Saturday 9/19/09 - " SIX WORD SATURDAY"

"SIX WORD SATURDAY"

PRECIOUS PEACE THAT PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING!

Prayer Girl

Thursday 8/20/09 "SERENITY AND PEACE"

"SERENITY AND PEACE"

"WE WILL COMPREHEND THE WORD SERENITY
AND WE WILL KNOW PEACE."
("Alcoholics Anonymous", pp. 83 & 84 - 3rd 9th step promise)

The words "serenity" and "peace" as they applied to me personally were extremely elusive till I was over 40 years old and had been in Alcoholics Anonymous over a year.

Prior to sobriety, did I comprehend the world serenity? No! no way! I believed there was serenity happening when no calamity was rocking my emotionally sensitive world and when things were going my way. I think I thought I was experiencing serenity each time I "fell in love" - that rush of good feeling.

Did I know peace? I understood about "peace to the world", but of "peace within" I had very little understanding. I was usually on an emotional roller coaster - elated and flying high with a new love or a momentary success at work or devastated, depressed, and having thoughts of suicide.

The years I have spent working the 12 steps has illuminated for me what serenity means. Serenity for me is having the ability to stay calm even when all around me is chaos. Serenity is being able to maintain a tranquil composure when others are angry, upset, disturbed. As the "Serenity Prayer" says, if I can accept the things I cannot change, I probably have some serenity.

I have peace within myself today. I accept myself as I am. If there is something that needs changing, I ask for the willingness and ask God to remove it. Then I do my part. I recognize my talents and gifts and give thanks to God for them. In relationships with others, I have freedom from quarreling and disagreement with others. I can state my position, hear another out, then leave it be. There are more harmonious relationships.

Serenity and peace are a direct product of faith and trust in God. It is a product of keeping my life turned over to God. The more I stay in step three and in the present, the more of these qualities I have.

Do I have serenity and peace at all times? Of course not. I am not a saint, but I do my best to grow along spiritual lines. The longer I focus on strengthening my relationship with God, the more serenity and peace I experience.

I wish all you bloggers peace and serenity,
Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Jen D. Rodriguez)

Saturday 6/27/09 - "THE GOOD FEELINGS"

Elation!

Peace and joy!

Tenderness!

"THE GOOD FEELINGS"

"The Good Feelings"
"Let yourself feel the good feelings too.
Yes, sometimes good feelings can be as distracting as the painful, more difficult ones. Yes, good feelings can be anxiety producing to those of us unaccustomed to them. But go ahead and feel the good feelings anyway.
Feel and accept the joy. The love. The warmth. The excitement. The pleasure.The satisfaction. The elation. The tenderness. The comfort.
Let yourself feel the victory, the delight.
Let yourself feel cared for.
Let yourself feel respected, important, and special.
These are only feelings, but they feel good. They are full of positive, upbeat energy - and we deserve to feel that when it comes our way.
We don't have to repress. We don't have to talk ourselves out of feeling good - not for a moment.
If we feel it, it's ours for the moment. Own it. If it's good, enjoy it.
Today, God, help me be open to the joy and good feelings available to me."

(From:"The Language of Letting Go" by Melody Beattie,
June 21, pp. 171-172)

I did not arrive at the door of Alcoholics Anonymous with a bundle of positive feelings. In fact, I was Ms. Negativity - depression, sadness, emptiness, loneliness, listlessness, whipped, and beaten. It has been so many years since then that if I didn't go to meetings regularly and work with others I might not be able to remember how truly horrible I felt.

That was many years ago and I have spent all the intervening years working the 12 steps, living the 12 steps and the principles of the program, passing it on to others, and continuing to grow along spiritual lines.

Today I value myself and I value you - all of you - those who are still lost and hurting, those who have found recovery, and those who have never experienced these terrible lows of life - everyone. The God in me recognizes the God in you.

Today I believe we all deserve to feel love, joy, peace, serenity, and all the other feelings mentioned in the reading I chose. I am so grateful there is a program that will allow our lives to change and make it possible to feel the joy of living.

God bless you,
Prayer Girl

Wednesday, 4/15/09 - "A BLOG ABOUT NOTHING" - (The bathing of his elephant)

(Mahout Bathing an Elephant in India)

"A BLOG ABOUT NOTHING"
(The bathing of his elephant)

Here is just a picture, but not just any picture. The angle of the shot is unique. The subject is a large and imposing animal that inspires awe. There is contrast between man and beast.

This photo conjures up many different thoughts, feelings, and emotions. For me, this is what art - music, painting, poetry, photography, all forms of artistic expression - does, stirs the soul.

There is great love and care being given to this huge animal by a small and gentle man. Great energy and power is being subdued by the loving caress of his gentle ministrations. This creature is leisurely and peacefully basking in the calm pool.

I feel the coolness of the air mixed with the warmth of the sun's rays. There are soft breezes blowing across this scene. The air smells fresh with a scent of the sun mixed in.

This elephant appears so peaceful and calm. He is leisurely basking in the cool, clear, green water, being soothed by his caregiver. A beast is tamed by the water and the word of his caretaker.

I love finding just the right picture to help express the thoughts and feelings of my blog. I love this picture.

Alcoholics Anonymous has given me a new freedom. I am free to be me, free to blog about anything I want to, free to blog about nothing.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Mahout Bathing an Elephant, India by Mohit Midha)

Friday, 3/20/09 - "PEACE"

"PEACE"

I am looking for an extra measure of
PEACE just now.

These are the thoughts that will bring that added SERENITY.

I am in the peaceful scene above. There is the slightest breeze. There is shade dappled with sunlight. The air is clean, clear, and crisp. There is a fragrance of nature - trees, moss, flowers, water. I can hear a quiet, gentle movement of the water. There is a path leading to the bridge and in a few moments I will be over the water looking out over this scene and breathing slowly in.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28 KJV).

From "24 Hours A Day", May 16-A.A. Thought for the Day:

"Never weary in prayer. When one day you see how unexpectedly your prayer has been answered, then you will deeply regret that you have prayed so little. Prayer changes things for you. Practice praying until your trust in God has become strong. And then pray on, because it has become so much a habit that you need it daily. Keep praying until prayer seems to become communion with God. That is the note on which true times of prayer should end."

From "The Language of Letting Go" by Melody Beattie, March 19:

"Staying Out of the Middle"
"Being a peacemaker does not mean we get in the middle. We are bearers of peace by staying peaceful ourselves and not harboring turmoil. .......................I will trust others to work out their own affairs, including the ideas and feelings they want to communicate to each other.

Trust God.

All is well.
All is well with me and mine.
All is well with the World.
All is well in God's Universe.

God is in charge.

I am not alone.

From: "Daily Reflections", p.70, March 2:

"HOPE"
"Hope is the key that unlocks the door of discouragement. .....It is with others that, with the grace of God and the Fellowship of A.A., I trudge the road of happy destiny. May I always remember that the power within me is far greater than any fear before me. "

I tend to my own acre of recovery. Someone else's acre is off limits to me. I surrender to God's will.

Wait! Be calm! Trust! Be still! Be silent! From these will change come.

From "Hope for Today", March 16:

"When I let go and let God, I'm more apt to find a place of compassion between obsession and indifference, where the serenity of ordered thoughts and emotions lies........When I let go and let God work in my life, the pendulum that swings between the black-and-white of obsession and indifference finds balance in the peaceful colors of serenity."

"And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,
'Peace, be still'.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39)

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: mieke)

Friday, 3/13/09 - "PERFECT TIMING"

"PERFECT TIMING"

From ""The Language of Letting Go" by Melody Beattie, "Timing", March 12, p. 69:

"Timing can be frustrating. We can wait and wait for something to happen, and it seems to be forever until it comes to pass. Or, suddenly, an event or circumstance is thrust upon us, catching us by surprise. Believing that things happen too slowly or too quickly is an illusion. Timing is perfect. Today, I will trust and work with Divine Order. I will accept the timing in my life today and in my past as being perfect."

When I feel like I'm waiting and waiting for something - anything - to happen, then I'm missing out on NOW - too busy waiting for something else to be enjoying and savoring what this day offers.

At other times, 'bam', something happens suddenly and I feel as if I have been 'knocked for a loop'. I feel unprepared. Maybe, if I had been paying closer attention to each one-day-at-a-time I wouldn't feel so caught off guard when life shows me how "BIG" it really is.

As I look back over my life, there were many times I was anxious for things to change, to be different, to happen. I spent a lot of time waiting. While I was doing so, I missed some of the beauty and joy of the present moments. Luckily, despite that, I still have memories of moments of pure joy and beauty.

Over the years, my perspective has changed. I have been practicing being satisfied, patient, staying in the now, focusing on the glass half full and sometimes even overflowing, looking for God in all situations, and this practice is paying off.

The payoffs for me are peace, serenity, patience, joy, hope, faith, trust, a greater sense of fulfillment. I have gained a belief that God's timing is truly perfect. Looking back, I can see that when things have taken too long, it has been because I was not ready. When things occur, it is because I am ready whether I think so or not.

I like the payoffs and so I plan to continue working the Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon programs. I will also continue to benefit from your experience, strength, and hope and share mine with you.

Prayer Girl

P.S. Anytime I laugh, it's a good thing. This made me laugh:
"If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock." - Arthur Goldberg

(Photo credit: Myrtillis)