Daily Readings for Monday October, 2nd
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Daily Readings for Monday October, 2nd
Early edition.
Just For Today
October 2
Keeping Faith
“We grasp the limitless strength provided for us through our daily prayer and surrender as long as we keep faith and renew it.”
Basic Text p.44
There are two parts to recovery: getting clean, and staying clean. Getting clean is comparatively easy because we only have to do it once. Staying clean is more difficult, requiring attention every day of our lives. Yet both draw their power from faith.
We got clean on faith. We admitted that addiction was more powerful than we were, and we stopped trying to fight it on our own. We turned the battle over to a Power greater than ourselves, and that Higher Power got us clean. We stay clean each day the same way: on faith. Just for today, we surrender. Life may be too big for us to tackle on our own power. When it is, we seek a Power greater than ourselves. We pray, asking our Higher Power for direction and the strength to follow it. By exercising and renewing our faith on a daily basis, we tap the resources we need to live clean, full lives.
There is limitless strength available to us whenever we need it. To grasp it, all we need to do is keep faith in the Higher Power that got us clean and keeps us clean.
Just for today: Faith got me clean, and faith will keep me clean. Today, I will keep faith with my Higher Power. I will renew my surrender and pray for knowledge and strength.
************************************
Daily Reflections
October 2
THE ACID TEST
As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88
I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I want to maintain and develop them by the daily application of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings. When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes. It isn’t easy, but as long as I know I am progressing spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain gradually goes away.
************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
October 2
A.A. Thought For The Day
What makes an effective talk at an A.A. meeting? It is not a fine speech with fine choices of words and an impressive delivery. Often a few simple words direct from the heart are more effective than the most polished speech. There is always a temptation to speak beyond your experience, in order to make a good impression. This is never effective. What does not come from the heart does not reach the heart. What comes from personal experience and a sincere desire to help the other person, reaches the heart. Do I speak for effect or with a deep desire to help?
Meditation For The Day
“Thy will be done” must be your oft-repeated prayer. And in the willing of God’s will there should be gladness. You should delight to do that will because when you do, all your life goes right and everything tends to work out for you in the long run. When you are honestly trying to do God’s will and humbly accepting the results, nothing can seriously hurt you. He who accepts the will of God in his life may not inherit the earth, but he will inherit real peace of mind.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have a yielded will. I pray that my will be attuned to the will of God.
************************************
As Bill Sees It
October 2
Compelling Love, p.273
The life of each A.A. and of each group is built around our Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. We know that the penalty for extensive disobedience to these principles is death for the individual and dissolution for the group. But an even greater force for A.A.’s unity is our compelling love for our fellow members and for our principles.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^
You might think the people at A.A.’s headquarters in New York would surely have to have some personal authority. But, long ago, trustees and secretaries alike found they could do no more than make very mild suggestions to the A.A. groups.
They even had to coin a couple of sentences which still go into half the letters they write: “Of course you are at perfect liberty to handle this matter any way you please. But the majority experience in A.A. does seem to suggest . . .”
A.A. world headquarters is not a giver of orders. It is, instead, our largest transmitter of the lessons of experience.
1. Twelve Concepts, p.8
2. 12 & 12, pp. 173-174
************************************
Walk In Dry Places
October 2
Living or Waiting?
Using time wisely
What is the real secret of living 24 hours at a time? Isn’t it really a matter of feeling completely comfortable in the present rather than believing that happiness depends on something in the future?
Whatever our situation today, it’s something we must life through and deal with effectively. We may be overlooking many wonderful things in our present life simply because we believe we need some exciting experience that can only come later on.
We also might be overlooking present opportunities because we’re spending too much time in the past. The past, whether it was god or bad, is beyond our control.
Our mission is to live effectively and happily today. We can do this best when we realize that yesterday and tomorrow don’t really exist… today is all we can be sure of.
I’ll live today in the present, handling every problem as well as I can and enjoying every experience that comes to me.
************************************
Keep It Simple
October 2
. . .and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
—Second half of Step Ten
We are human. We make mistakes. This is half the fun of being human. Step Ten clearly tell us what to do when we are wrong: admit it. This keeps us honest. It keeps us from hiding secrets that could cause us to use alcohol or other drugs again.
Trust the gift we get from Step Ten. When we admit our wrongs, people start to trust us again. We feel good, and people feel good being around us. Even when they don’t like how we act, they can trust us to run our lives. No one will ever be prefect. The closet we get is that we admit it when we’re wrong. This is as good as it gets.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me admit my wrongs. Help me earn the trust of others by being honest about my mistakes.
Action for the Day: I will list any wrongs I’ve done today. That way, I’ll start tomorrow fresh and without any burdens from today.
************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
October 2
Fortunate are the people whose roots are deep.
–Agnes Meyer
Deep roots offer strength and stability to an organism. They nourish it plentifully. They anchor it when the fierce winds blow. We each are offered the gifts of roots when we give ourselves fully to the program.
We are never going to face, alone, any difficult situation after discovering recovery. Never again need we make any decision in isolation. Help is constant. Guidance through companionship with others and our contacts with God will always be as close as our requests. The program anchors us; every prayer we make, every step we take, nourishes the roots we are developing.
Becoming rooted in the program, with daily attention to the nourishment we need, offers us sanity and hope. We discover that all things can be handled; no situation is too much for us.
Strength, confidence, freedoms from fear are the benefits of our deepening roots. We will be anchored if we do what needs to be done by us. The program’s gifts are ours, only if we work the program.
I won’t neglect my roots today. I will nourish them so they in turn can fill me up with confidence when my need is there.
************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous
October 2
ME AN ALCOHOLIC?
– Alcohol’s wringer squeezed this author–but he escaped quite whole.
After talking with him for a time, I heard myself saying,
“Doc, I think I’m an alcoholic.”
“Yes,” he said, surprisingly, “you are.”
“Then why in God’s name haven’t you told me so during all these years?”
“Two reasons,” he said. “First, I couldn’t be sure. The line
between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic is not always clear.
It wasn’t until just lately that, in your case, I could draw it.
Second, you wouldn’t have believed me even if I had told you.”
p. 385
************************************
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
October 2
Tradition One – “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. Unity.”
Those who look closely soon have the key to this strange paradox. The A.A. member has to conform to the principles of recovery. His life actually depends upon obedience to spiritual principles. If he deviates too far, the penalty is sure and swift; he sickens and dies. At first he goes along because he must, but later he discovers a way of life he really wants to live. Moreover, he finds he cannot keep this priceless gift unless he gives it away. Neither he nor anybody else can survive unless he carries the A.A. message. The moment this Twelfth Step work forms a group, another discovery is made – that most individuals cannot recover unless there is a group. Realization dawns that he is but a small part of a great whole; that no personal sacrifice is too great for preservation of the Fellowship. He learns that the clamor of desires and ambitions within him must be silenced whenever these could damage the group. It becomes plain that the group must survive or the individual will not.
p. 130
************************************
Xtra Thoughts
October 2
Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it’s just enough to know they’re standing by.
–Elizabeth Foley
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
–Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
“In the hope of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.”
–Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
–Helen Keller
“God, I do believe in Your power and Your wisdom. Your glory is far greater than I could ever envision, and I am thankful to be within the circle of your ever-renewing life.”
–©2000 by Unity School of Christianity
************************************
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
October 2
REALITY
“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.”
– Oscar Wilde
In my addiction I avoided things that I did not like, did not want to consider. I hid from life and condemned things I did not wish to understand. My ego created a hypocritical purity that enabled me to judge, condemn and abuse the thoughts and ideas of those I considered inferior to myself.
Today I try to live and let live. I do this not to avoid conflict or criticism but because I have found, through experience, how my ideas and attitudes have changed during my years of recovery. People who I would have condemned to Hell have now become my friends and mentors. Concepts and lifestyles that were once abhorrent to me are now appreciated and inspiring. What was once dismissed as immoral is today, for me, a part of life.
God of Truth and Reality, help me to accept the difference that is in others.
************************************
Bible Scriptures
October 2
May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 104:34
“Lord, I believe.”
John 9:38
If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. – (KJV)
Exodus 22:6
Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. – (KJV)
Psalms 88:16
And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. (KJV)
Jeremiah 9:5
************************************
Daily Inspiration
October 2
The condition of your heart is reflected in your face. Lord, help me to remove all harsh feelings from within my soul so that I will radiate love and kindness and others can feel safe in seeking me out.
If you exercise your mind, your spirit will never get old. Lord, give me the ability to rise above my worldly burdens and ability to always make things a little better.
************************************
A Day At A Time
October 2
Reflection For The Day
An entire philosophy of life is condensed in the slogan Live and Let Live. First we’re urged to live fully, richly and happily — to fulfill our destiny with the joy that comes from doing well whatever we do. Then comes a more difficult challenge: Let live. This means accepting the right of every other person to live as he or she wishes, without criticism or judgement from us. The slogan rules out contempt for those who don’t think as we do. It also warns against resentments, reminding us not to interpret other people’s actions as intentional injuries to us. Am I becoming less tempted to involve my mind with thoughts of how others act or live?
Today I Pray
May I live my life to the fullest, understanding that pure pleasure-seeking is not pleasure-finding, but that God’s goodness is here to be shared. May I partake of it. May I learn not to take over the responsibility for another adult decisions; that is my old controlling self trying , just one more time, to be the executive director of other people’s lives.
Today I Will Remember
Live and Let Live.
************************************
One More Day
October 2
God wrote His loveliest poem on this day
He made the first tall, poplar tree,
And set it high upon a pale-gold hill
For all the now enchanted earth to see.
– Grace Noll
Autumn was such a wonderful time when we were youngsters. Raking meant gleefully jumping into mountains of leaves and later gathering with our families to watch the blazing piles.
We can still enjoy the trees and leaves around us. If we take time to observe even a single leaf, we will again be surprised as its beauty, its perfection. The golden or red or brown leaf is a small part of nature’s balance.
We enjoyed trees before; we can find multiple ways to enjoy them now. Like all of the world around us, the leaves lend color, beauty, and meaning to our lives, if we only look.
All natural beauty deserves a second look before I turn away.
************************************
One Day At A Time
October 2
COMPULSIONS
“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, desire.”
–Aristotle
When I was eating compulsively, it was similar to taking nitrous oxide at my dentist. Like a heavy anesthesia, the food comforted me and gave me an extraordinary sense of well-being. Like many short-term cures for what is bothering us, it took its toll. Any resemblance to reality while in the fog of compulsive eating is purely coincidental. While there may be times in my life I needed anesthesia, to use it day in and day out to block emotional pain is a burden only compulsive eaters know about.
Compulsion is self-will gone berserk. I try to think of it as the opposite of effortless abstinence. Between the two are miles and miles of varying experiences. For me there was never moderation … only the two extremes. It took several years of squeaky clean abstinence to trust myself and begin to try moderation in eating. At that point I had learned to recognize and be aware of the dangers of that first compulsive bite. There have been times when this cunning disease always waiting to pounce has sent me straight back to hell as a result of that one single compulsive bite.
One day at a time…
I will pray that my actions are caused by anything except compulsions.
~ Mari
************************************
Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 2
“Laughter – that is something very sacred especially for us Indians.”
–John (Fire) Lame Deer, ROSEBUD LAKOTA
Laughter is mental, laughter is emotional, laughter is physical and laughter is spiritual. Laughter helps us find balance. If we get too angry, laughter will turn that emotion in a balanced direction. If we have a mental picture of someone who is too strong, laughter will help ease the tension. If the body is stressed, laughter will release natural relaxants into our muscles and our nervous system. Laughter often changes our attitude. We need to lighten up and laugh more.
Great Spirit, teach me to laugh.
************************************
Journey To The Heart
October 2
Trust the Unknown
Look! See how much you’ve changed. See the difference in your perspective.
Remember all those years you were so fearful, trying to peek ahead, trying to see what the future held. Remember how upset you got, how uncertain and abandoned you felt because you didn’t know the plan.
Now life has taken you to a new place, a new place for you but a place that is ancient. All along, you were not supposed to be getting the answers about what the future held. You were supposed to be learning the magical way of trust and inner guidance, learning to feel your way through, trusting and committing to your vision, your energy, your purpose, your place, each day and moment along the way. You were supposed to be learning to allow the universe to magically unfold and trust that it would. You have been learning this lesson. You have been learning it well.
See how you delight in life’s magic now, the surprises, the not knowing, the absolute trust in the universe to bring you your answers, manifest your visions, and help you when you can’t quite see. See how much you cherish your relationship to the universe, a relationship so much broader and more encompassing, so much more vital that you could ever before imagine. See how joyfully you walk your path, enjoying all the sights, opening your heart to loved one and strangers.
Just For Today
October 2
Keeping Faith
“We grasp the limitless strength provided for us through our daily prayer and surrender as long as we keep faith and renew it.”
Basic Text p.44
There are two parts to recovery: getting clean, and staying clean. Getting clean is comparatively easy because we only have to do it once. Staying clean is more difficult, requiring attention every day of our lives. Yet both draw their power from faith.
We got clean on faith. We admitted that addiction was more powerful than we were, and we stopped trying to fight it on our own. We turned the battle over to a Power greater than ourselves, and that Higher Power got us clean. We stay clean each day the same way: on faith. Just for today, we surrender. Life may be too big for us to tackle on our own power. When it is, we seek a Power greater than ourselves. We pray, asking our Higher Power for direction and the strength to follow it. By exercising and renewing our faith on a daily basis, we tap the resources we need to live clean, full lives.
There is limitless strength available to us whenever we need it. To grasp it, all we need to do is keep faith in the Higher Power that got us clean and keeps us clean.
Just for today: Faith got me clean, and faith will keep me clean. Today, I will keep faith with my Higher Power. I will renew my surrender and pray for knowledge and strength.
************************************
Daily Reflections
October 2
THE ACID TEST
As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88
I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I want to maintain and develop them by the daily application of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings. When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes. It isn’t easy, but as long as I know I am progressing spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain gradually goes away.
************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
October 2
A.A. Thought For The Day
What makes an effective talk at an A.A. meeting? It is not a fine speech with fine choices of words and an impressive delivery. Often a few simple words direct from the heart are more effective than the most polished speech. There is always a temptation to speak beyond your experience, in order to make a good impression. This is never effective. What does not come from the heart does not reach the heart. What comes from personal experience and a sincere desire to help the other person, reaches the heart. Do I speak for effect or with a deep desire to help?
Meditation For The Day
“Thy will be done” must be your oft-repeated prayer. And in the willing of God’s will there should be gladness. You should delight to do that will because when you do, all your life goes right and everything tends to work out for you in the long run. When you are honestly trying to do God’s will and humbly accepting the results, nothing can seriously hurt you. He who accepts the will of God in his life may not inherit the earth, but he will inherit real peace of mind.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may have a yielded will. I pray that my will be attuned to the will of God.
************************************
As Bill Sees It
October 2
Compelling Love, p.273
The life of each A.A. and of each group is built around our Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. We know that the penalty for extensive disobedience to these principles is death for the individual and dissolution for the group. But an even greater force for A.A.’s unity is our compelling love for our fellow members and for our principles.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^
You might think the people at A.A.’s headquarters in New York would surely have to have some personal authority. But, long ago, trustees and secretaries alike found they could do no more than make very mild suggestions to the A.A. groups.
They even had to coin a couple of sentences which still go into half the letters they write: “Of course you are at perfect liberty to handle this matter any way you please. But the majority experience in A.A. does seem to suggest . . .”
A.A. world headquarters is not a giver of orders. It is, instead, our largest transmitter of the lessons of experience.
1. Twelve Concepts, p.8
2. 12 & 12, pp. 173-174
************************************
Walk In Dry Places
October 2
Living or Waiting?
Using time wisely
What is the real secret of living 24 hours at a time? Isn’t it really a matter of feeling completely comfortable in the present rather than believing that happiness depends on something in the future?
Whatever our situation today, it’s something we must life through and deal with effectively. We may be overlooking many wonderful things in our present life simply because we believe we need some exciting experience that can only come later on.
We also might be overlooking present opportunities because we’re spending too much time in the past. The past, whether it was god or bad, is beyond our control.
Our mission is to live effectively and happily today. We can do this best when we realize that yesterday and tomorrow don’t really exist… today is all we can be sure of.
I’ll live today in the present, handling every problem as well as I can and enjoying every experience that comes to me.
************************************
Keep It Simple
October 2
. . .and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
—Second half of Step Ten
We are human. We make mistakes. This is half the fun of being human. Step Ten clearly tell us what to do when we are wrong: admit it. This keeps us honest. It keeps us from hiding secrets that could cause us to use alcohol or other drugs again.
Trust the gift we get from Step Ten. When we admit our wrongs, people start to trust us again. We feel good, and people feel good being around us. Even when they don’t like how we act, they can trust us to run our lives. No one will ever be prefect. The closet we get is that we admit it when we’re wrong. This is as good as it gets.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me admit my wrongs. Help me earn the trust of others by being honest about my mistakes.
Action for the Day: I will list any wrongs I’ve done today. That way, I’ll start tomorrow fresh and without any burdens from today.
************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
October 2
Fortunate are the people whose roots are deep.
–Agnes Meyer
Deep roots offer strength and stability to an organism. They nourish it plentifully. They anchor it when the fierce winds blow. We each are offered the gifts of roots when we give ourselves fully to the program.
We are never going to face, alone, any difficult situation after discovering recovery. Never again need we make any decision in isolation. Help is constant. Guidance through companionship with others and our contacts with God will always be as close as our requests. The program anchors us; every prayer we make, every step we take, nourishes the roots we are developing.
Becoming rooted in the program, with daily attention to the nourishment we need, offers us sanity and hope. We discover that all things can be handled; no situation is too much for us.
Strength, confidence, freedoms from fear are the benefits of our deepening roots. We will be anchored if we do what needs to be done by us. The program’s gifts are ours, only if we work the program.
I won’t neglect my roots today. I will nourish them so they in turn can fill me up with confidence when my need is there.
************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous
October 2
ME AN ALCOHOLIC?
– Alcohol’s wringer squeezed this author–but he escaped quite whole.
After talking with him for a time, I heard myself saying,
“Doc, I think I’m an alcoholic.”
“Yes,” he said, surprisingly, “you are.”
“Then why in God’s name haven’t you told me so during all these years?”
“Two reasons,” he said. “First, I couldn’t be sure. The line
between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic is not always clear.
It wasn’t until just lately that, in your case, I could draw it.
Second, you wouldn’t have believed me even if I had told you.”
p. 385
************************************
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
October 2
Tradition One – “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. Unity.”
Those who look closely soon have the key to this strange paradox. The A.A. member has to conform to the principles of recovery. His life actually depends upon obedience to spiritual principles. If he deviates too far, the penalty is sure and swift; he sickens and dies. At first he goes along because he must, but later he discovers a way of life he really wants to live. Moreover, he finds he cannot keep this priceless gift unless he gives it away. Neither he nor anybody else can survive unless he carries the A.A. message. The moment this Twelfth Step work forms a group, another discovery is made – that most individuals cannot recover unless there is a group. Realization dawns that he is but a small part of a great whole; that no personal sacrifice is too great for preservation of the Fellowship. He learns that the clamor of desires and ambitions within him must be silenced whenever these could damage the group. It becomes plain that the group must survive or the individual will not.
p. 130
************************************
Xtra Thoughts
October 2
Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it’s just enough to know they’re standing by.
–Elizabeth Foley
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
–Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
“In the hope of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.”
–Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
–Helen Keller
“God, I do believe in Your power and Your wisdom. Your glory is far greater than I could ever envision, and I am thankful to be within the circle of your ever-renewing life.”
–©2000 by Unity School of Christianity
************************************
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
October 2
REALITY
“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.”
– Oscar Wilde
In my addiction I avoided things that I did not like, did not want to consider. I hid from life and condemned things I did not wish to understand. My ego created a hypocritical purity that enabled me to judge, condemn and abuse the thoughts and ideas of those I considered inferior to myself.
Today I try to live and let live. I do this not to avoid conflict or criticism but because I have found, through experience, how my ideas and attitudes have changed during my years of recovery. People who I would have condemned to Hell have now become my friends and mentors. Concepts and lifestyles that were once abhorrent to me are now appreciated and inspiring. What was once dismissed as immoral is today, for me, a part of life.
God of Truth and Reality, help me to accept the difference that is in others.
************************************
Bible Scriptures
October 2
May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 104:34
“Lord, I believe.”
John 9:38
If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. – (KJV)
Exodus 22:6
Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. – (KJV)
Psalms 88:16
And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. (KJV)
Jeremiah 9:5
************************************
Daily Inspiration
October 2
The condition of your heart is reflected in your face. Lord, help me to remove all harsh feelings from within my soul so that I will radiate love and kindness and others can feel safe in seeking me out.
If you exercise your mind, your spirit will never get old. Lord, give me the ability to rise above my worldly burdens and ability to always make things a little better.
************************************
A Day At A Time
October 2
Reflection For The Day
An entire philosophy of life is condensed in the slogan Live and Let Live. First we’re urged to live fully, richly and happily — to fulfill our destiny with the joy that comes from doing well whatever we do. Then comes a more difficult challenge: Let live. This means accepting the right of every other person to live as he or she wishes, without criticism or judgement from us. The slogan rules out contempt for those who don’t think as we do. It also warns against resentments, reminding us not to interpret other people’s actions as intentional injuries to us. Am I becoming less tempted to involve my mind with thoughts of how others act or live?
Today I Pray
May I live my life to the fullest, understanding that pure pleasure-seeking is not pleasure-finding, but that God’s goodness is here to be shared. May I partake of it. May I learn not to take over the responsibility for another adult decisions; that is my old controlling self trying , just one more time, to be the executive director of other people’s lives.
Today I Will Remember
Live and Let Live.
************************************
One More Day
October 2
God wrote His loveliest poem on this day
He made the first tall, poplar tree,
And set it high upon a pale-gold hill
For all the now enchanted earth to see.
– Grace Noll
Autumn was such a wonderful time when we were youngsters. Raking meant gleefully jumping into mountains of leaves and later gathering with our families to watch the blazing piles.
We can still enjoy the trees and leaves around us. If we take time to observe even a single leaf, we will again be surprised as its beauty, its perfection. The golden or red or brown leaf is a small part of nature’s balance.
We enjoyed trees before; we can find multiple ways to enjoy them now. Like all of the world around us, the leaves lend color, beauty, and meaning to our lives, if we only look.
All natural beauty deserves a second look before I turn away.
************************************
One Day At A Time
October 2
COMPULSIONS
“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, desire.”
–Aristotle
When I was eating compulsively, it was similar to taking nitrous oxide at my dentist. Like a heavy anesthesia, the food comforted me and gave me an extraordinary sense of well-being. Like many short-term cures for what is bothering us, it took its toll. Any resemblance to reality while in the fog of compulsive eating is purely coincidental. While there may be times in my life I needed anesthesia, to use it day in and day out to block emotional pain is a burden only compulsive eaters know about.
Compulsion is self-will gone berserk. I try to think of it as the opposite of effortless abstinence. Between the two are miles and miles of varying experiences. For me there was never moderation … only the two extremes. It took several years of squeaky clean abstinence to trust myself and begin to try moderation in eating. At that point I had learned to recognize and be aware of the dangers of that first compulsive bite. There have been times when this cunning disease always waiting to pounce has sent me straight back to hell as a result of that one single compulsive bite.
One day at a time…
I will pray that my actions are caused by anything except compulsions.
~ Mari
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Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 2
“Laughter – that is something very sacred especially for us Indians.”
–John (Fire) Lame Deer, ROSEBUD LAKOTA
Laughter is mental, laughter is emotional, laughter is physical and laughter is spiritual. Laughter helps us find balance. If we get too angry, laughter will turn that emotion in a balanced direction. If we have a mental picture of someone who is too strong, laughter will help ease the tension. If the body is stressed, laughter will release natural relaxants into our muscles and our nervous system. Laughter often changes our attitude. We need to lighten up and laugh more.
Great Spirit, teach me to laugh.
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Journey To The Heart
October 2
Trust the Unknown
Look! See how much you’ve changed. See the difference in your perspective.
Remember all those years you were so fearful, trying to peek ahead, trying to see what the future held. Remember how upset you got, how uncertain and abandoned you felt because you didn’t know the plan.
Now life has taken you to a new place, a new place for you but a place that is ancient. All along, you were not supposed to be getting the answers about what the future held. You were supposed to be learning the magical way of trust and inner guidance, learning to feel your way through, trusting and committing to your vision, your energy, your purpose, your place, each day and moment along the way. You were supposed to be learning to allow the universe to magically unfold and trust that it would. You have been learning this lesson. You have been learning it well.
See how you delight in life’s magic now, the surprises, the not knowing, the absolute trust in the universe to bring you your answers, manifest your visions, and help you when you can’t quite see. See how much you cherish your relationship to the universe, a relationship so much broader and more encompassing, so much more vital that you could ever before imagine. See how joyfully you walk your path, enjoying all the sights, opening your heart to loved one and strangers.
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