New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Flimsy Reed ^*^*^ October 1

​​​Click here now to check out our list of Recovery Podcasts! ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^ Flimsy Reed"We sought escape with all the desperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, a 'design for living' that really works." c.1976AAWSAlcoholics Anonymous, p. 28 Thought to Consider . . .  The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.*~*AACRONYMS*~*P R O G R A M  =  People Relying On God Relay A Message *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Chronic Slipper From: "Safe Haven"   In Alcoholics Anonymous, I knew I had found a protective haven. But during the ensuing 4-1/2 years I fell into the category known, in AA parlance, as a "chronic slipper." I might get a good six months of sobriety under my belt, but then I would get a bottle to celebrate.<<< >>>I did all the things that were suggested for me not to do. Within my first year around AA, I made some major decisions, like getting married, renting the most expensive apartment I could find, not using my sponsor, avoiding the steps, hanging around old haunts with my old drinking pals, and talking more than listening during meetings. In short, I wasn't responding to the miracle of AA. My disease progressed and I became a regular patient in detox hospitals, intensive care units, and treatment centers. Permanent insanity was drawing near, and the gates of death were in view.2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous, page 455 *^Daily Reflections^*LEST WE BECOME COMPLACENT It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85 When I am in pain it is easy to stay close to the friends I have found in the program.  Relief from that pain is provided in the solutions contained in A.A.'s Twelve Steps.  But when I am feeling good and things are going well, I can become complacent.  To put it simply, I become lazy and turn into the problem instead of the solution.  I need to get into action, to take stock: where am I and where am I going?  A daily inventory will tell me what I must change to regain spiritual balance.  Admitting what I find within myself, to God and to another human being, keeps me honest and humble.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Going It Alone Going it alone in spiritual matters is dangerous. How many times have we heard well-intentioned people claim the guidance of God when it was plain that they were mistaken? Lacking both practice and humility, they had deluded themselves and so were able to justify the most arrant nonsense on the ground that this was what God had told them. People of very high spiritual development almost always insist on checking with friends or spiritual advisers the guidance they feel they have received from God. Surely, then, a novice ought not lay himself open to the chance of making foolish, perhaps tragic, blunders. While the comment or advice of others may not be infallible, it is likely to be far more specific than any direct guidance we may receive while we are still inexperienced in establishing contact with a Power greater than ourselves. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 60 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*" I had always believed in a Power greater that myself. I had often pondered these things. I was not an atheist. Few people really are, for that means blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes no where."Alcoholics Anonymous 4th EditionBill's Story, pg. 10*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day A.A. will lose some of its effectiveness if I do not do my share. Where am I failing? Are there some things I do not feel like doing? Am I held back by self-consciousness or fear? Self-consciousness is a form of pride. It is a fear that something may happen to you. What happens to you is not very important. The impression you make on others does not depend so much on the kind of a job you do as on your sincerity and honesty of purpose. Am I holding back because I am afraid of not making a good impression? Meditation for the Day Look to God for the true power that will make you effective. See no other wholly dependable supply of strength. That is the secret of a truly effective life. And you, in your turn, will be used to help many others find effectiveness. Whatever spiritual help you need, whatever spiritual help you desire for others, look to God. Seek that God's will be done in your life and seek that your will conforms to His. Failures come from depending too much on your own strength. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may feel that nothing good is too much for me if I look to God for help. I pray that I may be effective through His guidance. Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/30/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Handle Today's Problems TodayMany of us face seemingly insurmountable difficulties, perhaps because of our compulsion or simply through misfortune. Whatever the scale of our problems, "One day at a time" and "First things first" are keys to handling them.Today, we can deal only with today's problems. One of today's problems, of course, may be worrying about the future. A good method of handling that problem is to turn concern about it over to our Higher Power.But when we do have work that clearly should be done today, we must carry through with it. It's neither reasonable nor sensible to put off things that we can and should do today.There are certain tasks and responsibilities that must be dealt with today. I will not put them off. You are reading from the book: Walk in Dry Places by Mel B. Walk in Dry Places by Mel B. © 1996 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Consequences ^*^*^ September 30

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Consequences"In some circumstances we have gone out deliberately to get drunk, feeling ourselves justified by nervousness, anger, worry, depression, jealousy or the like. But even in this type of beginning we are obliged to admit that our justification for a spree was insanely insufficient in the light of what always happened. We now see that when we began to drink deliberately, instead of casually, there was little serious or effective thought during the period of premeditation of what the terrific consequences might be." c.1976AAWS Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 37 Thought to Consider . . .  Think it over, not drink over it. *~*AACRONYMS*~*D E A D =  Drinking Ends All Dreams *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Traits in Common Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.  But not so with alcoholics. When AA was quite young, a number of eminent psychologists and doctors made an exhaustive study of a good-sized group of so-called problem drinkers. The doctors weren't trying to find how different we were from one another; they sought to find whatever personality traits, if any, this group of alcoholics had in common. They finally came up with a conclusion that shocked the AA members of that time. These distinguished men had the nerve to say that most of the alcoholics under investigation were still childish, emotionally sensitive, and grandiose.How we alcoholics did resent that verdict! We would not believe that our adult dreams were often truly childish. And considering the rough deal life had given us, we felt it perfectly natural that we were sensitive. As to our grandiose behavior, we insisted that we had been possessed of nothing but a high and legitimate ambition to win the battle of life.1981, AAWS, Inc. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 122-123 *^Daily Reflections^*THE CIRCLE AND THE TRIANGLE The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service. Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 139 Early in my A.A. life, I became employed in its services and I found the explanation of our society's logo to be very appropriate. First, a circle of love and service with a well-balanced triangle inside, the base of which represents our Recovery through the Twelve Steps. Then the other two sides, representing Unity and Service, respectively. The three sides of the triangle are equal. As I grew in A.A. I soon identified myself with this symbol. I am the circle, and the sides of the triangle represent three aspects of my personality: physical, emotional sanity, spirituality, the latter forming the symbol's base. Taken together, all three aspects of my personality translate into a sober and happy life.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Compelling Love The life of each A.A. and of each group is built around our Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. We know that the penalty for extensive disobedience to these principles is death for the individual and dissolution for the group. But an even greater force for A.A.'s unity is our compelling love for our fellow members and for our principles. <<< >>> You might think the people at A.A.'s headquarters in New York would surely have to have some personal authority. But, long ago, trustees and secretaries alike found they could do no more than make very mild suggestions to the A.A. groups. They even had to coin a couple of sentences which still go into half the letters they write: "Of course you are at perfect liberty to handle this matter any way you please. But the majority experience in A.A. does seem to suggest . . ." A.A. world headquarters is not a giver of orders. It is, instead, our largest transmitter of the lessons of experience. 1. TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 10 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 173-174*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*"In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning. That being so you have swallowed and digested some big chunks of truth about yourself."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, pg. 70*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day There are no leaders in A.A. except as they volunteer to accept responsibility. The work of carrying on A.A.- leading group meetings, serving on committees, speaking before other groups, doing twelfth-step work, spreading A.A. among the alcoholics of the community - all these things are done on a volunteer basis. if I don't volunteer to do something concrete for A.A., the movement is that much less effective. I must do my fair share to carry the load. A.A. depends on all its members to keep it alive and to keep it growing. Am I doing my share for A.A.? Meditation for the Day When you look to God for strength to face responsibility and are quiet before Him, His healing touch causes the Divine Quiet to flow into your very being. When in weakness you cry to God, His touch brings healing, the renewal of your courage, and the power to meet every situation and be victorious. When you faint by the way or are distracted by feelings of inferiority, then rely on the touch of God's spirit to support you on your way. Then arise and go forth with confidence. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may lay myself open today to the healing touch of God. I pray that I may not falter or faint by the wayside, but renew my courage through prayer.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/29/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:She had trouble defining herself independently of her husband, tried to talk to him about it, but he said nonsense, he had no trouble defining her at all.--Cynthia Propper SetonTo recover means to learn who we are, independent of friends, children, parents, or intimate partners. It means knowing how we want to spend our time, what books we like to read, what hobbies interest us, what our favorite foods are. It means understanding self-direction. It means charting a daily personal course and staying on it. It means defining our responsibilities and carrying them out. Having an independent identity does not preclude depending on others for certain needs. Perhaps we revel in massage - both getting and giving. Maybe we share the expenses of a household or the responsibilities of raising children. Depending on others to meet their responsibilities does not negate our independent identity; it strengthens it. We choose where and when to be dependent. Healthy dependency complements healthy independence.Recovery is giving me options. Each day gives me new opportunities. You are reading from the book: Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey. © 1982, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Booby Traps ^*^*^ September 29

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Booby Traps"We must avoid quick-tempered criticism and furious, power-driven argument.   The same goes for sulking and silent scorn.   These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness.   Our first job is to sidestep the traps.   When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think.   For we can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic." c.1952AAWSTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 91 Thought to Consider . . .  Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen. *~*AACRONYMS*~*B A T H =  Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, Habits*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Greatest Possession From: "The Family Afterward"  This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not, and when the occasion requires, each member of it should be only too willing to bring former mistakes, no matter how grievous, out of their hiding places. Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have - the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 124 *^Daily Reflections^*EXACTLY ALIKE Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89 A man came to the meeting drunk, interrupted the speakers, stood up and took his shirt off, staggered loudly back and forth for coffee, demanded to talk, and eventually called the group's secretary an unquotable name and walked out. I was glad he was there--once again I saw what I still could be. I don't have to be drunk to want to be the exception and the center of attention. I have often felt abused and responded abusively when I was simply being treated as a garden variety human being. The more the man tried to insist he was different, the more I realized that he and I were exactly alike.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Troubles of Our Own Making Selfishness - self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt. So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We are not theorizing. These are facts out of our experience."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, pg. 70*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day Having got this far, shall we pause and ask ourselves some searching questions? We need to check up on ourselves periodically. Just how good an A.A. am I? Am I attending meetings regularly? Am I doing my share to carry the load? When there is something to be done, do I volunteer? Do I speak at meetings when asked, no matter how nervous I am? Do I accept each opportunity to do twelfth-step work as a challenge? Do I give freely of my time and money? Am I trying to spread A.A. wherever I go? Is my daily life a demonstration of A.A. principles? Am I a good A.A.? Meditation for the Day How do I get strength to be effective and to accept responsibility? By asking the Higher Power for the strength I need each day. It has been proved in countless lives that for every day I live, the necessary power shall be given me. I must face each challenge that comes' to me during the day, sure that God will give me the strength to face it. For every task that is given me, there is also given me all the power necessary for the performance of that task. I do not need to hold back. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may accept every task as a challenge. I know I cannot wholly fail if God is with me. Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/28/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:. . . concern should drive us into action and not into depression.--Karen HorneyIf a situation in our lives causes concern, be it mild disgruntlement or serious frustration, we should understand that our concern indicates that we need to act, responsibly. Events that attract our attention need our action. Our actions can take many forms. Occasionally we will be called upon to take charge of a situation. More often, offering emotional support to another is all that's needed. Perhaps most frequently, our prayers are enough. There is always a proper response to any circumstance that causes us concern. If we choose no response, our in-action will only heighten our concern. And preoccupation will hinder the day's activities.My actions today should reflect my concerns and be appropriate to the need. You are reading from the book: The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg. © 1983, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! [aarecoveryreadings] Daily Readings = 10/1

  Hi,  We still need help with our recovery sites expenses.  This is not required of you, but is asked so that our recovery sites are and remain fully self supporting through members contributions and that we may continue to be able to provide help, support, fellowship and send out readings to those seeking recovery from addictions, to those already in recovery, and to family and friends of alcoholics and addicts. You may use this link Click here to make a Donation to make a donation or contact me by replying to this email for other options.  Any amount helps even if it is just a couple of dollars. Thank you for your help and support!  Have a great day!  :-) Love, Tammy Daily Recovery ReadingsBluidkiti's Recovery ForumsDaily Recovery Readings and MeditationsRecovery LinksMore Recovery ReadingsNA Just For TodayDaily Spiritual MeditationsDaily PrayersDisclaimerClick here to make a Donation God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done.October 1 Daily Reflections LEST WE BECOME COMPLACENT It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85 When I am in pain it is easy to stay close to the friends I have found in the programs. Relief from that pain is provided in the solutions contained in A.A.'s Twelve Steps. But when I am feeling good and things are going well, I can become complacent. To put it simply, I become lazy and turn into the problem instead of the solution. I need to get into action, to take stock: where am I and where am I going? A daily inventory will tell me what I must change to regain spiritual balance. Admitting what I find within myself, to God and to another human being, keeps me honest and humble.*********************************************************** Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day A.A. will lose some of its effectiveness if I do not do my share. Where am I failing? Are there some things I do not feel like doing? Am I held back by self-consciousness or fear? Self-consciousness is a form of pride. It is a fear that something may happen to you. What happens to you is not very important. The impression you make on others does not depend so much on the kind of job you do as on your sincerity and honesty of purpose. Am I holding back because I am afraid of not making a good impression? Meditation For The Day Look to God for the true power that will make you effective. See no other wholly dependable supply of strength. That is the secret of a truly effective life. And you, in your turn, will be used to help many others find effectiveness. Whatever spiritual help you need, whatever spiritual help you desire for others, look to God. Seek that God's will be done in your life and seek that your will conforms to His. Failures come from depending too much on your own strength. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may feel that nothing good is too much for me if I look to God for help. I pray that I may be effective through His guidance. *********************************************************** As Bill Sees ItTroubles of Our Own Making, p.272 Selfishness--self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt. So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! Alcoholics Anonymous, p.62***********************************************************Walk In Dry Places   Thinking about Blame. Inventory. Which is worse: blaming ourselves or others for things that go wrong?  A better question might be, Is anyone to blame? We're really better off, in 12 Step living, to begin dropping the idea of placing blame for our thinking altogether. Even is someone's responsibility for a mistake or wrong is fully evident, we get nowhere by pointing the finger at him or her.  What often happens, in fact, is that the person becomes defensive... just as we do...  And retreats into denial or anger. Another problem is that placing blame quickly becomes the sticky business of taking another person's inventory. Let's leave such matters to courts and prosecutions and focus instead on solving our own problems. I'll not waste time today thinking about who's to blame.  My focus will be on what can be done for general improvement.***********************************************************Keep It Simple   Continued to take personal inventory. . .First half of Step Ten Step Ten tells us to keep looking at who we are. We ask ourselves, “Is what I’m doing okay?” If it is, then we take pride in the way we acting. If not, we change our behavior. Step Ten keeps us in the right direction. Throughout time, wise persons have told us to get to know ourselves. Step Ten helps us do this. We become our own best friend. A true friend tells us when we’re doing right and when we’re messing up. Step Ten is our teacher. Even when we want to pretend we don’t know right from wrong, Step Ten reminds us that we do know. Step Ten is our daily reminder that we now have value

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/27/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Iron rusts from disuse, water loses its purity from stagnation ... even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.--Leonardo da VinciAfter a long day of working or doing errands, we may want to sit and not do a thing. But although our bodies may be physically tired, our minds may be just the opposite. If we're plagued by tired, cranky thoughts after a day's activity, we might discover our minds are too hooked into our feelings. We can separate the mind from the body and learn to chase away stinking thinking. We might treat our tired bodies to a bath while we treat our minds to a good book. While we're soaking our feet or resting in an easy chair, we can put on some music. Or we can put aside the hectic pace of the day and throw our creative energies into preparing a new recipe. There are countless ways to wake up our minds even if our bodies are tired. Instead of collapsing in front of the television or eating junk food, we can change our focus. We can tune out the signals of the day and turn on our minds. Did I exercise my mind tonight? You are reading from the book: Night Light by Amy E. Dean Night Light by Amy E. Dean. © 1986, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Right Living ^*^*^ September 27

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~  /)(   \ (AA)/   )(_   /AA\ _)  /AA\^*^*^*^*^Right Living "Service, gladly rendered, obligations squarely met, troubles well accepted or solved with God's help, the knowledge that at home or in the world outside we are partners in a common effort, the well-understood fact that in God's sight all human beings are important, the proof that love freely given surely brings a full return, the certainty that we are no longer isolated and alone in self-constructed prisons, the surety that we need no longer be square pegs in round holes but can fit and belong in God's scheme of things -- these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions of right living for which no amount of pomp and circumstance, no heap of material possessions, could possibly be substitutes." c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 124 ^*^*^*^*^ Thought to Consider . . .  We are not living just to be sober; we are living to learn, to serve, and to love. *~*AACRONYMS*~*L O V E  =  Living Our Valuable Experiences *~*^Just For Today!^*~*   Clubs From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "But like most A.A. clubs this first one did us far more good than harm, especially after we learned that the club had to be on the side lines and could not be managed by the A.A. groups as such. The Old Twenty-Fourth Street Club witnessed much of A.A.'s early history. Still in busy operation [as of 1957], it is now a landmark visited by members from all over the world. Similar and far larger clubs were started in Philadelphia and Minneapolis later in 1940. Scores and scores of clubrooms and clubhouses now dot our landscape. Some of the more elegant ones, especially those in Texas, have to be seen to be believed."2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 181 *~*^Daily Reflections^*~*WITHOUT RESERVATION When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, . . . . AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37 While practicing service to others, if my successes give rise to grandiosity, I must reflect on what brought me to this point. What has been given joyfully, with love, must be passed on without reservation and without expectation? For as I grow, I find that no matter how much I give with love, I receive much more in spirit. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Honesty and Recovery In taking an inventory, a member might consider questions such as these: How did my selfish pursuit of the sex relation damage other people and me? What people were hurt, and how badly? Just how did I react at the time? Did I burn with guilt? Or did I insist that I was the pursued and not the pursuer, and thus absolve myself? How have I reacted to frustration in sexual matters? When denied, did I become vengeful or depressed? Did I take it out on other people? If there was rejection or coldness at home, did I use this as a reason for promiscuity? <<<>>>Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. His recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God, however he may define Him. 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 50-51 - 2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 99-100 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it. After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to!"~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*A.A. Thought for the Day Continuing the consideration of the term "spiritual experience": "What often takes place in a few months could seldom have been accomplished by years of self-discipline. With few exceptions, our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves. Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves the essence of spiritual experience. Some of us call it God-consciousness. In any case, willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery," Have I tapped that inner resource that can change my life? Meditation for the Day God's power in your life increases as your ability to understand His grace increases. The power of God's grace is only limited by the understanding and will of each individual. God's miracle-working power is only limited in each individual soul by the lack of spiritual vision of that soul. God respects freewill, the right of each person to accept or reject His miracle-working power. Only the sincere desire of the soul gives Him the opportunity to bestow it. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may not limit God's power by my lack of vision. I pray that I may keep my mind open today to His influence.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/26/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:It may be those who do most, dream most.--Stephen LeacockWhere would we be without the dreamers of the world - the ones who took the time to balance on the edge of wonder? Amazing connections, powerful images, and creative ideas come to us in daydreams. They creep in when we least expect them, like sleek cats, and then make their presence known to us with a gentle pounce. When we give ourselves permission to daydream - to sit for a while and do nothing but be quiet with our thoughts, we give ourselves a precious gift. And who knows, we just might be giving the world a priceless gift, too! Out of the seeds of some of our dreams, great ideas will blossom.What first step can I take today to make a dream come true? You are reading from the book: Today's Gift by Anonymous Today's Gift © 1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Help ^*^*^ September 26

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Help"If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort." c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 25-6 Thought to Consider . . . The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it. *~*AACRONYMS*~*H E L P =  Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Suspend Our Own Argument From: "Being Grateful"   For some reason, we spent a lot of time thinking or noting or talking about how wrong or mistaken so many other people persistently were. (Whether they really were or not is irrelevant to the welcome change in our own feelings now.) For some, the change begins with a tentative willingness to wait and see, to accept for a moment the hypothesis that the other person just possibly might be right. Before rushing to judgment, we suspend our own argument, listen carefully, and watch for the outcome.  1998 AAWS Inc.Living Sober, pages 48-49  *^Daily Reflections^*OUR CHILDREN The alcoholics may find it hard to re-establish friendly relations with his children . . . In time they will see that he is a new man and in their own way they will let him know it . . . From that point on, progress will be rapid.  Marvelous results often follow such a reunion. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 134While on the road to recovery I received a gift that could not be purchased.  It was a card from my son in college, saying, "Dad, you can't imagine how glad I am that everything is okay.  Happy  Birthday, I love you."  My son had told me that he loved me before.  It had been during the previous Christmas holidays, when he had said to me, while crying, "Dad, I love you!  Can't you see what you're doing to yourself?"  I couldn't.  Choked with emotion, I had cried, but this time, when I received my son's card, my tears were of joy, not desperation.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*The Fellowship's Future "It seems proved that A.A. can stand on its own feet anywhere and under any conditions. It has outgrown any dependence it might once have had upon the personalities or efforts of a few of the older members like me. New, able, and vigorous people keep coming to the surface, turning up where they are needed. Besides, A.A. has reached enough spiritual maturity to know that its final dependence is upon God." <<< >>> Clearly, our first duty to A.A.'s future is to maintain in full strength what we now have. Only the most vigilant caretaking can assure this. Never should we be lulled into complacent self-satisfaction by the wide acclaim and success that are everywhere ours. This is the subtle temptation which could render us stagnant today, perchance disintegrate us tomorrow. We have always rallied to meet and transcend failure and crisis. Problems have been our stimulants. How well, though, shall we be able to meet the problems of success? 1. LETTER, 1940 2. A.A. TODAY, p. 106*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Perhaps there is a better way--we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, pg. 68*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day Continuing the consideration of the term "spiritual experience": "The acquiring of an immediate and overwhelming God-consciousness, resulting in a dramatic transformation, though frequent, is by no means the rule. Most of our spiritual experiences Are of the educational variety, and they develop slowly over a period of time. Quite often friends of newcomers are aware of the difference long before they are themselves. They finally realize that they have undergone a profound alteration in their reaction to life and that such a change could hardly have been brought about by themselves alone." Is my outlook on life changing for the better? Meditation for the Day Look at the world as your Father's house. Think of all people you meet as guests in your Father's house, to be treated with love and consideration. Look at yourself as a servant in your Father's house, as a servant of all. Think of no work as beneath you. Be ever ready to do all you can for others who need your help. There is gladness in God's service. There is much satisfaction in serving the highest that you know. Express your love for God in service to all who are living with you in your Father's house. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may serve others out of gratitude to God. I pray that my work may be a small repayment for His grace so freely given me.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/25/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Forewarned, forearmed; being prepared is half the victory.--Miguel de CervantesThere will be hard times in our program. There will be hard times in our life. That's the way life is. It helps if we accept this. Then we can prepare for tough times. We can prepare by getting a good set of habits and sticking to them. We can make it a habit to give time to our program each day. Sticking to good habits is like having a savings account: when hard times come, we can take the "investment" we've made and overcome our problems.Prayer for the DayHigher Power, help me accept that there will be hard times. Help me prepare for them. With Your help, I'll stay close to You, my friends, and the program.Action for the DayI'll put something into my program "savings account" today. I'll make that extra call. I'll read a little longer or go to an extra meeting. You are reading from the book: Keep It Simple by Anonymous Keep It Simple © 1989 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Defects ^*^*^ September 25

To Donate Go http://ift.tt/2brw2lg. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Defects"What we must recognize now is that we exult in some of our defects. We really love them. Who, for example, doesn't like to feel just a little superior to the next fellow, or even quite a lot superior? Isn't it true that we like to let greed masquerade as ambition? To think of liking lust seems impossible. But how many men and women speak love with their lips, and believe what they say, so that they can hide lust in a dark corner of their minds? And even while staying within conventional bounds, many people admit that their imaginary sex excursions are apt to be all dressed up as dreams of romance." c. 1952AAWSTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 66-7 Thought to Consider . . .  If I want God to remove my character defects, I'll have to stop doing them. *~*AACRONYMS*~*T I M E =  Things I Must Earn *~*^Just For Today!^*~*   Common Denominators From: "On the bridge back to life"   As Bill read on [in: The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James], his own powers of reasoning helped him extract some important ideas from the weighty and intricate text. He saw that all the cases described by James had certain common denominators, despite the diverse ways in which they manifested themselves. These insights became important to Bill in his thinking about the plight of the alcoholic and his need for spiritual help. (He would later say that James, though long in his grave, had been a founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.) Of the three common denominators in the case histories, the first was calamity; each person James described had met utter defeat in some vital area of his life. All human resources had failed to solve his problems. Each person had been utterly desperate.   The next common point was admission of defeat; each of the individuals acknowledged his own defeat as utter and absolute.   The third common denominator was an appeal to a Higher Power. This cry for help could take many forms, and it might or might not be in religious terms.  1984 AAWS Inc., 'PASS IT ON'The story of Bill Wilson and how the AA message reached the worldPages 124-125 *^Daily Reflections^*FIRST THINGS FIRST Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job - wife or no wife - we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98 Before coming to A.A., I always had excuses for taking a drink:  "She said. . .," "He said. . .," "I got fired yesterday,"  "I  got a great job today."  No area of my life could be good if I  drank again.   In sobriety my life gets better each day. I must always remember not to drink, to trust God, and to stay active in A.A.  Am I putting anything before my sobriety, God, and A.A.  today?Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Those Other People "Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim of what other people say and do. Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people, especially those whose sins did not correspond exactly with my own, I found that I only increased the total damage. My own resentment, my self-pity would often render me well-nigh useless to anybody. "So, nowadays, if anyone talks of me so as to hurt, I first ask myself if there is any truth at all in what they say. If there is none, I try to remember that I too have had my periods of speaking bitterly of others; that hurtful gossip is but a symptom of our remaining emotional illness; and consequently that I must never be angry at the unreasonableness of sick people. "Under very trying conditions I have had, again and again, to forgive others - also myself. Have you recently tried this?" LETTER, 1946 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "...with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, pg. 66*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day Let us consider the term "spiritual experience" as given in Appendix II of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. "A spiritual experience is something that brings about a personality change. By surrendering our lives to God as we understand Him, we are changed. The nature of this change is evident in recovered alcoholics. This personality change is not necessarily in the nature of a sudden and spectacular upheaval. We do not need to acquire an immediate and overwhelming God consciousness, followed at once by a vast change in feeling and outlook. In most cases, the change is gradual." Do I see a gradual and continuing change in myself? Meditation for the Day "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." For rest from the care of life, you can turn to God each day in prayer and communion. Real relaxation and serenity come from a deep sense of the fundamental goodness of the universe. God's everlasting arms are underneath all and will support you. Commune with God, not so much for petitions to be granted as for the rest that comes from relying on His will and His purposes for your life. Be sure of God's strength available to you, be conscious of His support, and wait quietly until that true rest from God fills your being. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may be conscious of God's support today. I pray that I may rest safe and sure therein.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/24/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:. . . concern should drive us into action and not into depression.--Karen HorneyIf a situation in our lives causes concern, be it mild disgruntlement or serious frustration, we should understand that our concern indicates that we need to act responsibly. Events that attract our attention need our action. Our actions can take many forms. Occasionally we will be called upon to take charge of a situation. More often, offering emotional support to another is all that's needed. Perhaps most frequently, our prayers are enough. There is always a proper response to any circumstance that causes us concern. If we choose no response, our inaction will only heighten our concern and preoccupation will hinder the day's activities.My actions today should reflect my concerns and be appropriate to the need. You are reading from the book: The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg. © 1983, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Willingness ^*^*^ September 24

​​​Click here now to check out our list of Recovery Podcasts! ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~ ^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Willingness "My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?' That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning." c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12 Thought to Consider . . . The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle rolling hills. *~*AACRONYMS*~*W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Open mindedness*~*^Just For Today!^*~*   Like a Crowbar From: "Listening to the Wind"   The Twelve Steps worked like a crowbar, prying into my dishonesty and fear. I didn't like the things I learned about myself, but I didn't want to go back where I had come from. I found out that there was no substance on the planet that could help me get honest. I would do just about anything to avoid working on myself.  2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 467-468 *^Daily Reflections^*VIGILANCE We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic." Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever.  If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 33 Today I am an alcoholic. Tomorrow will be no different.  My alcoholism lives within me now and forever. I must never forget what I am.  Alcohol will surely kill me if I fail to recognize and acknowledge my disease on a daily basis. I am not playing a game in which a loss is a temporary setback. I am dealing with my disease, for which there is no cure, only daily acceptance and vigilance.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Behind Our Excuses As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were, and that we have been motivated by forces previously unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look, with the deepest respect, interest, and profit, upon the example set us by psychiatry. <<< >>>"Spiritual growth through the practice of A.A.'s Twelve Steps, plus the aid of a good sponsor, can usually reveal most of the deeper reasons for our character defects, at least to a degree that meets our practical needs. Nevertheless, we should be grateful that our friends in psychiatry have so strongly emphasized the necessity to search for false and often unconscious motivations." 1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 2362. LETTER, 1966 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request 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. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionInto Action, pg. 87*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day Let us continue with Step Twelve. We must practice these principles in all our affairs. This part of the twelfth step must not be overlooked. It is the carrying on of the whole program. We do not just practice these principles in regard to our drinking problem. We practice them in all our affairs. We do not give one compartment of our lives to God and keep the other compartments to ourselves. We give our whole lives to God and we try to do His will in every respect. "Herein lies our growth, herein lies all the promise of the future, an ever-widening horizon." Do I carry the AA. principles with me wherever I go? Meditation for the Day "Lord, to whom shall we go but to Thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life." The words of eternal life are the words from God controlling your true being, controlling the real spiritual you. They are the words from God which are heard by you in your heart and mind when these are wide open to His spirit. These are the words of eternal life which express the true way you are to live. They say to you in the stillness of your heart and mind and soul: "Do this and live." Prayer for the DayI pray that I may follow the dictates of my conscience. I pray that I may follow the inner urging of my soul.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/23/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:The sufferings of love should ennoble, not degrade.--George SandOnly in the imagination does love promise happiness forever. Through experience we discover the myriad dimensions of love. Sometimes love is joy. Sometimes passion. Sometimes moments of serenity amongst the laughter and sadness. Generally love is soft. But it also may sting. Love is forever changing. All that love is, there's much it is not. Love is not shaming. Nor is it punishing. Love does not gloat, criticize, degrade, or diminish. At times we think we're filled with love and yet we selfishly serve our needs before another's. And when we truly express our love to another, there's no mistaking the warm glow that fills the body.How simple to be a giver of love and yet how forgetful we are when the opportunities arise. You are reading from the book: Worthy of Love by Karen Casey Worthy of Love by Karen Casey. © 1985 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Awakening ^*^*^ September 23

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Awakening"Is sobriety all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening? Again, the voice of AA speaks up. No, sobriety is only a bare beginning, it is only the first gift of the first awakening. If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. And if it does go on, we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life -- the one that did not work -- for a new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever. Regardless of worldly success or failure, regardless of pain or joy, regardless of sickness or health or even of death itself, a new life of endless possibilities can be lived if we are willing to continue our awakening." Bill W., December 1957 c. 1988AAWS, The Language of the Heart,  p. 234 Thought to Consider . . .The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.*~*AACRONYMS*~*G I F T =  God Is Forever There*~*^Just For Today!^*~*  Anvils of Experience Tradition One: Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA Unity So at the outset, how best to live and work together as groups became the prime question. In the world about us we saw personalities destroying whole peoples. The struggle for wealth, power, and prestige was tearing humanity apart as never before. If strong people were stalemated in the search for peace and harmony, what was to become of our erratic band of alcoholics? As we had once struggled and prayed for individual recovery, just so earnestly did we commence to quest for the principles through which AA itself might survive. On anvils of experience, the structure of our Society was hammered out.  1981 AAWS Inc.Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 130-131 *^Daily Reflections^*"I WAS AN EXCEPTION" He [Bill W.] said to me, gently and simply, "Do you think that you are one of us?" ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 413 During my drinking life I was convinced I was an exception. I thought I was beyond petty requirements and had the right to be excused. I never realized that the dark counterbalance of my attitude was the constant feeling that I did not "belong." At first, in A.A., I identified with others only as an alcoholic. What a wonderful awakening for me it has been to realize that, if human beings were doing the best they could, then so was I! All of the pains, confusions and joys they feel are not exceptional, but part of my life, just as much as anybody's.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Give Thanks Though I still find it difficult to accept today's pain and anxiety with any great degree of serenity - as those more advanced in the spiritual life seem able to do - I can give thanks for present pain nevertheless. I find the willingness to do this by contemplating the lessons learned from past suffering - lessons which have led to the blessings I now enjoy. I can remember how the agonies of alcoholism, the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride, have often led me to God's grace, and so to a new freedom. GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1962*~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance that principle is contempt prior to investigation.'"Alcoholics Anonymous 4th EditionAppendice II, Spiritual Experience, pg. 568*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day Step Twelve is, "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs." Note that the basis of our effectiveness in carrying the message to others is the reality of our own spiritual awakening. If we have not changed, we cannot be used to change others. To keep this program, we must pass it on to others. We cannot hoard it for ourselves. We may lose it unless we give it away. It cannot flow into us and stop; it must continue to flow into us as it flows out to others. Am I always ready to give away what I have learned in A.A.? Meditation for the Day "Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you." When you are faced with a problem beyond your strength, you must turn to God by an act of faith. It is that turning to God in each trying situation that you must cultivate. The turning may be one of glad thankfulness for God's grace in your life. Or your appeal to God may be a prayerful claiming of His strength to face a situation and finding that you have it when the time comes. Not only the power to face trials, but also the comfort and joy of God's nearness and companionship are yours for the asking. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may try to draw near to God each day in prayer. I pray that I may feel His nearness and His strength in my life.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! [aarecoveryreadings] Daily Readings - 9/29

  Daily Recovery ReadingsBluidkiti's Recovery ForumsDaily Recovery Readings and MeditationsRecovery LinksMore Recovery ReadingsNA Just For TodayDaily Spiritual MeditationsDaily PrayersDisclaimerClick here to make a Donation God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done.September 29 Daily Reflections EXACTLY ALIKE Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89 A man came to the meeting drunk, interrupted the speakers, stood up and took his shirt off, staggered loudly back and forth for coffee, demanded to talk, and eventually called the group's secretary an unquotable name and walked out. I was glad he was there--once again I saw what I still could be. I don't have to be drunk to want to be the exception and the center of attention. I have often felt abused and responded abusively when I was simply being treated as a garden variety human being. The more the man tried to insist he was different, the more I realized that he and I were exactly alike.*********************************************************** Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day Having got this far, shall we pause and ask ourselves some searching questions? We need to check up on ourselves periodically. Just how good an A.A. am I? Am I attending meetings regularly? Am I doing my share to carry the load? When there is something to be done, do I volunteer? Do I speak at meetings when asked, no matter how nervous I am? Do I accept each opportunity to do twelfth-step work as a challenge? Do I give freely of my time and money? Am I trying to spread A.A. wherever I go? Is my daily life a demonstration of A.A. principles? Am I a good A.A.? Meditation For The Day How do I get strength to be effective and to accept responsibility? By asking the Higher Power for the strength I need each day. It has been proved in countless lives that for every day I live the necessary power shall be given me. I must face each challenge that comes to me during the day, sure that God will give me the strength to face it. For every task that is given me, there is also given me all the power necessary for the performance of that task. I do not need to hold back. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may accept every task as a challenge. I know I cannot wholly fail if God is with me. *********************************************************** As Bill Sees ItA.A. In Two Words, p.271 "All A.A. progress can be reckoned in terms of just two words: humility and responsibility. Our whole spiritual development can be accurately measured by our degree of adherence to these magnificent standards. "Ever deepening humility, accompanied by an ever greater willingness to accept and to act upon clear-cut obligations--these are truly our touchstones for all growth in the life of the spirit. They hold up to us the very essence of right being and right doing. It is by them that we are enabled to find and to do God's will." Talk, 1965 (Printed In Grapevine, January 1966)***********************************************************Walk In Dry Places   When should I be Grateful? Gratitude One spiritual writer believed that our only reason for gratitude should be that we are part of God's universe. Others point out that gratitude helps us, not God or the other people to whom we are grateful. Their point is that it's not very uplifting simply to tie our gratitude to certain gifts or benefits. Such gratitude is fairly shallow and is almost no more than good manners. As recovering alcoholics, we need more than that. The best reason for gratitude is the outlook it creates as we cultivate it within ourselves. We will actually feel mentally and physically uplifted if we know true gratitude. This is the true spiritual outlook alcoholics seek in the bottle but can find only in the new way of life. I'll find ways to practice gratitude today without letting others know what I'm doing.***********************************************************Keep It Simple   Al didn’t smile for forty years. You’ve got to admire a man like that. >From the TV show, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” Remember how we used to live? We were always trying to cover up some lie or mistake. We were all like Al. Our energy was going into our illness, not into living. Gratitude is the key word in the program. Gratitude is being thankful for the getting to know our Higher Power. Remember what it was like to not smile for all those years? Recovery has given us back our smiles. What a relief! We can relax and enjoy our new life. Prayer for the Day:  I pray that I’ll always remember what is was like when I was using. I pray that I’ll not take my recovery for granted. I prayer for gratitude. Action For the Day:  I will list all the things the program and recovery have given me. I will smile about them today.***********************************************************Each Day a New Beginning Female friendships that work are relationships in which women help each other to belong to themselves.  --Louise Bernikow To have anything worth giving to a friend, we must belong to ourselves. Are we someone we like? Does our behavior agree with our beliefs? Do our friends share our values, and when we are together do we support one another? If we don't like our own company, we will try to hide our real selves. The more we hide, the further we are running from wholeness and health. We can assess ourselves, calmly and lovingly, so that we can keep on becoming the women we want to be. The more congruent are our behavior and our beliefs, the more we belong to ourselves. The better we like ourselves, the better friends we can be. The love and sympathy of my women friends can help me in my spiritual journey toward serenity, and I can help theirs. Today, I will accompany others on their journey, and thus find company for my own.***********************************************************Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth EditionChapter 5 - HOW IT WORKS This is the how and the why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most Good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom. p. 62***********************************************************Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition - StoriesLISTENING TO THE WIND - It took an "angel" to introduce this Native American woman to A.A. and recovery. I started stealing and robbed a gas station and a liquor store.  I made very few friends.  I had learned to trust no one.  One night, around eight o'clock, a car pulled up to the curb just as I had settled myself, half drunk, against the wall of a building.  I figured I had met my companion for the evening.  We made the appropriate conversation to confirm the deal, and I got into the car.  Suddenly I felt a deafening blow to my temple.  I was knocked senseless.  In a desolate area across town, I was pulled from the car, pistol whipped, and left to die in the mud with rain falling softly upon me.  I came to in a hospital room with bars on the windows.  I spent seven weeks there, having repeated surgeries and barely recognizing my surroundings each time I woke up.  Finally, when I was able to walk around a little, a policewoman came and I was taken to county jail.  It was my third arrest in two months.  Nearly two years on the street had taken its toll. pp. 459-460 ***********************************************************Twelve Steps and Twelve TraditionsStep Seven - "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." The Seventh Step is where we make the change in our attitude which permits us, with humility as our guide, to move out from ourselves toward others and toward God. The whole emphasis of Step Seven is on humility. It is really saying to us that we now ought to be willing to try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, and came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. If that degree of humility could enable us to find the grace by which such a deadly obsession could be banished, then there must be hope of the same result respecting any other problem we could possibly have. p. 76***********************************************************Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. --Hyman Judah Schactel "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." --Mother Theresa "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." --Abraham Lincoln "Being rich isn't about money. Being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to take time to stop and eat the heart of the watermelon. And some of us will be rich without ever being more than a paycheck ahead of the game." --Harvey B. Mackay "If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot see the beauty of the sunset." --Krishnamurti "Sometimes you have to get to rock bottom in order to see the right way back up." --Kate Bell***********************************************Father Leo's Daily MeditationBLACKOUTS "It is human nature to think wisely and act foolishly." -- Anatole France I experienced blackouts in my drinking. Often I would wake up and not know where I had been, what I had said or what I had done. I would awake to peer through windows searching for my car. I would telephone to find out what time I had left the party and if anything had happened. Often as I bathed I would discover bruises or bleeding from an unremembered incident. There were other times I knew what I had done, knew what I had said, remembered how I behaved -- and yet still I went back for more. I drank alcoholically for years because my pride would not allow me to be alcoholic. I created the wisest excuses for staying sick! Today my sobriety requires a wisdom that is based on reality. Lord of action, teach me to place my feet alongside my best thinking.***********************************************************"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23 A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 16:1***********************************************************Daily Inspiration Start something you've been putting off or finish something you've started so that you can remove the frustration that comes with procrastination. Lord, help me in my little way to do my little part to make this day a little better. With our blessings come responsibilities. Much is required of those to whom much has been given. Lord, may I use my blessings to be a blessing to others. Ask and you shall receive,Seek and ye shall find,Knock and it shall be opened unto you.Matthew 7:7Click Here to Read More Daily Recovery ReadingsDaily Recovery Readings ArchiveClick here to make a DonationClick here to receive Daily Recovery Readings in email.Click here to receive AA Thoughts For Today in email.Click here to receive Daily Prayers in email.Click here to receive Weekly Spiritual Meditations in email.**Click here to receive all 4 in email.This is not spam. You are receiving this because you joined this list.***If at anytime you wish to unsubscribe then send an email to bluidkiti@bluidkiti.com with unsubscribe in the subject line.  Please note what you are unsubscribing from.If this message was forwarded by someone other than bluidkiti@bluidkiti.com, please reply to the person sending the email.

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/22/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Inertia is a powerful force. So is compulsive behavior. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," writer Earnie Larsen has said for years. I think it goes one step further. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over because we can't find the button that says, "Stop." "My mom was dying," a woman said. "I went to live with her, take care of her. We had our issues, like most mothers and daughters. But I love my mom, and this was the end of her life. "She had a studio apartment. We both lived in that one room. I had to get out of there once in a while. Whenever I returned from being out, I knew what to expect. My mom would slam me with sarcastic remarks. She'd say things like, 'It's nice to know that I'm not as important to you as your friends.' "My mom had used sarcasm to cover her emotions all my life. I had tried to explain this to her, and how I felt when she was sarcastic with me. She either didn't get it, or she didn't want to change. "I had to keep taking breaks. I couldn't be there twenty-four hours a day. But I'd cringe when I came home, dreading her caustic remarks. One night, I tiptoed in. I was praying to God that Mom would be asleep. She wasn't. She was lying there waiting for me to walk through the door. "I took off my coat, said I had a nice night and asked her how she was doing. 'I'm glad you had a good time,' Mom said. 'But I feel really sad and scared when I'm alone. And I feel better now that you're here.' "I couldn't believe what I heard. Don't tell me it's too late to do things differently. My mom made a choice and took the action to change in the last week of her life."Putting values into action in our lives takes courage and hard work. Sometimes the little steps we take mean a lot.   You are reading from the book: 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact by Melody Beattie 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact © 2003 by Melody Beattie. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Faith ^*^*^ September 22

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~    /)(     \(AA)/     )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Faith"While drinking, we were certain that our intelligence, backed by will power, could rightly control our inner lives and guarantee us success in the world around us. This brave philosophy, wherein each man played God, sounded good in the speaking, but it still had to meet the acid test: How well did it actually work? one good look in the mirror was answer enough." c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 225 Thought to Consider . . . Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen*~*AACRONYMS*~*F A I T H =  Finding Answers In The Heart *~*^Just For Today!^*~*   Another Difficulty From: "To Wives"   Still another difficulty is that you may become jealous of the attention he bestows on other people, especially alcoholics. You have been starving for his companionship, yet he spends long hours helping other men and their families. You feel he should now be yours. The fact is that he should work with other people to maintain his own sobriety. Sometimes he will be so interested that he becomes really neglectful. Your house is filled with strangers. You may not like some of them. He gets stirred up about their troubles, but not at all about yours. It will do little good if you point that out and urge more attention for yourself. We find it a real mistake to dampen his enthusiasm for alcoholic work. You should join in his efforts as much as you possibly can. We suggest that you direct some of your thought to the wives of his new alcoholic friends. They need the counsel and love of a woman who has gone through what you have.  2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous, page 119 *^Daily Reflections^*A "LIMITLESS LODE" Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, our pick struck gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. Father feels he has struck something better than gold. For a time he may try to hug the new treasure to himself. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 128-29 When I talk with a newcomer to A.A., my past looks me straight in the face. I see the pain in those hopeful eyes, I extend my hand, and then the miracle happens: I become healed. My problems vanish as I reach out to his trembling soul. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Neither Dependence nor Self-Sufficiency When we insisted, like infants, that people protect and take care of us or that the world owed us a living, then the result was unfortunate. The people we most loved often pushed us aside or perhaps deserted us entirely. Our disillusionment was hard to bear. We failed to see that, though adult in years, we were still behaving childishly, trying to turn everybody - friends, wives, husbands, even the world itself - into protective parents. We refused to learn that overdependence upon people is unsuccessful because all people are fallible, and even the best of them will sometimes let us down, especially when our demands for attention become unreasonable. <<<>>> We are now on a different basis: the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us do, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity. 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 115 2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 68*~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon."Alcoholics Anonymous 4th EditionWorking With Others, pg. 99*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day Step Eight is, "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." Step Nine is, "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Making restitution for the wrongs we have done is often very difficult. It hurts our pride. But the rewards are great. When we go to a person and say we are sorry, the reaction we get is almost invariably good. it takes courage to make the plunge, but the results more than justify it. A load is off your chest and often art enemy has been turned into a friend. Have I done my best to make all the restitution possible? Meditation for the Day There should be joy in living the spiritual life. A faith without joy is not entirely genuine. If you are not happier as a result of your faith, there is probably something wrong with it. Faith in God should bring you a deep feeling of happiness and security, no matter what happens on the surface of your life. Each new day is another opportunity to serve God and improve your relationships with other people. This should bring joy. Life should be abundant and outreaching. It should be glowing and outgoing, in ever-widening circles. Prayer for the DayI pray that my horizons may grow ever wide. I pray that I may keep reaching out for more service and companionship. Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receive Transitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3.  Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! [aarecoveryreadings] Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 9/23

  Weekly Spiritual ReadingsSeptember 23, 2016 Bluidkiti's Recovery ForumsRecovery Links Daily Recovery ReadingsDaily Spiritual MeditationsDaily Prayers Click here to make a Donation to help with recovery sites expenses***********************************************************You may not think God cares about your problems, but He does. Even now, because you are His child, He is working on your behalf.   David JeremiahThe joy and sadness mixed up in daily life may both contain blessings. Sometimes the greater blessings can be found in the stormy moments. Living in Christ means all our life events are opportunities to experience his love. The more difficult ones may well bring us richer experiences of his grace.When we face a problem, we can find refuge in God.Whenever we feel alone and wonder who will understand or how we can continue, we can remember that Jesus has already been there. He hears our cries and stands ready to walk with us through whatever difficulties we face. He holds us up in our lowest moments. He offers hope when life seems hopeless and celebrates with us when our hardships cease.  Jesus knows. Jesus cares.In the vastness of the universe, each of us is held tenderly in the hands of our loving God."If you want a blessed life, put God first.  It's that simple. It doesn't mean life won't be difficult but it does mean that we will be companioned by a Love greater than any power in the world."  --Mary Manin MorrisseyGod is a friend who walks in when everyone else walks out. From God:  No matter how big, no matter how small, Just come to me and tell me it all.***********************************************************The Voice by Sally I. Kennedy"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3-4We were sitting around rehashing football games, slumber parties, teachers, and who went steady with whom. Yup, we were getting ready for another class reunion.The last time we had one, I remember thinking that the guys had definitely changed more than the girls, especially in the hair department! I recall looking at the Yearbook picture name tags; how memories came flooding back.One thing stands out most in my mind from that reunion. Although most of our appearances were drastically different from high school days, one thing had not changed one iota. That was our voices. I discovered I could identify people when I heard them speak, even if I didn't recognize them from the way they looked.How interesting. I thought of what Jesus said: the sheep listen to the shepherd's voice, and they follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, because they don't recognize his voice.How great to think that as we listen to the voice of our own shepherd, Jesus, and follow him, we won't get mis-led or go off in the wrong direction. He is speaking, and we know His voice. It is Love, and it never changes.  That is good news.***********************************************************When You're Gasping for Air by Larry EideI remember an incident as a boy when we were at the Oregon Coast, and I was knocked over by a wave. The back pull of the current was so strong that I couldn't regain my footing and was being dragged by the waves, gasping for air and thinking I was going to be dragged out to sea. Thankfully I wasn't, so that I'm able to write you these thoughts. But for a few moments of struggling on that Oregon beach, I had trouble catching a breath or getting control of the circumstances. Although it wasn't at a beach, my wife had a similar experience growing up on a farm in Iowa when she was playing around a grain bin while it was loading, lost her footing, fell in and was being covered by grain until noticed by her father and rescued from her crisis.All of us have incidents and experiences and seasons in life when it feels like things are out of control and inwardly we're gasping for air, trying to catch our breath but feeling overwhelmed and a bit like the waves of worry, fear, sorrow, anxiety, depression, discouragement, or other emotions are sweeping over us and we're fighting a losing battle. If you're in one of those seasons, or when you are, take heart and have courage remembering the character, promises, and plans of God for you. When you're caught up in the experience or immediate circumstance it's easy for that to become your main focus, but returning to the big picture in your heart and mind will bring renewed strength, hope, and courage to catch your breath, regain your footing, and find the ability to move forward and through the circumstances.I experienced this personally during this summer season, which held many blessings for which I am deeply thankful, but also some heavy testings which related to the struggles of three of our children. As parents we naturally identify with them and carry their burdens with them, and at one point I found myself inwardly feeling like I was gasping for air, pleading for the mercy of Christ. It was in focusing on the character, promises, and plans of God for my children as well as my wife and I that I was able to regain my footing and move forward with confidence and courage.Jesus has said that he will be with us always, that he uses all things to work for the good of those who love him, that he loves us and is accomplishing supernaturally a plan for our lives that is good and pleasing and perfect. It's important to remember that when the struggles of life start to overwhelm you and you feel like you can hardly catch your breath. At those times, take a deep spiritual breath and let the life and love of Christ renew you and let his strength be made powerfully evident in your weakness!"Breathe on me, breath of God! Fill me with life anew, that I might love as you've loved & do what you would do! Help me BREATHE in Your Holy Spirit and exhale SELF. I can do all things in Christ, Who strengthens me! In Jesus Holy Name! Amen!" POW! ***********************************************************A Quiet Life by Tom“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, NIV)“A quiet life?” Some of you read that phrase and thought, “Dream on, Dude! Ain’t happening! You can talk about living a quiet life all you want, but you don’t know the world I live in. There is nothing quiet about it!”Unfortunately I hear statements like that too often. Unfortunately I also find myself thinking along those same lines and using similar language.There are two words in the sentence that appear to be contradictory: “ambition” and “quiet life.” We rarely put those two words together. When we think of ambition we think of climbing the corporate ladder, getting to top before anyone else, winning at all cost, being the very best, being a high achiever, and accumulating the most. Ambition is often spelled B-U-S-Y. Ambition speaks of hustle and hurry. When we think of a quiet life we hear Jesus say, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” We hear the Psalmist say: “Be still and know that I am God.” The quiet life reminds us of peaceful waters, green pasture, and a restored soul.When we think of ambition we are reminded of the disciples arguing over, “Who is the greatest?” When we think of the quiet life we are reminded of Jesus going off by Himself  to a quiet place. When we think of ambition we have visions of the President. When we think of the quiet life we see images of a father fishing with his son on the bank of a pond. When we think of ambition we see the corner office with a spectacular view of the city. When we think of the quiet life we see Granddaddy sitting in his rocker on the front porch. When we think ambition we often think hard-working and successful. When we think of the quiet life we often think lazy and failure.  Is the quiet life feasible in our day? It must be and Paul provides three simple guidelines for living the quiet life.Plan for it. The quiet life will not just happen. It must be your ambition. It must be your goal. You must plan for it. You will not wake up one morning and suddenly your world has become quiet. You will need to work at living a quiet life. There will be things you must stop if you are going to live a quiet life. You will need to shut down and shut out some of the noise in your life, get rid of some of the clutter in your life, and focus on what really matters. To have a quiet life you must desire a quiet life. Mind your own business. Wow! What a difference that will make! Do not read that statement like siblings would say it to each other: “Mind your own business!” Read like a loving spiritual parent would say it to their spiritual son or daughter who is trying to be the person God wants them to be: “Just mind your own business. It’s not your responsibility to straighten out the rest of the world. You have plenty to do taking care of your own business. Don’t borrow frustration from someone else. Just mind your own business.” Social media would certainly change if we started minding our own business. Conversations between friends would sound different. That does not mean you ignore the needs of other people. Paul has covered that in other places. As a general rule, mind your own business. Do your own job. Work with your hands. What have you been trained to do? Do that. What are you most passionate about? Do that. Do it well. Work hard at what you are gifted to do. You cannot do someone else’s job and still do your well. If you are teacher, then be a teacher. If you are a preacher, then be a preacher. If you are an artist, be an artist. If you are a police officer, be a police officer. If you serve coffee, then serve coffee. The quiet life often escapes us not because it is unachievable, but because we make excuses, because we enjoy being (or appearing) over-worked and over-committed, and because we simply refuse to make it our ambition. It is your choice. Is it important? Is it possible? God thought it was important enough to include in His Book. Maybe this week you will experience the quiet life. ***********************************************************Blind Horse by Alison CotterJust up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if one stops the car, or is walking by, one will notice something quite amazing.Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.Listening, one will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, one will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As one stands and watches these two friends, one sees how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is -- trusting that she will not lead him astray.Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by God and those whom he places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see God.Prayer: Heavenly Father, who watches over even a blind old horse, thank you for watching over us and leading us to You. Amen.  ***********************************************************DO WHAT YOU CAN by Joseph J. MazzellaI was in a rush to get my power bill payment in the mail today. I pulled my car into the post office parking lot, hopped out, and started quickly walking towards the entrance. Then I saw something green on the sidewalk. I looked down and saw a hummingbird lying on the concrete with her wings spread out. She was breathing slowly in and out but not moving otherwise. I squatted down to take a closer look. She appeared more stunned than injured and I wondered if she had accidently flown into the clear glass window on the side of the building. I was sure of one thing, though. If she stayed where she was for much longer she was either going to be accidently stepped on or end up as dinner for a stray cat. Taking the tiny bird gently in my hand I lifted her up, carried her over to the green grass, and with a few kind words lay her down.I hoped that the camouflage of the grass would give her time to recover and said a prayer to God for her safety. Then I left her and went into the post office. The next day I returned and checked the area around where I had left her. She was gone. I smiled and imagined her flying happily around and feasting at someone’s bird feeder. It felt good knowing that even if I hadn’t done much, I had done what I could.So often the things we do seem so small. What we don’t realize, however, is that every single one of them is important in the eyes of God. Do what you can then to make this world a better place. Do what you can to share the love within you. It can be as simple as a prayer. It can be as little as a hug. It can be as tiny as a few coins offered to help another. It can be as small as akind word, a smile, or a wave. It can be as itty bitty as helping a hummingbird off the sidewalk.In the eyes of Heaven they are all priceless, they are all powerful, and they are all eternal. In the eyes of God they are all beacons of the light in our souls and the love in our hearts.***********************************************************Letting Go Of FinancesLetting go doesn't mean we don't care. It's about having faith that things will work out. Let's take a look at how letting go applies to the issue of money.John had been an alcoholic for years. Over time, the disease destroyed his life, including his financial health. He hit bottom and finally began recovery. After a while, he was able to start making progress in life.But his finances were in terrible shape. For a while, he hid all the bills in a drawer. Then one day, he took out the bills and started to make a plan. Instead of feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, he applied the Twelve Steps to this area of his life. He called his creditors. He gave himself a budget. He did the best that he could and he let go of the rest.Slowly, over the years, he began to rebuild his credit. He paid off his debts, a little at a time. He applied for a credit card, the kind you have to pay in advance. Then after a year, his limit was raised. He doesn't use the card for credit; he uses it for a credit rating. He's now got a checking and savings account. He pays his taxes and manages to save a little every week. Sometimes things happen. Cars break down. People get sick. The rent gets raised. That unexpected expense come up, out of the blue, just when you thought you were ahead. There were many years I couldn't do my budget on paper. No matter how I arranged it, more had to go out than I could see coming in. I did my best, took responsibility for myself, then let go. Worry never helped. An attitude of taking responsibility for myself did.What we cannot do for ourselves, God will do for us. And God knows we need money to live here on earth. What was that the Bible said?Seek money first, and then you'll have peace? Nope, I got that backwards. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else shall be added unto you." Manifest what you need from a place of responsibility,trust, and peace.God, teach me to let go of worry about money.  --Melody Beattie ***********************************************************Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha BurnsYou are coming to an intersection in life where you must choose the direction your life will take.  The choices will be clear, and you will be able to distinguish between the two.  One path will draw you ever closer to Me, says the Lord, and the other path will take you further down the road of worldliness and self-interest.  Choose wisely.  Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."Take a stand against evil.  You will have opportunities to compromise this stance for the sake of not being rejected by the world.  But, you must make a conscious decision to maintain a position of righteousness regardless of the cost.  The spiritual reward for your dedication and commitment will far outweigh the worldly benefits of compromise, says the Lord.  1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.Make your witness and testimony sure.  Your testimony is not credible when you quote My word and yet do not exhibit My character and nature.  Your witness of the gospel message is more powerful when not just spoken but demonstrated.  Do not be a hearer only but a doer of the word, says the Lord.  1 John 1:5-6 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.Beloved, examine the motivation behind your commitments.  My desire is that when you commit it is motivated by your love for Me, says the Lord, and not your need for approval or position.  I would have you come into the secret place before Me with a pure heart and righteous dedication.  Refuse to allow the enemy to establish selfish ambition or corruption in your reasoning and subsequent actions.  Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.I heard in my spirit the phrase "patient continuance."  And, the Lord said, "Stay on course.  Do not deviate from your purpose in My kingdom.  Distractions will come that would cause you to lose focus and drift, but you must remain steadfast and immovable.  Deliberately choose to be loyal and faithful to Me."  Romans 2:5-8  But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath.Keep your thoughts and emotions under control so that you do not open the door to attacks from the enemy.  Make sure that you are in complete unity with Me and under My protection, says the Lord.  Pay attention to the things you say or do that keep you from being righteous and that prevent you from walking in the Spirit.  Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.***********************************************************The Trumpet by Bill Burns"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1Spiritually understand the times you live in. Understand that which I am doing. Understand what the enemy is doing against you. And, understand that I have designed you to prevail over all of the works of the enemy. I have designed you to win the race that you are running. I have designed you so that you may have faith in Me. Walk with Me and therefore receive all the blessings that I have spoken on your behalf. So arise now. Arise and wake up so that you can see and understand that which is taking place around you. Pay attention to those things so that you can indeed walk in the Spirit and run this race to win.In this season, says the Lord, I will astonish you. For, I am about to demonstrate the power of My kingdom in your lives. And, as you rise up and say, "Here I am, Lord, come to me", indeed I shall visit you from on high and the manifestation of My gifts shall begin to unveil themselves in your life. The results will be a quickened faith, a faith that brings you higher into the kingdom, a faith that compels you to live under My divine rule and challenges you to come boldly before My throne of grace. Get ready for that which I am about to do. Position yourself to step fully into this new season. For, it shall be that the glory of My kingdom and the fire and the power of My Spirit will now come to you.***********************************************************“When you are in troubled and worried and sick at heartAnd your plans are upset and your world falls apart,Remember God's ready and waiting to shareThe burden you find much to heavy to bear--So with faith, "Let Go and Let GOD" lead your wayInto a brighter and less troubled day”--Helen Steiner Rice ***********************************************************Money does not make me a personMaterial possessions do not make me a personWhat makes me a personIs how I live my lifeHow I treat othersHow I treat myselfLiving my life for God everydayDoing His willMakes me the person I desireHaving a positive attitudeBeing loving, kind and forgivingLending a helping handRemembering to treat others as I would have them treat meMakes me the person I desireBeing selfless, trustworthy and honestGentle, patient and understandingGrowing in God's image everydayMakes me the person I desireMoney and material possessions only give fleeting happinessLeaving us wanting moreSeeking and continuing to grow in God's imageGives happiness and joy everydayAnd fills us upWritten by:  Tammy B.  9/24/02***********************************************************Matthew 5:14-16  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men.""The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does."  Psalm 145:13b"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5–6)."I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."  Psalm 40:1-3"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)***********************************************************Fixers by Sally I. KennedyHe heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3I am into fixing things. If something breaks, get out the masking tape, superglue, or bandages.  We all knew my dad could fix anthing, from a picture frame that fell apart to a table leg that had broken. All you had to do was take it to him and you knew he would get it fixed and back to you.My husband is a fixer, too. Our granddaughter says emphatically, when something, like a flat tire on her bike needs fixing, or a splinter in her finger, “PopPop can fix it.”There are some things we just cannot fix, though, no matter how hard we try. We cannot fix broken hearts. That is a real tough one, but not too hard for our God.Luke 1:37 tells us, “nothing is impossible with God”. The Lord himself said, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26)When we take our broken hearts to the healer, the One who created our hearts, we can have them fixed. The only real fix for a broken heart is the Lord…. His mercy, His kindness, His gentleness, and most of all His loving presence. He is not only the ultimate creator, He is the ultimate fixer.  That is good news.***********************************************************Lord Jesus, we praise you for your amazing grace. Help us to follow you each step of our lives. Amen.***********************************************************Read Through The BiblePsalm 331 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. 4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. 16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. 22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.***********************************************************Lord God, be with us in our trials. Help us to look beyond our immediate circumstances, and remind us that You are always with us and that this present situation will look differently tomorrow. Amen. Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://ift.tt/29YTKSQ . Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters. Click here to receive Daily Prayers in email.Click here to receive Daily Recovery Readings in email.Click here to receive AA Thoughts For Today in email.Click here to receive Weekly Spiritual Meditations in email.**Click here to receive all 4 in email.***If at anytime you wish to unsubscribe then send an email to bluidkiti@bluidkiti.com with unsubscribe in the subject line.  Please note what you are unsubscribing from. 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