“It is just one day at a time, but a far better design for living than trying on my own power.”

Three readings. A song that says the rest. And inspiration for whatever this day is here to teach.

A lone surfer riding inside a great curling wave

Read — the readings that opened the day

The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living

Thomas Keating

Many thoughts are coming downstream, but as we learn to disregard them, we begin to enjoy a sense of the Divine presence. Beyond our thinking & emotional experience is the deeper reality of the spiritual level of our being. It is another way of knowing reality that is unlike ordinary psychological awareness. As a result, not only is the mind quiet and at rest from the ordinary concerns of daily life, but the body also begins to rest, a rest that is deeper than sleep.

Adapted from The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living

Falling Upward, Revised and Updated

Richard Rohr & Brené Brown

Silence is the only language spacious enough to include everything and to keep us from slipping back into dualistic judgments and divisive words.

Adapted from Falling Upward, Revised and Updated

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day When I let my judgmental mind, fears & resentments interfere with a Spiritual connection to Love, I am on the wrong track. Help me never let my rebellious attitude interfere with living the way I know God wants me to live. Especially when I have no clear guidance from the Spirit, I must go forward quietly along the path of love & service. The attitude of a quiet faith will receive its reward. I must not let my bad attitude interfere and weaken my spiritual power. Prayer for the Day Today, I pray that I may not let myself become too upset. I pray that I may step aside, to let You guide me to walk with confidence along the Spiritual path.

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

Waking up this morning, it was so quiet. I turned to Gail & we agreed, “wow, listen. Nothing!”

She went back to sleep, and I got up to do my readings, to expand my quiet time, my time with the Spirit.

Before recovery, I was always in such a rush. As Bill W. says, “The drive for success was on. I’d prove to the world I was important.”

For more than ½ of my life, driven by instincts to manage well, succeed, overcome & overachieve, I created turmoil in myself and in my family. And 42 years later, these instincts still crop up.

As explained in How It Works, “we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good.”

A long time ago, Charles Chirch once told me, “Steve, make friends with your character defects.”

As I’ve come to get more familiar with who I am, I can turn to The Power & embrace WHOSE I AM.

It is just one day at a time, but a far better design for living than trying on my own power.

Today, help me step aside; to let Your power, love, inspiration and the mystery of faith drive my thoughts and actions;

the true stairway to heaven on earth............