You are reading from the book:

Twenty-four Hours a Day for Teens by Anonymous

From my friend Lou Ann:

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From:   GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.
I love you.


P.S. And, remember...
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

 Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.


Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.


Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.


Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.


Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.


Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.


Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!


Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you. You may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
Now, you have a nice day.
God <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

Believe in your unlimited potential:
"You cannot see anything that you do not first contemplate as a reality." -- Ramtha

How do you typically define yourself? Do you tell yourself and others that you are slow and methodical, that you have two left feet, that you are lazy, or unimaginative or that you can't hang on to money? In our unconscious self talk, most of us rarely say positive things about ourselves. List the positive and the negative ways you describe yourself. Then look over your list and contemplate how those definitions limit your ability to be cosmic in your outlook and performance.

"Belief has the word 'lie' in it... and that pretty much sums up what the world has us believing about ourselves." -- Doug Firebaugh

"We are what we believe we are." -- Benjamin N. Cardozo

The physical, emotional and mental realms are all effects! Shift into working with cause by developing your higher mind, heart and spirituality and then your lfe will significantly change for the better. Get in touch with your spiritual nature.

"The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." - John Milton

 
God has created every angel necessary, and they all continue to be, to this day.
-Marilynn Carlson Webber and William D. Webber,"A Rustle of Angels"

Just For Today
"I'm sorry"
.. ..

"The main thing [the Eighth Step] does for us is to help build awareness that, little by little, we are gaining new attitudes about ourselves and how we deal with other people.".... Basic Text, p. 38.... To say "I'm sorry" probably isn't such a foreign idea to most of us.  In our active addiction, it may have been a very familiar phrase.  We were always telling people how sorry we were, and were probably deeply surprised when someone, tired of our meaningless apologies, responded with, "You sure are.  In fact, you're the sorriest excuse for..."  That may have been our first clue that an "I'm sorry" didn't really make any difference to those we harmed, especially when we both knew that we'd just do the same thing again..... Many of us thought that making amends would be another "I'm sorry."  However, the action we take in those steps is entirely different.  Making amends means to make changes and, above all, to make the situation right.  If we stole money, we don't just say, "I'm sorry.  I'll never do it again now that I'm clean."  We pay the money back.  If we neglected or abused our families, we don't just apologize.  We begin to treat them with respect..... Amending our behavior and the way we treat ourselves and others is the whole purpose of working the steps.  We're no longer just "sorry"; we're responsible..... Just for today:  I accept responsibility for myself and my recovery.  Today, I will amend some particular thing I'm sorry for.....

Copyright © 1991-2008 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved....

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I give my life, my desires, and all concerns over to God in prayer. Surrendering to the indwelling spirit of God, I am uplifted to new understanding and ways of living. My true freedom is in living by spiritual insight!

.. ..

Even hundredfold grief is divisible by love. --Jareb Teague Inspiration of the Day: David Fajgenbaum will not be able to give his mother flowers or a card this Mother's Day, but he is honoring her in a more profound way. Fajgenbaum's mother, Anne Marie, died of a brain tumor in 2004. A few days before her death, he promised her he would help students who also suffered with a sick loved one. The Ravenscroft High School grad has done that and more. Fajgenbaum, now a junior at Georgetown University, created Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers last year. The group offers support to students who are dealing with a sick or deceased loved one. That group grew into Students of AMF Angels, in which Georgetown faculty are paired with students to offer adult support. [ more ] Be The Change: Read a message from David here. [ more ]

Mr. Peter D. Van Barneveld

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You are reading from the book:

More Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

YOUR JOKE:
   One Fall day, Bill was out raking leaves when he noticed a hearse
   slowly drive by. Following the first hearse, was a second hearse which
   was followed by a man walking solemnly along, followed by a dog, and
   then about 200 men walking in single file.
  
   Intrigued, Bill went up to the man following the second hearse and
   asked him who was in the first hearse.
  
   "My wife," the man replied.
  
   "I'm sorry," said Bill. "What happened to her?"
  
   "My dog bit her and she died."
  
   Bill then asked the man who was in the second hearse.
  
   The man replied, "My mother-in-law. My dog bit her and she died as
   well."
  
   Bill thought about this for a while. He finally asked the man, "Can I
   borrow your dog?"
  
   To which the man replied, "Get in line."

 
FREEDOM

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -- The Declaration of Independence

"The arms we have been compelled by our enemies to assume we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverance, employ for the preservation of our liberties being with one mind resolved to die free rather than live slaves." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Whatever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America's heart, her benedictions and her prayers." -- John Quincy Adams

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." -- Thomas Paine

Stretch yourself:
"People are defeated by easy, victorious and cheap successes more than by adversity." -- Benjamin Disraeli

Today's social standard is one of mediocrity. The status quo rarely challenges our individual creative power. Create a brand new world for yourself, one that meets your deepest needs. By doing so, you will help raise the quality of consciousness of the entire world. Use your imagination! Sing your own song!

"Success means fulfilling your own dreams, singing your own song, dancing your own dance, creating from your heart and enjoying the journey, trusting that whatever happens, it will be OK. Creating your own adventure!" -- Elana Lindquist

Elder's Meditation of the Day
"That is not our way, to set yourself apart and talk about who you are and what you've done. You let your life speak for you. With the Mohawk people, wisdom is how you live and how you interpret what your mother and father, what your grandmothers and grandfathers have told you about this world - and then how you interpret that into the fact of living every day." --Tom Porter, MOHAWK
It is said, how you live your life makes so much noise that people can't hear what you are saying anyway. It is so easy to see people who do not walk the talk.
Creator, I ask you today to help me be humble. Let me spend the day listening. Help me to not brag or gossip. Help me today not to do those things that seek attention or approval from others. I am only accountable to You, Oh Great Spirit. You will tell me the things I need to know. Let me learn the lessons from my Elders. Let me teach the children by example. Today, let me walk the talk.

From my friend Howard:

for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible." - Dr. Viktor E. Frankl

Also from Howard:

A Parable by a Sponsor

 

  A member of the program of recovery, who previously had been attending  meetings regularly, stopped going.  After a few weeks, her sponsor decided to visit her.  It was a chilly evening and the sponsor found the sponsee at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. 

 

  Guessing the reason for her sponsor's visit,  the sponsee welcomed her, led her to a big chair near the fireplace and waited.  Her sponsor made herself comfortable but  said nothing. In the grave silence, she contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.  After some minutes, the sponsor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. 

 

  Then she sat back in her chair, still silent.  The sponsee watched all this in quiet fascination.  As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.  Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail." 

 

  Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.  Just before the sponsor was ready to leave, she picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire.  Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. 

 

  As the sponsor reached the door to leave, the sponsee said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon.  I'll see you at the meeting in the morning." 

 

-- Author Unknown

 
FREEDOM

Freedom is the right to be wrong; not the right to do wrong.
John G. Diefenbaker (1895-1979)
Politician

The function of freedom is to free somebody else.
Toni Morrison
Nobel Laureate writer

IMAGINATION
You see things;
and you say 'Why?'
But I dream things
that never were;
and I say 'Why not?'
 - George Bernard Shaw

Just For Today
Exploring spiritual options
.. ..

"The nature of our belief will determine the manner of our prayers and meditation."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />.... Basic Text, p. 43.... How do we pray?  For each NA member, this is a deeply personal matter.  Many of us find that, over time, we develop a manner of prayer and meditation based on what we learn from others and what we are comfortable with..... Some of us arrive in NA with a closed mind toward a Power greater than ourselves.  But when we sit down with our sponsor and discuss our difficulty, looking at the Second Step in depth, we are pleased to find that we can choose any concept of a Higher Power that appeals to us..... Just as our definition of a Power greater than ourselves differs from addict to addict, so does our manner of achieving a "conscious contact."  Some attend religious services; some chant; some sit quietly or talk with whatever is out there; some find a spiritual connection by communing with nature.  The "right way" to pray and meditate is whatever way helps us improve our conscious contact with our own Higher Power..... Asking others how they found their spiritual guidance is always a good place to begin.  Reading literature before we enter periods of meditation can also help us.  Many have gone before us on this search.  As we seek spiritual growth, we can greatly benefit from their experience..... Just for today:  I will explore my options for improving my conscious contact with the God of my understanding.....

Copyright © 1991-2008 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved....

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<!--mstheme-->Meditations for the Heart <!--mstheme-->

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In gratitude I acknowledge the gift of freedom I have been given. Grant me a willing heart that I may be responsible for this gift. Help me this day to seek out and accomplish all that I need to be responsible for in my recovery. Let me be diligent in this search and give me the courage, strength and wisdom I need for this day.

 
Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound
I'd rather see you up
Than see you down
Leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground
-Willie Nelson,"Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground"

What's Right with America?
By Robert H. Schuller 

In prayer, I connect with the love of God within my own heart. I cooperate with the love of God that heals me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I consider any need for healing in my current relationships with family, coworkers, and friends, and any need for healing my thoughts about those who are no longer in my life. My heart fills with love as I affirm: Dear one, I forgive you and release you to the blessings of God's love.

.. ..

Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life. --Norman Cousins Good News of the Day: Like countless other communities, this west German town lived for years with a miserable traffic problem. Each day, thousands of cars and big trucks barreled along the two-lane main street, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to scamper for their lives. The usual remedies -- from safety crossings to speed traps -- did no good. So the citizens of Bohmte decided to take a big risk. Since September, they've been tearing up the sidewalks, removing curbs and erasing street markers as part of a radical plan to abandon nearly all traffic regulations and force people to rely on common sense and courtesy instead. This contrarian approach to traffic management, known as shared space, is gaining a foothold in Europe. And to the world's surprise -- it just may be working. [ more ] Be The Change: Reflect on the places in your own life where your conscience directs you one way and society's customs or "rules", another.

Mr. Peter D. Van Barneveld

9:25 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

You are reading from the book:

Today's Gift by Anonymous

From my friend Sunil:

 

The night holds no threat for me. I welcome its blackness and its calm. I planned the night. It is intended to comfort you. The stars watch over you as you sleep. The moon keeps an eye on you.  You are not alone. You are well guarded.

 

Allow me to meet you at nightfall. Tell me your day before you sleep. Tell me the dreams you are harboring. Allow me to weave them while you rest. I am able to fulfill your dreams. I have miracles at my disposal. I am all powerful and, too, I am your friend. Come dream with me.

 

Rest in my arms. Confide your secrets to me. Tell me of each day's journey. I listen with a lover's heart. I am ready to hear all that you have to say. Nothing you whisper is too small for me.  Nothing you sigh is too large for me. I am your perfect partner. I am the safety that you yearn for, the harbor you fear you cannot find. Of course you can find me. I am with you always.  I am a part of you as you are a part of me. Can you see that we are one?

 

With Love,

 

Your Higher Power

 
EMPATHY/CARING

"My life is an indivisible whole, and all my attitudes run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love for mankind." -- Mahatma Gandhi

"The more you care, the stronger you can be." -- Jim Rohn

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these." -- George Washington Carver

"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push - a smile. A word of optimism and hope, a 'you can do it!' when things are tough." -- Richard De Vos


From my friend Howard: 

"A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain."  - Mildred Witte Struven

LIFE
Life is ours to be spent,
not to be saved.
 - D.H. Lawrence

 
Your daily life is your temple and your religion.-Khalil Gibran

Elder's Meditation of the Day
"If I destroy you, I destroy myself. If I honor you, I honor myself."--Hunbatz Men, MAYAN
It is said, when we need love the most is when we deserve it the least. Whenever I have secret thoughts about someone else, it will put bad feelings inside myself. I will hurt myself. If I secretly hold a grudge or resentment against my brother or sister, I will be a slave to that person until I let them go. Let me remember to look at my brother in a sacred manner. Today, let me think like a Warrior. Let my thoughts toward my brothers and sisters be good thoughts. Let me remember that You are in charge. If I get upset at another person today, let me remember that the most important thing I can do is to first talk to You because, when I am right with You, it is impossible to be out of harmony with my brothers and sisters.
My Creator, take my hand and guide me through today.

Just For Today
Quiet time
.. ..

"Many of us have found that setting aside quiet time for ourselves is helpful in making conscious contact with our Higher Power."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />.... Basic Text, p. 92.... Most of us pay lip-service to the value of conscious contact with a Higher Power.  Yet how many of us consistently take time to improve that conscious contact?  If we've not already established a regular regimen of prayer and meditation, today is the day to start one..... A "quiet time" need not be long.  Many of us find that twenty to thirty minutes is enough time to quiet ourselves, focus our attention with a spiritual reading, share our thoughts and concerns in prayer, and take a few moments to listen for an answer in meditation.  Our "quiet time" need not be lengthy to be effective, provided it is consistent.  Twenty minutes taken once a month to pray will probably do little but frustrate us with the poor quality of our conscious contact.  Twenty minutes taken regularly each day, however, renews and reinforces an already lively contact with our Higher Power..... In the hustle and bustle of the recovering addict's day, many of us end up going from morning to night without taking time out to improve our conscious contact with the God we've come to understand.  However, if we set aside a particular time of the day, every day, as "quiet time," we can be sure that our conscious contact will improve..... Just for today:  I will set aside a few moments, once I finish reading today's entry, to pray and meditate.  This will be the beginning of a new pattern for my recovery.....

Copyright © 1991-2008 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved....

<!--mstheme-->Wisdom for Today <!--mstheme-->

<!--mstheme-->Meditations for the Heart <!--mstheme-->

<!--mstheme-->Petitions to my Higher Power <!--mstheme-->

When we really examine our fears about something, we sometimes notice that the fear we have is not based on our own experience. Often, if we trace our fear back to its source, we find that one of our parents may have handed it down to us. For example, your mother or father may have had an intense fear of lack of money, stemming from their own life experiences. If that fear was not resolved by the time you came into the picture, chances are you inherited it. Meanwhile, you may have no actual experience of lacking money, so being fearful doesn't make sense, and it may even block you from doing certain things you want to do.

Keeping in mind that your parents were only trying to protect you, and that most of the errors in judgment they made were made with the best intentions, it might be time to release this fear symbolically. You cannot resolve someone else's fear for them, but you can decide to let go of it on your own behalf. Whether your parents are still alive or not, it is best to do this in a symbolic way, using visualization and, if you like, ritual. One simple visualization involves inviting your parent to sit across from you in your heart space and sharing your desire to move on from this fear, letting them know that you will not carry it anymore. You may be surprised at the response you get, because it's possible they will be proud of you, grateful, and proud of your courage.

The more we do this deep inner work with our fears, the better we will be able to parent our own children without burdening them with fears that don't belong to them. Some of us will do as much of this work as we can before we become parents, while others will be working on this even as our children become adults. Either way, the effects will be felt, because once we break our ties to the fears of the past, our children's ties to those fears are greatly weakened, so it's important to remember that it's never too late.

Today's Quote's

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.-Chinese Proverb

Your children need your presence more than your presents.-Jesse Jackson

I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work the more of it I seem to have.
-Coleman Cox

It's the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it's the little differences that make them interesting.-Todd Ruthman

 
FAMILY MATTERS

Families are ecosystems. Each life grows in response to the lives around it.
Mary Schmich
Columnist

Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.
Bob Talbert (1936-1999)
Columnist

Why are you doing that?
"What we see depends mainly on what we look for." -- Sir John Lubbock

Throughout the day, continually ask yourself about your underlying motivation. Why are you doing what you are doing? Is it for selfish, manipulative or fearful reasons? Is it for honest service with integrity? Maybe you'll discover you don't know. Perhaps you will see that much of your activity lacks purpose. This is a great way to become more conscious. Your intention and motives are fundamental to the results you will receive. Set high intentions and your life will blossom.

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Access your own inner wisdom by tapping into the unconscious and intuition. Release stress, blocks and negative emotions, and spark imagination and greater vision. Go deeper… Reach higher with Journaling for Self-Empowerment. Become more calm, clear, creative, caring, connected and conscious?

Living in the Rain

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Rain is symbolic of God's blessing, favor, and refreshing. His Word is like rain that causes us to flourish and blossom in every area of life. The scripture says we should live like a well-watered garden, vibrant and growing. We should live under God's cloud of blessing. How do we do that? In the natural, a cloud is formed when moisture vapors rise up from the earth into the atmosphere. Eventually, the moisture is so abundant that the rain begins to fall. In the same way, your praise is like the invisible vapors that rise up to heaven and form a cloud. Eventually, your praise will activate an outpouring of God's blessing, favor, and provision in your life.

Do you feel like you are in a dry season? Begin to praise and thank God that He is bringing you through to a place of refreshing. Magnify and bless Him for His goodness in your life. As you turn up your praise, God will turn up the rain and you will experience His abundant outpouring. You'll experience His blessing and provision and live as an overcomer in every area of your life.

A Prayer for Today

God, today I choose to bless and honor You. Thank You for this day. Thank You for giving me life. Thank you for making me new. Thank you for saving me and filling me with Your peace and joy. Rain on me today.

 
Every raindrop that falls is accompanied by an Angel, for even a raindrop is a manifestation of being.-Muhammad

Thankfully, I know that God always supports me. I am a work in progress, and with this day, I'll have another chance. Centering myself in God's love, I am drawn to speak words that uplift. And if I find myself needing an attitude adjustment, I spend some moments in gratitude, which bring me back into an experience of joy. The next breath, the next word, or the next encounter is another chance to let Spirit's light shine from me in generous, kind, and loving ways.

.. ..

Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee. --Ralph Waldo Emerson Inspiration of the Day: For more than forty years, Jonathan Kozol has taught in, worked with, and written about America's inner city public schools. His straight talk in best-selling books such as Savage Inequalities and Amazing Grace has made him a hero of many teachers, and he fiercely opposes policies he believes perpetuate educational inequities. In Letters to a Young Teacher, Kozol writes a series of personal letters to Francesca, a fledgling first-grade teacher in Boston who invited him into her classroom, Kozol delivers sage advice, sharp criticism of the status quo, and stories of his own early teaching experiences. [ more ] Submitted by: http://www.edutopia.org/jonathan-kozol-advice-teachers Be The Change: Write a note of appreciation to a special teacher from your own life.

Mr. Peter D. Van Barneveld

7:55 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

You are reading from the book:

Time to Fly Free by Judith R. Smith


From my friend Jim:
Accepting Change

One day, my mother and I were working together in the garden. We were 
transplanting some plant for the third time. Grown from seed in a small  container,
the plants had been transferred to a larger container; then  transplanted into
the garden. Now, because I was moving, we were transplanting  them again.

Inexperienced as a gardener, I turned to my green-thumbed mother. "Isn't 
this bad for them?" I asked, as we dug them up and shook the dirt from their 
roots. "Won't it hurt these plants, being uprooted and transplanted so many 
times?"

"Oh, no," my mother replied. "Transplanting doesn't hurt them. In fact,  it's
good for the ones that survive. That's how their roots grow strong. Their 
roots will grow deep, and they'll make strong plants."

Often, I've felt like those small plants - uprooted and turned upside down. 
Sometimes, I've endured the change willingly, sometimes reluctantly, but
usually  my reaction has been a combination.

Won't this be hard on me? I ask. Wouldn't it be better if things remained 
the same? That's when I remember my mother's words: That's how the roots grow 
deep and strong.

Today, God, help me remember that during times of transition, my faith and 
my self are being strengthened.

From my friend Audrey:
Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved. - D.H. Lawrence

Use your breath to relax your body:
"Breath is the link between the inner and outer worlds." -- Alice Christensen

We live in very demanding times, and our health depends on our being able to relieve our bodies and minds from constant stress. Breathing with awareness can focus and concentrate our attention inside. This slows down our pace and eases the pressure, anxiety, anticipation and excitement that are common stress reactions. At any time, you can consciously experience your breathing to help you concentrate your mind and relax your body. Compare how you feel after your session with how you felt before. Write about your experience in your journal.

"Controlled deep breathing helps the body to transform the air we breathe into energy. The stream of energized air produced by properly executed and controlled deep breathing produces a current of inner energy which radiates throughout the entire body and can be channeled to the body areas that need it the most, on demand." -- Nancy Zi

Awareness is the key to all change. Develop self trust. Uncover new dimensions of who you are. Find your power in the immediate moment. Open to your own inner wisdom.

SONG
A bird does not sing
because it has an answer.
It sings because it has a song.
 - Chinese Proverb

From my friend Howard: