Your Daily Reprieve 10.31.14

Your Daily Reprieve for Friday October 31, 2014

From Stuart, Florida

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into
enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order,
confusion to clarity. . . . Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings
peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
--Melody Beattie

Why do birds sing in the morning? It's the triumphant shout:

"We got through another night."
--Enid Bagnold

"Do not ask God to guide your footsteps

if you are not willing to move your feet."

~Anonymous

*****

When I first got sober, I somehow had the idea that once I did Steps Six and Seven that I would be fine. I would make a list of my character defects and shortcomings. I would work on them one at a time. Then (I thought) when I was finished with that one, I would move on to the next one.

That's what I thought.

However, my experience has been that working on my character defects and shortcomings is like playing whack-a-mole. I hit one down and another one pops up over there.

~As We See It

Big Book Quote

When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we
resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have
we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another
person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we
have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or
were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could
pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift
into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our
usefulness to others. After making our review we ask Gods
forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86~

Daily Share!

AA Speaker of the Day

Fr Leo Booth

Long Beach, CA

@ the Atlanta Round Up 1983

http://goo.gl/JKptLH

Wee Willie’s

Sobriety First Media

AA CD’s Literature and tapes

http://www.mediafire.com/sobrietyfirst

email: sobrietyfirst@verizon.net

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Celebrate Your Anniversary Here

SHOW HOW IT WORKS!!!

If you are celebrating an anniversary this month,

please send along the date and any message you would

like to share with the other 2200 people on this email list and

perhaps as many as 10000 others who have it forwarded.

You need to remind me every year!

Send your day, your location and number of years to:

txm1@comcast.net

October 2014 Anniversaries

10/1 Michael A. (Queens, NY)…..4

10/1 George S. (Pennington, NJ)…..10

10/1 Steve “Nippa” W. (Danvers, MA)…..22

10/1 Bret K. (Villa Hills, KY)…..3

10/1 Kathy J. (Long Branch, NJ)…..7

10/2 Armand the Chicken Man (N. Smithfield, RI)…..56

10/2 Rick C. (Hampton, NH)…..9

10/3 Chris H. (Punta Gorda, FL)…..24

10/3 Charlie E. (Chicago, IL)…..2

10/5 Darlene A. (Jensen Beach, FL)…..10

10/6 Annette L. (Dothan, AL)…..22

10/6 Mark B. (Hopewell, NJ)…..8

10/6 Georgia H. (Kittery, ME)…..18

10/6 Robert P. (Stuart, FL)…..1

10/7 Kim S. (Yonkers, NY)…..1

10/7 Kole (Belgrade, Serbia)…..8

10/7 Rob H. (NYC, NY)…..6

10/7 Donna C. (Punta Gorda, FL)…..39

10/8 Patricia B. (Chicago, IL…..1

10/8 Sally C. (Stuart, FL)…..9

10/8 Bill H. (Hobe Sound, FL)…..50

10/8 Paul D. (Sherman Oaks, CA)…..10

10/8 Gillian K. (Liverpool, UK)…..24

10/9 Susanna U. (NYC, NY)…..21

10/9 Glen O. (NH/W. MA)…..23

10/11 Peter J. (Millbrook, NY)…..12

10/11 Harriett B. (Stuart, FL)…..26

10/11 Cigar Bob (Cocoa Beach/Newburyport, MA)…..17

10/12 Mike K. (Garden City, NY) …..1

10/12 Mitzi C. (Cayman, Islands)…..6

10/12 Chris M. (Roselle Park, NJ)…..27

10/12 Alyssa N. (Pompano Beach, FL)…..1

10/12 Allison (NYC, NY)…..10

10/13 Nora Y. (NYC, NY)…..29

10/13 Angie T. (Devon, UK)…..10

10/13 Matthew H. (Bristol, UK)…..8

10/14 Caroline J. (Stuart, FL)…..1

10/14 Shaq P. (NYC, NY)…..3

10/14 Carolee H. ( )…..29

10/14 Carol S. (Syosset, NY)…..29

10/15 Marianne M. (Hampton, NH)…..18

10/15 James G. (Culebra, PR/PEI, Canada)…..28

10/16 Tony M. (Greenwich, VT)…..24

10/19 Ray S. (Covington, LA)…..26

10/20 Harold C. (Southport, UK)…..29

10/20 Adam C. (Methuen, MA)…..1

10/20 Phil R. (NYC,NY)…..25

10/21 Rodney M. (Loner Sponsor, Shenyang, China)…..33

10/21 Elliot R. (NYC, NY)…..14

10/21 Sue T. (Flanders, NJ)…..1

10/22 Frank W. (Nantucket, MA)…..27

10/22 Doug S. (Brookfield, CT)…..24

10/22 Carol R. (Stuart, FL)…..11

10/22 Annelise (Peapack, NJ)…..3

10/22 Gayle G. (Basking Ridge, NJ)…..6

10/23 James D (NYC, NY)…..37

10/24 Dorine D. (Long Island, NY)…..9

10/24 Andrea O. (Warren, NJ)…..1

10/25 Robyn . (Delray Beach, FL)……25

10/25 Keely S. (Eureka, CA)…..32

10/26 Patrick D. (No. Hampton, NH)…..27

10/26 Vic S. (Palm City, FL)…..29

10/27 Joe H. (Harpersfield, NY)…..24

10/28 Richard S. (Guadalajara, Mexico)…..2

10/28 Diane J. (Portland , OR)…..23

10/28 Craig B. (Memphis, TN)…..3

10/28 Andy S.(Hopewell, NJ)…..6

10/28 Patricia D. (Peapack, NJ)…..2

10/28 Bobby C. (Sewell, NJ)…..2

10/29 Judith G. ( Solihul, UK)…..5

10/30 Estelle R. (NYC, NY)…..38

1158 Total Years of Sobriety

12&12

Step Eleven - "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

To certain newcomers and to those one-time agnostics who still cling to the A.A. group as their higher power, claims for the power of prayer may, despite all the logic and experience in proof of it, still be unconvincing or quite objectionable. Those of us who once felt this way can certainly understand and sympathize. We well remember how something deep inside us kept rebelling against the idea of bowing before any God. Many of us had strong logic, too, which "proved" there was no God whatever. What about all the accidents, sickness, cruelty, and injustice in the world? What about all those unhappy lives which were the direct result of unfortunate birth and uncontrollable circumstances? Surely there could be no justice in this scheme of things, and therefore no God at all.

pp. 96-97

Twenty Four Hours

A.A. Thought For The Day

I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw
puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast
hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast
up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am
content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the
difference." Have I found contentment in A.A.?

Meditation For The Day

In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to
our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet
meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto your path. We can reach out
into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book puts it: "Deep
down in every man, woman and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the
Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude
toward life."

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf
ear to the urging of my conscience.

Daily Thought

^*^*^*^*^
(\   ~~ /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Self-will

"The first requirement is that we be convinced
that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success.
On that basis we are almost always in collision
with something or somebody,
even though our motives are good.
Most people try to live by self-propulsion.
Each person is like an actor
who wants to run the whole show;
is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery
and the rest of the players in his own way.
If his arrangements would only stay put,
if only people would do as he wished,
the show would be great.
Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. nbsp;
Life would be wonderful."
c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 60-1
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Rule 62: "Don't take yourself too damn seriously."

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R I D E = Pretty Ridiculous Individual Directing Everything

Daily Reflection

AVOIDING CONTROVERSY

All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and

groups finally torn asunder because they were designed for,

or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because of

sheer self-righteousness while trying to enforce upon the

rest of mankind some millennium of their own specification.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176

As an A.A. member and sponsor, I know I can cause real

damage if I yield to temptation and give opinions and

advice on another's medical, marital, or religious problems.

I am not a doctor, counselor, or lawyer. I cannot tell anyone

how he or she should live; however, I can share how I came

through similar situations without drinking, and how A.A.'s

Steps and Traditions help me in dealing with my

Pot Luck

I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God.
--Helen Keller

All of us have unique talents and gifts. No obstacle, be it physical, mental, or emotional, has the power to destroy our innate creative energies.

In order to tap our inner resources, we must first be willing to explore our interests and abilities. Then we need to make persistent efforts to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge which will help us achieve our highest potentials.

Helen Keller's life story is an excellent example of this kind of courage and persistence. With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen learned to speak and read. Because Helen did not allow her blindness and deafness to destroy her innate gifts, she inspired millions to challenge their own physical, mental, and emotional handicaps and limitations.

Today I will not allow my limitations to overwhelm me. I will see them as challenges that I and others can benefit from. I will acquire any new skills or information I need to make my limitations work for me, not against me.

You are reading from the book: