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

Daily Readings for Sunday, April 12th

Meditation for the Day

Our need is God’s opportunity. First we must recognize our need. Often this means helplessness before some weakness or sickness and an admission of our need for help. Next comes faith in the power of God’s spirit, available to us to meet that need. Before any need can be met, our faith must find expression. That expression of faith is all God needs to manifest His power in our lives. Faith is the key that unlocks the storehouse of God’s resources.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may first admit my needs. I pray that then I may have faith that God will meet those needs, in the way, which is best for me.

From Twenty-Four Hours a Day

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Letting Go of Fear

Picture yourself swimming floating – peacefully down a gentle stream. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow.

Suddenly, you become conscious of your situation. Frightened, overwhelmed with “what if’s?” your body tenses. You begin to thrash around, frantically looking for something to grab on to.

You panic so hard you start to go under. Then you remember – you’re working too hard at this. You don’t need to panic. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow. You won’t drown.

Panic is our great enemy.

We don’t need to become desperate. If overwhelming problems appear in our life, we need to stop struggling. We can tread water for a bit, until our equilibrium returns. Then we can go back to floating peacefully down the gentle stream. It is our stream. It is a safe stream. Our course has been charted. All is well.

Today, I will relax, breathe, and go with the flow.

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

One Big Thing a Day…

The days of quarantine continue to to trudge along. As I was telling my daughter, some days will be better than others. The past couple of days have been good ones and I’m trying to think in positive terms about the days ahead.

Yesterday, I helped my daughter and her mother’s family and my sister move things out of her house. The packing up and loading up into vehicles took about ninety minutes. We brought most all the containers to my house and unloaded in about thirty minutes. Not the easiest of jobs, but I did have a chance to see quite a few of my family members and that made it well worth the while.

Today has been mowing day. The man across the street got out around 9 am to mow his grass, so the imagined pressure was on. The last time I mowed, about two weeks ago, I had trouble with my riding mower and was fearing that would be the case today as well. I got the rider started up and mowing away without any duress. I had mowed about half of the yard when the belt on the deck came off. I thought I had remembered how it was threaded, but that didn’t work. So I limped the mower to the garage and got the push mower to finish the job. Although it took a bit longer than it should have, I got most all of it done to my satisfaction.

And so it is with quarantine life. A big event per day. Some of them are planned in advanced and some are impromptu. Tomorrow is Easter and at the current moment, I don’t really have anything “big” planned for the day. We usually have a family video meeting on Sunday, so perhaps that will be my big event for tomorrow.

And so life goes,,,one day at a time.

David Lee