O’ Lord, I am worried; I know that it does no good to worry, but I cannot shake it off.

It not only does no good to worry it does harm.

What I cannot change, I cannot change.

But meanwhile if I am this caught up in worry

I am apt to do poorly what I could do well.

Help me to trust to you those concerns beyond my reach.

So that I may give my full attention to living each moment as it comes.

May there always be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Work like you don’t need the money.

Love like you’ve never been hurt.

Dance like nobody’s watching.

Sing like nobody’s listening.

Live like it’s Heaven on Earth.

His name was Fleming, and  he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Flem-ing had saved.

“I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.”

“No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.

“Is that your son?” the nobleman asked.

“Yes,” the farmer replied proudly.

“I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.” And that he did.

Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name?

Sir Winston Churchill.

A time comes in your life when you finally get it. . . when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out – ENOUGH!

Enough of fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening . . .

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change…or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon.

You come to terms with the fact that you are neither Prince Charming or Cinderella and that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are … and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn’t do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it’s not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties..and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the junk you’ve picked up from the garbage dump of others about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you should weigh, what you should wear, what you should do for a living, how much money you should make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who you should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you owe your parents, family, and friends.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown … and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not your job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing.

You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about LOVE. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away.

You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. And you learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK….and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things you want … and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.

You come to the realization that you de-serve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won’t settle for less. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve…and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.

You also learn that no one can do it all alone….and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is the greatest robber baron of all: FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things.

You learn that God isn’t punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It’s just life happening.

And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state – the EGO.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself. You make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

by Denise M. “Sonny” Carroll

If you woke up this morning with more health than sickness, you are luckier than the million that will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced a war, a loneliness, an imprisonment, an agony of torture, or a famine, you are happier than 500 million persons in this world.

If you are able to go to church, mosque or synagogue without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are happier, than 3 billion persons in this world.

If there is a meal in your refrigerator,

If you are dressed and have got shoes,

If you have a bed and a roof above your head,

you are better off, than 75% of people in this world.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are a rarity.

If you have a bank account, money in your purse, and there is some trifle in your coin box,  you belong to 8% of well-provided people in this world.

If you read this text, you are blessed three times as much, because

Someone was told once:

Work like you don’t need money,

Love like you’ve never been hurt,

Dance like nobody’s watching,

Sing like nobody’s listening,

Be surprised, like you were born yesterday,

Tell the truth and you don’t have to remember anything,

Live like it’s Heaven on Earth.

This is your World!

You are able to make changes!

Hasten to do good works!

Think of it!

Let us not be stopped by that which divides us but look for that which unites us. If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people–with all existing ratios remaining the same–demographics would look something like this:

60 Asians

12 Europeans

5 U.S. Americans and Canadians

8 Latin Americans

14 Africans

49 would be female

51 would be male

82 would be non-white

18 white

89 heterosexual

11 homosexual

33 would be Christian

67 would be non-Christian

5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth, and all of them would be US citizens

80 would live in substandard housing

24 would not have any electricity

(And of the 76% that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)

67 would be unable to read

1 (only one) would have a college education

50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation

33 would be without access to a safe water supply

1 would have HIV

1 near death, 2 would be near birth

7 people would have access to the Internet

If to take a look at the world from this condensed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes evident.

An Apology For My Life

Sam Shoemaker

I stand by the door.

I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.

The door is the most important door in the world.

It is the door through which men walk when they find God.

There is no use my going way inside and staying there,

When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,

Crave to know where the door is.

And all that so many ever find

Is only the wall where the door ought to be.

They creep along the wall like blind men,

With outstretched, groping hands,

Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,

Yet they never find it.

So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world

Is for men to find that door – the door to God.

The most important thing that any man can do

Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands

And put it on the latch – the latch that only clicks

And opens to the man’s own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die

On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.

Die for want of what is within their grasp.

They live on the other side of it- live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,

And open it, and walk in, and find Him.

So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -

Go way down in the cavernous cellars,

And way up into the spacious attics.

It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.

Go into the deepest of hidden casements,

Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.

Some must inhabit those inner rooms

And know the depths and heights of God,

And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.

Sometimes I take a deeper look in.

Sometimes venture in a little farther,

But my place seems closer to the opening.

So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.

Some people get part way in and become afraid

Lest God and the zeal of his house devour them;

For God is so very great and asks all of us.

And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia

And want to get out. “Let me out!” they  cry.

And the people way inside only terrify them more.

Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.

For the old life, they have seen too much:

One taste of God and nothing God will do any more.

Somebody must be watching for the frightened

Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,

To tell the others how much better it is inside.

The people too far in do not see how near these are

To leaving preoccupied with the wonder of it all.

Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door

But would like to run away. So for them too

I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.

But I wish they would not forget how it was

Before they got in. Then they would be able to help

The people who have not yet even found the door.

Or the people who want to run away again from God.

You can go too deeply and stay in too long

And forget the people outside the door.

As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place.

Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there.

But not so far from men as not to hear them,

And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -

Thousands of them. Millions of them.

But – more important for me -

One of them, two of them, ten of them.

Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch

So I shall stand by the door and wait

For those who seek it.

I had rather be a door-keeper

So I stand by the door.

: “ There is a great hue and cry today on the part of some people about those who seek benefits from God. I would like to know where in Heaven’s name a bewildered and defeated person  is going to go for the help he desperately needs if he doesn’t go to God for it. Of course he is concerned about himself. He can’t help it  He ought to be . He must be if he is ever going to be made useful to other people. But later on he must grow up and stop just using God and begin to ask God to use him. Stop asking God to do what he wants, and begin to try and find out what it is that God wants. Many people tell you they have given up faith. They prayed for something they wanted and it didn’t come, and either there is no God or else He has no interest in them. What childish nonsense! How can anybody expect to acquiesce in half-baked prayers that a lot of us send up to him. He would have the world in worse chaos than it is now in five minutes.

Real prayer is not telling God what we want. It is putting ourselves at his disposal so that He can tell us what He wants. Prayer is not trying to get God to change his will. It is trying to find out what His will is, to align ourselves to realign ourselves with His purpose for the world and for us. That’s why it is important for us to listen as well as talk when we pray. That’s why it is good to begin these meetings with silence Oftentimes we come feverishly and willfully, and we just have to quiet down before God can do anything for us. While our own voices are clamorous and demanding, there is no place for the voice of God…….Till our own clamorous, demanding voices quiet down we cannot hear the voice of God. When we let willfulness cool out of us, God can get His will across to us as far as we need to see ahead of us. Dante said, “In His will is our peace”.”

——-Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age pgs. 265-266

We are gathered here because we are faced with the fact that we are powerless over alcohol and unable to do anything about it without the help of a Power greater than ourselves.  We feel that each person’s religious views, if any, are his own affair.  The simple purpose of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous is to show what may be done to enlist the aid of a Power greater than ourselves regardless of what our individual conception of that Power may be.

In order to form a habit of depending upon and referring all we do to that Power, we must at first apply ourselves with some diligence.  By often repeating these acts, they become habitual and the help rendered becomes natural to us.

We have all come to know that as alcoholics we are suffering from a serious illness for which medicine has no cure.  Our condition may be the result of an allergy which makes us different from other people.  It has never been by any treatment with which we are familiar, permanently cured.  The only relief we have to offer is absolute abstinence, the second meaning of A.A.

There are no dues or fees.  The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.  Each member squares his debt by helping others to recover.

An Alcoholics Anonymous is an alcoholic who through application and adherence to the A.A. program has forsworn the use of any and all alcoholic beverage in any form.  The moment he takes so much as one drop of beer, wine, spirits or any other alcoholic beverage he automatically loses all status as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.  A.A. is not interested in sobering up drunks who are not sincere in their desire to remain sober for all time.  Not being reformers, we offer our experience only to those who want it.

We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree and on which we can join in harmonious action.  Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our program.  Those who do not recover are people who will not or simply cannot give themselves to this simple program.  Now you may like this program or you may not, but the fact remains, it works.  It is our only chance to recover.

There is a vast amount of fun in the A.A. fellowship.  Some people might be shocked at our seeming worldliness and levity but just underneath there lies a deadly earnestness and a full realization that we must put first things first and with each of us the first thing is our alcoholic problem.  To drink is to die.  Faith must work twenty-four hours a day in and through us or we perish.

In order to set our tone for this meeting I ask that we bow our heads in a few moments of silent prayer and meditation.

I wish to remind you that whatever is said at this meeting expresses our own individual opinion as of today and as of up to this moment.  We do not speak for A.A. as a whole and you are free to agree or disagree as you see fit, in fact, it is suggested that you pay no attention to anything which might not be reconciled with what is in the A.A. Big Book.

If you don’t have a Big Book, it’s time you bought you one.  Read it, study it, live with it, loan it, scatter it, and then learn from it what it means to be an A.A.