Sunday, 3 August 2025

SEEDS OF FAITH

09:24 (1 hour ago) to Good Morning!!! 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. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* August 4, 202​5 SEEDS OF FAITH Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can avail nothing. We can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 34 As a child I constantly questioned the existence of God. To a "scientific thinker" like me, no answer could withstand a thorough dissection, until a very patient woman finally said to me, "You must have faith." With that simple statement, the seeds of my recovery were sown! Today, as I practice my recovery – cutting back the weeds of alcoholism – slowly I am letting those early seeds of faith to grow and bloom. Each day of recovery, of ardent gardening, brings the Higher Power of my understanding more fully into my life. My God has always been with me through faith, but it is my responsibility to have the willingness to accept His presence. I ask God to grant me the willingness to do His will. ********************************************** The Fellowship's Future "It seems proved that A.A. can stand on its own feet anywhere and under any conditions. It has outgrown any dependence it might once have had upon the personalities or efforts of a few of the older members like me. New, able, and vigorous people keep coming to the surface, turning up where they are needed. Besides, A.A. has reached enough spiritual maturity to know that its final dependence is upon God." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Clearly, our first duty to A.A.'s future is to maintain in full strength what we have now. Only the most vigilant caretaking can assure this. Never should we be lulled into complacent self-satisfaction by the wide acclaim and success that are everywhere ours. This is the subtle temptation which could render us stagnant today, perchance disintegrate us tomorrow. We have always rallied to meet and transcend failure and crisis. Problems have been our stimulants. How well, though, shall we be able to meet the problems of success? 1. Letter, 1940 2. A.A. Today, p. 106 As Bill Sees It, P. 207 © 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc ******************************************* Step 1 Requiem for an Alcoholic The Circle & Triangle The circle & triangle represents the Alcoholics Anonymous solution to alcoholism. It is an overview of our three-part answer (unity, recovery, & service) to our three-part disease (physical, mental & spiritual). I get relief from Unity and Service. I get freedom from Recovery. Pg. v. contents: Doctor’s Opinion – Ch 3 = Step 1. The Problem Ch 4 = Step 2. The Solution Ch 5 – 7 = Steps 3-12 Direction & Treatment Pg. xxvi: Men and women drink…. Break down paragraph sentence by sentence, explain how it applies to you as to both drinking and thinking. Pg. 1: Read the first 8 pages of Bill’s Story. Check dictionary for words not known or understood In writing, identify with how he thinks, drinks, feels Step 1 on pg. 8 …. Quicksand. Pg. 9: Finish Bill’s Story, look for and mark Steps 2-12. Write out your story. Pg. 17 Ch 2: Go through, look up words not known, and write down identification notes. Pg. 27: “…ideas, emotions and attitude” write out “Am I ready for this revolutionary change? Pg. 28: “if what we have learned and felt and seen…” This is the Solution: Am I willing for this to happen in my life?” Write out answer Pg. 31: “here are some of the methods we have tried…” Add to list with both drinking and thinking and about methods used to think or live like other people; how they apply to you re: drinking and thinking. Pg. 34: _______= examples of persons who think they can control their own life. Give 10-20 examples of your own. Go through all 4 stories, describe thought that led them to drink give examples of doing the same. ####### Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. MELODY BEATTIE

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