And finally,

And some of us are living proof
of these miracles
often reluctantly acknowledged
and despite ourselves.

Think of the possibilities
if we quit
trying to swim against the
flow of the universe.

Note: this ends God Who - Available at Verysimpleguides.com
more will be revealed when Shelley and I get back from a mini vacation.

Todd

You are not alone

in your confusion.

For most of us, it is our confusion
which has kept things
stirred up.

Which has allowed us to see things
as they are NOT.

To see ourselves
as less than.

Just for today - stop stirring
and put the spoon down.

Seemingly simple

but the fact is
many of us
will need
some form of
diving intervention
to accomplish this.

Look for a sign.

If you see nothing
go outside today
about 6 pm
and look to the west.

Right sized

Now that you are feeling
appropriately insignificant,
consider this...
The scaling goes both ways, so

In your own universe
you can be
a star
providing light and warmth
to those you love.

Of course
if the metaphor of
being a bag of hot gas
does not suit you
you are free to find your own.

If you are not amazed

You are not looking.

Not looking
around
because the amazements
are lined up ready to be seen.

Nor are you using the right mirror,
the one that can see
inside.

That's because
you are using the glass
which focuses on
the pimples, the wrinkles,
and not keeping it simple.

On Thursdays my higher power is green

Buddha Frog.

(click on the picture to light a virtual incense stick)

Other days I am devoted to
butterflies
or birds
and I pray for flight.

Cathaedrals all around.

God whomever
really does not need our help
in this
or much else
for that matter.

When you take leave of dark places

in your heart
and walk in the light
the world is transformed
you cease to worry
about asteroid impacts.

See, it's working
already.

Invisible

How many of us
grew up
with the saying,
"I'll believe it when I see it?"

Unfortunately
this leaves out
many things which make up
the delicious flavor
of life.

Forget the maxim,
don't deny yourself
this feast.

We all need beauty

To lift us out of the mire
we sometimes gravitate to,

and
to keep us
aware
there is a great artist
at work,
and that we are
each
a brush stroke.

Getting there.

If you don't know where
there is -
all the maps in the world
are not going to help.

But before declaring
yourself lost,
building signal fires,
activating contingency plans,
and dispatching helicopters,
it is important to
take a deep breath,
look around
and
consider
the possibility
that you are where
you are supposed to be.

In this quest

It is essential
to find
places
and things
which guide you
to
becoming
right sized.

Some times words are not needed

.

Using your newfound license

why not choose
a higher power
with a sense of humor?

We went to the zoo yesterday
and found many
examples
of this sense of humor combined with
an eye for great beauty.

Ignorance is under-rated.

This did not come easily
to me
having grown up on a college campus
with intellectuals
all abounding.

But once
that bell was rung,
the understanding
of not knowing
returned my confusion
to a resting place back
inside the pages of
The Critique of Pure Reason
where it belongs.

I have said this before

My brain is so cross-wired
I need be reminded
that my best thinking
had me exit
the highway to understanding
at a little place called Justification.

I promptly got pulled over
for illegal use of
rationalization.

Limiting the debate

My ability
to confuse myself
with information
has grown
exponentially
the more I think I know.

And all the while
the answer
waits
for me to
shut up
and
listen.

If you are like me

your best thinking
has, at times,
left you
confused,
angry,
and headed
very smartly
the wrong way
down a blind alley.

God Who?

This is a very important topic -
an obstacle many of us
have stubbed toes,
and noses
on.

Note: this was one of my earliest booklets
and may be more wordy than later ones
and even (gasp) in need of editing.

Now, was that so hard?

A final tool -
see your Inner Addict
as an extremely persistent salesman;
one who is selling
something you definitely do not want,
perhaps a very large, hungry alligator which he claims
will be an affectionate pet.
Further imagine this salesman as wearing plaid pants,
a lime green bow tie,
a striped jacket and smoking a putrid cigar.

When he knocks
you don't have to open the door.

If the phrase "heat of the moment" applies...

Remember that the prompting
you are getting
comes from a coach
who wants you to lose.

Our emotional entanglements

are most often
eligible
for inclusion on
a list of historical sites.

Old, rusted,
half fallen down
they can still trip us up
and sometimes open old wounds.

Recovery's gift
has been to bring us into
today.
Today, where we can
view them
from a distance.
If we choose
to close the history book
we can then put it on a shelf
where it can gather dust.

Consider the source

By the very act
of trying to mess with your head
your inner addict
is acknowledging what it sees
as a threat
-
your recovery.

****
If you react
you have taken the bait.

Sometimes
if you shut your mouth soon enough
you can avoid the hook.

You have learned your lesson

There is no reason
to rehash the past
except
to pick at the scabs
of your healing wounds.

Let the healing continue
unmolested.

Your inner addict
can not thrive
when you are healthy.

The lies do not stand up

to scrutiny
though you must open curtains
and shades
from the past
to let the light in.

Now that you can see
it is obvious
your recovery is
the reality
you need to embrace.

Simplicity

is your first line of defense.

Your inner addict
loves complexity
and thrives
in an environment
filled with distinctions
and exceptions.

Your simplicity can begin and end
with the thought,
"I am a beloved child of god
- an element in a wondrous universe."

Magnification

How important is it?

In the heat of the moment
whatever it is
ranks somewhere in the vicinity
of the end of the world.

Exactly
what the inner addict
has in mind.

Recovery can give us
a longer view
which may kick in
if you can resist
the urge to hit the panic button
and open your mouth.

Despite much evidence to the contrary

Why do we
so easily
believe
negative mantras
and so vehemently
deny
positive affirmations?