Readings

Yesterday's For Today:
"The right way to pray for the answer to all your problems is to feel and know that the Indwelling God knows only the answer. Because this is true, you will know the answer and recall the truth: God never faileth." Joseph Murphy

"When I know beyond question that some problem of mine is being taken care of, what do I do? I relax. I stop chasing after a solution. I do the daily tasks that are in front of me to do, giving each one a hundred percent of my attention and energy. There is no need to go back and pick up the problem and worry it some more, like a dog with a bone.
in the same way, i now that when I am willing to turn over a difficulty to my Higher Power, the answer will become known to me.

For today: I give my problems to God with absolute confidence that solutions are on the way."
This sounds more real and true than it did last year.

And today's:

"We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes." John F. Kennedy

"Am I still afraid to pursue my hope of recovery? I hear people saying, 'If I can do it, so can you.' Do they have something I don't have? No. the twelve-step program is the same for me as it is for them. It shows us how to live if we are willing to follow its instructions.
I may be afraid, but in OA the fear is loosening its grip. I am ready to put aside my pride and fear to look at my defects and to seek God's will for me.

For today: Fears are not facts. I can take the steps necessary to change my life in spite of my fears.

Yesterday's Voices of Recovery

"Coming to believe was something that happened as we started taking actions which others told us had worked for them. Whether or not we believed these actions would work for us didn't seem to matter. Once we took the action and saw it work, we began to believe." OA 12 & 12 16 - 17

"This is one of the secrets of the OA program. 'We cannot think ourselves into good action, but we can act ourselves into good thinking.'"
Wow!
"Willingness to follow the suggestions of the program leads us to healing the wreckage of our lives and the ravages of this disease.
I experienced the miracle of abstinence because I asked someone to sponsor me; I designed a practical, nourishing food plan; and I committed daily to following my plan and calling my sponsor.
I experienced the healing bonds of fellowship because I attended meetings regularly and became involved in service.
I experienced a spiritual awakening because I put all my doubts and fears aside and placed my reliance on a Higher Power of my own understanding instead of on my distorted self-will.

And today's:

"And if it can happen for me, it can happen for you." Lifeline Smampler p. 317.

"'Are you willing to go to any lengths?'asked my sponsor.
'I am,' I answered. 'I ring you every day, I pray, I go to meetings, I write, I'm doing everything you say, so why can't I just get abstinent?' My sponsor replied that not only did I have to do all these things, I also had to put down the food. I had to stop eating compulsively. She promised that if I put down the food and picked up the Steps, eventually the desire to eat compulsively would leave me, and it has. One day at a time for more than 9 years, I've been almost totally free of the desire to eat compulsively.
It seems that the less i overeat, the less I feel like overeating. In the early days I felt like overeating all the time. My sponsor said, 'Don't eat, no matter what' - and I didn't. These days I rarely feel like overeating. Through 'putting down the food and picking up the Steps,' the desire to overeat compulsively has been lifted.
Thank you God, thank you OA. If it can happen for me and for countless others, it can happen for you too.

Yesterday's In This Moment:

"In This Moment, I am healing.
I am a recovering codependent. I am not stuck or doomed to be hopeless or helpless, forever repeating codependent patterns. I am growing. I don't need to be 'fixed.' I transform my past hurt and pain into gifts of deeper understanding and empathy. I am healing. I have hope for my future. As long as I breathe, I continue to recover and grow in this life. What a gift!"

And today's:

Ouch. I hate the title.
Okay. moving on.

"In This Moment, I am alone.

I'm alone and that's OK. It's God's plan for me. I grew up surrounded by people, yet feeling lonely. Now I get to finish growing up emotionally and spiritually. I am reparenting myself by meeting my own needs. That means being the best me I can be. No more people-pleasing to gain acceptance. No more lies and cover-ups to meet someone else's needs. That means being the best me I can be. No more people-pleasing to gain acceptance. No more lies and cover-ups to meet someone else's needs. I use God's gifts, CoDA meetings, prayer and meditation, service work, exercise, affirmations, workshops and more. Thanks, God. I feel better."

Yesterday's Language of Letting Go:

"Rejecting Shame
Shame can be a powerful force in our life. It is the trademark of dysfunctional families.
Authentic, legitimate GUILT is the feeling or thought that what we did is not okay. It indicates that our behavior needs to be corrected or altered, or an amend need to be made.
SHAME is an overwhelming negative sense that who we are isn't okay. Shame is a no-win situation. We can change our behaviors, but we can't change who we are. Shame can propel us deeper into self-defeating and sometimes self-destructive behaviors.
What are the things that can cause us to feel shame? We may feel ashamed when we have a problem or someone we love has a problem. We may feel ashamed for making mistakes or for succeeding. We may feel ashamed for certain feelings or thoughts. We may feel ashamed when we have fun, feel good, or are vulnerable to show ourselves to others. Some of us feel ashamed just for being.
Shame is a spell others put on us to control us, to keep us playing a part in dysfunctional systems. It is a spell many of us have learned to put on ourselves.
Learning to reject shame can change the quality of our life. It's okay to be who we are. We are good enough. Our feelings are okay. Our past is okay. It's okay to have problems, make mistakes, and struggle to find our path. It's okay to be human and cherish our humanness.
Accepting ourselves is the first step toward recovery. Letting go of shame about who we are is the next important step.

Today I will watch for signs that I have fallen into shame's trap. If I get hooked into shame, I will get myself out by accepting myself and affirming that it's okay to be who I am."
Wow.

And today's:

"Enjoying Recovery

What a journey! The process of growth and change takes us along an ever-changing road. Sometimes the way is hard and craggy. Sometimes we climb mountains. Sometimes we slide down the other side on a toboggan.
Sometimes we rest.
Sometimes we grope through the darkness. Sometimes we're blinded by sunlight.
At times many may walk with us on the road; sometimes we feel nearly alone.
Every changing, always interesting, always leading someplace better, someplace good.
What a journey!

Today, God, help me relax and enjoy the scenery. Help me know I'm right where I need to be on my journey."