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WORTHY THOUGHTS
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Worthy Thoughts - Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. - You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future. - Love... and you shall be loved. - God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. - All people smile in the same language. - A hug is a great gift, one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange. - Everyone needs to be loved, especially when they do not deserve it. - The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity. - Laughter is God's sunshine. - Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it. - It's important for parents to live the same things they teach. - Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need. - If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for. - Happy memories never wear out... Relive them as often as you want. - Home is the place where we grumble the most, but are often treated the best. - Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within. - The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow. - Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul. - If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it. - Patience is the ability to idle your motor, when you feel like stripping your gears. - Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together. - The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other. - Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts. - To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. - We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for. - Love is the only thing that can be divided, without being diminished. - Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others. - You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven. - For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back. - Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christmas-angels-1/0007.gif "The Mind is like a Parachute, it Doesn't work properly unless FULLY OPEN" |
When it seems we have no recourse, we can always pray.
Coming to believe that a Higher Power can help us and relieve us of our worry may take time if we have spent years trying to stop someone's drinking or worrying about how to keep the family together. From others in this program we can learn the steps to take. Becoming willing to pray is the first one. We'll soon discover that the power of prayer is awesome. Here are six compelling reasons why: (1) Prayer promises relief when we are anxious. (2) Prayer connects us with our Higher Power when we feel isolated and full of fear. (3) Prayer frees our minds from the obsession to plan other people's lives. (4) Prayer helps us take action when we feel compelled to change the circumstances of our lives. (5) Prayer becomes a wonderful resource to draw on when living through our painful moments. (6) And prayer gives us the willingness to accept God's solution for every problem that plagues us. I will utilize prayer today every time I wonder what I should do. You are reading from the book: A Life of My Own by Karen Casey http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christmas-angels-1/0009.gif |
SOMETIMES... We must be hurt in order to grow, We must fail in order to know, We must lose in order to gain. Some Lessons are learned best only through pain. SOMETIMES... Our vision clears only after our eyes are washed with tears. We have to be broken, so we can be tender, We are sick so we can rest and think better on things more important than work or fun, We are taken for trip near death, so we can assess how we've run. SOMETIMES... We have to suffer lack, so we can know God's provision, We have to feel another's pain, so we can have a sense of mission. So take heart, if you don't understand today, Instead of grumbling, ask God what He means to say, In order to learn you must endure, and learn to see the bigger picture. In order to grow, you must stand and look beyond the hurt, Trust in God's loving hand that takes what is Good, and gives what is Best, And on this blessed thought, rest your anxious heart with all the questions, God's hand only gives what his loving heart dictates, SOMETIMES... The Lord calms the storm, SOMETIMES... He lets the storm rage... and calms His child... Better go through the storm with Him, Than smooth waters without Him... Received with thanks from Lady Linda at Inspiration Plus |
Ten Reasons to believe In A God Who Allows Suffering...
1. Suffering Comes With The Freedom To Choose. Loving parents long to protect their children from unnecessary pain. But wise parents know the danger in over-protection. They know that the freedom to chose is at the heart of what it means to be human, and that a world without choice would be worse than a world without pain. Worse yet would be a world populated by people who could make wrong choices without feeling any pain. No one is more dangerous than the liar, thief, or killer who doesn't feel the harm he is doing to himself and to others. ~Gen. 2:15-17~ 2. Pain Can Warn Us Of Danger. We hate pain, especially in those we love. Yet without discomfort, the sick wouldn't go to the Doctor. Worn-out bodies would get no rest. Criminals wouldn't fear the law. Children would laugh at correction. Without pangs of conscience, the daily dissatisfaction of boredom, or the empty longing for signifigance, People who are made to find satisfaction in an Eternal Father would settle for far less. The example of Solomon lured by pleasure and taught by his pain, shows us that even the wisest among us tend to drift from good and from God until arrested by the resulting pain of their own shortsighted choices. ~Eccl. 1-12; Ps. 78:34-35; Rom. 3:10-18~ 3. Suffering Reveals What Is In Our Hearts. Suffering often occurs at the hand of others. But it has a way of revealing what is in our own hearts Capacities for love, mercy, anger, envy, and pride can lie dormant until awakened. Strength and weaknesses of heart is found not when everything is going our way but when flames of suffering and temptation test the mettle of our character. As gold and silver are refined by fire, and as coal needs time and pressure to become a diamond, The human heart is revealed and developed by enduring the pressure and heat of time and circumstance. Strength of character is shown not when all is well with our world but in the presence of human pain and suffering. ~Job 42:1-17; Rom 5:3-5; James 1:2-5; 1 Peter1:6-8~ 4. Suffering Takes Us To The Edge Of Eternity. If death is the end of everything, then a life filled with suffering isn't fair. But if the end of this life brings us to the threshold of eternity, then the most fortunate people in the universe are those who discover,through suffering, that this life is not all we have to live for. Those who find themselves and their eternal God through suffering have not wasted their pain. They have let their poverty, grief, and hunger drive them to the Lord of Eternity. They are the ones who will discover to their own unending joy why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" ~Matt. 5:1-12; Rom. 8:18-19~ 5. Pain Loosens Our Grip On This Life. In time, our work and our opinions are sought less and less. Our bodies become increasingly worse for the wear. Gradually they succumb to inevitable obsolescence. Joints stiffen and ache. Eyes grow dim. Digestion slows. Sleep becomes difficult. Problems loom larger and larger while options narrow. Yet, if death is not the end but the threshold of a new day, then the curse of old age is also a blessing. Each new pain makes this world less inviting and the next more appealing. In its own way, pain, paves the way for a graceful departure. ~Eccl. 12:1-4~ 6. Suffering Gives Opportunity To Trust God. The most famous sufferer of all time was a man named Job. According to the Bible, Job lost his family to war, his wealth to wind and fire, and his health to painful boils. Through it all, God never told Job why it was happening. As Job endured the accusations of his friends, heaven seemed silent. When God finally did speak, He did not reveal that His archenemy Satan had challenged Job's motives for serving God. Neither did the Lord apologize for allowing Satan to test Job's devotion to God. Instead, God talked about mountain goats giving birth, young lions on the hunt, and ravens in the nest. He sited the behavior of the ostrich the strength of the ox, and the stride of the horse. He cited the wonders of the heavens, The marvels of the sea, and the cycle of the seasons. Job was left to conclude that if God had the power and wisdom to create this physical universe; There was reason to trust the same God in times of suffering. ~Job 1-42~ 7. God Suffers With Us In Our Suffering. No one has suffered more than our Father in heaven. No one has paid more dearly for the allowance of sin into the world. No one has so continuously grieved over the pain of a race gone bad. No one has suffered like the One who paid for our sins in the crucified body of His own Son. No one has suffered more than the One who, when He stretched out His arms and died, showed us how much He loved us. It is this God who, is drawing us to Himself, asks us to trust Him when we are suffering and when our own loved ones cry out in our presence. ~ 1 Peter 2:21; 3:18; 4:1~ 8. God's Comfort Is Greater Than Our Suffering. The apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to take away an unidentified source of suffering. But the Lord declined saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, My strength is made perfect in your weakness." "Therefore," said Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Paul learned that he would rather be with Christ in suffering than without Christ in good health and pleasant circumstances. 9. In Times Of Crisis, We Find One Another. No one would chose pain and suffering. But when there is no choice, there remains some consolation. Natural disasters and times of crisis have a way of bringing us together. Hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, riots, illnesses, and accidents all have a way of bringing us to our senses. Suddenly we remember our own mortality and that people are more important than things. We remember that we do need one another and that, above all, WE NEED GOD. Each time we discover God's comfort in our own suffering, our capacity to help others is increased. This is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote, "Blessed be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" ~ 2 Cor. 1:3-4~ 10. God Can Turn Suffering Around For Our Good. This truth is best seen in the many examples of the Bible. Through Job's suffering we see a man, who not only came to a deeper understanding of God but who also became a source of encouragement for people in every generation to follow. Through rejection, betrayal, enslavement, and wrong imprisonment of a man named Joseph, we see someone who eventually was able to say to those who had hurt him, "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" ~Gen. 50:20~ When everything in us screams at the heavens for allowing suffering, we have reason to look at the eternal outcome and joy of Jesus who in His own suffering on an executioner's cross cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" ~Matt. 27:46~ You're Not Alone If the unfairness and suffering of life leaves you unconvinced that a God in heaven cares for you, But consider again suffering of the One called by the prophet Isaiah, "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" ~Isaiah 53:3~ Think about His slashed back, His bloodied forehead, His nail ripped hands and feet, His pierced side, His agony in the Garden, and His pathetic cry of abandonment. Consider Christ's claim that He was suffering not for His sins, but OURS. To give us the freedom to choose, He lets us suffer. But He Himself bore the ultimate penalty and pain for all our sins. ~ 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24~ When you do see the reason for His suffering, keep in mind that the Bible says Christ died to pay the price for our sins, and that those who believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead will be saved. ~ Romans 10:9-10~ The forgiveness and eternal life Christ offers is not a reward for effort but a gift to all who, in light of the evidence, put their trust in Him. This was taken from a RBC Ministries pamplet called "10 Reasons To Believe In A God Who Allows Suffering" [image] Received with thanks from my friend Carey. Quote:
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INNER PEACE http://www.animated-gifs.eu/phone-24...stars/0020.gif How would you rate your level of "Inner Peace"? Enough to stay calm in a den of lions? Enough to get through a good day? Enough for the next five minutes, so long as everybody leaves you alone? You may need a good case of inner peace, a disease that could leave you stress-free and contented for years to come. A chiropractor named Jeff Rockwell composed a list he calls "Symptoms of Inner Peace." You may have already caught this disease! See how many of these symptoms you exhibit: 1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experiences. 2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. 3. A loss of interest in judging self. 4. A loss of interest in judging others. 5. A loss of interest in conflict. 6. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. 7. A loss of ability to worry (this is a serious symptom). 8. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. 9. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature. 10. Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the heart. 11. Increasing susceptibility to love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it. 12. An increasing tendency to let things happen. Inner peace is a communicable disease that could possibly infect your home or workplace. You may already be showing signs of it and quite possibly be passing it along to others! Rockwell warns: "If you have all or even most of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of PEACE may be so far advanced as to not be treatable." Have you caught it? |
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....one old love she can imagine going back to and one who reminds her how far she has come... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a youth she's content to leave behind... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....one friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.. A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a feeling of control over her destiny... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....how to fall in love without losing herself... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....how to quit a job ....break up with a lover A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....one old love she can imagine going back to and one who reminds her how far she has come... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a youth she's content to leave behind... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....one friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a feeling of control over her destiny... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....how to fall in love without losing herself... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....how to quit a job ....break up with a lover ....and confront a friend without ruining the friendship ....and how to change a tyre!!!!!!! EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....when to try harder and when to walk away... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ....that her childhood may not have been perfect but it 's over... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW .... what she would and wouldn't do for love or more... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW .... how to live alone even if she doesn't like it... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW .... whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW .... where to go be it to her best friend's kitchen table or a charming inn in the woods when her soul needs soothing... EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... .... what she can and can't accomplish in a day, a month and a year... |
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Things like setting boundaries, being able to say no, not right now, when I have the times, not in the moment. The ability to allow someone to be themselves, and me not having to tell them the errors of their way and to allow the person to just be. To respect myself and know that I deserve recovery and that I did not have to be subject to abuse, to play the roles of martyr, victim, rescuer or any other “lie” that someone wanted me to live for ‘their’ sake. The realization that I was the problem, not the substance. That I just used the substance to escape my reality and to escape me. That is wasn’t just alcohol and drugs, I had used sex, relationships, food, work, TV, books, etc. all to not have to look at me and the world around me. The realization that when I took away that substance, their was a void within me and it would continue to be if I did not fill it up with spiritual concepts and living. The getting out of self and helping another still suffering addict. T To care and share with another the unconditional love and the Fellowship of the Spirit which can be found in the rooms of Recovery. The awareness that although I am sick, that through the God of my understanding, I can heal and become the type of person He would have me be and live in faith instead of fear today. There never seem to be an end to a day, I used to fill up my day. Today there are not enough hours. I must always be grateful for “busy” but I must never be too busy to share with others how I got ‘busy’ today. Please share with me your spiritual experiences and awareness so that those who are new can have hope, and have a desire to continue on this journey of freedom we call recovery. We cannot choose happiness for ourselves or for another; we can’t tell where that will lie. We can only choose whether we will indulge ourselves in that precious moment, or whether we will renounce ourselves in the present moment, for the sake of obeying the Divine voice within us, for the sake of being true to all the motives that sanctify our lives. I know this belief is hard; it has slipped from me again and again; but I have felt that if I let it go forever, I should have no light through the darkness of this life. I pray that I will one day come completely out of the dark and into the light. I should start by getting out of my own way. I can’t. He can. Think I’ll let Him. Just for today, Lord, protect me from myself. Thanks for letting me share. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christmas/0023.gif |
MY FRIEND https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...C_PEvvHU3scddQ As I travel down life's highway, I know my Lord's always there, And I know I can rely upon His tender loving care, For He knows all of the byways that I'm likely to explore So He watches over me because He's been that way before. And when my road seems all uphill and shadows gather round, His understanding presence is a blessing so profound. I know that when I seek Him and on Him my problems place, He turns each stumbling-block into a stepping-stone of faith. If I follow His directions, on the Lighted Path I'll stay, And I'll reach my destination in the most straightforward way, For He will not see me burdened with a weight I cannot bear, With His help I can stand straight and tall, because His strength I share. To me, each day's a beginning, and a chance for me to show Just how much I love and trust Him, how much closer we can grow. Just imagine, the Creator of the earth, moon, stars and sun Is my Friend and, to Him, my soul is a very special one. For I know He really loves me, with a love that has no end, And for comfort and enrichment I can truly recommend The assurance that He gives me, and the hope that my heart feels, As my strength grows stronger with each truth His faithfulness reveals. There's no limit to His Loving, to His Patience, to His Power, As He teaches me and guides me, day by day and hour by hour. So, if miracles are missing from your life, don't muddle through, Please, just call Him, He will hear you. My friend could be your Friend too! Jacqueline Ramm (c) Brought To You By smilesr4u |
A Better Way
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A.S.A.P.
Normally known as "As soon as possible." Like this version better: Always say a prayer. A cartoon version http://www.funnies.com/asap.htm http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christma...sages/0007.gif |
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To change, I need to be aware of myself and my surroundings. I need to admit to myself, to my God and others, the nature of my dis-ease. I need to accept what is in the moment, knowing that it is subject to change. I don't have to like it to acceptance, but I can't take meaningful action, without finding the acceptance. In order to take action, I often have to change my attitude. Other times, I need to change my attitude so I can take action. If I think I can, I won't. If I think I can, I will. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christmas-merry/0034.gif |
my son use to say he doesn't identify with me any more, but now that he has been in treatment he knows where I am coming from, but still doesn't like it. He says, Don't preach your AA stuff at me.
All we can do is be the beacon and the light that hopefully one day they will choose to follow. I often think that my God is sitting over my shoulder saying, "Tsk! Tsk! Here we go again, she didn't listen, and didn't get the message the first time. In today, it doesn't take so long for the light to go on. :idea: It is getting better, my selective hearing and tunnel vision aren't so plugged and blurred now as they use to be. At least the vision ranges has a wider field and my mind isn't as closed. As they say, progress not perfection, some days are better than others. Nothing changes if nothing changes. |
Balance
Do I have balance? Most definitely not, at least not to other people's standards if I want to compare.
I look at my sites as a job. I do have to take 'walk abouts' and do things, which I don't do often enough lately as I have a lot of commitments. I don't have a schedule where things have to be done at a certain time or in a certain way. My son is no longer a part of my life. My sister lives several miles away and we talk about once a week on an average. I don't have a car. She doesn't drive. I had dinner with her family at her oldest daughter's place not too long ago. Depending on my health, I try to get to my Al-Anon meeting. I play bridge once a week. On alternating weeks, I play twice a week if I am available. This Monday, I will be going into the jail if my partner is available. I hope to hear from her later today. I guess you could say, I balance my time when I am up. The only problem being, when I am up at night, no buses are running and nothing is open for my usual stroll on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to the market and the library. I can't go into the laundry room after 7 p.m. or before 9 a.m. Life just is in today. What I have learned in the program is how to just be. No matter where I am in the day, it is important to stay centered and balanced within myself. It doesn't matter what is going on or not happening around me. If I tried to balance myself to life around me, I would go crazy. It is me that needs to be balanced. posted at Recovery Inn on September 2010 Proof that this is a one day at a time program. :169: |
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Now that I am feeling better, I hope I can find my copy and work on it while she is away for 4 months. Being ground is so important to finding balance. |
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It was important to identify, that was then, this is now. Not expecting things to be the same, happen the same with the same results, because in today, I have my Higher Power to lead and guide me. I am not my disease. I am not someone else`s disease, unless I choose to take on their stuff and be an enabler and caretaker. It is so important to accept what is in today. It may have links and strings attached to my past, but with the help of my HP, they can be severed, divorced, and detached. Acceptance is the key to ALL my issues in today, knowing it is subject to change, if I have the willingness and faith to trust in the process. |
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Like this squirrel, I couldn't make up my mind and would could've and should've all over the place. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-squirrels/0048.gif |
When I re-read the quote, the thought that came to mind was, "Just because I had a feeling or a thought, didn't mean I had to act on it. That was something I had done wrong all of my life. I would see or hear and would immediately presume you were looking or talking about me and often in defense, I felt like I had to retaliate.
There was very little stop before I spoke. I would hear things and perceive them as derogatory and hurtful, and would either want to pay you back or would burst out in tears and role play to the hilt. All in response to "It is your fault, look at what you made me do, if you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have...." I took everything personal. I used my thoughts to beat myself up royally and I used your words as I perceived them to be, which were never validated, to put myself down, or I would hit back and put you down to make me feel better. An ugly world, an unkind place, and I am glad I don't have to go there any more. I don't have to buy into other people's game and I don't have to role play and be someone I am not. I had to heal those thoughts. I had to change the thinking. I had to allow myself to heal and forgive myself. Often it was my disease acting out. Many times it was all I knew and what I heard growing up and didn't know my thoughts were outdated. I had to learn to allow others to have their thoughts. I just had to learn not to buy into them and give them power over me. It was important to not give up my own power. Power that I didn't know I had. This is a dis-ease from within, it was the thinking behind the drinking and drugging. That is why I have to go within to heal. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...313kKfGUvPFLgG |
When you consciously invoke growing, you consciously invoke the parts of yourself that are not whole to come into the foreground of your life. With each recurrence of anger, jealousy, or fear, you are given the choice to challenge it, or to give in to it. Each time you challenge it, it loses power and you gain power. - Gary Zukav For so many years, I gave away my personal power. I did not know I had a choice. Each time I am faced with an old scenario, I am given the choice in recovery as to whether I am going to let it continue to play out in my life or am I going to step up to the plate and challenge it and do what I can do to heal and change things. When I surrender, I am empowered to do what I need to do for myself. I no longer have to give those old patterns and behaviors the power to rule my life. Just for today, I take back my power. I am worthy of a new life and a new sense of well being and peace. Just because you are a strong woman, there is no reason to give up a part of yourself for someone else. It is okay to be you. Own your own power. |
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There is a positive and negative to everything. When you look at EGO as "Easing God Out," it is not good. I look at it as the Higher Self, instead of the Lower Self that lived in the darkness of addiction and couldn't see God., and only reached out during the tough times. When we nurture the Inner Self, we connect with our God and the selfish, self-centeredness is no more, unless we choose go there. |
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