WTG !!!!

Jimmy, I understand that calmness of connecting spiritually. Don't let go of it. Keep going friend! Whoo Hoo!

I had a reading about Lent in my mail this morning from 'DailyWord'. It said...

"No matter how we may choose to keep Lent, let us turn our eyes from the darkness to the light, our ears from strife to peace, our words from negative to positive, and our hands from destruction to construction."

Out of the old and into the new. I liked that. Onwards Jimmy, give it your best :}

All right!

Lent is really getting going again-I use to not hear of anyone doing anything. But then I was drunk for over 20 years so go figure.

This is a great idea Jimmy. I am assuming you are Catholic? I think having a strong faith and connecting with it for support is a terrific thing for people in recovery.

I had a friend who is a baptist minister-and she use to tell me the most loyal, giving and faithful folks in her congregation where often recovering drug addicts and alcoholics. Why? They have been to hell maybe-and God pulled them out. Our gratitude (alkis) is so tremendous-at least mine is.

Really, a way out of alcoholism for me has been largely due to my renewed spiritual connection.

So let us know how this giving up for lent goes. Perhaps it may be helpful to post journal topics through your proccess.

Good stuff! I was at a church home group the other night and we decided it might be a good idea to take on something extra (that we were not wild about doing) for Lent instead of giving something up. It would perhaps be an active way of giving up selfishness!

Day. 2 - not drinking ! I feel good after a nice meal w/ family-- :-)

Hey Jimmy, I hope Lent is the start of something big for you!!

Jimmy,

One thing that continually amazes me is how certain spiritual principles keep popping up even when there is no direct communication, either spoken nor written. Here's undoubtedly one of the strangest and, to me as a former Catholic monk and committed 12 stepper for the last 21 years, most intriguing stories of all.

It's about the apparently spontaneous, unwitting and random re-creation of the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius of Loyola by AA's cofounder, Bill W.
First, the story of the founder of the Jesuits, Igantius of Loyola:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola

Second, here is Bill Wilson's own account of the coincidence:

http://silkworth.net/ask_billw/Q&A23.html

History of the Exercises:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Exercises_of_Ignatius_of_Loyola

A retrospective by Robert Fitzgerald, S.J. in the April, 1991 issue of "The Catholic Digest":

http://www.barefootsworld.net/aafreddowling.html

And a book;

http://www.amazon.com/12-Step-Approach-Spiritual-Exercises-Ignatius/dp/1580510086

For a uniquely and thoroughly orthodox Catholic view on alcoholism and the methods most likeley to result in recovery, see these links:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01274a.htm

http://www.nccatoday.org/

http://www.scratchinpost.net/barefootbob//aafreddowling.html

http://silkworth.net/ask_billw/Q&A23.html

As Father Ed once famously quipped to Bill Wilson, "It isn't what what you people put into AA that makes it good-- it's what you left out."

Lastly,the Prayer of St. Ignatius:

"Receive, O Lord, all my liberty. Take my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. Whatsoever I have or possess Thou hast bestowed upon me; I give it all back to Thee and surrender it wholly to be governed by Thy Will. Give me love for Thee alone along with Thy grace, and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more."

Third step prayer (BB, p. 63) which was written prior to anyone in AA knowing about the coincidence:

"God, I offer myself to Thee-to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!"

Jimmy, good on ya!
Keep feeding that spirituality! You work for IT, IT works for you!
Keep posting. Even if your having a crappy day......throw it out here.
talk about it!
You Rock!

Thanks for the post Nemo ....


Of course, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism is subdivided into those aspects that deal with Wisdom, Ethical Conduct and Mental Development, respectively. The Path is to see the problem (of suffering), to believe there is a solution, to adopt a code of positive behavior to remedy negativity, and to devote one's self to a meditative development which leads to freedom from suffering.

An AA friend once repeated to me something he heard in a meeting -- "AA is just veiled Buddhism".

:-p

Good spiritual principles get recycled.

JA,

One of the so-called Buddhists whose writings have helped me enormously along the way was the 14th century Dominican friar, Meister Joannes Eckhart. And as a one-time Trappist m'self, to me this pictureis worth 1,000 words:

http://www.snowlionpub.com/data/img3/N59_9.jpg

good move jimmy....whispers


i was raised a catholic..........my mom was wise enough to realize that there comes a time in life for her fledglings to make a choice.


i am glad to read that a calm has entered your life. i am not a religious person, but i do believe all events in life is for a reason. there is a finger that gently pushes us to a purpose.

the hard part is over coming the walls "we" have laid down to protect. and to this day i still ask........"what am i protecting myself from?"


nods

we've some things in common, jimmy. i gave up lots of substances for lent and it felt pure. good. but my problem was i could never stay stopped. it was kind of like i knew there was a reward at the end of it. in any case, for me, i never wanted to stop drinking until i found i COULDN'T. then reality set in. i welcome you to our little group. may you find peace. devon

OOPS~ Sorry- day 3 is in the books - Sober-
Was at a BBALL game late and forgot to post A Friday nights~ Success.!!
Now tonight, SATURDAY-- will be tough- but I'll go for day 4 !
I think I'll just start a journal an update here every week.! Phil 4:13