I remember one of my old sponsors telling me that fear and faith are like a 2 sided coin (fear on 1 side and faith on the other). U can never have both sides. U ar either living in fear or ur living in faith.
I still remember this, even after 11+ years of not seeing her.
I find that when i do give my fears to God, I am practicing (and living in) faith. Fear is based on self will and faith is Gods will. I try not to pick and choose what I hand over to God. Sometimes (due to fear) I will try to control the situation so that I get a desired outcome. In all reality, i have no control over that. But when i choose to hand everything over to God, things always work out as they should.
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November 3~Daily Reflections
FOCUSING AND LISTENING
There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
If I do my self-examination first, then surely, Iâll have enough humility to pray and meditateâbecause Iâll see and feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with prayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to take place in between, whereas others start with meditation, listening for advice from God about their still hidden or unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and verbal work on their defects, ending with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These threeâself-examination, meditation and prayerâform a circle, without a beginning or an end. No matter where, or how, I start, I eventually arrive at my destination: a better life.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
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âWe can meet these conditions every day if we have the proper attitude and work at it.â â Big Book, p. 69
What âproper attitudeâ do I want to practice to stay aligned with recovery and peace today?
Willingness is the biggest attitude adjustment Iâve needed. To listen. To see things differently and try new things. To take different action. To connect with my HP & trust whatâs being revealed to me. None of that was possible for me without willingness. Today I will remember that and be more open to opportunities that present themselves to me that allow me to practice this. 
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November 4~Daily Reflections
A DAILY DISCIPLINE
. . . when they [self-examination, meditation and prayer] are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
The last three Steps of the program invoke Godâs loving discipline upon my willful nature. If I devote just a few moments every night to a review of the highlights of my day, along with an acknowledgement of those aspects that didnât please me so much, I gain a personal history of myself, one that is essential to my journey into self-discovery. I was able to note my growth, or lack of it, and to ask in prayerful meditation to be relieved of those continuing shortcomings that cause me pain. Meditation and prayer also teach me the art of focusing and listening. I find that the turmoil of the day gets tuned out as I pray for His will and guidance. The practice of asking Him to help me in my strivings for perfection puts a new slant on the tedium of any day, because I know there is honor in any job done well. The daily discipline of prayer and meditation will keep me in fit spiritual condition, able to face whatever the day bringsâwithout the thought of a drink.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
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âWe are going to know peace.ââ Big Book, p. 83
What does real peace look and feel like for me today? How can I create space for it?
Man, this is such a great question. Peace to me correlates to serenity. Ease. Not trying to control everything or everyone. Accepting life on lifeâs terms and things for as they are, not what I wanted them to be. Just being in the moment and content in it. Not waiting for the next things, just being good with where I am now. That, to me, is what comes to mind for peace today. I create the space for it simply by working this program.
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Peace. Again when I examine my experience around this, it strikes me as a bit humorousâŠPeace is being content to tend to my own affairs, my own little garden. Not that I wonât interact when asked or where appropriate, but I allow others the grace and dignity of their own sovereign journey. Shake the dust from your shoes, and move on, seems wiser counsel than ever to me. Being grateful for my connection to God (for lack of a better word) and not being pulled off the beam.
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November 5~Daily Reflections
âTHE QUALITY OF FAITHâ
This . . . has to do with the quality of faith. . . . In no deep or meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves. . . . We had not even prayed rightly. We had always said, âGrant me my wishesâ instead of âThy will be done.â
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 32
God does not grant me material possessions, take away my suffering, or spare me from disasters, but He does give me a good life, the ability to cope, and peace of mind. My prayers are simple: first, they express my gratitude for the good things in my life, regardless of how hard I have to search for them; and second, I ask only for the strength and the wisdom to do His will. He answers with solutions to my problems, sustaining my ability to live through daily frustrations with a serenity I did not believe existed, and with the strength to practice the principles of A.A. in all of my everyday affairs.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
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âWhen we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God.ââ Big Book, p. 52
What evidence of my Higher Powerâs presence can I recognize in my own life today?
Oh man, itâs EVERYWHERE. From the words others speak or write, to the animals I see, to the intuitive nudges I get, to the messages others provide, the dreams or messages I am given, or the experiences I am given in my life. I see God working in my life constantly and for this I am grateful.
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I love this topic of prayer. I know in the problem, I would only pray to God if I was in a tough situation, asking for help. I never gave thanks or showed gratitude.
Today I pray daily and i start my prayer first with thanks and gratitude. Then i will pray for others. And finally ask for things for myself, like guidance, peace, patience etc. I do at times ask for a specific outcome but ultimately i know that it is based on Gods will for me. What I want, may not be what is best for me.
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I agree, that Gods work in my life is happening EVERYWHERE!! God works thru people to help me, guide me, to teach me things. And also uses me to help others. I like how ur post talks about ânudgesâ from God. If Im open to hearing God, I too will get those nudges. The tricky part for me is following thru with those nudges. Sometimes I ignore them and then of course feel awful afterwards. So i do my best to not only pray daily, but also listen to what is being shown to me. AND THEN actually follow thru with it.
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Faith, and reliance on the Spirit of the Universe. Oh, my! Iâm really feeling these today. A contract, I hope the last, that I entered into before sobriety and step work, is coming due now. Bc I was not relying on faith, I was a completely inadequate advocate for myself. I was playing small, and accepting crumbs. Now, itâs funny, I feel both more humble, and more confident. I walk through a world where there are no mere coincidences. Itâs an amazing way of life to be shared.
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November 6~Daily Reflections
GOING WITH THE FLOW
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him. . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96
The first words I speak when arising in the morning are, âI arise, O God, to do Thy will.â This is the shortest prayer I know and it is deeply ingrained in me. Prayer doesnât change Godâs attitude toward me; it changes my attitude toward God. As distinguished from prayer, meditation is a quiet time, without words. To be centered is to be physically relaxed, emotionally calm, mentally focused and spiritually aware.
One way to keep the channel open and to improve my conscious contact with God is to maintain a grateful attitude. On the days when I am grateful, good things seem to happen in my life. The instant I start cursing things in my life, however, the flow of good stops. God did not interrupt the flow; my own negativity did.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
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âWhen the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.ââ Big Book, p. 64
Where might I need spiritual alignment before I can feel balanced in other areas of my life?
Ooh thatâs a good question. I have noticed that my physical ailments tend to correlates with my spiritual ailments. For me, fears and emotional secuirties are always my biggest and most frequently visited hurdles. But, Iâve been doing work on my hips where that sits physically and spiritually as well as emotionally. Today I will ask for more opportunities to be shown where I may still be out of alignment.
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On my morning walk, I almost always find myself saying, âDear God, I thank You for this day.â But it is largely about the experience of the outdoors for me. Iâve been listening to the podcast of Father Bill W â a former Episcopal priest in recovery. Last nightâs episode had a quote which Iâm going to bungle, but it was something like: In seeking God, we finally realize that we can never be where God is not. I took this to mean that itâs bc the Spirit dwells within. I just have to keep polishing the jewel to find the fit spiritual condition to see it, and to serve what I discern. The four absolutes?
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November 7~Dailt Reflections
LET GO AND LET GOD
. . . praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96
When I âLet Go and Let God,â I think more clearly and wisely. Without having to think about it, I quickly let go of things that cause me immediate pain and discomfort. Because I find it hard to let go of the kind of worrisome thoughts and attitudes that cause me immense anguish, all I need do during those times is allow God, as I understand Him, to release them for me, and then and there, I let go of the thoughts, memories and attitudes that are troubling me.
When I receive help from God, as I understand Him, I can live my life one day at a time and handle whatever challenges come my way. Only then can I live a life of victory over alcohol, in comfortable sobriety.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
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âWhen we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing.ââ Big Book, p. 53
What does âGod is everythingâ mean to me in practical terms today?
To me, this means God is everywhere. In all places. As a friend (@Amelie) wisely put this yesterday, âWe can never be where God is notâ. But it also means to me that I had to surrender to a power greater than myself. The steps are in order for a reason, and one of the absolute first things I needed to do to work this program were the first 3 steps. My own will got me no where good, so surrendering to that was the best thing Iâve ever found in my life and I am grateful for that connection today.
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Both of todayâs readings remind me of a phrase that I heard, probably from the same Father Bill W podcast, that God lives in the present moment. That with a mile high view, the march of time proceeds in a fashion that makes sense. Causes and conditions. Thereâs another thing that comes to mind, too, an exercise that Carolyn Myss talks about: where are you plugged in, to the past, to the future, energetically today? I find it really helpful to visualize pulling those energetic plugs, like electric plugs, one at a time, from places my nervous energy is going other than the present time. Which is really the same as what revisiting the first three steps does, so, we come full circle. Back to the Present! Godâs time.
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November 8~Daily Reflections
AN INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURE
Meditation is something which can always be further developed. It has no boundaries, either of width or height. Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 101
My spiritual growth is with God as I understand Him. With Him I find my true inner self. Daily meditation and prayer strengthen and renew my source of well-being. I receive then the openness to accept all that He has to offer. With God I have the reassurance that my journey will be as He wants for me, and for that I am grateful to have God in my life.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
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âWe had to ask ourselves why we shouldnât apply to our human problems this same readiness to change our point of view.ââ Big Book, p. 52
Where might a shift in perspective help me grow or soften something Iâve been resisting today?
Thereâs SO much in my life I have applied these steps, principals, and this program to. This is something that can (and should) be used in ALL of my affairs so I can continue to live happy, joyous and free. Today I will ask to see a new place they can be applied.
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I read both of todayâs readings and found myself saying: I love what Iâm good at. That was a phrase my high school diving coach used to admonish us with when we resisted moving to higher degree of difficulty but new to us dives. I feel this way about meditation sometimes, looking forward ways to avoid taking on something I may not be good at right away. But like sobriety, it wonât get easier if I put it off!
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