Finding God

Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. (Galatians 1:8, NLT)

If he is sincerely interested and wants to see you again, ask him to read this book in the interval. After doing that, he must decide for himself whether he wants to go on. He should not be pushed or prodded by you, his wife, or his friends. If he is to find God, the desire must come from within. (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 95) 

Let him go if his chosen path
varies from your own.
You can’t sell God, convince folk
you’ve got God-knowledge
they must take your word.
Don’t claim decoding or the inside ropes
or special knowledge.
Instead state truth, changes in you,
recovery you’ve found.
What others do is none of my business
even when my heart hurts for them,
aches over their decisions.

God, let me live the message,
be the message,
closely enough
others may want what they see in me. 

 

Love Yourself First

Faith makes all things possible … love makes all things easy. ~ D.L. Moody

When you love who you are, you automatically bring out the best in you. ~ Louise Hay. Power Is Within You (Kindle Location 577). Kindle Edition.

You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Take care of yourself first.
If you’re searching
for that one person
that will change your life,
take a look in the mirror.
You are allowed to be both
a masterpiece
and a work in progress
simultaneously.
Put yourself at the top
of your to-do list
every single day
and the rest will fall into place.
One day i woke up and realized
I was not made for anyone,
I was made for me.
I am my own.
It’s not who you are
that holds you back,
it’s who you think you’re not.
Love yourself first!!

A Powerful Reason for Faith

 

…which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ~ Galatians 1:7 (NIV)

Once confused and baffled by the seeming futility of existence, they show the underlying reasons why they were making heavy going of life. Leaving aside the drink question, they tell why living was so unsatisfactory. They show how the change came over them. When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith. (Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 50-51)

I trust only me
and chase my tail,
follow a trailblazer
to deserts I despise,
flit like a butterfly,
flower to flower to flower,
drift like a balloon
to popular causes,
the thing du jour.
As long as I’m my own
higher power,
or I choose other lower higher powers,
I wander, dissatisfied.
Once I become conscious
of the Presence of God,
I know the path
to all I want or need.

God, sometimes I need
blinders. When I’m distracted,
nudge me.

On the Shoulders of Giants

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. ~ Galatians 3:8-9 The Lockman Foundation. New American Standard Bible – NASB 1995 (Without Translators’ Notes) . The Lockman Foundation. Kindle Edition.

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We hope no one will consider these self-revealing accounts in bad taste. Our hope is that many alcoholic men and women, desperately in need, will see these pages, and we believe that it is only by fully disclosing ourselves and our problems that they will be persuaded to say, “Yes, I am one of them too; I must have this thing.” ~A.A. World Services Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition page 29. A.A. World Services, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

As it was true for Abraham the believer,
so it has proven true
for the pioneers
of Twelve-Step Recovery,
the early believers.
Like the legendary Merlyn lived backwards,
remembering the future and not the past,
so all these wise men,
these believers,
foresaw the greatness
of God’s future gift.

Thank you, God,
for your foresighted guidance,
for blessing us with faith,
with Recovery,
with your constant presence!

 

A Guilty Hand Raised

 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” 

But there is One who has all power—that One is God. May you find Him now! ~ Galatians 2:20-21(NIV)

Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. we asked His protection and care with complete abandon. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous (Kindle Locations 906-908). 

Who would choose to set grace aside?
God’s unmerited love…
would you decline just because
you had not earned it,
it felt like charity?
(Insert graphic,
hand raised, guilty.)
A being possessing all power?
Who would not seek out and find
this greatest of great,
this source of, well, all power?
But how intimidating, how humiliating…
who would decline to search for the source?
(Insert graphic,
hand raised, guilty.)
The law I understand,
the give and take,
punishment for failure,
judgment for those who prove
they deserve it…
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Who expects justice through the law?
(Insert graphic,
hand raised, guilty.)

God, I’m drawn to wrong answers
but they don’t give me peace, happiness.
Teach me to accept grace, to seek
the source of all power,
and to know the law gains me nothing.

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Be Hopeful

 

Having hope, we come to understand, is a decision. Other men and women have made this decision. We can too. ~ Casey, Karen. A Life of My Own: Meditations on Hope and Acceptance (Hazelden Meditations Book 1) . Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature. ~ Steve Maraboli

You may say I’m a dreamer,
but I’m not the only one.
I hope someday you’ll join us.
And the world will live as one. ~ John Lennon
And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13
But I know, somehow,
that only when it is dark enough
can you see the stars. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
The very least you can do in your life
is figure out what you hope for.
And the most you can do
is live inside that hope.
Not admire it from a distance
but live right in it,
under its roof. ~ Barbara Kingsolver
When you have lost hope,
you have lost everything.
And when you think all is lost,
when all is dire and bleak,
there is always hope. ~  Pittacus Lore
All human wisdom
is contained in these two words —
Wait and Hope. ~ Alexandre Dumas
The grand essentials to happiness in this life
are something to do,
something to love,
and something to hope for.
~ George Washington Burnap
It is often in the darkest
skies that we see the
brightest stars.
~ Richard Evans

 

Twelve Step and Scripture Parallels (Part Two)

 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,

believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:24.
Step #7: We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there remember that your brother has ought against you;
Leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way;
first be reconciled to your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.  Matthew 5:23-24
Step #8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed
and became willing to make amends to them all.
Step #9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible,
except when to do so would injure them or others.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,
longsuffering; bearing with one another,
and forgiving one another,
if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you,
so you also must do. Colossians 3:12-13
Step 10. Continued to take personal inventory
and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” James 4:8.
Step 11. Sought through prayer and meditation
to improve our conscious contact with God
as we understood Him, praying only
for knowledge of His will for us
and the power to carry that out.
We must get the beam out of our own eye
before we can see clearly
to get the speck out of our brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5
Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening
as the result of these Steps,
we tried to carry this message
to _________________ and to practice

On both parts of this comparison I utilized research fro the United Church of God Beyond Today blog.

Twelve Step and Scripture Parallels (Part One)

 Psalm 38:4-5: For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my folly.

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over _______ — that our lives had become unmanageable.
Romans 7:24-25: “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”
Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
1st Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself.
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
James 5:18 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
Step 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Ephesians 4:22-23 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Step 6:  Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

God Looks at the Heart and Considers the Intent

If thou considerest well what thou art inwardly, thou wilt not care what men will say to thee. Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart: man looketh on the deed, but God considereth the intent. It is the token of a humble spirit always to do well, and to set little by oneself. Not to look for consolation from any created thing is a sign of great purity and inward faithfulness. ~ Kempis, Thomas à. The Imitation of Christ (Illustrated) (pp. 67-68). LiberWriter.com. Kindle Edition.

Who would you rather impress…
The people around you
who evaluate your outside
or the creator of the universe
who knows your intentions?
Do you see your value from what you acquire
or from the alignment
of your mind and intent with God?
Seek always to do well,
and to assess your value humbly.
Pride is the exaltation of Self above all authority,
even God’s authority. Pride is cosmic arrogance.
Saint Augustine said it was Pride
that changed angels into devils;
it is humility that makes men as angels.

God as We Understand God

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin….” Exodus 34:6-7a NIV

The Big Book tells of Ebby’s suggestion to Bill W, “Why don’t you chose your own conception of God?” Many of us find this wise advice! God Himself told Moses to consider, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Could we not adopt this as God as we understand God? I’ve chosen to edit out the rest of the verse describing God’s not leaving the guilty unpunished; and that he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation. I’m free to set aside as part of my pwn understanding material probably not quickly transcribed and checked for accuracy. How do you choose to understand God?

Doing Nothing Is an Option

Making the choice to do nothing when we feel like someone is trying to egg us on is a hugely important decision. The empowerment we will feel is so worth the eff

ort it takes to simply let the moment pass. ~ Casey , Karen. Let Go Now (p. 27). Mango Media. Kindle Edition.

We want to react. He says your name loudly meaning, “You should have turned on the fan. You know I need that!” Saying his name with near-equal decibels seems required. She stops talking, refuses to continue after stumbling and your volunteering what you expect she means. Jack attacks you like a rhino charge. Can you really not respond, much less choose to respond lovingly? Doing nothing is an option? Doing nothing is an option! Will we feel empowerment worth the effort it takes to simply let the moment pass? We will feel empowerment worth the effort it takes to simply let the moment pass! I’ll try it today. Will you?

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother ’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. ~ Ecclesiastes 11:14-16 (NIV) What if? Contingency plans in case by chance the worst should happen, the end of time, the big one, global conflagration, in the eventuality of the unlikely, the worrier is likely not to lose for, taking no action, making no plans, nothing’s there, come hell, high water — or good fortune ignored. I have now, and now only, but I can trust, work, prepare for the bounty available, the promises received

Servant Leaders

25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ~ Matthew 20:25-28 NIV …Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. ~ Tradition 3 Jesus set out the kind of leaders we need, the kind of leaders we need to be. We don’t want people lording over us or exercising authority over us and because we know how that feels we don’t want to lead in that way either. No, we want to be a servant, we know a person who serves others deserves respect far more than one who assumes that as due. We choose not to come to be served, but to serve, and to give our lives in service to others. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

Benevolent, Not Malevolent

At first my Higher Power looked like my sponsor. Then he looked like me. Then, like a kind old man with a big beard. My Higher Power has always been a loving Higher Power. My sponsor told me, “You can choose anything you want, God should can choose anything you want, but it’s got to be benevolent, not malevolent.” So I started to develop a Higher Power that was sort of a spirit of the universe, and if I was in touch with that flow then I would go the easy way and good things would happen. ~ Anonymous, Overeaters. Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition . Overeaters Anonymous. Kindle Edition.

Father, we do not know the way to You. But we have called, and You have answered us. We will not interfere. Salvation’s ways are not our own, for they belong to You. And it is unto You we look for them. Our hands are open to receive Your gifts. We have no thoughts we think apart from You, and cherish no beliefs of what we are, or Who created us. Yours is the way that we would find and follow. And we ask but that Your Will, which is our own as well, be done in us and in the world, that it become a part of Heaven now. Amen. ~ Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles. Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition.

We come into Recovery and,
like Ebby talking to Bill W.
at the nascent moment of Recovery
We’re told, “Why don’t you choose
your own conception of God?
Some come fearing God,
believing in a bogieman instead.
I like the advice, “choose anything
you want, but it’s got to be
benevolent, not malevolent.”
Look. Watch. See the people around you.
See the healing they have found.
Then discover your own faith,
your own belief, your own healing. 

God Knows Why and When

 27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. ~ Exodus 23:27-30 NIV

Our lives can be full of chaos and mayhem, most of it may even be caused by our own actions.  It’s tempting to look at everything that’s wrong and choose to not do anything.  It’s simply too overwhelming to see it all, much less try to figure out how to fix it. However, God is so good!  When we decide that we want to leave our captivity (our addictions, our perpetually never-ending sinful patterns, etc.), and make the choice to enter into His Promises, He will put everything back into order. ~ catchthewind.org

Why does change happen slowly
when we’re ready for it to be
what we want it to be right now?
What do you think the Hebrews wanted
when God told them,
“But I will not drive them out
in a single year, because
the land would become desolate
and the wild animals
too numerous for you.
Little by little
I will drive them out before you,
until you have increased enough
to take possession of the land.”
Do you want God to leave to free you
from your captivity (your addictions,
your perpetually never-ending
sinful patterns, or other issues) now
when taking time to build new behaviors
could make the new ways last?
Do you believe God know the best when and how?
God is good and is more than willing
when we choose to enter into His Promises
He will put everything back into order
when we are entirely ready
to fully choose to enter into His Promises.
Then He will put everything into good order.

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