Readings for Sunday, March 10

 

24 Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day

My five senses are my means of communication with the material world. They are the links between my physical life and the material manifestations around me. But I must sever all connections with the material world when I wish to hold communion with the Great Spirit of the universe. I have to hush my mind and bid all my senses be still, before I can become attuned to receive the music of the heavenly spheres.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may get my spirit in tune with the Spirit of the universe. I pray that through faith and communion with Him I may receive the strength I need.

 

Language of Letting Go

Living with Families

I was forty-six years old before I finally admitted to myself and someone else that my grandfather always managed to make me feel guilty, angry, and controlled.
—Anonymous

We may love and care about our family very much. Family members may love and care about us. But interacting with some members may be a real trigger to our codependency – sometimes to a deep abyss of shame, rage, anger, guilt, and helplessness.

It can be difficult to achieve detachment, or an emotional level, with certain family members. It can be difficult to separate their issues from ours. It can be difficult to own our power.

Difficult, but not impossible.

The first step is awareness and acceptance – simple acknowledgment, without guilt, of our feelings and thoughts. We do not have to blame our family members. We do not have to blame or shame ourselves. Acceptance is the goal – acceptance and freedom to choose what we want and need to do to take care of ourselves with that person. We can become free of the patterns of the past. We are recovering. Progress is the goal.

Today, Higher Power, help me be patient with myself as I learn how to apply recovery behaviors with family members. Help me strive today for awareness and acceptance.

Social Media Sabbatical – Day Four

Today marks the fourth day of my vacation from all social media.  It truly can be said you don’t know how many hours of your day are spent doing something until you’re not doing it any more.  There are many times during the past four days that I’ve had to ask myself “What am I going to do now?”

Wednesday was the beginning of the Lenten season and my hiatus was designated for its start on this day.  The early morning hours upon waking suddenly had a lot more time available than I might have imagined.  I started a guided meditation “Encounter” to fill some of the time and continued to do that on Thursday and Friday.  I did feel like I got good results from the time spent, even if meditating is still a struggle for me.  I would imagine it will get easier with time.  I also attended the Ash Wednesday service at my church and actually did some real socializing.

Thursday was a busy day with my job as a free-lance photographer. I had agreed to take pictures for a local groups “Women’s History Month” award ceremony and reception.  Once again, it afforded me the opportunity to actually get out and meet and talk with people instead of spending an inordinate amount of time on social media.

Friday I was once again on the prowl taking pictures for the local newspaper taking pictures for their weekly feature.  I attended the opening night of a play at a local theatre and went by a nearby restaurant to fill my quota of shots.  At both places I saw acquaintances and interacted with them.  While uploading my pictures at the newspaper office, I heard a call on the police scanner for an automobile accident and went to get some pictures on the scene.  One of those pictures can be viewed at the end of this entry.

Today, Saturday, I went to eat breakfast with a high school friend and attended a recovery meeting.  Once again, getting out and about and actually doing things instead of cruising social media was the end result.  I’m most likely going to attend another recovery meeting this evening to support a friend who will be sharing his story.

There are definitely those parts of browsing social media that I miss. I’ve missed posting occasional pictures of interesting things I find on my daily journey.  I am keeping track of the pics I would usually share and will be sharing those when I return to the social media scene.  Some of the pictures I’ve taken I’ve chosen to share here.

Discipline is a key part of the sabbatical I’ve taken from social media.  I know there’s good reason why I’ve chosen this as what I’m doing without this season.  I had contemplated doing much the same before the season of Lent actually started.  I’m sure this will be easier as time goes on and then there’s that day, Easter Sunday, when I’m going to be making a decision whether or not to return at all.

David Lee

DSC_0107 (2).JPG

Daily Readings for Saturday, March 9th

24 Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day

It is the quality of my life that determines its value. In order to judge the value of a person’s life, we must set up a standard. The most valuable life is one of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. All people’s lives ought to be judged by this standard in determining their value to the world. By this standard, most of the so-called heroes of history were not great men. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, if he loseth his own soul?”

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be honest, pure, unselfish, and loving. I pray that I may make the quality of my life good by these standards.

Language of Letting Go

 

Taking Care of Ourselves

We cannot simultaneously set a boundary and take care of another person’s feelings. It’s impossible; the two acts contradict.

What a tremendous asset to have compassion for others! How difficult that same quality can make it to set boundaries!

It’s good to care about other people and their feelings; it’s essential to care about ourselves too. Sometimes, to take good care of ourselves, we need to make a choice.

Some of us live with a deeply ingrained message from our family, or from church, about never hurting other people’s feelings. We can replace that message with a new one; one that says it’s not okay to hurt ourselves. Sometimes, when we take care of ourselves, others will react with hurt feelings.

That’s okay. We will learn, grow, and benefit by the experience; they will too. The most powerful and positive impact we can have on other people is accomplished by taking responsibility for ourselves, and allows others to be responsible for themselves.

Caring works. Caretaking doesnt. We can learn to walk the line between the two.

Today, I will set the limits I need to set. I will let go of my need to take care of other peoples feelings and instead take care of my own. I will give myself permission to take care of myself, knowing its the best thing I can do for others and myself.

Daily Meditation – Life is all about Relationships…

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV).

Contentment does not come naturally to human beings. By nature, we are restless sheep. Yet we can learn contentment. Learning contentment means we stop incessantly grabbing for more.

Philippians 4:12-13 says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (NIV).

The greatest things in life aren’t things.

In America it’s considered a tragedy to “die penniless.” But what better time to go? If you were out of here the moment you spent your last cent, I’d call that wise, not foolish. That’s just a brilliant way to live and die!

 Nobody ever asks for things in the final moments of life. They always ask for people, because eventually everybody learns that life is all about relationships. Why not learn that sooner? It sure would relieve a lot of stress.

Life is not about achievements. It’s not about accomplishments.

Devotional image from Rick Warren

 

Click hear to listen to Rick Warren’s Thoughts on Relationships