Daily Readings for Tuesday, April 14th

Meditation for the Day

I must keep balance by keeping spiritual things at the center of my life. God will give me this poise and balance if I pray for it. This poise will give me power in dealing with the lives of others. This balance will manifest itself more and more in my own life. I should keep material things in their proper place and keep spiritual things at the center of my life. Then I will be at peace amid the distractions of everyday living.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may dwell with God at the center of my life. I pray that I may keep that inner peace at the center of my being.


From Twenty-Four Hours a Day

————————

Perfectionism

Recovery from codependency is an individual process that necessitates making mistakes, struggling through problems, and facing tough issues.

Expecting ourselves to be perfect slows this process; it puts us in a guilty and anxious state. Expecting others to be perfect is equally destructive; it makes others feel ashamed and may interfere with their growth.

People are human and vulnerable, and that is wonderful. We can accept and cherish that idea. Expecting others to be perfect puts us in that codependent state of moral superiority. Expecting ourselves to be perfect makes us feel rigid and inferior.

We can let go of both ideas.

We do not need to go to the other extreme; tolerating anything people throw our way. We can still expect appropriate, responsible behavior from ourselves. But most of us can afford to loosen up a bit. And when we stop expecting others to be perfect, we may discover that they’re doing much better than we thought. When we stop expecting ourselves to be perfect, we’ll discover the beauty in ourselves.

Today, I will practice tolerance, acceptance, and love of others as they are, and myself as I am. I will strive for that balance between expecting too much and expecting too little from others and myself.

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

Daily Card Reading for Monday, April 13th

BREATHE

BREATHE

Essential meanings: Patience; waiting; going slowly; all is well; meditation; trust.

The Oracle’s Message: Patience in all things is called for right now. What do you need to do when you’re in a rush? Slow down, of course. Meditate, and trust. Breathe, and repeat. Humans cannot exist without drawing breath. Now is the time to allow this life-giving element of air to replenish your life, your light, and your very essence. Stop to smell the roses, breathe in the light, release the darkness, and miracles will appear.

Relationship message: Don’t be in too much of a hurry right now. The heart needs time to open. Take a breath, and let nature take its course. Release constriction and anxiety, for there is no need for it. Savor the moment, and don’t let the waiting prove difficult. Your heart knows what the ego often resists learning. Patience pays off in deep and meaningful ways.

Prosperity message: You have worked long and hard, your dreams are coming to fruition, and you want to hurry things along. You are the slow one moving languidly yet still progressing right now, in a rhythm dictated by your authentic nature, the essence of your dream, and the will of the Universe. Slow and steady wins this race. You will indeed win if you relax, stay the course you’re already on, trust your intuition, and breathe.

Shared Reading: From Richard E. Byrd’s “Alone”

“But you must have faith- you must have faith in the outcome, I whispered to myself. It is like a flight, a flight into another unknown. You start and you cannot turn back. You must go on, trusting your instruments, the course you have plotted on the charts, and the reasonableness of events. Whatever goes wrong will be mostly of your own making; if it is to be tragedy, then it will be the commonplace tragedy of human vulnerability.”

Richard E. Byrd in “Alone”

Back on Social Media – The Hiatus is Done…

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and time to break my hiatus from social media. I had considered not logging back on, but after some deliberation and with the current state of social distancing, I thought it probably would be a good idea to go back.

So a quick change from the all-black profile pic and cover photo to a picture of me when I was just a lad and a picture of some clouds at sunset for the cover. I posted my usual two inspirational posts and managed to find the two spiritual resources I posted each day and was off and running. I also enjoy posting puns each day and found one that I thought was appropriate and posted it.

There were quite a few who said they were glad to see me back. I know quite a few read my two daily posts and more than several have said they really missed my puns. So I felt good about my decision to go back after the time away. I had to go through quite a few friend requests and over twenty messages before I felt like I was at where I had left off.

Some things about social media haven’t changed a whole lot…some people haven’t really seemed to change. But the world we’re living in compared to what it was like when I started my sabbatical is like the difference between night and day. I feel that social media can play a valuable role in keeping people connected in these trying times. And I can honestly say I was a bit more upbeat by having some access to what others were saying and doing.

I must also remember to continue my blog here on WordPress. I have a small, but consistent following and I’ve learned a lot from reading other’s posts as well. So this time around, unlike the others, I’m not going to let this blog lay dormant. It will take a bit more of my time, but I can’t think of a better way to spend it than sharing with others what they seem to want to hear.

David Lee

Daily Readings for Monday, April 13th

Meditation for the Day

I will try to make the world better and happier by my presence in it. I will try to help other people find the way God wants them to live. I will try to be on the side of good, in the stream of righteousness, where all things work for good. I will do my duty persistently and faithfully, not sparing myself. I will be gentle with all people. I will try to see other people’s difficulty and help them to correct it. I will always pray to God to act as interpreter between me and the other person.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live in the spirit of prayer. I pray that I may depend on God for the strength I need to help me to do my part in making the world a better place.

From Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Enjoyment

One of the prohibitions many of us learned in childhood is the unspoken rule — don’t have fun and enjoy life. This rule creates martyrs — people who will not let themselves embrace the pleasures of day-to-day living.

Many of us associated suffering with some sort of sainthood. . Now, we associate it with codependency. We can go through the day making ourselves feel anxious, guilty, miserable, and deprived. Or we can allow ourselves to go through that same day feeling good. In recovery, we eventually learn the choice is ours.

There is much to be enjoyed each day, and it is okay to feel good. We can let ourselves enjoy our tasks. We can learn to relax without guilt. We can even learn to have fun.

Work at learning to have fun. Apply yourself with dedication to learning enjoyment. Work as hard at learning to have fun as you did at feeling miserable.

Our work will pay off. Fun will become fun. Life will become worth living. And each day, well find many pleasures to be enjoyed.

Today, I will let myself enjoy life as I go through my day.

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie