Thought for the Day

Forty nine years ago

Thought for the day: "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165

"Great peace is always a result of love for God and His Word." THE DAKE BIBLE

---

As I was going to sleep last night I was thinking about Thanksgiving and how I see the holiday as being one of the most sincere holidays this country has. There doesn’t seem to be the buying and selling, and materialistic side that other holidays have. A time for family and friends to gather together and say, "thank you."…..Thank you God. One thanksgiving that came to my mind was the year 1954. My father was in the Army and was stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C.. We had received orders to be stationed in Paris France for three years, affective Christmas day. My mother wanted to come home and see her parents for a while, so Mom, Susan and I moved to Mountain Grove, Missouri sometime in September or October. I attended the local school for three months before the assignment to France. I was born in the house that I live in at the present time, and that Thanksgiving dinner took place in the dinning room where my desk sits today. I have often thought about that day over the years. I remember how Granny brought the big table into the dinning room, and we all gathered around to give thanks and eat the meal. Present were Granny and Papa, uncle Jimmy and aunt Sharron, Mom, Susan and I, and great Grandma Lupton. Grandma Lupton was up in years and this would be the last Thanksgiving I would be with her. I was young and don’t remember much about her but this last memory sticks well with me. The day seemed to be an important day not only because it was Thanksgivings, but because we were leaving for France in a month, and would not be back for three years. I give thanks today for that time forty-nine years ago, and for having memories of family gathering together for the purpose of recognizing God as the source of our existence and blessings. I don’t remember what I got for my birthday that year, but I do remember giving thanks that day. That kind of shows me what is important in my life. Thanks for letting me share. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………………………JRE

*****************************

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! Psalm 107:1


Separated from friends, unjustly accused, brutally treated, if any man had a right to complain it was this man, languishing almost forgotten in a harsh Roman prison. But instead of complaints, his lips rang with words of praise and thanksgiving!

This was the apostle Paul, an man who had learned the meaning of true thanksgiving, even in the midst of great adversity. Look carefully at what he wrote during that prison experience: "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:19-20,NIV).

Think of it! "Always giving thanks…for everything" no matter the circumstances. His guards and fellow prisoners must have thought him crazy, but that didn’t stop him. Thanksgiving for Paul was not a once-a-year celebration, but a daily reality that made him a joyful person in every situation. May that be true of us.

BILLY GRAHAM

***************************

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Philippians

dreaming

Thought for the day: "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich, both come to poverty. PROVERBS 22:16 NIV

***************************

I had a dream last night. I dreamed I was in downtown Kansas City, I was drunk and lost, and my truck had been stolen. I woke up bummed out and feeling as if I had lost my five years of clean and sober time. In the dream, the fact that I was lost and the fact that someone had stolen my truck did not bother me as much as the fact that I had gotten drunk. Upon waking, even though I was bummed, I had to realize that in the dream I still had my priorities right. What was important to me was the fact that I had taken a drink. Every so often I have a dream like this and this is good. I am able to feel the remorse that drugs and alcohol cause in my life. I use these bad dreams to grow. At the present I am in the Kansas City area, and hopefully today I am going to see a friend I’ve known for 40 years, and he has a truck and we probably will pass through downtown KC. The difference between us now, and twenty-five years ago, is the fact that we both are in the AA program and will possibly go to a meeting this evening. I do understand how my dream is related to what is going on in my life today. What I really want to share today is where I got my strength this morning. I went to church yesterday with my cousin and her youth pastor spoke. He spoke on thoughts and how we can capture our thoughts and make them obedient. I applied this to the bummed out feeling I had this morning. I took the Word of God and the promises found there, and laid them over my dream and the bummed out feeling, and the Word overcame………here is the Scripture that was preached yesterday and that I used today.

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV

Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………JRE

**************************

"Fear has caused suffering when I could have had more faith. There are times when fear suddenly tears me apart, just when I experiencing feelings of joy, happiness and a lightness of heart. Faith and a feeling of self-worth toward a Higher Power, helps me endure tragedy and ecstasy. When I choose to give all of my fears over to my Higher Power, I will be free."

AA Daily Reflections June, 21st

I don't know

Thought for the day: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” ECCLESIASTES 3:11 NIV



I can’t figure it all out. I don’t have to! I believe in science and I believe that God has given us scientist to help us understand and to make life better. But I have noticed that science is always changing, what they thought was true yesterday might not be so today. And I understand this, praise God they don’t settle for the first solution to a problem and just stand on it. The medical profession would still be in the dark ages if this were true. Solomon was a very smart man, and he said that God has put eternity in the hearts of men. A person in their right mind, believes in the here and now, and this is the substance of eternity. Of the many attributes of God such as Light, Love, Spirit, and the Word, God also is Time. God also has set the essence of all of these in our hearts if we will only accept and receive them. The choice is ours, we are given free will and can walk in Light, Love, and Eternity, or we can stumble blindly in the dark. When I walk in God’s Light I don’t have to understand the “beginning to the end,” because everything is “beautiful in its time.” I just have to accept it. When I look at this Scripture I am assured it is OK to say, “I don’t know.” What is important to me is not “what” I know, but “whom” I know. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……….JRE

***********************

HOPE REVIVED

I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O LORD my God.

PSALM 38:15

Take from us our wealth and we are hindered. Take our health and we are handicapped. Take our purpose and we are slowed, temporarily confused. But take away our hope, and we are plunged into deepest darkness…. Stopped dead in our tracks, paralyzed. Wondering, “Why?” Asking, “How much longer? Will this darkness ever end? Does He know where I am?”

Then the Father says, “That’s far enough,” and how sweet it is! Like blossoms in the snow, long-awaited color returns to our life. The stream, once frozen, starts to thaw. Hope revives and washes over us.

Inevitably, spring follows winter. Every year. Yes, including this one.

CHARLES SWINDOLL………..The Finishing Touch

***********************

Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes, and right action is the key to good living. BILL W. A.A. 12X12 page 125

At the foot

Thought for the day: “Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” Italian saying

***********************

“At the foot of the cross, we are all equal.” The rich and the poor alike come on bended knee realizing that we cannot buy what we need from God. The educated and the unlearned come alike to the cross realizing that we cannot think our way to God. The strong and the weak come to the cross alike, either running or crawling, realizing that’s it’s not important how you got there, but that you are there. At the foot of the cross we become transparent. We become honest. We become real when our need is seen by God and others. We cannot come to the foot of the cross without honesty. The cross can be seen from a distance and described to a “T” without being entirely self-honest. But when we come to the foot of the cross, we must come by ourselves and we must recognize our need for God in our lives. Today may I spend time thinking that even though others pointed out the way to the cross, I alone had to make the journey. I have never been alone since. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………………………..JRE

***********************

THE GIFT OF GRACE

Those who find me find life, and the LORD will be pleased with them.

Proverbs 8:35

Grace is created by God and given to man……On the basis of this point alone, Christianity, is set apart from any other religion in the world….Every other approach to god is a bartering system; if I do this, god will do that. I’m either saved by works (what I do), emotions (what I experience), or knowledge (what I know).

By contrast, Christianity has no whiff of negotiation at all. Man is not the negotiator; indeed, man has no grounds from which to negotiate.

MAX LUCADO………..In the Grip of Grace

***********************

When with God’s help, we calmly accepted our lot, then we found we could live at peace with ourselves and show others who still suffered the same fears that they could get over them, too. We found that freedom from fear was more important than freedom from want.

BILL W. A.A.12X12 page 122

Catch my drift

Thought for the day: “Time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

***********************

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” Hebrews 2:1 NKJV



Stop, look, listen. Today I need to take a little time to reflect on where I came from, where I am today, and which direction I’m headed. I need to take a little time and look at my compass of the heart, and see which way I am pointed today. ‘Adjustments can be made if I happen to get started on the wrong foot and slightly off course. And I know from experience, that doing it right the first time is easier than having to cut cross-country to get back to where I should have been in the first place. Today I look at some of my goals in life, short term and long term as well. My short-term goals I must set to be attainable. Today I must realize that I cannot do everything on my own, I must give thanks, and try and help others. I must spend some time with God, one on one. And I must keep my joy, and stay sober minded. If my short-term goals are attainable, and with a little direction adjustment from time to time, my long -term goals will be achieved. Praise be to God. I must “give the more earnest heed to the things I have heard, lest I drift away.” Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………………..JRE

***********************

Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.



The children were enjoying the sunshine of a warm summer day. They had taken the rowboat out on the lake and had carefully rowed to the end farthest away from the restricted area around the power plant. They swam and played and then rested in the goat, while enjoying the gentle breeze. But their enjoyment turned to fear and dismay upon discovering the current had inch by inch carried them deep into forbidden territory. Fortunately, rescued by a stern but caring patrolman, they learned a valuable lesson that day: “Give heed lest you drift away.”

Likewise, enjoying our new assurance and progress in life, we may drift quite unknowingly to the brink of disaster. We may neglect our recovery program, thinking it no longer important. However, Step 10 warns us, “Take inventory; take heed,” lest in our complacency, we drift toward the sinister power plant of our old character defects.

NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 312

***********************

The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.

Alcoholics Anonymous page 83

Ewig ist ein langer kauf

Thought for the day: “Ewig ist ein langer Kauf. Forever is a long bargain.” German proverb.

***********************

This morning I go to the VA in Poplar Bluff. It is a routine visit to see counselors and to go to the dentist. I enjoy my ride there and back. Since I don’t drive, sometimes I feel like it is a special thing to travel. I get excited like a dog and want to hang my head out the window and feel the breeze. Why am I telling you this, I don’t know? I just want to put this thought out today to encourage other who are in recovery and those who like myself need some Scripture to start the day off. This is quick and I want to thank all of you for allowing me to send this. My days are so much better because of you. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………JRE



“Be very careful then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit.”

Ephesians 5:15-18 NIV

***********************

The principles we have set down are guides to progress.

Alcoholics Anonymous page 60

Me and Gimmie More

Thought for the day: “It is better to lose count when listing your blessings, than it is to lose your blessings when counting your troubles.”

***********************

“They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.” PSALM 107:27-28 NIV



These verses really spoke to me as I came about them this morning in my readings. The 107th Psalm is a psalm of deliverance. These verses refer to sailors that are in a storm at sea. It says that they are like drunken men, not men that are drunk. Today I can step up and say that I truly have been brought out of the storm and set free. God did not help me when I was drunk and strung-out. God could not reach my heart that was full of “me and gimmie more." When I was at my “wits’ end,” and “me and gimmie more” were through crying, then and only then was God able to help me out of the storm. Help did not come until I reached out. No one could take my hand and lead me out, no one could reach out for me. I had to become willing to ask for help. I know today that I must ask for help on a daily basis, I cannot do this by myself. They say that “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” This is true, but you can feed it salt and then lead it to the water. Tuff Love hurts, but it is True Love. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………..JRE

***********************

God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in generous measure. But like the seed-sowing, the ground must be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to prepare the soil. It is God’s to drop the seed. This preparation of the soil means many days of right living, choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along, each day you are better prepared for God’s planting, until you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest with God, and the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.

HAZELDEN………….Twenty-Four Hours A Day

***********************

One exercise that I practice is to try for a full inventory of my blessings and then for a right acceptance of the many gifts that are mine, both temporal and spiritual. Here I try to achieve a state of joyful gratitude. When such a brand of gratitude is repeatedly affirmed and pondered, it can finally displace the natural tendency to congratulate myself on whatever progress I may have been enabled to make in some areas of living.

BILL W. Grapevine, March 1962

***********************

Thanks Aunt Shirley Jean for the thought…..JRE

But for the grace of God

Thought for the day: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 NIV

***********************

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No I worked harder than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV



Tomorrow I will attend the funeral of a friend. He passed of carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether it was accidental or self-inflicted is not important to me at this point. What is important is that I knew him and worked with him in his recovery. Something went wrong somewhere, and I have no idea when it happened. He had some legal problems, came into the program and was open to the concepts of recovery. Went back out and got arrested and was looking at doing some prison time. Now he is dead. Again my heart hurts today for the loss of another friend. Whether his death was serious or foolish, I don’t know, but I do know that I have done many foolish things in my life that could have resulted in death or injury, and it is only by the grace of a loving God that I am here today. May I rejoice and be glad in this day that the Lord has made. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE

***********************

STEP 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

One of our favorite recovery slogans is “But for the grace of God.” This phrase has multiple meanings for recovering persons. But for the grace of God, we might not have broken out of denial and recognized the gravity of our dependencies. But for the grace of God, we might not have found support groups, Twelve Step recovery organizations, and the church community, which have ministered to our areas of dependency. But for the grace of God, we might not have “hit bottom” as a crossroads to propel our lives into a radically new direction. But for the grace of God, we might not have found God and then been reborn to Him.

Step 12 is a grace-filled step. Having been ushered into a spiritual awakening, we are charged to radiate God’s grace to those around us. As we diligently seek to practice these principles in all of our affairs, we become living testimonies to Paul’s word’s that God’s grace was “not in vain” and that “by the grace of god I am what I am.”

NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 249

***********************

...therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.’s Twelfth Step.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS page 125

Religious spirit

Thought for the day: “The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside. And only he who listens can speak. Dag Hammarskjold
***********************

NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS

I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.

John 15:10

God rewards those who seek him. Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself. And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus. “and as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him” (2 Cor. 3:18 TLB).

Can you think of a greater gift than to be like Jesus? Christ felt no guilt; God wants to banish yours. Jesus had no bad habits; God wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death; God wants you to be fearless. Jesus had kindness for the diseased, mercy for the rebellious and courage for the challenges. God wants you to have the same……….

He wants you to be just like Jesus.

MAX LUCADO………………..Just Like Jesus

***********************

I know that one way God speaks to me is through other people, and lately I’ve been hearing others speaking of their own experiences and referring to something called a “religious spirit.” Having heard this term several times yesterday, I find myself looking inside today and becoming aware of a religious spirit in my life. Some questions I am asking myself today are: Do I go to church because I want to be seen as a Christian in the community? Do I tell others of Jesus because it makes me feel better? Do I give to certain causes so I can have the bragging rights to tell others? Do I study the Bible everyday to impress others with what I’ve learned? In my attempts to improve who I am, I find two areas of my life that always need improvement and are the hardest to work on. One is to be of a humble spirit, to listen more, and to care more. The other is to have a deeper prayer life. Spending time seeking God, and drawing closer is the answer for me. I seem to have answered some of my own questions this morning. Thanks for allowing me to share. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………………..JRE

***********************

BETWEEN THE EXREMES

The real question is whether we can learn anything from our experiences upon which we may grow and help others to grow in the likeness and image of God.

We know that if we rebel against doing that which is reasonably possible for us, then we will be penalized. And we will be equally penalized if we presume in ourselves a perfection that simply is not there.

Apparently, the course of relative humility and progress will have to lie somewhere between these extremes. In our slow progress away from rebellion, true perfection is doubtless several millennia away.

BILL W. As Bill Sees It page 159

The Package

Thought for the day: “Find the grain of truth in criticism, chew it and swallow it. D. SUTTEN
***********************

Today I don’t have much to add. I probably need to read this thought over again, chew on it and swallow it. It’s not that I have any more criticism today of others than I normally do. My point is maybe I should have less criticism, a grain of truth could not be much. And maybe I should keep it to myself. My sponsor’s wife has a saying that I hear now and again, “criticism injures, love heals.” I know that constructive criticism is good, but I am learning that it should consist of “the grain of truth,” and be spoken in an attitude of love only, or maybe not spoken at all.

Enough of that, here’s what is going on in my life today. This morning I got a package together to mail. Aunt Shirley Jean, cousin Margaret and myself are sponsoring a six year old boy who lives in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. What a blessing it is to share of what we have with those who have not been as fortunate. Praying, reading Scripture, putting this thought together are all wonderful experiences that I had this morning. But putting that package together has “made my day.” Thank you for letting me share this with you today, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE

***********************

“Thou wilt show me the path of life: In Thy presence is fullness of joy; At Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” PSALM 16:11

***********************

‘In Thy presence are fullness of joy. At Thy right hand are pleasures forever.” We cannot find true happiness by looking for it. Seeking pleasure does not bring happiness in the long run, only disillusionment. Do not seek to have this fullness of joy by seeking pleasure. It cannot be done that way. Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of life. True happiness comes as a result of living in all respects the way you believe God wants you to live, with regard to yourself and to other people.

HAZELDEN……Twenty-Four Hours A Day

***********************

Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS page 164

Squeaky Wheel

Thought for the day: When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love,

O LORD, supported me. PSALM 94:18 NIV

***********************

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV



These two verses go together, one from the Old Testament, and one from the New. Temptations come in two ways, those that will harm ourselves and others, and those that will bring about good for ourselves and others. Believe me when I say that we know the difference before we act on either one of the two. These days when I see others doing good, I am tempted to do like wise. But it didn’t used to be so. There was a time when almost everything that tempted me was not healthy for my physical body, my mind, or my spiritual well being. Temptations that are not good for us are always wrapped up in beautiful packages with extra ribbons and bows. I know now that every time I gave into a temptation, God had made a way out, but my flesh would speak louder than my spirit, and my mind would obey the loudest voice. It’s kind of like the saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” There was always a way out, even if it was using my feet and running away, using my hands and pushing away, using my tongue and saying no, using my fingers to call a friend, going to meetings, going to church, and the greatest way out that God gave us is the power of prayer. Sometimes we need to let the squeaky wheel cry out until it is horse and faint. Soon it will freeze up and then God will replace it with a new wheel that will roll in the right direction. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE

***********************

CLAIM A LARGER BLESSING

Through God we will do valiantly. Psalm 108:13

There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had.

Sometimes god removes our trials, and it isn’t necessarily wrong to ask Him to do that. But often the trials remain, and when they do, we should accept them and ask God to teach us from them.

As Peter Marshall once put it, “God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty.”

It is through the suffering tests and trials of life, that we can draw near to God. A.B. Simpson once heard a man say something he never forgot: “When God test you, it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him Just as much as your trials have rendered necessary.”

BILLY GRAHAM

***********************

“Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes, and right action is the key to good living.”

BILL W. A.A. 12X12 page 125

Haha Haha

Thought for the day: “A laugh is worth a hundred groans in any market.”

Charles Lamb

***********************

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” James 5:13 NIV



This verse is cool, I can switch it around if I want. I can pray when I’m happy and sing when I’m in trouble. It works both ways. Praying will always work regardless of the situation. Singing songs of praise to God when we’re sad or in trouble is a little more difficult. It takes practice, we must make the sacrifice of praise by giving up our feelings of being down and blue. I can’t complain about what’s going on and lift my heart and hands to God in praise at the same time. The instant I turn from looking inside at myself, to looking outside and inside to God and the Spirit, I am lifted above the problem. Of course, I must admit that at times I am rather fond of ole pitiful, sorry, hurt and bruised, me. At times I like to wallow in “poor me,” but I am learning that self-inflicted pain is the worse kind and also is the easiest to root out. All it takes is a change in attitude, an “inside job.” If I just look around, get some gratitude, and praise God, my vision changes. Laughter is good, and when I have trouble laughing I try to lighten up and laugh at myself. I pretty funny when I don’t take myself to seriously. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……JRE

***********************

PRAYER REMINDS US

When a believing person prays, great things happen. James 5:16



Prayer is the recognition that if God had not engaged himself in our problems, we would still be lost in the blackness. It is by his mercy that we have been lifted up. Prayer is that whole process that reminds us of who God is and who we are.

I believe there’s great power in prayer. I believe God heals the wounded, and that he can raise the dead. But I don’t believe we tell God what to do and when to do it.

God knows that we, with our limited vision, don’t even know that for which we should pray. When we entrust our requests to him, we trust him to honor our prayers with holy judgment.

MAX LUCADO………..Walking with the Savior

***********************

We discover that we receive guidance for our lives to just about the extent that we stop making demands upon God to give it to us on order and on our terms.

BILL W. A.A. 12X12 page 104

Going out and coming in

Thought for the day: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12


This morning in my reading I came across this verse and I find myself reflecting upon its meaning. Moses wrote the 90th Psalm at a time when the people that he was chosen to lead, were wandering around the wilderness, waiting for the time to enter the land that had been promised to them. It’s all about change, the older generation rebelled after a few months into their journey. They wanted to go back to the secure life of being slaves in Egypt. The truth is that if they had went back they probably would have been killed. And with their lack of faith in their leaders, their nation, and their people, they could not enter and take control of the land they had been promised. They had to stay in the wilderness until their lives had ended. The younger generation was the generation that took on the responsibility of the nation. After forty years of wandering, they entered the promise land, with no one over the age of sixty except Joshua and Caleb. My personal reflection is that in this verse Moses is speaking to the younger generation. Maybe he is saying to think about it first and do it right the first time. Bad decisions and acts of rebellion sometimes have affects that last us our whole lives through. I can’t go back and re-do some of my past, but I can try today to think it through before I act or speak. I am still in elementary school with this behavior, but making progress. Living life “one day at a time,” is “numbering my days.” May I apply my heart to the wisdom of the written Word. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself. Thanks for letting me share………..JRE

***********************

“The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and even forever more.” All your movements, your goings and comings can be guided by the Unseen Spirit. Every visit to help another, every unselfish effort to assist, can be blessed by that Unseen Spirit. There can be a blessing on all that you do, on every interview with one who is suffering. Every meeting of a need may not be a chance meeting, but it may have been planned by the Unseen Spirit. Led by the Spirit of the Lord, you can be tolerant, sympathetic, and understanding of others and so accomplish much.

HAZELDEN………..Twenty Four Hours A Day

***********************

The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are.

BILL W. A.A. 12X12 page 36

Spoon fed

Thought for the day: “Pride is to character like the attic to the house, the highest part, and generally the most empty.” JOHN GAY

***********************

Words of Jesus: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38 NKJV



This evening I will go to a couple of meetings that I regularly attend on Monday nights. I will go to share with others of my experience, strength and hope. I will go to receive also, I am learning to have the grace enough to allow others to share with me, that we both may receive. Five years ago when I once again started attending church and going to meetings, I went to receive only. I wanted to be spoon fed, and thought that just my presence there entitled me to receive all that I could take in. In those days, I didn’t receive very much at all. I always went home feeling just like I did before I went, and thought to myself, what is the use in being faithful to something that doesn’t help me. Tried of not receiving the spiritual blessings that I thought I should deserve, I decided to attend church and meetings with the idea of giving. I didn’t have much to offer at first, so I started with what I had, a smile, a handshake, or a hug. Wow…..I started to receive, when I took the time to just smile at others, somewhere in my heart, I freed up enough space to allow others to give to me. It’s hard to receive when your full of yourself, it’s also hard to give when your heart is packed hard, full of yourself. Smiles seem to loosen thing up a bit, and allows the river to flow both ways. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………………..JRE

***********************

A.A. Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.



A motivating and marvelous principle of recovery is that God takes great pleasure in meting us “more than halfway.” For example, He tells us that just a tiny seed of faith will be rewarded by great miracles. And in the same way, as we become willing to make amends to others, and release them and ourselves from the bitterness we have carried, God is there, eager to reward and encourage even our feeble attempts. When we ask the Lord to help us let go of judgment and condemnation, we will soon be aware of remarkable changes taking place within us. The Holy Spirit will begin a wonderful healing work in our lives.

Giving our forgiveness and amends to others allows the principle of Luke 38:6 to be set in motion. Our willingness to forgive those who have harmed us and to ask forgiveness of those whom we have harmed allows us to move on into deeper blessings and growth.

NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 91

***********************

“Love and tolerance of others is our code.”

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS page 84