“When I crash landed into the program, the passage about self-reliance hit me hard:”

Three readings. A song that says the rest. And inspiration for whatever this day is here to teach.

A lone surfer riding inside a great curling wave

Read — the readings that opened the day

GUIDANCE

“… this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, and a destiny to grow, however… haltingly, toward His own likeness and image.” AS BILL SEES IT, p. 51 “As I began to understand my own powerlessness and my dependence on God, as I understand Him, I began to see that there was a life which, if I could have it, I would have chosen for myself from the beginning. It is through the continuous work of the Steps and the life in the Fellowship that I’ve learned to see that there is truly a better way into which I am being guided. As I come to know more about God, I am able to trust His ways and His plans for the development of His character in me. Quickly or not so quickly, I grow toward His image and likeness.”

Adapted from Daily Reflections

A Deep Breath of Life

Alan Cohen

“Your highest purpose in life is to be true to yourself. If you honor your personal gifts, intuition, inclinations, and visions, you will fulfill your destiny and serve many others in the process. Help me be true to who and what I am; to trust that the gifts and visions You planted within me are good. Illuminate my path that I may bless the world, and to walk the path appointed me -with confidence and joy.”

Adapted from A Deep Breath of Life

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day I must trust God to the best of my ability. This lesson has to be learned. My doubts and fears continually drive me back into the wilderness. Doubts lead me astray, because I am not trusting God. I must trust God's love. It will never fail me, but I must learn not to fail it by my doubts and fears. We all have much to learn in turning out fear by faith. All our doubts arrest God's work through us. I must not doubt. I must believe in God and continually work at strengthening my faith. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may live the way God wants me to live. I pray that I may get into that stream of goodness in the world.

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

When I crash landed into the program, the passage about self-reliance hit me hard:

“Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn’t go far enough.”

Then, you pointed out a solution, quite foreign at the time, yet it offered hope.

“Perhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God.

We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do

as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.” Somehow I had managed to get to the program; now I was being asked to let go even more. It’s the leap of faith that helps me every day.

Thank You, God, for the fellowship, love and examples of a faith that works! I’m no longer runnin' against the wind!