Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...
Good Afternoon Folks
Took me awhile to figure out how to get back into the site.
I am not computer wise.But am back and I am going to start
posting the GA Reflection for the Day again and hope to catch
up with my old recovery friends and to meet some new people.
If you are interested I visit a new site called Gamtalk that is run
out of Montreal Canada and it has 24/7 chat room and on Friday
at 3pm est we have a group Topic Session.Today's topic is Step 9.
God Bless
Ken L GRCG
March 22 Reflection for the Day
Once in a great while, I find myself thinking perhaps things werent quite so bad as they seemed to be. At such moments, I force myself to realize that my illness is talking to me, trying to tempt me into denying that I am, in fact, afflicted with an illness. One of the key action steps of the Gamblers Anonymous Program is that we give our illness to God, as we understand Him, accepting our powerlessness in the face of His greater Power.
Do I believe that the grace of God can do for me what I could never do for myself?
Today I Pray
May I know that much of our lives depends on faith. For we cannot know the limits of space and time or explain the mysteries of life and death. But when we see God working through us and through others who have found new life in the GA Program it is all the evidence we need to know that God exists.
Today I will Remember
The Big Wheel runs by faith.
Took me awhile to figure out how to get back into the site.
I am not computer wise.But am back and I am going to start
posting the GA Reflection for the Day again and hope to catch
up with my old recovery friends and to meet some new people.
If you are interested I visit a new site called Gamtalk that is run
out of Montreal Canada and it has 24/7 chat room and on Friday
at 3pm est we have a group Topic Session.Today's topic is Step 9.
God Bless
Ken L GRCG
March 22 Reflection for the Day
Once in a great while, I find myself thinking perhaps things werent quite so bad as they seemed to be. At such moments, I force myself to realize that my illness is talking to me, trying to tempt me into denying that I am, in fact, afflicted with an illness. One of the key action steps of the Gamblers Anonymous Program is that we give our illness to God, as we understand Him, accepting our powerlessness in the face of His greater Power.
Do I believe that the grace of God can do for me what I could never do for myself?
Today I Pray
May I know that much of our lives depends on faith. For we cannot know the limits of space and time or explain the mysteries of life and death. But when we see God working through us and through others who have found new life in the GA Program it is all the evidence we need to know that God exists.
Today I will Remember
The Big Wheel runs by faith.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit, Aristotle. By repeating my gambling acts, I became progressively more likely to do them again and again. By repeatedly attending meetings, talking with my Higher Power, sharing my feelings, and keeping connected with Gamblers Anonymous members between meetings, I become what I am doing: part of the GA Fellowship. If I continue to repeat these acts, I will become progressively more likely to do them again and again.
Do I recognize that any small contribution I make at a meeting has a much greater return on investment than any bet I ever made, even my biggest hit?
Today I Pray
May the acts that I repeat today be according to the will of my Higher Power. May I understand that, although perfection is not my goal, progress is possible, and excellence at what I am doing for my recovery is attainable. Help me rid myself of my self-destructive habits and replace them with ones that will aid in my recovery.
Today I Will Remember
Recovery is not an act; it is a habit.
Once at a meeting held in a church, I saw a stained glass window on which was written, God Is Love. For some reason, my mind transposed the words into Love is God. either way is correct and true, I realised, looking about me and becoming even more conscious of the spirit of love and Power in the small meeting room. Ill continue to seek out that love and Power, following the Gamblers Anonymous Programme as if my life depended upon it as indeed it does.
Does life to me today mean living in the active sense joyously and comfortably?
Today I Pray
May I feel the spirit of love that gives our prayers their energy. May I feel the oneness in this room, the concentration of love that gives the group its power. May I feel the exemplary love of a Higher Power, which our love echoes.
Today I will Remember.
Love is God.
Our ancient enemy, self-will, wears a mask, confronting me with this sort of rationalization: Why do I have to lean on God? Hasnt He already given me the intelligence to think for myself? I have to pause when such thoughts creep into my mind, remembering that Ive never really been able to bring about the results I wanted simply by relying on my own devices. Im not self-sufficient, nor do I know all the answers; bitter experience alone teaches me that.
Do I know that I need Gods guidance? Am I willing to accept it?
Today I Pray
I pray that, as I become stronger in my conviction and in my abstinence. I will not begin to shrug off my dependence on a Higher Power. May I continue to pray for guidance, even when things seem to be going along smoothly. May I know that I need my Higher Power as much in times of triumph as in times of trauma.
Today I Will Remember
Self-sufficiency is a godless myth.
Most of us in Gamblers Anonymous are far more comfortable with the determination that we wont make that first bet today, than we are with the vow that well never gamble again. Saying I intend never to gamble again is quite different from saying Ill never gamble again. The latter statement is far too reflective of self-will; it doesnt leave much room for the idea that our obsession to gamble will be removed if we practice GAs Twelve Steps of Recovery one day at a time.
Will I continue to fight against complacency, realizing that Ill always be just one wager away from disaster?
Today I Pray
Never again demands too binding a commitment, even for the strongest among us. Our past lives were full of never agains and wont evers, promises that were broken before the next dawn. May I, for now, set my sights on just one clean day at a time.
Today I Will Remember
Never say never again.
N. Eldon Tanner has said, Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. For most recovering gamblers, service itself is a privilege, a privilege weve been given along with our new lease on life. Sponsorship, calling new members, or answering calls from new members sometimes takes a lot of energy and time. When I feel resistant, let me remember the security I felt when I was new in Gamblers Anonymous and recognized that there were those available to help me if I asked.
Do I know for certain that my service today is a vital part of my own continued recovery?
Today I Pray
May I never cease to remember that the service of those before me made the Gamblers Anonymous Program available for me in my recovery today. May the service I willingly provide today aid in others recovery tomorrow.
Today I Will Remember
Service in the Program is a privilege.
When I finally convince myself to let go of a problem thats been tearing me apart when I take the action to set aside my will and let God handle the problem my torment subsides immediately. If I continue to stay out of my own way, then solutions begin to unfold and reveal themselves. More and more, Im coming to accept the limitations of my human understanding and power. More and more, Im learning to let go and trust my Higher Power for the answers and the help.
Do I keep in the forefront of my mind the fact that only God is all-wise and all-powerful?
Today I Pray
If I come across a stumbling-block, may I learn to step out of the way and let God remove it. May I realize my human limitations at problem-solving, since I can never begin to predict Gods solutions until I see them happening. May I know that whatever answer I come to, God may have a better one.
Today I Will Remember
God has a better answer.
As long as I stubbornly hang on to the conviction that I can live solely by my individual strength and intelligence, a working faith in my Higher Power is impossible. This is true, no matter how strongly I believe that God exists. My spiritual beliefs no matter how sincere will remain forever lifeless if I continue trying to play God myself. What it comes down to is that, as long as we place self-reliance first, true reliance upon a Higher Power is out of the question.
How strong is my desire to do Gods will?
Today I Pray
I pray that I may not place my self-reliance above reliance on God. May I know that there is no conflict between taking responsibility for my own actions, which I have been taught is the essence of maturity, and looking to God for guidance. May I remember that if I stick to the do it myself rule, it is like refusing to ask for a road map from a tourist information bureau and wandering around forever lost.
Today I Will Remember
Maturity is knowing where to go for help.
We often see people in Gamblers Anonymous devoutly and with seeming sincerity ask for Gods guidance on matters ranging from major crises to such insignificant things as what to serve at a dinner party. Though they may be well-intentioned, such people tend to force their wills into all sorts of situations with the comfortable assurance that theyre following Gods specific directions. In reality, this sort of prayer is nothing more than a self-serving demand of God for replies; it has little to do with the Gamblers Anonymous Program's suggested Eleventh Step.
Do I strive regularly to study each of the Steps, and to practice them in all my affairs?
Today I Pray
May I not make the common mistake of listing my own solutions for God and then asking for a stamp of Divine approval. May I catch myself if I am not really opening my mind to Gods guidance, but merely laying out my own answers with a what do You think of these? attitude.
Today I Will Remember
Am I looking for Gods rubber stamp?
Difficulties are Gods errands, and when we are sent upon them, we should esteem it a proof of Gods confidence, wrote Beecher. Ive come to realize that my past troubles were really of my own making. Although I hardly thought so at the time, I was a primary example of what the Gamblers Anonymous Program calls self-will run riot. Today Ill accept my difficulties as signposts to growth and as evidence of Gods confidence in me.
Do I believe that God will never give me more than I can handle?
Today I Pray
May I believe strongly that God has confidence in me to handle my troubles, that the difficulties I must face are in direct proportion to my strength and ability to bear up and keep a cool head in a crisis. May I also understand that it is my faith in God that keeps me from crumbling.
Today I Will Remember
God has faith in me, because I have faith in God.
Have I ever stopped to think that the impulse to blow off steam and say something unkind or even vicious will, if followed through, hurt me far more seriously than the person to whom the insult is directed? I must try constantly to quiet my mind before I act with impatience or hostility, for my mind can be in that very real way an enemy as great as any Ive ever known.
Will I look before I leap, think before I speak, and try to avoid self-will to the greatest extent possible?
Today I Pray
May I remember that my blow-ups and explosions, when they are torrents of accusations or insults, hurt me just as much as the other person. May I try not to let my anger get to the blow-up stage, simply by recognizing it as I go along and stating it as a fact.
Today I Will Remember
Keep a loose lid on the teapot.
Before I came to the Gamblers Anonymous Program in fact, before I knew of the Programs existence I drifted from crisis to crisis. Occasionally, I tried to use my will to chart a new course; however, like a rudderless ship, I inevitably foundered once again on the rocks of my own despair. Today, in contrast, I received guidance from my Higher Power. Sometimes, the only answer is a sense of peace or an assurance that all is well.
Even though there may be a time of waiting before I see results, or before any direct guidance comes, will I try to remain confident that things are working out in ways that will be for the greatest good of everyone concerned?
Today I Pray
May I not expect instant, verbal communication with my Higher Power, like directions on a stamped, self- addressed postcard. May I have patience, and listen, and sense that God is present. May I accept my new feeling of radiant warmth and serenity as Gods way of assuring me that I am, finally, making some good choices.
Today I Will Remember
Patience: Gods message will come.
These days, if I go through an experience that is new and demanding, I can do so in a spirit of confidence and trust. Thanks to Gamblers Anonymous and the Twelve Steps of Recovery, Ive come to know that God is with me in all places and in all endeavors. His Spirit is in me as well as in the people around me. As a result, I feel comfortable even in new situations and at home even among strangers.
Will I continue to flow along and grow along with the Program, trusting in the love of God at work in me and in my life?
Today I Pray
May Gods comfort be with me in all situations, familiar or new. May He rebuild the sagging bridge of my confidence. May I acknowledge God in me and in others around me. May that mutual identity in God help me communicate with people on a plane of honesty. If I can learn to trust God, I can learn to trust the ones who share this earth with me.
Today I Will Remember
God teaches me how to trust.
A friend in Gamblers Anonymous told me of a favorite hymn from her childhood: Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me. In actuality, that is what the GA Program has done for me it has opened my eyes so that I have come to see the true nature of my gambling addiction, as well as the true nature of the joyous life that can be mine if I practice the principles embodied in the Twelve Steps of Recovery.
Through prayer and meditation, am I also improving my inner vision, so that I can better see Gods love and power working in me and through me?
Today I Pray
May each glint of truth that I catch sight of as I work the Steps begin to take on the steadier shine of a fixed star. May I know that these stars are all that I need to chart my course and navigate safely. May I no longer feel the frantic need to put in to every unknown port along the way in search of direction. These stars are always mine to steer by.
Today I Will Remember
Find the fixed stars and fix on them.
Some of us in Gamblers Anonymous are inclined to make the mistake of thinking that the few moments we spend in prayer and meditation in talking with God are all that count. The truth is that the attitude we maintain throughout the entire day is just as important. If we place ourselves in Gods hands in the morning, and throughout the day hold ourselves ready to accept His will as it is made known through the events of our daily life, our attitude of acceptance becomes a constant prayer.
Can I try to cultivate an attitude of total acceptance each day?
Today I Pray
May I maintain contact with my Higher Power all through my day, not just check in for a prayer now and then. May my communion with God never become merely a casual aside. May I come to know that every time I do something that is in accord with Gods will I am living a prayer.
Today I Will Remember
Prayer is an attitude.
DECEMBER 15 Reflection for the Day
Some people are such worriers that they feel sorry about the fact that they have nothing to worry about. Newcomers in the Gamblers Anonymous Program sometimes feel, for example, This is much too good to last. Most of us, however, have plenty of real things to worry about old standbys like debts, health, death, and taxes, to name just a few. But GA tells us that the antidote to worry and fear is confidence confidence not in ourselves, but in our Higher Power.
Will I continue to believe that God can and will avert the calamity that I spend my days and nights dreading? Will I believe that, if calamity does strike, God will enable me to see it through?
Today I Pray
May I realize that the worry habit worry that grows out of broader, often unlabeled fears will take more than time to conquer. Like many others, I have lived with worry so long that it has become my constant, floor-pacing companion. May my Higher Power teach me that making a chum out of worry is a waste of my energy and fritters away my constructive hours.
Today I Will Remember
Kick the worry habit.
More and more these days, as I progress in my recovery, I seem to be quietly waiting to hear my Higher Powers unmistakable voice within me. Prayer is becoming a two-way street of seeking and listening, of searching and finding. A favorite bit of Scripture for me I, Be still and know that I am God.
Do I pay quiet and loving attention to my Higher Power, confident that an enlightened knowledge of His will can come to me?
Today I Pray
As I seek to know my Higher Power, may I learn the best ways for me to reach and hear Him. May I begin to feel prayer, not just listen to the sound of my own verbalizing. May I feel the sharp outlines of my humanness fading as His godliness becomes a part of me. May I feel that I am one with Him.
Today I Will Remember
Feel the stillness of God.