It's Shame

...if it feels dark and makes us feel bad about being who we are, it’s probably shame. ~ Beattie, Melody. The Language of Letting Go: Hazelden Meditation Series (pp. 235-236). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Course adherents say if we have any agitation, we are in the clutches of the ego. ~ Casey, Karen. Daily Meditations for Practicing The Course (Kindle Locations 2597-2598). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The literature of Recovery
is replete with "shame" and "ashamed."
That's because the life stories
of Recovering people teem with shame:
a painful feeling of humiliation
or distress caused
by the consciousness of wrong
or foolish behavior.
It dominates our histories
and tales of Before.
We discuss it in all Twelve Steps
and it lingers through years in the Rooms.
When discomfort riddles your day,
consider the probability the culprit is shame.
Shame well deserved can be dealt with
in Steps Four, Five, Six, Seven,
Eight, Nine and Ten.
But does your shame arise
from talking about feelings, making choices,
taking care of ourselves, having fun,
being successful, or feeling good about ourselves?
That's shame undeserved. Forgive yourself,
accept your right to Recovery,
and choose joy, serenity, and peace!

The Discipline of Thanksgiving

..walk in the Light with Me by practicing the discipline of Thanksgiving. ~ Jesus Calling, April 6

Collins English Dictionary states,
"If you refer to an activity or situation as a discipline,
you mean that, in order to be successful in it,
you need to behave in a strictly controlled way
and obey particular rules or standards."
Practicing the discipline of Thanksgiving?
Behaving in s strictly controlled way
of being thankful. Being like Paul who said,
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
Jesus, speaking in the selection says to walk with him
in the light. Constant awareness of our Higher Power
while remaining grateful for all all things, for all around
results in successfully living  life. Thank God!

 

Better than Myself

I am larger, better than I thought, 

I did not know I held so much goodness.  ~ Walt Whitman, "Song of the Open Road"

What do I think of me
in the depths of my being?
Can it be true I have arthritis
because I have unexpressed anger,
resentment, aggression,
criticism of myself and fear?
Do I agonize over my perceived dearth
of a sense of style, a tendency
to ignore makeup, hair, appearance?
Do I still feel the need for Mother
to instruct me what clothes coordinate?
Do I want someone else to
select the clothes I buy?
If these have been true
can I move past them
and truthfully say,
I am larger, better than I thought,
I did not know I held so much goodness?
God, let it be so!
I would lay aside the pain
and affirm I no longer believe
somehow I deserve pain.

What Is Your Everything?

When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crises  we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn’t. What was our choice to be? ~ World Service, Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book and A Study Guide of the 12 Steps (Kindle Locations 1043-1045). Anonymous Publishing. Kindle Edition.

What is most important in your life?
In Overeaters Anonymous you'll hear,
"Abstinence is the most important
thing in my life without exception."
Really? More important than our children,
our job, our home, car, computer, our integrity?
Yes, because if we don't have abstinence
the rest will fall by the wayside.
Joe and Charlie on the A.A. speakers circuit
would use the Big Book quote above
and if something else seemed to take precedence,
they tagged that as the person's higher Power.
What is most important in YOUR life?
In mine it seems a tie, that abstinence
and the God of my understanding rival each other,
as necessary as an oar on each side of a rowboat,
but truth be told, without surrender to my God,
abstinence will evaporate and disappear.
God either is God to us or he is powerless in our lives,
so, for me, God is not nothing, God is everything.

You Deserve the Best

You do not ask too much of life, but far too little. ~ Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (Kindle Locations 17293-17294). Foundation for Inner Peace.

Self-esteem suffered through years of addiction,
as we loathed ourselves for insufficient willpower.
Then we found Recovery and learned
we had a disease and were not inferior beings
and traded in the fundamentally flawed willpower
for Real Power and people began to treat us kindly,
to do the unthinkable and actually love us...
and we found we weren't ogres, loathsome,
flawed...and came to realize we could be loved,
that we could even love ourselves.
Eventually we began to believe we were worthy
of respect, of good stuff, of appreciation.
Finally, being loved, we found dreams coming true
and that we could ask for and receive what we needed,
so eventually when we were told, "You do not ask
too much of life, but far too little,"
we could actually believe it true!

Don't Be Sad

Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” ~ Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)

As we develop a relationship
with our Higher Power, we find
we no longer must suffer through
many days, looking forward to a few
splendid days resulting from efforts
before returning to humdrum.
No, having surrendered our lives
and our wills to Him, pain and suffering,
even on the worst days, do not prevail.
We can claim serenity, peace, even joy
relying on strength not our own,
and we are comfortable in the bedrock
of the strength of our Lord,
the source of comfort and joy.

Running from Myself

May my Higher Power stop me in my tracks if I am running away from myself. ~ Anonymous. A Day at a Time: Daily Reflections for Recovering People (Hazelden Meditations) (Kindle Location 2206). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Do you scare yourself?
Are you afraid others will see you
and seeing you think you're as worthless
as you believe yourself to be?
Are you appalled people will learn
your worst secrets, your deplorable deeds?
Are you running away from yourself?
Would you if you could?
Don't run away from yourself.
To run is a false peace.
The only way is to stay
in the now, in the you, in the imperfection
Live. Reside in true peace.
Bring you with yourself.
Enjoy the day.

Ironmoe helped with this poem.

Waste of Soul Substance

... a waste of time, a waste of the soul substance which is lavished upon a lie. ~ Fox, Emmet. Find and Use Your Inner Power (p. 27). New Albany. Kindle Edition.

What pulls you into negativity?
Jealousy? Longing for good times,
past or future but not living this day?
Resentment? Anger? Boredom?
Stressed out? Overbooked?
Is the negativity
a waste of your soul substance?
Is that what you want for this day,
the only day you have?
Change it! Count your blessings.
Notice beauty. Love someone
and receive love in the exchange.
Forgive someone else.
Forgive yourself.
You have no time, no energy
to squander on wasting
your soul substance...
so don't!

Wisdom Is a Shelter

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing
and benefits those who see the sun.
Wisdom is a shelter
as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:9-13

Doctors? Engineers?
How straight should it be?
Would The Teacher have written this
in the 21st Century?
Maybe today he’d think money
might buy sufficient care
to preserve the possessor’s life.
Did God make crooked stuff?
If God knows as much more as we know
than The Teacher,
who knows?
Just God.

Lord, I’m lacking knowledge and trust.
I probably can’t handle the knowledge,
so if you will, just give me the trust.

Rollins, Barbara B..
A Time for Verse - Poetic Ponderings
on Ecclesiastes
(Kindle Locations 507-524).
Eagle Wings Press imprint
of Silver Boomer Books. Kindle Edition.

To Validate Yourself

...sometimes, it’s not about changing what you believe. It’s an opportunity for you to validate yourself and your beliefs. ~ Beattie, Melody. More Language of Letting Go: 366 New Daily Meditations (Hazelden Meditation Series) (p. 242). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Recovery facilitates our evolution,
our becoming, our changing who we are
from to who we wish to be.
We have a roadmap called the Steps,
a guide called the God of our understanding
and we have become accustomed to change.
Sometimes, though, what feels like change
is really a check-up, a reality scrutiny perhaps.
Validation of someone else involves
expressing understanding and acceptance,
offering understanding and affirmation.
Most of us in Recovery need understanding
and affirmation as we make changes,
and it's neat from someone else
but welcome when we come to see
that our thoughts and feelings are justified.
It's good to have an opportunity
to validate ourselves and our beliefs!

Claiming Serenity

Letting another’s behavior, no matter how petty, disturb our inner peace means we aren’t in control of ourselves. But we can be. ~ Casey, Karen. Keepers of The Wisdom Daily Meditations: Reflections From Lives Well Lived (Kindle Locations 3012-3013). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

We claim our anger, our harried,
our bored, our hostility,
our vexation. We can let other people
or our circumstances reign supreme
and be negative for hours, days,
as long as we hold the indignation close.
But if we choose not to claim it.
we can hold on to peace, tranquility,
love and grace by changing ourselves
which is the only change we have...
or need, and live serenity.
Thank God!

Words, Words, Words

Don’t get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. It’s an abstraction. Not unlike a signpost, it points beyond itself. ~ Tolle, Eckhart. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (p. 108). New World Library. Kindle Edition.

"Never do I ever want to hear another word
There isn't one, I haven't heard" (Chet Baker)
Is the word God a hangup? Or prayer, surrender,
disease  (as applied to compulsive food behaviors?)
Okay, fine. Don't get stuck on the level of words.
Choose one that feels neutral. I met someone once
who used "Howard" and explained it as coming from
"Howard be Thy name." The chair you're sitting in
holds you up, is a power greater than you.
Borrow a god from your sponsor.
Pray to the ocean or the wind.
Don’t get stuck on the level of words.

God Will Provide

It is not a question of whether God can provide a shelter from the storm, but of whether or not you seek the security of that shelter. ~ Anonymous. Twenty Four Hours A Day: Meditations (p. 114). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Many of us came into Recovery's rooms
with a solid background in our faith.
But with that part of our lives causing misery
we'd not been able to look to God for relief.
As we grow in Recovery surrendering
our addiction turned the corner
of trust in the God of our Understanding grew.
But understanding control in that part
often failed to reach our thoughts
in the rest of our lives. But staying the course
through the years leads us to understand
the limits are ours, that God stands ready
to meet our needs in every way.
God doesn't butt in but every call
will be answered. God will provide
if we have a grain of faith,
the courage to seek His help.

Confidence Needed Here

Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:7 (King James Version)

Mad as Hell.
Not going to take it any more.
Cruel, unjust treatment,
oppression.
You don’t have to
treat me like this, God!
I resent it.
I resent life.
I resent you.
What brought me here?
What happened?
I had everything I wanted.
I could be somebody!
The oughts, the shoulds, the talent —
they got in the way,
destroyed me.
It’s not the gifts you gave,
it’s my insecurity
in my ability to use them
that destroyed my heart.

God, thanks for the gifts.
Give me confidence
you’ll use them – and me.

 

Rollins, Barbara B.. A Time for Verse -
Poetic Ponderings on Ecclesiastes
(Kindle Locations 491-501).
 Eagle Wings Press imprint of
 Silver Boomer Books. Kindle Edition.

I Sit, Content

“I exist as I am, that is enough, if no other in the world be aware I sit content, and if each and all be aware I sit content.” ~ Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Serenity is our life, blessed
by turning our lives, or wills
over to God as we understand God.
We understand we at Long last
are good enough, are acceptable,
meet the test, the amazing fact being
that there IS no test!
And we are content under the scrutiny
of the whole world to the sane extent
As we are content sitting alone,
the living beings in our presence
being insects, a slug, two snails
and birds flying past.
And we sit content, serene, with our God.

From All the Common Strings

But the lover's power is the poet's power. He can make love from all the common strings with which this world is strung. ~ Amelia Barr

Making love using
"all the common string
with which the works is strung,"
What holds the world together?
Friendship, family, chance encounters...
hearing news that folks are suffering,
unknown to us but a part of it all...
Animals, pets or wild, part of our lives
for the moment in time,
children playing at the park
under watchful eyes, friends
by the time they climb a slide,
babies waiting noisily, shy teens
aware of others, ready to know them
but afraid to speak...
ordinary people making love
from all the common strings
with which this world is strung.

Look Backward and Forward Without Staring

Ours is a program of one day at a time.
We remember yesterday. being powerless
unable to manage our lives. But we don't stare
at the past even while sharing how it was.
We know tomorrow will come, we note it
on our calendars. But we don't stare at it,
imagining accomplishments, relationships,
financial security, dreams come to fruition.
We live wholly in today, knowing that is enough,
that we can be who we choose this day
and only this day, and a glance back
or a peek at the future is enough
but that today is the only day we have,
a day to be lived in the presence and guidance
of a Power greater than we.

God Gifts

Receive the thanks of God today, as you give thanks to Him. For He would offer you the thanks you give, since He receives your gifts in loving gratitude, and gives them back a thousand and a hundred thousand more than they were given. ~ Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (Kindle Locations 16950-16952). Foundation for Inner Peace.

Give, and it will be given to you.
A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you. Luke 6:28
God is grateful for our gratitude
expressed to Him? It follows, of course,
but who would expect it, identify it,
understand it was happening?
What a blessing as we name blessings
received, to count them then find
they have been multiplied
a thousand times greater
blessing us more but also
pouring over to each being we encounter
spreading favor, protection and grace
lavishly to the denizens of the world!

The Power of Gratitude

 When we’re learning to speak the language of letting go, however, we learn to say thanks for everything in our lives, whether we feel grateful or not. That’s how we turn things around. ~ Beattie, Melody. More Language of Letting Go: 366 New Daily Meditations (Hazelden Meditation Series) (p. 236). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.
An attitude of gratitude,
do you have one?
There are no requisites...
like something for which
you feel grateful. "HOW?"
you may ask. Thank God.
For what, you wonder?
For what you have,
pathetic as it may be.
Thank God for what you have
in the spirit of "Act as if."
Do it often, daily, consistently.
Then wait for the miracles
as your situation changes,
as what you desire begins to appear.
Then again,  Thank God.
For what, you wonder?
For what you have,
whatever it may be.
Thank God for what you have
in the spirit of "Act as if."
Do it often, daily, consistently.
Then wait for the miracles
as your situation changes,
as what you desire begins to appear
again, and again and again!

Give Me a Miracle

So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ~ Galatians 3:5-6NTSB

The doctor said: “You have the mind of a chronic alcoholic. I have never seen one single case recover, where that state of mind existed to the extent that it does in you.” Our friend felt as though the gates of hell had closed on him with a clang. 

He said to the doctor, “Is there no exception?” 

“Yes,” replied the doctor, “there is. Exceptions to cases such as yours have been occurring since early times. Here and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are called vital spiritual experiences. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 27

We’ve tried.

Followed the rules,

pursued the rabbit tracks,

tried and failed

again and again.

Willpower, resolution, determination,

threatened consequences,

actual loss…

nothing works.

Is there no exception?

Yes.

Here and there

once in a while

it happens —

a vital spiritual experience.

We believe what we’ve heard

and miracles happen.

God, grant me serenity.

Grant me awareness

I’m powerless,

Give me a miracle.

Heaven in Your Heart

I made you in My image, and I hid heaven in your heart. ~ Sarah Young. Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. (July 20) Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Our Higher Power is always available.
We are Part of our Higher Power.
We are always in Him. And He is everywhere.
God is not like a blueberry in a muffin.
God is present like the ocean in a wave.
It is our nature to believe
we do not deserve to be happy,
to have what feels good, to live in peace.
But Recovery teaches us the opposite is true.
Happiness, good feelings and peace
were inside us, integrally part of us
from the beginning of time.

 

Really Love Everyone

⁹ Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ~ Romans 12:9-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

Kindness is one thing...common courtesy,
good manners. But we're told again and again
that's not enough, we need to love.
Not just family, more than just friends,
beyond our acquaintances. We are to love
our enemies, those we find it hardest
to extend even just kindness to.
Even that falls short. We are to love
people we'll never be nearer to than
twenty-two thousand miles...half a world away.
Hoe much do we love these strangers
and everyone else? The Bible says
as we love ourselves. That standard is low, though,
for people who loath themselves.
A better measure is as God loves us,
beyond measure, despite all flaws,
discounting every sin, every mistake.
We must really love them, holding tightly
to what is good. We must love each person
with genuine affection,
taking delight in honoring each other.

Owning Our Power

Yes, admitting and accepting powerlessness is important. But that is a first step, an introduction to this business of recovery. Later, comes owning our power. Changing what we can. This is as important as admitting and accepting powerlessness. ~ Beattie, Melody. The Language of Letting Go: Hazelden Meditation Series (p. 209). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

If we admit we are powerless,
throw in the towel and surrender,
turn it all over to our Higher Power,
we who tend to be codependent
have merely switched our doting attention,
substituted our emotional and behavioral condition
of “relationship addiction” to looking
to our Higher Power to being subservient.
Our Power does have the power,
but we're not dismissed. We have value
and we have a role...accepting
what we can't change, seeking courage
to change what we can...ourselves...
and seeking Power's guidance
in the classification. We have the right
to feel our feelings, recognize we have them,
and regain contact with our own
needs, desires, and sense of self.
Admitting we are powerless
empowers us to live
under the protective watch
of the real Power.

Satori

Satori is the spiritual goal of Zen Buddhism... It is a key concept in Zen. Whether it comes to you suddenly seemingly out of nowhere...or after an undetermined passage of time centered around years of intense study and meditation...or after forty unrelenting years as with the Buddha's brother Ananda, there can be no Zen without that which has come to be called Satori.
Satori roughly translates into individual Enlightenment, or a flash of sudden awareness. ~ http://sped2work.tripod.com/satori.html

Satori is sudden enlightenment
and a state of consciousness
attained by intuitive illumination
representing the spiritual goal
of Zen Buddhism. In every corner
of Earth the awareness of a Greater Power
has led to similar understandings
of something beyond.
Whether we speak of Holy Spirit,
Jesus, omnipotence, divine order...
We can define and name our own
Higher Power, and the better acquainted
the two of us come the more peobable
we will find our own sudden enlightenment.
Praise be to that Power!

Maladroit

How deep should the list be,
those character defects
I'm completely ready to have removed
as I sort them through in Step Six?
If I put maladroit on the list
does that mean I'm inept
or that I'm pompous
or perhaps magniloquent?

Change Your Thoughts

Negative thoughts are like bent nails; they go nowhere. So discard them and replace them with positive thoughts. ~ Dean, Amy E. Morning Light: A Book of Meditations to Begin Your Day (Kindle Locations 2704-2705). Hazelden Publishing.

Most of us have tried to get a bent nail to work.
They don't. Negative thoughts are even less useful.
What are they good for? For carpentry, nothing.
But for metaphors, they're priceless.
Toss the broken, bent thoughts in the rubbish pile.
Bring our fresh, un-abused thoughts, shiny positive thoughts
and enjoy the process as well as the result!

Fear Not

I shall not fear failure or success. I am not alone in experiencing either; both are stepping stones on my life’s journey. ~ Casey, Karen. Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women (Kindle Locations 2332-2333). Hazelden Publishing.

Fear of failure...to be expected.
Fear of success...are you joking?
Surely success is good, something to want...
lacking in negativity...but it's not.
What if you do what you spent years trying for
and feel empty, less than, a successful failure?
But our Higher Power uses life's lessons
to move us forward, to give us greater understanding.
How did facing your fear move you forward?
What have you learned that makes life
better, more complete, fuller?
Was the growth not worth facing the fear
of failure or of success, of moving forward?
Fear not. Father's here.
Father can fix anything, everything!

Green-Eyed Monster

When you are jealous of what others have, you take precious time away from yourself. Rather than count your blessings, you count theirs. Instead of considering your worth, you consider theirs. Rather than feel secure in yourself, you see their security. Jealousy is, quite simply, an emotion based on fear. ~ Dean, Amy E. Morning Light: A Book of Meditations to Begin Your Day (Kindle Locations 2677-2679). Hazelden Publishing. 

"Count your many blessings,
name them one by one."*
Jealousy is a  character defect,
a weed in your garden
waiting for the Master Gardener
to pluck it, to place in its stead
the character trait of gratitude.
You need to abandon the nothingness
you are convinced is inside
and fill up your life with beauty,
with love, with kindness
to yourself and to others.
Can you look at the former
recipient of your envy
and bless them for having
the item or trait, giving them
pleasure which comes right back to you?
"Count your many blessings,
name them one by one."*


*Johnson Oatman, Jr.

Forgive Yourself

I read a quote from Neil Diamond: “I’ve forgiven myself for not being Beethoven.” And I realized my issue was I haven’t forgiven myself for not being Beethoven. ~ Billy Joel

Guilt. Inadequacy.
Incompetent. Inept.
Failure to lie up to expectations...
most often my own.
Self-loathing.
Skepticism. self-doubt.
I am my own harshest critic.
Others generally respect me,
admire me, believe me able.
I've not forgiven myself
for not being Shakespeare.
It's time I did.
What about you?
What lies do you tell
the face in the mirror?

Problems Needed Here

It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. ~ M. Scott Peck

Nobody seeks out problems.
But we should. Airplanes take off
against the wind. We may quake
at what needs to e done,
but we have no problems
too big to handle, and the strength needed
to move ahead is available when we seek it.
This program offers faith and miracles
for the asking. And each time
we negotiate our way
through the current maze
we become more confident
the next will yield as well.
Our challenges are gifts to grow on
and within every problem lies the solution.

Surrender

Surrender is inner acceptance of what is without any reservations. ~ Tolle, Eckart. Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from the Power of Now (p. 2). New World Library. Kindle Edition.

God is in charge and we have agreed,
surrendering our lives and our wills to Him.
What we can change is ourselves,
mostly by full surrender. Everything else
is up to God, whatever we call our Power,
however we understand our Power.
Full surrender happens when we understand
Who has the Lead, that we're bit players.
Our role is surrender, inner acceptance of what is
having no reservations, no takebacks,
no reclaiming possession. "I surrender all!"

Building Roads

You need to be building roads, not blowing up bridges. ~ Dr. Phil

We come to the Fourth Step
positive others have wrecked our lives,
that we are innocent victims.
that we have no part in the chaos.
We finish the inventory aware
most of the havoc was wreaked by us,
that our resentments through the years
have delayed needed construction
and destroyed infrastructure.
The understanding reached,
we spend the rest of our lives
building roads rather than
blowing up bridges!

Worn Loosely

It has been said that we should “wear the world like a loose garment.” ~ Anonymous. Twenty Four Hours A Day: Meditations (p. 103). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

"Your will, not mine be done."
Responsibility is not ours.
Even if we hold an authoritative role,
we can relax and take it easy.
Others may believe we're in charge,
but we know better. There's a power
greater than us, not seen,
but holding control and as we
follow His lead, we change what we can,
and obey instructions. In that way
we can relax and wear the world
like a loose garment.

© LightQuotes. All Rights Reserved.

The God of Understanding

No matter how I understand God, I will be grateful that God understands me. ~ Beattie, Melody. The Language of Letting Go: Hazelden Meditation Series (p. 197). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

For some it's an issue, the God of our understanding.
Some of us did not believe God existed.
Some felt ill-used by God. None of us
felt worthy of love. But we found
a God to understand even if we had to act as if ,
even if we found it necessary at first
to hold control, to set up the job description
of a god we could understand
or borrow a god from our sponsor,
whatever it took we looked at ourselves
and we found we were changing, becoming
who we wanted to be, a feat we had tried
over and over again and knew we hadn't done it now.
We nay or may bot ever understand
the God of our understanding
but some Power outside us shows up
often enough, and does it right enough times
that even though we do not, could not,
will not really understand, we like the process,
the comfort of TRYING to understand,
we like it, accept it, rely on it because
there's a Being of Understanding
whether, truth be told, we understand
he's got it in shape and we follow,
without touching the steering, because
whether we understand or not,
we are truly grateful He understands us.

If-Only and What-If Dreams

When you think of your dreams as “what ifs,” you free them of any limitations. ~ Dean, Amy E. Morning Light: A Book of Meditations to Begin Your Day (Kindle Locations 2563-2564). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Longing for what we thought we wanted,
living in if-only mode brought us
to unmanageable lives relying on placebos,
on pacifiers to wish the future better
than our actions lent any movement toward.
How much better to follow the guidance
of the God of our understanding, accepting guidance,
surrendering to His leading, daring to
dream the dreams beyond any we ever conceived!

The Only Requirement

3.The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively. ~ Third Tradition, Overeaters Anonymous

 

If you want to be in the flock, you belong.
Our flock is made up of people with problems with food.
We're compulsive about eating, but not in the same way.
Some of us eat everything in sight, intend to stop but can't.
Some eat a lot then vomit as though that was control.
Some are compulsive in not eating and refusing to  gain.
Some exercise to extremes to keep weight off.
We're all odd ducks when it comes to food,
so if you fit with us, it's your choice, so welcome home!

My Prayer Garden

I  gave up gardening
more than sixty years ago
having bought a packet
of cabbage seeds (what to do
but plant them all?)
and having dozens of heads
with nobody fond of eating them.
Now the scene has changed.
Every morning I herd three dogs
into the yard, starting at the door
reciting the 3rd Step Prayer.
God I offer myself to Thee
dumping out the water dish
to build with me and to do with me
as Thou wilt..., filling the dish to the rim
with fresh water...take away my difficulties
that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help of 
Thy Power, Thy Love, 
and Thy Way of life. 
May I do Thy will always!It merges into the 7th Step Prayer
to the Serenity Prayer, then
Your will not mine be done.
Turning off the water
I pull my cell phone from my pocket
and readaloud All power is the 

Lord's then grab a dog's dish
and herd them back inside
thanking God for abstinence
and belatedly adding,
"Good morning, God."
As I prepare three dog dishes
I hope my prayer garden
will yield bounties to rival cabbage.

Dumb Folk Welcome

I've seen lots of people too smart to get this program but I've never met anybody that was too stupid.” ~ Program saying

Intelligence is not a prerequisite
for recovery...in fact it can be,
often is an impediment.
Analytical thinking and logic
have been stumbling blocks,
drawbacks, snags in the path.
But the systematic, follow the rules,
do as you're told person may find
an easier path to recovery.
But you cannot describe a type
not found in the rooms of recovery.
Dumb people are always welcome
but certainly not more so
than Mensa members.
Anybody ready to admit
powerlessness over addiction
and a life unmanageable
has a place and a contribution to make
for kindred spirits and their opposites.

The Spirit of the Universe

In Recovery we speak of God
as we understand God.
But God doesn't have to be God...
or Allah or Yahweh or Jehovah
or Demiurge or Ariel or Mars, Jupiter,
Diana, Zeus, Apollo,
Igaluk, Nanook, Nerrivik,
Pinga,  Sedna, Torngasoak,
or any name
anyone has used before.
Seek a Power greater than yourself,
and evolve as your understanding does,
write a job description for the Power
and find your peace with your
personal god!

Listen to the Silence

Listen to the silence underneath the sounds. ~ Tolle, Eckhart. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (p. 63). New World Library. Kindle Edition.

"Be still and know that I am God."
"Silence is a source of great strength." Lao Tzu
"We need to find God, and he cannot be found
in noise and restlessness. God is the friend
of silence." Mother Teresa
"Silence is true wisdom's
best reply." Euripides
The wisdom of the ages
recommends silence.
You don't know how to pray?
"Silence is one of the great arts
of communication," a truth
from the first century
from Marcus Tullius Cicero.
God understands.
And He may be speaking to you now.
Listen to the silence underneath the sounds.

Escape From Temptation

Those who flee temptation generally leave a forwarding address. ~ Lane Olinghouse

Most of us spent years
fighting temptation...
or trying to. Normally we failed
for it was a temptation for us
only because we did not honestly wish

to succeed. Success comes not
by avoiding temptation but from finding
that which gives more joy than yielding
to temptation. Once we find the joy,
the peace, the sanity of Recovery
at that point we can cling to that which pleases
and toss away willingly that which brought
only misery.

The Text Thread

The current thread is only 
six months old because 
she changed email accounts.
1,086,783 bytes, simple texts,
photos, images of other text chains,
love and angst shared,
a relationship begun as sponsor
sponsored, long since evolved 
to friendship. Four thousand
three hundred threads since
December 2008, inspiration
available to meet any Recovery need,
like from 2013, "God grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
the courage to change the one I can,
and the wisdom to know it's me."

Becoming

There is joy in knowing that learning has no end and that each day offers us a chance to move closer to becoming the persons we are meant to be. ~ Casey, Karen. Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women (Kindle Locations 2129-2130). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Moving forward, traveling further
along life's path, each day surrendered,
asking God's will be done, not ours.
The O.A. Twelve and Twelve says,
"Once we compulsive eaters
truly take the Third Step,
we cannot fail to recover."
But truly taking Step Three
means turning our wills
and lives over to God
and daily living the program.
We never have it made
but continue to come closer
each day along the path.
Each day offers us a chance
to move closer to becoming
the person we are meant to be.

The Greatest Gift

The greatest gift you can ever give another person is your own happiness. ~ Esther Hicks

How is your happiness a great gift
to someone else? Maybe if they love you
it makes sense, but to an acquaintance
or even a stranger? Yes! The greatest gift
you can ever give another person
is your own happiness! If you're happy,
it's contagious. Can you hear someone giggle
or laugh from the heart and not pick up
the joy, claim it as your own?
But there's a deeper truth.
When you are in a state of joy, happiness,
or appreciation, you are aligned
with the universe and the God,
the Creator, the Essence.
You are a part of that Essence,
sharing the Power, the Energy
of that awesomeness. It is then
you are truly who you were created to be
and at that moment all in your presense
experience it as well. The greatest gift
you can ever give another person
is your own happiness.

Welcome the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit will be glad to take five minutes of each hour from your hands, and carry them around this aching world where pain and misery appear to rule. He will not overlook one open mind that will accept the healing gifts they bring, and He will lay them everywhere He knows they will be welcome. And they will increase in healing power each time someone accepts them as his thoughts, and uses them to heal. ~ Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (Kindle Locations 16337-16340). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition.

Let us accept this gift.
If you can put to use
a twentieth of an hour
to join your mind with God's...
not that it's disjoined,
but to accept the unity
of your mind with God's,
and will the Spirit
to disperse freedom from misery,
healing and miracles,
then united with God
we can change the world.
I would be a tool
to your receiving
this miracle right now.
Will you pass it on?

Whom DoYou Resent?

In time, I came to believe that my alcoholic loved one might be the messenger my Higher Power used to let me know that I needed to get help. ~ Family Groups, Al-Anon. Courage to Change—One Day at a Time in Al‑Anon II (Kindle Locations 2297-2298). Al-Anon Family Groups. Kindle Edition.

Can your resentment be the source of your salvation?
What does THAT mean? I'm not using the word
in a theological sense. Rather,  salvation means
"liberation from ignorance or illusion" or
"preservation from destruction or failure" or"deliverance from danger or difficulty."
Can you be liberated from ignorance or illusion
when you believe someone else is making you angry?
Do danger and difficulty persist when you're pissed?
Can you be delivered from anxiety while resenting?
Who would you tend to accuse of making you mad?
As you move toward true Recovery
and release the resentments to find your peace
will you be able to say the people who "angered you"
might be the messengers your Higher Power used
to let me know that you needed to get help?
Can you say it now?

To Live From God

...the only way to become godly is to live from God. ~ Cahn, Jonathan. The Book of Mysteries (p. 136). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.

Your Will, not mine be done.
God is not my co-pilot.
We don't have the seating wrong.
He's in charge. I've said
for fifty-plus years,
"God is not a puppeteer."
I've been wrong for fifty-plus years."
God controls the strings.
Not because He requires it
but because I allow...seek...it."
God, I would live from you today!
Keep me out of your seat.
Not my will but yours be done.

Well-Placed Compassion

Heard at a meeting:
This program has given me some compassion for myself. ~ Miranda
It's a good day to be a work in progress. ~ JT

Compassion: sympathetic pity and concern
for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
We're taught from childhood to be concerned,
to be empathetic when others suffer.
And we who found our way to Recovery
learned that lesson well! We felt for everyone
except ourselves. We wanted sympathetic pity
for ourselves, recognition of our sufferings
and misfortunes, but felt we didn't deserve it.
Instead we found our drug of choice,
alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, whatever,
and buried our feelings, denied our emotions,
suppressed our needs to those deserving compassion.
Then, in these Rooms, we finally found our
passion, our fervor, our rights to feel.
We even reached the point we knew
we deserved compassion and despite
the definition, we could have it for ourselves.
Truly any day on these Rooms of Recovery
is an excellent day to be a work in progress!

With Yourself

..you've got to go home with yourself. ~ Julia Roberts

Perhaps you came into these rooms
hating yourself, outside-in.
Perhaps...probably...you learned
the real issue, chronologically,
started with your insides and moved out.
But you do have to go home with yourself,
and/or to go to school, work,
social events,  organizations,
everywhere! with yourself.
But you never need hate yourself again.
Do what you can and should to clean up
the wreckage of your past,
and learn to love yourself,
to respect who you are, to act
as you want to be known
by yourself, other people,
and your God, and be
who you can love, who you respect,
who you choose to be
and accept the respect you deserve
because you deserve it,
all the while knowing it to be appropriate.

Now Is Ours

Now is ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain as life itself. Only the now belongs to us. Am I living in the now? ~ Anonymous. Twenty Four Hours A Day: Meditations (p. 95). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.

We live in the Now.
And as long as we stay in the Now
we are not tormented
by the regrets, the guilt,
the resentments of the past
or the fear, the apprehension,
the anxiety, the dread and stress
of the future.
As the future gradually becomes the Now
we have the constant presence
and the guidance of our Higher Power
to keep us free of the emotional turmoil
trying to live in the past or the future
and to give us serenity to accept
what we cannot change,
courage to change what we should,
and wisdom to live in the Now
and in the peace that is our companion.