Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - January

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January 17

Step by Step

“Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” – Step Five

Today: the confession Step. We bring to this one what we uncovered in the moral inventory of the Fourth Step. And it requires admission to three confidants – God, ourselves, and another person. Why? We need the guidance of the Higher Power of our understanding and another person to put our wrongs in a perspective that we may not have because of predictable prejudice. Without bringing to the Higher Power and another person the nature of our wrongs, we risk allowing the guilt, remorse and regret to eat us up. We are asked in the Fifth to admit only the “exact nature” of our wrongs, not our exact wrongs. Some may find admitting only to the nature of their wrongs to be incomplete; a detailed “confession” might be liberating. Today, I “confess” my wrongs not just to myself, but to my Higher Power and to another person. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

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~ EASY DOES IT ~ (A Book of Daily 12 Step Meditations) ~

GIVING COMFORT

It's better to comfort than to be comforted.

~ Francis of Assisi ~

Our teachers, advisors, sponsors, and fellow members in our Program find many ways to remind us that it is always more blessed to give than to receive, to love than to be loved. Often a newcomer is kindly told at his or her first meeting to "let us love you until you can learn to love yourself."

When we give of ourselves, we always get back spiritual rewards. The first eleven Steps of our Program are aimed at building ourselves into better people, worthy of giving. Through those Steps, we learn to admit wrongs, accept challenges, find a Higher Power, turn problems over, inventory ourselves and ask release from shortcomings, make amends, and seek God's will for us. Then we are capable of giving this message to others.

The result of this dedication to always present the best of gifts for the benefit of others is self-reward. In comforting, we are comforted.

In giving of myself and of the principles learned from the Steps, I am forever reaching to be happy, joyous, and free.

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden

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~ WALK IN DRY PLACES ~

AVOIDING AA CHAUVINISM

Friendliness toward Others

The term chauvinism has often been applied to men who are prejudiced toward women. But chauvinism has broader meanings as well. It is a belief in the alleged superiority of one's own nation or group. AA members can develop this peculiar chauvinism in supposing that there is some superiority in having survived alcoholism.

In the past, some of us have been particularly critical of non-alcoholics who choose to work in the alcoholism field. We may have relied on the axiom "It takes an alcoholic to understand an alcoholic" when in fact there are many people who have suffered from other problems and can understand our sufferings.

Perhaps one of the worst things about AA chauvinism is that it can offend people who could benefit from our principles and could become our allies in the work of helping alcoholics. While we have been highly successful in helping alcoholics, we still have not reached more than a small percentage of those who suffer. Additional breakthroughs are needed in the field of alcoholism, and the vital information might come from a nonalcoholic who empathizes with our suffering and wants to do something about it. Even AA has received some of its best ideas from nonalcoholics.

I will know today that membership in AA really means that I've found a rightful place in a larger fellowship: the human race. I'll view the world as a friendly place.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ KEEP IT SIMPLE ~ (Daily Meditations for Twelve-Step Beginnings and Renewal) ~

When all else fails, read the instructions.
~ Agnes Allen ~

The instructions for recovery are in our Twelve Step program. Yet, there are times when we feel our program isn't working. At these times, we need to read the instructions.

Have you followed the "instructions," the wise words found in The Big Book, The Twelve and Twelve, and other recovery literature? When we do, we recover.

It's hard at times, and easy at others. Our problems go deeper than just staying sober. No matter what our problems, our program can help us start fixing them, if we follow the instructions. Don't use alcohol or other drugs. Go to meetings. Talk often with sponsors and program friends. Work the Steps. Think. Easy Does It. First Things First. Listen. Let Go and Let God. One Day at a Time.

Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, tell me which instructions to read today. If I'm headed for trouble, help me out

Today's Action

I'll read the instructions today.

Copyright © 1988 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ TOUCHSTONES ~ (A Book of Daily Meditations for Men) ~

Wherever I found the living, there I found the will to power.

~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~

It has been said that addiction and codependency are problems of power. Recovery certainly calls us to admit the limits of our power. Yet, to reach for power seems to come from the deepest part of our nature. If this is so, can it be all bad? Men have used power in many ways for the good of all people. We have been defenders, protectors, and active community servants. At our best, we have taken strong stands for what was right.

We need not shun all power, but rather we learn to use it wisely. Our blindness to the limitations of power created great problems in our lives. Then we learned our first lessons about powerlessness. As humble men, we know we can be wrong, but we cannot be passive and still continue to grow.

I pray for guidance as I learn to assert my strength and power for the cause of well-being.

© 1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ WISDOM TO KNOW ~ (More Daily Meditations For Men) ~

Don't believe that winning is really everything. It's more important to stand for something. If you don't stand for something what do you win?

~ Lane Kirkland ~

We love competition. Many of us enjoy it both in our recreation and in our work life. We love to run faster, play harder, stack higher, pound more, sell more, and produce more than our friends and business colleagues. Some of us seem almost to worship competition as a great virtue, above other virtues such as camaraderie, teamwork, fair play, community service, honesty, and generosity. Any good thing can become a bad thing when it's taken to the extreme. Intemperate competition serves our primitive, greedy drive for power. Winning is wonderful—but it is not the only thing we stand for.

More important than coming out ahead is coming out with our integrity and self-respect. We preserve our integrity by adhering to the truth as we know it, caring for the welfare of others, and dealing fairly and honestly both at work and at play. No win, no personal advantage is ever worth the price of our character.

Today I will enjoy my competitive side while I uphold all the other things I stand for.

© 2005 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ EACH DAY A NEW BEGINNING ~ (Daily Meditations For Women) ~

She lacks confidence, she craves admiration insatiably. She lives on the reflections of herself in the eyes of others. She does not dare to be herself.

~ Anais Nin ~

How aptly these words describe the woman so many of us were. Many activities were not attempted, courses weren't taken, conversations weren't initiated because we lacked confidence. The pain, the constant search for acceptance and love in the eyes and behavior of others, still haunts us. But those days are past. We are daring to be ourselves, one day at a time.

Confidence still wavers on occasion, and we may need assurance that we're lovable. Gratefully, we can look to one another for the additional boost we may need to face the day. Being there for one another, knowing that we understand each other's fears as women, offers the strength to go ahead that we may lack today or tomorrow.

Today a woman may need me to dare to be herself. I will be there.

© 1982, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ A WOMAN’S SPIRIT ~ (More Meditations For Women) ~

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

~ Lida Clarkson ~

We all want life to unfold according to our plan. After all, we are certain we know what's best for us. But hindsight quickly reminds us that few, if any, of us had included recovery in a Twelve Step program as part of our life's plan. Yet here we are, and we are now more content than we've ever been in our lives. How did this happen?

We have come to accept that God has worked in our lives in spite of ourselves. We have been protected and guided all along the way, even though on occasion we stubbornly attempted to force open doors that were not beneficial to our growth. Fortunately our Higher Power never gave up on us. We will fulfill our purpose with all the help we need when the time is right.

Remembering that opportunities come to us when their time is right allows us to wait and trust.

My patience will pay off today. I can be certain that what comes to me today is on time.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ TODAY I WILL DO ONE THING ~ (Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope) ~

Medication is part of my recovery

I am grateful that both of my long-term illnesses are now in remission. Still, I need daily medication for my psychiatric illness and I feel ashamed. I feel like there's something deeply wrong with me, something that separates me, painfully, from others. It hurts.

When I mentioned it to my therapist, she helped. She explained to me that taking medication is like wearing prescription eyeglasses. It's uncomfortable at first, but after a while, it will become a more natural part of my life. Medication will let me see clearly where I am and what I need to do in recovery.

I will talk with my support group about the stigma I feel and the strength of my recovery.

©1995 by the author, Published by Hazelden®

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~ BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT ~ (Inspiration and Support for Recovery) ~

Some days I feel like a tightrope walker.

~ Jeannette N. ~

We all perform a balancing act, trying to keep perspective on what’s important and what is not. Sometimes we fall: crazy drivers cut into our lane; the supermarket line takes forever; the baby’s crying. At those times a minor insult at work or a cross word from a friend is just too much, and we lose our cool — and our balance.

During our years of active addiction we were impulsive, living in an all-or-nothing, black-and-white world, completely out of balance. Minor slights became major issues. We were subject to any whim our distorted thoughts cooked up.

We’ve had lots of practice being out of balance, so we have to work harder to regain it, but now we have the tools to change. Our program gives us a new focus, reminds us of what’s important in our lives. We’re reminded, too, of our powerlessness over people, places, and things. These ideas are new to us at first. We thought we had to control everything and everyone around us, and so we failed. But now we’re learning how to keep our balance, and recover it when we’ve lost it. With practice, we’ll get better every day. Now, we’re learning how to let go and let God.

Today help me remember what’s important. Help me keep my balance.

© 1990 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ MORNING LIGHT ~ (Meditations to Begin Your Day) ~

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.

~ Adapted from a nursery rhyme ~

Exercise can lift a sour mood, soothe anxiety, sharpen mental concentration, ease insomnia, and build confidence. When you combine exercise with healthy eating, maintaining a consistent sleep/rest schedule, and spending time outdoors, you will feel better and stronger.

Starting today, resolve to embark on a daily exercise routine. Set aside a specific time of day when you are apt to feel more motivated and energized. Join a health club, walk or jog in your neighborhood, attend a fitness or yoga class, join a recreational sport league, or participate with an exercise video in your living room. Vary your activities to make your exercise routine more challenging and motivating, or engage in the same types of activities to measure your improvement over time.

Begin by exercising at least twenty minutes a day, three days a week. If you miss a day, just pick up where you left off. Keep a journal of your progress to provide a visual record for continued inspiration.

It has been said that “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” I will use exercise to improve my physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being

© 2011 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ NIGHT LIGHT ~ (A Book Of Nighttime Meditations) ~

Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.

~ Henry Ford ~

The automobile is just one of many inventions based on someone's enthusiasm to realize a dream. From the persistence came a machine that has since improved our lives by bringing people closer together.

Enthusiasm is a catalyst for improvement. If we think back to those times when we've felt enthusiasm in our lives, we'll realize its benefits. Perhaps we secured a job promotion or pitched a no-hitter or completed an intricate quilt.

Enthusiasm in the program is also a catalyst for change. If we observe those who truly work their pro-gram with passion, we'll see them making positive changes, gathering a greater sense of self-esteem. Their enthusiasm can be contagious if we open up our minds to their belief that all things are possible.

Have I been enthusiastic today? Can I learn from the enthusiasm of someone close to me?

© 1986, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation, Author: Amy E. Dean

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~ A DAY AT A TIME ~ (Daily Reflections for Recovering People)

Reflection for the Day

I have been told over and over that I must constantly work to give up my old ideas. "That's easy for you to say," I've sometimes thought. All my life, I have been programmed, computer-style; specific inputs brought forth predictable responses. My mind still tends to react as a computer reacts, but I am learning to destroy the old tapes and literally reprogram myself. Am I fully willing to abandon my old ideas? Am I being fearless and thorough on a daily basis?

Today I Pray

Help me to take inventory each day of my stock of my new, healthy thoughts, throwing out the old ones as I happen upon them without regret or nostalgia. For I have outgrown those old ideas, which are as scuffed and runover as an old pair of shoes. Now, in the light, I can see that they are filled with holes.

Today I Will Remember

The Program reprograms.

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ DAY BY DAY ~ (Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts) ~

Accepting our limitations

Helen Keller said, “Life is a banquet and most of us are starving to death.” Drinking and using sure kept us from seeing the beauty, the bounty in our lives. Since we recognized that we can’t use or drink—and got clean and sober—most of us today can get higher than ever before on the important things like justice, peace, and love.

Those of us who seem successful in relationships have at some point learned to accept our shortcomings more than most.

Am I learning to accept my limitations?

Higher Power, help me accept myself today, with all my defects, knowing that in your time I will gradually change for the better.

The personal limitations I accept today are

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

© 1974, 1998 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ IF YOU WANT WHAT WE HAVE ~ (Sponsorship Meditations) ~

I have had just about all I can take of myself.

~ S. N. BEHRMAN ~

Newcomer

I can't sleep. I'm too exhausted to concentrate during the day. At night I'm tortured by thoughts of sickness, death, debts, people I've hurt or who've hurt me. I'm uncomfortable physically, mentally, and emotionally. I bring it up at meetings, but no one takes me seriously. People just say, "It gets better" and "Keep coming back."

Sponsor

Whether our addictions involve a substance or a behavior, we go through a period of detoxification. Though some things may improve fast, most of us don't heal overnight. Those who say "It gets better" and "Keep coming back" are speaking from experience and compassion. All of us, when we're new, go through some version of what you've just described.

In time your body will readjust. Meanwhile, there are things you can do to reeducate your body about when it's time to slow down. You can prepare for rest by dimming the lights, turning off the phone, playing slow music, or taking a warm bath by candlelight. In bed, you can take time to breathe and consciously relax your body, moving your attention very slowly upward from the toes as you picture every part of your body slowing down and letting go. You can do the same with thoughts, and visualize erasing them as they arise. You may still not sleep, but you can commit yourself to not indulging in worry or self-centered fear.

Today, I accept that detoxification is part of healing. This, too, shall pass.

© 1998 by Joan Larken

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~ BIG BOOK QUOTE ~

"If not members of religious bodies, we sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles we have been discussing. There are many helpful books also. Suggestions about these may be obtained from one's priest, minister, or rabbi. Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer."

~ Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition, Into Action, page 87 ~

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~ GRAPEVINE QUOTE OF THE DAY ~

"Let today's troubles be sufficient to today."


~ Indianapolis, Ind., August 1982 ~
From: "Distilled Spirits"
AA Grapevine

http://www.aagrapevine.org/

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~ ALKIESPEAK ~

It's not a question of finding the right person, but becoming the right person.

~ Anon. ~

Quotes from the book 'ALKIESPEAK' by Andy A. of Australia

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

In our serenity prayer we accept with patience the things we cannot change in full knowledge that all emanates from God and is therefore Good, whether we recognize it as such or not. The courage to change the things we can, knowing full well that we are the instrumentalities through which God works. The knowledge to differentiate between the two is that to which we all aspire.

No longer can THINGS drive us to drink, for THINGS are something outside our being and can only enter our hearts and minds if we admit them. Our experience has taught us that our greatest misfortunes were frequently our ultimate good—even our years of drunken torture were a blessing in disguise, for only by this means would we have found our bigger and better way of life.

Published by Hazelden

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~ POCKET SPONSOR ~ (Back to the Basics for Addiction Recovery) ~

You will be receiving many gifts from people in the programs: gifts of help, time, energy, possibly money, talents, and knowledge. You will never be able to pay them all back. You are not obligated to pay them back. You are obligated to pay them forward by giving away what you have when you can.

I appreciate the generosity of others and pay it forward when I am able.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 by Shelly Marshall

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) FEAR: Future Events Appearing Real

2) Live life on purpose, not by accident

3) There are very few decisions that cannot wait 24 hours.

Copyright © 2008 by Shelly Marshall

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~ ONE DAY AT A TIME ~

PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination, more than anything else I can think of, separates those who want to be successful from those who are.

~ Lee Silber ~

I would always intend to start everything 'tomorrow.' As a compulsive overeater I constantly promised myself the diet would start the next day, or if a weekend was approaching, then it would be Monday. When I first found this program I still had the same attitude: I would get a sponsor in good time, I would get a food plan next week, I'd read the Big Book and other program literature when I got a moment. I thought if I just kept going to meetings something will happen.

However, I found that procrastination does not work in program any more than it does outside. I no longer wanted to be the member who was constantly sharing what a dreadful week I had with the food and other aspects of my life.

Today I have a sponsor, I have worked through all the Twelve Steps — I am still working and living the Steps — I am in good contact with my Higher Power, have a good food plan which I am following religiously, and I have recovery to bring to my shares.

One Day at a Time . . .

When I make a decision I follow it through with action immediately.

~ Lilian ~

http://recovery.hiwaay.net/meditations/january.html

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~ RECOVERY THOUGHT OF THE DAY ~ (From Members of Various 12 Step Programs)

Getting Better Says:

We are not bad people trying to get good, we are sick people trying to get better. It's not so much about the drinking, as it is the thinking.

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/study...ry_thought.htm

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~ DAILY READINGS FROM THE AA LODGE ~ (Spiritually of Native Americans and A.A. Literature) ~

The sunshine's bright today, the day is clear, so let your hearts be. The Great Spirit will guide you.

~ Cocooche Seminole ~

True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God.

~ Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions pgs. 124 & 125 ~
(Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.)

What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How best can I serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of will.

~ Big Book pg. 85 ~
(Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.)

With each passing day of our lives, may every one of us sense more deeply the inner meaning of A.A.'s simple prayer: God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can, And wisdom to know the difference.

~ Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions pg. 125 ~
(Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.)

Great Spirit let us walk humbly in the day you have given us.

(Published by the Native American Indian General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous)

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~ A CHEROKEE FEAST OF DAYS ~ (Vol. I) ~

Most changes are too subtle to be noticed. The fog, u gv ha dv, that blankets the early morning hangs so thick in the woods that the hills beyond cannot be seen. Then, without us seeing it, it is there no longer. So it is in our relationships with other people. We do not understand the moods and changes that work their silent influence on us when we least expect it. We react to the moods of others like we do in the fog, not realizing what has happened until the silent influence has gone. When our feelings are so in command, it is difficult to change the circumstances around us. All the experiences of a lifetime have influenced our decisions and made us react in a way that destroyed something that may never be rebuilt. When the fog lifts it takes away the veil so that we can see a long way. But the inner-fog hides life and love and friendship—until we change it.

I am satisfied….I am not afraid to avow the deed that I have done…..I am willing to bury the tomahawk and smoke the pipe of peace….

~ SOUWAHNOCK 1833 ~

© Copyright, Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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~ A CHEROKEE FEAST OF DAYS ~ (Vol. II) ~

Tender gifts come to us all—gifts from some deep inner space that is priceless and stirs our most creative sense. A beautiful, personal revelation is like touching electricity without its harmful effects. But this is something to be kept in the heart and not talked about to others. If others have never known the touch of a shooting star nor felt the awe of being given spiritual knowledge, their response is incredulity and disbelief—which makes us question our own sanity. Protect the gift, treasure it, love it. The time will come to use it.

They are clean to a fault. ..they keep their stock in good order, and are hard working, painstaking people.

~ AGENT THOMAS JORDAN (ABOUT THE NEZ PERCES), SEPTEMBER 6,1881 ~

© 1996 by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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~ A CHEROKEE FEAST OF DAYS ~ (Vol. III) ~

It's hard to be a role model. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, each of us is a role model whether we want to be or not. One person said she could serve as a role model for what not to do, but does that help anyone—herself included? Why is it so easy for us to tell others—especially children "do as I say and not as I do?" When children sort through experiences looking for guidance to embrace the good, what happens if that guidance isn't there? Some complain that sports figures should be good role models. That may be true—but it's even more important for us to be good role models in our own, close families. When we are, the world around us cannot break down the standard we raise.

It is for you to make something of yourselves and this can only be done while you are young.

~ SITTING BULL, SIOUX ~

Copyright © 2002 by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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~ ELDER MEDITATION ~

“In our story of Creation, we talk about each one of us having our own path to travel, and our own gift to give and to share. You see, what we say is that the Creator gave us all special gifts; each one of us is special. And each one of us is a special gift to each other because we’ve got something to share.”

~ John Peters (Slow Turtle), WAMPANOAG ~

We are all equally special. We need to focus on what is right for ourselves. As we focus on what is right for ourselves, we will start to see our special gifts. Then we can see how to share our special gifts with others. If we focus on what’s wrong with ourselves, we will not be able to see our gifts. Then we will think we have nothing to give others and we become selfish and withdrawn. The more we focus on our good, the more we see the good in others. The more we see the good in others, the more we see the gifts they have to share. What you see is what you get!

My Creator, today, let me use the gifts You have given me. Let me use them wisely.

~ http://www.whitebison.org/ ~

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~ SPIRIT WISE ~ (A Book of Reflections from Elders Spiritual Wisdom)

Shawanne, Tenskwatawa (1808)

The red people after their mode; particularly that they should not drink whiskey; that it was not made for them and that it is the cause of all mischief which the Indian suffers. Do not meddle with anything that does not belong to you, but mind your own business.

Oxford Group, A.J. Russell (1932)

The heart must be at leisure from itself; That to share is better than to preach; to lose is really to find; to let go is to be held secure; to surrender all is to possess all things.

Ioway, Neumonya (1841)

The Great Spirit expects us to feed the poor, our wives and children. Wicked white men kill so many of our warriors and hunters with fire-water, that they bring among us

Ron Swenson (Spiritwise@cableone.net)

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~ The 12 STEP PRAYER BOOK ~ (A Collection of Favorite 12 Step Prayers and Inspirational Readings) ~

The Acceptance Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept my addiction gracefully and humbly. Grant me also the ability to absorb the teachings of the Program, which by its past experience is trying to help me. Teach me to be grateful for the help I receive.

Guide me, Higher Power, in the path of tolerance and understanding of my fellow members and fellow- man, guide me away from the path of criticism, intolerance, jealousy, and envy of my friends. Let me not prejudge; let me not become a moralist; keep my tongue and thoughts from malicious, idle gossip.

Help me to grow in stature spiritually, mentally, and morally. Grant me that greatest of all rewards, that of being able to help my fellow sufferers in their search out of the addiction that has encompassed them.

Above all, help me to be less critical and impatient with myself.

© 2007 by Hazelden Foundation

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~ SAY YES TO YOUR LIFE by Ft. Leo ~ (Daily Meditations for Alcoholics and Drug Addicts) ~

CREATIVITY

"Creative intelligence in its various farms and activities is what makes humankind"

~ James Harvey Robinson ~

Spirituality means being positive and creative in all areas of my life. This I know to be true. I am part of God's love for the world. Through me, great and wonderful events unfold. Although I am not the Divine, I share God's Divinity. With this knowledge comes responsibility, because things only happen if I make them happen in my life. To simply know I am creative is not enough.

Today I work at my life like a carpenter works with wood. I chip away the things I do not want; I smooth the rough areas, and polish the things I want people to see. I accept responsibility for my creativity, and I thank God for it on a daily basis.

Teach me to use my life as a tool for goodness, joy, and truth.

© 2008 Leo Booth

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~ AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX ~ (A Book of Daily Readings) ~

The sixth main aspect of God is Spirit. We know that God is Spirit but what does that mean? Spirit is that which cannot be destroyed or damaged. It is the opposite of matter. Matter wears out, but Spirit does not because Spirit is substance. Herbert Spencer defines substance as that which is not subject to discord or decay. Webster says, "that which underlies all outward manifestation....real, unchanging essence or nature....that in which qualities in here....that which constitute anything what it is". All this can only apply to spiritual things.

God is a Spirit: An they that worship him, must worship him is spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

You are Spirit. Spirit cannot die and was never born. Your true self was never born and will never die. You are eternal, divine, unchanging Spirit, in your true nature. The whole universe is a spiritual creation but we see it in a limited way. You have sometimes seen a window made of fluted glass, and you know that if you look at the street through this window everything will be distorted. Nevertheless, you know that the distortion arises from your seeing wrongly. Our false vision causes us to know ourselves only from a seeming birth to a seeming death: But this is illusion too. This distorted vision of Spirit is really what we know as "matter." Eucken says, "Reality is an independent spiritual world, unconditioned by the apparent world of sense"—and this is substance.

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

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~ CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE RECOVERING SOUL ~ (Daily Inspirations) ~

Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

~ Stonewall Jackson ~

We as a group are privy to knowledge that is rapidly coming to the rest of the world. There is a Spiritual solution to every single problem, question and situation in our lives, because that is what we indeed are, creatures of a Spiritual nature, a Spiritual origin. This is the most important thing that we have learned as a result of working the Twelve Steps.

~ Jeffrey R. Anderson ~

© 2005 John T. Canfield and Hansen and Hansen LLC

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~ A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE ~ (365 Daily Inspirations for Heart-Centered Living) ~

The Eye of the Beholder

Two men looked out through prison bars; one saw mud, the other, stars.

~ James Allen ~

One morning while driving through a rural area, I approached a curve where a peahen was leading a queue of babies across the road. I stopped and enjoyed the beauty of the striking deep blue-green color of the chicks, reflected in the morning light. I took a deep breath and thanked God for the opportunity to start my day with this magnificent display.

On the other side of the birds, another car was stopped in the opposite direction. The driver of that car was not so pleased with the display. Obviously in a hurry, she was making scowling expressions as she waited for the animals to cross. As soon as the birds reached the other side of the road, the woman floored the gas pedal and screeched off.

Both of us came upon the same scene and interpreted it in entirely different ways. I viewed it as a gift from God, and she saw it as a nuisance. Behold the power we invoke when we filter our experience through perceptual screens. No occurrence has any absolute reality; everyone who observes it will call it something different. We see the world not as it is, but as we are. No event is intrinsically good or bad; it is the eyes through which we see that make it one or the other.

Experiment with finding the good in every experience. Even if an event seems to be a threat or a problem, adopt a vision through which it can empower you. When you behold life through the eyes of love, you will find the beauty of God everywhere.

I choose to use Your vision today.

Help me to see the good in all people and experiences.