“That journey has repeated itself over & over again.”

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

Excerpt From The Joy in Loving

Mother Teresa

“We must help ourselves to learn. Pray with absolute trust in God’s loving care for you and let Him fill you with joy that you may preach without preaching.”

Excerpt from A Deep Breath of Life

Alan Cohen

“The most powerful way to improve your circumstances is by upgrading your consciousness. When you change your mind, life has no choice but to re-cluster itself according to the new level at which you are operating. Today, help me keep You in my thoughts, that my world may reflect divinity everywhere I look. My expanding consciousness of good magnetizes ever-increasing blessings.”

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Hazelden Foundation

“The joy of true fellowship shall be mine in full measure. I will revel in the joy of real fellowship. There will come back a wonderful joy, if I share in fellowship now. Fellowship among spiritually minded people is the embodiment of God's purpose for this world. To realize this will bring me a new life joy. If I share in humanity's joy and travail, a great blessing will be mine. I can truly live a life not of earth, but a heaven life here and now. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may be helped and healed by true spiritual fellowship. I pray that I may sense His presence in spiritual fellowship with His children.”

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

You promised me not only freedom from alcohol, but a new life IN FREEDOM, filled with blessings and joy. How can that be? My relationship is falling apart, my debts are choking me, and I’m just starting a new job as an assistant, where, prior to sobriety, I was a National Sales Manager.

I didn’t want to drink or use, so I believed you and worked the steps. Step 3 opened the door to a room full of my wreckage, false beliefs, shame.

Oh yes, and pride. Bill Wilson exclaimed, “I, who had thought so well of myself and my abilities, of my capacity to surmount obstacles, was cornered at last. Now I was to plunge into the dark, joining that endless procession of sots who had gone on before.”

So you led me through the darkness, into new light.

That journey has repeated itself over & over again. Layers of pride, prejudice, and shame, extensions of my distorted ego, have been exposed, removed and replaced with LOVE.

Yesterday at my brother’s, sitting outside by the pool with his bird and my son Aaron, we talked and laughed about some of our journeys & stories. Later, at dinner with Gail, my friend Deborah from college and her son, we talked about our journeys together over the last 40 years.

How did it happen? Blame it on a simple twist of fate; that once accepted, has kicked off an adventure of life that never ends. Thank you.