Welcome to Bill's Place.
A collection of Friends In Recovery.
Featuring a weekly Step Study from various 12 Step Recovery literature.
With the occasional inspirational message or message pertaining to a broad spectrum of varied spiritual practices.
An open forum for discussion of the aforementioned Step Study and inspirational/spiritual practice messages.
"Dance like there's no one watching and love like you've never been hurt."
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BillsPlace/
Just For Today
Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts
March 3
Relapse"There will be times, however, when we really feel like using. We want to run, and we feel lousy. We need to be reminded of where we came from and that it will be worse this time. This is when we need the program the most"
Basic Text, p. 78If we're contemplating a relapse, we should think our using through to the bitter ends. For many of us, those ends would include severe medical problems, imprisonment, or even death. How many of us have known people who relapsed after many years clean, only to die from their disease?
But there is a death that accompanies a return to active addiction that may be worse than physical death. That is the spiritual death we experience when we are separated from our Higher Power. If we use, the spiritual relationship we have nurtured over the years will weaken and perhaps disappear. We will feel truly alone.
There is no doubt that we have periods of darkness in our recovery. There is only one way we can make it through those troubling times: with faith. If we believe that our Higher Power is with us, then we know that all will be well.
No matter how badly we may feel in our recovery, a relapse is never the answer. Together, we find recovery. If we stay clean, the darkness will lift and we will find a deeper connection to our Higher Power.
Just for today: I thank my Higher Power for the gift of NA. I know that relapse is not the way out. Whatever challenges I face, I will face them with the God of my understanding.
~Today I embrace all change.~
Today I embrace all change. I realize that life is ever moving forward, evolving into the greater.
I embrace this forward-moving activity in my life. My life is moving forward into the greater and greater. I recognize the changes and events unfolding in my life as the activity of Spirit. I know that divine, perfect, harmonious activity is unfolding in my life and affairs. I trust the process of life as it unfolds.
I take time to sense the presence of Spirit within me. I know that the source of joy, love, and peace is God at my center.
My attention is on the presence of Spirit within. As I go about my day I am aware that Spirit is the essence of all I see and of all whom I meet.
I begin to retire from aspects of my life that are unfulfilling. I embrace my heart’s desire and open to its manifestation. I am living the life of my dreams and following my bliss.
I release any sense of victimhood or powerlessness. I let go of ideas about myself and the world that are not true. I remember that I can always change.
I know that I am loved by all of life and I return that love to life. I am in eternal relationship with that changeless love that is Spirit within me, and all around me. I embrace the evolving forms that relationships take.
Serendipity
~Ralph Marston~Good things will come to you in ways you could never anticipate or expect. Yet if you're constantly placing judgments, conditions and restrictions on your life, you'll miss out on most of those good things.
Being open to the abundance of life means being open to the unknown and unexpected. If you hide away from what you do not know, you'll never discover anything new.
The world is constantly changing, and many of those changes can seem frightening. Yet within each and every change there is opportunity.
When the world changes, legions of positive possibilities are born. When the unexpected happens, there is much new value to be created.
Choose to welcome the constant newness that is essential to life. For it brings new ways to more fully express and fulfill your own unique purpose.
In every unexpected turn of events is a pleasant surprise waiting to be discovered. Open yourself to the freshness of each dawning moment, and find those magnificent treasures that have just been born.
~I Wish I Were~
I wish I were big enough to honestly admit all my shortcomings.
Brilliant enough to accepts praise without it making me arrogant.
Tall enough to tower over dishonesty.
Strong enough to welcome criticism.
Compassionate enough to understand human frailties.
Wise enough to recognize mistakes.
Humble enough to appreciate greatness.
Brave enough to stand by my friends.
Human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor.
And spiritual enough to be devoted to the love of God.
The NA Basic Text
STEP THREE
"We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."
As addicts, we have turned our will and our lives over many times to a destructive power. Our will and our lives were controlled by drugs. We were trapped by our need for the instant gratification that drugs gave us. During that time, our total being-body, mind and spirit-was dominated by drugs. For a time it was pleasurable, then the euphoria began to wear off, and we saw the ugly side of addiction. We found that the higher our drugs took us, the lower they brought us. We faced two choices: either we suffered the pain of withdrawal or took more drugs.For all addicts, the day comes when there is no longer a choice; we had to use. Having given our will and lives to our addiction, in utter desperation we looked for another way. In Narcotics Anonymous, we decide to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. This is a giant step. We don't have to be religious; anyone can take it. All that is required is willingness. All that is essential is that we open the door to a Power greater than ourselves.
Our concept of God comes not from dogma but from what we believe ourselves, what works for us. Many of us understand God to be simply whatever keeps us clean. The right to a God of your understanding is total and without any catches. Because we have this right, it is necessary to be honest about our belief if we are to grow spiritually.
We found that all we needed to do was to try. When we gave our best effort to the Program, it worked for us as it has worked for countless others. The Third Step does not say, "We turned our will and our lives over to the care of God". It says, "We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him". We made the decision; it was not made for us by the drugs, our families, a probation officer, judge, therapist or doctor. We made it. For the first time since that first high, we have made a decision for ourselves.
The word "decision" implies action. This decision is based on faith. We have only to believe that the miracle we see working in the lives of clean addicts can happen to any addict with the desire to change. We simply realize there is a force for spiritual growth that can help us become more tolerant, patient, and useful in helping others. Many of us have said, "Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live". The relief of "letting go and letting God" helps us develop a life worth living.
Surrendering to the will of our Higher Power gets easier with daily practice. When we honestly try, it works. Many of us start our day with a simple request for guidance from our Higher Power. Although we know that "turning it over" works, we may still take our will and life back. We may even get angry because God permits it. At times during our recovery, the decision to ask for God's help is our greatest source of strength and courage. We cannot make this decision often enough. We surrender quietly and let the God of our understanding take care of us.
At first, our heads reeled with the questions: "What will happen when we turn our life over? Will we become `perfect'?" We may have been more realistic than this. Some of us had to turn to an experienced N.A. member and ask, "What was it like for you?" The answer will vary from member to member. Most of us feel open-mindedness, willingness and surrender are the keys to this step.
We have surrendered our will and our lives to the care of a Power greater than ourselves. If we are thorough and sincere, we will notice a change for the better. Our fears are lessened and faith begins to grow as we learn the true meaning of surrender. We are no longer fighting fear, anger, guilt, self-pity or depression. We realize that what brought us to this Program is still with us today and will continue to guide us if we allow it. We are slowly beginning to lose the paralyzing fear of hopelessness. The proof of this step is in the way we live.
We have come to enjoy clean living and want more of the good things that the N.A. fellowship holds for us. We know now that we cannot pause in our spiritual program; we want all we can get.
We are now ready for our first honest self-appraisal, and we begin with Step Four.
After joining feel free to invite your friends to the Group by using the "Invite" button below;
or by simply sending them this URL;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BillsPlace/
Just for today, you never have to use again.
Never Alone Never Again
(neveralone_neveragain)
Footprints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along
the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his
life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the
sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.
The LORD replied, "My
precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave
you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only
one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
~Mary Stevenson Parker~
Butt Prints In The Sand
One night I had a wondrous
dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints
appeared. . .
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?
Those prints are large and round and neat,
But Lord, they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said
in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would
not grow,
The walk of faith you would not know. . .
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life there
comes a time
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."
~Author Unknown~
Jimmy K.
---
"When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think
of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very
Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into
the open and has other people looking at it."
~Winnie the Pooh~
Peace.
Bill
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Trust
and Believe
Canookie
Girl
