A Day at a Time: Daily Reflections for Recovering People (Hazelden Meditations)

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As individuals and as a fellowship, Bill W. said, we shall surely suffer if we cast the whole idea of planning for tomorrow into a fatuous idea of providence. God’s real providence has endowed us human beings with a considerable capability for foresight, and He evidently expects us to use it. Of course, we shall often miscalculate the future in whole or in part, but that is better than to refuse to think at all. Have I begun to believe that I am only an actor in a play directed by something greater than myself? Today I Pray When I sit quietly and compare my life today with the way it used to be, the difference is almost beyond belief. But things aren’t always rosy; some days are a lot better than others. I tend to accept the bad days more easily on an intellectual level than I do emotionally, or at gut level. There are no pat answers, but part of the solution surely lies in a constant effort to practice and live all of the Twelve Steps. Do I accept the fact that my Higher Power will never give me more than I can handle—one day at a time? Today I Pray I used to see everything in terms of forever. Endless hours were spent rehashing old mistakes. I tried to take comfort in the forlorn hope that tomorrow would be different. The way of A.A. is the way of sobriety, fellowship, serviceand faith. Let us take up each one of these things and see ifour feet are truly on the way. The first and greatest to usis sobriety. The others are built on sobriety as a foundation.We could not have the others if we did not have sobriety. Weall come to A.A. to get sober, and we stay to help others getsober. We are looking for sobriety first, last and all thetime. We cannot build any kind of decent life unless we staysober. Am I on the A.A. way? May my Higher Power remove from me the arrogant pride that keeps our connection from growing ever stronger. May my unhealthy dependence on substances and my clinging dependence on those nearby be transformed into a reliance on my Higher Power. Only through my reliance on a Higher Power will I find personal transformation. Today I Will Remember

The goal is to take the word from our ears - and place it into our hearts - our minds - and our daily lives. These lessons can bring the Daily Bible Readings from Mass to life for your students! It is essential for my personal survival and that of theFellowship that I not use A.A. to put myself in thelimelight. Anonymity is a way for me to work on my humility.Since pride is one of my most dangerous shortcomings, practicingIf we are determined to stop drinking, using, or giving in to our compulsions, there must be no reservations whatsoever, nor any lurking notion that our addiction will someday reverse itself. Our regeneration comes through the splendid paradox of the Twelve Steps: strength arises from complete defeat, and the loss of one’s old life is a condition for finding a new one. Am I convinced that in powerlessness, power comes? Am I certain that by releasing my life and will I am released? Today I Pray Daily Readings should be the first class of the day, 5 days a week for students in every grade, in every Catholic School and with every Homeschool family." ~Deacon Keith Fournier

Today is the day for which I asked and for which I have been given strength. That in itself is a miracle. In my old life, I constantly endangered myself as well as countless others. So the very fact that I am alive is the great miracle from which all other miracles will flow, providing I continue to do the things that have brought me this far in my new life. Am I grateful that I have been given this day? Today I Pray Each daily reading lesson includes a study guide, video, script, assessment and answer key as well as a virtual library of supplemental resources.I admitted that I couldn’t win the battle against substance abuse and compulsions on my own. So I finally began to accept the critically important fact that dependence on a Higher Power could help me achieve what had always seemed impossible. I stopped running. I stopped fighting. For the first time, I began accepting. And for the first time, I began to be really free. Do I realize that it doesn’t matter what kind of shoes I’m wearing when I’m running away? Today I Pray Just for Today: I will allow knowledge of my true nature to guide my actions. Today, I will face the world as myself. Since I came to recovery, I’ve become increasingly aware of the Serenity Prayer. I see it in recovery literature, on the walls of meeting rooms, and in the homes of newfound friends. 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. Do I understand the Serenity Prayer? Do I believe in its power and repeat it often? Is it becoming easier for me to accept the things I cannot change? Today I Pray I’m beginning to see just how unnatural my old life actually was, and that it became increasingly unnatural as my disease progressed. The longer I’m in recovery, the more natural this new way of life seems. At first, it was impossible for me to extend my hand to a fellow person in recovery; such an act was wholly unnatural for me. But it is becoming increasingly easier for me to reach out to other people in recovery. Sharing my experience, strength, and hope is becoming a natural part of daily living. Have I learned that I can’t keep what I’ve gotten unless I give it away? Will I take the time to share today? Today I Pray I praise my wonder-working Higher Power for giving me the tools for recovery, once I admitted I was powerless over my addiction and gave myself over to the will of my Higher Power—as I’ve conceived of it. I give thanks for the Twelve Steps and for the fellowship of the group, which can help me see myself honestly. I give thanks for those words and phrases that become, as we understand them more completely, banners in our celebration of sobriety. Today I Will Remember