Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance,
chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
My Sponsor is telling me that I am in relapse
and I haven't used drugs..........
What is a relapse?
I’m scared of these upcoming holidays !!!
My family get togethers are a trigger.

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 22
Today I am thinking about all the things I have
to be grateful for and will write them down.
I will make a gratitude list,
adding to it every time I think of something new.
By doing this I will be more aware of
the things I have to be grateful for and
will always have something about which I can feel good,
no matter what is going on in my life.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Listen

Listen to the wind,
Listen to it blow,
What it will say,
Your heart will know.

Listen to the birds,
Their song they sing,
About the joy
This moment brings.

Listen to the sky,
In different hues,
The rainbow's
Yellows, reds and blues.

Listen to the rain,
A soothing sound,
Melodies of splashing,
On the ground.

Listen to your soul,
Inside will be,
The answers only
God can see.

Sharlett Hunt  11/23/03
Sharlette863@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Stone
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=J0mIIPYwzSjDew85U8\
NYiCZHaakfqO3AhEyI2UDOs9YeZO7EGw

The Legacy of Recovery with Bill Wilson
www.barefootsworld.net/aalegacyofrecovery.html

AIDS.ORG - Quality Treatment Information
www.aids.org/index.html

AIDS Treatment Internet links
www.aidsnews.org

Hepatitis C Resources & Information
www.hepcnet.net/

Hepatitis C Information Center
www.hepatitis-central.com

How NA world services promotes and supports
the growth of local NA communities
N.A. Way Magazine 4/1999
www.na.org/naway/en/naway162-1.htm

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 22                               Foundation First

"As we begin to function in society, our creative freedom helps
us sort our priorities and do the basic things first." Basic Text p. 83

   No sooner do we get clean than some of us begin putting other
priorities ahead of our recovery. Careers, families, relationships-
all these are part of the life we find once we've laid the
foundation of our recovery. But we can't build a stable life for
ourselves before we do the hard, basic work of laying our
recovery foundation. Like a house built on sand, such a life will
be shaky, at best.

   Before we begin putting all our attention to rebuilding the
detailed framework of our lives, we need to lay our foundation.
We acknowledge, first, that we don't yet have a foundation,
that our addiction has made our lives utterly unmanageable.
Then, with the help of our sponsor and our home group, we
find faith in a Power strong enough to help us prepare the
ground of our new lives. We clear the wreckage from the site
upon which we will build our future. Finally, we develop a deep,
working familiarity with the principles we will practice in our
continuing affairs: honest self-examination, reliance upon our
Higher Power's guidance and strength, and service to others.

   Once our foundation is prepared, then we can go full steam
ahead to put our new lives together. But first we must ask
ourselves if our foundation is secure, for without our foundation,
nothing we build can stand for long.

Just for today: I will take care to lay a secure foundation for my
recovery. Upon such a foundation, I can build for a lifetime in
recovery.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What We Know Best

"Shoemaker, stick to thy last!" . . . better do one thing supremely well
than many badly. That is the central theme of this Tradition
[Five].  Around it our Society gathers in unity.  The very life of our
Fellowship requires the preservation of this principle.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 150

The survival of A.A. depends upon unity.  What would happen if a
group decided to become an employment agency, a treatment center
or a social service agency?  Too much specialization leads to no
specialization, to frittering of efforts and, finally, to decline.  I
have
the qualifications to share my sufferings and my way of recovery with
the newcomer.  Conformity to A.A.'s primary purpose insures the
safety of the wonderful gift of sobriety, so my responsibility is
enormous.  The life of millions of alcoholics is closely tied to my
competence in "carrying the message to the still-suffering alcoholic."

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 22

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have gotten rid of most of my boredom.  One of the
hardest things that a new member of A.A. has to
understand is how to stay sober and not be bored.
Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring
people or boring situations.  But once you have taken
up the interest of A.A., once you have given it your
time and enthusiasm, boredom should not be a problem
to you.  A new life opens up before you that can be
always interesting.  Sobriety should give you so many
new interests in life that you shouldn't have time to be
bored.  Have I gotten rid of the fear of being bored?

Meditation for the Day

"If I have not charity, I am become as sounding brass
or a tinkling cymbal."  Charity means to care enough
about other people to really want to do something for
them.  A smile, a word of encouragement, a word of love,
goes winged on its way, simple though it may seem,
while the mighty words of an orator fall on deaf ears.
Use up the odd moments of your day in trying to do some
little thing to cheer up another person.  Boredom comes
from thinking too much about yourself.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my day may be brightened by some little
act of charity.  I pray that I may try today to overcome
the self-centeredness that makes me bored.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 22

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

The Magic of Gratitude and Acceptance

Gratitude and acceptance are two magic tricks available to us in
recovery. No matter who we are, where we are, or what we have,
gratitude and acceptance work.

We may eventually become so happy that we realize our present
circumstances are good. Or we master our present circumstances
and then move forward into the next set of circumstances.

If we become stuck, miserable, feeling trapped and hopeless, try
gratitude and acceptance. If we have tried unsuccessfully to alter
our present circumstances and have begun to feel like we're
beating our head against a brick wall, try gratitude and acceptance.

If we feel like all is dark and the night will never end, try gratitude
and acceptance.

If we feel scared and uncertain, try gratitude and acceptance.

If we've tried everything else and nothing seems to work, try
gratitude and acceptance.

If we've been fighting something, try gratitude and acceptance.

When all else fails, go back to the basics.

Gratitude and acceptance work.

Today, God, help me let go of my resistance. Help me know the
pain of a circumstance will stop hurting so much if I accept it. I
will practice the basics of gratitude and acceptance in my life,
and for all my present circumstances.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Love Is The Answer
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2001/11/love.htm

The Birth of Spirit
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2000/11/spirit.htm

The Search for Meaning
Mastering your life means being an active participant
in your own life rather than a passive one.
http://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/June/feature1.htm

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Can Meditation Be Fun?
by Alan Watts

Alan WattsWhat we call meditation or contemplation -- for want
of a better word -- is really supposed to be fun. I have some
difficulty in conveying this idea because most people take
anything to do with religion seriously -- and you must understand
that I am not a serious person. I may be sincere, but never
serious, because I don't think the universe is serious.

And the trouble comes into the world largely because various
beings take themselves seriously, instead of playfully. After all,
you must become serious if you think that something is
desperately important, but you will only think that something is
desperately important if you are afraid of losing it. In one way,
however, if you fear losing something, it isn't really worth having.
There are people who live in dread, and then drag on living
because they are afraid to die. They will probably teach their
children to do the same, and their children will in turn teach
their own children to live that way. And so it goes on and on.

But let me ask you, if you were God, would you be serious?
Would you want people to treat you as if you were serious?
Would you want to be prayed to? Think of all the awful things
that people say in their prayers. Would you want to listen to that
all the time? Would you encourage it? No, not if you were God.

In the same way, meditation is different from the sort of things
that people are supposed to take seriously. It doesn't have any
purpose, and when you talk about practicing meditation, it's not
like practicing tennis or playing the piano, which one does in
order to attain a certain perfection. You practice music to become
better at it, maybe even with the idea that you may someday go
on stage and perform. But you don't practice meditation that way,
because if you do, you are not meditating.

THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION

The only way you can talk about practice in the context of
meditation is to use the word practice in the same way as
when somebody says that they practice medicine. That is their
way of life, their vocation, and they do it nearly every day.
Perhaps they do it the same way, day after day -- and that's
fine for meditation too, because in meditation there is no right
way and there is no idea of time.

In practicing and learning things, time is usually of the essence.
We try to do it as fast as possible, and even find a faster way of
learning how to do things. In meditation a faster way of learning
is of no importance whatsoever, because one's focus is always
on the present. And although growth may occur in the process,
it is growth in the same way that a plant grows.

THE ESSENTIAL PROCESS

This is the beginning of meditation. You don't know what you're
supposed to do, so what can you do? Well, if you don't know
what you're supposed to do, you watch. You simply watch what
is going on.

When somebody plays music, you listen. You just follow those
sounds, and eventually you understand the music. The point
can't be explained in words because music is not words, but
after listening for a while, you understand the point of it, and
that point is the music itself.

In exactly the same way, you can listen to all experiences,
because all experiences of any kind are vibrations coming at
you. As a matter of fact, you are these vibrations, and if you
really feel what is happening, the awareness you have of
you and of everything else is all the same. It's a sound, a
vibration, all kinds of vibrations on different bands of the
spectrum. Sight vibrations, emotion vibrations, touch vibrations,
sound vibrations -- all these things come together and are
woven, all the senses are woven, and you are a pattern in the
weaving, and that pattern is the picture of what you now feel.
This is always going on, whether you pay attention to it or not.

Now instead of asking what you should do about it, you
experience it, because who knows what to do about it? To
know what to do about this you would have to know
everything, and if you don't, then the only way to begin is to
watch.

Watch what's going on. Watch not only what's going on
outside, but what's going on inside. Treat your own thoughts,
your own reactions, your own emotions about what's going
on outside as if those inside reactions were also outside things.
But you are just watching. Just follow along, and simply observe
how they go.

Now, you may say that this is difficult, and that you are bored by
watching what is going on. But if you sit quite still, you are simply
observing what is happening: all the sounds outside, all the
different shapes and lights in front of your eyes, all the feelings
on your skin, inside your skin, belly rumbles, thoughts going on
inside your head -- chatter, chatter, chatter. "I ought to be writing
a letter to so-and-so.... I should have done this" -- all this bilge
   is going on, but you just watch it.

You say to yourself, "But this is boring". Now watch that too.
What kind of a funny feeling is it that makes you say it's
boring? Where is it? Where do you feel it? "I should be
doing something else instead." What's that feeling? What
part of your body is it in? Is it in your head, is it in your belly,
is it in the soles of your feet? Where is it? The feeling of
boredom can be very interesting if you look into it.

Simply watch everything going on without attempting to change
it in any way, without judging it, without calling it good or bad.
Just watch it. That is the essential process of meditation.


This article is excerpted from:
\Still The Mind: An Introduction to Meditation,
by Alan Watts, ©2000.

Alan WattsAlan Watts was one of the most famous and
endearing writers and speakers of the twentieth century on
the subjects of Eastern thought and meditation. He was born
in  England in 1915 and died in his home in northern
California in 1973. In all, Watts wrote more than twenty-five
books and recorded hundreds of lectures and seminars.
He became widely recognized for his Zen writings and for
The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are.
For more info, visit www.alanwatts.com and
www.audiowisdom.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Hand

At first it sounded like a thanksgiving story, but the more I
reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of
the year. The way I heard it, the story went like this:

Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her
class a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for
which they were thankful.

Most of the class might be considered economically
disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday
with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These,
the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her
student's art. And they were.

But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was
a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of
misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess,
Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only
guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.

Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture
of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand.
Nothing else. Just an empty hand.

His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers.
Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand
of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another
suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care
for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God
feeds us. And so the discussion went -- until the teacher almost
forgot the young artist himself.

When the children had gone on to other assignments, she
paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose
hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's
yours, teacher."

She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked
with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often
had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let
me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together."
Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.

Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.

The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something
about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends
showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases
of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll
remember the hand that reaches out.

By Steve Goodier © 2001 (reprinted)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bridges of Growth

When your mind's conscious awareness changes
is made more complex by an experience
then you have undergone inner growth
Transition happens in our be-ing
and amazement replaces a blasé attitude
The psychic bridge we cross in this process
is usually a challenge to our emotional beliefs
Without feelings attached to the experience
no growth can occur ~ we need passion
Whatever label we attach to the experience
we are transported to a higher state
Our point of view changes...
Maybe our way of seeing the world does too
The soul's residence undergoes renovation
There is no end to the challenges
our psyche presents for us
if we will but allow it
With our permission the chasm to
enlightenment is breached
Acquiescing to emote, to become passionate
we cross the bridge
To the other side where awaits a deeper life
Find empathy; bear new acceptance and growth
Life is trying to capture your attention
Your bridges span the gap from the ordinary
to an exciting adventure into discovery
Only exhilaration and freedom
await on the other side
Won't you accept the invitation?

Love
Stella
© 2001 Stella Raymonde Savoie
stellaraymonde@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I "Heard" the Love

   When I was growing up I do not recall hearing the words
"I love you" from my father. When your father never says
them to you when you are a child, it gets tougher and
tougher for him to say those words as he gets older. To tell
the truth, I could not honestly remember when I had last
said those words to him either. I decided to set my ego
aside and make the first move. After some hesitation, in our
next phone conversation I blurted out the words, "Dad . . .
I love you!"

    There was a silence at the other end and he awkwardly
replied, "Well, same back at ya!"

    I chuckled and said, "Dad, I know you love me, and when
you are ready, I know you will say what you want to say."

    Fifteen minutes later my mother called and nervously
asked, "Paul, is everything okay?"

    A few weeks later, Dad concluded our phone conversation
with the words, "Paul, I love you." I was at work during
this conversation and the tears were rolling down my cheeks
as I finally "heard" the love. As we both sat there in tears
we realized that this special moment had taken our
father/son relationship to a new level.

    A short while after this special moment, my father
narrowly escaped death following heart surgery. Many times
since, I have pondered the thought, If I did not take the
first step and Dad did not survive the surgery, I would have
never "heard" the love.

By Paul Barton from A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Reflection for the Day

One of the best ways to get out of the self-pity trap is to do some "
instant bookkeeping." For every entry of misery on the debit side of
our ledger, we can surely find a blessing to mark on the credit side:
the health we enjoy, the illnesses we don't have, the friends who
love us and who allow us to love them, a good day's work. If we
but try, we can easily list a whole string of credits that will far
outweigh the debit entries which cause self-pity. Is my emotional
balance on the credit side today?

Today I Pray

May I learn to sort out my debits and credits and add it all up. May
I list my several blessings on the credit side. May my ledger show
me, when all is totaled, a fat fund of good things to draw on.

Today I Will Remember

I have blessings in my savings.

from the book: A Day at a Time, by Anonymous

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We're all going to have winds and waves in our lives
but nothing that happens can destroy your life
unless you allow it to destroy what's in you.
Work on building conscious contact with God
that is stronger than anything in the world,
so you don't look to the world as your guidance.
Look within and you will find the power and love of God.
   Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying,
'Make me feel important.'
Never forget this message when working with people.
Mary Kay

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sweetest of all sounds is praise.
   Xenophon

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Start living now.
Stop saving the good china for that special occasion.
Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes.
Every day you are alive is a special occasion.
Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.
   Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

People who don't go to meetings aren't around to hear
about what happens to people who don't go to meetings.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You can't think your way into right living,
you must live your way into right thinking.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you want to make God laugh,
tell Him your plans for the day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Whatever you are willing to put up with,
is exactly what you will have.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Success stops when you do.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
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or
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Big or Basic
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/bigorbasic.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
My Sponsor is telling me that I am in relapse
and I haven't used drugs..........
What is a relapse?
I’m scared of these upcoming holidays !!!
Get togethers with my family are a trigger.

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 21
I trust God's plan for me today.
I know that I am being guided at all times.
I know all I need to know in any given moment.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Stairs

Oh long and dark the stairs I trod,
With stumbling feet to find my God.
Gaining a foothold bit by bit
Then slipping back and losing it.
There came a certain time when I
Loosened my hold and fell thereby,
Down to the lowest step my fall
As if I had not climbed at all.
And as I lay despairing there,
There came a footfall on the stairs
And "lo" when hope had ceased to be
My God came down the stairs to me.

Author Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Fern and The Bamboo
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=N_4KOEwwzn6weD99g_\
ySSGJSTaxhyiev_TKXciQjtiEyfecA8w

Index to Working The Steps
www.barefootsworld.net/aaworkstepsintro.html#index

Did You Know???
www.na.org/naway/en/Oct06/en-naway0610-sect4.htm

The Pattern Of Life
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/PatternOfLife.html

Lifes Tug of War
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/LifesTugofWar.html

N.A. Way- Sharing Member to Member
www.na.org/naway/en/oct05/en-naway0510-sect2.htm

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 21                                Letting Our Defects Go

"If [character defects] contributed to our health and happiness,
we would not have come to such a state of desperation."
Basic Text p. 34

   Getting started on the Sixth and Seventh Steps isn't always easy.
We may feel as though we have so much wrong with us that we
are totally defective. We might feel like hiding under a rock. Under
no circumstance would we want our fellow addicts to know about
our inadequacies.

   We will probably go through a time of examining everything we
say and do in order to identify our character defects and make
sure we suppress them. We may look back at one particular day,
cringing at what we're certain is the most embarrassing thing
we've ever said. We become determined to be rid of these
horrible traits at all costs. But nowhere in the Sixth or Seventh
Steps does it say we can learn to control our defects of character.
In fact, the more attention we focus on them, the more firmly
entrenched they will become in our lives. It takes humility to
recognize that we can't control our defects any more than we can
control our addiction. We can't remove our own defects; we can
only ask a loving God to remove them.

   Letting go of something painful can be as difficult as letting go of
something pleasant. But let's face it-holding on is a lot of work.
When we really think about what we're holding onto, the effort just
isn't worthwhile. It's time to let go of our character defects and ask
God to remove them.

Just for today: I'm ready to have my defects removed. I will let go
and allow a loving Higher Power to care for me.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

True Tolerance

Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to
some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and then
we approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows
actually means.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 92

The thought occurred to me that all people are emotionally ill to
some extent.  How could we not be?  Who among us is spiritually
perfect?  Who among us is physically perfect?  How could any of
us be emotionally perfect?  Therefore, what else are we to do but
bear with one another and treat each other as we would be treated
in similar circumstances?  That is what love really is.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 21st

A.A. Thought for the Day

I no longer waste money, but try to put it to good use.
Like all of us, when I was drunk, I threw money around
like I really had it.  It gave me a feeling of importance
--- a millionaire for a day.  But the morning after, with
an empty wallet and perhaps also some indecipherable
checks, was a sad awakening.  How could I have been
such a fool?  How will I ever make it up?  Thoughts like
these get you down.  When we are sober, we spend our
hard earned money as it should be spent.  Although
perhaps some of us could be more generous in our A.A.
giving, at least we do not throw it away.  Am I making
good use of my money?

Meditation for the Day

You were meant to be at home and comfortable in the
world.  Yet some people live a life of quiet desperation.
This is the opposite of being at home and at peace in the
world.  Let your peace of mind be evident to those around
you.  Let others see that you are comfortable, and seeing
it, know that it springs from your trust in a Higher Power.
The dull, hard way of resignation is not God's way.  Faith
takes the sting out of the winds of adversity and brings
peace even in the midst of struggle.

Prayer for the Day I pray that I may be more comfortable
in my way of living.  I pray that I may feel more at home and
at peace within myself.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 21

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Financial Fears

I sat in the car, looking at the sign on the door of the food shelf
office:
"Closed until Friday." It was Wednesday. I had two hungry children
and myself; I had no money.

I laid my head on the steering wheel. I couldn't take it anymore.

I had been so strong, so brave, so trusting for so long. I was a single
parent with two children, recently divorced. I had worked so
courageously at being grateful for what I had, while setting financial
goals and working at believing I deserved the best.

I had put up with so much poverty, so much deprivation. Daily, I
worked the Eleventh Step. I worked so hard at praying for
knowledge of God's will for me only, and the power to carry it
through. I believed I was doing what I needed to do in my life. I
wasn't lollygagging. I was doing my best, working my hardest.

And there just wasn't enough money. Life had been a struggle
in many ways, but the financial struggle seemed endless.

Money isn't everything, but it takes money to solve certain
problems.  I was sick of "letting go" and "letting go" and "letting
go." I was sick of "acting as if" I had enough money. I was tired
of having to work so hard daily at letting go of the pain and fear
about not having enough. I was tired of working so hard at being
happy without having enough. Actually, most of the time I was
happy. I had found my soul in poverty. But now that I had my
soul and my self, I wanted some money too.

While I sat in the car trying to compose myself, I heard God speak
to me in that silent, still voice that whispers gently to our souls.

"You don't ever have to worry about money again, child. Not unless
you want to. I told you that I would take care of you. And I will."

Great, I thought. Thanks a lot. I believe you. I trust you. But look
around. I have no money. I have no food. And the food shelf is
closed. You've let me down.

Again I heard His voice in my soul: "You don't have to worry about
money again. You don't have to be afraid. I promised to meet all
your needs.

I went home, called a friend, and asked to borrow some money.
I hated borrowing, but I had no choice. My breakdown in the car
was a release, but it didn't solve a thing - that day. There was no
check in the mailbox.

But I got food for the day. And the next day. And the next. Within
six months, my income doubled. Within nine months, it tripled. Since
that day, I have had hard times, but I have never had to go without -
not for more than a moment in time.

Now, I have enough. Sometimes I still worry about money because
that seems to be habitual. But now I know I don't have to, and I know
I never did.

God, help me work hard at what I believe is right for me in my life
today, and I'll trust You for the rest. Help me let go of my fears about
money. Help me turn that area over to You. God. Take away the
blocks and barriers in my life to financial success.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Getting Kids Involved in Thanksgiving
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/f3.htm

How Easy Can It Get
http://www.lightworks.com/_Issues/2009/10/TMA-0910-088.html

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Too Busy for Our Own Good
by Alexander J. Berardi

For some reason, those of us who inhabit the more industrially
developed nations of the world seem to believe that doing more
will somehow yield us more. When we mistakenly enter into
this thought pattern, we come dangerously close to mistaking
activity for accomplishment. Despite what most of us have been
unconsciously conditioned to believe, the two are not necessarily
connected.

As I drove to the office this morning, a young woman reminded
me of our propensity to cram every waking moment of our
existence with projects and tasks in hopes that we might gain
more control over our lives. The young woman was driving a
car in the lane next to me. As we headed down the expressway,
I couldn't help notice her: It was the first time I have ever seen
anyone eat breakfast, talk on the phone, apply eye makeup, and
sort through papers while driving a car at sixty-five miles per hour.

This woman wasn't alone in her pursuit of multitasking nirvana,
either. The fellow driving just behind her was reading a
newspaper, drinking coffee, and yelling at three arguing kids
seated in the backseat. This perpetual multitasking is not a
problem we succumb to only while driving. Just this morning,
as I sat in Central Park enjoying the shade of a 200-year-old
oak tree, I happened to catch sight of a jogger talking on his
cell phone and fiddling with his Palm Pilot while he ran. Similar
observations by friends in Europe and Asia suggest this is not
just an American ill; it seems to be part of a worldwide
phenomenon.

We're all too busy for our own good. Most of us live as if we will
be judged at our final reckoning according to the number of
crossed-off items on our cosmic to-do list. I'm not sure what it
is that causes otherwise rational people to think that, by working
harder, faster, and longer, they'll get everything done, when
they know by experience the exact opposite is true.

Often the harder, faster, or longer we work at a task the less
effective we become, and in most cases getting "everything
done" is a human impossibility. We're just not built to move
at the pace most of us tend to push ourselves to.

The technology we once thought would make our lives simpler
is actually producing the obverse effect. Cell phones, PDAs
(Personal Digital Assistants) with satellite capabilities, voice
mail, E-mail, and the like, bring the world within our reach.
Unfortunately, they also bring us within the reach of the world.

Our tender senses are assaulted every moment by billions of
new and changing sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations.
More information is hurled at our minds today than at any time
in history, and we are reacting negatively to the overload. The
human attention span is shrinking in response to the ever-
increasing number of demands being placed on it, and our
nerves are raw from wear. To maintain our sanity and
preserve a small scrap of solitude, we learn to block most of
the sensations that we deem nonessential. In consequence,
all that is sensuous and spiritual ricochets off the impenetrable
wall we have erected.

Such is another of life's follies: In a vain attempt to quiet our
tired minds and draw closer to the sound of our souls, we
strain out the very things that will bring us peace, joy, and the
spiritual connection we seek. The absurdity is this: The more
we fail in attaining peace through filtration, the harder we try.
Until one day we have blocked so much from our lives, we
find that we're not really living at all; we're merely alive.

In order to draw closer to our soul, we need less in our lives,
not more. Instead of hurrying to fill the voids in our schedule
with more activity, we need to take time to experience the
sensual and spiritual side of life: We need to nourish the
relationship with our soul and allow it to grow.

Sensuality is akin to the soul. We need to bring sensuality
back into our everyday lives. When was the last time you lay
in fresh-cut grass and felt the warmth of the sunshine on your
face and the softness of the breeze on your skin? Can you
remember the last time you spent the entire day in bed with
your lover, or ate spaghetti with your hands?

We seem to be able to make time for everything else, but we
need to make time for the sensual things in life, the things
that really make life worth living. We need to make time for
doing nothing at all, so we can once again experience the
joy of serenity. We need to slow down a bit, so we can become
in synch with nature. We need to feed our souls with sensuality,
quiet, and reflection so we can better communicate with God.

Because God dwells deep within us, we need to allow
ourselves the time to experience one another on a much
deeper level, to see the similarities rather than the differences,
and to get past the small talk and share with each other the
deep human experiences we all have every day.

To help us get to know each other better, we need to share
things like the gift of humor with each other. We also need to
take time to share an honest compliment or a simple hug with
everyone we meet. I believe these are the mechanisms by
which God's comfort can pass through our soul to the soul
of another. We need to tear down the walls that we have built
between our souls and the souls of others. Only then will we
begin to see a glimmer of evidence of the God that lives
within all of us.

This article is excerpted from Never Offer Your Comb to a Bald
Man, ©2001, by Alexander J. Berardi. Reprinted with
permission of the publisher, New World Library.
http://www.newworldlibrary.com


About the Author
Alexander J. Berardi is a high-level healthcare industry
entrepreneur, owner of seven successful companies, a
professional speaker and trainer, and a leader of more
than 700 employees. Each of his companies serves either
an ailing element of society (elderly, sick, or poor) or those
who serve them. He walks his talk, and the success of his
companies lead major hospitals and healthcare
organizations to solicit his advice. Now, he speaks to hospital
presidents, nurses, administrators, doctors, and other healthcare
workers on his topic, servant leadership.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I Am The Center Of My Universe

But I do not live here alone.
Each move I make creates a ripple in someone else's ocean.
Each breath I take affects the air all around me.
Each word I utter falls on someone else's ears.
That which I touch is felt by another.
That which I do will certainly affect another.
That which I do not, will also affect another.
We never know how far reaching something we say or do really
is until it returns to us.
And it always does.
ALL THINGS IN LIFE FORM A CIRCLE
Whether we see the circle or not.

Author Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Time To Learn

A young but earnest Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the
Zen Master:
"If I work very hard and diligent how long will it take for me to find
Zen."
The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years."

The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really
apply myself to learn fast -- How long then ?"
Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years."

"But, if I really, really work at it. How long then ?" asked the
student.
"Thirty years," replied the Master.

"But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time
that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do
you
say that ?"

Replied the Master," When you have one eye on the goal, you only have
one
eye on the path."

Author Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I Pray

I pray for peace
And it is given.
I pray for hope
And it is there.
I Pray for forgiveness
For how I've been living.
I pray to God
And know He cares.
So if I pray for love
I know I'll receive
And pray for faith
I start to believe
That He has come
Into my life,
and will always
Be with me.

written by ~ Meg M.
meg4how@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder,
he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it,
rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery
of the world we live in.
Rachel Carlson

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Loving can cure all.
John-Roger

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

To understand the heart and mind of a person,
look not at what he has already achieved,
but at what he aspires to.
Kahlil Gibran

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Friendships begin because, even without words,
we understand how someone feels.
Joan Walsh Anglund

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something
and you don't talk back.
W. K. Hope

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you're not moving away from a drink or drug,
you're moving closer to it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My worst day clean is better
thank my best day using.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

N.A. does not teach you how to get clean,
it teaches you how to live clean.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The reason I'm here is
because I'm not all there.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There's a difference between being in a meeting
and being at a meeting ! ! !


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
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or
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

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http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All you can drink...
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/allyoucandrink.shtml

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Why is diversity important to our fellowship ?
What was the first "attraction" you saw in the rooms ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 20
Today I know that I have done the best I can with my life.
Today I know that I am at choice,
and what I choose right now creates new memories.
Today I choose to continue to do the very best.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't Stop Praying

One night, years ago while I was drinking
I was talking to my mother on the phone
We were again talking about my drinking
I told her how much I hated it

She started crying
Saying she didn't know what else to do
She had been praying for me for many years
And God didn't seem to be answering her prayers

How I hated that I was making my mother cry
That I was the cause for her sadness
I told her Mom, I know what you can do
Please, don't stop praying

God is the only one
Who can help me out of this mess
I have faith that He will
But it will be in His time not ours
Just don't stop praying

My mother continued to pray
As did many others for me
No - God didn't answer the prayers immediately
But He did answer them eventually

For today, you see
With the help of God, AA, friends and family
I am sober and clean
I am finally free

So whatever you do
Don't stop praying.

Written by:  Tammy B.  3/5/04
bluidkiti@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Higher Power
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=vJ3gcaUwzng5quSoKc\
pM07zncQgcJp2pFWjlyIClrOZslWJVww

Intro to "Working the Steps"
www.barefootsworld.net/aaworkstepsintro.html

Feature and Sharing / 84 Days is a MUST READ!!!
NA Way Magazine
www.na.org/naway/en/Oct06/en-naway0610-sect2.htm

No Matter What Happens
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/NoMatterWhatHappens.html

Always Have a Dream
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/AlwaysHaveDream.html

Atmosphere of Recovery
www.na.org/naway/en/oct05/en-naway0510-sect1.htm

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 20                                 Finding Fulfillment

"We weren't oriented toward fulfillment; we focused on the
emptiness and worthlessness of it all"  Basic Text p. 86

   There were probably hundreds of times in our active addiction
when we wished we could become someone else. We may
have wished we could trade places with someone who owned
a nice car or had a larger home, a better job, a more attractive
mate-anything but what we had. So severe was our despair that
we could hardly imagine anyone being in worse shape than
ourselves.

   In recovery, we may find we are experiencing a different sort
of envy. We may continue to compare our insides with others'
outsides and feel as though we still don't have enough of
anything. We may think everyone, from the newest member
to the oldest old-timer, sounds better at meetings than we do.
We may think that everyone else must be working a better
program because they have a better car, a larger home, more
money, and so on.

   The recovery process experienced through our Twelve Steps
will take us from an attitude of envy and low self-esteem to a
place of spiritual fulfillment and deep appreciation for what we
do have. We find that we would never willingly trade places with
another, for what we have discovered within ourselves is
priceless.

Just for today: There is much to be grateful for in my life. I will
cherish the spiritual fulfillment I have found in recovery.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 20                                 Finding Fulfillment

"We weren't oriented toward fulfillment; we focused on the
emptiness and worthlessness of it all"  Basic Text p. 86

   There were probably hundreds of times in our active addiction
when we wished we could become someone else. We may have
wished we could trade places with someone who owned a nice
car or had a larger home, a better job, a more attractive mate-
anything but what we had. So severe was our despair that we
could hardly imagine anyone being in worse shape than
ourselves.

   In recovery, we may find we are experiencing a different sort
of envy. We may continue to compare our insides with others'
outsides and feel as though we still don't have enough of
anything. We may think everyone, from the newest member
to the oldest old-timer, sounds better at meetings than we do.
We may think that everyone else must be working a better
program because they have a better car, a larger home, more
money, and so on.

   The recovery process experienced through our Twelve Steps
will take us from an attitude of envy and low self-esteem to a place
of spiritual fulfillment and deep appreciation for what we do have.
We find that we would never willingly trade places with another,
for what we have discovered within ourselves is priceless.

Just for today: There is much to be grateful for in my life. I will
cherish the spiritual fulfillment I have found in recovery.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 20th

A.A. Thought for the Day

I no longer try to escape life through alcoholism.
Drinking built up an unreal world for me and I tried
to live in it.  But in the morning light the real life
was back again and facing it was harder than ever,
because I had less resources with which to meet it.
Each attempt at escape weakened my personality
by the very attempt.  Everyone knows that alcohol,
by relaxing inhibitions, permits a flight from reality.
Alcohol deadens the brain cells that preside over our
highest faculties and we are off to the unreal world
of drunkenness.  A.A. taught me not to run away, but
to face reality.  Have I given up trying to escape life?

Meditation for the Day

In these times of quiet meditation, try more and more to
set your hopes on the grace of God.  Know that whatever
the future may hold, it will hold more and more of good.
Do not set all your hopes and desires on material things.
There is weariness in an abundance of things.  Set your
hopes on spiritual things so that you may grow spiritually.
Learn to rely on God's power more and more and in that
reliance you will have an insight into the greater value of
the things of the spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things.
I pray that I may realize the higher value of spiritual things.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 20

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Wants and Needs`

So many of us have been brainwashed to think that we can't
have what we want in life. That is the belief of the martyr. It is
born of deprivation and fear.

Identifying what we want and need, then writing it down, sets
in motion a powerful chain of events. It indicates that we are
taking responsibility for ourselves, giving God and the
Universe permission to supply our wants and needs.

The belief that we deserve to have a change in character, a
relationship, a new dimension to an existing relationship, a
possession, a certain level of health, living, loving, or success,
is a powerful force in bringing that desire to pass.

Often, when we realize that we want something, that feeling is
God preparing us to receive it!

Listen. Trust. Empower the good in your life by paying attention
to what you want and need. Write it down. Affirm it mentally.
Pray about it. Then, let it go. Give it to God, and see what
happens.

The results may be better than you think.

Today, I will pay attention to what I want and need. I will take
time to write it down, and then I will let it go. I will begin to
believe I deserve the best.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Running Through The Rain…
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/rain.htm

Faith and Destiny
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2004/11/skye-thomas.htm

To Forgive # To Forget
http://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/July/cyberweave.htm

Women
http://selfhelpmagazine.com/article/women

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Becoming An Agent of Change
by Janeanne Narrin



Janeanne NarrinEvery life has at its core a dream that quietly
and unobtrusively asks to be fulfilled. Each of us dreams such
a dream. It is an important part of the original blessing of being
in this world. Purpose is another word for this dream. If you
wish to realize your purpose in life you best start by relaxing.
Relaxation allows for an open, unbounded, creative space.
In this openness you can celebrate, that is, apply yourself,
exercise your talents within the healthy boundaries of your
chosen field or profession, get what you want, and not give
it away, but share it wisely. Relaxing, opening and celebrating
- three simple steps to individual well-being.

Woven into the formula for individual well-being is a need for
supporting the global community bringing our human
endeavors into alignment with a partnership model of reality.
This means that everybody wins. Although based on self-interest,
everyone's actions contribute to the highest good of all
concerned. In their prayers our Native American brothers and
sisters refer to this extended sense of community as "all of our
relations". All of our relations of our global community comprise
our fellow humans, the animals, plants, minerals: the rocks,
mountains and seas, the deserts, swamps and wetlands, the
great plains and wild forests.

How can we effectively support them? We could introduce ever
more new and tighter legislation - adopt stringent rules and
regulations. We have seen how this plan works. And about its
effectiveness there can be no illusions. Laws created by man are
manipulative and subject to manipulation. Rules can be bent and
regulations have loopholes. Furthermore, rules and regulations
imply that we are ignorant of universal or natural law. By their very
existence they infer that we do not inherently know, feel or sense
what is right, but rather, because of our ignorance, must submit
to some outside authority. Poised between ourselves and the
world, laws, rules and regulations may even widen the gulf of
separation between ourselves and nature.

The benefit of "all of our relations" really cannot be decreed from
the outside. Founded on interconnectedness, it unfolds through
understanding, and through assimilating and growing into
universal law. It amounts to a deep healing partnership process?
an empathic  resonance, between nature and humankind.

If we wish to support and restructure our global community in
genuinely new and liberating ways, we cannot do so just by
the decree of manmade law. Instead, we have to start closer to
home, with ourselves, our personal integrity, our own energy.
In other words, we have to become ourselves, whole and
healthy individuals. We have to think for ourselves, wean
ourselves away from undue outside influence, take good care
of ourselves emotionally and physically, and follow our purpose
in life - and we have to be open and intuitively grasp the
particular strands of universal law that apply in a given situation.

In the energetic model of reality there is no separation. Focusing
upon our own wholehearted well-being, letting it flow through
our lives and out to others, will eventually help manifest a
wholesome and healthy global community. Not only do we have
bodies and minds, but we also partake in and embody the very
energies that create the universe - and this in our perception -
moment by moment anew. This energy is our most precious
resource and can be directly accessed.

Years ago, the "100th monkey" theory was widely popular and
often quoted. It went like this: if, one by one, a hundred monkeys
on a distant island learn how to use sticks for picking bananas
the knowledge of picking bananas with sticks all of a sudden
becomes an integral part of monkey consciousness. All monkeys
everywhere all around the world will then be privy to this
knowledge and be able to use sticks to that end.

The principle of a vanguard few preparing a shift in consciousness
applies to humankind as well and has inspired many changes in
past history. Anyone can be such an agent of change, but the more
dedicated you are to what you are doing the more impact you will
have as an agent of change.

One Degree Beyond - A Reiki Journey into Energy Medicine" by
Janeanne NarrinThis article is excerpted from the introduction of
the book "One Degree Beyond - A Reiki Journey into Energy
Medicine" by Janeanne Narrin. Excerpted with permission from
the publishers: Little White Buffalo Publishing Cottage, Seattle,
WA. www.onedegreebeyond.com

Janeanne Narrin, MA, CSW, Reiki Master/Teacher and artist, is a
management consultant with a corporate practice which focuses
on issues of Right Livelihood. She is also a REALTOR, professional
educator, and parent. She presently has a real estate business,
Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, in western North Carolina.
Visit her realtor website at http://www.janeanne.com


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Metamorphosis

To emerge from our shell, our cocoon, our walls we have built
Takes time patience and love.
We start to grow and stretch, pull our head out and are amazed
To see beauty and light above
As the Hope and acceptance start to sink in, we tell ourselves,
Maybe, just maybe I can win.
We stretch and shove, on the walls we start to beat,
Finally, finally they fall and we stand on our feet,
Facing feelings and fears and filled with doubt,
Our wings start to emerge and our beauty comes out.
Wanting to be held and loved, yet filled with confusion,
Trying to trust, not understanding and comes delusion.
When you feel like you are sinking, remember to shove,
My spirit is with you and so is my love.
Take a deep breath, have faith, stretch out your butterfly wings,
Fill them with beauty and love, let your heart sing!

Dennis
Dennis9817@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Paula Fairlie in 'The Virago Book of Spirituality'

While grappling with the question of God's indwelling
and our efforts at praying, I wrote the following:

' . . . and let the questing mind be still . . .'
In the ground of your being I have my home,
so do not seek me in the world apart.
Within your spirit true communion lies.
You are no homeless stranger in a land afar,
no alien on a foreign shore,
for I am with you.
Do but be still and know that I am God.
I look upon the world with your dark eyes;
I feel the flowing air on your cool cheek.
I hear the twittering in the moving trees,
for with your senses I perceive.
I am with you, I am within you.
So do not turn away but come to rest in me.
Within you is our meeting place.
Be but still, and I will speak in silence
to your loving, wayward heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Walk in Humility

    "Little children are humble. Their whole being reflects a humility
that
is simple and honest. They do not try to be something they are not, but
are content to be who God made them to be. They are aware of their
physical limitations and their need to be cared for and told what to do.
They may not always like it, but at the end of the day they know that
they are only little and need help with so many things. I believe their
honest sense of neediness beautifully portrays humility in its purist
form.

   Many adults struggle with this idea of humility. Some of us try to be
humble by putting ourselves down while others of us cloak our pride in a
false display of humility. But true humility doesn't come from our
self-degradation or by our false portrayals of a lowly attitude. It is a
heart issue and only comes when we realize the truth of how little we
are and how big God is.

    If we can grasp this truth we will not have to pretend to be
anything.
We can just be comfortable with our neediness and God's desire to
meet all our needs and humility will be the by product. May we all truly
embrace the humility of a little child."

Barry Adams

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Damn Loneliness

I came here many years ago
So damn lonely
That I did not know
This damn loneliness is in my soul
In my self centered ways
I would feel whole
My whole world was upside down
Chasing that ultimate glow
Round and round
I was so full of self-pity and guilt
I swear never do it again
I've said a thousand times
Then
The night mare goes on and on
I've tried hard to run away
But with no where to go
I would just stray
It will be better when I get there
It will be different then I'll care
If we just move to another state
I'll quit
Just wait
I'll change my destiny
Lets pack
Come on lets go and see
I can't say how
I just know it will be
Things always stayed the same
As I played this drunken game
I was so lonely
In a room full of people
My disease kept me apart
As I longed for more in my heart
That was yesterday
I now can say
I've been freed in AA
Now I'm happy
Joyous and free
That I'm living
The 12 steps to victory

Daniel M Corkery
10/21/2000
DMCDREAMER1@...
DMCDREAMER's Page of Poetry
www.geocities.com/dmcdreamer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

However many holy words you read,
However many you speak,
What good will they do you
If you do not act upon them?
Buddha

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Care more than others think wise.
Risk more than others think safe.
Dream more than others think practical.
Expect more than others think possible.
Howard Schultz,
CEO Starbucks Coffee

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Humility comes from the root word humus, which means,
"close to the ground; lowly."
If something is close to the ground and lowly,
it can grow.  And so can we.
When we know we have much to learn,
our minds and hearts open to the possibilities.
Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't try to be a great person, just try to be a good person.
And if you can succeed at being a good person,
then you have found greatness.
Don Heitkamp

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There are two ways of spreading light...
to be the candle,
or the mirror that reflects it.
Edith Wharton

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell.
Spirituality is for people who have been there
and don't want to go back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A.A./N.A. won't get me the key to Heaven,
but it sure opened up the gates of hell and let me out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When I'm alone in my head,
I'm behind enemy lines.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The only mistakes
are those you learn nothing from.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A
Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hey all, this is a blessed day to be in recovery, my sister will be laid to rest
today and the family gatherings will be more intense.  I have hit a meeting
this morning to prepare me for the drama and chaos that I am about to enter and
life is about to begin for me in a drinking/drugging environment.  I received
numbers to call "just in case" and support from so many.  I just love this
program.  I am giving the eulogy for the family as I seem to be the one most
"in control" of myself.  it isn't that i am in control of myself, i have
accepted and am remembering her life today.  I look  at this as a great day
not a day to grieve.  
 

Becki

--- On Tue, 11/17/09, anna <amarley3@...> wrote:


From: anna <amarley3@...>
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] \For those of you who have supported me
through this
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 7:01 AM


 




becki, how are you doing ?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]








__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Gary and Pete
Two alcoholics walk into a tavern at the same time. They step up to the
bar and they each order a beer. As they strike up a conversation, they
become quite excited:

Gary: Gee, you look familiar. Are you from around here?
Pete: Sure am. Lived here all my life. Grew up over on Truman Street.
Gary: Is that so. I grew up on Truman, What school did you attend?
Pete: I went to North Side Elementary and then Washington High
School.
Gary: Same here! This is amazing. I graduated in 1946.
Pete: Now that is something. I graduated in '46 too! My home room
teacher was Miss Arnold.
Gary: Well I'll be. Miss Arnold was my home room teacher, too!!

Just then, the phone rang and the bartender answered. It was his wife.
"Are there many customers today?", she asked. "Naw", answered the
bartender. "The only people here are me and the Johnson twins."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Why is diversity important to our fellowship ?
What was the first "attraction" you saw in the rooms ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 19
I am so full of love and joy today.
I see it everywhere I look,
and feel it with every breath that I take
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hard Times

Can harden hearts
Showing the heart
How
You can depend on
Not
Depending on
Any one
Or thing.

Hard times teach.

And if there is a God
You hope and pray
That
He is indeed a spirit
And not
Like anyone
You already know
Or love.

Hard times generate hope.

The hope is
There is something
Better than
What you know.

Something
Better than
The nothing
You now have.

Hard times create

A yearning
For
Something different
Something better

A desire to
Do more than
Just survive

Hard times

Can harden hearts
But
With God and recovery
It doesn‚t have to.

Lynn B
jahsbabe@...
Copyrighted 10/21/05

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Difference Between Rich and Poor
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=AYNLA_sxzX7UwXb1G2\
1R5YwHTzIQCfFqna.Xy0F8cn66gpTAaQ

H&I Service Bulletin #5
Men working with Men, Women working with Women
www.na.org/h-i/hi-bull5r99.htm

So You Are Going Through The Steps Again
www.barefootsworld.net/aastepsagain.html

Donate Free Mammograms
www.thebreastcancersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites

Alchemy Project.net presents worldwide links!
www.alchemyproject.net/Links/links.htm

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 19                            The Language of Empathy

".... the addict would find from the start as much identification
as each needed to convince himself that he could stay clean,
by the example of others who had recovered for many years".
Basic Text p. 85

   Many of us attended our first meeting and, not being entirely
sure that N.A. was for us, found much to criticize. Either we
felt as though no one had suffered like we had or that we
hadn't suffered enough. But as we listened we started to hear
something new, a wordless language with its roots in recognition,
belief, and faith: the language of empathy. Desiring to belong,
we kept listening.

   We find all the identification we need as we learn to understand
and speak the language of empathy. To understand this special
language, we listen with our hearts. The language of empathy
uses few words; it feels more than it speaks. It doesn't preach or
lecture-it listens. It can reach out and touch the spirit of another
addict without a single spoken word.

   Fluency in the language of empathy comes to us through practice.
The more we use it with other addicts and our Higher Power, the
more we understand this language. It keeps us coming back.

Just for today: I will listen with my heart. With each passing day,
I will become more fluent in the language of empathy.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solace for Confusion

Obviously, the dilemma of the wanderer from faith is that of
profound confusion.  He thinks himself lost to the comfort of any
conviction at all.  He cannot attain in even a small degree the
assurance of the believer, the agnostic, or the atheist.  He is the
bewildered one.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 28

The concept of God was one that I struggled with during my early
years of sobriety.  The images that came to me, conjured from my
past, were heavy with fear, rejection and condemnation.  Then I
heard my friend Ed's image of a Higher Power: As a boy he had
been allowed a litter of puppies, provided that he assume
responsibility for their care.  Each morning he would find the
unavoidable "byproducts" of the puppies on the kitchen floor.
Despite frustration, Ed said he couldn't get angry because "that's
the nature of puppies."  Ed felt that God viewed our defects and
shortcomings with a similar understanding and warmth.  I've often
found solace from my personal confusion in Ed's calming concept
of God.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 19th

A.A. Thought for the Day

In A.A. we do not speak much of sex.  And yet putting
sex in its proper place in our lives is one of the rewards
that has come to us as a result of our new way of living.
The Big Book says that many of us needed an overhauling
there.  It also says that we subjected each sex relation
to this test --- was it selfish or not?  "We remembered
always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore
good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly, nor to be
despised or loathed."  We can ask God to mold our ideals
and to help us to live up to them.  We can act accordingly.
Have I got my sex life under proper control?

Meditation for the Day

"I will lift up my eyes unto the heights whence cometh
my help."  Try to raise your thoughts from the depths
of the sordid and mean and impure things of the earth
to the heights of goodness and decency and beauty.
Train your insight by trying to take the higher view.
Train it more and more until distant heights become
more familiar.  The heights of the Lord, whence cometh
your help, will become nearer and dearer and the false
values of the earth will seem farther away.

Prayer for the Day I pray that I may not keep my eyes
forever downcast.  I pray that I may set my sights on
higher things.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 19, 2005

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Accepting Our Feelings

Why do we struggle so with our feelings? Why do we work so
hard to deny our emotions, especially concerning other people?
They are only feelings!

In the course of a day, we may deny we feel frustrated in
reaction to someone who is selling us a service.

We may deny that we feel frustrated, angry, or hurt in reaction
to a friend.

We may deny feelings of fear, or anger, toward our children.

We may deny a whole range of feelings toward our spouse or
the person with whom we're in a love relationship.

We may deny feelings provoked by people we work for, or by
people who work for us.

Sometimes the feelings are a direct reaction to others.
Sometimes people trigger something deeper - an old sadness
or frustration.

Regardless of the source of our feelings, they are still our
feelings. We own them. And acceptance is often all that is
necessary to make them go away.

We don't have to let our feelings control our behavior. We don't
have to act on each feeling that passes through us. We do not
need to indulge in inappropriate behavior.

It does help to talk about our feelings with someone we trust.
Sometimes we need to bring our feelings to the person who is
triggering them. That can breed intimacy and closeness. But
the most important person we need to tell is ourselves. If we
allow our feelings to pass through us, accept them, and
release them, we shall know what to do next.

Today, I will remember that feelings are an important part of
my life. I will be open to my feelings in family life, in friendships,
in love, and at work. I will feel my feelings without judging myself.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Hour Of Power
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/asoka-selvarajah.htm

Being Lucky In Everything
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2005/11/being-lucky.htm

Letters of wisdom and affirmation, Louise Hay
http://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/August/hay.htm

Eating Disorders
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/eating/index.html

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Handling Changes
By Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D.

A couple weeks ago, I resolved to make some changes in my
lifestyle. Perhaps you did too.  I think we have to change.
Change is what Kevin Cashman wrote about in his book,
"Leadership From The Inside Out."  He described change as
"the price of admission to life."

Stability in our lives is non-existent.  Every moment our atoms
are changing; our cells are changing; our thoughts, feelings
and behavior are changing; our relationships are changing;
and the world is changing.

Change, even if it is chosen (like a New Year's resolution), is
always stressful.  We naturally resist it because it requires a
lot of energy to adapt to change.  Since change is constant
and ongoing,  adaptations require new thoughts, new habits,
new ways of functioning. Is it any wonder that we don't keep
our resolutions?  Making the necessary adaptations to make
our resolutions become a reality, simply seems too hard.
Besides, just when we think we've "got it," somebody goes
and "moves it."

Regarding being open and flexible in our adaptations to
change, Cashman goes on to write, "Learning to be open to
the purposeful learning contained in [and new adaptations
required by] all change is no small task.  Quite often we are
dragged 'kicking and screaming' to every lesson."

Regardless of the content of any given change, the process
of change evokes strong emotions in us.  These emotions are
actually the body's way of providing us with the energy to
cope with whatever change is occurring.  In a few weeks, my
precious daughter-in-law, Lara, will formally change her life
forever.  She is due to deliver a baby! Despite her excitement
and delight over this life-altering event, she is highly emotional
about the transition (change) from being half of a couple and
spouse, to being a third of a threesome and spouse and a
parent!  She will change.  Her lifestyle will dramatically change.
The relationship she has with our son will never be the same.
Someone once said, "People change more often because they
feel the heat than because they see the light."

Most people tend initially to deny that any change is occurring.
Psychological denial is our first attempt to protect ourselves from
the change.  It allows us a little more time to "get used to it."  It
also allows time for gearing up to adapt to the new aspects of
our lives that are being brought about by the change.

Immediately following denial, the "reality" of the change begins
to dawn on us.  We may feel helpless, depressed or out of
control. During this phase of coping with change, we may
question everything. We may become angry or upset at our
apparent inability to control what happens in our lives.  This is
the time to be OK with our feelings, whatever they are.

Next, it is important to "let go of" the past and it's "status quo."
The sooner we stop brooding over what life was like prior to
this change, the sooner we can turn our attention to responding
to the present process of change.  If Lara focuses on creating a
new life-style as a parent, she will cope with that change in a
much more creative manner.

Once we let go of historical habits, we discover we have more
enthusiasm for trying out new ways of behaving, new thoughts
and feelings surrounding the change.  We develop a sense of
self-confidence and "being in charge" of our lives once again.
We begin to "test the limits" of the new circumstances evoked
by this change.

Finally, we learn about the implications of this new situation
created by change.  We tend to become more objective about
our new discoveries and new experiences.  We begin to give
meaning to our new thoughts and feelings.  And we begin to
integrate new behaviors into our daily living.  With practice, new
activities become "automatic" and will remain in place until the
next change occurs.  Then the process of handling change
begins all over again.

As for Lara and her change?  I hope she remains open to
everything that comes along within her new lifestyle.  By doing
so, I know she will be able to grow in knowledge and wisdom,
in courage and flexibility.  I hope the changes she encounters
will benefit her and that her changed life will be filled with
laughter and love, hope and happiness, joy and delight.  That is
one of my hopes for the new year.

Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. has 30+ years experience as a Life
Coach and Licensed Psychologist.  He is available for coaching
in any area presented in "Practical Psychology."  As your Coach,
his only agenda is to assist you in creating the lifestyle you
genuinely desire. The initial coaching session is free.  Contact
him: (970) 568-0173 or E-mail:
DrLloyd@... or LJTDAT@....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life's Dead Ends
Virjinja

Hardships come in different forms,
often difficult to accept...
You cry out, 'Oh, Lord, why me...
why must I have this test?'
Relationships unravel,
health wavers and sometimes you fall...
finances dry up,
and you feel you can't go on.
There is a reason for every season
in every life that's lived.
Not every day will be a summer dream...
cold and barren winters are also gifts.
Storms come, blizzards blow,
and your whole world may be covered in snow.
The omnipresent, all powerful and knowing Lord,
the One in whom your faith keeps you strong...
will lead you, because He precedes you,
through every trial you go.
If He didn't leave you a shovel ~ to dig you out of your trouble ~
rest assured He created the Spring ~ to thaw you back to living ~
and once again, my dear sweet friend,
you are delivered... from another of life's dead ends.

Copyright ©  2003 ~ Virginia Santoro ~ All Rights Reserved
MorningMusings@...
www.myspace.com/morningmusings
www.hometown.aol.com/morningmusings

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With Each Day...

May I positively impact the life of another, and smile more than frown;
Put service and compassion before my own renown;
Meet adversity with courage, sorrow with hope;
Have Faith to face uncertainty, and resiliency to cope;
With joy as my companion, and truth as my guide;
May I walk the path of excellence, gaining knowledge with each stride;
To see the good that lies within each person in suppression;
And through love and understanding, bring it forth into expression;
Though this day may bring new challenges, yet not manifest;
May I ever be reminded how much my life is blessed.

Robert Akers

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In Times of Chaos

Out of chaos comes order, comes creation.
Out of chaos comes cleansing of old worn out habits
And attitudes that have served there purpose and
Are no longer required.

Out of chaos comes a lightening of the burdens we hold
So dear as attachments.

Out of chaos comes a healing of wounds so long held
In the mind as judgments, spite, revenge
And concepts of victimization.

In their place forgiveness and forgetting leave vacant
The vessel that will soon hold the Light of
A deeper understanding and a nearer drawing to Truth.

And with this lighter path Peace becomes our companion.

John and Rev. Ananda McIntosh
1998 - 2001© Copyright - Teach Only Love

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Take Charge of Your Battery First

If a battery has not been charged, no work can be
extracted from it.  If there is no electricity,
nothing plugged into it will operate.  If I don't
take care of myself, how can I then take care of
anybody else?  If I feel I am responsible for
other people, I'm bound to disappoint or hurt
someone, because I'm denying them responsibility
for themselves.

We are each born with one mind, one heart, and one
self.  If I try to negate that by being
responsible for other people at the expense of
taking care of, and being responsible for myself
first, then I am setting myself up for failure and
unhappiness.

We are each a unique being, and our happiness does
not depend on what others can do for us, or what
others think of us.  If it does, then we are not
happy, but dependent and needy.  Being responsible
is by definition a self-qualitative adjective.
The Response-Ability belongs to those from whom
the Response is required.  If Life demands of my
neighbour that he/she be responsible for their
lives and actions, it would be irresponsible for
me to interject and fulfill that responsibility
for them. Were I to do this, I would be encouraging
a non-proactive attitude in my neighbor's
mind-view and life expectations. That is NOT being
responsible in the true, integral sense of the
word.

I may feel compassion and wish to help my
neighbour in his/her time of genuine need, and
that is what brings joy to our own hearts as well.
It is in being mindful that I am not responsible
for their psychological or emotional healing that
I do not hurt those I am caring for. At best, I
can suggest through example the rewards of taking
responsibility for their own lives, and be there
with support, encouragement, and love. My wisdom
does not extend to knowing what is good for other
people, only to what is good for me.

Therefore be at peace with yourself and you will
find that it comes naturally to be at peace with
everyone around you.  Your peace shall seek its
own level and contentious people, places and
things will no longer attract you.  Instead you
will answer to the voice of your spirit within that
directs you to what is the best, the ultimate in
choices and decisions.  And that is where your
happiness and responsibility lie.

Love
Stella
© 2001 Stella Raymonde Savoie
stellaraymonde@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Come Ye All

It makes no difference
What nationality you are
What kind of house you live in
What kind of car
We do not look at things like this
We just want to give you
A chance you do not want to miss
Inside our program
We are all the same
We all got tired of playing
The addiction game
Some one is always near
To help you lighten your fear
We can not do this alone
So we help each other along the way
Working our program
Just for today
In here we come from all walks of life
Helping each other
To overcome strife
We have 12 steps that are suggested
In a short time you'll be vested
We work them from day to day
Telling each other along the way
This is how I work it out
Let me help you with your bout
Freedom is surely in our hand
We are just like you
We understand
We all follow the same path
We all suffer the same wrath
Now we are free
And we want you to enjoy
A new destiny
Stay here with us
We need you
We are for real
And yes we are true

Daniel M Corkery
10/21/2000
DMCDREAMER1@...
DMCDREAMER's Page of Poetry
www.geocities.com/dmcdreamer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What we can easily see is only a small percentage of what is possible.
Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface;
to picture that which is essential, but invisible to the eye.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Every flower must grow through dirt.
Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A sure way to lift oneself up is by helping to lift someone else.
Booker T. Washington

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life is a great big canvas,
and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
Danny Kaye

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Religion is sitting in a church thinking about fishing.
Spirituality is fishing and thinking about God.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We're only as sick as our secrets.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When you're home by yourself,
you're behind enemy lines.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

N.A. is not for people who need it,
it's for people who want it.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
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To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
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and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

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http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Awakenings
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/awakenings.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Why is diversity important to our fellowship ?
What was the first "attraction" you saw in the rooms ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 18
Today I can handle whatever comes up,
knowing that I am surrounded
by all the positive energies of the universe.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How the Program Works

      Here is a story that I am very fond of. I heard it many years ago
at a recovery meeting around Christmas. It really made me stop
and think.

   There was a business man, several years in recovery, who was
taken out of town on an important business trip just days before
Christmas. He needed to travel out of state, all the way to
California, and would not be able to return until Christmas Eve.
He hadn't done any Christmas shopping for his family yet, and
was a little concerned, but decided he could get his business
out of the way in the morning, and do his shopping in the
afternoon before his flight back.

   It would work out perfect, he thought, because an old
"sponsor" friend of his was now living in that part of California.
He called up the friend and explained that he would be in
town for the day, and could he meet up to do some last minute
Christmas shopping and visiting. The sponsor friend met him
at the airport, waited for him to finish his business, and then
took him around town to finish his shopping. Everything fell in
to place perfectly. His shopping was even finished a few hours
early. And so they both decided to sit down at a nearby
restaurant for a bite to eat before the return flight.

   After a great meal and a wonderful visit, they headed out to
the airport to make his scheduled flight. As the business man
was checking his baggage, he noticed that he didn't have any
of the presents with him. Oh No, he thought ! What will I do
now ? It's too late to buy more presents before the flight, and
when I finally get back home everything will be closed. I won't
have any presents for my family on Christmas morning.

   But soon, the man realized that he must have left the presents
at the restaurant. I was having such a good time with the visit,
I just forgot them, he thought. Looking at his watch, the sponsor
friend suggested they had enough time to hurry back to the
restaurant and see if the presents were still there. I hope they're
still there, thought the man. What if someone took them. What
if .. but the sponsor friend just reassured him, and drove back
to the restaurant.

   When they arrived at the restaurant, they found it closed. Oh
No, thought the man. The owner has closed up and went home
for Christmas Eve. Now I won't have any presents for sure.

   But, again, the sponsor friend, quietly reassured him. "I happen
to know the owner," he said. "I'll just call him up and see if he
can come unlock his restaurant so we can look for your presents."

   And so the owner drove all the way back to his restaurant, on
Christmas Eve, with sincere willingness to help out his friend.

   When the doors were opened the business man rushed over to
the table where they had been sitting, and there underneath the
table, just where he left them, were the Christmas presents for
his family.

   The business man sighed a big relief, and remarked to his
sponsor friend, "You know, that's how the program works ! When
everything just falls into place like that."

   Again, his sponsor friend, quietly reassured him, "No, my friend.
The program works when the presents aren't there."

   Heard at a meeting

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Victim
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=BB1_yJQxnyudP4YYXs\
GytmQQw7.cvFWNDW2XWfjfAOdikred6g

Thirty-Six Tips For Newcomers For Working The Steps
www.barefootsworld.net/aa36tips.html

Marianne Williamson
www.marianne.com/

4 Things to Remember
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/24things.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 18                                           Self-Discovery

"The Tenth Step can help us correct our living problems and
prevent their recurrence."     Basic Text p. 41

   Our identities, how we think and feel, have been shaped by
our experiences. Some of our experiences have made us
better people; others have caused us shame or
embarrassment;  all of them have influenced who we are today.
We can take advantage of the knowledge gained in examining
our mistakes, using this wisdom to guide the decisions we'll make
today.

   Acceptance of ourselves means accepting all aspects of ourselves
-our assets, our defects, our successes, and our failures. Shame
and guilt left unaddressed can paralyze us, preventing us from
moving forward in our lives. Some of the most meaningful amends
we can make for the mistakes of our past are made simply by acting
differently today. We strive for improvement and measure our
success by comparing who we used to be with who we are now.

   Being human, we will continue making mistakes; however, we
need not make the same ones over and over again. By looking over
our past and realizing that we have changed and grown, we'll find
hope for the future. The best is yet to come.

Just for today: I will do the best I can with what I have today.
Each day I'll learn something new that will help me tomorrow.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A.A.'s "Main Taproot"

The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first
admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole
Society has sprung and flowered.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 21-22

Defeated, and knowing it, I arrived at the doors of A.A., alone
and afraid of the unknown.  A power outside of myself had picked me
up off my bed, guided me to the phone book, then to the bus stop,
and through the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Once inside A.A. I
experienced a sense of being loved and accepted, something I had
not felt since early childhood.  May I never lose the sense of wonder
I experienced on that first evening with A.A., the greatest event of
my entire life.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 18th

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have gotten over my procrastination.  I was always
putting things off till tomorrow and as a result they
never got done.  "There is always another day" was
my motto instead of "Do it now."  Under the influence
of alcohol, I had grandiose plans.  When I was sober
I was too busy getting over my drunk to start anything.
"Someday I'll do that"-but I never did it.  In A.A. I
have teamed that it's better to make a mistake once
in a while than to never do anything at all.  We learn by
trial and error.  But we must act now and not put it off
until tomorrow.  Have I learned to do it now?

Meditation for the Day

"Do not hide your light under a bushel.  Arise and shine,
for the light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen
in thee."  The glory of the Lord shines in the beauty of
your character.  It is risen in you, even though you can
realize it only in part.  "Now you see as in a glass darkly,
but later you will see face to face."  The glory of the Lord
is too dazzling for mortals to see fully on earth.  But some
of this glory is risen in you when you try to reflect that
light in your life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to be a reflection of the Divine Light.
I pray that some of its rays may shine in my life.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 18

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Allowing Ourselves to be Nurtured

Let yourself be nurtured and loved. Let people be there for
you. Allow yourself to be held when it would feel good. Let
someone listen to you, support and encourage you when you
need that. Receive comfort from someone's physical presence
when you need that. Allow yourself to be supported
emotionally and cared about.

For too long, we've stood in the background, attending to
the needs of others and claiming we have no needs of our
own. We've shut off, for to long, the part of us that longs to be
nurtured.

It is time, now, to claim those needs, to identify them, and to
understand that we deserve to have them met.

What are our needs? What would feel good? What kinds of
ways would we like others to nurture and support us? The
clearer we can be about our needs, the greater the possibility
they will be met.

Hugs. A listening ear. Support. Encouragement. The physical
and emotional presence of people who care about us. Doesn't
that sound good? Tempting?

Someone once said to me, "The eighties have been a 'me'
decade. Now, maybe the nineties can be a 'you' decade."

My reply was immediate. "Let's make the nineties a 'me' and
'you' decade."

No matter how long we've been recovering, we never outgrow
our need for nurturing and love.

Today, I will open to recognizing my needs for nurturing. I will
be open to the needs of those around me too. I can begin
taking a nurturing, loving attitude toward myself and by taking
responsibility for my needs in relationships.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So Close To Freedom
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/so-close-to-freedom.htm

  From Should to Would
http://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/August/cohen.htm

Sports & Performance Psychology
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sports/index.shtml

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Poverty Consciousness
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2005/11/poverty.htm

A Father's Apology to his Son
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/August/vissell.htm

TRAUMATIC STRESS
www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/trauma/index.shtml

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Always A Reflection
by Shakti Gawain

Difficulties we are having in our relationships often mirror parts
of ourselves that we need to heal. Such difficulties may involve
a family member, a close friend, a coworker, or even people with
whom we have only a brief encounter, such as a clerk in a store.
If you are having difficulty with a present relationship, or if you
frequently encounter certain kinds of difficult people -- for
example, a needy person or a person who doesn't respect your
boundaries -- take a moment to look closely at what they are
reflecting.

The following meditation will help you do that. Begin by closing
your eyes and relaxing for a few moments.... Then bring to mind
a difficult relationship.... Think about what, exactly, bothers you
about this person. What quality or trait does this person have that
makes you uncomfortable or that you judge?

Once you have identified the quality or qualities that bother you,
ask yourself what the positive aspect or essence of that quality
might be. For example, if you see them as lazy, what could be the
positive aspect of laziness? It could be the ability to relax....

Ask yourself how it might benefit you to develop a bit more of that
quality in yourself.... . Could it help you find more balance in your
life? If you are judging someone as lazy, chances are you are a
very active, driven type of person who could benefit from
developing a greater ability to relax. This person is a mirror,
reflecting the disowned quality of relaxation to you, so that you
can become more aware of what you need to develop....

Here are some other examples: If you find someone too needy,
they may be reflecting the disowned part of you that has emotional
needs. You may be too identified with strength and self-sufficiency
and need to get more in touch with your vulnerability. If you find
someone too domineering, perhaps you are overly timid and
need to develop more assertiveness. If you judge someone as
selfish, it's possible that you are too giving.

Remember that you don't need to become like this person. They
may be too far to the extreme or expressing themselves in a
distorted way. However, you can use the discomfort of this
relationship to help you discover the essential qualities you
need to develop in order to feel more whole and fulfilled.

Once you have identified what quality this person is reflecting to
you, imagine yourself having integrated more of that quality in
yourself.... Imagine yourself more able to relax, for example, or
more able to show your vulnerability in close relationships, or
more assertive, or more able to receive....

This article is excerpted from Meditations (Revised and
Expanded), ©1991, 2002, by Shakti Gawain. Reprinted with
permission of the publisher, New World Library.

About the Author:
SHAKTI GAWAIN is a pioneer in the field of personal growth.
Her other best selling books include Living in the Light, The
Path of Transformation, Developing Intuition, Creative
Visualizations, and Creating True Prosperity. She leads
workshops internationally, and lives in Mill Valley, California,
and Hawaii. Visit her website at www.shaktigawain.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seeking Perfection

I was told when young to become
as 'perfect' as I possibly could
I think this advice needs rewording

I tell myself instead
The height that I can reach
trying to be the whole person
that I am meant to be
is the best that is possible for me
not the most perfect...

For there exists no such person
no such state to be found in all humanity
Seeking perfection is not a goal
it's a bargain you make
with mental, spiritual and emotional enslavement

Rather, embrace life
in all its facets and meanings
For the process brings you
initiation, ascent and descent
increase and decline
birth and death
Not perfection, but progression
As it should

Throughout our aspiring
in the midst of our hopes and dreams
If we meet each day with the conviction
that reality means possibility
that things are as they should be
for our growth

Then the path to wholeness
is assured, progressing
As it should

Love
Stella

© 2001 Stella Raymonde Savoie
stellaraymonde@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Be Yourself!

One way to make a sincere impression on others is to just be you!
Being you is what you do best.
Try not to impress others by acting like
someone you are not.
The measure of a person comes from substance.
I'm almost certain that there is substance within you, and it is
impressive.
Just let that substance show.
You have your own experiences, your own
thoughts, your own interests, knowledge, passions, desires, integrity
and a great sense of humor.
You are very special.
So be who you are.  Be you.
Our world is waiting to throw its arms around
the genuine, valuable person you know you are.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Who I am

In telling you who I am ~ I am taking a risk
in revealing my inner most self,
I am proud in my stand,
and gratitude is my wealth!

For years, I lived in darkness, anger,
resentment and fear,
I hid my heart and soul and wouldn't let anyone near,
I was consumed by addiction ~
a mental, physical and spiritual affliction!

I suffered from no self-esteem, low self -worth,
could not justify a reason for my birth,
Addiction took me to some awful destinations,
"Sleeping it off," was my only vacation!

Grateful am I for the days filled with gloom ~
for where I ended up, was in the rooms,
What a journey it has been,
the blessing is ~ it will never end!

Since I started down the path of recovery ~
God has opened my heart, mind and
and my eyes can see.
The promises, love and friendship
now available to me.

"Progress not perfection"...a thought I keep ever so close,
I cling to it whenever I am hurting the most.
Today my life is different, more than I
ever thought it could be,
And it's only made possible through
God and recovery!

Today I am living,
joyous and free ~

Discovering what it's like to truly be me!

Ava E. ©1998
worthywoman@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trusting Growth

It is possible to appear
To be moving backwards,
While actually moving forward.

It is similar to walking up
The down escalator...
At a slightly faster pace.

At the end of the cycle
We are amazed to discover
We have made measurable progress
While seemingly in the
Grip of error.

John and `Ananda" Jo Ann McIntosh
Copyright©  2004

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Reflection for the Day

One of the best ways to get out of the self-pity trap is to do some
"instant
bookkeeping." For every entry of misery on the debit side of our
ledger, we
can surely find a blessing to mark on the credit side: the health we
enjoy,
the illnesses we don't have, the friends who love us and who allow us to
love them, a good day's work. If we but try, we can easily list a whole
string of credits that will far outweigh the debit entries which cause
self-pity. Is my emotional balance on the credit side today?

Today I Pray

May I learn to sort out my debits and credits and add it all up. May I
list
my several blessings on the credit side. May my ledger show me, when
all is
totaled, a fat fund of good things to draw on.

Today I Will Remember

I have blessings in my savings.

from the book: A Day at a Time, by Anonymous

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Affirmation: I came into the world whole, complete, and perfect.
Through environment, education and experience I came to believe
that I was inadequate, unworthy, and unlovable.
I developed a worldly reality that hid my spiritual reality.
I put on a mask to conform to the world hiding my true nature.
I now know I Am whole, complete, and perfect blessed
with the potential to manifest my authentic Self.
edwardg

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty,
believe in them and try to follow where they lead.
Louisa May Alcott

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Look forward, not backward.
Be a leader, not a follower.
Focus on your successes and learn from your failures.
Stay away from people who try to belittle  your ambitions.
Trust your hopes, not your fears.
Go the extra mile at your job.
Alexander Lockhart

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Looking back, I have this to regret,
that too often when I loved, I did not say so.
David Grayson (1890-1990)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Perfectionism is the highest form of self-abuse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Character is what you have when no one is looking.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

God can't fill someone who is full of self.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Be on guard against the unguarded moment.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
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To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

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http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

pRECIOUS BECKI, so sorry that your Precious Sister has now made her transition.
However, I am happy she is free at last of that tortureing pain. If I remember
she was no long cognitive and able to talk for a number of weeks. I will keep
you and her Precious family in my thoughts up in prayer. Wishing everyone
concerned and more so your Precious Mom that seemed to care about her more than
anyone except your dad. This must be difficult for you and your mom with your
Precious Father passing such a short time ago. Wishing u a Divine Healing from
some of the pain.
Peace and Blessings, Connie A CD 7/4/78 
--- On Mon, 11/16/09, Judy O <judy4na@...> wrote:


From: Judy O <judy4na@...>
Subject: Re: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] For those of you who have supported
me through this
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, November 16, 2009, 8:27 PM


 



((Becki)))) so sorry to hear of your sisters passing ...you and your
family are in my thoughts and prayers...we love you dear sister ((Hugs))
JudyO
--- In twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit@ yahoogroups. com, "anna"
<amarley3@.. .> wrote:
>
>
> becki, holding your family in love and prayers... truly....
>
> anna
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: b dalton
> To: twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit@ yahoogroups. com
> Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:41 PM
> Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood 4 theSpirit] For those of you who have
supported me through this
>
>
>
> I just wanted to thank all of you who have supported me through this
trying time of my sisters illness and wanted to let you know that she
has passed on.. I am grateful that she will no longer be struggling with
her disease. I know that it went quickly for her as it seems that she
was just diagnosed with it, and at times it seemed so unfair, but I am
grateful that she doesn't have to suffer with it any longer. So in
memory of my sister tonight I say a prayer, and know that I was blessed
to have had her a part of my life.
> Becki
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]











[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

PRECIOUS ANNA, Happy Birthday sweetheart.

--- On Sun, 11/15/09, Lori F. <lorraine.field@...> wrote:


From: Lori F. <lorraine.field@...>
Subject: Re: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] Birthday Reminder
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, November 15, 2009, 11:41 AM


 



Anna:
 
Happy Birthday my dear friend.  Take care of the most important person
today....YOU! .
I love you.
 
Lori F.

--- On Sat, 11/14/09, twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit@ yahoogroups. com
<twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit@ yahoogroups. com> wrote:

From: twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit@ yahoogroups. com <twelvestepsoulfood4
thespirit@ yahoogroups. com>
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood 4 theSpirit] Birthday Reminder
To: twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 11:57 PM

#yiv1673886809 a {color:#0066CC; text-decoration: none;}
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Reminder from:
 
twelvestepsoulfood4 thespirit Yahoo! Group

 

Title:
 
ANNA BD

 

Date:
 
Monday November 16, 2009

Time:
 
All Day

Repeats:
 
This event repeats every year.

Location:
 
New Jersey

 

Yahoo! Greetings:
 
Send a Yahoo! Greeting

Yahoo! Shopping:
 
Browse Yahoo! Shopping Gift Guide

 

Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email.
Edit reminder optionsCopyright © 2009  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]











[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit,

I set up a Facebook profile where I can post my pictures, videos and events and
I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join
Facebook! Once you join, you can also create your own profile.

Thanks,
Anthony

To sign up for Facebook, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=675229931&k=4X152W5XTTXDZDMHUG2VPVT2VUJ1Z4&r



Already have an account? Add this email address to your account
http://www.facebook.com/n/?merge_accounts.php&e=twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yah\
oogroups.com&c=2bc880d3055a9b92a3077526bd58909d.twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yah\
oogroups.com was invited to join Facebook by Anthony Hall. If you do not wish to
receive this type of email from Facebook in the future, please click on the link
below to unsubscribe.
http://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=532f5e&u=635698454&mid=16d5162G25e3fd16G0G8
Facebook's offices are located at 1601 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Good morning,
For me the attraction I saw in the rooms was that I was not alone in my
alcoholism. I wasn't as unique as I thought.
I finally felt a sense of belonging.Alot of people in the rooms had been where
I had been, and they helped me to see
that this is definitely a disease! And no matter their background, there were
people just like me! People who could
not just take one drink. People who when they did drink became totally
different! Just like me. And now I love to go
to meetings! At first I was able to go to as many as 4--5 meetings a week,but
lately,because of my school schedule,
I have only been to one meeting a week. But this will change very soon. A new
semester is comin up and I will be
free evenings again,so I can get to a few more meetings a week at night. As for
Diversity? Not sure what the 
meaning of that is, but I have seen all different kinds of people coming into
the rooms of AA, but in the end they are
just like me. Alcoholics! People who cannot drink. I hope this has helped
someone today. God Bless,         Susie
  :-) Smbnsync48 :-)




________________________________
From: YOUnMEnHP <YOUnMEnHP@...>
To: 12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit <12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit@yahoogroups.com>;
12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit
<12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit@googlegroups.com>;
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit <twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 9:32:23 PM
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] 11/17/09 "Used To Be " ~12 Step Soul
Food for the Spirit


Anonymity
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/anonymity.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Why is diversity important to our fellowship ?
What was the first "attraction" you saw in the rooms ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the 
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November  17
Today I am doing the best that I can
with the guidance that I get.
I leave the results to my Higher Power
and trust that they are for the greatest good.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Used To Be

I used to be addicted you see
I was chained to altering reality
My addiction only knew more and more
This was truly the only reason I lived for
If one felt good I always wanted two
I could not tell false from true
I would be running from
Morning until night
I was always
Angry
I always wanted to fight
Then Gods mercy
Also Hs grace
Had led me to recovery
By Gods grace and mercy
I lived differently I could now see
Back then it was hard to look myself in the eye
Way back then all I could do was deny
Working the steps one by one each day
God the steps along with a sponsor
Helped me to change my way
Today I am grateful to be free
With God my sponsor
Also the steps
I can now be free
Today by Gods grace
I am all that God
Meant me to be
What I used
To be is now gone
Day by day my life moves on
Today I am far from what I used to be
Today I live a life that is totally free

Daniel M Corkery
1/2/2003
DMCDREAMER1@...
DMCDREAMER's Page of Poetry
www.geocities.com/dmcdreamer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and 
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Different Drums and Different Drummers
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=ivZ3V8Y3mn68I6hkR9\
Fso_qmZuKfI6zGtBuDaQLcN3b1Aok3Bw

4th Step Tips
http://www.barefootsworld.net/aa4thsteptips.html

Sober Moms
www.sobermoms.com

Drug Test
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/D/drugs_test

Priceless Things
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/PricelessThings.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 17                              Walking Through the Pain

"We never have to use again, no matter how we feel. All
feelings will eventually pass."        Basic Text p. 79

It hurts like never before. You get out of bed after a sleepless
night, talk to God, and still don't feel any better. "It will pass;' a
little voice tells you. "When?" you wonder, as you pace and
mutter and get on with your day.

You sob in your car and turn the radio all the way up so you
can't hear your own thoughts. But you go straight to work,
and don't even think about using drugs.

Your insides feel as though they've been torched. Just when
the pain becomes unbearable, you go numb and silent. You
go to a meeting and wish you were as happy as other
members seem to be. But you don't relapse.

You cry some more and call your sponsor. You drive to a
friend's  house and don't even notice the beautiful scenery
because your inner landscape is so bleak. You may not feel
any better after visiting your friend-but at least you didn't visit
the connection instead.

You listen to a Fifth Step. You share at a meeting. You look
at the calendar and realize you've gotten through another
day clean.

Then one day you wake up, look outside, and realize it's a
beautiful day. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. You take a
deep breath, smile again, and know that it really does pass.

Just for today: No matter how I feel today, I'll go on with my
recovery.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An Open Mind

True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

My alcoholic thinking led me to believe that I could control my
drinking, but I couldn't.  When I came to A.A., I realized that
God was speaking to me through my group.  My mind was open just
enough to know that I needed His help.  A real, honest acceptance
of A.A. took more time, but with it came humility.  I know how
insane I was, and I am extremely grateful to have my sanity
restored to me and to be a sober alcoholic.  The new, sober
me is a much better person than I ever could have been without A.A.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 17th

A.A. Thought for the Day

Everyone has two personalities, a good and a bad.  We
are all dual personalities to some extent.  When we were
drinking, the bad personality was in control.  We did
things when we were drunk that we would never do when
we were sober.  When we sober up, we are different
people.  Then we wonder how we could have done the
things we did.  But we drink again, and again our bad side
comes out.  So we are back and forth, always in conflict
with our other selves, always in a stew.  This division of
our selves is not good; we must somehow become unified.
We do this by giving ourselves wholeheartedly to A.A. and
to sobriety.  Have I become unified?

Meditation for the Day

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant.  Enter into the
joy of Thy Lord."  These words are for many ordinary people
whom the world may pass by, unrecognizing.  Not to the
world-famed, the proud, the wealthy, are these words
spoken, but to the quiet followers who serve God unobtrusively
yet faithfully, who bear their crosses bravely and put a smiling
face to the world.  "Enter into the joy of Thy Lord."  Pass into
that fuller spiritual life, which is a life of joy and peace.

Prayer for the Day I pray that I may not desire the world's
applause.  I pray that I may not seek rewards for doing what
I believe is right.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 17

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Grief and Action

    Trust in God and do something.
    --Mary Lyon

It's important to let ourselves grieve as a passage between
yesterday and tomorrow. But we do not have to be controlled
unduly by our grief, or our pain.

There are times when we have grieved, surrendered to the
heaviness, tiredness, and weariness of a circumstance long
enough. It becomes time to break out. It comes time to take
action.

We will know when it's time to break the routine of grieving.
There will be signs within and around us. We will become tired
of the heaviness. An idea will occur; an opportunity will present
itself. We may think: No. Too much effort... Do it anyway. Try
something. Reach out. Stretch. Do something unusual,
something different, and something special.

A new activity may help trigger the transformation process.
Stay up two hours later than usual! Make an appointment to
do something for yourself that is different from what you
usually do. Visit someone you haven't seen in years. Do
something to encourage and help the new energy coming
your way.

We may not feel like breaking out of grief. It may feel safer,
easier, to remain in our cocoon. Begin pushing out anyway.

Test the walls of your cocoon. Push. Push a little harder. It may
be time to emerge.

Today, I will trust God and the process, but I will also take
action to help myself feel better.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion
of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without
the written permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

CLEARING AND ENHANCING THE ENERGY IN YOUR HOME AND WORKSPACES
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/clearing.htm

God Did Not Desert You, By Alan Cohen
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2005/11/alan-cohen.htm

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

7 SECRETS To a Great Life
By Kathy Gates

        A great life doesn't happen by accident. A great life is the
result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work
towards what you want your life to be. Stop setting yourself up
for stress and failure, and start setting up your life to support
success and ease. A great life is the result of using the 24/7
you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what
comes next. Customize these "secrets" to fit your own needs
and style, and start creating your own great life today!

        1. S - Simplify. A great life is the result of simplifying your
life. People often misinterpret what simplify means. It's not a
way to remove work from your life. When you focus on
simplifying your life, you free up energy and time for the work
that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are here. In order
to create a great life, you will have to make room for it in yours
first.

        2. E - Effort. A great life is the result of your best effort.
Creating a great life requires that you make some adjustments.
It may mean re-evaluating how you spend your time, or
choosing to spend your money in a different way. It may mean
looking for new ways to spend your energy that coincide with
your particular definition of a great life. Life will reward your
best effort.

        3. C - Create Priorities. A great life is the result of creating
priorities. It's easy to spend your days just responding to the
next thing that gets your attention, instead of intentionally
using the time, energy and money you have in a way that's
important to you. Focus on removing the obstacles that get in
the way of you making sure you are honoring your priorities.

        4. R - Reserves. A great life is the result of having reserves
- reserves of things, time, space, energy, money. With reserves,
you acquire far more than you need - not 6 months living
expenses, but 5 years worth; not 15 minutes of free time, 1
day. Reserves are important because they reduce the fear of
consequences, and that allows you to make decisions based
on what you really want instead of what the fear decides for
you.

        5. E - Eliminate distractions. A great life is the result of
eliminating distractions. Up to 75% of your mental energy
can be tied up in things that are draining and distracting you.
Eliminating distractions can be a difficult concept to many
people, since they haven't really considered that there is
another way to live. Look around at someone's life you
admire. What do they do that you would like to incorporate
into your own life? Ask them how they did it. Find ways to
free up your mental energy for things that are more important
to you.

        6. T - Thoughts. A great life is the result of controlling your
thoughts so that you accept and allow for the possibility that it
actually can happen to you! Your belief in the outcome will
directly dictate how successful you are. Motivated people have
specific goals and look for ways to achieve them. Believing
there is a solution to the same old problems you encounter
year after year is vitally important to creating a life that you love.
Whatever you think and believe, you create. Listen to what
you're telling yourself, and adjust that voice if you need to.

        7. S - Start! A great life is the result of starting. There's 
the
old saying everyone's familiar with "a journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step." In order to even move from
the couch to the refrigerator, you have to start. There's no
better time to start than today. Don't wait for a raise, or until
the kids get older, or the weather is better. Today, right now,
is the right day to start to take a step in the direction of your
heart's desires. It's what you do TODAY that will make a
difference in your life tomorrow.

        Kathy Gates is a Personal Life Coach who believes that "Life
Rewards Action". Visit www.reallifecoach.com for more information,
or email Kathy@..., or 480.998.5843.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Happy Cat

There is a story told about a cat who
discovered that happiness was in his tail.
He kept trying over and over to get it,
but all he could do was run around in circles.
Exhausted and frustrated,
with this endless pursuit,,
he eventually stopped.
And then, he discovered that if he'd just go on about his life
then it would follow him wherever he went.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I Am Not That
            (an Affirmation)

I am not the achievement award upon my wall
nor the letters after my name.

I am not the functions I perform nor the status
Bestowed upon me by my  possessions

I am not a color nor a gender, and I am not this body
That restricts most of the limitlessness that I am in Truth.

I am beyond description or parameters for I am fluid,
Ever changing while unchangeable in essence.

I can be found everywhere without identifying
With anything.

In my heart of hearts I know these things to be True,
Yet the identity masks I have fastened to my face hide
This Truth from me and my world.

I resolve Now to be ever vigilant in my attention upon
The Truth of my Oneness with All that Is.

John McIntosh and Jo Ann "Ananda" Polito
Copyright © Teach Only Love

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Big Mud Puddles and Yellow Dandelions

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see
a bunch of weeds that are going
to take over my yard. My kids see flowers
for Mom and blowing white fluff
you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles
at me, I see a smelly,dirty
person who probably wants money and I
look away. My kids see someone
smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry
a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit
self-consciously and listen. My kids feel the beat and
move to it. They sing out the words. If they
don't know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself
against it. I feel it messing
up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes,
spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall
to the ground laughing.

When I see a mud puddle I step around it.
I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in
it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and
worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or
to learn from?

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day
you may look back and realize
they were the big things.

I wish you BIG MUD PUDDLES and
SUNNY YELLOW DANDELIONS

Author Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The place where you are.....

The place where life happens is the place where you are. The
place where you build success and achievement is the place
where you are.

You cannot change the places where you came from, and you've
not yet arrived at the places you'll be. The place where you
are is the only place where you can think and act and make
life happen in the way you intend.

If you spend your time wishing you were someplace else, then
you lose the opportunity to get there. Instead, see the
power and the possibilities of the place where you are, and
tap into the real value of what you now have.

If you fill the place where you are with worry, frustration,
anxiety or anger, you put needless limitations on what you
can do. Instead, fill this moment, this set of circumstances
with joy, love, gratitude and enthusiasm for the positive
possibilities.

Give the best that you can to the place where you are. For
your world is determined not by what you hope to do on some
distant someday, but by how you live right here and now.

This is the place where you are. Live it for all that it is.

Ralph Marston

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't sit in judgment of your own lack of awareness or anyone else's.
The action of judging demonstrates lack of awareness.
John-Roger
(From: The Way Out Book)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The curious paradox is that
when I accept myself just as I am,
then I can change.
Carl Rogers

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life,"
God tells second-class angel Clarence:
"There's a man on earth who needs your help,"
to which Clarence responds,
"If I help him, will I get my wings?"
Clarence is a lower-rank angel because he's still focused on,
"What's in it for me?"
He ultimately receives his wings after discovering that true service
is about gratitude, giving without expecting anything in return.
Today, choose to be in service to others
simply for the feeling of knowing you served well today.
Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We must know definitely and consistently that the universe
is for us and not against us.
Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm only responsible for the thoughts that I keep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Growth always moves from the inside out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Faith flourishes in the garden of gratitude.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Focusing on the moral weaklings of others
is a terrific way of not looking at yourself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The JOY is in the Journey


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
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or
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

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http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
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Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

        ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
  <^\()/\()/^>      with but one wing,
      \/  \/  \/      and can only fly by
        /  \/  \        embracing each other"
        `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

As you are aware of, this is a fairly busy list, with lots of emails each day. 
I know a lot of people can be overwhelmed by the amount of emails they receive
on lists and it can make you want to unsubscribe.

To help make your life easier (and less stressful) there are options for your
group mail.

1.You can pick to read on the 'web only'...you get NO emails to your email
program, you simply login to yahoo at http://groups.yahoo.com/mygroups and click
on the group that you want to read, then you would click on "messages" in the
sidebar on the left.

2.You can subscribe as 'daily digest'.  With this option, you get one or two
emails daily, which include all the emails to the group, you just get to read
them in bunches instead of individually. Also there are no graphics or pictures.

To choose either of these options, you go to your groups page at
http://groups.yahoo.com/mygroups , then click "edit my groups" on the on title
bar, then under "message delivery" there will be a drop down list, click on the
checkmark and it will show your options.. you can choose:

individual emails

daily digest

special notices- web only but you will get special notices to your inbox.

no email - read on the site only.

Its as simple as that.

Make sure you click on 'save changes' at the bottom of the page and you can
exit.

If you ever need any help, Im an email away. I can also help you set up your
mail delivery settings.


In loving service,
Scott
YOUnMEnHP@...! Groups Links






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

becki, how are you doing ?


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Anonymity
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/anonymity.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Why is diversity important to our fellowship ?
What was the first "attraction" you saw in the rooms ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November  17
Today I am doing the best that I can
with the guidance that I get.
I leave the results to my Higher Power
and trust that they are for the greatest good.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Used To Be

I used to be addicted you see
I was chained to altering reality
My addiction only knew more and more
This was truly the only reason I lived for
If one felt good I always wanted two
I could not tell false from true
I would be running from
Morning until night
I was always
Angry
I always wanted to fight
Then Gods mercy
Also Hs grace
Had led me to recovery
By Gods grace and mercy
I lived differently I could now see
Back then it was hard to look myself in the eye
Way back then all I could do was deny
Working the steps one by one each day
God the steps along with a sponsor
Helped me to change my way
Today I am grateful to be free
With God my sponsor
Also the steps
I can now be free
Today by Gods grace
I am all that God
Meant me to be
What I used
To be is now gone
Day by day my life moves on
Today I am far from what I used to be
Today I live a life that is totally free

Daniel M Corkery
1/2/2003
DMCDREAMER1@...
DMCDREAMER's Page of Poetry
www.geocities.com/dmcdreamer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Different Drums and Different Drummers
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=ivZ3V8Y3mn68I6hkR9\
Fso_qmZuKfI6zGtBuDaQLcN3b1Aok3Bw

4th Step Tips
http://www.barefootsworld.net/aa4thsteptips.html

Sober Moms
www.sobermoms.com

Drug Test
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/D/drugs_test

Priceless Things
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/PricelessThings.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 17                              Walking Through the Pain

"We never have to use again, no matter how we feel. All
feelings will eventually pass."         Basic Text p. 79

It hurts like never before. You get out of bed after a sleepless
night, talk to God, and still don't feel any better. "It will pass;' a
little voice tells you. "When?" you wonder, as you pace and
mutter and get on with your day.

You sob in your car and turn the radio all the way up so you
can't hear your own thoughts. But you go straight to work,
and don't even think about using drugs.

Your insides feel as though they've been torched. Just when
the pain becomes unbearable, you go numb and silent. You
go to a meeting and wish you were as happy as other
members seem to be. But you don't relapse.

You cry some more and call your sponsor. You drive to a
friend's  house and don't even notice the beautiful scenery
because your inner landscape is so bleak. You may not feel
any better after visiting your friend-but at least you didn't visit
the connection instead.

You listen to a Fifth Step. You share at a meeting. You look
at the calendar and realize you've gotten through another
day clean.

Then one day you wake up, look outside, and realize it's a
beautiful day. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. You take a
deep breath, smile again, and know that it really does pass.

Just for today: No matter how I feel today, I'll go on with my
recovery.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An Open Mind

True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

My alcoholic thinking led me to believe that I could control my
drinking, but I couldn't.  When I came to A.A., I realized that
God was speaking to me through my group.  My mind was open just
enough to know that I needed His help.  A real, honest acceptance
of A.A. took more time, but with it came humility.  I know how
insane I was, and I am extremely grateful to have my sanity
restored to me and to be a sober alcoholic.  The new, sober
me is a much better person than I ever could have been without A.A.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 17th

A.A. Thought for the Day

Everyone has two personalities, a good and a bad.  We
are all dual personalities to some extent.  When we were
drinking, the bad personality was in control.  We did
things when we were drunk that we would never do when
we were sober.  When we sober up, we are different
people.  Then we wonder how we could have done the
things we did.  But we drink again, and again our bad side
comes out.  So we are back and forth, always in conflict
with our other selves, always in a stew.  This division of
our selves is not good; we must somehow become unified.
We do this by giving ourselves wholeheartedly to A.A. and
to sobriety.  Have I become unified?

Meditation for the Day

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant.  Enter into the
joy of Thy Lord."  These words are for many ordinary people
whom the world may pass by, unrecognizing.  Not to the
world-famed, the proud, the wealthy, are these words
spoken, but to the quiet followers who serve God unobtrusively
yet faithfully, who bear their crosses bravely and put a smiling
face to the world.  "Enter into the joy of Thy Lord."  Pass into
that fuller spiritual life, which is a life of joy and peace.

Prayer for the Day I pray that I may not desire the world's
applause.  I pray that I may not seek rewards for doing what
I believe is right.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 17

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Grief and Action

     Trust in God and do something.
     --Mary Lyon

It's important to let ourselves grieve as a passage between
yesterday and tomorrow. But we do not have to be controlled
unduly by our grief, or our pain.

There are times when we have grieved, surrendered to the
heaviness, tiredness, and weariness of a circumstance long
enough. It becomes time to break out. It comes time to take
action.

We will know when it's time to break the routine of grieving.
There will be signs within and around us. We will become tired
of the heaviness. An idea will occur; an opportunity will present
itself. We may think: No. Too much effort... Do it anyway. Try
something. Reach out. Stretch. Do something unusual,
something different, and something special.

A new activity may help trigger the transformation process.
Stay up two hours later than usual! Make an appointment to
do something for yourself that is different from what you
usually do. Visit someone you haven't seen in years. Do
something to encourage and help the new energy coming
your way.

We may not feel like breaking out of grief. It may feel safer,
easier, to remain in our cocoon. Begin pushing out anyway.

Test the walls of your cocoon. Push. Push a little harder. It may
be time to emerge.

Today, I will trust God and the process, but I will also take
action to help myself feel better.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion
of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without
the written permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

CLEARING AND ENHANCING THE ENERGY IN YOUR HOME AND WORKSPACES
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/clearing.htm

God Did Not Desert You, By Alan Cohen
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2005/11/alan-cohen.htm

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

7 SECRETS To a Great Life
By Kathy Gates

         A great life doesn't happen by accident. A great life is the
result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work
towards what you want your life to be. Stop setting yourself up
for stress and failure, and start setting up your life to support
success and ease. A great life is the result of using the 24/7
you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what
comes next. Customize these "secrets" to fit your own needs
and style, and start creating your own great life today!

         1. S - Simplify. A great life is the result of simplifying your
life. People often misinterpret what simplify means. It's not a
way to remove work from your life. When you focus on
simplifying your life, you free up energy and time for the work
that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are here. In order
to create a great life, you will have to make room for it in yours
first.

         2. E - Effort. A great life is the result of your best effort.
Creating a great life requires that you make some adjustments.
It may mean re-evaluating how you spend your time, or
choosing to spend your money in a different way. It may mean
looking for new ways to spend your energy that coincide with
your particular definition of a great life. Life will reward your
best effort.

         3. C - Create Priorities. A great life is the result of creating
priorities. It's easy to spend your days just responding to the
next thing that gets your attention, instead of intentionally
using the time, energy and money you have in a way that's
important to you. Focus on removing the obstacles that get in
the way of you making sure you are honoring your priorities.

         4. R - Reserves. A great life is the result of having reserves
- reserves of things, time, space, energy, money. With reserves,
you acquire far more than you need - not 6 months living
expenses, but 5 years worth; not 15 minutes of free time, 1
day. Reserves are important because they reduce the fear of
consequences, and that allows you to make decisions based
on what you really want instead of what the fear decides for
you.

         5. E - Eliminate distractions. A great life is the result of
eliminating distractions. Up to 75% of your mental energy
can be tied up in things that are draining and distracting you.
Eliminating distractions can be a difficult concept to many
people, since they haven't really considered that there is
another way to live. Look around at someone's life you
admire. What do they do that you would like to incorporate
into your own life? Ask them how they did it. Find ways to
free up your mental energy for things that are more important
to you.

         6. T - Thoughts. A great life is the result of controlling your
thoughts so that you accept and allow for the possibility that it
actually can happen to you! Your belief in the outcome will
directly dictate how successful you are. Motivated people have
specific goals and look for ways to achieve them. Believing
there is a solution to the same old problems you encounter
year after year is vitally important to creating a life that you love.
Whatever you think and believe, you create. Listen to what
you're telling yourself, and adjust that voice if you need to.

         7. S - Start! A great life is the result of starting. There's
the
old saying everyone's familiar with "a journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step." In order to even move from
the couch to the refrigerator, you have to start. There's no
better time to start than today. Don't wait for a raise, or until
the kids get older, or the weather is better. Today, right now,
is the right day to start to take a step in the direction of your
heart's desires. It's what you do TODAY that will make a
difference in your life tomorrow.

         Kathy Gates is a Personal Life Coach who believes that "Life
Rewards Action". Visit www.reallifecoach.com for more information,
or email Kathy@..., or 480.998.5843.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Happy Cat

There is a story told about a cat who
discovered that happiness was in his tail.
He kept trying over and over to get it,
but all he could do was run around in circles.
Exhausted and frustrated,
with this endless pursuit,,
he eventually stopped.
And then, he discovered that if he'd just go on about his life
then it would follow him wherever he went.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I Am Not That
             (an Affirmation)

I am not the achievement award upon my wall
nor the letters after my name.

I am not the functions I perform nor the status
Bestowed upon me by my  possessions

I am not a color nor a gender, and I am not this body
That restricts most of the limitlessness that I am in Truth.

I am beyond description or parameters for I am fluid,
Ever changing while unchangeable in essence.

I can be found everywhere without identifying
With anything.

In my heart of hearts I know these things to be True,
Yet the identity masks I have fastened to my face hide
This Truth from me and my world.

I resolve Now to be ever vigilant in my attention upon
The Truth of my Oneness with All that Is.

John McIntosh and Jo Ann "Ananda" Polito
Copyright © Teach Only Love

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Big Mud Puddles and Yellow Dandelions

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see
a bunch of weeds that are going
to take over my yard. My kids see flowers
for Mom and blowing white fluff
you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles
at me, I see a smelly,dirty
person who probably wants money and I
look away. My kids see someone
smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry
a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit
self-consciously and listen. My kids feel the beat and
move to it. They sing out the words. If they
don't know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself
against it. I feel it messing
up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes,
spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall
to the ground laughing.

When I see a mud puddle I step around it.
I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in
it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and
worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or
to learn from?

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day
you may look back and realize
they were the big things.

I wish you BIG MUD PUDDLES and
SUNNY YELLOW DANDELIONS

Author Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The place where you are.....

The place where life happens is the place where you are. The
place where you build success and achievement is the place
where you are.

You cannot change the places where you came from, and you've
not yet arrived at the places you'll be. The place where you
are is the only place where you can think and act and make
life happen in the way you intend.

If you spend your time wishing you were someplace else, then
you lose the opportunity to get there. Instead, see the
power and the possibilities of the place where you are, and
tap into the real value of what you now have.

If you fill the place where you are with worry, frustration,
anxiety or anger, you put needless limitations on what you
can do. Instead, fill this moment, this set of circumstances
with joy, love, gratitude and enthusiasm for the positive
possibilities.

Give the best that you can to the place where you are. For
your world is determined not by what you hope to do on some
distant someday, but by how you live right here and now.

This is the place where you are. Live it for all that it is.

Ralph Marston

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't sit in judgment of your own lack of awareness or anyone else's.
The action of judging demonstrates lack of awareness.
John-Roger
(From: The Way Out Book)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The curious paradox is that
when I accept myself just as I am,
then I can change.
Carl Rogers

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life,"
God tells second-class angel Clarence:
"There's a man on earth who needs your help,"
to which Clarence responds,
"If I help him, will I get my wings?"
Clarence is a lower-rank angel because he's still focused on,
"What's in it for me?"
He ultimately receives his wings after discovering that true service
is about gratitude, giving without expecting anything in return.
Today, choose to be in service to others
simply for the feeling of knowing you served well today.
Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We must know definitely and consistently that the universe
is for us and not against us.
Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm only responsible for the thoughts that I keep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Growth always moves from the inside out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Faith flourishes in the garden of gratitude.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Focusing on the moral weaklings of others
is a terrific way of not looking at yourself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The JOY is in the Journey


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
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or
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Becki)))) so sorry to hear of your sisters passing ...you and your
family are in my thoughts and prayers...we love you dear sister ((Hugs))
JudyO
--- In twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com, "anna"
<amarley3@...> wrote:
>
>
> becki, holding your family in love and prayers... truly....
>
> anna
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: b dalton
> To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:41 PM
> Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] For those of you who have
supported me through this
>
>
>
> I just wanted to thank all of you who have supported me through this
trying time of my sisters illness and wanted to let you know that she
has passed on.. I am grateful that she will no longer be struggling with
her disease. I know that it went quickly for her as it seems that she
was just diagnosed with it, and at times it seemed so unfair, but I am
grateful that she doesn't have to suffer with it any longer. So in
memory of my sister tonight I say a prayer, and know that I was blessed
to have had her a part of my life.
> Becki
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

becki, holding your family in love and prayers... truly....

anna


   ----- Original Message -----
   From: b dalton
   To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:41 PM
   Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] For those of you who have supported
me through this



   I just wanted to thank all of you who have supported me through this trying
time of my sisters illness and wanted to let you know that she has passed on.. 
I am grateful that she will no longer be struggling with her disease.  I know
that it went quickly for her as it seems that she was just diagnosed with it,
and at times it seemed so unfair, but I am grateful that she doesn't have to
suffer with it any longer.  So in memory of my sister tonight I say a prayer,
and know that I was blessed to have had her a part of my life.
   Becki

   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I just wanted to thank all of you who have supported me through this trying time
of my sisters illness and wanted to let you know that she has passed on..  I am
grateful that she will no longer be struggling with her disease.  I know that it
went quickly for her as it seems that she was just diagnosed with it, and at
times it seemed so unfair, but I am grateful that she doesn't have to suffer
with it any longer.  So in memory of my sister tonight I say a prayer, and know
that I was blessed to have had her a part of my life.
Becki






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

"A few hours later, Bill W. said goodbye:  'I went down the steps
and then turned to look back.  Bob stood in the doorway, tall and
upright as ever. . . This was my partner, the man with whom I  never
had a hard word.  The wonderful, old, broad smile was on his face
as he said almost jokingly,  'Remember, Bill, let's not louse this thing
[general service conference] up.  Let's keep it simple!'  I  turned
away, unable to say a word.  That was the  last time I ever saw him.'

"Dr. Bob died at noon the following Thursday,  November 16, 1950"
["Pass It On," page 342]

www.silkworth.net/aabiography/roberthsmith.html
www.silkworth.net/mitchellk/articles/drb_lastdrink.html

*We should all take a moment to reflect
and be grateful for ALL of our predecessors  :)



Area Service
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/areaservice.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Were you ready to stop when you finally stopped ?
How long did you continue to use after you no longer wanted to use ?
What made you take the final step ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 16
Today I know that it does not matter
if I cannot see the end of the road.
I have absolute faith and trust
that I am walking in the right direction
and that I am being guided along the way.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rules of the Game

My throat dry and scratchy, I adjust my hat,
Walk up to the plate, cause it's my turn to bat.
Trying hard to ignore the attention of the crowd,
My mind racing madly, my heart beating loud.
The bases are loaded, I take a deep breath.
I always remember, this is life or death.
For whatever words God wills me to say.
My eye on the ball, I can't look away.
Recalling my past, the loss of all hope,
Remembering the pain, I try not to choke.
One day at a time, it's been a good year.
I've hit a homerun, the crowd starts to cheer!
I'll never be rich, no fortune or fame,
Cause I give it away to stay in the game!

Sharlett Fay Hunt
Sharlette863@...
Copyright ©2002

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Discovery Recovery
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=6bo3wa8wznTts_RIdb\
AOhGFFfzUNdzjXTHKkLEin73uFiPgtSA

On Steps 8 and 9
www.barefootsworld.net/aaonsteps89.html

The Complete Serenity Prayer
www.thecompleteserenityprayer.com/presentation.html

Flow of Life
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/FlowofLife.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 16                                Alone No More

"We gradually and carefully pull ourselves out of the isolation
and loneliness of addiction and into the mainstream of life."
Basic Text p. 35

   Many of us spent much of our using time alone, avoiding other
people-especially people who were not using-at all costs. After
years of isolation, trying to find a place for ourselves in a bustling,
sometimes boisterous fellowship is not always easy. We may
still feel isolated, focusing on our differences rather than our
similarities. The overwhelming feelings that often arise in early
recovery-feelings of fear, anger, and mistrust-can also keep us
isolated. We may feel like aliens but we must remember, the
alienation is ours, not NA's.

   In Narcotics Anonymous, we are offered a very special
opportunity for friendship. We are brought together with people
who understand us like no one else can. We are encouraged to
share with these people our feelings, our problems, our triumphs,
and our failures. Slowly, the recognition and identification we
find in NA bridge the lonely gap of alienation in our hearts.
As we've heard it said-the program works, if we let it.

Just for today: The friendship of other members of the fellowship
is a life-sustaining gift. I will reach out for the friendship that's
offered in NA, and accept it.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Daily Tune-Up

Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into
all of our activities.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85

How do I maintain my spiritual condition?  For me it's quite simple:
on a daily basis I ask my Higher Power to grant me the gift of sobriety
for that day!  I have talked to many alcoholics who have gone back to
drinking and I always ask them: "Did you pray for sobriety the day
you took your first drink?"  Not one of them said yes.  As I practice
Step Ten and try to keep my house in order on a daily basis, I have
the knowledge that if I ask for a daily reprieve, it will be granted.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 16th

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have gotten rid of most of my inner conflicts.  I was
always at war with myself.  I was doing things that I
did not want to do.  I was waking up in strange places
and wondering how I got there.  I was full of
recklessness when I was drunk and full of remorse
when I was sober.  My life didn't make sense.  It was
full of broken resolves and frustrated hopes and plans.
I was getting nowhere fast.  No wonder my nerves were
all shot.  I was bumping up against a blank wall and I was
dizzy from it.  A.A. taught me how to get organized and
to stop fighting against myself.  Have I gotten rid of
inner conflicts?

Meditation for the Day

"When two or three are gathered together in My name,
there am I in the midst of them."  The spirit of God
comes upon His followers when they are all together at
one time, in one place, and with one accord.  When two
or three consecrated souls are together at a meeting
place, the spirit of God is there to help and guide them.
Where any sincere group of people are together,
reverently seeking the help of God, His power and His
spirit are there to inspire them.

Prayer for the Day I pray that I may be in accord with
the members of my group.  I pray that I may feel the
strength of a consecrated group.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 16

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

The Victim Trap

The belief that life has to be hard and difficult in the belief that
makes a martyr.

We can change our negative beliefs about life, and whether
we have the power to stop our pain and take care of ourselves.

We aren't helpless. We can solve our problems. We do have
power - not to change or control others, but to solve the problems
that are ours to solve.

Using each problem that comes our way to "prove" that life is
hard and we are helpless - this is codependency. It's the victim
trap.

Life does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can be smooth. Life
is good. We don't have to "awfulize" it, or ourselves. We don't
have to live on the underside.

We do have power, more power than we know, even in the
difficult times. And the difficult times don't prove life is bad;
they are part of the ups and downs of life; often, they work out
for the best.

We can change our attitude; we can change ourselves;
sometimes, we can change our circumstances.

Life is challenging. Sometimes, there's more pain than we asked
for; sometimes, there's more joy than we imagined.

It's all part of the package, and the package is good.

We are not victims of life. We can learn to remove ourselves as
victims of life. By letting go of our belief that life has to be hard
and difficult, we make our life much easier.

Today, God, help me let go of my belief that life is so hard, so
awful, or so difficult. Help me replace that belief with a healthier,
more realistic view.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of
this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the
written permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Patches & Prisons of the Heart
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2002/11/patches.htm

A World Gone Insane
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2006/11/editorial.htm

The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself
by Dr. Eric Pearl
http://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/August/feature2.htm

Sexuality
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sex/index.shtml

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hints On Raising Children
by Louise Frechette

How you ask your children to listen, and what you choose to
see in them will help determine their response to you. Don't
allow your ego to make you feel guilty for not doing it perfectly.
The myth of the perfect parent is as much a myth as that of the
perfect child. A Course In Miracles reminds us that no one
comes into this world without an ego and their own agenda.

What we need to stop thinking is that the monumental task of
parenting and educating our children is solely in our hands. It
isn't. It's a joint venture, a sacred trust between ourselves, our
children, and God. We are together because our lessons of
forgiveness are the same. We can be grateful to them for
reminding us of our own unhealed guilt and fears.

   We don't have a magic formula with which to raise our children,
but we have been blessed with a miracle formula handed down
to us by the only Perfect Parent. "To follow the Holy Spirit's
guidance is to let yourself be absolved of guilt. It is the essence of
the Atonement. It is the core of the curriculum. The imagined
usurping of functions not your own is the basis of fear ... To return
the function e to the One to Whom it belongs is I thus the escape
from fear. And it is this that -lets the memory of love return to YOU."
Raising Them Day By Day

Here are a few ideas and a very brief summary of the main
methods that have worked miracles for me and which I hope will do
the same for you:

     1. Start out the day by asking the Holy Spirit to help you and
your children to be more willing to listen to His Guidance. Follow
it with a prayer of forgiveness for any grievances you may be
holding towards your child or anyone.

     2. Motivate your children with kind words of trust' that reflect
your
decision to see their loving Self rather than their ego. Which voice
you listen to within yourself brings them closer or farther from
wanting to listen to you.

     3. Disciplining children calls for love and boundaries. Start with
love, then add the boundaries as they are called for. If you are not
able to start with love, then start with boundaries, then add the love.
When boundaries are set out of love they bring sanity, not guilt.

     4. When your children don't listen to you, see it first as a call
for
communication, not an attack on you. Let them know how you feel
in a non-condemning way and listen to their feelings.- Do they
understand your need? And do you understand their need? Your
greater wisdom as a parent will determine what is negotiable and
what isn't.

     5. When kind words and patience don't work, it is because your
children are identified with their ego and don't value the love you're
giving them .Don't wait until you have run out of patience before
giving them a choice between listening or facing a consequence.
They need the boundary of a consequence rather than a threat, to
stop the lack of cooperation before it brings more fear to you and to
them. Consequences provide the way in which children learn one
of the most fundamental laws of the mind - the power of their own
choices Be consistent and follow through with exactly what you
say the consequence is going to be. It is not meant to control them,
but to lead them away from the control their ego has on them so
they can be more free to love.

     6. Time out can be misused and overused way if we aren't
careful. But when nothing else works, it is unavoidable. Its
purpose should never be to punish a child, but to shift the
focus from conflict to one of giving them time to reflect on their
choice and to help them see the value of cooperating. It should
be no more than a few minutes long, then followed up with
peaceful discussion to allow love to replace guilt.

     7. The best and most powerful way to minimize the need for
consequences or time out is devote time every day to
teaching your children who their real Self is. They need to be
taught how to ask for the Help that is within their mind and how
to correct their mistakes by practicing time and time again gentle,
loving, and respectful ways of being. As Jesus reminds us of
our lack of commitment: "The problem is not one of concentration;
it is the belief that no one, including yourself [and your children],
is worth consistent effort. Side with me consistently against this
deception, and do not permit this shabby belief to pull you back

Remember - you can't fail. You can make mistakes, but you can't
fail. You're a child of Love and your Innocence and your children's
Innocence is guaranteed by God.

Louise Frechette, a student of A Course in Miracles since 1978,
offers valuable insights and support in the area of child rearing
and personal understanding. She operated the Child Light
Daycare in Minneapolis for ten years where she applied the
principles of the Course to raising and educating children. Louise
can be reached at: 1027 13th Avenue, SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.
The above article was first printed in 'The Holy Encounter Newsletter'
and is reprinted by permission of The Miracle Distribution Center,
1141 East Ash Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92631.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Gift of Giving

You get little in life without a whole lot of giving.
Successful people in all walks of life know this as a fact.
They live by the rule that the “more you give the more you get"
and give more of themselves than is expected.

The giving of gifts to family and friends need
not be an expensive experience.
Giving can be mutually rewarding and the most precious
of gifts never cost a cent.
A good gift comes from the heart and makes a
statement that you love and care for the other person,
feelings which no amount of monetary value can gauge.

A simple note of appreciation for the little things a person has
done, said or achieved in their personal life tells the other that
you care for them and are in your thoughts.
A quick personal phone call will deepen friendships.

Giving the gift of your time, to be there for the other when
needed and giving the gift of really listening to other people,
are very inexpensive presents that can only enrich your life
and the lives of others.

Reward yourself by giving meaningful gifts.
You will receive so much love in return.

John Hodgkin

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I Have Chosen

My heart is on standstill right now
There's a threat of incoming powerlessness
about to surround me and my world
that I find hard to acknowledge:
Life is not what I want it to be...

I could be angry about that
I could pace and let my frustration
fill me to the brim
I could surround myself with activity
keeping busy and raving and fixing
I could...

I have chosen instead to ride the wave
that threatens to crash my calm shores
I wait therefore
and I know the tide to turn
I wait for the moon
to exert her gravitational pull
upon the dull emotional state of
my perception, of my world in stasis
I wait instead
therefore I am still resident in the calm
between the ebb and flow
I still have the power that I need
in full potential mode

My heart is on standstill
I maintain my connection
remain surrounded by my power
Because
I have chosen

{What choices have you made today
that concern taking nurturing care of yourself?}

Love,
Stella

© 2001 Stella Raymonde Savoie
stellaraymonde@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As with expeditions into the wilds when we have endured storms
and rapids, cold and sleet, and sometimes lack of food, it is
ultimately the good things we remember, not the bad.
-- Sigurd F. Olson

In our daily lives we often take a very short perspective. We see
what is worrisome today, what is pressing hardest, or what is
most  frightening or confusing. Eventually, we may look back
and have a totally different idea about what was truly important
on this day.

Let us take a moment now to remember what does endure, what
we value most, what counts in the long run. For a brief quiet time
we can let go of all the anxieties of this moment. During these few
quiet moments, we will identify our tensions and then place them
totally into the hands of our Higher Power. This is our time to let
go of our worries and be refreshed. It will provide a background of
serenity for our day.

Hazelden Foundation

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Be Good To You

Be Yourself -- Truthfully
Accept Yourself -- Gracefully
Value Yourself -- Joyfully
Forgive Yourself -- Completely
Treat Yourself -- Generously
Balance Yourself -- Harmoniously
Bless Yourself -- Abundantly
Trust Yourself -- Confidently
Love Yourself -- Wholeheartedly
Empower Yourself -- Prayerfully
Give Yourself -- Enthusiastically
Express Yourself -- Radiantly

Author Unknown

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot.
It has to go through the white heat of the furnace
to become porcelain.
Mildred W. Struven

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We are not promised that when we have a relationship with God,
nothing bad will ever happen to us.
That's a very immature kind of idea about God.
A more mature relationship is,
"No matter what happens in my life,
my relationship with You, God, is greater."
Partnering with God gives us a strength and perception
that tells us the kind of power within is greater than
what's happening in the world and we know the truth,
that we are not alone.
   Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Always remember others may hate you
but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them.
And then you destroy yourself.
Richard M. Nixon

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just is some of us; it's in everyone.
Marianne Williamson

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The trouble with my point of view is that
I can't see the point from which I view it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Who then can so softly bind up the wounds of another,
as he who has felt the same wound himself?
Thomas Jefferson

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Resentment destroys the container it's kept in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A relapse begins with fault finding.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You spot it,
You got it......


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Becki:
 
Thank you for showing God's grace at this moment.  You are truly leading by
example how the program has worked thus far for you.  I am truly sorry to hear
about your sister but your grace at this moment shines through.  I love you and
am thinking about you.
 
Lori

--- On Sat, 11/14/09, b dalton <beckid42@...> wrote:


From: b dalton <beckid42@...>
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] Update thus far
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 6:39 PM


 



Just keeping you guys up to date so far.  I have returned to Panama but only to
wait until the news of my sister comes in to return for her funeral.  We have
taken my sister off of life support systems and have put her in Hospice and the
doctors give her approximately 4 days at the most to live.  She has taken on
her own life support system and seems to have faded into a coma.  So now I pray
for a peaceful transistion for her.  Leukemia has taken her quickly and I am
saddened by this but am grateful that I have cleared so much of the wreckage of
our relationship. 
 
Again, I seem to go here so many times, if you have amends to make to people,
get there and make them.  Don't pick up and avoid working those steps, let
those that you love know it on a daily basis and just keep walking through stuff
no matter what.  Life has a gift for us and we can't avoid them.  This is a
reminder for me that anything can happen and I need to grab onto what is in
front of me and enjoy each and every moment.  I am grateful for my gifts today
and grateful for the moments I got to spend with my sister.

Becki

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Anna:
 
Happy Birthday my dear friend.  Take care of the most important person
today....YOU!.
I love you.
 
Lori F.

--- On Sat, 11/14/09, twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
<twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


From: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
<twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] Birthday Reminder
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 11:57 PM








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#yiv1673886809 .clear_line{font-size:8px;}













Reminder from:
 
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit Yahoo! Group

 

Title:
 
ANNA BD

 

Date:
 
Monday November 16, 2009

Time:
 
All Day

Repeats:
 
This event repeats every year.

Location:
 
New Jersey

 

Yahoo! Greetings:
 
Send a Yahoo! Greeting


Yahoo! Shopping:
 
Browse Yahoo! Shopping Gift Guide


 

Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email.
Edit reminder optionsCopyright © 2009  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms
of Service | Privacy Policy




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Anna Happy BIrthday my friend - is this your belly button birthday or your
anniversary?  Either one I am blessed to have you in my life and so are the
family members in yours.  You are an amazing women

Becki

--- On Sat, 11/14/09, twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
<twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


From: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
<twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] Birthday Reminder
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 11:57 PM








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#yiv1353424444
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#yiv1353424444 .divider{width:5px;}
#yiv1353424444 #main {background-color:#4D94DB;width:525px;padding:0 0 10px
0;margin-bottom:10px;}
#yiv1353424444 #main_info {background-color:white;margin:0px 10px 0px
10px;clear:both;zoom:1;width:505px;}
#yiv1353424444 .header_images
{height:55px;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;zoom:1;}
#yiv1353424444 #header_yahoo_image
{margin-top:13px;float:left;width:274px;background-repeat:no-repeat;height:28px;\
text-align:left;}
#yiv1353424444 #header_second_image
{margin-top:10px;float:right;width:41px;height:40px;}
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15px;}
#yiv1353424444 #tip_footer {font-size:10px;text-align:center;}
#yiv1353424444 .clear_line{font-size:8px;}













Reminder from:
 
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit Yahoo! Group

 

Title:
 
ANNA BD

 

Date:
 
Monday November 16, 2009

Time:
 
All Day

Repeats:
 
This event repeats every year.

Location:
 
New Jersey

 

Yahoo! Greetings:
 
Send a Yahoo! Greeting


Yahoo! Shopping:
 
Browse Yahoo! Shopping Gift Guide


 

Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email.
Edit reminder optionsCopyright © 2009  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms
of Service | Privacy Policy







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Allergy
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/allergy.html

Please note, I will be out of town on business 11/11 through 11/15 in
Raliegh NC
I will be sending my emails into a holding bin in Yahoogroups and
Googlegroups they will be dated and time stamped 11/11 and
will appear in your email box for those dates even though I will
be releasing them for bulk mailing on the day that is in
the subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
PLEASE make sure to look through your inbox carefully and you
will find each days email with an 11/11 time stamp .
In loving service,
Scott


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Were you ready to stop when you finally stopped ?
How long did you continue to use after you no longer wanted to use ?
What made you take the final step ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 15
Today I am learning to think and act in a positive way
that is healthy for my mind, body and spirit.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The World Is A Puzzle

      There was a man who had a little boy that he loved very much.
Everyday after work the man would come home and play with the
little boy. He would always spend all of his extra time playing with
the little boy.

   One night, while the man was at work, he realized that he had
extra work to do for the evening, and that he wouldn't be able to
play with his little boy. But, he wanted to be able to give the boy
something to keep him busy. So, looking around his office, he saw
a magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. He got an
idea. He removed the map, and then patiently tore it up into small
pieces. Then he put all the pieces in his coat pocket.

   When he got home, the little boy came running to him and was
ready to play. The man explained that he had extra work to do
and couldn't play just now, but he led the little boy into the
dining room, and taking out all the pieces of the map, he spread
them on the table. He explained that it was a map of the world,
and that by the time he could put it back together, his extra work
would be finished, and they could both play. Surely this would keep
the child busy for hours, he thought.

   About half an hour later the boy came to the man and said, "Okay,
it's finished. Can we play now.?"

   The man was surprised, saying, "That's impossible. Let's go see."
And sure enough, there was the picture of the world, all put
together, every piece in it's place. The man said, "That's amazing !
How did you do that ?" The boy said, "It was simple. On the back
of the page was a picture of a man. When I put the man together
the whole world fell into place."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Diversity Creed
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=qvZhL1kwznvS1rDFG5\
dGqsc6TUxx9FfSCxe82W3LET_7CoEABA

On Steps 4, 5, 6 and 7
www.barefootsworld.net/aaonsteps4567.html

Quotations Recovery
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/QuotationsRecovery1.html

The Difference Between Strength and Courage
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/StrengthCourage.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 15                                 Letting Go

"Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how
to live."   Basic Text p. 25

   How do we begin the process of letting our Higher Power guide
our lives? When we seek advice about situations that trouble us,
we often find that our Higher Power works through others. When
we accept that we don't have all the answers, we open ourselves
to new and different options. A willingness to let go of our
preconceived ideas and opinions opens the channel for spiritual
guidance to light our way.

   At times, we must be driven to the point of distraction before
we are ready to turn difficult situations over to our Higher Power.
Anxiously plotting, struggling, planning, worrying-none of these
suffice. We can be sure that if we turn our problems over to our
Higher Power, through listening to others share their experience
or in the quiet of meditation, the answers will come.

   There is no point in living a frantic existence. Charging through
life like the house is on fire exhausts us and gets us nowhere. In
the long run, no amount of manipulation on our part will change a
situation. When we let go and allow ourselves access to a Higher
Power, we will discover the best way to proceed. Rest assured,
answers derived from a sound spiritual basis will be far superior
to any answers we could concoct on our own.

Just for today: I will let go and let my Higher Power guide my life.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Throughout Each Day

This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84

During my early years in A.A. I saw Step Ten as a suggestion that I
periodically look at my behavior and reactions.  If there was
something wrong, I should admit it; if an apology was necessary, I
should give one.  After a few years of sobriety I felt I should
undertake a self-examination more frequently.  Not until several
more years of sobriety had elapsed did I realize the full meaning of
Step Ten, and the word "continued."   "Continued" does not mean
occasionally, or frequently.  It means throughout each day.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 15th

A.A. Thought for the Day

I am less sensitive and my feelings are less easily hurt.
I no longer take myself so seriously.  It didn't used to
take much to insult me, to feel that I had been slighted
or left on the outside.  What happens to me now is not so
important.  One cause of our drinking was that we
couldn't take it, so we escaped the unpleasant situation.
We have learned to take it on the chin if necessary and
smile.  When I am all wrapped up in A.A., I do not notice
the personal slights so much.  They do not seem to matter
so much.  I have learned to laugh at self-pity because it's
so childish.  Am I less sensitive?

Meditation for the Day

God's miracle-working power is as manifest today as it
was in the past.  It still works miracles of change in lives
and miracles of healing in twisted minds.  When a person
trusts wholly in God and leaves to Him the choosing of the
day and hour, there is God's miracle-working power
becoming manifest in that persons life.  So we can trust
in God and have boundless faith in His power to make us
whole again, whenever He chooses.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel sure that there is nothing that
God cannot accomplish in changing my life.  I pray that
I may have faith in His miracle-working power.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 15

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Benefits of Recovery

There are two benefits from recovery: we have short-term gains
and long-term gains.

The short-term gains are the things we can do today that help
us feel better immediately.

We can wake up in the morning, read for a few minutes in our
meditation book, and feel lifted. We can work a Step and often
notice an immediate difference in the way we feel and function.
We can go to a meeting and feel refreshed, talk to a friend and
feel comforted, or practice a new recovery behavior, such as
dealing with our feelings or doing something good for ourselves,
and feel relieved.

There are other benefits from recovery, though, that we don't
see immediately on a daily or even a monthly basis. These are
the long-term gains, the larger progress we make in our life.

Over the years, we can see tremendous rewards. We can watch
ourselves grow strong in faith, until we have a daily personal
relationship with a Higher Power that is as real to us as a
relationship with a best friend.

We can watch ourselves grow beautiful as we shed shame, guilt,
resentments, self-hatred, and other negative buildups from our
past.

We can watch the quality of our relationships improve with family,
friends, and spouses. We find ourselves growing steadily and
gradually in our capacity to be intimate and close, to give and
receive.

We can watch ourselves grow in our careers, in our ability to be
creative, powerful, productive people, using our gifts and talents
in a way that feels good and benefits others.

We discover the joy and beauty in ourselves, others, and life.

The long-term progress is steady, but sometimes slow,
happening in increments and often with much forward and
backward movement. Enough days at a time of practicing
recovery behaviors and piling up short term gains leads to
long-term rewards.

Today, I will be grateful for the immediate and long-term rewards
of recovery. If I am new to recovery, I will have faith that I can
achieve the long-term benefits. If I've been recovering for a
while, I will pause to reflect, and be grateful for my overall
progress.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Hour Of Power
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/asoka-selvarajah.htm

How Long Healing Takes
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2006/November/Cohen.html

Creating a Holy and Loving Relationship
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/August/feature1.htm

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Challenges to a Lasting Relationship
by Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil
continued from Part 1

Can this relationship be saved?

The vast majority of relationships can and should be saved and
revived. In almost every case, couples can learn how to keep
their relationships alive and growing, and reap the rich rewards
of real and lasting love. Twenty-two years of family therapy
practice has given me the certainty that almost any relationship
can be turned into a great one if the people involved are willing.

I realize these are bold statements, but the statistics of my family
therapy practice speak for themselves.

      More than 98 percent of the married couples in my practice
who learn the skills (which I also teach in my book), make up
instead of break up, and have very happy and love-filled
partnerships.

      More than 98 percent of the singles who use these same skills
enter committed relationships or get married to partners they love.

Perhaps even more striking is the success rate of my couples
who have experienced adultery. Whereas infidelity causes 65
percent of breakups nationwide, this statistic can be cut down to
2 percent if couples learn the skills to get to the root of the
problem and work through it. I know it's possible because 98
percent of the couples in my therapy practice who have
experienced adultery discover their relationship is worth keeping.
These couples stay together because they wake up their love and
need for each other and make a conscious choice to commit to
the relationship, move toward forgiveness, and stay together.

Dead ends are turning points

Those of you who believe you've reached a dead end in your
relationship or in your dating are actually at the perfect point to
turn things around. Whether you're struggling with a relationship
stalemate, wounded by adultery, frustrated by not being able to
get past the third date, concerned about your long-distance
relationship, or grinding gears instead of enjoying the shifts and
changes that go hand in hand with relationship building — you
can learn how to make up, stay together, and move forward
toward real and lasting love. The success rate of my patients who
use these tools and skills in their relationships is so dramatically
higher than the national averages that I felt compelled to share
this information with as many people as I could — so that you can
have as much success in your relationships as my patients are
having.

Too many people break up before they make up a solid couple.
At the onset of a relationship or marriage, there's fascination, the
promise of untold happiness, and the thrill of the chase. But at
some point things begin to change. One partner may begin to
withdraw for no obvious reason, leaving the once-pursued
confused and insecure. At this point many relationships stop
before they've really started. There comes a point in every
relationship where we either wake up, or we break up.

Every relationship holds the potential for "sudden shutdowns".
What's both exciting and stunning is that this turn of events can
actually solidify your partnership — if you know what to do.
There is no perfect relationship or person out there, so stop
looking for perfection and work with the partner you have —
or the one you're about to start a relationship with. Don't wait
for the "right time", move now! Every relationship offers the
experience we need to perfect our skills. In fact, the relationship
process offers the perfect opportunity for personal as well as
relationship growth.

Most relationships can be saved but you have to wake up,
shake up — and possibly even break up — before you can
make up. Married couples can learn how to stay together and
reap the harvest of real and lasting love. Singles can learn
how to keep a relationship growing, instead of stopping it
before it starts. The truth is that men and women are actually
very much alike even though the ways we behave and express
ourselves can make it seem like "men are from Mars and women
are from Venus." Both men and women are from Earth and we
can all learn to change — and enjoy the ride!

Forget the rule books

The first step in beating the odds is to throw away your rule
books! Misguided rules like "Don't make the first move", "Don't
sleep with him (or her) until you get what you want", or the flip
side of that: "Seduce him (or her) to get what you want", "Make
her jealous", "Make him chase you", "Wait at least one week
before you call back for another date", and "Play Hard to Get",
are leading us further away from each other, instead of bringing
us together. These rules may appear to work while you're dating,
but after you're married, just try playing "Hard to Get" when it's
time to take out the garbage or the baby is crying!

When you use rules that don't work, your anxiety level goes
way up! We don't need rules, we need tools: straight answers,
skills, dialogue, and action steps that work! I call these tools
Smart Heart Skills because we must use our heads and our
hearts to create the relationships we'd love to have.

Forget the rigid rules if you want to create and sustain a
love-filled relationship. Thousands more relationships would
be in full swing right now if women would give up rules such
as "Men have to make the first move". Women are more
prepared in many ways to make the first move. Our socialization
and upbringing makes us more comfortable with connection skills.
As children, while we were orchestrating a night on the town for
our Barbie and Ken dolls, the boys were making battle plans
with their GI Joes. While we were having tea parties, they were
having plastic sword fights! In short, we've learned different skills
and have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. That's
why men and women complement each other in a relationship.

For single women, making the first move might be giving a man
your business card or phone number, inviting him out for a date,
asking him to dance, or sending a drink to his table at a restaurant
or night club.

For married women, making the first move might be inviting your
husband for a romantic evening, bringing home travel brochures
to plan your next vacation, or calling him at work to tell him you
have a fun surprise ready for him when he gets home.

Another old rule that wreaks havoc in a relationship is the idea
of "using sex" to get what you want. Women have been unwisely
taught to use sex as a way to get men to comply with their wishes.
This is one of the most destructive rules around. Sex is a way to
build intimacy and give each other pleasure. Having sex and
withholding sex may work as a form of manipulation early on in
a relationship, but sooner or later this technique will create
resentment and bitterness.

Let go of your old rules and ways that don't work for you — or for him
— and be creative in taking the initiative to get things going and keep
them going strong. Remember, tools not rules!

So don't break up; wake up and make up!

This article was excerpted from
"Make Up, Don't Break Up - Finding and Keeping Love for Singles
and Couples " by Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil.

Bonnie Eaker Weil, Ph.D. is one of America's best-known
relationship experts. She has appeared on the Today show,
Oprah!, A Current Affair, The View, Sally, Ricki Lake, Montel,
Maury Povich, and Extra. New York magazine has named Dr.
Weil one of the city's top therapists, and her work has been
featured in Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, USA
Today, Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, and New Woman.
She is also the author of Adultery: The Forgivable Sin. This
article was excerpted with permission from her book Make Up,
Don't Break Up, published by Adams Media Corporation,
www.adamsmedia.com  The author can be reached at
212-606-3787 for information regarding sessions, lectures,
and seminars; or through her websites www.doctorbonnie.com
www.makeupdontbreakup.com   www.smarthearttherapy.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There's A Hole In My Sidewalk In Five Easy Chapters

Chapter One
I walk down a street and there's a big hole.
I don't see it and fall into it.
It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to find my
way out. It's not my fault !

Chapter Two
I walk down the same street.
There's a big hole and I can see it, but I still fall in.
It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to get out.
It's still not my fault.

Chapter Three
I walk down a street.
There's a big hole.
I can see it, but I still fall in.
It's become a habit.
But I keep my eyes open and get out immediately.
It is my fault.

Chapter Four
I walk down a street.
There's a big hole.
And I walk around it.

Chapter Five
I walk down a different street.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How to Be Happy For a Lifetime

Someone said this about happiness:

To be happy for an hour -- take a nap.
To be happy for a day -- go shopping.
To be happy for a week -- take a vacation.
To be happy for a month -- get married.
To be happy for a year -- inherit a fortune.
To be happy for a lifetime -- help others.

You and I may argue with a couple of points on that list, but the
author is exactly right about how to be happy for the rest of
your life. Lasting contentment can always be found in helping
others. It is truly a secret that many people have never
discovered!

Marion Preminger stumbled upon it and wrote about where
lasting happiness is to be found in her autobiography ALL I
WANT IS EVERYTHING. Born in Hungary in 1913, Marion
was raised in a castle, surrounded by wealth, servants and
the notoriety of an aristocratic upbringing.

At a Viennese ball, she met a handsome young man, the son
of an Italian doctor. They rushed into a marriage that lasted
only a year.

She returned to Vienna to embark on a career of acting. There
she fell in love with the German director Otto Preminger. They
married and she followed him to America where he began a
promising career as a Hollywood movie director. But her new
Hollywood lifestyle could not sustain her marriage and
Preminger eventually divorced her.

Marion returned to Europe to live the life of a Parisian
socialite until 1948. Then everything changed when she read
that Dr. Albert Schweitzer was visiting Europe from his home
in Africa. She determined to meet with the notable missionary
doctor.

She first encountered Schweitzer doing one of the things he
loved to do best while visiting Europe -- playing a church organ
for his own enjoyment. He invited her to dine with him. After the
meal, Marion knew she had finally found what she'd been
looking for. She accompanied Schweitzer every day during the
remainder of his European visit. He invited to come back to Africa
with him and work as an untrained staff member in the Lamberene
hospital.

She left her life of status and ease and moved to Africa.
There...the girl who was raised like a princess became a
servant. She changed bandages, bathed bodies and fed lepers.
She gave her life away to the poor, and because of it, found the
happiness she'd craved for so long.

It was Albert Schweitzer who asserted, "One thing I know: the
only ones among you who will be really happy are those who
will have sought and found how to serve."

However, wherever and whomever you choose to help is
unimportant. There are those in need everywhere. But when
you figure out how to help other people, you'll have also
learned how to be happy for a lifetime.

© 2002 Steve Goodier

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One day I took a walk in the mountains and totally submerged
myself in nature. Something in the trees, flowers, and wildlife
around me silently spoke to me. I realized that I simply had to give
up and ask for help. I wanted guidance from the life force that I felt
all around me.

For the first time I can remember, I began to pray out loud. I was
looking at the mountains and the sky as I was praying, addressing
myself to "the creator of life" or what other people might call
"God."

I said, "I can't do this by myself. I took on my current job in
order to do God's will, and it's only fair that God be with me
at this moment."  I prayed and cried for at least a half hour.
When I was done I felt that  I had opened up a relationship
with the divine that I'd never had before.

When I look back at that encounter, I realize that it was a
classic spiritual experience. I know that they tend to come
when we're unhappy and at the end of our tether, when
we're finally ready to surrender and willing to ask for help.
All of the great and creative spiritual leaders have had
experiences like this, of realizing that they need assistance
from something larger than themselves.

from the book: Tending the Earth, Mending the Spirit
by Connie Goldman & Richard Mahler

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Heavy Load

I was sick and tired
Of being sick and tired
Wanting to escape the doom
I entered into the AA room
You welcomed me
With hugs and love
I felt the spirit
  From God above
You gave me steps
Directions to reach the goal
Shared with me
How you got whole
Helping me to become aware
I could tell you were sincere
I thank God I found your way
You helped me live in today
No longer do I carry a heavy load
I joined you on the road
To recovery

Daniel M Corkery
6/17/2001
DMCDREAMER1@...
DMCDREAMER's Page of Poetry
www.geocities.com/dmcdreamer/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We are fragments of something whose size and
shape we do not know, but as fragments of it, we
are essential to its wholeness.  This means that
you and I have an assignment, an opportunity,
a call to the light.  There are dark places where
love is not yet felt and known and expressed
in our world, and it is our opportunity to
bring the light into those places.  It is in this
way that we begin to discover and feel God's
presence, and we begin to find a
deeper relationship with God.
Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.
You seek problems because you need their gifts.
Richard Bach

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average.
M. H. Alderson

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The wisest person is not the one who has the fewest failures
but the one who turns failures to best account.
Richard R. Grant

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity:
it must be produced and discharged and used up
in order to exist at all.
William Faulkner

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Work to become rather than acquire.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't give up before the Miracle happens.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Humility is not thinking less of yourself,
but thinking of yourself less.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I don't stay clean on yesterday's recovery.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
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or
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

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http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
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Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
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http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Just keeping you guys up to date so far.  I have returned to Panama but only to
wait until the news of my sister comes in to return for her funeral.  We have
taken my sister off of life support systems and have put her in Hospice and the
doctors give her approximately 4 days at the most to live.  She has taken on her
own life support system and seems to have faded into a coma.  So now I pray for
a peaceful transistion for her.  Leukemia has taken her quickly and I am
saddened by this but am grateful that I have cleared so much of the wreckage of
our relationship. 
 
Again, I seem to go here so many times, if you have amends to make to people,
get there and make them.  Don't pick up and avoid working those steps, let those
that you love know it on a daily basis and just keep walking through stuff no
matter what.  Life has a gift for us and we can't avoid them.  This is a
reminder for me that anything can happen and I need to grab onto what is in
front of me and enjoy each and every moment.  I am grateful for my gifts today
and grateful for the moments I got to spend with my sister.

Becki






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

RESEARCH
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/alcoholicmice.html


Please note, I will be out of town on business 11/11 through 11/15 in
Raliegh NC
I will be sending my emails into a holding bin in Yahoogroups and
Googlegroups they will be dated and time stamped 11/11 and
will appear in your email box for those dates even though I will
be releasing them for bulk mailing on the day that is in
the subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
PLEASE make sure to look through your inbox carefully and you
will find each days email with an 11/11 time stamp .
In loving service,
Scott


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Were you ready to stop when you finally stopped ?
How long did you continue to use after you no longer wanted to use ?
What made you take the final step ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 14
Today I know that whatever ability, talents and energy
I have are perfect for this moment.
Today I know that God gives me all that I need
to do what he wants me to do in this day.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wisconsin State NA Convention Eulogy

WSNAC is a time each year when we gather together with friends to catch
up on each other's lives, celebrating our recovery. A place to find new
friends we haven't met yet. Here we find the true meaning of the phrase
„we are never alone. Our presence here speaks to our gratitude, showing
when we care and share that NA way. We seek recovery and find a better
way to live. We share how we face life's changes, living and dying.
Leaving footprints on each other's hearts

   I was approached a few months ago to say a few words tonight about a
member of our fellowship who has passed away. This member was involved
in many of the changes we as a fellowship have grown through. God placed
him in our lives to make a difference and he changed the way I looked at
the world. As I pondered this point I realized we all have someone who
changed our perspective of life. Our higher power placed people in our
path for one reason, to change us forever. We never know where the
message is going to come from, and usually it's from where we least
expect it. Sometimes it was the members who accepted us as we were
showed us the unconditional love our fellowship thrives on. Sometimes it
was the members who, just never seemed to get it. That revolving door,
swinging so fast we wondered if this was the last time we would see them
again.

   To many of us, dealing with death in recovery, gets us in touch with
feelings we never felt before. The ability to care about another human
being unconditionally for the first time can be over whelming. Feelings
were sometimes the very thing we used over. Now when people who we just
were beginning to trust are taken away, we become caught up in this
whirlwind of emotions. We may feel, what's the use of staying clean! It
just leads to more suffering. Members reassure us ,Our H.P. will not
give us more than we can handle.

   Death comes to us in two forms in this fellowship: Members who died
clean and those who have died ,of the disease. Of those who have the
disease, we say, „They picked up so that I didn't have to. They're
actions remind me that my old life is out there anytime I want it. I
often wonder what I could have done differently? Should I have listened
more? Talked more? Done anything MORE? Their struggle here has given us
more understanding of life than we could ever appreciate in our
lifetime.

   And then there are those who died clean. -They never have to worry
about
picking up again. They never have to face another day making that
choice. Their devotion to life has given us proof it can be done. They
have started this unfinished work; we must become dedicated to advancing
it. The vision of hope has been passed on to us.

   We would like to thank all of them, for giving us the new you! I liked
the way they did it during the World Convention in Atlanta. I'm going to
pause for a few moments and would like to ask anyone who has had a
person that has died by going out for more research, or that has died
clean. please shout out their name as the spirit moved you. (Pause).
And many more in our hearts, with a day, a week, a year, or multiple
years of recovery, they will live there forever. I've heard it said,
"Some have to die so that others may live." I like to say, "We live, so
that others don't have to die!" I also believe God has placed each and
every one of you, here for a reason. All of you will leave some
footprints on my heart. I don't know if you will float across my path
like a butterfly or tromp across with combat boots. The trail you leave
will be a part of my life from now on. This will be reflected in how I
live, I grow, and I act toward people around me. It is my hope that none
of these members needed to Die in vain. We shall all have a new birth of
freedom. I pray our Higher Power will show through all of us that age-
old
saying No addicts need die from the horrors of addiction without
finding a better way to LIVE.

John H
mryow@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Ultimate High
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=_2gz9L8wznWUNwfvBL\
LiV9mw1QsobIoVtcAytsc62brtkdHfHg

On Steps 1, 2 and 3
www.barefootsworld.net/aaonsteps123.html

ASCII-ART
www.ascii-art.de

N.A. WORLD SERVICE BOARD OF TRUSTEES BULLETIN #30
Theft of NA funds
www.na.org/bulletins/bull30-r.htm

12 Step Graphics
www.d21c.com/kiddlehopper/12stepgraphicspage1.html
www.d21c.com/kiddlehopper/12stepgraphicspage2.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 14                         Not Just Surviving

"When we were using, our lives became an exercise in survival.
Now we are doing much more living than surviving."
Basic Text p. 50

   "I'd be better off dead!" A familiar refrain to a practicing addict,
and with good reason. All we had to look forward to was more
of the same miserable existence. Our hold on life was weak at
best. Our emotional decay, our spiritual demise, and the crushing
awareness that nothing would ever change were constants. We
had little hope and no concept of the life we were missing out on.

   The resurrection of our emotions, our spirits, and our physical
health takes time. The more experience we gain in living, rather
than merely existing, the more we understand how precious and
delightful life can be. Travelling, playing with a small child, making
love, expanding our intellectual horizons, and forming
relationships are among the endless activities that say, "I'm
alive:' We discover so much to cherish and feel grateful to have
a second chance.

   If we had died in active addiction, we would have been bitterly
deprived of so many of life's joys. Each day we thank a Power
greater than ourselves for another day clean and another day of
life.

Just for today: I am grateful to be alive. I will do something today
to celebrate.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My Checklist, Not Yours

Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder by character
assassination, has its satisfactions for us, too.  Here we are not
trying to help those we criticize; we are trying to proclaim our own
righteousness.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.67

   Sometimes I don't realize that I gossiped about someone until the
end of the day, when I take an inventory of the day's activities,
and then, my gossiping appears like a blemish in my beautiful day.
How could I have said something like that?  Gossip shows its ugly
head during a coffee break or lunch with business associates, or I
may gossip during the evening, when I'm tired from the day's
activities, and feel justified in bolstering my ego at the expense of
someone else.

   Character defects like gossip sneak into my life when I am not
making a constant effort to work the Twelve Steps of recovery.
I need to remind myself that my uniqueness is the blessing of my
being, and that applies equally to everyone who crosses my path
in life's journey. Today the only inventory I need to take is my own.
I'll leave judgement of others to the Final Judge -- Divine Providence.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 14th

A.A. Thought for the Day

A better way than judging people is to look for all the
good in them.  If you look hard enough and long enough,
you ought to be able to find some good in every person.
In A.A. I learned that my job was to try to bring out
the good, not criticize the bad.  Every alcoholic is used
to being judged and criticized.  That has never helped
anyone to get sober.  In A.A. we tell people they can
change.  We try to bring out the best in them.  We
encourage their good points and ignore their bad points.
People are not converted by criticism.  Do I look for
the good in people?

Meditation for the Day

There must be a design for the world in the mind of God.
We believe His design for the world is a universal
fellowship of men and women under the fatherhood of
God.  The plan for your life must also be in the mind of
God.  In times of quiet meditation you can seek for God's
guidance, for the revealing of God's plan for your day.
Then you can live this day according to that guidance.
Many people are not making of their lives what God meant
them to be, and so they are unhappy.  They have missed
the design for their lives.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may try to follow God's design for today.
I pray that I may have the sense of Divine Intent in
what I do today.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 14

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Letting Our Anger Out

It's okay to be angry, but it isn't healthy to be resentful.
Regardless of what we learned as children, no matter what we
saw role modeled, we can learn to deal with our anger in ways
that are healthy for us and for those around us. We can have
our angry feelings. We can connect with them, own them, and
feel them, express them, release them, and be done with them.

We can learn to listen to what anger is telling us about what
we want and need in order to take care of ourselves.

Sometimes we can even indulge in angry feelings that aren't
justified. Feelings are just feelings; there is no morality in the
feeling, only in our behavior. We can feel angry without hurting
or abusing others or ourselves. We can learn to deal with anger
in ways that benefit our relationships instead of ways that harm
them.

If we don't feel our angry feelings today, we will need to face
them tomorrow.

Today, I will let myself feel my anger. I will express my anger
appropriately, without guilt. Then I will be done with it.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So Close To Freedom
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/so-close-to-freedom.htm

Animal Spirit Guides: Hawk Brings Focus
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2006/November/feature2.html

Letters of Wisdom and Affirmation, Louise Hay
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/September/hay.htm

Psychotherapy
www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/psychotherapy/index.shtml

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Living in the Moment
by Jacob Liberman with Erik Liberman.

We often talk about "wanting to be spiritual," but being
spiritual and taking care of our everyday affairs are exactly
the same thing. There is no difference. With clarity we
become ordinary -- simply taking care of whatever comes
before us. In this process, we develop trust that whatever
shows up in our lives, we will meet it.

When we don't take care of things in the moment, they get
backed up and we feel overwhelmed. But life never brings us
anything at the wrong time! That's why everything in nature
works so miraculously. Notice how the tides move, the earth
rotates, and the trees grow. Notice how everything is perfectly
timed -- how our bodies work, how a child develops. God never
makes a mistake.

So, when something enters our awareness, that's the moment
to take care of it. Don't pay that bill tomorrow, take out the
trash later, or make the bed when you get back. When you see
it, do it! Don't prioritize anything -- life has already done that for
you.

Take care of what's in front of you, and the universe will take
care of you.

Human Beings
Imagine that life is simply about taking care of ourselves.
Feeding ourselves, bathing ourselves, tending to whatever
comes before us, and in that way, just being.

For most of us, the being side of life is underused, and the
doing side is weighted down. When we are being, we are
humane and very much in touch with everything in life. When
we are doing, we forget the essence of our humanity and
narrowly focus our minds on "making things happen." We
forget that everything in life is already happening!

Our lives today are complex because we have lost sight of
what is essential. We've developed technologies to handle
the complexities we have created, but still have no time for
living!

Living successfully isn't about making a lot of money. It is
about embracing life, and responding to it honestly in each
moment. This alone is the true source of our prosperity,
because in this practice, we evolve from human doings to
human beings.

When I do less, more things happen. When I do nothing
everything happens.

Non-Doing
In the East, there is a state between doing and being called
wu-we-wu, or action without action. I call it "non-doing." When
I speak of non-doing, most people don't know what I'm talking
about. They think I mean "laying back" and "hanging out" --
a lethargic lifestyle.

But non-doing is not the opposite of doing! It is neither passive
nor active, but a state of optimal presence and sensitivity. It is
a fluid response to life, rather than a branding iron applied to
life to get it to move "our way." Competitive athletes refer to
non-doing as "the zone." In this state, an appropriate response
to any situation originates from our core and is not edited by the
intellect. It defines response-ability, rather than react-ability.
Non-doing happens when we trust that life always has the first
move -- that in reality, we are living in a state of "not knowing" --
and therefore, our actions are not isolated initiations based on
our own desires, but responses to life's invitations.

Non-doing means that we are ready to respond to whatever life
brings us, yet feel no need to initiate anything. It is the exquisite
experience of being guided effortlessly and surprised by the
miracle called life.

Animals live in the Kingdom of God. We occasionally visit on
weekends.

Being Normal Isn't Natural
Many of us pride ourselves on being "normal," but what we call
normal may not be very natural -- let alone healthy! If you're
"normal," you will probably experience cancer, arthritis, vision
loss, or heart disease sometime during your life, and your
natural process of saging will be reduced to aging.

If you want to view life in its natural state, go into nature and
observe animals. Wild animals live effortlessly in the Kingdom
of God. They are always present -- never doing anything early
or late, excessively or deficiently. Their behavior is a model of
the word "responsibility," meaning they respond to life with
presence and awareness at all times.

When they're hungry, they eat. When they're not hungry, they
don't worry about where their next meal will come from. You
never see a bear looking for a job, doing aerobics, or taking
a cigarette break! We are the only species with concepts of
unemployment, exercise, and addiction.

In order to reclaim our natural connection with life, we must
begin living with greater presence, respect, and gratefulness.
We have been living under the illusion that evolution has
ended with us at its helm. Perhaps the dinosaurs thought that,
too!


This article is excerpted from Wisdom from an Empty Mind, ©2001,
by Jacob Liberman with Erik Liberman. Reprinted with permission
of the publisher, Empty Mind Publications.

About the Authors:
Dr. Jacob Liberman, author of the internationally acclaimed
books, Light: Medicine of the Future and Take Off Your Glasses
and See, shares his teachings of grounded spirituality in lectures
and workshops around the world.  Erik Liberman is an award-
winning actor and writer living in Los Angeles. Visit Jacob
Liberman's  website at www.jacobliberman.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,
sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

    Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a
bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the
humps too long. Move on!

    When you feel down because you didn't get what you want,
just sit tight and be happy, because God is thinking of
something better to give you. When something happens to you,
good or bad, consider what it means. There's a purpose to life's
events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard.
You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone
who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realize your
worth.

    What the heart gives away is never gone... It is kept in the
hearts of others. Remember that great love and great
achievements involve great risks. Secure a special place in your
heart. A certain place only you can enter. For there will come
a time when you need to find yourself and only your heart will
show you the way.

    The measure of love is when you love without measure. In life
there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person you love
and loves you in return. So once you have it don't ever let go, the
chance might never come your way again. It's better to lose your
pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because
of pride. We spend so much time looking for the right person to
love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we
should be perfecting the love we give.

When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you
don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes. Instead, you
fight the mistakes, you accept the faults, and you overlook
excuses.

Five rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

AMEN AND GOD BLESS YOU.
God doesn't CALL the QUALIFIED,
He QUALIFIES the CALLED.

Rev. Sandi Lee

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Helping You Remember

by Alan Cohen

While exiting a grocery store I noticed an unusual poster
announcing, "You already know how to meditate. Let me
help you remember." Ah, what an empowering offer, I thought
-- a sharp contrast to the many advertisements for products
and services that tell us that we are stupid or broken and
need intelligence or fixing.

How wonderful it feels -- and how powerfully it works -- to
regard ourselves and each other as innately wise, capable
of accomplishing anything we choose, greater than any task
or challenge before us. Wouldn’t you like to be regarded as
magnificent?

A few years ago I signed up for a "You Fly" airplane flight
which promised that I would be able to take the stick of a
small airplane and control the plane myself. Flying an
airplane had been one of my long-time dreams, so I eagerly
registered for the flight, a three-hour jaunt over three Hawaiian
islands. What a treat, I imagined, to be in charge of the aircraft
for a few minutes in mid-air.

On the appointed day I drove to the commuter terminal at the
Maui airport, where I met the pilot, Scott. I informed Scott that
I had never piloted a plane before, and he told me that would
be no problem. Scott guided me out on the tarmac to a small
twin-engine Cessna, and he gave me a brief rundown about
the various instruments on the control panel. Scott strapped
himself into the seat next to mine and told me, "Now here’s
how you take off..."

Excuse me, I thought, I don’t remember the advertisement
saying anything about taking off. I started to open my mouth
to say, "Perhaps you didn’t hear me say that I’ve never flown
before." But when I looked over at Scott he was on the radio
setting up our takeoff with the control tower. Suddenly I
understood what was happening: he thought I could do it.
To Scott, taking off was not too much to ask of me. So, in
spite of my hesitation, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I
decided that if I had a choice between me being right about
my inability or Scott being right about my ability, I would rather
choose his opinion. I would rather fulfill his expectations of my
greatness than my expectations of my ineptitude. I decided to
believe in his belief. I followed Scott’s careful instructions,
and within a few minutes we were airborne.

I flew the airplane nearly three hours that day. I flew over
the dramatic north shore of Maui, past the thousand-foot
sweeping verdant cliffs of Molokai, across the golden sand
beaches of Lanai, then over whales and dolphins cavorting
in the rich blue ocean channel back to Maui. There we buzzed
my house and made our way back to the airport. For nearly
all that time I controlled the airplane, with Scott stepping in
occasionally to make minor corrections. Eventually my
nervousness had given way to exhilaration, and my doubts
yielded to confidence.

As we approached the airport, Scott surprised me again. "Now
here’s how you land," he told me in a nonchalant way. Now wait
just a minute, I felt like saying, à la Barney Fife. Taking off and
flying is one thing, but landing -- now that’s outright dangerous.
Then I remembered a lesson from one of my favorite flyers,
Richard Bach, who suggested, "Argue for your limits, and sure
enough they’re yours." I kept my mouth shut.

As I guided us in according to Scott’s instructions, the Cessna
was rocked by a gust of wind. "Sure is windy here," Scott
laughed. "I’ve seen pilots who got their license on the mainland
come here and try to deal with these trade winds, and realize
they didn’t really know how to land." Yow! Okay, just breathe,
I thought. I kept following Scott’s direction until he took over
the stick just before touchdown.

As I left the airport that day, I felt higher than our flight. Scott’s
belief in me brought out the best in me. The airplane flight was
three hours, the lesson was for a lifetime.

Then I remembered the powerful film Stand and Deliver, in
which James Edward Olmos dramatized the true story of
Jaime Escalente, a math teacher who went into the Los
Angeles barrios and decided to teach calculus to some of
the school’s lowest-functioning students. When the math
department chairwoman criticized Jaime, he boldly told her,
"The students will live up to the teacher’s expectations!"
Everyone in Jaime’s class went on to pass the state calculus
test.

At any given moment we have two voices in our head: one
which tells us we can’t, and another which tells us we can.
Which will prove true? The one we give the most attention to.
The one we act on. The one we make a stand for.

You already know how to be magnificent. Let me help you
remember.

Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books,
including the best-selling Why Your Life Sucks and What You
Can do About It, the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life, and
his latest book Mr. Everit’s Secret--What I learned from the World’s
Richest Man. (The above books can be ordered by clicking on
the book titles.)  Alan offers four on-line courses throughout the
year and the life-transforming Mastery Training in Maui. For
information on these programs and a free catalog of Alan's
books, tapes, and seminars, phone 800.568.3079, visit
www.alancohen.com, email info@..., or
write P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Attaining Enlightenment
through Relationship
by Dr. Paula Sunray

Life is about relationship.
It is your main spiritual practice.

Dr. Paula SunrayRelationships are difficult and challenging
spiritual practices. They give us the opportunity to test our
skills of communication, intimacy, authenticity, and integrity.
They also give us a chance to retrieve our soul and our spirit.

Have you stopped dancing with your soul? Have you stopped
letting your soul sing and express from its very heart and being?
So many people have lost their song of life and their
enchantment with life. When they learn to rekindle their heart
song and reconnect with their life tune, they will be able to
bring soul to a relationship. Two numb and lifeless souls do
not create a very fulfilling relationship.

Everything we do in life is a relationship. We have a
relationship with money, we have a relationship with our
body, and we even have a relationship with our car. We
have a relationship with everything!

As humans, we are all interdependent. True rewarding
relationship is a union of two souls who connect from their
life center -- their spirit center. Staying in our own center and
listening with our deepest inner knowing, is how we relate
best.

The beauty of relationship is that it awakens the mystery
and magic of our soul. We are like two gods creating amazing
and wonderful universes of feelings and experiences together.

Why are these magical relationships so difficult to attain? For
one, the element of trust is essential. We must arrive at a place
where we trust ourselves and others. We must trust the fact that
we know how to handle our life and make important decisions.
We must also trust the fact that our mate knows how to do the
same thing. Then, we can align our words and actions with our
integrity, and expect the best. We must be reasonable in our
expectations so that we don't place unreasonable demands
on our partner.

Underneath it all, the only thing we all basically want is to be
honored and respected exactly as we are. We want to feel safe,
nurtured, and protected. We want to be validated, loved, and
cherished. We also want to make our own choices and have
those choices honored. We do not want to be told what to do
or how to live our life.

A relationship is a mystery that is created stroke by stroke like
a painting on a canvas. Each word we speak, every action we
take, and each choice we make, is like a stroke on the canvas.
Each day, we create a new segment of the painting, and each
day, we add color, nuance, intensity, and energy. No two
canvases are alike, just as no two people are alike.

Relationship is a miracle. It takes us all the way back to God
who created us as companions. Every relationship we have
is a reflection of the relationship we have with God. If we
believe that God can love us, then we will believe that others
can love us, and if we believe that we are not good enough for
God to love, how will we be able to accept the love of others?

Let's face it. Most people are not growing very much. They have
distanced themselves from being challenged and stretched.
They are uncomfortable with change and are afraid to take risks.
They protect their vulnerability at all costs, and are unwilling to
do healing work. They want quick bandages, and they rush back
to the world of stress and illusions and try to carve out some
basic nutrition from a dead turkey.

The very evolution of our society shows the insecurity and fear
of the people at large. Our relationships reflect our insecurities.
The old relationships of the past have basically been an
exchange of favors -- the wife has exchanged sex for security,
and the husband exchanged work and being head of the
household for a false sense of fulfillment. This is a marriage of
two low selves, and this is the marriage of the average person.
The Relationship of the Future

The relationship of the future will be a blend of both the low self
and high self. We will no longer have spouses and marriage
certificates to make us feel safe; we will have partners who
support our growth and encourage us to do what we love.
We will have partners who encourage us to have our own
power and express ourselves spontaneously and creatively.

This is the relationship of the future. It is the only one that
will work. As soon as we have individuals who have reached
that level of maturity, we will have relationships of quality and
spirit. We will have true enlightenment. Enlightenment is
self-actualization. When you are enlightened, the level of your
success in life will depend upon your ability to let go of fear
and insecurity and mistaken beliefs.

What is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment is not what you think. It is not about becoming
something or gaining something. It is about giving up something.
It is about losing or emptying; it is about emptying ourselves of
our fears and our personal dragons.

We can achieve enlightenment by becoming personally aware.
We can achieve it by peering into our inner core and looking at
the shadows and the fears. Those little inner dragons are just
unloved parts of ourselves. Once we find them and love them,
we can tap into their vitality and energy, and use their power in
our lives. When we bring them into our heart, they are no longer
dragons; they are "spirit" entities who inspire us and lead us on
our heroic journey of life. When we empty our low self of its fears
and trepidation, there is room for God at our core. We must be
empty to be filled, and when God fills us, we become enlightened.

Life Skills for the New Millennium by Paula Sunray.

Dr. Paula SunrayDr. Paula Sunray has been teaching classes
on personal growth and metaphysical spirituality for over 17
years. She is director of the Sunray Healing Haven and National
Interfaith Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she trains and
teaches healers, ministers, counselors, and spiritual students in
addition to maintaining her own private practice. Dr. Sunray is a
leading expert in the field of mind-body-spirit transformation and
is a frequent lecturer, workshop leader, educator, and inspirer to
many. For more information on Dr. Sunray's programs, send an
email to pvsun@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Desperation

I can't go on there's nothing left
no strength    no game    no hope.
I've tried time and time again
to straighten out my life
to make this work
touching the hot stove this way and that
burning myself every time

all the tricks are gone
nothing works like it used to
I can't lie    or plead    or bully
my way through anymore

God, I don't want this
hurting my family daily
I hate facing myself in the mirror
yet am unable to look away
like staring at a train wreck
or gruesome murder scene
eyes full of guilty wonder
how could things get so bad?
What happened to the fun?

Maybe this time it will be different...
Maybe this time it will work
But wait
what's that you say?
I don't have to answer "yes"
whenever my disease calls?
I don't have to use,
one day at a time?
And        there are others?
I thought I was unique
sure that the things I'd done
were too horrid to tell to anyone
you say I can be a part of,
instead of apart from?
I'm still so weak--what?
You'll love me until I can love myself?
And I'm really not alone?
All I can say, is Thank God
for our N. A.

much love,
john h
johnh94@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong,
which is but saying... that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
Alexander Pope

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What Cancer Cannot Do...
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit.
Anonymous Words Of Wisdom

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be.
Dr. Wayne Dyer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue,
but the parent of all other virtues.
Cicero

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What other people think of you
is none of your damn business !

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Having a resentment is like drinking poison and
waiting for someone else to die.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In relationships,
We attract what we are.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An expectation is a premeditated resentment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sooner you push your wagon,
The quicker you will be on your way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
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or
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or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Please note, I will be out of town on business 11/11 through 11/15 in
Raliegh NC
I will be sending my emails into a holding bin in Yahoogroups and
Googlegroups they will be dated and time stamped 11/11 and
will appear in your email box for those dates even though I will
be releasing them for bulk mailing on the day that is in
the subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
PLEASE make sure to look through your inbox carefully and you
will find each days email with an 11/11 time stamp .
In loving service,
Scott

Alanon
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/alanon.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
Were you ready to stop when you finally stopped ?
How long did you continue to use after you no longer wanted to use ?
What made you take the final step ??

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 13
Today I am looking within to discover
what I am holding onto from the past.
Today I am willing to let go of
all old anger and resentments
that keep me stuck in tension and in pain.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Looking Inside Me

Lost in a fog, unable to see, hear or feel,
The events of everyday life, are so unreal,
I've been barely here, barely breathing, barely giving,
Feeling so much hurt and confusion, I am struggling at living!

Many sleepless nights, being deep in depression,
I need to hold on to life and hope, it's the best suggestion,
Suddenly jerked back into reality by a ruthless man,
I fight to make a come back like I know I can!

Insecurities have plagued me all my life,
One of the reasons, I've carried such anger and strife.
I have searched my soul for my peace and happiness,
How long I must search, is anybody's guess.

Whatever it takes, I'm willing to strive,
I realize now that my heart is alive!

I want to feel happy, normal and free,
I want to love, be in love, be loved, but most of
all ---just be ME!
I wither up inside, when slanderous words reach my ears,
Because I know that the person those words are for,
is filled with FEAR!

The person I am, most people will never know,
The vulnerable part of me, that I'm unwilling and scared to show.
I struggle each day to hold my head high,
As the day wears on, I get weary and begin to cry.

What I know deep inside, is that I am very lonely,
I trust much too easily and give my heart to one only,
When I put myself aside,  I forget who I am,
It's that crazy behavior, I'd give anything to understand.

I know in my heart, that I am willing to comprehend,
A change must come about before my life will begin.

My heart overrules my sense, most all of the time,
In retrospect, I can see all the signs,
Now is the time, to stop the turmoil and strife,
I must make the changes, and begin my life...

It's funny how long it takes to be calm enough to see,
That all my trust, love and happiness will only be found....

BY LOOKING INSIDE ME!

© 1992
Ava E.
worthywoman@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Discovery Recovery
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=6bo3wa8wznTts_RIdb\
AOhGFFfzUNdzjXTHKkLEin73uFiPgtSA

Daily Practice of Steps
www.barefootsworld.net/aadailysteps.html

New Attitudes, New Possibilities
www.innerself.com

   National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
www.nationalhomeless.org

N.A. WORLD SERVICE BOARD OF TRUSTEES BULLETIN #29
Regarding Methadone and Other Drug Replacement Programs
www.na.org/bulletins/bull29.htm

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 13                                                 Not perfect

"We are not going to be perfect. If we were perfect, we would not
be human."          Basic Text p. 30

   All of us had expectations about life in recovery. Some of us
thought recovery would suddenly make us employable or able
to do anything in the world we wanted to do. Or maybe we
imagined perfect ease in our interactions with others. When
we stop and think, we realize that we expected recovery would
make us perfect. We didn't expect to continue making many
mistakes. But we do. That's not the addict side of us showing
through; that's being human.

   In Narcotics Anonymous we strive for recovery, not perfection.
The only promise we are given is freedom from active addiction.
Perfection is not an attainable state for human beings; it's not a
realistic goal. What we often seek in perfection is freedom from
the discomfort of making mistakes. In return for that freedom
from discomfort, we trade our curiosity, our flexibility, and the
room to grow.

   We can consider the trade: Do we want to live the rest of our
lives in our well-defined little world, safe but perhaps stifled?
Or do we wish to venture out into the unknown, take a risk,
and reach for everything life has to offer?

Just for today: I want all that life has to offer me and all that
recovery can provide. Today, I will take a risk, try something
new, and grow.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Quality of Faith

This. . . has to do with the quality of faith. . . . In no deep or
meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves. . . .
We had not even prayed rightly.  We had always said,
"Grant me my wishes" instead of "Thy will be done."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.32

God does not grant me material possessions, take away
my suffering, or spare me from disasters, but He does give me
a good life, the ability to cope, and peace of mind.  My prayers
are simple: first, they express my gratitude for the good things
in my life, regardless of how hard I have to search for them;
and second, I ask only for the strength and the wisdom to do
His will.  He answers with solutions to my problems, sustaining
my ability to live through daily frustrations with a serenity I did
not believe existed, and with the strength to practice the
principles of A.A. in all of my everyday affairs

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 13th

A.A. Thought for the Day

Who am I to judge other people?  Have I proved by my
great success in life that I know all the answers?  Exactly
the opposite.  Until I came into A.A., my life could be called
a failure.  I made all the mistakes one could make.  I took
all the wrong roads there were to take.  On the basis of
my record, am I a fit person to be a judge of other people?
Hardly.  In A.A. I have learned not to judge people.  I am
so often wrong.  Let the results of what they do judge them.
It's not up to me.  Am I less harsh in my judgment of people?

Meditation for the Day

In our time of meditation, we again seem to hear: "Come unto
me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you
rest."  Again and again we seem to hear God saying this to us.
"Come unto me" for the solution of every problem, for the
overcoming of every temptation, for the calming of every
fear, for all our needs, physical, mental, or spiritual, but
mostly, "come unto me" for the strength we need to live with
peace of mind and the power to be useful and effective.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may go to God today for those things that I
need to help me live.  I pray that I may find real peace of
mind.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 13

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Taking Care of Ourselves

We do not have to wait for others to come to our aid. We are
not victims. We are not helpless.

Letting go of faulty thinking means we realize there are no
knights on white horses, no magical grandmothers in the
sky watching, waiting to rescue us.

Teachers may come our way, but they will not rescue. They
will teach. People who care will come, but they will not
rescue. They will care. Help will come, but help is not rescuing.

We are our own rescuers.

Our relationships will improve dramatically when we stop
rescuing others and stop expecting them to rescue us.

Today, I will let go of the fears and self doubt that block me
from taking assertive action in my best interest. I can take
care of myself and let others do the same for themselves.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Clearing and Enhancing The Energy in Your Home and Workspace
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/clearing.htm

Do You Feel Responsible For Others Happiness?
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2006/November/vissell.htm

A Key to Forgiveness
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/September/vissell.htm

Personal Growth
www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/growth/index.shtml

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Have a Love Affair with Life

by Lee Lozowick
You've got to take life by the cojones and let it sweep you up
in its extravagance. There's generally too much "me" -- too
much ego -- trying to take life and chew it up. Relax and let
life smother you. Life will consume you if you let it. You're the
ring on the carousel and life is coming around to grab you.
Don't shy away. When life comes around to grab you, throw
yourself out there. Just the colors in a room and people's
faces, which are all treasure houses of impressions, can
elevate you to states of mystic clarity. Watch even the nastiest
person carefully enough, once or twice a week, and you'll
have to be moved to compassion and tenderness.

You cannot let life consume you by a muscular effort of will.
I have a fair degree of experience and I can't do it by an effort
of will. I'm used to falling into it by default. You know how it is
in car accidents -- usually the people who are drunk don't get
hurt because they are limp, mellow. The car goes over the cliff
and they think, "Far out." They bounce when they hit because
they're so relaxed. When you tense up that's when you break
an arm or a leg. So cool out. Be gentle, easeful, melt into life.
Let it wash over and through you like a sweet soft breeze.

Life is bigger than all the limitations we tend to put on it, and
you need to be in an ongoing romance with life, otherwise
it is easy to get buried by your own peculiar circumstances.

It's easy to become an automaton who gets up, works hard,
even does spiritual practices, but all merely as a mechanical
habit. You can easily get the idea that your spiritual work, or
whatever you are doing, is all-important and that you must
give your life to it, while at the same time you forget what
"giving your life to it" actually means. Then you can become
even more mechanical than you already are (if such a thing
is conceivable), but in a different form.

The Work [used in many spiritual traditions to refer to the
Work of God] wants your life -- but only when you are in a
love affair with life itself, only when you are bright, strong,
confident, capable, in short: ALIVE. The Work does not want
some kind of dull, dispassionate, struggling, agonizing
humanoid. To give your life to the Work is to give breath and
activity to the Work everyday; to give passion to the Work
everyday. You have to have a childlike, eternal beginner's mind
[approaching each moment as new], a belief in miracles, like,
"Any day anything can happen!"

To consider entering into an intimate relationship that could
be for the rest of your life, and will most likely involve children
(whether you want them or not), you've got to have this
passionate kind of relationship to life. In a deep, and hopefully
meaningful, commitment with another human being, when
giving your lives to one another, you need to realize that life
is bigger than your own intense little chamber. There will be
times in which you are going to want to really tear into one
another for some minor or even some imagined slight. There
will be moments in which you think, "My God, I'm only forty. I've
got another thirty years of this misery." You may think that it is
absolutely impossible to make your relationship work. That's
when you will most need to have this attitude of innocence --
the belief that anything can happen. You've got to remember
what LIFE is and always will be, no matter what your personal
circumstances.

You can always access the largeness, the unlimitlessness of
life, no matter how hopeless things appear. You don't get that
by romancing your partner. You get that if you have a love affair
with life itself -- a passionate life. Then your relationships will
be passionate and juicy too.

I recently listened to a radio interview with Henry Miller, one
of my foremost heroes. He was eighty-five years old, with
crippling arthritis, and he couldn't walk without a walker or even
get out of bed without help. Still, the man's voice was just like
his motto: "Always merry and bright." He said, "When you're my
age you've got to consider sickness," and then he laughed.
Practically every other sound out of his mouth was a laugh.

Now, here was Miller, unable to use the typewriter, barely
able to see anymore (he was blind in one eye and half-blind
in the other), so full of pain that he was up all night unable to
sleep, yet still he was constantly full of passion, full of "spit
and vinegar," as they say.

Miller said, "Americans don't like me, but the Europeans love
me. I'm not popular in America." It's no wonder. Americans
don't have any taste, one reason being that we let seeming
problems dictate our moods and our opinions. We let
circumstances define our relationships. If we don't get exactly
what we want, when we want it, if we don't get exactly the food
we want, if people aren't exactly the way we expect them to be,
we get depressed or angry or abusive. You have to have a
passionate fling with life to be bigger than such pettiness.

I've often discussed other alternatives, but it is entirely
conceivable to me that we might only get one shot at life.
So make it a wild, passionate fling! Make it real, total, rich,
and full of possibility. Life should be a grand, majestic affair --
the good, the bad, and the indifferent. If one day is a misery,
be miserable. If you're "in the pits" one day, don't take it out on
everybody else. Feel it, taste it, exude it. Don't bitch at your
friends. If life is lousy one day, it will be great another day.
That's beginner's mind. Anything could happen tomorrow.
If for twenty years that is your attitude, and if for twenty years
nothing does happen tomorrow, it doesn't matter. That
attitude is enough!

If you don't have a love affair with life everyday, if you don't
expect a miracle everyday, you're always going to be looking
for God exclusively in what appears good -- in the attractive,
in the easeful, in the predictable. Most of you reading this are
old enough and mature enough and have had enough
experience to know that you should not expect appearances to
convey everything. Appearances are totally subjective. Instead,
you should look to the heart of things; feel through appearances
to the Essence. Not only are you capable of that, you all do that
naturally anyway. You just need to be aware that you do it,
trust it, and make this awareness more real than the illusions
of your trained beliefs and opinions. But you tend not to do that
when the circumstances are making life look a little grey.
"What's going to happen when the bill collectors start knocking
on the door ...?"you ask. And on and on.

You'll always have passion if you have beginner's mind. If your
passion starts to die, it won't be because of your spiritual work,
your friends, your lover, or because of life's down times. Your
passion will die because you have bought -- hook, line, and sinker
-- an attitude that was sold to you by your parents, your school
teachers, and this society. You've bought the attitude that you've
got to look like that Playgirl man (if you're a man) or that Playboy
woman (if you're a woman). You think you've got to be cool and
cultured, that you've got to dress right and smell like the corporate
world wants you to smell. If your passion dies it will be because
you've bought that appearances are everything, including the
appearance of your worldview, politics, opinions, and beliefs.

To ultimately "make it" in this Work of Awakening, of Transformation,
you have to embrace the miraculous -- always. And that miracle is
you being so much at peace with yourself that you can turn your
energy towards welcoming and using the opportunities that are
always falling into your lap. To embrace and devour these
opportunities will make you free, happy, full of life, full of passion.
Then your circumstances won't affect you so dramatically.

It is the nature of this Work that a revelation, a breakthrough, could
happen at any time, and has many times! But, how easily we forget.
This article is excerpted from The Alchemy of Love and Sex, ©1996,
by Lee Lozowick. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Hohm
Press. http://www.hohmpress.com

About the Author
Lee Lozowick is an American spiritual teacher who has taught
thousands of people since 1975, both in the U.S. and Europe.
He is also a poet, songwriter, and author of fifteen books of
non-fiction, including: Conscious Parenting; The Alchemy of
Transformation; and The Alchemy of Love and Sex. Many of
his books have been translated. His poetry ranges from rock
lyrics to bhakti (devotional) mysticism. Lee is based in northern
Arizona and travels yearly to India, France and Germany,
where he gives seminars on the subject of spiritual life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Desperate Search
      By Charlie McCormick

Sometimes we try too hard
   To find someone compatible
And end up scaring off
   Any suitable prospects.
We act as if we are incomplete
   Without someone by our side,
And there is an air of desperation
   To our search,
An intensity to our efforts
   That is clearly visible
To anyone around us.
   We go places
Where we hope to meet
   The person we are looking for,
And they never seem to be there.
   We read all the books
On how to catch a mate,
   And they are as elusive as ever.
We try to fix ourselves,
   To make ourselves better,
More attractive to another,
   But the more we fix,
The more there is to fix
   In a never ending battle
With ourselves.
   It usually isn't until
We finally give up
   Our manic pursuit,
And declare a truce
   With ourselves
And the world around us,
   That someone shows up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Golden Crane

As a teacher of origami (the ancient Japanese art of paper
folding) at the LaFarge Lifelong Learning Institute in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, Art Beaudry was asked to represent the school at an
exhibit at a large mall in Milwaukee.  He decided to take along
a couple hundred folded paper cranes to pass out to people who
stopped at his booth.

   Before that day, however, something strange happened - a
voice told him to find a piece of gold foil paper and make a
gold origami crane. The strange voice was so insistent that
Art actually found himself rummaging through his collection
of origami papers at home until he found one flat, shiny piece
of old foil.

      "Why am I doing this?" he asked himself.  Art had never
worked with the shiny gold paper.  It didn't fold as easily or
neatly as the crisp multicolored papers.  But that little voice
kept nudging him.  He harrumphed and tried to ignore the
voice.  "Why gold foil anyway? Paper is much easier to work
with," he grumbled.

      The voice continued, "Do it!  And you must give it away
tomorrow to a
special person."  By now Art was getting a little cranky.....
"What special person?" he asked the voice.  "You'll know
which one," the voice said.

      That evening Art very carefully folded and shaped the
unforgiving gold foil until it became as graceful and delicate
as a real crane about to take flight.

He packed the exquisite bird in the box along with about
200 colorful paper cranes he'd made over the previous few
weeks.

The next day at the mall, dozens upon dozens of people
stopped by Art's booth to ask questions about origami.  He
demonstrated the art.  He folded, unfolded and refolded.  He
explained the intricate details, the need for sharp increases.

Then there was a woman standing in front of Art.  The special
person.

Art had never seen her before, and she hadn't said a word
as she watched him carefully fold a bright pink piece of
paper into a crane with pointed, graceful wings.

Art glanced up at her face, and before he knew what he
was doing, his hands were down in the big box that contained
the supply of paper cranes. There it was, the delicate gold foil
bird he'd labored over the night before.  He retrieved it and
\carefully placed it in the woman's hand.

"I don't know why, but there's a very loud voice inside me telling
me I'm supposed to give you this golden crane.  The crane is
the ancient symbol of peace," Art said simply.

The woman didn't say a word as she slowly cupped her small
hand around the fragile bird as if it were alive.  When Art looked
up at her face, he saw tears filling her eyes, ready to spill out.

Finally the woman took a deep breath and said, "My husband
died three weeks ago.  This is the first time I've been out.  Today,"
she wipe her eyes with her free hand, still gently cradling the
golden crane with the other. She spoke very quietly.  "Today is
our golden wedding anniversary." Then this stranger said in a
clear voice.  "Thank you for this beautiful gift. Now I know that my
husband is at peace.  Don't you see? That voice you heard.  It's
the voice of God and this beautiful crane is a gift from Him. It's
the most wonderful 50th wedding anniversary present
I could have received. Thank you for listening to your heart."
And that's how Art learned to listen very carefully when a little
voice within him tells him to do something he may not
understand at the time.

Patricia Lorenz

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Power of Holding Hands

I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children,
a boy and a girl, playing in the sand.  They were hard at work
building an elaborate sandcastle by the water's edge, with gates
and towers and moats and internal passages.  Just when they
had nearly finished their project, a big wave came along and
knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand.

I expected the children to burst into tears, devastated by what
had happened to all their hard work.  But they surprised me.
Instead, they ran up the shore away from the water, laughing
and holding hands, and sat down to build another castle.

I realized that they had taught me an important lesson.  All the
things in our lives, all the complicated structures we spent so
much time and energy creating, are built on sand.  Only our
relationships to other people endure. Sooner or later, the wave
will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard
to build up.  When that happens, only the person who has
somebody's hand to hold will be able to laugh.

Rabbi Harold Kushner

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This Path

Walking on this path of life
I'm bound to have some pain;
But it's up to me whether to choose to be
miserable and insane—
or to make the choice to use my voice
and ask God to help me through it.
It's an awesome thing what prayer can bring
if I just take the time to do it!

written by John H.
© johnh94@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You get the best effort from others
not by lighting a fire beneath them,
but by building a fire within.
Bob Nelson

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Along our spiritual journey, every one of us is thrust into the desert.
We find ourselves in a relationship wasteland or financially barren.
We feel lost and abandoned,
but it is during this time in the desert
that God grows our souls.
Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There are two kinds of people in the world:
those who make excuses and those who get results.
An excuse person will find any excuse
for why a job was not done,
and a results person will find any reason why it can be done.
Be a creator, not a reactor.
Alan Cohen, A Deep Breath Of Life

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

F E A R  =  Face Everything And Recover

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A sponsor is a person who knows the words
to the song in your heart and is able to sing them
back to you when you have forgotten those words.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The quality of your recovery is proportional
to the quality of your surrender.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Being an addict does not give me permission
to act like an addict.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Power behind me is greater
than the problem in front of me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two birds - a vulture and a hummingbird - fly over the California
desert.
One sees a rotting carcass; the other, a fragrant flower.
Each sees what it looks for!
Robert Schuller


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
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    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
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         `""``""`

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hey, Becki. I'm sorry to hear your sister isn't doing well, but I'm glad to hear
you have been able to get closer to her and help her find some peace.  I know
how difficult it can be to watch someone...knowing that soon they will be gone.

A couple of weeks ago I got an email that my Grandma was in the hospital in the
Midwest and not doing well. I left on a Wednesday morning and got there Thursday
around 5:30. Her blood work results came back a few minutes later and they said
her kidneys weren't working. She was pretty out of it when I got there, and
after hearing the test results...my Aunts and Uncles decided to just reduce her
fluids to a minimum and give her morphine. The Doctor said it could be 24-48
hours. She basically slept from then on. My Uncles and an Aunt left around
10:30...another Aunt was sitting in a chair next to Grandma's bed watching TV
and I was in a chair on the other side if the room. My Aunt fell asleep around
11:50. About 20 after midnight, the nurses cane in and said they were going to
turn Grandma. A moment later, they came over and said they didn't think she was
breathing. I swear I had just heard her. It was kind of creapy feeling like we
were just sitting around
  waiting for her to die, but it was good to know I made it back in time to see
her and be there with her...plus help make arrangements, pick out flowers, go
through old pictures, etc.

I got back just in time for my busiest time at work, so I've been working 12+
hour days - till 2am Saturday - trying to get things done at work...just took a
few minutes during lunch to check in here.

Take care of yourself, and embrace the time you have with your family.

Dawn H
Charlote, NC
9-22-94

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 9, 2009, at 8:15 AM, b dalton <beckid42@...> wrote:

I have to admit that this has been a tough year for me, as life continues to
show up.  with the surgeries, the broken arms, the dealing with illnesses in my
family, and now I reflect that just a year ago I was being tested to see if I
was a bone marrow match for my sister and yesterday she was placed on life
support and this week we have to decide her fate.  I realize that what MY
problems were this year were nothing as I reflect on the conversations I have
had with my sister over the past year.  The types of things that she said as she
couldn't understand why an addict wouldn't do EVERYTHING to get clean if it
guaranteed a better way of life.  She was trying everything and it still let to
this.  It was just giving her another day of life, no guarantees that it would
be better or it would cure her, just another day.  She and I discussed the 12
steps, and how she wanted to work them becuase she had amends to make, she
wanted to review her life, she
wanted to get a better contact with a higher power.  So we discussed the steps
more and more everytime we talked or emailed.  She and I never had a great
relationship growing up, but today, I can honestly say we have a better one than
we did.  We understand each other better.

Anyways, Life on lifes terms doesn't mean I need to pick up it means I need to
walk through things no matter how hard, no matter how easy, no matter what.  And
as hard as this next week is going to be, it has to be done and I am grateful to
be in this program where I can sit with  her husband and her daughter and be
there for my mother   And then I can go to a meeting and know that I have
another family that will hold me up and be strong for me.  What a blessing to
have.

If you haven't told your family members that you love them today, do it, no
matter how you felt about them before, when they get to where you can't say it,
you will want to, you will miss them, and you will regret it if you didn't.  My
kids and I have a rule that we never leave the house without saying it, we never
leave mad and we always hug each other as much as we can no matter how mad at
each other we get.

Just some thoughts on life on lifes terms today, it is difficult at times, but
necessary.  Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.  I was always told that.  I
choose to walk through the pain and avoid the misery.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hey, Anna. Sorry to hear about your Mom. Hope things are going as well as can be
expected. Please make sure to take care of yourself and allow other people to
help.

Take care!

Dawn H
Charlotte, NC
9-22-94

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 9, 2009, at 9:09 AM, "anna" <amarley3@...> wrote:


I love you, becki... your message is so heartfelt, it makes me want
to cry... I will hold you strongly in my prayers...

my mother is back in the hospital, and she's been almost unresponsive
so I have to run again... no time... but we all love you here...

anna

----- Original Message -----
From: b dalton
To: twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 8:15 AM
Subject: [TwelveStepSoulFood4 theSpirit] Living life on lifes terms

I have to admit that this has been a tough year for me, as life continues to
show up. with the surgeries, the broken arms, the dealing with illnesses in my
family, and now I reflect that just a year ago I was being tested to see if I
was a bone marrow match for my sister and yesterday she was placed on life
support and this week we have to decide her fate. I realize that what MY
problems were this year were nothing as I reflect on the conversations I have
had with my sister over the past year. The types of things that she said as she
couldn't understand why an addict wouldn't do EVERYTHING to get clean if it
guaranteed a better way of life. She was trying everything and it still let to
this.  It was just giving her another day of life, no guarantees that it would
be better or it would cure her, just another day. She and I discussed the 12
steps, and how she wanted to work them becuase she had amends to make, she
wanted to review her life, she
wanted to get a better contact with a higher power. So we discussed the steps
more and more everytime we talked or emailed. She and I never had a great
relationship growing up, but today, I can honestly say we have a better one than
we did. We understand each other better.

Anyways, Life on lifes terms doesn't mean I need to pick up it means I need to
walk through things no matter how hard, no matter how easy, no matter what. And
as hard as this next week is going to be, it has to be done and I am grateful to
be in this program where I can sit with her husband and her daughter and be
there for my mother And then I can go to a meeting and know that I have another
family that will hold me up and be strong for me. What a blessing to have.

If you haven't told your family members that you love them today, do it, no
matter how you felt about them before, when they get to where you can't say it,
you will want to, you will miss them, and you will regret it if you didn't. My
kids and I have a rule that we never leave the house without saying it, we never
leave mad and we always hug each other as much as we can no matter how mad at
each other we get.

Just some thoughts on life on lifes terms today, it is difficult at times, but
necessary. Pain is inevitable, misery is optional. I was always told that. I
choose to walk through the pain and avoid the misery.

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Please note, I will be out of town on business 11/11 through 11/15 in
Raliegh NC
I will be sending my emails into a holding bin in Yahoogroups and
Googlegroups they will be dated and time stamped 11/11 and
will appear in your email box for those dates even though I will
be releasing them for bulk mailing on the day that is in
the subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
PLEASE make sure to look through your inbox carefully and you
will find each days email with an 11/11 time stamp .
In loving service,
Scott


Selective Hearing
http://www.recoverycartoons.com/html/new2004/24hourchick.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
What are your thoughts on sponsorship ?
Why is a sponsor necessary to your recovery ?
What`s your favorite sponsorship related saying ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November  12
When I find my now full of yesterday's feelings,
I can ask for God to remove them.
I can pray to turn them over to a power greater than myself
so that they will lose their power for me.
I know longer need to hold on to memories
which create feelings that make me upset or unhappy.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How Do WE Serve?

We serve on subcommittees, we open up the halls.
We're the ones who make the coffee or go on 12th step calls.
We're speak at the conventions, we serve behind the scenes.
We're the ones who stay behind, to make sure we leave it clean.
We chair our daily meetings, we carry H& I.
We greet you at the door, and hold you while you cry.
We listen to you on the phone late into the night;
let you know you're not alone, and that it will be alright.
We put the chairs and pamphlets out, hand out the keytags too;
And this is just a little taste of all the things we do.
How do we really serve?
We show real love to our families, and to the gang at work.
We have patience when we get cut off,
instead of yelling, "Stupid Jerk!"
We are witnesses to God's wondrous love, and it shows in our lives,
Through the gratitude we spread around to our children and our wives.
Our lives may not be perfect, but we're happy anyway.
Real serenity we're finding, and share throughout our day.
We reach out with our hearts and prayers to the corners of this earth
Hoping that folks realize just how much this life is worth.
We approach each day as a sacred gift full of lessons to be learned
These are just a sample of the ways we really serve.

john h
johnh94@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sacred Oath
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=l9fAEwMwzi_nrCZ17q\
jPJ6kps.Mcwu6sQPHpOkdngCO8ND3RAw#

Going Through The Steps With A Sponsee
As it was done in the beginning
www.barefootsworld.net/aastepswithsponsee.html

ORIGINAL A.A. It Works How and Why
www.aabibliography.com/oldhowitworks.html

THE EARLY DAYS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IN CLEVELAND
www.aabibliography.com/tapes.html

N.A. WORLD SERVICE BOARD OF TRUSTEES BULLETIN #27
HIV and AIDS in NA
www.na.org/bulletins/bull27.htm

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 12                                       Our Own Story

"When we honestly tell our own story, someone else may identify
with us."     Basic Text p. 95

   Many of us have heard truly captivating speakers at Narcotics
Anonymous conventions. We remember the audience alternating
between tears of identification and joyous hilarity. "Someday;' we
may think, "I'm going to be a main speaker at a convention, too"

   Well, for many of us, that day has yet to arrive. Once in awhile we
may be asked to speak at a meeting near where we live. We might
speak at a small convention workshop. But after all this time, we're
still not "hot" convention speakers-and that's okay. We've learned
that we, too, have a special message to share, even if it's only at
a local meeting with fifteen or twenty addicts in attendance.

   Each of us has only our own story to tell; that's it. We can't tell
anyone else's story. Every time we get up to speak, many of us find
all the clever lines and funny stories seem to disappear from our
minds. But we do have something to offer. We carry the message of
hope-we can and do recover from our addiction. And that's enough.

Just for today: I will remember that my honest story is what I
share the best. Today, that's enough.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Quality of Faith

This. . . has to do with the quality of faith. . . . In no deep or
meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves. . . . We had
not even prayed rightly.  We had always said, "Grant me my wishes"
instead of "Thy will be done."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.32

God does not grant me material possessions, take away my suffering,
or spare me from disasters, but He does give me a good life, the
ability to cope, and peace of mind.  My prayers are simple: first,
they express my gratitude for the good things in my life, regardless
of how hard I have to search for them; and second, I ask only for
the strength and the wisdom to do His will.  He answers with solutions
to my problems, sustaining my ability to live through daily frustrations
with a serenity I did not believe existed, and with the strength to
practice the principles of A.A. in all of my everyday affairs

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 12th

A.A. Thought for the Day

I am less critical of other people, inside and outside of
A.A.  I used to run people down all the time.  I realize
now that it was because I wanted unconsciously to build
myself up.  I was envious of people who lived normal lives.
I couldn't understand why I couldn't be like them.  And
so I ran them down.  I called them sissies or hypocrites.
I was always looking for faults in the other person.  I
loved to tear down what I called "a stuffed shirt" or
"a snob."  I have found that I can never make a person
any better by criticism.  A.A. has taught me this.  Am I
less critical of people?

Meditation for the Day

You must admit your helplessness before your prayer
for help will be heard by God.  Your own need must be
recognized before you can ask God for the strength to
meet that need.  But once that need is recognized, your
prayer is heard above all the music of heaven.  It is not
theological arguments that solve the problems of the
questing soul, but the sincere cry of that soul to God
for strength and the certainty of that soul that the cry
will be heard and answered.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may send my voiceless cry for help out into
the void.  I pray that I may feel certain that it will be
heard somewhere, somehow.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 12

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Timing

Wait until the time is right. It is self-defeating to postpone or
procrastinate; it is also self-defeating to act too soon, before
the time is right.

Sometimes, we panic and take action out of fear. Sometimes,
we take untimely action for revenge or because we want to
punish someone. We act or speak too soon as a way to control
or force someone to action. Sometimes, we take action too soon
to relieve feelings of discomfort or anxiety about how a situation
will turn out.

An action taken too soon can be as ineffective as one taken too
late. It can backfire and cause more problems than it solves.
Usually, when we wait until the time is right - sometimes only
a matter of minutes or hours - the discomfort dissolves, and we're
empowered to accomplish what we need to do.

In recovery, we are learning to be effective.

Our answers will come. Our guidance will come. Pray. Trust. Wait.
Let go. We are being led. We are being guided.

Today, I will let go of my need to control by waiting until the time is
right. When the time is right, I will take action.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Wonderful Message
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2003/11/carlin.htm

Breathing Facts
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2006/06/breathingfacts.htm

What They Serve In Heaven, Alan Cohen
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/September/cohen.htm

Parenting
www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/parenting/index.shtml

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Following Gut-Feelings
by Lynn Grabhorn

How many times have you said to yourself, "I just got a hit (or a
hunch, or a gut-feeling) to go there." And so you did; you went
there, and then found out it was a good thing you did. You were
following your Guidance. Or you got a crazy idea to try such-and-
such. And you did. And it was a success because it was fun. You
were following your Guidance. But you don't have to be starting a
new business to have ideas, or hunches, or insights. Whether
your Want is to find the fastest way around the traffic downtown or
to find a new mate, all you have to do is pay attention to the
signs that will come to make it happen ... and learn to trust them!

A phone call that comes out of the blue from an old friend, a TV
show you normally don't watch, a feeling you got to read
something, or call someone, or take that other road instead.
These are all gentle little shoves from your Expanded Self, your
Inner/Outer Guidance helping you stay on course towards your
joy, even if it's just a better parking place in the rain. You've
blasted Feel Good energy out there, mixed it with Wants, created
corridors of energy flowing into massive vortexes, and now as
you step into those vortexes, the Guidance comes. Your impulses
to act -- to do this, go there, call them -- are coming from the
magnetic activity initiated by your focused energy.

Shortly after embarking on this new path of deliberate creation, I
was on my way to Portland in my beloved old '77 Mercury Monarch,
a car that had been rebirthed many times since I'd had it because
I loved the thing. New engines, new this's, new that's. But because
of its age, my mechanics had recommended I start using a synthetic
oil to reduce wear and tear. That was fine, except not only were
synthetic oils somewhat rare at that time, this was some weirdo
brand that had to be special ordered out of town.

I hadn't been out of the house farther than the grocery store for
ages, and the two-hour drive to Portland was more than welcomed.
I put on some of my soaring music and was just about on the edge
of high-frequency bliss an hour later, flowing energy to this and that,
when I remembered I hadn't put in the much-needed oil. I usually
carried a couple of quarts of the oddball stuff in the car, but had
forgotten that, too, and the prospect of finding this kind of oil --
that was never to be mixed with any other kind, of course -- was
between zip and forget it along that farmland stretch of freeway
in southern Washington.

I drove a few more miles, wondering what to do, when I got a hit
to pull off at the next exit. Since I was pretty much following my
hunches without hesitation by then, I shrugged my shoulders
and pulled off onto a desolate country road not more than a
quarter mile from the freeway.

What I found looked like an old abandoned mining town, or
ghost town, replete with cockeyed, broken-down buildings all
boarded up and so dilapidated they were tilting. I didn't see
signs of life anywhere, but for some reason I stopped the car
and got out, strangely aware that I was not questioning my
decision to pull off the freeway, or thinking things like "what in
the hell am I doing here," but just going along with the strange
lead.

Then I saw it and couldn't believe my eyes. Not fifty feet in front
of the car was another broken down building with a hastily hand-
painted sign that said "Auto Shop."

I don't know how I'd missed it when I stopped, yet there it was,
right smack in front of me. Dumbfounded, I walked in and asked
if they carried any synthetic oil. Yes, they did, but they were sorry
that the only kind they carried was Blurp, just the kind I needed.
"Yes, Ma'am, our last two quarts, right over there!"

My head was whirling when I got back to the car. Sure, I was
thrilled and excited beyond words. Sure, I was overjoyed to see
the Law of Attraction so blatantly in action. But truthfully, I was
numb. It was all so bloody obvious, so indisputable. My
vibrations had been at an all-time peak. Then came a pressing
requirement, but without an ounce of resistance such as, "I'm in
trouble, I'll never find it, what'll I do?" With my vibrations at
that pitch, I had instantly magnetized the solution, receiving loud
and clear directions from my Expanded Self in the form of a
super-strong hunch which I decided to follow. But man alive,
how melodramatic can you get?

How did it happen? Who knows. Who cares! I got the hit, trusted
it, acted on it, and it worked.

The point is to get off auto pilot and pay attention. Listen! Stay
alert for that little push, watch for signs, tune in to hunches. If it
feels good, it's Guidance.

Most of us don't let ourselves believe something can happen
unless we can see ahead of time how all the pieces are going
to fit together. So start watching for clues. Watch for the
masterful coming together as all the missing parts take form
and start dropping into place like magic. Now you've entered
the uncanny world of synchronicity, you're plugged in,
connected to your Source energy, going with the flow. But
you'll never see it, or learn to trust it, if you're not watching for
it.

Without Hesitation
With the possible exception of prayer, which is more often a
plea from a closed rather than opened valve, precious few of
us were ever taught to go inside, shut up and listen, much less
follow! Follow what? Listen to whom? Nonsense! Take a pill.
That's just imagination. It has no substance, no intellectual
empirical data to back it up.

I love how we pretend that something doesn't exist, then turn
right around and name it. We turn our noses up at "divine
guidance,"  but curiously give it this wide range of names like
gut-feeling, motivation, hit, intuition, sense, inspiration, impulse,
urge, premonition, desire, imagination. It's all Guidance, the real
You sending messages from the infinite intelligence You are,
doing everything in Its power to pass on some ideas or direction
before you shut down again.

Guidance is Soul-talk, God-talk, Inner Being-talk, Expanded Self-
talk,Cosmic Escort-talk. Guidance does whatever is necessary to
get our attention and help us step into our Wants, be it oil for the
car or new hair for a shining head. But to make it work, we've got
to learn to trust what we're picking up on that station.

A couple who were mortgage clients of mine -- I'll call them George
and Sally -- were a little shaken when I got to their home one evening
to take their loan application. When I asked what was wrong, George
said he and his wife had just missed being in a serious eight-car pile
up on the freeway, and they were still feeling "really spooked," as he
put it.

They worked at different places, but commuted together. Seems
they were coming home from work on the freeway as usual, and
George was beginning to get antsy being stuck behind a large,
red, wobbly truck in front of them, so he decided to change lanes.
Out of nowhere Sally said, "Honey, don't do that! We've got to get
off this freeway right now!" There was the customary explosion
about how silly that was, then finally, to keep the peace, George
turned off at the next exit and headed for some very out-of-the-way
back roads.

When they got home, George switched on the local TV news as
usual, and saw his wobbly red truck in the middle of a pile up,
squashed between two cars not a mile down the freeway from
where they had exited. There were two fatalities.

That was one tuned-in lady who followed her Guidance without
hesitation. How many of us would have listened, much less acted
by taking another road?

The cosmic joke is that we were designed to do just that, to live by
our senses, not by our brains. But over the eons we've learned
to think our responses instead of feel them, totally backwards from
the way all the rest of nature lives. Animals and plants do it (live by
their senses), while all of us closed-down, disconnected humans
snicker at it. But when you really start playing the Feel Good
game, I promise, it's better than an all-day ticket to Disneyland.
You listen and do, listen and do, listen and do, trusting your
Guidance without hesitation.

So if you have five dozen friends and family telling you to do
"this," but your deepest impulse is to do "that," always, always
follow your impulse (provided it feels good!). Why? Just do it a
few times and you'll see why. Your Guidance system is doing
all it knows how to get you where you want to go to follow your
Original Intent. So give it a chance. Tune in and listen
up; that Expanded Self knows what it's doing.

This article is excerpted from Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting,
©2000, by Lynn Grabhorn. Reprinted with permission of the
publisher, Hampton Roads.

About the Author:
Lynn Grabhorn is a long-time student of the way in which
thought and feelings format our lives. Lynn's first book, Beyond
the Twelve Steps, along with her sweeping multimedia program,
Life Course 101, have received high acclaim from all corners of
the world. She lives near Olympia, Washington, where she
continues to write, give seminars, and "mow my five acres." Visit
her website at www.lynngrabhorn.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Little Prince Chapter 21
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
translated from the French by Katherine Woods

It was then that the fox appeared.

"Good morning," said the fox.

"Good morning," the little prince responded politely, although
when he turned around he saw nothing.

"I am right here," the voice said, "under the apple tree."

"Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very
pretty to look at."

"I am a fox," said the fox.

"Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so
unhappy."

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

"Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince.

But, after some thought, he added:

"What does that mean-- 'tame'?"

"You do not live here," said the fox. "What is it that you are
looking for?"

"I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does that
mean-- 'tame'?"

"Men," said the fox. "They have guns, and they hunt. It is very
disturbing.
They also raise chickens. These are their only
interests. Are you looking for chickens?"

"No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What
does that mean-- 'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to
establish ties."

"'To establish ties'?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more
than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other
little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part,
have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like
a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we
shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the
world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..."

"I am beginning to understand," said the little prince. "There
is a flower... I think that she has tamed me..."

"It is possible," said the fox. "On the Earth one sees all sorts
of things."

"Oh, but this is not on the Earth!" said the little prince.

The fox seemed perplexed, and very curious.

"On another planet?"

"Yes."

"Are there hunters on this planet?"

"No."

"Ah, that is interesting! Are there chickens?"

"No."

"Nothing is perfect," sighed the fox.

But he came back to his idea.

"My life is very monotonous," the fox said. "I hunt chickens;
men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men
are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if
you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life .
I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from
all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath
the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow.
And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not
eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have
nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that
is the colour of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when
you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring
me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the
wind in the wheat..."

The fox gazed at the little prince, for a long time.

"Please-- tame me!" he said.

"I want to, very much," the little prince replied. "But I have
not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many
things to understand."

"One only understands the things that one tames," said the
fox. "Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy
things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop
anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no
friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me..."

"What must I do, to tame you?" asked the little prince.

"You must be very patient," replied the fox. "First you will sit
down at a little distance from me-- like that-- in the grass. I
shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say
nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But you
will sit a little closer to me, every day..."

The next day the little prince came back.

"It would have been better to come back at the same hour,"
said the fox. "If, for example, you come at four o'clock in the
afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I
shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four
o'clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall
show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I
shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet
you... One must observe the proper rites..."

"What is a rite?" asked the little prince.

"Those also are actions too often neglected," said the fox.
"They are what make one day different from other days, one
hour from other hours. There is a rite, for example, among
my hunters. Every Thursday they dance with the village girls.
So Thursday is a wonderful day for me! I can take a walk as
far as the vineyards. But if the hunters danced at just any
time, every day would be like every other day, and I should
never have any vacation at all."

So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his
departure drew near--

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you
any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you..."

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color
of the wheat fields." And then he added:

"Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that
yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye
to me, and I will make you a present of a secret."

The little prince went away, to look again at the roses.

"You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are
nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one.
You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a
fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made
him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world."

And the roses were very much embarrassed.

"You are beautiful, but you are empty," he went on. "One could
not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think
that my rose looked just like you-- the rose that belongs to me.
But in herself alone she is more important than all the
hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have
watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass
globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the
screen; because it is for her that I have killed the
caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become
butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she
grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing.
Because she is my rose.

And he went back to meet the fox.

"Goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very
simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye."

"What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince
repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your
rose so important."

"It is the time I have wasted for my rose--" said the little
prince, so that he would be sure to remember.

"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must
not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you
have tamed. You are responsible for your rose..."

"I am responsible for my rose," the little prince repeated,
so that he would be sure to remember.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Been Down That Road

Been down that road
a thousand times,
I know what's along the way;
the same old places,
the same old faces,
lost smiles and dismay.
Been down that road
a hundred times, but
this time I'll go fast.
I'll break the curse
that's been well rehearsed
in those days forever past.
Been down that road
at least ten times,
why can't I remember why?
All I can see is
lifelong misery;
I fear on this road I will die.
I see that road
in front of me.
I know just where
it goes.
I took it once
it led to hell
while fearing all tomorrows.

written by ~  Rick J.
mrclean57103@...
7/02

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rainbow Bliss

What is it about sparkles
that captures our attention?
What is it about rainbows
that makes our hearts glow?

We marvel at colours as if
seeing them for the first time
Our thoughts thrill at the wonder
of magic and mystery
of story and mythology
Is all of this inside of me?

Do I recognise inside the sparkle
a touch of the spirit I may become?
Do I reach forth to rainbow's end
to catch the golden meaning of who I am?

Angel wings and fairy tales
Stars falling and hearts wishing.
Life hiding a much deeper meaning?

Sometimes the simple little things
matter most when all is said and done
Try to catch the hidden sparkles
in the magical moments of time
They are the rainbows of your life

Love
Stella
© 2003 Stella Raymonde Savoie Johnson
stellaraymonde@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Change.....

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find
with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will
not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus
off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your
unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another
feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed
in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy."
   Wayne Dyer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Shakespeare

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The most important single ingredient in the formula of
success is knowing how to get along with people.
Theodore Roosevelt

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Correct action means the willingness to do whatever is necessary
-- physically, emotionally, mentally -- to make it all happen.
Spiritual Warriors manifest themselves through correct action,
because their only true intention is
spiritual growth, expansion, and revelation.
Whatever else comes is a bonus, to be enjoyed,
to participate in, but never to get caught up in.

Make the Spiritual Warrior way of action your own,
and you will begin to manifest the fruits
of your spiritual progress in everything you do.

John-Roger
(From: Spiritual Warrior, The Art of Spiritual Living)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a magnificent artist in you just waiting to be brought forth.
You can reproduce your parent's story, leave the canvas blank, or you
can recognize your true identity and create a masterpiece.
The life you hold is in your hands.
Mary Manin Morrissey

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The answer to all my worries
was as close as the next prayer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

YET = You're Eligible Too

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you don't take care of yourself,
why should anyone else?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Keep the focus on yourself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on,
He must close his eyes and walk in the dark.
St. John of the Cross


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Created in 1997 , "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit" is intended to give
readers , inspiring and thoughtful messages. To help fulfill our primary
purpose which is to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict
who still suffers. A spiritual adventure, a journey inwards this
has a vision of opening and touching, each and everyone,
with the Loving Power and Presence of the Spirit within."
We invite you to share the writings by forwarding today's
message to others. Share "12 Step Soul Food for the Spirit"
with friends and loved ones: Please keep passing this along to
online recovery friends  "We can only keep what we have by
giving it away."

12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit does not endorse any of the
advertisements that may appear in this daily mailing.
Advertising is the price that we pay for a free list server
that yahoo groups and google groups provides.

Putting together these Daily Recovery Emails has been such
a blessing for me, Thanks for your support and contributions,
"What I can't do alone we can do together." If you have any
original poetry or submissions that you would like to send to
me you can email me at
YOUnMEnHP@...

Anyone can subscribe to this free daily  e-zine by sending an
Email message to me and write subscribe in the subject line.

Under Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress
this letter cannot be considered spam as long as the following words
are included:

To unsubscribe to to this list send an Email message to the group
that you belong to
12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or just email me YOUnMEnHP@...
and write unsubscribe in the subject line
or go to the website and unsubscribe

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
http://www.groups.google.com/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit

By the grace of God and through your efforts of passing on this
email, we are reaching many recovering people in different areas of
the world. If you are receiving this, from a country outside of the
USA please send me an email and tell me where you are receiving this.
So far we reaching over 13,000 recovering people in 66 countries
including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada , Columbia, Costa Rica, China ,
Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Guatemala,
Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea,
Lithuania, Mali West Africa, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia , Saudi Arabia,
Scotland, Singapore, South Africa , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
U.S.A., Venezuela, Wales, West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Even if your country is listed
please email me, and let me know where you are from
Stay in the Light,

In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

Scott’s Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806068075

For the daily recovery email please visit me at:
http://groups.google.tt/group/12-Step-Soul-Food-for-the-Spirit?hl=en
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/12StepSoulFoodForTheSpirit/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29828726115

For the weekly topic meeting please visit me at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Please note, I will be out of town on business 11/11 through 11/15 in
Raliegh NC
I will be sending my emails into a holding bin in Yahoogroups and
Googlegroups they will be dated and time stamped 11/11 and
will appear in your email box for those dates even though I will
be releasing them for bulk mailing on the day that is in
the subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
PLEASE make sure to look through your inbox carefully and you
will find each days email with an 11/11 time stamp .
In loving service,
Scott


Two Shots

A drunk goes in a bar and asks for a shot of Jim Beam. The
bartender pours it and the drunk pushes it aside and asks
for another shot of Jim Beam. The bartender pours it and
the drunk drinks it. The bartender says, "I watched what you
did and I don't understand why you pushed the first one away
and drank the second one!" The drunk stated," I've been going
to those AA Meetings, and they said WHATEVER YOU DO,
DON'T TAKE THAT FIRST DRINK!!!".

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LAUGHTER Is HEALING*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekly meeting topic is:
What are your thoughts on sponsorship ?
Why is a sponsor necessary to your recovery ?
What`s your favorite sponsorship related saying ?

This is a DIFFERENT Yahoo Club you MUST join this club in order to
participate otherwise your emails will bounce

to share please visit
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit/
or email
twelvestepsoulfood4thespirit@yahoogroups.com

A Safe Place to Share , Discover and Recover.
This is a SLAMMING, STRONG support group with
a whole lot of EXPERIENCE, LOVE and HOPE that is available to you.
This a message bulletin board meeting, where people post on the
weekly topic. It takes only 1 minute to enter a password and
username. Please go this page on the upper right hand corner and click
the join club link, sign in and go to the left hand side and click
messages to read what others have shared and click on the post link,
now you can share on the topic of the week or whatever you would like.
There is a lot of good experience, strength and hope in here as well
as newcomers who need our support and love, PLEASE stop by,
we will leave the light on in the room and there is coffee in the
back :)
Thanks for your participation and support !!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Please Be There For The Newcomers*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November  11
Today I am taking the time that I need
to look at my growth and progress.
I celebrate being alive.
I celebrate the good in me.
Today I celebrate me.
written by ~ Ruth Fishel
"Time for Joy"
Check out Ruth's collection of
light, nourishing and nurturing Books and Tapes
& some touching and embracing Greeting Cards
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm
for inspirational messages email
spirithaven@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Just for Today*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Big Rocks

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of
business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration
those students will never forget.  As he stood in front of the group
of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."

Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set
it on the table in front of him.  Then he produced about a dozen
fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into
the jar.  When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks
would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

Then he said, "Really?"  He reached under the table and pulled
out a bucket of gravel.  Then he dumped some gravel in and shook
the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the
space between the big rocks.

Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time the class was on to him.  "Probably not," one of
them answered.
"Good!" he replied.  He reached under the table and brought out
a bucket of sand.  He started dumping the sand in the jar and it
went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good."

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until
the jar was filled to the brim.  Then he looked at the class and
asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager beaver raised his hand and  said, "The point is, no
matter how full your schedule is, if you  try really hard you can
always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point.  The truth
this illustration teaches us i s:  If you don't put the big rocks in
first, you'll never get them in at all."

What are the 'big rocks' in your  life?

Author Unknown

The big rocks in my life are not using no matter what, making
meetings, calling my sponsors, being a sponsor, working steps,
and being there for the newcomer. For it is when I do this, that
EVERYTHING else falls into place. This is where I learn, If I
give a little bit, I get back a whole lot
Stay in the LIGHT
Scott

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Don't Use*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If anyone has any original recovery poetry that they
would like to share with us please copy and paste it into the body
of an email and send it to me, Thanks for your support and
contributions.
What I can't do alone, We do together.
In loving service, Scott ~  YOUnMEnHP@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*No Matter What*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twelve Steps Away
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/KOUVXSDBHBKOTXDBYWF7UA43UA?eid=QonyunUxmHW0X.RZrl\
5uQL95xWumpj0bC89zQhq12E8ekVx1XA

Back To Basics
www.barefootsworld.net/aabacktobasics.html

Goodbye Old Friend
www.geocities.com/alaura1942/GoodbyeOldFriend.html

Love Is...
www.geocities.com/Wellesley/4249/love_is.html

My Blog YOUnMEnHP Scott's Daily Blog
http://profiles.yahoo.com/younmenhp

Tommy D. GREAT MUSIC (one of my sponsees)
http://www.myspace.com/bluesbuddha
http://www.bluesbuddha.com/home.html

Recovery Gifts, Bracelets, T-Shirts, Mugs and other GREAT gifts
http://www.serenityquest.org/60.html

CHECK out Ruth Fishel's new book
Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World
http://www.peaceinourhearts.net/

Spiritual Greeting Cards, Bookmarks & Spirit Stones
http://www.spirithaven.com/greeting_cards.htm

Ruth Fishel Books and Tapes
http://www.spirithaven.com/booksandtapes.htm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Make A Meeting*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just For Today
November 11                               From surrender to acceptance

"We surrender quietly and let the God of our understanding
take care of us."  Basic Text p. 26

Surrender and acceptance are like infatuation and love.
Infatuation begins when we encounter someone special.
Infatuation requires nothing but the acknowledgement of
the object of our infatuation. For infatuation to become love,
however, requires a great deal of effort. That initial
connection must be slowly, patiently nurtured into a lasting,
durable bond.

It's the same with surrender and acceptance. We surrender
when we acknowledge our powerlessness. Slowly, we come
to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can give us the
care we need. Surrender turns to acceptance when we let this
Power into our lives. We examine ourselves and let our God
see us as we are. Having allowed the God of our understanding
access to the depths of ourselves, we accept more of God's care.
We ask this Power to relieve us of our shortcomings and help
us amend the wrongs we've done. Then, we embark on a new
way of life, improving our conscious contact and accepting our
Higher Power's continuing care, guidance, and strength.

Surrender, like infatuation, can be the beginning of a lifelong
relationship. To turn surrender into acceptance, however, we
must let the God of our understanding take care of us each day.

Just for today: My recovery is more than infatuation. I have
surrendered.

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get Involved In Service*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you are enjoying this daily recovery email,
Please pass on 12 Step Soul Food For The Spirit to your online friends,
"We can only keep what we have by giving it away."
If you have received this as a forward
and  would like to subscribe please email
me at YOUnMEnHP@...
Thanks, In loving service, Scott :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Get A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Food For Thought Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_food

Each Day a New Beginning (Women) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_eachday

Touchtones (Men) Meditation
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/thought_touchstone

Meditation of the Day
http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/thought.view

Viking Thought of the Day
http://www.gorm.com/cgi-local/daily.pl

Elder's Meditation of the Day
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php

Dr. Twerski's Sober Thought of the Day
http://www.gatewayrehab.org/November.html

Daily Zen
http://www.dailyzen.com/

Grapevine Story Today
http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/storyoday.php

Daily Motivator
http://www.greatday.com/


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Use Your Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Focusing and Listening
There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation,
and prayer.  Taken separately, these practices can bring much
relief and benefit.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98

If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll have enough
humility to pray and meditate -- because I'll see and feel my
need for them.  Some wish to begin and end with prayer, leaving
the self-examination and meditation to take place in between,
whereas others start with meditation, listening for advice from God
about their still hidden or unacknowledged defects.  Still others
engage in written and verbal work on their defects, ending with a
prayer of praise and thanksgiving.  These three -- self-examination,
meditation and prayer -- form a circle, without a beginning or an
end.  No matter where, or how, I start, I eventually arrive at my
destination: a better life.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
Daily Reflection In Loving Memory Of Scott Reeves

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Be A Sponsor*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-Four Hours A Day by Hazelden / November 11th

A.A. Thought for the Day

When I think of all who have gone before me, I realize
that I am only one, not very important, person.  What
happens to me is not so very important after all.  And
A.A. has taught me to be more outgoing, to seek
friendship by going at least halfway, to have a sincere
desire to help.  I have more self-respect now that I have
less sensitiveness.  I have found that the only way to live
comfortably with myself is to take a real interest in others.
Do I realize that I am not so important after all?

Meditation for the Day

As you look back over your life, it is not too difficult to
believe that what you went through was for a purpose, to
prepare you for some valuable work in life.  Everything in
your life may well have been planned by God to make you
of some use in the world.  Each person's life is like the
pattern of a mosaic. Each thing that happened to you is
like one tiny stone in the mosaic, and each tiny stone fits
into the perfected pattern of the mosaic of your life,
which has been designed by God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not need to see the whole design of my
life.  I pray that I may trust the Designer.

"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" is a © Copyrighted book of
Hazelden Foundation.  No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any manner without the written
permission of Hazelden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Work The Steps*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Thought
NOVEMBER 11

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Melody Beattie ©

Discipline

Children need discipline to feel secure; so do adults.

Discipline means understanding there are logical consequences
to our behavior. Discipline means taking responsibility for our
behavior and the consequences.

Discipline means learning to wait for what we want.

Discipline means being willing to work for and toward what we
want.

Discipline means learning and practicing new behaviors.

Discipline means being where we need to be, when we need to
be there, despite our feelings.

Discipline is the day to day performing of tasks, whether these
are recovery behaviors or washing the dishes.

Discipline involves trusting that our goals will be reached though
we cannot see them.

Discipline can be grueling. We may feel afraid, confused, and
uncertain. Later, we will see the purpose. But this clarity of sight
usually does not come during the time of discipline. We may not
even believe we're moving forward.

But we are.

The task at hand during times of discipline is simple: listen, trust,
and obey.

Higher Power, help me learn to surrender to discipline. Help me
be grateful that You care enough about me to allow these times
of discipline and learning in my life. Help me know that as a
result of discipline and learning, something important will have
been worked out in me.

©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of
this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the
written permission of the publisher.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*You Are A Miracle*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Patches & Prisons of the Heart
http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2002/11/patches.htm

The Key To Lasting Happiness, By Dr. Deepak Chopra
www.inlightimes.com/archives/2006/06/lastinghappiness.htm

Practicing the Power of Now
www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/September/feature1.htm

Men’s Issues
www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/men/index.shtml

At The Heart Of Peace
http://www.heartmath.com/peace/

We Are The Same
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=431

Remember The Child Within
http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomflash/WFView.cfm?PID=258

Finding Joy
http://www.findingjoymovie.com/

Inspirational movie, about 3 minutes long
http://www.lightmovie.com/

Inspirational Spiritual Flash Movies
http://www.inspiringthots.net/m-all.htm

Has Anyone Told You
http://www.hasanyonetoldyou.com/

Meditationroom
http://www.lime.com/meditation_room

Native American 10 Commandments
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w

The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep It Simple*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Be The Lighthouse ...
Not The Rescue Boat

In our zest for evolving beyond the current reality, and our very
sincere desire to assist everyone on this journey, we often lose
sight of some very Universal truths. Each of us choose our own
life experience. And each of us make these choices based upon
what we need in order to learn or achieve so that we might take
our personal steps in Soul evolution.

Love clouds many issues, but it is necessary for each of us to
realize not only the infinite Soul of self, but also the infinite Soul
of all others.There are many times during this process that each
of us will falter, will feel enormous pain, and may even lose our
way.

Where there is love there is the natural instinct to rescue. But
at times we must resist that instinct. There may be those who
gasp in dismay at my words. Is it love to stand aside and allow
a loved one to suffer? Is it love when we do not race down into
the trenches to pull our friend out of the mud? Yes . there are
times when taking no action is love.

If you, as a Soul, need to experience a period of great turmoil,
a turmoil that will force you into the depths of yourself to find
your own answers, a friend would be empowering you by
standing beside you and supporting you and loving you - but
not rescuing you.

If you take the hand of a friend and pull them out of the mire
they've created for themselves, you have robbed them of an
opportunity. By remaining in the mire, they will find strength.
They will find personal power. They will learn to trust
themselves, to turn to their own inner voice. Please understand
that if you see a loved one in physical danger, or in harm's way
to the degree that intervention is called for, do not hesitate.

Emotional detachment, something each seeker must learn, calls
for a delicate balance of offering support, serving humanity, and
offering your belief in a person to the degree that they realize
you believe they can rise above all circumstances. As we watch
the daily chaos and suffering on Earth it is difficult to believe that
we are not victims. But we are not.

Emotional detachment allows for a different perspective when
evaluating the reality we, as a human society, are creating. When
we accept and then begin to understand that our creations, what
we experience daily, are created from a base, a foundation, that
lies within us, we begin to understand how to create different
experiences.

To rescue someone from his or her own creation/experience is
to rob them of the opportunity to understand why they are
creating the experience they are creating. Our experiences are
the gifts we receive from ourselves, with the intention of out-
picturing what resides within us.

By taking the deep internal beliefs that we carry, the spirit
within us creates an external picture/experience. This creation
is a mirror that shows us what foundation we are creating from.
If the foundation is fear, doubt, pain, our external world will
reflect this foundation back to us. Because all creation must
have a foundation on which to build, Universal Law dictates
that the foundation must be within us for the simple reason that
like attracts like.

The greatest gift we can give each other and ourselves is the
gift of allowing our spirit to express, via our external
experiences, the truths that reside within us and within our
personal energy fields. By doing so, we bring to our attention
deep, unhealed wounds and/or beliefs, whether they be
from this lifetime or from the past.

As we work through our experiences, gaining understanding,
conquering fear and pain, we heal that which causes us to
create pain and suffering. As we heal pain and suffering, we
give ourselves the very real possibility of creating a world based
on joy and Soul-wisdom.

Lauren Zimmerman
www.OneWorldHealing.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Day At A Time*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Rainbow Bridge Return

The little dog arrived at the Rainbow Bridge , and a pack of dogs
rushed up to greet him.  He braced himself, expecting a fight,
but this was the first pack that wagged their tails and kissed him
instead of attacking him.

It was beautiful here, and everyone was nice to him. None of
them had been born in a puppy mill, like he had, and used for
dog-bait fighting and left to die in a shelter because he was a
mix-breed battle-scarred cur and wasn't cute. They explained
why they were waiting... for their humans who loved them.

"What is love?" he asked, and God let him go back to earth,
and find out.

Warm, and dark, he squeezed in with the others and waited for
the day to be born. Scared, he held back as long as he could,
but finally got dragged out, by his hind feet. Hands without fur
held him gently and rubbed him dry and opened his mouth and
guided him to a warm nipple with milk.  He didn't get a good hold
on it, because one of his big fat brothers pushed him aside.  The
human hand moved the other puppy to another nipple and held
his body, so he could drink.

"Ahhh, that's better, " he thought, and drank until his jaws
got tired and he curled up to sleep next to his warm hairy
mother.  "I remember this," he mused... "Too bad I'll have to
grow up to be hit, left out in the cold and rain, and used for
dog-bait fighting, and die as an unclaimed rescue dog. I
remember what it's like, being a dog." he thought sadly.

That night, he crawled up to his mother and tried to nurse, but
he kept getting pushed off to the side. When they were full,
the big brothers and sisters got their bottoms cleaned and he
finally latched on to a nipple, but the human hands weren't there
to hold him up, and there wasn't any milk in any of the nipples,
anyway.  He was weak and so tiny.  It was even hard to
stay upright, and he fell over on his back and couldn't right
himself.

So he began to cry, and suddenly the human hands were there,
holding him up and putting a rubber thing in his mouth. It didn't
taste or feel like mother, but it was warm and made the ache in
his tummy go away.

He was having trouble breathing ...   His lungs weren't fully
developed, because he had waited too long to join the others in
the womb, as he took one last romp at the Rainbow Bridge.

He could feel the heartbeat of the human, who had laid him
on her chest and covered him with a soft cloth, keeping him
warm, and soothing his boney body with gentle circling touches.

He kept thinking of his new friends who had been so nice to him
at the bridge and asked God if he could go back.

God said "Yes, but not just yet. You wanted to experience Love."

So for several hours (seemed like days but it was dark and he
couldn't tell what time it was), the human supplemented his
feeding and let him experience the warmth of his mother's
body and tongue, and the pile of warm soft littermates. He got
weaker, and the human held him more often, leaving the
littermates to sleep in a pile while he got carressed, kissed,
and got to listen to the heartbeat which was strong and loving.

Finally God came back and asked, "are you ready to come back
to the Rainbow Bridge ?"

"Yes, he responded," with a little sorrow, because the human
didn't want to let him go, and was crying.

He pushed the air out of his lungs and floated back to the Rainbow
Bridge and looked back at the human, who was still crying and
holding the limp body that he had borrowed for his trip.

"Thank you, God," he said.  "Love is beautiful, and I will wait near
the Bridge and let the human know, when she arrives, that I loved
her, too."

by Joy LaCaille ©
lakai@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*First Things First*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Heal Your Hurts

Heal your hurts.
Don't lug them around like a sack of potatoes
or bring them out for show-and-tell
when you need to explain away a bad behavior or an unsettling
mistake.

Revisit the scars on your heart,
resolve to remove each one of them
and go about getting the work done.

Without resolution, you remember the original injury
and relive the pain, time and time again.
Old hurts resurface and add scar tissue to the afflicted areas.

The next time a wound opens itself up
and spills its scalding contents on your tender feelings,
don't chase it back down inside of you.
Cup it gently in your hands, kiss it good bye and release it.

Heal your hurts, one pain at a time.

© 2000 Terri McPherson
*Wise Hearts! Weaving Small Wisdoms Terri's Website
www.wisehearts.com/
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
tmcphers@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Easy Does It*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Anti-Blues

(sing to a blues line)
woke up this morning
put on the pot
fell down on my knees
and thanked God for what I've got
I asked him to help me
to change my heart for good
told him please use me
any way that he would
cuz I'm a soldier
I'm on the battle lines
but the fight's not in the streets
its in my own mind!

written by ~ john h.
johnh94@...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Live And Let Live*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If something makes your heart sing, that's
God's way of telling you it's a contribution He wants you to make.
Sharing our gifts is what makes us happy.
We're most powerful, and God's power is most apparent on the
earth, when we're happy.
Marianne Williamson

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep The Focus On You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Opportunities multiply as they are seized;
they die when neglected.
Life is a long line of opportunities.
John Wicker

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Let God and Let Go*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When you teach children, teach them in the
consciousness of their experience.
Use their language to talk to them.
If it's baby-talk, you use baby-talk.
If it's love-talk, you use love-talk.
It should all be love-talk.

Even when you are saying, "Shh, be quiet,"
the child should not hear any harshness.
The child should hear, "I love you very much; please be quiet now."
Then the youngster will be quiet just to please you.

John-Roger
(From: The Spiritual Family)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you don't know where you're going,
you'll end up somewhere else.
Alfred Adler

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Winners do what they have to do;
losers do what they want to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Come To Believe*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Winners Don't Whine and Whiners Don't Win.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Look For The Beauty*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The beginning of wisdom is a firm grasp of the obvious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Today Is A Gift*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Worry is like a rocking horse,
it keeps you moving but never gets you anywhere.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Keep Stepping*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It is expressly at those times when we feel needy
that we will benefit the most from giving.
Ruth Ross

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Stay In The Light*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Until you make peace with who you are,
you'll never be content with what you have.
Doris Mortman
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Take A Moment To GIVE (NO COST)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FREE Rice
http://www.freerice.com/

Click to GIVE @ the STOP HIV Site
http://www.thestophivsite.com/

Click to GIVE @ the Hunger Site
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

Click to GIVE @ the Breast Cancer Site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Click to GIVE @ the Rain Forest Site
http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Click to GIVE @ the Animal Rescue Site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Track Your Impact in GIVING
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Promise, Many Gifts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adult Children of Alcoholics
http://www.AdultChildren.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
http://www.al-anon.org

Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.dhh12s.com/

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps
http://www.artsanonymous.org

Clutterer’s Anonymous
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
http://www.ca.org

Co-Dependents Anonymous Home Page
http://www.codependents.org

Crystal Meth Anonymous
http://www.crystalmeth.org

Criminal and Gangs Anonymous
http://www.angelfire.com/id/CGAnonymous

Debtors Anonymous: A Twelve Step Fellowship for…
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Depressed Anonymous
http://www.depressedanon.com

Dual Recovery Anonymous - a 12 Step program
http://www.draonline.org

Eating Disorders Anonymous
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous
http://www.emotionsanonymous.org

Families Anonymous
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Hepatitis C Anonymous
http://www.hcvanonymous.com

HIV Anonymous
http://www.hivanonymous.com

The Marijuana Anonymous
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org

Methadone Anonymous
http://www.afirmfwc.org/methanon.htm

Narcotics Anonymous Official  Homepage
http://www.na.org

Earth Group N.A. online meetings
http://www.earthgroupna.org

Nar-Anon is a family support group
http://www.naranon.com

Nicotine Anonymous (WWW Home Page) NA Home Page
http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org

Overeaters Anonymous
http://www.oa.org

Parents Anonymous
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm

Rape Survivors Anonymous
http://www.rsaws.org

Recovering Couples Anonymous
http://www.recovering-couples.org

Sexaholics Anonymous
http://www.sa.org

Sex Addicts Anonymous
http://www.saa-recovery.org

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
http://www.slaafws.org/

Shoplifters Anonymous
http://www.shopliftersanonymous.org

Spenders Anonymous
http://www.spenders.org/home.html

Survivors Of Incest Anonymous
http://www.siawso.org

Workaholics Anonymous
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*@¿@*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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In loving service,
Scott H. from N.Y. ~ cleandate 10/27/88
YOUnMEnHP@...

         ==  ==      "we are each of us angels
    <^\()/\()/^>       with but one wing,
        \/  \/  \/       and can only fly by
         /  \/  \        embracing each other"
         `""``""`

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