A Prayer & Some Thoughts - January

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January 31

Prayer from Distress


God,
In the comfort of your love, I lay before you the memories that haunt me, the anxieties that perplex me, the despair that frightens me, and my frustration at my inability to think clearly. Help me to discover your forgiveness in my memories and know your peace in my distress. Lord, touch me and fill me with your light and your hope.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of faith.

Because we find that we must have faith in a Power greater than ourselves if we are going to get sober. We're helpless before alcohol, but when we turn our drink problem over to God and have faith that He can give us all the strength we need, then we have the drink problem licked. Faith in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God is the essential part of the A.A. program.

So ............

Is faith still strong in me?

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Just a Contemplation

Fear of Failure

It is often the fear of failure, which prevents us from attempting what we really want to do. Our past failures can undermine our confidence in our present abilities. For this reason, we need to let go of the past and be willing to try something new. For many of us, belief in a Higher Power is a new commitment. The fear that we will be disappointed sometimes blocks us from the wholehearted trust that such a commitment entails.

The fear of failure is best dealt with by living one day at a time. We can risk a small failure today; it is the large failure in the future that terrifies us. By taking a small step today, toward working on an important project, we build the confidence that we can eventually succeed.

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Word of Mouth

In my view, there isn't the slightest objection to groups who wish to remain strictly anonymous, or to people who think they would not like their membership in A.A. known at all. That is their business, and this is a very natural reaction. 'However, most people find that anonymity to this degree is not necessary, or even desirable. Once one is fairly sober, and sure of this, there seems no reason for failing to talk about A.A. membership in the right places. This has a tendency to bring in other people. Word of mouth is one of our most important communications. 'So we should criticize neither the people who wish to remain silent, nor even the people who wish to talk too much about belonging to A.A., provided they do not do so at the public level and thus compromise our whole Society.

Bill W., In Letter, 1962 (Grapevine)

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Just a Quote

"When we are feeling creatively blocked, it is usually our own fear that is creating that block." ~ Madelyn Taylor