RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘God’s terms’

What is this “Stream of Life”?

04 May

Big Book p.86, Into Action: “Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?”

THE LIFE FORCE

Many spiritual beliefs incorporate the concept of life being like a flowing stream; or flow of energy.  …that our bodies are like a conduit through which energy flows—air, water and food flow through our bodies continuously, and without that flow we would not have conscious life.  As we mature, level after level of growth unfolds. …that The Spirit of the Universe/God/Creative Intelligence is the source of the pure stream of life. …that there is a transformation of consciousness (God-consciousness) and there are regions of the spiritual realm. …that we wake up from the dream of separateness.

LIFE IS A SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE
BB p.86, Into Action: “Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.
– We explore and let the stream of life guide us.
– We ask God to direct our thinking and our direction for each step along the way.
– God has a purpose for us EACH DAY—are we paying attention to today’s purpose?

UNSELFISHNESS

From ‘The Four Absolutes’ pamphlet from Clarence Snyder (he started AA in Cleveland):
“Unselfishness is the stream in which our sober life must flow, the boulevard down which we march triumphantly by the grace of God, ever alert against being sidetracked into a dark obscure alley along the way. Our unselfishness must penetrate our whole life, not just our deeds for others, for the greatest gift we bestow on others is the example of our own life as a whole.”

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
BB p.77, Into Action: “Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.”
– When we are intent on being of service, to give our time and energy to someone else, we are packing something INTO the stream of life. We are going with another, bigger flow than our own self-absorbed, limited flow. We have tapped into something SO MUCH BIGGER.
– We will gain in direct proportion to the real help we give others. It is not about TAKING, it is about GIVING…. packing INTO this journey we, and our fellow travelers, are on—this broad highway of spiritual exploration.
– As a result— over time—we receive the flow as blessings: of healing, cleansing (forgiveness), creativity, new awareness, a new way of thinking, joy, serenity, and contentment. And best of all, we feel the connection to others and to the Higher Power.

POETRY

Stream of Life — Rabindranath Tagore
“The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.”

A popular children’s song (American lyrics):
Row, row, row your boat,  Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,   Life is but a dream.
Meaning (from Wikipedia): The lyrics have often been used as a metaphor for life’s difficult choices, and many see the boat as referring to one’s self or a group with which one identifies.

______________________________________________
ETC—a recovered (but not cured) alcoholic in Oregon
 
No Comments

Posted in Higher Powered, Service, Spirituality

 

Are You Just Trying to Be a Better Person?

22 Apr

THE PRETENDERS

Are you learning to “play nice with others”
It IS important to get along with others in our community and society as a whole. This is a pretty good goal as long as it’s authentic. But if it’s manipulative, it’s got to go.
Are you trying to be ‘nice,’ a friend to everyone, well-liked, and non-offending?
Is that really all there is to it? It’s a bit codependent to be concerned how others think of me (been there). I have to ask myself: Does it really come from the heart or am I trying to impress my friends, my P.O. or S.O., parents, or therapist? …or so I can sit in meetings and boast about how awesomely ‘non-judgemental’ I am?
This sometimes is a sign of complacency and laziness… when honesty and the pursuit of truth is secondary to saying what someone wants to hear (that’s not guidance).
Are you just faking it ‘till you make it? Faking is pretending—acting, a counterfeit. Are you still trying to control the show? Try working Steps 1-3 again. If I am not thoroughly honest with myself and others, my  life will not change.
ALTHOUGH this is related to Therapists’ suggestions to “act as if” for awhile, if a new, healthier behavior is very uncomfortable at first. The motive for actual change is necessary. In addition, spiritual advisors often suggest it when someone doubts their love for God simply because they don’t FEEL IT.

From C.S. Lewis, pp.131-132 in Mere Christianity:
“Some Christian writers use the word charity to describe not only Christian love between human beings, but also God’s love for man and man’s love for God. About the second of these two, people are often worried. They are told they ought to love God. They cannot find any such feeling in themselves. The answer is the same as before. Act as if you did. Do not sit trying to manufacture feelings. Ask yourself, ‘If I were sure that I loved God, what would I do?’ When you have found the answer go and do it.”

Are you working on just changing outside appearances?
That’s still living a lie—another disguise. It’s creating a false reality.  People wear uniforms to make people believe they’re something they’re not: Rich, Macho, Hip, slick and cool, Tough as nails, Poor, Pathetic, etc. …manipulation, again. We can’t fake a new personality for too long. At some point the poop will hit the fan and we’re right back at that ‘turning point.’
…or have you fully surrendered your life (and EGO) to God (as you understand God)?

HONESTY, OPENMINDEDNESS, and WILLINGNESS

These are the requirements to enter into that new way of living on a spiritual basis. In living this new way of life, am I of maximum service to God and others, or am I concerned about how others perceive me?

BB p.77, Into Action “Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.”

SURRENDER/Relinquish

When I tried to change ME before, I did a lousy job of it. That’s why I needed these 12 Steps—alcohol was only a symptom of my problem. God can do for me what I could not do myself. I can try and try and try to become a better person, but unless the change comes from within (where God is) I still fail… it’ll be a constant struggle. Like someone who is always recovering, never recovered. It is easy to hang on to what I THINK are the GOOD things about me and what I’ve done. What WE think He should let us keep (because we worked SO HARD for that). After all, look at the wonderful progress I’ve made! From THERE to HERE. Da-ang—I’m doin’ GOOD! I can rationalize all day on that. No. Sorry. Apparently God wants all that too. We need to be willing to give to Him/Her what we value the most.
(Surrender is a military term, and a Christian term)

Everything. NOW.
Are you willing to let go of your family, job, health, kids, spouse, friends, house, location, car, paycheck, good looks, time, etc. Unless we ARE willing, we have not made a FULL SURRENDER of everything we have… it’s His stuff anyway isn’t it? Trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. Then, all Heaven breaks loose! In our daily, morning quiet time and throughout the day, the Higher Power lets us know what to do, and where to go from here. It is a difficult path to follow sometimes, but we do get strength and guidance for each day.

And that’s another topic for another day, maybe.

ETC—a recovered (but not cured) alcoholic in Oregon
 
No Comments

Posted in Higher Powered, Service, Surrender

 

The Big Book 24-hour Plan

15 Apr

Pages 85 to 88 in the Big Book pretty much covers this 24-hour plan—

“We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. …What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. …On awakening, let us think about the 24 hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. …as we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action… humbly saying to ourselves many times each day… When we retire at night, we constructively review our day.”

Some people call it:  Living One Day At A Time (beware, for those who HISS at the dropping of the name Jesus,  this term does have references to Christianity: “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus”). But the 24-hour plan is NOT really about watching the clock and hoping to ‘make it from noon to midnight and midnight to noon’ without popping the cork so I can say “I’m a winner because I didn’t drink today!” That kind of sobriety is hanging on by your fingernails (white-knuckling it)—or for non-alcoholics who can just CHOOSE not to drink for that day.

Hanging on each day IS often necessary for the alcoholic who has not yet thoroughly worked on Steps One through Nine or for the poor person who’s sponsor tells them ‘take your time; go to meetings and you’ll be FINE.’ And for newcomers, the 24-Hour Plan, if you choose NOT to take the 12 Steps, IS to white-knuckle, or be baby-sat, through each 24 hours without drinking. (Since real alcoholics have lost the power of choice in drink, this is the ONLY way to get through those 24 hours.)

I couldn’t find instructions in our textbook that I have to beseech God each day to PLEASE keep me sober/abstinent. Other people seem to have read something in the Big Book that they should be doing this on a daily basis. Let me know the pages, please.

MY 24-HOUR PLAN

I learn from yesterday’s experiences and my personal inventory of them. I don’t continue to dwell on past mistakes—after all, God has forgiven me.
I prepare for tomorrow by doing footwork, setting priorities, and planning appointments.
I LIVE IN TODAY. (pgs 86-88) I start with Quiet Time and ‘ask God to direct my thinking.’ I listen for guidance and try to stay spiritually awake and aware of what’s going on around me. I take care of my responsibilities. As I ‘go through the day I pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask God for the right thought or action.’ …humbly say to myself many times each day ‘They will be done.’ When I ‘retire at night I constructively review my day’ (because I continue to fall short).

But with daily maintenance of my spiritual condition I don’t have to ‘white-knuckle’ sobriety. Does it now make sense why the founders took their prospect through the whole process in a few days or even hours? …so they wouldn’t have to beg to stay sober another 24 hours and stay stuck in their crazy, alcoholic thinking–day after day after day.

ETC—a recovered (but not cured) alcoholic in Oregon
 
2 Comments

Posted in 24-Hours, Higher Powered

 

On a New Path With A Supreme Being

17 Mar

Am I just trying to become a better person? …learning to “play nice with others” …to be friendly and non-offending?  Is that really all there is to it?

Big Book cover“If he is not interested in your solution, …you may have to drop him until he changes his mind. This he may do after he gets hurt some more.” “If he thinks he can do the job in some other way, or prefers some other spiritual approach, encourage him to follow his own conscience.” pg. 95.

I can ‘love someone’ right out the door to another drink. I can pat them on the head and say ‘oh just go to meetings, you’ll be okay.’ But that’s not what the pioneers of the Program told us to do. WHEN he/she has decided that they ARE an alcoholic and is ready and willing to go to any length to recover, then we proceed through to steps, first using our AA Textbook.
boot printsI need to be carrying the message of full recovery to the suffering, confused, and dying. Am I working hard, daily, to become what God wants me to be? …to learn what I need to learn on each step of the way, so that I continue to have the understanding and knowledge to walk someone through the lifesaving steps of this simple program? To work with beginners and dry drunks who are finally willing to learn the truth about recovery.
I also need experience and skills for subsequent steps on my path. To walk forward in faith that what God is laying out for me is always better that what I thought I wanted. …to try my best to live my life on God’s terms.
I had to give up my old, twisted character in order to rebuild a new one. I have to continuously let go of my ego. I conceded that, of myself, I had no power to change my life and get out of the hell-hole I’d gotten into. I needed a power so much greater than myself. There IS one who has all power–that one is God.  I am no longer a ‘sick’ person; I do not have ‘alcoholic thinking’ anymore; that obsession has been lifted; God has restored me to sanity; I am a recovered alcoholic as long as I daily maintain a fit spiritual condition.

Bill W and man in bedThe solution and clear-cut directions for full recovery ARE in the book of Alcoholics Anonymous and the good old-timers walk us through it. How to start and maintain a relationship with God, is in the book(s). Living the whole program is a spiritual way of life. The “psychic change” is a personality change! It’s the connection to something bigger and better than mere human power; tapping into the strength of the All-Powerful Creator.

When I started following the suggested directions, I started seeing the results. Pages 86 and 87 in the AA Big Book were the starting point for a new way of living each day. When I try to live THE Program, instead of making up my own program (isn’t MY WAY what I’m trying to give up?) the results are amazing.

aka Father John DoeFr. John Doe (Ralph Pfau), ‘Sobriety and Beyond’: “The more fully we admit that God, and God alone can restore us to sanity, the more will we seek God as the solution of all of our problems and difficulties; and the more willing will we be to make the full decision to turn our life and will over to Him as we do in the third step.”

________________________________________________________
ETC—a recovered (but not cured of the allergy) alcoholic in Oregon
 
No Comments

Posted in Higher Powered, Working With Others