“As the saying says, I have been ‘blessed beyond measure.’”

“Pondering the how are you leaning into the new year question, I thought of one once asked of the author C.S. Lewis. Asked if he had taken a nap that day, Lewis replied, ‘No, the nap took me.’ Ditto the ‘leaning into the future’ question. Since faith is always forward looking, my short answer would be, it’s the future that leans into me. There is no future tense in the kingdom, and no such thing as time, only the eternal now.”

Adapted from The Future Is Now

“Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? How do we get there? In his book,* God is a Verb, Rabbi David Cooper describes the need for sitting still as ‘surrounded by the presence of the Divine.’* He goes on to explain that resurrection is in a timeless domain; resurrection penetrates any reality limited by time & space. Resurrection is not something for which we must wait. Resurrection is always here. Our challenge is to move from ego consciousness to God consciousness."

Adapted from God Is A Verb

“Like a beautiful brightly colored flower without fragrance Is the well-spoken word without action.”

Adapted from 365 Buddha Daily Meditations

“Having fear reduced or eliminated and having economic circumstances improve, are two different things. When I was new in AA, I had those two ideas confused. I thought fear would leave me only when I started making money. However, another line jumped off the page one day when I was chewing on my financial difficulties: *‘For us, material well-being always followed spiritual progress; it never preceded.’ (The Family Afterward, p. 127). <portlandeyeopener.com/AA-BigBook-4th-Edition.pdf>* I suddenly understood that this promise was a guarantee. I saw that it put priorities in the correct order, that spiritual progress would diminish that terrible fear of being destitute, just as it diminished many other fears. Today I try to use the talents God gave me to benefit others. I’ve found that is what others valued all along. I try to remember that I no longer work for myself. I only get the use of the wealth God created; I never have ‘owned’ it. My life’s purpose is much clearer when I just work to help, not to possess.”

Adapted from Daily Reflections

Meditation for the Day Functioning on a material plane alone takes me away from God. I must also try to function on the spiritual plane. Functioning on a spiritual plane as well as on a material plan will make life what it should be. All material activities are valueless in themselves alone. But all activities, seemingly trivial or of seemingly great moments, are all alike if directed by God’s guidance. I must try to obey God as I would expect a faithful, willing servant to carry out directions. Prayer for the Day I pray that the flow of God’s spirit may come to me through many channels. I pray that I may function on a spiritual plan as well as on a material plane.

Adapted from Twenty-Four Hours a Day