A Prayer & Some Thoughts - November

[bluidkiti]

November 1

Stress Prayer

Lord,
Come into my heart and ease me of the stress that I feel within.
I have been so up and down lately, and I am not acting like myself.
In addition, I often take my problems out on innocent people.
Please, forgive me, Lord

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Just a Thought

A.A. work is one hundred percent voluntary.

It depends on each and every one of our members to volunteer to do his or her share. Newcomers can sit on the sidelines until they have got over their nervousness and confusion. They have a right to be helped by all, until they can stand on their own feet. But the time inevitably comes when they have to speak up and volunteer to do their share in meetings and in twelfth-step work. Until that time comes, they are only in the process of being assimilated.

So ............

Has my time come to volunteer?

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Just a Contemplation

Live & Let Go

We cannot control everything that happens to us. But we can control our response to those things. We cannot control the feelings of others– their fear, their power trips, their issues. All that we can choose is how we want to respond.

Maybe you have been wronged. Maybe you have had a dream taken from you due to the actions of another. What are you going to do about it? You can give up and give in, or you can make the best of the situation, move on if you can, or make a life where you are.

Learn to live and let live. You can start over, again and again, if necessary.

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Dependence

We discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would.

If we really depended upon God, we couldn't very well play God to our fellows, nor would we feel the urge to rely wholly on human protection and care.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 116

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Just a Few Quotes

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“Forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

[bluidkiti]

November 2

Prayer of Surrender

Lord,
Take my life I pray, and use it as You will. I choose today to surrender my all to You. You know the thoughts of my heart, and I have not come to this decision lightly, but know that this must be the path that I take from now on.

I ask that You do whatever it takes for me to live entirely in Your will and to be able to say in every circumstance of my life, “Your will be done and not mine”

Search out my heart and change me into the person that You desire me to be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In A.A., we often hear the slogan "Easy Does It."

Alcoholics always do everything to excess. They drink too much. They worry too much. They have too many resentments. They hurt themselves physically and mentally by too much of everything. So, when they come into A.A., they have to learn to take it easy. None of us knows how much longer we have to live. It's probable that we wouldn't have lived very long if we had continued to drink the way we used to. By stopping drinking, we have increased our chances of living for a while longer.

So ............

Have I learned to take it easy?

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Just a Contemplation

Happiness

Most of us want to be happy. We just don't know how. We aren't sure what happiness is.
We've learned the hard way that some things we wanted didn't make us happy. We're learning that happiness comes when we live the way our Higher Power wants us to live. That's when we’re honest. When we do our best work. When we are true friends. We make happiness; we don't find it. Sometimes we don't even know we're happy. We're too busy with our work, our recovery program, our friends and family. We need to slow down and know that when we do what we need to, happiness comes.

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Greater Strength

It is now well established that willpower all by itself is about as effective a cure for alcohol addiction as it is for cancer....Most of us tried going it alone, hoping either to control our drinking or to stop, and we had no lasting success in either endeavor.
But we finally asked ourselves: Wouldn't it be more intelligent to seek out and tap a strength greater than our own than to persist in our futile solo efforts...?

Living Sober Page 73

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Just a Quote

"Failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be" ~ John Wooden

[bluidkiti]

November 3

A Short Morning Prayer

Lord,
I am so sorry for the way I complain about my circumstances.
Please forgive me for my bad attitude when things don’t go my way.
Help me learn how to face every storm with confidence, knowing that you really are in control even though I cannot hear Your voice or see Your hand at work.
Amen.

~ Mary Southerland

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Just a Thought

Once we have fully accepted the program, we become humble about our achievement.

We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God, which has given us another chance.

So ............

Am I truly grateful for the grace of God?

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Just a Contemplation

Change

We are often so busy trying to control the outcome of the happenings in our daily lives, so intent on projecting our tomorrows that we let life slip by. Life is today.

Life is a series of things to let go of - our friends and loved ones, our children as they grow, our dreams, or our youth. Only we ourselves, our inner selves, are a constant to be found and learned about every day, in the present moment.

How well can I enjoy each moment today?

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Spiritual Angle

How often do we sit in AA meetings and hear the speaker declare, "But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle." Prior to this statement, he had described a miracle of transformation which had occurred in him -- not only his release from alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward life and the living of it. It is apparent to nearly everyone else present that he has received a great gift; " . . . except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!" We well know that this questioning individual will tell us six months or a year hence that he has found faith in God.

Language Of The Heart Page 275

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Just a Quote

“Decision is the spark that ignites action. Until a decision is made, nothing happens.” ~ Wilfred A. Peterson

[bluidkiti]

November 4

Letting Go Disappointments Prayer

Lord,
Please help me to let go of all the disappointments of the past and to forgive those that have hurt and disappointed me so deeply. Keep me from all bitterness Lord. I know that I am holding resentment in my heart, and that this is destructive to my own peace.

I am finding forgiveness very difficult. Help me I pray; I know in my heart that forgiveness is a choice that I have to make. Help me to make the right choice. Help me to choose to let forgiveness flood my heart, so that I am not nursing grievances within, and so that healing of my own heart can start to take place.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I can be free of my old enslaving self.

After a while I recognize, and believe in, the good within myself. I see that I have been loved back to recovery by my Higher Power, who envelops me. My Higher Power becomes that source of love and strength that is performing a continuing miracle in me.

So ............

I am sober . . . . and I am grateful?

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Just a Contemplation

Perspective

We do not always know why things are happening the way they are. We do not always know how a particular relationship will work out. We do not always understand the source of our feelings, why we've been led down a particular path.

Today, I will let things happen without trying to figure everything out. If clarity is not available to me today, I will trust it to come later, in retrospect. I will put simple trust in the truth that all is well, events are unfolding as they should, and all will work out for good in my life - better than I can imagine.

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Amends to Others

The people most affected by our disease were undoubtedly the members of our own family. Then came our closest friends, if we had any left. These people were directly affected by our negative moods and by our withdrawal.

Making amends is sometimes embarrassing and often difficult. It involves much pride swallowing. A simple, sincere apology may be all that is necessary. There may be concrete acts, which we can perform. As with making amends to ourselves, the best way we can make up for the hurt we have caused to family and friends is by abstaining from alcohol. As we abstain, we reach out to those around us instead of withdrawing. Our own sanity is the best gift we can give to others.

~~ From the writings of Cristina Ferrare

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Just a Few Quotes

“One small positive thought can change your whole day.” ~ Zig Ziglar

“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” ~ Joyce Meyer

[bluidkiti]

November 5

Recovery Prayer

Lord,
You say that I should ask you for whatever I need.
To those who ask, it will be given.
To those who seek, it will be found.
To those who knock, the door will be opened.
I ask you for healing and recovery today.
You are the God of all hope and so I look to you in my time of need.
You are the healing God, please bring healing.
You are the Comforter, please bring comfort.
You are the spring of living water, help me find life in all its fullness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Can I get well?
If I mean: "Can I ever drink normally again," the answer is no. But if I mean, "Can I stay sober?" The answer is definitely yes.

I can get well by turning my drink problem over to a Power greater than myself, that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and by asking that Power each morning to give me the strength to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. I know from the experience of thousands of people that if I honestly want to get well, I can get well.

So ............

Am I faithfully following the A.A. program?

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Just a Contemplation

Forgiveness

We need to forgive so we can heal. Forgiveness means not wanting to get even. Forgiveness means letting go of self-will. Anger and hate are forms of self-will take up room in our heart. Yet, a still, small voice inside of us wants to forgive. Just as others have forgiven us, we need to forgive them. When we forgive, we give our will to our Higher Power. When we forgive, we make room in our heart for our Higher Power. By giving up our anger and our hate, we let that still, small voice come through a little louder. This is how we heal. This is why forgiving is so powerful for us.

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Walls Of Ego

People who are driven by pride of self unconsciously blind themselves to their liabilities. Newcomers of this sort scarcely need comforting. The problem is to help them discover a chink in the walls their ego has built, through which the light of reason can shine.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 46

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Just a Quote

“Our ego can build a WALL around our soul so thick & formidable that we can't experience the love & warmth of others." ~ Jay S.

[willbe275]

Love is the key that destroys all hate. So forgiveness is the Gateway To Love.

[bluidkiti]

November 6

Recovery from Alcoholism Prayer

God,
We thank you for the gift of new life after the fear of addiction.
With Your help, we have walked from darkness into light, from alcoholism into recovery.
Thank you to everyone who has supported and loved me during this difficult journey.
May You continue to bless us on the road of recovery, and always.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past.

Remorse is terrible mental punishment: ashamed of ourselves for the things we've said and done, afraid to face people because of what they might think of us, afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In A.A. we forget about the past.

So ............

Do I believe that God has forgiven me for everything I've done in the past, no matter how black it was, provided I'm honestly trying to do the right thing today?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-approval

Most of us want to be liked. We want other people to think of us as nice, friendly, kind, and loving. Most of us want the approval of others. We may look for approval from people who have none to give. We may not know that we're lovable now and can learn to approve of ourselves.

The unmet needs for approval and love from our past give others control over us today. These needs can prevent us from acting in our best interest and being true to ourselves.

I will try to let go of my need for approval and my need to be liked. I will replace them with a need to like and approve of myself. I will enjoy the surprise I find when I do this. The people who count, including myself, will respect me when I am true to myself.

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Life's Promises

Life doesn't promise us anything, except a chance. We have a chance to live any way we like. No matter how we choose to live, we'll have pain and we'll have joy. And we can learn from both.
Because of our recovery program, we can have life's biggest wonder---love. We share it in a smile, a touch, a phone call, or a note. We share it with our friends, our partners, our family. Life didn't promise to be wonderful, but it sure is full of little wonders! And we only have to open up and see them, feel them, and let them happen.

~ Simon Tyler

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Just a Quote

"All of us, at certain moments of our lives, need to take advice and to receive help from other people." ~ Alexis Carrel

[willbe275]

To thy own self be true. That's what I got out of reading today.
Glory be to God now and forever. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

November 7

Prayer for Calm

Lord,
My mind prowls around, looking for someone to blame, hunting for a way to release the anger I feel. I am trapped, enraged by these feelings. Resentment weighs me down and revenge follows me. It overtakes my life.

Guide my thoughts and calm my fears, steady my emotions. Guide my feelings, so I may not be overcome by upset. Show me an encouraging vision for the future, and hope for tomorrow.

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Just a Thought

Paradoxes

Our program contains some surprising paradoxes. When we admit that we are powerless, we can receive Power. When we accept what we do not like, then a change can begin.

Until we admit defeat, we will not succeed with the AA program. The biggest defeat is the one that is dealt to our illusions of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. As long as we insist on trying to control our lives by ourselves, we will be confused. It is by relinquishing control that we gain strength and are freed from our compulsion and obsession. We save our lives by giving them away.

The key to these paradoxes is our willingness to believe in a Higher Power. By ourselves, we are weak, ineffectual, and sick. When operating in accordance with the will of the Power greater than ourselves, our potential is limitless.

So ............

Can I accept the paradoxes that I do not understand ?

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Just a Contemplation

Secrets

Secrets help keep us sick. In our drinking and using days, we did things we weren't proud of. We lived in a secret world we were ashamed of. This part of the power of addiction. Our behavior and our secrets kept us trapped. Recovery offers us a way out of this secret world. In our groups, we share our secrets, and they lose their power over us. There may be things we're too ashamed to talk about in our groups. When we share these things in our Fifth Step, they lose their power over us.

We have a new life that we're not ashamed to talk about. When shame leaves, pride enters our hearts. We know we're good people!

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Neither Dependence nor Self-Sufficiency

When we insisted, like infants, that people protect and take care of us or that the world owed us a living, then the result was unfortunate. The people we most loved often pushed us aside or perhaps deserted us entirely. Our disillusionment was hard to bear.

We failed to see that, though adult in years, we were still behaving childishly, trying to turn everybody--friends, wives, husbands, even the world itself--into protective parents. We refused to learn that overdependence upon people is unsuccessful because all people are fallible, and even the best of them will sometimes let us down, especially when our demands for attention become unreasonable.

"As Bill See It" Page 265

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Just a Quote

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." ~ Nido Qubein

[bluidkiti]

November 8

Prayer To Be Me

Dear God,
Give me the courage to be myself.
I’m always trying to be what others expect of me.
I’m wasting time and energy pleasing everyone but myself.
I’m not even very good at it.
Help me appreciate the best parts of being me.
Show me how to love myself so I can say with confidence:
I am very happy to be me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Before I met A.A. I was very dishonest.

I lied to my wife constantly about where I had been and what I'd been doing. I took time off from the office and pretended I'd been sick or gave some other dishonest excuse. I was dishonest with myself, as well as with other people. I would never face myself as I really was or admit when I was wrong. I pretended to myself that I was as good as the next fellow, although I suspected I wasn't.

So ............

Am I now really honest?

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Just a Contemplation

Truth

Recovery teaches us to tell the truth. We must be honest if we want to save our lives. We must learn to speak with care---care for ourselves and for others. To be honest means to speak in a fair and truthful way. To be honest and loving means learning when to speak, and how to speak, in a caring way. We can help others by honestly telling them what we think and feel and see---but only when we do this with love. We must be careful when we speak. Speaking the truth is like using a sharp knife---it can be used for good, or it can be used to hurt others. We should never handle it carelessly or use it to hurt someone.

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Moral Code

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn't there. Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly.

Alcoholics Anonymous Pages 44-45

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Just a Quote

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” ~ Douglas Adams

[bluidkiti]

November 9

Self-Acceptance Prayer

Lord,
Help me to accept the person that you made me to be, blessings, difficulties, and all. Help me to recognize the plans and purpose for my life and to know there is no purpose too big or too small in this world, as you are the one who gave it to me.

Help me to walk the path of a purpose-filled life. Open my eyes, my ears and my heart to what you are calling me to do in this world. Encourage and guide me, strengthen my commitment and resolve to go forth each day and live the life you created and set out for me. In doing so, I know that I will be abundantly blessed.

May my works and faith encourage others to live their lives in beautiful acceptance of who they were created to be and what they were created to do.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Have I got over most of my sensitivity, my feelings which are too easily hurt, and my just plain laziness and self-satisfaction?

Am I willing to go all out for A.A. at no matter what cost to my precious self? Is my own comfort more important to me than doing the things that need to be done? Have I got to the point where what happens to me is not so important? Can I face up to things that are embarrassing or uncomfortable if they are the right things to do for the good of A.A.? Have I given A.A. just a small piece of myself?

So ............

Am I willing to give all of myself whenever necessary?

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Just a Contemplation

Loving Life

For many of us, life was a burden while using alcohol. As our illness went on, life was uglier. We grew further from our friends, family, and Higher Power. In recovery, our eyes and hearts open a little more each day. We see the beauty that life holds. We now see the beauty that life holds. We now see that before recovery, we weren’t living---we were dying. In recovery, we again feel happy when we hold a baby. We again may feel joy when we see a sunset. This happens mainly because we've chosen to be with people who love life, people who've been given a second chance. Once we've almost lost something important, it becomes more precious. We almost lost our lives. Now our lives are special.

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Anonymity

We have denied ourselves personal government, professionalism, and the right to say who our members shall be.
We have abandoned do-goodism, reform, and paternalism.
We refuse charitable money and prefer to pay our own way.
We will cooperate with practically everybody, yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone.
We abstain from public controversy and will not quarrel among ourselves about those things that so rip society asunder-- religion, politics, and reform.
We have but one purpose; to carry the AA message to the sick alcoholic who wants it.

The Language of the Heart, p. 211

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Just a Quote

"Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You're able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment." ~ Ralph Marston

[bluidkiti]

November 10

A Morning Resolve

I will try this day to live a simple, sincere and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.

And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to you, Lord, to help fulfill my resolve.
Amen

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Just a Thought

One thing that keeps me sober is a feeling of loyalty to the other members of the group.

I know I'd be letting them down if I ever took a drink. When I was drinking, I wasn't loyal to anybody. I should have been loyal to my family, but I wasn't. I let them down by drinking. When I came into A.A., I found a group of people who were not only helping each other to stay sober, but who were loyal to each other by staying sober themselves.

So ............

Am I loyal to my group?

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Just a Contemplation

Friendship

A good friendship is like a flower garden. It needs attention and care. Like a garden, friendships need care and love in order to thrive. We nourish friendships with visits, thoughtful favors, and trust. When we are feeling down or in need of help, a friendship can offer us more than just beauty.

When we work at our friendships, they are not seasonal but bloom in any weather, and they surround us with comfort and the knowledge that we have, and deserve, love.

How can I nurture a friendship today?

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How Much Anonymity

As a rule, the average newcomer wanted his family to know immediately what he was trying to do. He also wanted to tell others who had tried to help him--his doctor, his minister, and close friends. As he gained confidence, he felt it right to explain his new way of life to his employer and business associates. When opportunities to be helpful came along, he found he could talk easily about A.A. to almost anyone.

These quiet disclosures helped him to lose his fear of the alcoholic stigma, and spread the news of A.A.'s existence in his community. Many men and women came to A.A. because of such conversations. Since it is only at the top public level that anonymity is expected, such communications were well within its spirit.

As Bill See It Page 43

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Just a Quote

“Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.” ~Anonymous

[bluidkiti]

November 11

Loving Difficult People Prayer

Lord, I have to thank You for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally.
Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way.
Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs.
Amen

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Just a Thought

What draws newcomers to A.A. and gives them hope?

They hear the stories of men and women whose experiences tally with their own. The very practical approach to their problems, the absence of intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the uncanny understanding which these people in A.A. have is irresistible.

So ............

Have I found a real haven in A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Disagreements

A good relationship includes some disagreement. Anger and disagreement, when we express them respectfully, are important ways of renewing communication and breaking through the walls that sometimes built up.

In any relationship we care about, there will be differences. When we avoid all confrontations, our relationships go stale because all emotional issues are avoided. Carefulness and over control undermine love because they don't give it room to breathe, but disagreement and anger expressed in honest and respectful ways will help love grow.

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Carrying the Message

We do not keep our program unless we give it away.
Our participation in meetings is a means of sharing with others what AA has given us. We are genuinely interested in newcomers, because they remind us of where we came from and because they give us an opportunity to strengthen our own program by sharing what we have received. Practicing the AA principles in all areas of our life is carrying the message.

Abstinence and the AA program now occupy the central place in our lives. Following the will of our Higher Power means that we carry the message as He directs us. We are willing to be used in whatever way God moves us to give away our program.

~ Arianna T.
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Just a Quote

“In some ways, we will always be different. In other ways, we will always be the same. There is always room to disagree and blame, just as there is always room to take a new perspective and empathize. Understanding is a choice.” ~ Vironika Tugaleva

------------ Off Topic ------------

Prayer For Veterans

Dear Lord,
Today we honor our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called upon to serve and protect their country.

We pray that you will bless them for their unselfish service in the continual struggle to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country’s heritage, for all of us.

Bless them abundantly for the hardships they faced, for the sacrifices they made for their many different contributions to America’s victories over tyranny and oppression.

We respect them, we thank them, we honor them, we are proud of them. We pray that you will watch over these special people and bless them with peace and happiness.

By Joanna Fuchs

[bluidkiti]

November 12

Prayer for Self-Control

Lord,
I’m asking you to help me think before I speak and to think before I act.
Infuse me with the self-discipline I need to walk in your ways, not my own.
Help me Lord to control my thoughts, my words and my actions.
Let me honor the pause, before I choose to respond.
Strengthen me to resist temptation and choose your best for me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

No one is too discredited, nor has sunk too low, to be welcomed cordially into A.A.

Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies are laughed out of countenance. Being wrecked in the same vessel, being restored and united, with hearts and minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things which matter so much to some people no longer signify much to us. In A.A., we have true democracy and true brotherhood.

So ............

Has A.A. taught me to be truly democratic?

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Just a Contemplation

Remember

Do you remember what it was like to not have sobriety? Remember the shame? Remember loneliness? Remember lying and wishing you could stop? Remember the powerlessness?
Do you remember, also, how it felt when you began to believe you had an illness? Your shame was lifted. Remember what it was like to look around at your meeting and know you belonged? Your loneliness was lifted. Remember when your family started to trust you again? Your dishonesty has been lifted. Sobriety gives us many roses. Our memory will help to keep them fresh.

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That First Drink

After that first drink, we had a single-track mind. It was like a railroad train. The first drink started it off and it kept going on the single track until it got to the end of the line, drunkenness.

We knew this would happen when we sat down at a bar to have the first drink, but still we couldn't keep away from liquor. Our will-power was gone. We had become helpless and hopeless before the power of alcohol. It's not the second drink or the tenth drink that does the damage. It's the first drink.

Will I ever take that first drink again?

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Just a Quote

"Changing is what people do when they have no options left." ~ Holly Black

[bluidkiti]

November 13

Prayer for Good Health and Strength

Lord,
Bless me and my family with good health and physical strength.
Give me inner strength to battle the evil effects of depression, loneliness, unworthiness, and hopelessness.
Please guide us to find peace, happiness, and joy in our lives and within ourselves.”
Amen.

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Just a Thought

In A.A. we find fellowship and release and strength.

After having found these things, the real reasons for our drinking are taken away. Then drinking has no more justification in our minds. We no longer need to fight against drinking alcoholically. The need to drink just naturally leaves us. At first, we are sorry that we can't drink, but we get so that we are glad that we don't have to drink.

So ............

Am I glad that I don't have to drink?

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Just a Contemplation

Hate

Hate is like an illness. It steals our hope, our love, our relationships. Hate puts distance between people. Hate can give us a false sense of power. Do I use hate to make myself feel important?
Our program tells us to let go of hate. Hate and sobriety don't mix. Hate doesn't let us connect with our Higher Power.
Ours is a program of love and respect. We're taught that if someone treats us wrong, we still should be respectful in our response. Why? Because we're changed by our actions. If we act with hate, we become hateful. If we act in a respectful way, we become respectable.

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Pain-Killer

I believe that when we were active alcoholics, we drank mostly to kill pain of one kind or another--physical or emotional or psychic. Of course, everybody has a cracking point, and I suppose you reached yours--hence, the resort once more to the bottle.

If I were you, I wouldn't heap devastating blame on myself for this; on the other hand, the experience should redouble your conviction that alcohol has no permanent value as a pain-killer.

As Bill Sees It Page 291

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Just a Quote

"The hardest thing in life is to forgive. But hate is self-destructive. If you hate somebody, you're not hurting the person you hate, you're hurting yourself. Forgiveness is healing." ~ Louis Zamperini