Come visit us at 202
.... God,
keep me from thinking I must share in every meeting, no matter the topic. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details and give me wings to get to the point. Remind me to guard confidences and to keep still when I feel it is necessary to speak up for someones own good.
Release me from the need to straighten out everybody else's thinking and program. God, I ask for the grace to listen to newcomers. Please help me to remember the patience with which others listened to me when I was new.
Please seal my lips to giving advice, and help me to remember to share only my experience, strength, and hope.
Remind me that my purpose is to fit myself to be of maximum service to You and to the people around me. Help me to remain teachable. Teach me (again) the lesson that, occasionally, it is possible that I may be wrong; and remind me, please, of the freedom that I gain when I am able to promptly admit I am wrong and make amends where necessary.
Help me to remember the difference between making amends and just saying, I am sorry. Help me to be a worker among workers, a friend among friends. Please keep me from being a bleeding deacon, and help me to walk the path towards being an elder statesman/stateswoman. Keep me ever mindful that I cannot manage my own life through my own unaided will. I know that I am not a saint; please show me the way to seek You so that I may continue to grow along spiritual lines.
Remind me, please, of Rule 62 to not take myself so damn seriously. (It is so easy to take myself way too seriously.) Keep me free of gossip, character assassination, and judgment. Remind me that because I am not perfect although I have humbly asked my character defects and shortcomings still arise unexpectedly, to cause damage to others and to myself.
Help me to walk with faith and acceptance, to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people, and give me the grace to tell them so. Help me to see that You love each of Your children, and that You do not need my opinion of them or suggestions on what they might deserve.
Thank You very much. Amen....
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Natural Annoyance
Come visit us at 202 and share some recovery.
UNDERSTANDING THE MALADY
When dealing with an alcoholic, there may be a natural annoyance that a man could be so weak, stupid and irresponsible. Even when you understand the malady better, you may feel this feeling rising.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pg. 139
Having suffered from alcoholism, I should understand the illness, but sometimes I feel annoyance, even contempt, toward a person who cannot make it in A.A. When I feel that way, I am satisfying my false sense of superiority and I must remember, but for the grace of God, there go I.
******************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
The skeptic and the agnostic say it is impossible for us to find the answer to life. Many have tried and failed. But many more have put aside intellectual pride and have said to themselves: Who am I to say there is no God? Who am I to say there is no purpose in life? The atheist makes a declaration: "The world originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere." Others live for the moment and do not even think about why they are here or where they are going. They might as well be clams on the bottom of the ocean, protected by their hard shells of indifference. They are going nowhere and they do not care. Do I care where I am going?
Meditation for the Day
We may consider the material world as the clay which the artist works with, to make of it something beautiful or ugly. We need not fear material things, which are neither good nor bad in the moral sense. There seems to be no active force for evil- outside of human beings themselves. Humans alone can have either evil intentions-resentments, malevolence, hate, and revenge-or good intentions-love and goodwill, They can make something ugly or something beautiful out of the clay of their lives.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may make something good out of my life. I pray that I may be a good artisan with the materials that I have been given to use.
*******************************
Thought for Today
"There's lots of things to think about, but nothing to worry about."
--Matt Koepke
*************************************
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.
-Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"
*************************************
Native American
"Flexible strength is better than inflexible. Let the storm flow over you, and then pop back up."
--Michael Kabotie, HOPI
Flexibility is taught by nature. You will see the trees bend in the wind. You will see that tree branches are flexible. To be rigid is to break. When we have life problems it is good for us to be flexible. Sometimes we need to flow with what is going on. If we resist, it becomes more painful. We need to be on the path of least resistance. Water flows down the mountain through the path of least resistance. Electricity flows through the path of least resistance. Power flows through the path of least resistance. As Indian people our strength has always been our flexibility.
Creator, I will be flexible today because I know You are with me.
**********************************************
Keep It Simple
The truth is more important than the facts. --- Frank Lloyd Wright
Before recovery, we relied on false facts about addiction. We said things like, "I can quit anytime I want." "If you had my family, you'd drink too." The truth is, we were out of control. We couldn't manage our lives. We were sick. We were scared. When others pointed out this truth to us, we denied it. Honesty, the backbone of our program, is about truth. We even start our meetings with the truth about who we are. "Hi, my name is ___________, and I'm an alcoholic," or "Hi, my name is _______________, and I'm a drug addict." The truth frees us from our addiction. The truth heals us and gives us comfort. It's like a blanket on a cold winter night.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me be an honest person. I pray for the strength to face the truth and speak it.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list 3 ways I have used facts in a dishonest way.
UNDERSTANDING THE MALADY
When dealing with an alcoholic, there may be a natural annoyance that a man could be so weak, stupid and irresponsible. Even when you understand the malady better, you may feel this feeling rising.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pg. 139
Having suffered from alcoholism, I should understand the illness, but sometimes I feel annoyance, even contempt, toward a person who cannot make it in A.A. When I feel that way, I am satisfying my false sense of superiority and I must remember, but for the grace of God, there go I.
******************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
The skeptic and the agnostic say it is impossible for us to find the answer to life. Many have tried and failed. But many more have put aside intellectual pride and have said to themselves: Who am I to say there is no God? Who am I to say there is no purpose in life? The atheist makes a declaration: "The world originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere." Others live for the moment and do not even think about why they are here or where they are going. They might as well be clams on the bottom of the ocean, protected by their hard shells of indifference. They are going nowhere and they do not care. Do I care where I am going?
Meditation for the Day
We may consider the material world as the clay which the artist works with, to make of it something beautiful or ugly. We need not fear material things, which are neither good nor bad in the moral sense. There seems to be no active force for evil- outside of human beings themselves. Humans alone can have either evil intentions-resentments, malevolence, hate, and revenge-or good intentions-love and goodwill, They can make something ugly or something beautiful out of the clay of their lives.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may make something good out of my life. I pray that I may be a good artisan with the materials that I have been given to use.
*******************************
Thought for Today
"There's lots of things to think about, but nothing to worry about."
--Matt Koepke
*************************************
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.
-Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"
*************************************
Native American
"Flexible strength is better than inflexible. Let the storm flow over you, and then pop back up."
--Michael Kabotie, HOPI
Flexibility is taught by nature. You will see the trees bend in the wind. You will see that tree branches are flexible. To be rigid is to break. When we have life problems it is good for us to be flexible. Sometimes we need to flow with what is going on. If we resist, it becomes more painful. We need to be on the path of least resistance. Water flows down the mountain through the path of least resistance. Electricity flows through the path of least resistance. Power flows through the path of least resistance. As Indian people our strength has always been our flexibility.
Creator, I will be flexible today because I know You are with me.
**********************************************
Keep It Simple
The truth is more important than the facts. --- Frank Lloyd Wright
Before recovery, we relied on false facts about addiction. We said things like, "I can quit anytime I want." "If you had my family, you'd drink too." The truth is, we were out of control. We couldn't manage our lives. We were sick. We were scared. When others pointed out this truth to us, we denied it. Honesty, the backbone of our program, is about truth. We even start our meetings with the truth about who we are. "Hi, my name is ___________, and I'm an alcoholic," or "Hi, my name is _______________, and I'm a drug addict." The truth frees us from our addiction. The truth heals us and gives us comfort. It's like a blanket on a cold winter night.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me be an honest person. I pray for the strength to face the truth and speak it.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list 3 ways I have used facts in a dishonest way.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Can't Control It?
Today I will surrender to that which I cannot control.
Surrender does not mean giving up when I need to be persistent; it means letting go of that which I can't change. Surrender doesn't mean I stop trying; it means I try, and then I surrender to the outcome.
If I need to find a place to live, I can look in the paper, on the Internet, in rental or real estate publications. I can ask friends or drive around and look. I can fill out applications, make a good impression, and follow up with phone calls. I can think positively by getting ready to move, asking friends to help, fixing up the place that I'm leaving or imagining where I will put my furniture in a new place. But I will surrender to the outcome by not calling the landlord or real estate agent again and again. I will not repeatedly drive by the place where I hope to live or stop my search when I find a place I like. I will do my part and then surrender to the rest. I can believe and trust that whatever happens is for the best.
What I think I want for myself - and what I may try to force - may not ultimately be in my best interest. I will let go of constantly thinking about and analyzing the situation, and I will surrender to whatever happens, no matter how long it takes.
Come visit us at 202.
Surrender does not mean giving up when I need to be persistent; it means letting go of that which I can't change. Surrender doesn't mean I stop trying; it means I try, and then I surrender to the outcome.
If I need to find a place to live, I can look in the paper, on the Internet, in rental or real estate publications. I can ask friends or drive around and look. I can fill out applications, make a good impression, and follow up with phone calls. I can think positively by getting ready to move, asking friends to help, fixing up the place that I'm leaving or imagining where I will put my furniture in a new place. But I will surrender to the outcome by not calling the landlord or real estate agent again and again. I will not repeatedly drive by the place where I hope to live or stop my search when I find a place I like. I will do my part and then surrender to the rest. I can believe and trust that whatever happens is for the best.
What I think I want for myself - and what I may try to force - may not ultimately be in my best interest. I will let go of constantly thinking about and analyzing the situation, and I will surrender to whatever happens, no matter how long it takes.
Come visit us at 202.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
SEEKING EMOTIONAL STABILITY
When we developed still more, we discovered the best possible
source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that
dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was
healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would. If we
really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our
fellows nor would we feel the urge wholly to rely on human
protection and care. 12 & 12, p.116
All my life I depended on people for my emotional needs and
security, but today I cannot live that way anymore. By the grace of
God, I have admitted my powerlessness over people, places and
things. I had been a real "people addict"; wherever I went there
had to be someone who would pay some kind of attention to me. It
was the kind of attitude that could only get worse, because the more
I depended on others and demanded attention, the less I received. I
have given up believing that any human power can relieve me of that
empty feeling. Although I remain a fragile human being who needs to
work A.A.'s Steps to keep this particular principle before my
personality, it is only a loving God who can give me inner peace and
emotional stability.
**********************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
"Those who do not recover are people who are constitutionally
incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such
unfortunates. They are not at fault. They seem to have been
born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and
developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty.
Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who
suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them
do recover, if they have the capacity to be honest." Am I completely
honest with myself and with other people?
Meditation For The Day
You can make use of your mistakes, failures, losses, and sufferings.
It is not what happens to you so much as what use you make of it.
Take your sufferings, difficulties, and hardships and make use of
them to help some unfortunate soul who is faced with the same
troubles. Then something good will come out of your suffering and
the world will be a better place because of it. The good you do each
day will live on, after the trouble and distress have gone, after the
difficulty and the pain have passed away.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may make good use of my mistakes and failures. I
pray that some good may result from my painful experiences.
******************************************************
Thought for Today
"Bitterness and an unforgiving spirit can be likened to you taking poison and
expecting that someone else would die from the effect. Forgiveness is about
setting the prisoner in your heart free only to discover that all along, you had
been the real prisoner."
'Tope Popoola
******************************************************
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.
-Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"
******************************************************
Native American
"When life is too good, we think too highly of ourselves and our blessings. Then we decide we are the wisest and the favored ones, and we don't think we need Wakan-Tanka and the Helpers anymore."
--Fools Crow, LAKOTA
It is sometimes easy to get off track when times are good. We start to take the credit and start to think we are in control. We start to think we are smart. Then we quit praying or pray only with lip service. We say the words but don't mean them. Sometimes our head is our greatest enemy. We start acting like a foolish child. We must develop the discipline to be humble during the good times. We need to remember how honorable it is each day to come into the presence of the Creator. How happy we should be to talk to the Grandfathers, to have the choice to start each day on the Sacred Spot - our place of communion with the Great Spirit.
Oh Great Spirit, first let me thank You for the honor of talking to You today. To have the insight of Your love, that only You can love me when I don't deserve to be loved. Let me be reminded to talk to You all day long.
********************************************************
Keep It Simple
It’s a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn’t want to hear. --- Dick Cavett
We want only to hear good things. That we’re nice people. That our loved ones are healthy.
That we did a good job. We don’t want to hear that anyone is angry with us, or that we made a mistake. We don’t want to hear about illness or troubles.
But life isn’t just happy news. Bad things happen. We can’t change that. As we live our recovery program, we learn to handle the addiction. We choose the path of life. We need to know all the news, good, and bad. Then we can deal with life as it really is.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me listen---even when I don't want to. Gently help me deal with both the good and bad. All the help I need is mine for the asking.
Action for the Day: I will ask my sponsor and three friends to tell me about my blind spots.
Come visit us at 202
source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that
dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was
healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would. If we
really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our
fellows nor would we feel the urge wholly to rely on human
protection and care. 12 & 12, p.116
All my life I depended on people for my emotional needs and
security, but today I cannot live that way anymore. By the grace of
God, I have admitted my powerlessness over people, places and
things. I had been a real "people addict"; wherever I went there
had to be someone who would pay some kind of attention to me. It
was the kind of attitude that could only get worse, because the more
I depended on others and demanded attention, the less I received. I
have given up believing that any human power can relieve me of that
empty feeling. Although I remain a fragile human being who needs to
work A.A.'s Steps to keep this particular principle before my
personality, it is only a loving God who can give me inner peace and
emotional stability.
**********************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
"Those who do not recover are people who are constitutionally
incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such
unfortunates. They are not at fault. They seem to have been
born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and
developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty.
Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who
suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them
do recover, if they have the capacity to be honest." Am I completely
honest with myself and with other people?
Meditation For The Day
You can make use of your mistakes, failures, losses, and sufferings.
It is not what happens to you so much as what use you make of it.
Take your sufferings, difficulties, and hardships and make use of
them to help some unfortunate soul who is faced with the same
troubles. Then something good will come out of your suffering and
the world will be a better place because of it. The good you do each
day will live on, after the trouble and distress have gone, after the
difficulty and the pain have passed away.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may make good use of my mistakes and failures. I
pray that some good may result from my painful experiences.
******************************************************
Thought for Today
"Bitterness and an unforgiving spirit can be likened to you taking poison and
expecting that someone else would die from the effect. Forgiveness is about
setting the prisoner in your heart free only to discover that all along, you had
been the real prisoner."
'Tope Popoola
******************************************************
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.
-Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"
******************************************************
Native American
"When life is too good, we think too highly of ourselves and our blessings. Then we decide we are the wisest and the favored ones, and we don't think we need Wakan-Tanka and the Helpers anymore."
--Fools Crow, LAKOTA
It is sometimes easy to get off track when times are good. We start to take the credit and start to think we are in control. We start to think we are smart. Then we quit praying or pray only with lip service. We say the words but don't mean them. Sometimes our head is our greatest enemy. We start acting like a foolish child. We must develop the discipline to be humble during the good times. We need to remember how honorable it is each day to come into the presence of the Creator. How happy we should be to talk to the Grandfathers, to have the choice to start each day on the Sacred Spot - our place of communion with the Great Spirit.
Oh Great Spirit, first let me thank You for the honor of talking to You today. To have the insight of Your love, that only You can love me when I don't deserve to be loved. Let me be reminded to talk to You all day long.
********************************************************
Keep It Simple
It’s a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn’t want to hear. --- Dick Cavett
We want only to hear good things. That we’re nice people. That our loved ones are healthy.
That we did a good job. We don’t want to hear that anyone is angry with us, or that we made a mistake. We don’t want to hear about illness or troubles.
But life isn’t just happy news. Bad things happen. We can’t change that. As we live our recovery program, we learn to handle the addiction. We choose the path of life. We need to know all the news, good, and bad. Then we can deal with life as it really is.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me listen---even when I don't want to. Gently help me deal with both the good and bad. All the help I need is mine for the asking.
Action for the Day: I will ask my sponsor and three friends to tell me about my blind spots.
Come visit us at 202
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Love Is An Action Word
There is no love apart from the deeds of love; no potentiality of love but that which is manifested in loving.
--Jean-Paul Sartre
Newcomer
Sometimes I wonder if I can give or receive love. When I think about my past in active addiction, there was passion and drama, but not a lot of love. There hasn't been much of it in my recovery so far either.
Sponsor
What exactly are we talking about when we talk about love? Many of us - and this was certainly true of me - have used this word primarily to describe a fantasy. We imagined that somewhere there was an ideal person who could meet all our needs and make us whole. Love meant rescue or a problem-free relationship. When we didn't find it, we bewailed our loneliness and bad luck.
Love is not something that is bestowed on us. We can create it, everyday. It grows in each of us as we take actions that affirm our respect and caring for others and ourselves. Love is not limited to romantic encounters, but extends to our daily relationships with other people, including our friends and members of our communities. Love is not in scarce supply. Our acts of kindness and service and our practice of genuine tolerance renew love in the world and in our hearts.
Today, I add to the abundance of many kinds of love in my life.
Come visit us at 202.
--Jean-Paul Sartre
Newcomer
Sometimes I wonder if I can give or receive love. When I think about my past in active addiction, there was passion and drama, but not a lot of love. There hasn't been much of it in my recovery so far either.
Sponsor
What exactly are we talking about when we talk about love? Many of us - and this was certainly true of me - have used this word primarily to describe a fantasy. We imagined that somewhere there was an ideal person who could meet all our needs and make us whole. Love meant rescue or a problem-free relationship. When we didn't find it, we bewailed our loneliness and bad luck.
Love is not something that is bestowed on us. We can create it, everyday. It grows in each of us as we take actions that affirm our respect and caring for others and ourselves. Love is not limited to romantic encounters, but extends to our daily relationships with other people, including our friends and members of our communities. Love is not in scarce supply. Our acts of kindness and service and our practice of genuine tolerance renew love in the world and in our hearts.
Today, I add to the abundance of many kinds of love in my life.
Come visit us at 202.
Life
"Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted."
Don't forget to drop by and visit 202 and learn about the exciting things going on. Don't forget about the Centennial Group picnic at Centennial Park this Saturday. See the eralier blog with the info.
Don't forget to drop by and visit 202 and learn about the exciting things going on. Don't forget about the Centennial Group picnic at Centennial Park this Saturday. See the eralier blog with the info.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Don't Forget The Picnic On Saturday
This from the Steering Committee of the Centennial Group
Just a reminder about the BBQ on Saturday, I hope you see you all there! If you can bring a side dish to share that would be wonderful!!
Also, there were a few questions regarding the Centennial Group’s affiliation with 202. As it states in our traditions, we are not affiliated with the Friendship House, and this BBQ is not intended to be a fundraiser for 202. We have actually been planning this for quite some time, and only recently decided to donate the proceeds to the Friendship House. Hope that clears it up J
See you all on Saturday
Come visit us at Friendship House
Just a reminder about the BBQ on Saturday, I hope you see you all there! If you can bring a side dish to share that would be wonderful!!
Also, there were a few questions regarding the Centennial Group’s affiliation with 202. As it states in our traditions, we are not affiliated with the Friendship House, and this BBQ is not intended to be a fundraiser for 202. We have actually been planning this for quite some time, and only recently decided to donate the proceeds to the Friendship House. Hope that clears it up J
See you all on Saturday
Come visit us at Friendship House
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