At times, despair, sadness, and hopelessness fill us. None of us will get out of this world without experiencing tragedy. At these times, we turn to our Higher Power and the spiritual principles as guides. At these times, especially, we turn to the fellowship. We are here to help each other, comfort each other, and offer sanctuary to each other. We are to be each other’s gifts.

During our active addiction, when troubles came, we turned inward, pretending everything was okay. We acted as if we needed no one – mainly because we trusted no one. We were surrounded by darkness, inside and out. Recovery teaches us to trust in the “Light,” to believe it is there even when we can’t see it. It may be as close as our next meeting or a phone call to our sponsor. In this, we must believe deeply.

Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, I look to You when I can’t see. Show me the Light.  I look to You for the guidance I cannot give myself. Show me the way and give me hope. Higher Power, thank You!

Today's Action

Today I will remember a time during my active addiction when I felt hopeless. I will reflect on what I learned from this and share my thoughts with a recovery friend. You are reading from the book:



God Grant Me... by Anonymous

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance.
Where there is love and joy, there is neither greed nor selfishness.
Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt. You are reading from the book:



The 12 Step Prayer Book Volume 2 by Bill P. and Lisa D.

Even though many of us were certainly ready to take the First Step - to admit that we were addicts - we balked at taking the following eleven steps. We felt it would be ridiculous or too much work, or we denied the existence of a Higher Power.

When we started to hurt bad or began to reach for that first fix, pill, or drink, we woke up. We remembered and longed for the promise of peace of mind contained in those Steps. The PROMISE! Then we made a decision to work these Steps and to earn that promise.

Do I have peace of mind? Higher Power, the plan is up to You; the decision is up to me.

God help me to stay clean and sober today. You are reading from the book:



Day by Day - Second Edition by Anonymous

Coastal redwoods are the planet's most enduring lifework. A fallen coastal redwood will sprout anew within three weeks. Small trees can endure more than 400 years beneath a closed forest canopy without losing their ability to grow rapidly if and when that canopy is opened.

We can be like that, too. No matter how painful our life may have been, we always have the internal resources to heal and grow into happiness. We now have the strength, insight, and spiritual tools. This combination teaches us that there is no unhappiness too great to be made better. Opening ourselves up to the miracles of recovery, we step from the dark of negativity into the light of possibility and abundance. It doesn't happen all at once, but it does happen - one day at a time.

Today let me have complete faith that my unhappiness will be removed as I work the steps of my program. You are reading from the book:



Body, Mind, and Spirit by Anonymous

    Children are good at asking for help at the first sign of distress. They usually don't attempt to bandage their own knees or comfort themselves when they have nightmares. However, as we become adults, this natural ability to ask for help from others seems to disappear. We think we can do it all ourselves. Most women who begin to realize that their gambling is much more intense than that of their friends, or causes too many fights with their spouse or partner, or makes bill-paying impossible, start trying home remedies.
    Home remedies, such as willpower, distraction, prayer, and firm self-reminders of the consequences, can sometimes work just fine, according to research. However, most of the women researched in an Internet survey tried home remedies (over and over again) without success. No matter how many times they left their credit cards at home to limit their gambling at the casino, they ended up driving back to get them. No matter how many times they willed themselves to never go back, they did. That's why the majority of women (90 percent) finally resorted to asking for help, either from GA, professionals, or both. Many were in desperate condition before they could ask for help.
The caution raised here is: Don't wait too long. If the strategies for self-help are not working for you, you don't have to suffer alone. Continuing to suffer alone and gamble compulsively can lead to long term financial ruin, prison, homelessness, severed relationships, and suicide. Many women have experienced great relief by confiding in another person the true nature of their gambling problem, and asking that person to help them find help. It's the first step in finally taking your life back from compulsive gambling, when your efforts to stop aren't working. Don't wait too long.

An excerpt from the book: Taking Back Your Life: Women and Problem Gambling by Diane Rae Davis, Ph.D.

Coeur is the French word for "heart." When we act with courage, we act from our hearts, not our heads alone. We boldly do what feels right. We may be scared if we're going against the grain, but we have confidence and faith supporting our actions.

Being courageous does not require going into battle -- we do not have to be saving someone's life. It takes a lot of courage just to be honest with ourselves and others, to decide to change behaviors, and to leave destructive relationships.

Today I will pray for courage. You are reading from the book:



Letting Go of Debt by Karen Casanova

Time past is gone forever, and we can never go back to it. Even our disease progresses forward. We cannot expect to control it by a return to measures which may have worked for a time in the past. Those methods eventually failed, and trying them again will only bring us to the same point of failure.

The only way to avoid repetitious failure is to move forward creatively as our Higher Power leads us. Each day is a new creation, and each day brings new lessons and opportunities. We build on what is past, but we do not need to repeat it.

Moving forward involves risking what is unknown. The old, familiar rut, depressing as it is, is a known quantity. Moving out of it requires that we have courage and that we trust in One who knows and cares. To move on, we must act. Insights do not produce growth until they are accompanied by specific actions.

May I risk new actions as You lead me forward. You are reading from the book:



Food for Thought by Elisabeth L.

It was a slow, boring January day. We had just moved in to our new home. Construction wasn't complete. The house was a mess. All we had was a plan and a dream. There wasn't any furniture yet. We were lying around on the floor. It was too cold and rainy to be outdoors.

I don't know who got the idea first, my son or me. But we both picked up Magic Markers about the same time. Then we started drawing on the wall.

"What do you want to happen in your life?" I asked. He drew pictures of seaplanes, and mountains, and boats leaving the shore. One picture was of a video cameraman jumping out of a plane. "I want adventure," he said.

I drew pictures of a woman tromping around the world. She went to war-torn countries. She visited the mountains and the oceans and many exciting places. Then I drew a heart around the entire picture, and she sat there in the middle of all the experiences on a big stack of books. "I want stories," I said, "ones with a lot of heart."

Across the entire picture, in big letters, he wrote the word "Woohoo!" On the bottom of the wall I wrote, "The future is only limited by what we can see now." He grabbed a marker, crossed out only, and changed it to never. "There," he said, "it's done."

Thank God, the future is never limited by what we can see right now.

Before we start speaking the language of letting go, we need to understand what a powerful behavior letting go and letting God really is.

God, help me do my part. Then help me let go and let You do yours.

You are reading from the book:



More Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

Traveling together, a horse sported a fine coat and a magnificent saddle with ornate decorations, while a mule was burdened with a heavy load. Its coat was matted and filled with burrs.

"Oh, how I wish I could be as beautiful and graceful as you are," the mule told the horse. "I wish, too, that I was as unburdened and carefree."

A few days later, a great war broke out and the horse went into battle while the mule carried supplies. During a skirmish, the horse was gravely wounded and lay dying upon the ground when the mule came upon him. It was then that the mule realized that in being himself, he had fulfilled his purpose and been kept safe.

The Moral of the story: Be secure in who you are.

You may look at others and what they have and wish you had the same characteristics or were in the same place as they. Ultimately, how you feel about who you are determines your level of self-esteem. Even though there are things you want to change about yourself, these things make up who you are today. No matter what your defects or imperfections, accept who you are in the present moment.

Today I will appreciate who I am and what I have.  You are reading from the book:



Morning Light by Amy E. Dean

Everybody makes mistakes. The difference now is that I can see them more clearly afterward, and I am not living in denial about them.

If I become too critical of myself when I do make a mistake, I can remind myself that it's part of being human. I can remind myself that it's a learning experience and a mistake I won't make so easily in the future. Mistakes are not made intentionally, but they are errors caused by a lack of information or lack of attention.

Today I pay attention more than ever before and have more information than I ever have had. Mistakes will still happen, but they probably won't be as serious or dangerous as they were in my past. I can allow myself to make mistakes, understanding that when I give myself this freedom, I am accepting myself for who I am and loving myself unconditionally.

You are reading from the book:



Time to Fly Free by Judith R. Smith