Today's Gift for Families - June 2014

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, June 1, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.
—Helen Keller

Close observation of small children playing, ants moving across a dirt mound, a bird building a nest, a plane flying overhead, tomatoes ripening in a garden are quiet reminders of the many miracles surrounding us at any moment. Often we may wonder just how a carrot grows from a small seed. What enables a robin to fly south in the winter without getting lost? And then we remember the power of the Creator, and the presence of that power everywhere.

Just as the squirrel knows to collect nuts for winter, each of us knows we're always being watched over by God. When we remember that, we feel safe and happy wherever we are, at school, a new friend's house, home alone in the evening. Every moment is full of wonder, and God is always present.

What small things will I share with God today?

Nothing is too small!

A lady from my church came to visit me many years ago. I had invited her for Boxing Day and fed her leftovers. She was a real dear, did a lot of service in the church and in the community even though she was 70 years old, very small and looked very fragile. Her strength came from within.

After dinner, she offered to dry the dishes. I said, "Don't worry, sit back and relax, God dries the dishes in this apartment." She smiled and said, "Don't you think you are depending on God just a little too much." I said, "No! He created the heaven and the earth, the air we breathe, and my dishes are air dried. I thank Him for His daily gifts to me, including the air I breathe. It is there, there are just some days, I breathe it better than others.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, June 2, 2014
You are reading from the book Today's Gift
Thoughts, rest your wings. Here is a hollow of silence, a nest of stillness, in which to hatch your dreams.
—Joan Walsh Anglund

There is silence in the nest before an egg is hatched. The mother robin must sit quietly and warm them enough to be hatched. During this time, the mother concentrates only on her eggs. She does not let herself be distracted.

There is a time of silence before anything creative is born. And there is silence in the mind before an idea is discovered. A nest is a safe place birds can always return to and be at home. We all need such a nest of silence - a place where we can be quiet and safe, where we can let ourselves be held, and rest.

Often, our best ideas come out of these quiet moments. Times of silence are good for our souls. Just like the robin eggs hatching, so will dreams and solutions grow out of our own nest of stillness.

How well will I use my quiet time today?

I will remember to take it. I will do as guided, lately it has been crtstals: rose quartz, clear crystal quarts, and Lapis Lazuli.

Lapis Lazuli is a crystal of truth in all aspects. It reveals inner truth, and promotes self-awareness and the acceptance of that knowledge. It provides for the relief of things that may have been suppressed and allows for them to surface, helping to diminish dis-ease or repressed anger, and allows for self-expression without holding back or compromising.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Men will find that they can prepare with mutual aid far more easily what they need and avoid far more easily the perils which beset them on all sides, by united forces.
—Baruch Spinoza

Three travelers stopped in a small town on their way to the city. They had tents to sleep in, but no food or money. They knocked on doors asking for a little food, but the people were poor, with little to eat and nothing to spare.

Cheerfully, they returned to their camp and built a fire. "What are you doing?" asked a bystander, "Building a fire with nothing to cook?"

"But we do have something to cook!" they said. "Our favorite dish, stone soup. We only need a pot."

"I think I can find one," said one of the bystanders, and she ran home to fetch it.

When she returned, the travelers filled the pot with water and placed two large stones in it. "This will be the finest soup we've ever made!" said the first traveler. "I agree," said the second, "but don't you think it would taste better with a cabbage in it?

"I think I can find one," said another bystander. And so it went the whole afternoon until, by evening, the travelers had a hearty, fragrant feast, which they shared with the hungry townspeople.

What can I do with help today, that I couldn't do alone?

Housework is #1. It would be nice to be able to get a ride once in a while to a night meeting or just for a drive outside of town to see God's Creation, away from the steel, smog, and noise.

I always figured if you have enough for one, you can feed two. I call my friend Bert to see if he has an onion, a potato, etc. and he calls me if he is short, wants direction, or some information. Giving is a two way street. Asking for help and saying you don't know, doesn't mean failure.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, June 4, 2014
You are reading from the book Today's Gift
"Oh, 'tis love, 'tis love, that makes the world go round! Somebody said," Alice whispered, "that it's done by everybody minding their own business. Ah well! It means much the same thing."
—Lewis Carroll

No one helps a caterpillar become a butterfly. First it must crawl through the leaves as a many-legged creature, and then it weaves its own cocoon. Nature does its slow, daily work inside the cocoon and one day a butterfly emerges - and each butterfly is a different shape and color. No other creature can step in and speed up this process without hurting the butterfly.

Sometimes we humans confuse love with playing the part of God. We think we can speed up the natural growth of people around us. We interfere by telling them to do what we think best.

Sometimes the greatest love we can offer is to accept our loved ones the way they are. We need to remember that each caterpillar weaves a cocoon in its own time and becomes a butterfly in its own way. The wisdom of the universe is greater than our own.

How will I show my acceptance of others today?

I will not play God with their lives and tell them what to do.
I can share my experience, strength and hope with them and pray that some of what I said, was something that will help them along the way. I would not want to be so egotistical to think that my word is law and the almighty truth, it is but my truth.

EGO is easing God out, yet in truth, I am trying to replace Him, when I think and say, "This is how it is done."

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, June 5, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

To render ourselves insensible to pain we must forfeit also the possibilities of happiness.
—Sir John Lubbock

A caterpillar knows instinctively that it must spin a cocoon. When finished it will use the protection it has made to turn itself into a beautiful butterfly. When the time is right, the butterfly will break through the cocoon and stretch its wings to meet the world.

We sometimes protect ourselves by withdrawing into a cocoon of our own. We stop talking to others and find ourselves growing lonely and longing for our friends. Perhaps it was some pain that made us retreat, but the pain of loneliness is greater. When we have the courage to break out of our cocoon, knowing and accepting the fact that we will experience both pain and happiness, we will change. We will become, for that moment, something new and beautiful like the butterfly.

What fearful thing do I have the courage to face today?

For me it is my pain, although when I normally wake up, I have a few hours of reprieve and then it catches up to me over the day.

This morning I woke with it, and had trouble getting out of my bed. With some prayer, stretching, and my breakfast, it looks like I will make it through the day without using. If I am using it is anything, it is my computer to come here and share. Sharing with others helps me to take myself out of myself and my pain. Even if the pain is there, there seems to be an easing of the body, mind, and spirit.

Thank you for being a part of my recovery.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, June 6, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

A good anger acted upon is beautiful as lightning and swift with power. A good anger swallowed clots the blood like slime.
—Marge Piercy

How does it feel when someone tells us we should play basketball when we don't want to? Often, it angers us that someone else is telling us what to do. After we have been told we should do something many times, we begin to believe it and forget how we really feel. Even though we have forgotten what we wanted to do, we feel angry, often without realizing it. Such hidden anger can leave us feeling bad without knowing why.

It is important to know when we are angry, and to say so. There are healthy ways of expressing anger without blaming others. Saying we are angry, and thereby claiming it as our own feeling and not something others force on us, is a way to express it, which also affirms our right to be angry.

If there is anger in me today, can I express it correctly?

Anger has always been a danger to me. One time I was walking down the street with a sponsee. I don't remember what we were sharing, I just know that all of a sudden, my saliva tasted like it was pure alcohol, and I spit it out rather than swallow it. I talked to the counsellor at the YWCA who got me into recovery, and she said, "How did you handle alcohol in the past?" I replied, "I drank." She said that she saw it as a body memory and a warning, don't hold onto your anger, let it go. She introduced me to hitting pillows with a plastic baseball bat.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, June 7, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

The human brain forgets ninety percent of what goes on.
—Jan Milner

There were two women who shared a house and raised their daughters, two toddlers, together. Then one of the women got transferred to another city and moved with her daughter.

Ten years later, they had a reunion. The mothers asked their kids what they remembered about living together. Did they remember all the books? No. Did they remember a mom in the kitchen every morning, fixing eggs and toast? No.
What they remembered was playing in the pink bathtub for hours, pulling the pink shower curtain shut for privacy. And the morning the mothers sneaked in, turned off the lights, threw plastic cups and spoons over the curtain and cried, "It's raining spoons!" They laughed and laughed.

We are lucky in this life - our minds think laughter is what's worth remembering.

What laughter from yesterday can I remember today?

Laughing at myself for taking on what is not mine, when I knew better.

Being able to laugh at yourself is a real gift. Look up Tradition 4. It says, Do not take yourself so seriously.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, June 8, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Caring is everything; nothing matters but caring.
—Baron Friedrich Von Hugel

The caring we receive from someone we love when we're sick can heal us just as much as the medicine we take. For children, Mom is usually the one who makes sure we get enough rest by having us stay in bed. By bringing us juice and aspirins she helps us keep our fevers down. She also lifts our spirits when she tells us a funny story.

Perhaps the next time a loved one is sick we can do the special and caring things. We can bring a favorite magazine or a cold glass of water, tell a joke, or just sit and be there for a while. Whether the sick person is a parent or a brother or sister, when we help care for another, we complete a circle of caring begun by a parent so long ago.

Does someone need my care today?

My God put's people in my path, be it on the phone, on the internet, or in person. Today when I went downtown, and saw this short woman in front of me pushing a walker. It was a woman I use to sponsor, who didn't want to work the program, she didn't drink but continued on her medication. I generally speak to her if she wasn't stoned, but today I spoke before I saw what kind of shape she was in. Many times I have seen her and she didn't recognize me. She admitted to be back drinking alcohol. This is the lady who always asked me if I wanted her to say a prayer for me, when she went to mass. I told her I could always use a prayer, but not to worry, I had a direct line.

She needed to talk, so we blocked the aisle and people had to go around the two walkers. It was good for me, and hopefully for her.

This is why I have "I share because I care" below my signature.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, June 9, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

We never know how high we are 'Til we are called to rise; And then, if we are true to plan, Our statures touch the skies.
—Emily Dickinson

We are all capable of far more than we think we are. It's in the tough times, however, that we discover the depths of our strength, and it's then that we know that some power has enabled us to do what we thought we could not. Whatever we call that power, it is there for us when we need it.

To do what seems impossible, all we need to do is ask for the help we think we need. And we can look within, too, and summon our whole selves to the task at hand. With all that going for us, how can we fail? And when the tough work is over, we'll look back and know we've grown from the experience. And yes, our statures will have touched the skies.

When I am faced with a tough task, how do I respond?

With prayer, asking for the strength, courage, wisdom and guidance I need to go through what I need to go through. I must always remember that I am not alone and that this is a we program. You can't wear out the Serenity Prayer.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Whoever I am or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach.
—John W.Gardner

It's easy to forget how important we each are - to our parents, to other family members, to our friends. We are in this world, even in our particular family, because we are important and necessary in the lives of others. It's easy to feel not so important though, especially when we think we're not good enough at anything we try. School or work comes easy for some. Maybe not us. Athletics come easy to others. Maybe it's helping around the house that's easiest. Each of us is very good at some things. And it's okay to not be good at everything.

How can I show my talent today?

Really like the quote. My talent is God given. What ever I need to be in today, it will be given to me. If I don't have the talent to do something, I need to reach out and ask for help.

I like to be creative, and that is something I can do and be when I visit the site. I just finished a book that had miniature goats in it. The goat's milk was being used to make soap. We so often think we can't do, but we can often surprise ourselves, as to what we are capable of and what we can accomplish.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, but only saps today of its strength.
—A. J. Cronin

There is always something to worry about. What if it rains tomorrow on the family picnic? What if the baby gets sick and we can't go? What if we can't find a shady spot for our lunch table? Will the water be too cold for swimming? Will the boat motor conk out in the middle of the lake? What if we forget the charcoal? Or the lighter fluid?

Today, while preparing the potato salad for tomorrow's picnic, all we need to know is whether the potatoes are cool enough to peel and slice. Our worries about tomorrow change nothing but ourselves, and they have nothing to do with

what we are doing right now. Tomorrow will become today soon enough, and today is the day we have.

Which of my worries belong only to tomorrow and should be left alone until then?

How true the quote is. Worrying is a waste of energy. It means I haven't said my prayers and don't trust my God to answer them, especially in the way I would have Him fulfill them.

As I was told, my son has his own Higher Power and I wasn't it.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, June 12, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

The more a diamond is cut, the more it sparkles.
—Anonymous

There is something of value to be found even in the worst of things. Consider the oyster. When a grain of sand penetrates an oyster's shell, it irritates the oyster, making it uncomfortable. The oyster relieves the pain by coating the sand with a soothing liquid. When this liquid hardens, a pearl is formed. The very process that healed the oyster creates a precious jewel for others to cherish and admire.

The way in which we deal with our own frustrations - painful though they may be - can make a difference. Pearls can be formed from our experiences, making us wiser and stronger, or grains of sand - anger, bitterness, resentment--can remain imbedded inside us. The choice is ours.

How can I turn my irritations into pearls today?

Find some gratitude. Look at what you do have, instead of what you don't have. Look at where you came from and where you got to as a result of your dis-ease.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, June 13, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Let the gentle bush dig its root deep and spread upward to split one boulder.
—Carl Sandburg

There is a fable about the sun and wind having a contest to see who can get the old man to take his coat off first. The wind blows fiercely, but the old man just pulls his coat tighter around him. Finally, the wind gives up and the sun comes out. The sun shines a steady warm light down on the old man, who soon takes his coat off.

More and better things are accomplished in this world by kindness and gentleness than by force. When we find ourselves most frustrated, it is often because we are trying to force certain things to happen. Our own patient and steady desire to grow, fed by the love and kindness of others, will not be stopped by anything or anyone. Our own gentleness is a powerful force in our lives. It is like the gentle bush that grows through granite.

What can I gain by gentleness today?

By being gentle with myself. In Jamie Sam's Book the animal for being gentle with yourself is the Deer.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/anima...lism-deer.html

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, June 14, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Fear not that life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning.
--J. H. Newman

Our fears lock us up if we let them. They can prevent us from tasting adventure, from experiencing new wonders. We are often terrified of unknowns and fret about what might happen if we try something new. We worry if new people will like us - if we'll fit in.

It is natural to be cautious about the unknown, and anything new is just that. But we can keep our caution from becoming fear by taking action, with the faith that we never encounter anything we can't handle in some way.

Unknowns are merely joys we haven't met. We hold the keys to our own cages and can free ourselves when we use our courage and inner strength to overcome our fears.

What new joy can I discover beneath my fear today?

That fears don't always materialize. Most of my thinking is on the past, instead of in living in today, and having trust in our Higher Power to not allow us to go back into the old fears and bring them into the present.

Under the fear, I can find faith in a God of my understanding.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, June 15, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Bad moments, like good ones, tend to be grouped together.
—Edna O'Brien

Once in a while, we have days when we think the whole world is against us. A parent has reprimanded us, a brother broke our new game, or the teacher at school disciplined the whole class. We sometimes let our thoughts center on a cluster of bad moments and forget the good moments of the day.

We shouldn't forget about the two ducks we fed part of our sandwich to, the friend who made us laugh, or the gym teacher who praised the whole class. Deciding to think about these good moments can allow our spirits to rise and make the bad moments fade away.

After all, if life were all good moments, we would take them for granted. Let us accept the bad ones gratefully, then, as opportunities to appreciate the good.

What good moments can I remember right now?

My sponsor told me if you did not get difficult moments, you would not appreciate the good ones.

My last good moment was running into the woman in the library and still using. It has to be over 5 years since I saw her. I remembered her face not her name. I got the feeling I was to reach out to her and I did. I hope talking to me, helped her as much as it did me.