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Post by caressa222 on Jul 11, 2018 0:56:24 GMT -5
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 11, 2018 14:59:29 GMT -5
In God’s Care
We are only as sick as the secrets we keep. ~~Anonymous
We all have our secrets. Some of them we’re not about to tell anybody. God, of course, already knows them. There may be some things we consider so shameful that we can’t share them with anyone. But shame seperates us from God. It’s a way of saying we are too horrible, too different – it’s a form of false pride.
To hide something means we’re holding on to the shame. Not until we’re ready to admit to God, ourselves, and another human being the nature of our secrets can we be rid of our shame. But when we come to believe that we have nothing to fear from sharing our secrets, God will transform them into something useful and constructive. There is nothing we have ever done that can’t be used to help someone, ourselves included.
Today I will share my secrets with someone.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 13, 2018 22:08:16 GMT -5
In God’s Care
The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. ~~Muhammad Ali
We can be changed, sometimes profoundly, by seemingly insignificant events – provided we are willing to be touched by them and the people involved. How we thought and what we dreamed for in our youth was fitting for that time and place. But those thoughts and dreams may be too small for us today. Now, each moment calls for new dreams, shaped daily by the events and people we open ourselves to.
We’re most fully alive when we’re learning, changing, and growing. Not a moment passes that isn’t rich with possibilities for insights and growth. Each encounter with people who cross our path offers us the chance for a deeper connection with our Higher Power. When we become entrapped by rigid attitudes, our spirit withers. God has given us life as a gift that wee must open. It’s never too late to begin the clebration.
I will think of my life as celebration today, with me and the people around me as God’s guests of honor.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 13, 2018 22:27:32 GMT -5
In God’s Care
The real gift of love is self-disclosure. ~~John Powell
It’s natural to want to put our best face forward. We like people to see us as we want to be, not as we are. We prefer to be judged as witty, clever, kind, and perceptive, never as small-minded, selfish, weak, and critical.
Yet, it is not until we reveal our liabilities that people are truly able to see our assets. When we pretend to be without fault, we come off as phony. As we discover in doing the Fifth Step, the more we disclose our shortcomings, the more people are able to trust us.
So it is with God. God wants us without our pretenses, wants to hear our secret desires, our deep-seated grievances, our shameful thoughts. As we come clean, revealing our trueself, the barriers to love come down.
Today will not be afraid to reveal my weaknesses; self-disclosure opens the door to God’s love.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 14, 2018 21:23:39 GMT -5
In God’s Care Each time we sense the possibility of a new direction in our lives, we are being given a chance to grow. ~~The Promise of a New Day, May 11 Change is the one constant in our life and yet it causes us the most unrest. We forget that change is growth and is good; it insures our emotional and spiritual evolution. It promises us the blessings that are ours to collect on this special journey through life. We can better develop our acceptance of change by systematically recalling instances in the past when change, whether minor or profound, ushered in new understanding, greater strength and confidence; where we were thus able to handle the role we’d been given to play. God inteds that we enlarge our capacity to love, to serve, and to understand. The changes we experience are the stair steps to this greater capacity. Today I’ll smile if a changing current for the good beckons, knowing that it’s God’s invitation to a richer life.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 15, 2018 21:39:01 GMT -5
In God’s Care Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift to himself. ~~Mother Teresa In praying, some of us depend on the traditions of our religion, others on the instructions of spriitual leaders. Some of us just strike out on our own, not knowing what to say or what to do, yet believing that form is not as important as intent. We only know that when we do pray, something happens. And each time we lift our thoughts to God, it is easier the next time. Then, as we keep praying, we discover that we have begun to establish a familiarity. Our heart is opening to God without our realizing it. When we are willing, God fills our heart. And even though we can leave God, and often do, God never leaves us. I am grateful that God is in my heart. My prayer is one of thanks.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 18, 2018 22:44:01 GMT -5
In God’s Care Imagination has always had powers of resurrection that no science can match. ~~Ingrid Bengis Our ability to create an image of ourselves – successfully handling a conflict with a friend or stranger; growing in confidence regarding our role as parent, worker, or friend; communicating frequently with our Higher Power – is a tool that can enhance our sense of well-being throughout every moment of the twenty-four hours that lie ahead. How lucky we are to have the ability to think what we want to think and to visualize situations that will bring us pleasure. God is in control of the outcomes of our life, but we’re in control of our contributions towad those outcomes. And one way we contribute most productively is by thinking positively and imagining ourselves fulfilled and content through our acts of love toward others. My Higher Power and I are in partnership in the outcomes of my life. I know how to fulfill my part, and I can trust God to fulfill God’s part.
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 19, 2018 13:48:29 GMT -5
In God’s Care We are what we are. ~~Motto of Lake Wobegon, Garrison Keillor Sometimes we devote so much effort to being what we are not, that we lose the chance to be what we are. We have one identity for this person and another for that one. Our co-workers, neighbors, friends, family – all expect different things of us, leaving us wondering who we actually are. How can we be so many different things to so many people? God wants us to be only who we are, We were created with unique characteristics for a purpose, even if that purpose isn’t always clear to us. We need to be who we really are, and to be the best we can be, knowing that God approves because God created us as we are. I will be the best me that I know how to be.
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 20, 2018 23:09:34 GMT -5
God’s Care The answer to personality problems is found in a quiet return to Godlike thinking. ~~Science of Mind, magazine When we’re edgy and critical or perhaps feeling inadequate or depressed, we’ve lost our atonement with God. And when acting the way God would have us act is no longer our priority, our character defects once again emerge and, in time, grow ever more numerous. We can make the simple decision to always check out our proposed behavior against the behavior we know is from God. When we remember to think of God first before proceeding, we avoid unnecessary conflicts; we refrain from consciously hurting anyone; we manage to take our experiences restfully, moment by moment. There’s really no mystery to having a rewarding and peaceful life. Those we notice who do, have likely made a more frequent companion of God than we. The decision to work more on our own friendship with God is an easy one to make. I will act according to God’s wishes today and in the process, strengthen our friendship.
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 22, 2018 6:38:50 GMT -5
In God’s Care The goal isn’t to do a successful inventory. The goal is to dig to the deepest levels of self-honesty. ~~Anonymous The Fourth Sep is the hardest one for many newcomers in the program. It is so difficult, in fact, that some of us still waiting to do it are no longer newcomers. It’s so hard to be honest with ourselves, that some of us never accomplish it. The consequences of this are a low sef-esteem, which draws us toward failure. Help is available, though. God, who knows all about us, is willing to help us get honest with ourselves. We only need to ask. Until we become honest with ourselves, we can’t grow spiritually. Today I pledge to be honest.
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 22, 2018 7:15:20 GMT -5
In God’s Care People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. ~~George Bernard Shaw It’s easy to let circumstances determine how we think and behave. While it’s true that some events seem devastating, our relationship with a Higher Power can help us accept and even grow from experiences that seem impossible to cope with. We all have known men and women who’ve handled grave upsets far more easily than we have. How did they do it? They have no magic. Rather, they may be more comfortable letting their Higher Power help them accept and understand unfortunate circumstances. Once we accept our anger or disappointment, we’re free to move on to better feelings. We begin to realize we have choices in how we look at problems. We are never given more than we can handle. We can develop acceptance of any circumstances, but our success in doing so comes mainly through our reliance on God to show us the way. God will help me handle the uncontrollable events of today. Through acceptance. I can change my feelings at any moment – even right now.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 23, 2018 18:36:03 GMT -5
In God’s Care The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank. ~~Dante Gabriel Rossetti We can look back on our old life and be thankful for what we are like now. Although it is useless to dwell on the past, it is sometimes helpful to cast a backward glance. It sharpens our gratitude. The blessings we experience today are in such stark contrast to the misery we use to endure. We examine the serendipity – all the good things that are happening to us – and we know not to take credit ourselves. We express gratitude to God because we know the good things are not accidental. I pray that I remain grateful for God’s help.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 25, 2018 21:30:08 GMT -5
In God’s Care To feel extraordinarily small and unimportant is always a wholesome feeling. ~~Robert H. Benson There’s something spiritual about laying under the stars on a clear night. The immensity of the universe is enough to put our life into perspective. It can lift the weight of the world from our shoulders. While we may feel our burdens are heavy and our responsibilities endless, just a glimpse of that twinkling night sky helps us realize we are not quite as important as we sometimes think. But just as each of those billions of stars has a place in the heavens, so do we have a place in God’s plan. Our influence may be small, our light may not shine far, but just as each star has a place, we too have a role in the Divine plan. Through God’s love, we can enjoy our connection to the universe. Today I will enjoy being too small to carry the whole world on my shoulders.
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 26, 2018 8:56:18 GMT -5
In God’s Care
It is not the image we create of God which proves God. It is the effort we make to create this image. ~~Pierre Lecomte du Nouy
Not very many of us have the truly dramatic spiritual experience that dispells, for all time, our insecurity and our doubts about God’s existence. We may know someone who has been this fortunate, but most of us have to give frequent or daily attention to prayer, meditation, and perhaps affirmations in order to develop the faith that can come to everyone.
Our path for developing conscious contact with God makes God a familiar companion in our daily life. Our thoughts of God can remind us that God cares and is in charge. Exercising our mind in this way is not unlike exercising our body. Just as our repeated physical efforts strengthen our muscles, our belief is strengthened into faith when we make the remembrance of God’s presence a daily practice.
I will remember God today.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 27, 2018 20:50:01 GMT -5
In God’s Care
True happiness, we are told, consists in getting out of one’s self, but the point is not only to get out – you must stay out; and to stay out you must have some absorbing errand. ~~Henry James
When we are down, when everything seems to be going wrong for us, that’s when we probably notice that for some time our attention has been on ourselves. We may be concentrating on what we want and how we’re not getting it. We might be thinking of all the ways we have been slighted or ignored or rejected, and be keeping score.
It’s trite to say that we can get out of this painful self-absorption only by helping someone else, but it’s true. Helping others is a way to help ourselves. It is a spiritual principle, and our program is based on this principle of love for one another.
I will remember that happiness may be found in getting out of myself.
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Post by caressa222 on Jul 28, 2018 21:56:55 GMT -5
In God’s Care When you betray sombody else, you also betray yourself. ~~Isaac Bashevis Singer Any action or expression we make toward another comes back to us. Maybe not today, but it assuredly returns: we do sow what we reap. If we treat others hatefully, or with disdain and suspicion, we eventually get the same in return. And we can also have a love-filled, affirming life if we willingly, gladly, and honestly offer our love to others with no conditions. We can bring ourselves misery or happiness through our actions. With the help of our Higher Power, we can sow only what we want to reap. It’s a small decision to turn within for guidance. Although it takes practice to remember to let our Higher Power direct our actions, it will become a habit in time – the healthiest habit we’ll ever develop. I will experience what I give to others through my actions today.
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Post by majestyjo on Jul 30, 2018 2:59:40 GMT -5
In God’s Care
Know all and you will pardon all. ~~Thomas a’ Kempis
We are quick to forgive our own transgressions because we know ourselves. We know our weaknesses, motivations, and the combination of influences that go into the decisions we make.
But we don’t know everything that prompts others’ attitudes and behaviors. We have no way of knowing if they are in physical pain, or if they have just suffered some emotional blow. We criticize many people without knowing anything about their experiences. If we were to know more about them, we might be more tolerant. God does know – and forgives everything. We can ber forgiving also.
I will remember today that everyone is deserving of my forgiveness.
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Post by caressa222 on Aug 2, 2018 19:07:34 GMT -5
In God’s Care Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible. ~~William Sloan Coffin, Jr For many of us, the past is sprinkled with endeavors that were never pursued to completion. Perhaps some pursuits were more complicated than we were equipped to handle. But it’s likely that, at times, we gave up the idea, or ran from the struggle, before we’d experienced the first major barrier. Then, unlike now, we were short on hope, vision, and confidence. Most of all, we probably lacked faith that a power greater than ourselves could guide our steps and help us make the decisions that would bring our efforts to completion. By working our program, we gain confidence and new vision. As our faith grows, so does our connection to God. God is the source of hope, of all the strength and understanding we need for any challenge or creative endeavor. With hope, nothing is so overwhelming that we can’t move forward, and nothing we really need will be beyond our grasp. I will make use of God’s gift of hope to overcome any barriers I meet today.
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Post by caressa222 on Aug 2, 2018 19:45:19 GMT -5
In God’s Care He always lets people do what they want. ~~Frank N.D. Buchman We are born into the world with free will, and we can do whatever we please. But there are civil laws and, if we disobey them, we are at risk of losing our freedom. The spiritual world also has laws; if we disregard them, we suffer consequences. The difference is that we are our own judges, and our consequences are personal. We frequently bump into these spiritual boundaries. God lets us over-step them at will, but what we do always catches up with us. If we break spiritual laws, no one knows it better than we do because unhappiness surely follows. Selfishness, dishonesty, and an unloving attitude guarantee misery. Letting love direct our thoughts and actions assures our ultimate happiness. Today I can do as I please, but I choose to be happy – living within God’s spiritual boundaries,
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Post by caressa222 on Aug 3, 2018 21:39:23 GMT -5
In God’s Care Only trust, perfect trust can keep one calm. ~~God Calling, May 10th For many of us, developing trust as we work our program has been painstakingly difficult. Perhaps we grew up in families where trust was betrayed. Many of us experienced friendships and marriages that turned sour when we learned our companion had not been trustworthy. And we, too, often failed to lie up to the trust someone special had placed in us. Learning to trust that our Higher Power cares for us, always, will relieve our anxious moments and restore our trust. In time we will come to know that when we’re with God, all is well. The calm of knowing our well-being is guaranteed comes when we willingly relinquish our frenzied attempts to control all the events in our frenzied attempts to control all the events in our life. One way we can learn to do this is by practicing quietness and breathing in calmness each time we feel anxiety over an outcome. This will allow us to trust – a bit more every day – that God is at the helm and our life is on course. I will be calm as often as possible today, and a peaceful, trusting feeling will fill me up.
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