Daily Reflections
November 29
ACTIVE GUARDIANS
To us, however, it represents far more than a sound public relations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking. This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A. In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.
-TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 183
The basic concept of humility is expressed in the Eleventh Tradition: it allows me to participate completely in the program in such a simple, yet profound, manner; it fulfills my need to be an integral part of a significant whole. Humility brings me closer to the actual spirit of togetherness and oneness, without which I could not stay sober. In remembering that every member is an example of sobriety, each one living the Eleventh Tradition, I am able to experience freedom because each one of us is anonymous.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
November 29
A.A. Thought For The Day
The A.A. way is the way of sobriety, and yet there are slips. Why do these slips occur? Why don’t we all accept A.A. and stay sober from then on? There are many reasons, but it has been proven without exception that once we have become alcoholics we can never drink successfully again. This has never been disproved by any case we know of. Many alcoholics have tried drinking after a period of sobriety from a few days to a few years and no one that we know of has been successful in becoming a normal drinker. Could I be the only exception to this rule?
Meditation For The Day
“We are gathered together in Thy name.” First, we are gathered together, bound by a common loyalty to God and to each other. Then, when this condition has been fulfilled, God is present with us. Then, when God is there and one with us, we voice a common prayer. Then it follows that our prayer will be answered according to God’s will. Then, when our prayer is answered, we are bound together in a lasting brotherhood of the spirit.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be loyal to God and my fellow men. I pray that my life today may be lived close to His and theirs.
Walk In Dry Places
November 29
None are obligated to us.
Service is considered an essential part of AA. As Dr. Bob said, AA is really love and service.
If this service is delivered in the right spirit, the true AA spirit, no sense of obligation is created. If others feel they are incurring an obligation, they will resent us in time. Moreover, our carrying of the message will be flawed.
The proper way to look at service is to see it as something we perform for our own benefit. While we hope that it will benefit others, that does not have to happen in order for us to benefit. Our good comes from the giving of SERVICE, not the measurement of its results for others. No one is obligated to us; nor does anyone have the right to complain if our services did not help. We serve entirely for our own benefit.
For my own good, I’ll give service today. I want to be effective for others, but I realize my real purpose is to help myself.
Keep It Simple
November 29
One is happy as the result of one’s own efforts.
-George Sand
Happiness is not an accident. It comes from following the spiritual voice found in each of us.
This isn’t always easy. Sometimes, the voice tells us to do things we’re afraid of. For Example, if we’re lonely and the voice tells us to call someone on our phone list, we may make excuses to not do it. Again, the voice may say, “Just make the call. It will be okay.” If we follow the voice, we will find happiness. The spiritual voice inside us speaks of care and love. It will never tell us to hurt others or ourselves. It’s our Higher Power’s voice . It’s what Step Eleven calls “conscious contact.” If we follow this guiding voice, it will lead us to happiness.
Prayer for the Day: I pray that I’ll come to know my Higher Power by listening to the spiritual voice in me.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll meditate and listen to my higher power gentle voice within.
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
-Mother TeresaI let go of shame, as it will hold me prisoner to myself.
-ShelleyGod will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars.
-Elbert HubbardI work the steps and practice the principles because when I was out
there I drank away my principles and my values.
-unknown
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
November 29
TRUST
“Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt.”
-H. L. Mencken
A civilized nation is essentially a spiritual nation. A civilized person is one who seeks the truth and is willing to grow with change.
Sobriety is adventuresome because it is bigger than simply “not drinking”; it seeks to address all areas of life and all situations. An example is trust. When I was drinking, I trusted no one because I felt that everybody was like me out for themselves! Today I know that the real enemy in my life is me; I am the one who brings pain into my life. I am beginning to love myself by my decision not to drink. I can trust today. I am beginning to trust myself and others.
O God, who trusted man with freedom, help me to freely trust.
Today’s Gift
November 29
When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters–one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
-John F. Kennedy
Family crises are unavoidable. At times, things are going to break down. This is no reason to give up and abandon ship. These breakdowns are the things, which will strengthen our lives together if we do not lose faith. The Einstein family had a crisis of sorts when their little boy, Albert, did not talk until he was four years old. But what looked like a problem at first did not end up that way in the long run.
We can expect downhill slides once in a while, and we may even start to feel full of self-pity. With faith that these setbacks are meant to help us grow stronger, we won’t waste them and end up having to face them again and again until we do recognize their true purpose.
What setback can I use to grow stronger today?
Touchstones for Men
November 29
As with expeditions into the wilds when we have endured storms and rapids, cold and sleet, and sometimes lack of food, it is ultimately the good things we remember, not the bad. -Sigurd F. Olson
In our daily lives we often take a very short perspective. We see what is worrisome today, what is pressing hardest, or what is most frightening or confusing. Eventually, we may look back and have a totally different idea about what was truly important on this day.
Let us take a moment now to remember what does endure, what we value most, what counts in the long run. For a brief quiet time we can let go of all the anxieties of this moment. During these few quiet moments, we will identify our tensions and then place them totally into the hands of our Higher Power. This is our time to let go of our worries and be refreshed. It will provide a background of serenity for our day.
Today, help me remember this corner of serenity as I meet the tasks and activities on my path.