Monday Round-Up 5-21-12

Hey peeps. Just going through my Monday rounds and found my Cornerstone sermon from yesterday... The Book of James- Week 6. Still in the process of viewing it, but I figured I'd go ahead and post it. Another early day tomorrow so I'll need to turn in soon.

I was looking at today's thought, Cupcake liked the meditation, so I'm posting both because I thought both were really good....

Thought for the Day-

One of the finest things about A.A. is the sharing. Sharing is a wonderful thing because the more you share the more you have. In our old drinking days, we didn't do much sharing. We used to keep things to ourselves, partly because we were ashamed, but mostly because we were selfish. And we were very lonely because we didn't share. When we came into A.A., the first thing we found was sharing. We heard other alcoholics frankly sharing their experiences with hospitals, jails, and all the usual mess that goes with drinking. Am I sharing?

Meditation-

Character is developed by the daily discipline of duties done. Be obedient to the heavenly vision and take the straight way. Do not fall into the error of calling "Lord, Lord," and doing not the things that should be done. You need a life of prayer and meditation, but you must still do your work in the busy ways of life. The busy person is wise to rest and wait patiently for God's guidance. If you are obedient to the heavenly vision, you can be at peace.

Years ago I learned about "the Triangle". It basically represents the balance between work, rest, and play. One is just as important as the other in life. Where is there progress without work? Where is there rejuvenation and healing without rest? Or where can someone experience the simplest and grandest joys in life without play?

Well. That's alot to chew on and I've certainly been enlightened! Sarah's flight got canceled today so we get to spend one more evening together for the week. Gonna sign off, but I hope you have a great night and a blessed tomorrow...

Back Again!

When trouble comes, do not say: "Why should this happen to me?" Leave yourself out of the picture. Think of other people and their troubles and you will forget about your own. Gradually get away from yourself and you will know the consolation of unselfish service to others. After a while, it will not matter so much what happens to you. It is not so important any more, except as your experience can be used to help others who are in the same kind of trouble.

I haven't written anything new for a few days. Where there's nothing wrong a little break every now and then, sometimes a break leads to procrastination and then complacency... In my opinion there's no worse enemy to the recovering addict than complacency.

The passage for tonight is the day's meditation from the 24 Hr.s book.

Alcoholics are pros at playing the victim when things go wrong. I know, for me, when things went wrong it was almost invariably my own fault. In realizing that and dealing with my personailty defects by working the steps, I've been better able to take what I've learned to other addicts and help in any way I responsibly can.

There's a friend from my homegroup that I ran into yesterday who had relapsed. The poor gal was still detoxing. I saw in her what I must have looked like after alot of my binges. Clammy, sweaty, anxious, uncertain, broken.... I talked to her for a little while. Tried not to offer alot of advice, but I did offer several options. She seemed the most responsive to the idea of going straight to a meeting and talking with a female member.

Hope nothing but the best for the young lady.

Just watched "We Bought A Zoo" with someone special. Awesome freakin movie... Bad title. Now about to head to bed.

Good night and God Bless!

All Things New: Defeated to Conquered (Cornerstone Sermon Vodcast 04-01-12)

It's my Monday round-up of inspiration! I so look forward to that Cornerstone sermon... And my daily meditation...

Remember that the first quality of greatness is service. In a way, God is the greatest servant of all, because He is always waiting for us to call on Him to help us in all good endeavor. His strength is always available to us, but we must ask it of Him through our own free will. It is a free gift, but we must sincerely seek for it. A life of service is the finest life we can live. We are here on earth to serve others. That is the beginning and the end of our real worth.

St. Patrick's and Serenity

Man what a long day! And tomorrow is going to be an insane asylum. St. Patrick's Day in New Orleans.... I work right on the parade route too. As I was telling someone earlier, I'll be bringing my Serenity Prayer with me. ;) It'll be stressful, but it will go by quick.

I must have a singleness of purpose to do my part in God's work. I must not let material distractions interfere with my job of improving personal relation ships. It is easy to become distracted by material affairs, so that I lose my singleness of purpose. I do not have time to be concerned about the multifarious concerns of the world. I must concentrate and specialize on what I can do best.

I love the meditation for the day. There was a time when I used material and trivial things as an escape. Those things seriously got in the way of my growth and my relationships. These days if I see something in my life that's holding me back or that I may be getting unhealthily pre-occupied with, I make a conscious effort to either cut back on it or cut it out completely. Facebook is a good example.

Anyways... I have to get some rest. I can feel my eyes getting heavy as I'm writing this.

Have a great night and a blessed tomorrow!

Not the Same Jay

I believe that life is a school in which I must learn spiritual things. I must trust in God and He will teach me. I must listen to God and He will speak through my mind. I must commune with Him in spite of all opposition and every obstacle. There will be days when I will hear no voice in my mind and when there will come no intimate heart to heart communion. But if I persist, and make a life habit of schooling myself in spiritual things, God will reveal Himself to me in many ways.

That's our meditation for today. I love it. Even in the worst times of my life, I've always considered the world my church and the people in it my fellowship. I lost that ideal in my drinking career. I developed a serious disdain for people in general. The wonder disappeared. I was too concerned with keeping myself numb and protected from all outside influences. That's why I'm alone today.

Happily, though, in my recovery I've re-established so many relationships. They are very cautious people, and they should be. The fact that they are coming back around at all means everything. I'm showing the folks that I love just how important they are to me. :)

Making that new connection with God has made me so much better as well. I now see the real important things in my life.

Marvelous and Majestic

I will never forget to say thank you to God, even on the greyest days. My attitude will be one of humility and gratitude. Saying thank you to God is a daily practice that is absolutely necessary. If a day is not one of thankfulness, the practice has to be repeated until it becomes so. Gratitude is a necessity for those who seek to live a better life.

I love that today's meditation deals with gratitude! I hate to name-drop, but I do talk to a pretty important guy everyday. To say that you have the ear of the most powerful force in the universe is somethin' else... Ok. I'll stop being cheesy. It's true though.

I thank God every night (and throughout the day) for everything he's done for me. I am a different, better person, and I couldn't have done it without him. I thank him for the people he has put in my life. People that have made me better. People who really love me. :) I thank him for everyday that I have on this planet (I know that I'm not guaranteed another one...). I thank him for every sober day on this planet too. I thank him for putting me in a position to be of service to other people. And every once in a while, say I'm hiking up a gorgeous mountain pass knee-deep in snow, I whisper my gratitude.

That's Hatcher Pass, BTW. Haven't been there in forever and it's one of my favorite places on earth. My Alaskan peeps know what I'm talkin' about.

True gratitude requires humility, though. I have to say that I am truly humbled by all the marvelous and majestic things God has put in my life! I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me...

Until tomorrow, my friends... Goodnight.

Hatcher Pass. This is me with my bro

before I moved up in 2001. For more info

on the pass click here...

Crowded Days

I will take the most crowded day without fear. I believe that God is with me and controlling all. I will let confidence be the motif running through all the crowded day. I will not get worried, because I know that God is my helper. Underneath are the everlasting arms. I will rest in them, even though the day is full of things crowding in upon me.

That's the daily meditation from 24 Hours. Man I wish I would've read that before my day started. It was pretty hectic. I don't know what was going around town. Mardi Gras doesn't go into full swing until next month.

I have to say, though, that through working the steps I am more confident and decisive in hectic situations. Sure, I had to deal with some chaos at work today, but I kept my serenity. I was significantly less easy to frustrate than I once was. There was a time in my addiction when, if a situation got too difficult, things were just alot easier for me if I shut down completely. Did I get anything accomplished that way? Of course not. And it hurt people too.

Now I prefer to take challenging situations head-on and look at them positively. No matter how bad or complicated or overwhelming they may be. Life becomes so much easier when ya realize that God's got your back!

Goodnight...

Horseback Riding and Butt Jokes

Well that was an arduous journey, but well worth it! Had a wonderful time with Jeremy, Lacie, and the girls! We went and did some of their jobs through the day, had lunch at CiCi's pizza, went with Avery to her first horseback riding lesson (she's a natural), and then had dinner at Hardee's. Yeah. It was a menu of junk food all day long, but it was good and the company was great!

I'm having an awesome time connecting with my family so far.... and today was only the first day. We're watching A Christmas Carol right now, and the girls are already passed out. I discovered that my niece, Ella, is quite the extrovert and has an affinity for butt jokes too.

We'll have most of the day tomorrow and Sunday. Dad and Teresa come out Sunday morning, and church is on the agenda as well. Then on Sunday evening we head to north Georgia for the week!

Well. I've been literally falling asleep where I sit all day. It's about to happen now. Here's the meditation from 24 Hours...

I will discipline myself. I will do this disciplining now. I will turn out all useless thoughts. I know that the goodness of my life is a necessary foundation for its usefulness. I will welcome this training, for without it, God cannot give me His power. I believe that this power is a mighty power when it is used in the right way.

Interesting note- I did fall asleep while writing this. Bout to head to bed now. Good night!

Run Run Run

I ended up deciding to come back to the apartment to get my luggage instead of leaving straight from work. It's a bit more expensive to take a cab, but worth the convenience.

Anyway... I was bound and determined to write something before I left. I make it a point to post at least once a day. And it's been a very good day so far. Very busy, but very good. I think I have everything ready to go.

Here's the Meditation for the Day from the 24 Hours book-

I believe that God's presence brings peace and that peace, like a quiet-flowing river, will cleanse all irritants away. In these quiet times, God will teach me how to rest my nerves. I will not be afraid. I will learn how to relax. When I am relaxed, God's strength will flow into me. I will be at peace.

I believe that is an incredibly valuable thing to remember when life gets a bit overwhelming. Take a deep breath, quieten your soul, and turn it over to him. I plan to use this time with my family, and the time in the quiet country to enrich myself spiritually and mentally. It'll be fun and it will be a great opportunity to grow.

Tomorrow I post from Auburn, Alabama! Have a good night, world.

Sailing the Seas of Truth

About to head out for lunch and then work. Today has been alot better than yesterday by far.

I have to work late, so tonight's will be a pretty late post. Wanted to read today's meditation before leaving. It was very profound and summed up what my life was like for a very long time...

Lying can be like sailing choppy waters. The more we lie, the higher the waves get, and the harder the sailing. When we lie, we feel we've failed ourselves and others. We have to work hard to cover up our lies, and the fear of someone finding out is always with us.

If we ask God for courage to tell the truth, we can be like the sailboat on a clear and calm day. We can enjoy the small waves and the light warm breeze we've given ourselves. Honesty is a good habit, and is easy. With a little faith in our own worth, we can choose the calm waters' honesty and apply our creativity to new, growth-oriented activities instead of covering up old mistakes.

How can I smooth my waters right now?

I plan to smooth my waters today by being the best Jay that I can possibly be. With honesty, courage, and faith there is nothing I can't accomplish... And I consider everyday lived well an accomplishment.

Loneliness and Prayer

Today has been one of those days where ya run like hell and get absolutely nothing accomplished.

It was a beautiful day too. Felt great outside, sun was shining... it just had a great, positive feel to it. If it hadn't been for me running all over town fruitlessly trying to run errands, I may have enjoyed it more. Eh... Maybe I'm just whining because the day didn't turn out like I expected. Or I feel like I wasted valuable time... Or maybe I'm just lonely. I'm doing very well on my own. Don't get me wrong. But even though I'm working a wonderful recovery, well.... it doesn't mean I'm superhuman. I get lonely.

Not much else to write about. I'm just going to watch some Netflix for a while, then go to bed. I pray for a better day tomorrow. Prayer often requires action, so I will also strive for a better day. Until next time, goodnight and pleasant dreams.

Meditation for the Day

Work and prayer are the two forces, which are gradually making a better world. We must work for the betterment of ourselves and other people. Faith without works is dead. But all work with people should be based on prayer. If we say a little prayer before we speak or try to help, it will make us more effective. Prayer is the force behind the work. Prayer is based on faith that God is working with us and through us. We can believe that nothing is impossible in human relationships, if we depend on the help of God.

T-Shirt, Boxers, and Netflix

Just got back from work. Busy night. Now I'm kickin' back in a t-shirt and boxers. I think I'll watch Dylan Dog on Netflix before bed. Looks like a funny movie.

That's about it.

Going to be a little tough the next couple of days, but as long as I'm busy and going to meetings, I'll be alright. Might try to make it to Hoshun if they are open Sunday and have a Christmas Story type of dinner. I doubt I'll be able to get the servers to sing me Christmas songs though.

I really, really liked the Meditation of the Day, so I thought I'd share it.

Shed peace, not discord, wherever you go. Try to be part of the cure of every situation, not part of the problem. Try to ignore evil, rather than to actively combat it. Always try to build up, never to tear down. Show others by your example that happiness comes from living the right way. The power of your example is greater than the power of what you say.

Goodnight, all. ;)

Male Jay and Today's Meditation

Have to go in to work earlier than usual for a closing shift so I can't write much. I'll be able to write more tonight when I get off. Just wanted to share the Meditation for the Day. We went over it earlier at the Mustard Seed. Had a larger crowd than normal. It was a good meeting though. Lately I've found something kinda funny about the group. There are two Jays there. A lady and myself, so now I am known as "Male Jay". Maybe I should go back to being called "Jimmy".... Just kidding.

Here's today's meditation.

Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest, which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our A.A. fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.

It's a little late for Thanksgiving Day. I know I've said it recently, but if we are truly grateful for what we have, everyday is a thanksgiving. ;)

It Works if Ya Work It

That's the last thing we say at the end of a meeting (and tonight's was a good one). "Keep coming back. It works if you work it." It's true. With earnestness and honesty you can overcome anything. Even addiction. That brings me to today's meditation from 24 Hours A Day.

"In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." Keep an undaunted spirit. Keep your spirit free and unconquered. You can be undefeated and untouched by failure and all its power, by letting your spirit overcome the world; rise above earth's turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember you have God's help and nothing can wholly defeat you.

There are those who have seen us at our worst who judge us as hopeless. "He'll never change." or "That person is always going to be a drunk." I certainly hope that isn't the case. Well. I know for a fact it isn't true. I can't speak for others, but I know I have too much to give and live for. I've seen too many people pick up 20 year chips in the past 2 months alone to believe that folks can't change. And alot of them had more problems and slips than I did.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that no mountain is too high and no challenge too big if you are honestly willing to tackle it. The program teaches me that if I stick by my Higher Power and stay committed, I don't ever have to go back to that way of living again.

It doesn't just apply to recovery, but for any trial that may pop up in life.

And to my harshest critics...for there are a few... I understand your skepticism. Keep watching, though. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised. ;)