoughts and create a heart that glories in my time as a peaceful gift from You.
Begin each day with the certainty that today is the best day of your life and watch what happens. Lord, I celebrate my life and give thanks for everything because for everything there is a reason.
Elder’s Meditation of the Day
November 20
“Money cannot buy affection.”
-Mangas Coloradas, APACHE
In these modern times we put too much emphasis on material things and on money. We believe that money is power. If we have money, people will respect us. If we have money, people will admire us. If we have money, we can have anything we want.
Maybe we can purchase anything in the material world, but we cannot purchase anything in the Unseen World. The Unseen World is not for sale. It can only be given away. Love, affection, admiration, trust, respect, commitment — these must be earned or given away. If we use these things from the Unseen World, we are using real power.
My Creator, let me demonstrate Your power today. Let me be loving to all I meet.
Journey to the Heart
November 20
Let Yourself Play
How long has it been since you played? How long has it been since you played at your life, had fun with it?
Our imaginations are so delightful when we’re young. Watch a child sit in the middle of the floor and build castles with blocks. Watch a child play– any object can be anything, and anything can be fun. Life can pound that out of us if we let it.
Breathe life back into your imagination. Come back to life. Let yourself see dragons in clouds and leprechauns in trees and velvet in a rose. Imagine what it would be like to grab a handful of cloud. Then touch the tree. And put the rose in your cheek.
Let your imagination come alive. Play the game of “What if?” What if anything could be anything. What if life could be fun?
Today’s Gift
November 20
Without solitude, there can be no real people.
—John Euder
We all need some time alone. It’s a good idea to set aside a few minutes every day to be alone with ourselves. This is a very special time that is all our own. It’s a time to relax and refresh ourselves.
This goes for every member of the family, and it’s important that we allow others some time for themselves. It shows them we respect, love, and care about them. Without that solitude, they cannot be truly themselves – and neither can we.
Nature teaches us that each thing, even the earth itself, needs a retreat. Bears hibernate; cats crawl off out of sight, even the plants disappear for the winter. It is this time that refreshes life for the Spring to come. If we want to have healthy, fulfilling relationships with each other, we all need time to ourselves every day. Without being “real people”–truly ourselves – how can we be full members of our family?
How can I better spend my time alone today?
Touchstones Meditations For Men
November 20
The most important function of art and science is to awaken the cosmic religious feeling and keep it alive.
—Albert Einstein
There is no need to be concerned about a conflict between science and the spiritual life. People have turned to the spiritual in many ways since the beginning of humanity. Some are tribal and primitive, some very emotional, some focused on ideas and philosophy, some centered on tradition. Perhaps in the very center of our humanness is a spiritual compass. When we disown that orientation, do we lose some of our humanness? This program did not invent the spiritual outlook. It only tells us recovery will come through awakening of the spiritual within us.
We are on an exploration. We give ourselves over to it and only discover where our awakening will lead as it unfolds. The Steps tell us to engage with the God of our understanding, to develop a relationship of trust, total openness and humility, and to improve the contact. As the center of our humanness is restored, we come alive and our daily tasks take on new meaning.
May I be awakened again to that cosmic feeling we all inherit.
Daily TAO
November 20
MOSAIC
Tiles of carnelian, lapis, and jade,
The muralist sets his picture
One centimeter at a time.
Every piece alone is precious;
Together they make a priceless whole.
Not far from where I grew up, there was a muralist whose specialty was mosaic. He accepted commissions from all over the world and also collaborated with a number of famous artists on their murals and sculptures. He had bins and buckets full of all sorts of fascinating tiles. Some were red, blue, and yellow glass. Others were elaborately glazed ceramic. A few were stones like lapis, turquoise, malachite, and obsidian. Some were even mirrored with gold and silver, and these would shine out first whenever he would wash away the grout.
God may be in the details, but it is also important to know the big picture.