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When You Thought I Wasn't Looking
When I saw this title, I had thoughts in another direction. We so often forget that our God can see our actions, knows our thoughts, our intent and motives. Denial can give us selective hearing and sight, can block us from the messages of God. We think because no one knows, we can do what we want to do, act the way we want to, and be less than our God would have us be. I think that is why there are Steps 6 and 7. Our self-righteousness can fill us up with self-importance, and we have no room left for God. We are so full of the almight "Self" that we don't have time for anyone else, and often looking down on them to make ourselves look good. I was reminded today, a woman I have known for years was in the mall. I said hello to her even though I was with my son, although he wouldn't have paid her any attention, he is not surprised when people come up to me or I go up to someone else. For that reason, he generally walk in front of me or behind me and as he reminded me today, "Mother you are old." Prior to recovery, I wouldn't have acknowledge the woman. I would have been embarrassed and would have what people would think if they saw me talking to her. She is disabled and has a slight mental challenge. It is such a joy to see her face light up when she sees me. Little does she know, that she warms my heart. I don't want to ever forget where I came from. I don't ever want to go back there and be that person who is so self-righteous. I think the worst is putting someone else down to make me feel better and worst of all is condescention. I have been on the receiving end far too often, and would never want to walk in the same shoes and lower myself to that level. Self-righteousness blocks us from the sunshine of the spirit. I am so glad that my God is a forgiving God. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/insects-...flies/0169.gif |
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Going down to the mall, 95% of the time, I see at least 2 or more people I know, at least 2 people in recovery or use to be in recovery, they both can carry a message to me, one of gratitude. Meditation is the great of all. Spending time alone with my God and finding that White Light within, and being open to what He has to share with me in today. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/phone-240x320-dogs/0208.gif |
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M Y E D
Motivate Yourself Every Day ! |
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
You are reading from the book Today's Gift Into each life some rain must fall. Some days must be dark and dreary. —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Coping with problems and weathering troubled times - is part of life. Those of us who have survived painful experiences have a duty to help younger ones prepare to face bad times by sharing the solutions we found. When stormy weather comes, we need to feel we are like other people. It's not that misery loves company, but that we don't want to feel we're in this alone. We will never have perfect living conditions. The only place where every day is a sunny one is in the desert. When pain comes, we can walk through our problems and settle things quickly, rather than prolonging the hurt by battling our way around the obstacles in an effort to avoid them. What problem can I confront and eliminate today? Playing the blame game. Pointing finger`s at someone, means that I have three coming back at me. It is important to lower my expectations of others and myself, and raise my level of acceptance. I was always told, do it right or don`t do it at all, especially if I had fear of failure. If it wasn`t my mom`s way, it wasn`t the right way, and I carried that old take all of my life. It is something my God and I are still working on. Quote:
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Step Three: Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: "God, I offer myself to Thee-to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. 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 has been my practice to add, "Thy will, not Mine, be done. Amen!" Seventh Step Prayer: My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen. From Big Book - p. 76 The difference between a demand and a simple request is plain to anyone. The Seventh Step is where we make the change in our attitude which permits us, with humility as our guide, to move out from ourselves toward others and toward God. The whole emphasis of Step Seven is on humility. It is really saying to us that we now ought to be willing to try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, and came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. If that degree of humility could enable us to find the grace by which such a deadly obsession could be banished, then there must be hope of the same result respecting any other problem we could possibly have. I need to get out of the way, so my God can work through me, instead of having to go around me. http://www.angelwinks.net/images/friends/friends14.jpg |
Humility, not humiliation as so many people think it means. It is about saying, "I don't know and being willing to learn." It isn't about feeling shame and failure because you don't know. You can't know what you have never been taught. I have had some great teacher put in my path. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. My thoughts are not original, they came through others, they are what I have been given, and I pass them on with the hope that it will help others as it helped me. It is also my perception and my interruptation of what I heard, so it is my thoughts and my truth. When I do my prayer and meditation, I ask for an open mind, clarity of thought, new perception and awareness.
I was told to obtain true humility, you had to remain teachable. When I think I know it all, I know nothing. I pray that I never get to a stage in my recovery, that I think that I need to teach instead of being open to be taught or given new insight. Every time a newcomer comes into the rooms of recovery, they teach me: 1) It isn't any better out there. 2) This disease is still cunning, baffling and powerful. 3) That all I have is today, daily reprieve for this 24 hours. 4) That I am only an arms length away from my first drink and that all I have in defense is my spiritual condition. 5) to be grateful, not only saying it but by showing it. Step Seven says, "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." When I fall short of who I believe my God would have me be in today, I take things to Him, knowing that of myself, I do not have the power to change. Like when I was drinking, I could stop but I couldn't stay stopped. It was only when I went to AA, that I found that I didn't have to drink, one day at a time. I no longer have to act out in my disease. I can take those thoughts and actions to my Higher Power. When I go to Him and ask for help, I know that I am empowered to do what I need to do for myself, just for today. I am not the power, I am not the center of my Universe, and I am not the be all, know all, to everyone else and playing God with their life and my own. Something I posted on another site. http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...27722077_n.jpg |
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Humility for me, is being able to listen to other ideas other than my own. Doesn't mean I will always agree with them, but it is about being open to receiving the message and not shutting down when it comes to something I don't totally believe in. Humiliation kept me from allowing myself to become vulnerable. Humility allows me to be vulnerable and open to new things. |
Sober Acronyms AA = Absolute Abstinence AA = Altered Attitudes AA = Attitude Adjustment AA = Adventurers Anonymous ABC's = Acceptance, Belief, Change ABC's = Ashtrays, Broom, Coffee ABC's = Ashtrays, Broom, Chairs ACTION = Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature ALCOHOLICS = A Life Centered On Helping Others Live In Complete Sobriety ANONYMOUS = Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity and Service ASK = Ass-Saving Kit BAR = Beware Alcohol, Run - BAR = Beware Alcoholic Ruin BIG BOOK = Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge DEAD = Drinking Ends All Dreams DENIAL = Don't Even Notice I Am Lying DETACH = Don't Even Think About Changing Him/Her DUES = Desperately Using Everything but Sobriety EGO = Edging God Out FAILURE = Fearful, Arrogant, Insecure, Lonely, Uncertain, Resentful, Empty FAITH = Fear Ain't In This House FEAR = Failure Expected And Received FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real FEAR = False Expectations Appearing Real FEAR = Fear Expressed Allows Relief FEAR = Feelings Every Alcoholic Rejects FEAR = Fighting Ego Against Reality FEAR = Forget Everything and Run FEAR = Face Everything and Recover FEAR = Frantic Efforts to Appear Recovered FINE = Faithful, Involved, knowledgeable and Experienced FINE = Feeling Insecure, Numb and Empty FINE = Frantic, Insane, Nuts and Egotistical FINE = Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional FINE = Frustrated, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional GAYS = Go Ask Your Sponsor GIFT = God Is Forever There GOD = Good Orderly Direction GOD = Group of Drunks GUT = God's Undeniable Truths HALT = Honestly, Actively, Lovingly Tolerant HALT = Hope, Acceptance, Love and Tolerance HALT = Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired HALT = Horny, Arrogant, Lazy and Tragic HALTS FEAR = Hope, Acceptance, Love and Tolerance Stops Forgetting that Everything's All Right HELP = His Ever Loving Presence HELP = Her Ever Loving Presence HELP = Hope, Encouragement, Love and Patience HOPE = Happy Our Program Exists HOPE = Hearing Other Peoples' Experience HOPE = Hang On Peace Exists HOW = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness HOW = Honest, Open-minded and Willing ISM = I, Self, Me ISM = Incredibly Short Memory ISM = I Sabotage Myself ISM = I Sponsor Myself KISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid KISS = Keeping It Simple, Spiritually MMM = Meetings, Meditation and Masturbation (recommended for the first year) NUTS = Not Using The Steps OUR = Openly Using Recovery PACE = Positive Attitudes Change Everything PAID = Pitiful And Incomprehensible Demoralization PMS = Poor Me Syndrome PMS = Pour More Scotch PROGRAM = People Relying on God Relaying a Message RELATIONSHIP = Real Exciting Love Affair Turns Into Outrageous Nightmare, Sobriety Hangs In Peril RID = Restless, Irritable and Discontented SLIP = Sobriety Loses Its Priority SOB = Sober Old Bag SOB = Sober Old Bastard SOB = Sober Old Biker SOB = Sober Old ***** SOBER = Son Of A *****, Everything's Real SPONSOR = Sober Person Offering Newcomers Suggestions On Recovery STEPS = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety STEPS = Solutions To Every Problem, Sober STOP = Sicker Than Other People TIME = Things I Must Earn WILLING = When I Live Life, I Need God YET = You're Eligible Too |
Thanks for sharing this Jo. I liked the Sober Acronyms. I copied it and printed it out for my Sobriety Notebook. I'm also going to share it with my alcoholic friend in Iowa.
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Have had a big spiritual awakening the past week! God keeps bringing me to it, and FINALLY, I woke up and saw the Light go on!
Question: Why am I here? How come I am in a bachelor apartment? Why haven't I had a phone for nine days and a computer for 10 weeks? Oh woe is me! Answer: Because... You can't say no! If you shut everyone out and don't make room for them in your space, then they can't come in and try to control and take over YOUR space. Boyfriends can't get comfortable in your space instead of making space for themselves. My son can't come home to mother because there is no couch or bed to sleep on. If you make the space small enough, there is only room for you. Sounds like my disease talking don't you think? Wrote this in August 25th, 2005 on another site. We need to make our homes and personal space safe. I still have problems with my son, thinking that he has a right to whatever is mine, is his, just because it is there. What is mine is his. It is my job as a mother to always be there, whether it is want, need, or just because. It is a part of his disease. He says I don`t understand him. He doesn`t realize that I can see my disease reflected in him, and I am just grateful that I don`t have to act out in my dis-ease in today. It isn`t about drinking and drugging in today, it is my emotional sobriety and the stinking thinking behind my addiction. http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-pigs/0079.gif |
Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence. - Vince Lombardi.
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Like this. In Al-Anon, it says our primary spiritual aim. As you say, "We can aim for perfection, and often we fall short and beat ourselves up." Perfection isn't a recovery tool, it is part of my disease. Know that our expectations need to be lowered, so our goals are reachable. Good is obtained through my God, it is not my works but His Will be done.
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