The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
The C2C reading for October 9 speaks about our attitudes towards God.,prior to entering program. The reading suggests that many of us looked at God as an adversary and refused to reach out for help. I can so identify with that feeling.
When the pain of addiction became too much, the reading indicates that we find the courage (as I did) to reach out to Al-Anon willing to use whatever tools were suggested We were often amazed to see the serenity and peace that others possessed at meetings c and we were anxious to obtain that same peace. I found that Practicing gratitude and the Steps lead to this peace Being thankful for the little things in life as well as the huge events and being able to feel this gratitude was a true gift I have discovered that the gratitude. was a stepping stone to seeing a better world. I learned to truly appreciate the miracles that are all around us as I stayed in the moment and the day
The quote is from "In All Our Affairs; "even the darkest of moments can be faced with a grateful heart, if not for the crisis itself, at least for the growth it can evoke with the help of HP
I wanted life to be free of pain and problems How unrealistic Alanon provided the tools that helped me to live with courage, serenity and a little wisdom as i practice gratitude for all I had received
Thanks Betty for the daily and your service! If the weather cooperates, I'll be off to golf in the morning. I know I had preconceived ideas, beliefs and concepts about God taught to me from my youth. I had departed from organized religion long ago and had no use for 'that stuff'. I resisted the entire God concept and am grateful that others patiently kept telling me I could use anything as a higher power so long as it was not me. I found this silly too, but what you said was true for me - others in the room had real joy and serenity and it was attractive.
I started with one concept of HP that has evolved over time. It's gotten much easier for me as time passes as I do all that I can to keep things as simple as possible. Today, I view religion as group worship and spirituality as my relationship directly with God, the word doesn't bother me any more.
I do believe God wants me happy, healthy and whole. I do believe I am given the direction and must take the action. When I depart from the designed path, I am taught life lessons. When my will and my wants interfere with God's will, things get more complicated. I now have the faith, the tools, the HP to live life on life's terms and better accept when life happens as it does always for everyone. I am very grateful for a better way to live and just be a part of, and am joyful that I no longer feel a part from.
Enjoy your day - (((Hugs))).
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Developing trust in my HP was difficult for me, after a rather negative experience with the faith community I grew up with. I had to find a way to develop a relationship with HP outside of that faith community in order to re-establish trust. I'm glad I have done so, because this makes it much easier to let go of things outside of my control and trust that things will work out in their own time. Today, I appreciated the pink of the sunrise instead of worrying about things outside of my control.
I hope you make it a great day, everyone!
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Skorpi
If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. - Lao Tzu
Thanks Betty and all above ESH. I was lucky that I found my HP about 20 years before program. But program has enlightened and increased my relationship with the God of my understanding. My sponsor taught me about gratitude at a time that I had none. Over time I had a written list pages long. So now my list is in my head and usually happens on a daily basis. It's become a habit, and this time a good one! Lyne
Thank you Betty for your service and the daily. I enjoyed everyone's shares on this topic!
I have/had a love/hate relationship with God... partly due to the expectations that were put upon me growing up in an organized religion. In my teen/college years, I was very much into religious studies as it pertains to actual historical facts. So yeah, I did become disillusioned by the whole organized religion thing. Then came a period of discovering other religions. That was fascinating to me!
In the end, I found they all had commonality... all were really some form of a belief in a power greater than self... so when I first came to Al-Anon 8 years ago, I embraced the concept of a Higher Power.
But because living with addiction came back into my life (via spouse), I became very angry at God. It wasn't until working through Al-Anon Steps this time, did I realize that I left Al-Anon too early in my journey... that I left with certain expectations of God and how God was going to handle my life when it came to this problem. It took me a long time to understand that the anger I had for my God was displaced anger. I had unrealistic expectations of my HP!! LOL!
I cannot live with 'blind faith.' I am too scientific-minded, perhaps too jaded. But as I progress in my journey, I am finding that giving things up to my HP, believing that if I do the next right thing, She will guide me, is really having a profound effect on my peace of mind/serenity. It sounds crazy, counter-productive... but it is helping.
Wishing everyone peace today!
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
WOW!!! thanks Betty.....thats me...."God being an adversary" so I refused to ask for help...I was sure that this G-d was out to get me..thwart me...screw me up at every turn and I have to STILL battle with this sick mindset that a diety or life is just waiting to sabatage me...it was easier to think THAT then to think that the saboteur was inside of me...easier to blame something outside rather than inside...Now I am using ACTION to over write the INNER saboteur.....I'm not sure any HP is involved in my daily affairs, but that part of the universal power/source that is WITHIN me.....and yea, being grateful, sometimes through clenched teeth, I say "thank you" even tho I am being sarcastic many times...it does loosen me up to see the stuff i CAN be gr8ful for....and yea, I wanted program to insulate me from pain and problems...it did not!!!! instead it showed me how, better to deal with lifes crapstorms that happen to all people...not just me...I am not being singled out for "someones--up there somewhere" sick, evil pleasure...I am just one teeny speck of sand on the beach of life.....tho I'm agnostic, I am OPEN to believing...right now??? my INNER HP, my higher self and program are my HP's that seem to work for me.....
Great shre Rose love the fact that you found the idea of a HP that woks for you I heard the saying:"my arms are too short to box with God" and that is when I found a HP I could trust n the beginning it was the rooms of alanon and today it is that God who is a "love " and apower greater than myself
