I am feeling so very grateful presently because a very dear friend got a good report from her doctor this morning. We all love her so much and have been walking through this illness with her, as much as we can, but you can never quite prepare yourself for the news, particularly if it isn't good. We are all breathing a big sigh of relief, as is she and her family, of course. But the real lesson here is being able to accept what ever the news might have been. That's not so easy. Practicing acceptance, followed by creating a gratitude list on the spot, are tw[...]
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God's presence
6 I am aware many times every day that I am listening to the louder voice in my mind. That it speaks first, and quite forcefully, is only part of its appeal. It’s familiarity and the way in which it convinces me that I AM RIGHT, in far too many encounters with others, seduces me again and again. It mesmerizes me, in fact. But I am making progress! My ego isn’t the whole of me. I am certain of this. But it claims my full attention when it can. Fortunately, I have learned to take an occasional deep breath, to pause before speaking, and to seek[...]
I go into the hospital for hip replacement surgery February 11th. My gait gives it away to onlookers. I have been hobbling for some time now. It began with a simple pain that worsened into a constant ache. It's reminiscent of my condition about a decade ago. It was my left hip then. The only time it didn't hurt was when I rode my Harley. No Harley these days and the ache is nonstop. I had thought I could postpone this surgery until December. I have workshops already committed to and didn't want any interruptions. But my body called and fortunate[...]
I am so often struck by the timeliness of the messages "I receive" at meetings. My sponsor has said many times that when I am ready, I will hear the message, or the explicit direction from God, that I have been prepared for. I used to doubt her, but not any more. I do hear exactly what I need to hear but I have to show up in the places I have been called to be, to hear the message. Isolating myself from others hasn't appealed to me for years but it used to. I wanted you to express your desire for my company. And I felt sorry for myself if you didn't.[...]
Do you want to increase your own hope? Try these suggestions. They are guaranteed to work. Or your money back!! (Get a small notebook that you can carry with you everywhere and be ready to use it) 1. Begin noting how others on your path demonstrate their hope. Do this for a month. 2. Keep track of the times you extended love/hope to someone else over a seven day period. What effect does this extension have on you? 3. Practicing gratitude cultivates hope and a changed heart. At the end of each day for thirty days, write about your experiences. What change[...]
Have you ever considered how really important to your growth every person you've met has been? Nary a one of them showed up accidentally. Amazing isn't it? I used to believe it was a coincidence when I met some one who felt special to my journey. Now I know they simply waited for the right time for our paths to intersect. I love this idea. It has given me comfort in myriad situations. I can't say "all meetings" were easy and gratifying in the moment, but hindsight is such a good teacher. My past is replete with circumstances and people who ushered[...]
I have been extremely busy lately doing what I love doing; however, being "on the treadmill" without taking time to breathe, to rest, to pray, isn't healthy. For me or any one. For a number of week ends I have been on the road leading workshops, an activity that absolutely thrills me, filling me up with hope and spiritual connection. But I must retreat to the quiet space in my mind to reconvene a conversation with God as I understand him when I get home. It's in my walks, my meditations, my "conversations" while working on a book that I most easily access G[...]
