Thursday, March 01, 2007

Twelve Beads

I got these from my friend Gwen this week. They are not only beautiful and meaningful, but it was so loving of Gwen to take the time to make these and send them to me. I thank God for the wonderfully talented and giving people in this beautiful fellowship, like Gwen, the rest of you wonderful bloggers and all the people I have known through the years. I have not a doubt in my mind that I would not be sober without you all.

I have committed to a time slot at my church to sit in quiet prayer. For the next year, beginning this morning, I will be at my church from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. each Thursday morning. I am so excited about this. I will, of course, be posting very early on Thursday mornings because I have to be out of here by 4:35.

Life sure does change if you stay sober, one day at time.

"We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members identify themselves with as individuals. This should be an entirely personal affair which each one decides for himself in the light of past associations, or his present choice. Not all of us join religious bodies, but most of us favor such memberships." -- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 28

13 comments:

JJ said...

Life sure does change. Love the beads. Love you.
JJ

dAAve said...

Have a wonderful HNT.

Scott W said...

Silence heals and offers us much more than we realize.

lushgurl said...

The beads are beautiful. With prayer and AA and so much love no wonder you are awesome!

ArahMan7 said...

How sweet of Gwen. I love giving presents too.

Shannon said...

Life sure does change if you stay sober, one day at time.- AMEN

have a great day

Recovery Road London said...

Hi MC

Lovely beads!

Thanks so much for your kind words and helping me to stay sober, when I was in hospital. It meant a great deal to me.

Thank you. :-D

(((hug)))

Kenny xxx

Unknown said...

I don't think I can take all of your praises! I would so love to sit in church quietly for one hour. That is such a great commitment. I am looking forward to reading about it.

Hugs and MUCHO luv,
G~

Anonymous said...

I am really moved. What a beautiful life sobriety brings us :)
One day at a time

Mama Dukes said...

beautiful beads

what a cool thing to do to sit a quiet hour in church in prayer on a consistent basis. Is this a personal thing or churchwide? Very cool commitment.

Have a great weekend.
love to you

Scott M. Frey said...

ooooooohhh Twelve Beads, THAT'S what that means lol I never put that together.... how kool is that rosary??

I like the idea of sitting, praying... maybe I will give that a whirl... I had thought about going to pray for the BLessed Exposition, ours is Tues nites.

Patrick said...

You Are My

Stepper I can't let you, do this,
Let you walk away

Stepper how can I brainwash you through this
When you're all I wake up for each day baby
You're my puppet and my sexual desire

You're all I got to get me by
You're my primary purpose to stay insane
Without you Stepper what good am I

I never had much going
But at least I could use you
How can you walk out knowing
I will have to 13th Step
another Wilson Clone

You're my 12th Step dummy and
my spiritual inspiration
You're all I got to get me by
You're my lifeless, shutdown, zombie
Without you Stepper what good am I

What good am I Stepper,
I can't make it without you
And I’m, telling you Stepper
You're my reason for being an old timer,
& for talking crap,
For turning my will & my life
over to Buchmanism

Stepper I can't make it without you
Please I'm begging you baby
If you go I will drink, I swear it
On my higher power and the Big Book

You’re my parrot and my
5th Step inspiration
You're all I got to get me by
You're my one day at a time
Without you baby Im a shift shaping reptile
Oh what good am I Oo-oo-oo-oo....

Unknown said...

BILL WILSON'S PACT WITH SATAN
From Bill's Story:
Co - founder of AA, Bill Wilson's story has been in every edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous.
With ministers, and the world's religions, I parted right there. When they talked of a God personal to me, who was love, superhuman strength and direction, I became irritated and my mind snapped shut against such a theory.
To Christ I conceded the certainty of a great man, not too closely followed by those who claimed Him. His moral teaching -- most excellent. For myself, I had adopted those parts which seemed convenient and not too difficult; the rest I disregarded.
My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, "Why don't you choose your own conception of God?" That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that point. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. Would I have it? Of course I would! Thus was I convinced that God is concerned with us humans when we want Him enough. At long last I saw, I felt, I believed. Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A new world came into view. The real significance of my experience in the Cathedral burst upon me. For a brief moment, I had needed and wanted God. There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me -- and He came. But soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself. And so it had been ever since. How blind I had been.
At the hospital I was separated from alcohol for the last time. Treatment seemed wise, for I showed signs of delirium tremens.
There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch. I have not had a drink since. Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all. These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never know. There was utter confidence. I felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountain top blew through and through. God comes to most men gradually, but His impact on me was sudden
and profound. For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane. He listened in wonder as I talked. Finally he shook his head saying, "Something has happened to you I don't understand. But you had better hang on to it. Anything is better than the way you were." The good doctor now sees many men who have such experiences. He knows that they are real. While I lay in the hospital the thought came that there were thousands of hopeless alcoholics who might be glad to have what had been so freely given me. Perhaps I could help some of them. They in turn might work with others. There is no mention of JESUS CHRIST in the BIG BOOK or the 12 STEPS. Wilson was used by SATAN to delude millions of people.
John 3:16 (chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John) is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible. It has been called the "Bible in a nutshell" because it is considered a summary of some of the most central doctrines of traditional Christianity:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
A typical interpretation of the verse might go as follows:
· For God so loved the world... - God is a God of love and this love motivates his action in the rest of the verse
· ...that he gave... - there was God giving something, his son as a sacrifice
· ...his only begotten[1] Son... - the human Jesus of Nazareth is also the Son of God, and also the Second Person of the Trinity
· ...that whosoever... - that salvation is open to all who will believe
· ...believeth... - being saved is based on belief or faith, rather than based on human works.
· ...in Him... - the belief being in Jesus, the Saviour
· ...should not perish... - implies the fate of those who do not believe, that is the doctrine of hell
· ...but have everlasting life. - shows the reward of those who believe, that is the doctrine of heaven
AGENTS FOR SATAN:
A DOZEN STEPS
A REASON A SEASON A LIFETIME
AAWAKENINGS
ALCOHOLIC BRAIN
ANONYMOUS ALCOHOLIC
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
BIG SKY MAACK
BLUE'S THOUGHTS
COFFEE BITCH
DRAGON SPEAK
FLOWERDAVES PAGES
FROM THE FIRST CHAKRA (MSB)
HIGHER POWERED
I'M JUST F.I.N.E.
INMATEZ WIFE
IT'S A GIRL THING
LUSH FOR LIFE
MY JOURNEY TO RECOVERY
MY LIFE IN TAMPA
NO COMMENT
OUTRIGHT MENTAL DEFECTIVE
POSTCARDS FROM CUPCAKE MONKEY
RAANCH
RECOVERY ROAD
RIDIN' ON THE WAGON
SCOUT'S NEWCOMER DAZE
SIMPLY ANNA
SOBER CHICK
SOBER MOM
SOBER NUGGETS
SOBERING THOUGHTS
SOBERINSANITY
STAY AT HOME MOTHERDOM
STAYING STRAIGHT EDGE
THIS UNMANAGEABLE LIFE
THY WILL, NOT MINE
TODAAY
TWELVEBEADS
TWO DOGS BLOGGING
YOU AND ME ARE FLOATING...