Addiction Recovery:

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2-rTZoN3SFUerIxPbLzmUKZY7zbmaDeBJySoIPTDktT01phiJEiQVynE4uJyfxcWDXc51SbW2wuyROXPn7FKOjSt8UScllg4cj3o_rQFLAOgqP0Cv5ssiAl0cV6tgt_jrWH0z_S3hnxc/s1600/mpgf6254+Small+Web+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2-rTZoN3SFUerIxPbLzmUKZY7zbmaDeBJySoIPTDktT01phiJEiQVynE4uJyfxcWDXc51SbW2wuyROXPn7FKOjSt8UScllg4cj3o_rQFLAOgqP0Cv5ssiAl0cV6tgt_jrWH0z_S3hnxc/s1600/mpgf6254+Small+Web+view.jpg" /></a></div>Addiction Recovery: Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.<br /> <blockquote>We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.</blockquote>

Addiction Recovery:

Addiction Recovery: Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why. We usually conclude th...

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Addiction Recovery: age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVAFFEb7sQ-3KRglk_eVItHhyI1BBDhZIoqTYUVhM9_-G4oPp9MhQHOl16Gu3ZGDdXIfzNkmZqvUkAfKC3-tWrBOJ-Jg07cIDa94tKFyrB_MEXf3YkTd_3ll7RQMibSfDomQ7mju8n0dv/s1600/1tm6020+Quick+e-mail+view+landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVAFFEb7sQ-3KRglk_eVItHhyI1BBDhZIoqTYUVhM9_-G4oPp9MhQHOl16Gu3ZGDdXIfzNkmZqvUkAfKC3-tWrBOJ-Jg07cIDa94tKFyrB_MEXf3YkTd_3ll7RQMibSfDomQ7mju8n0dv/s400/1tm6020+Quick+e-mail+view+landscape.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <blockquote>age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!</blockquote>

Addiction Recovery: age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!

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Addiction Recovery

<p> </p><blockquote>However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble your- self much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society.</blockquote>

Addiction Recovery

  However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do...

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NJ Town First to Consider Medical Marijuana

<p> </p><p>Medical marijuana could get a little closer to sprouting in the Garden State, as one licensed dispensary heads to the zoning board in the town of Maple Shade, NJ. Authorities in March licensed six non-profit alternative treatment centers across the state, but they’ve largely been in a holding pattern ever since. On Wednesday, Compassionate Sciences Inc. will be the first center to seek local approval. The firm wants to convert an old furniture store into a 5,000 square foot center, with consulting rooms for patients to discuss the controlled substance, a lab to conduct research and, as spokesman Andrei Bogolubov describes it, a very secure vault for the marijuana. “There's a lot of controls, a lot of safeguards, and the state's going to do a site visit to make sure those systems are in place before they issue the permit and let us open the doors,” he said. Even if it gets a local go-ahead, Compassionate Sciences and the other approved dispensaries are still waiting for New Jersey to issue final regulations. Each center will grow and harvest its own crop of marijuana and Bogolubov estimates it will take about nine weeks to generate enough to supply customers. About 30,000 of them are expected state-wide. Governor Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor, has said he would not have signed the bill into law. He wants to make sure the drug only gets to people who need it for pain relief from illnesses such as cancer and multiple-sclerosis. He said he is determined to avoid “abuses” that he said have plagued medical marijuana programs in Colorado and California.</p>

NJ Town First to Consider Medical Marijuana

  Medical marijuana could get a little closer to sprouting in the Garden State, as one licensed dispensary heads to the zoning board in the ...

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The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry

<p> </p><p>The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry, with significant implications both for its economy and its famously liberal approach to life. Along with tighter control of legalized prostitution and a swing to the right in attitudes toward immigration and Islam in recent years, the clampdown is seen as further evidence of an erosion of tolerance in a country known for its liberal social policies. The push to clamp down on soft drugs has come mainly from the Christian Democrats, the junior partner in the minority government and one of the larger parties in a fragmented political landscape. "There's clearly a shift in the moral debate. It's all about the culture of control," said Dirk Korf, professor of criminology at the University of Amsterdam. Instantly recognizable from the sickly sweet, burned-leaf smell that wafts out onto the street, the Netherlands' world-renowned "coffee shops" are almost as common as supermarkets in big cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam and in certain border towns. Like trained sommeliers, the staff or "bud tenders" are experts on the flavors and after-effects of whatever is on the menu -- white widow, vanilla kush, or hazers like amnesia "known for its extreme, almost paranoid psychedelic high, with an unforgettable strong fruity taste and smell." Counter staff do a brisk trade in plastic sachets of loose grass, ready-rolled joints and chunks of hashish for those who want take-away. The Netherlands tolerates the sale of up to 5 grams per person per day of marijuana and hashish in the controlled environment of the coffee shops. It also tolerates the home cultivation of marijuana plants, within a limit of five plants per person, but any cultivation larger than that is illegal. Strong demand has spawned secret cannabis plantations that provide a so-called back-door supply to the coffee shops and are a headache for Dutch authorities who have to find and raid them. DRUGS TOURISTS On a typical Saturday evening, the coffee shops in central Amsterdam are packed with smokers. The clientele is middle class, the voices mostly foreign -- Italian, Spanish, French, German, English. Concerned about this influx of soft-drugs tourists, not to mention what it sees as the associated crime, nuisance and health risks, the Christian Democrat Party wants to see the country's 700 or so coffee shops shut down, but for the moment is settling for introducing restrictions on their activities. A measure expected to be passed in parliament by the end of this year will have coffee shops operate as members-only clubs, meaning that only local residents will be eligible to register for "weed passes," effectively barring foreigners from buying soft drugs. Already, some cities have introduced tighter restrictions, limiting the coffee shops' proximity to schools or relocating them to the outskirts. On October 1, coffee shops in the southeastern city of Maastricht banned all foreigners except for neighboring Germans and Belgians, as a first step toward introduction of weed passes. Crime expert Korf says there is little justification for the clampdown, with scant evidence that the Dutch public supports the change. "No serious polls have been conducted, we don't know if opinions about coffee shops have even changed," said Korf. "Before coffee shops we had street dealing, they were selling marijuana in the street and ripping off tourists. The whole drug problem is nothing compared to (what we had in) the 1980s, 1990s -- we don't have a heroin problem." The Trimbos Institute, which studies addiction and mental health, said 5 percent of Netherlands citizens smoked weed or hashish in the past year, against an EU average of 7 percent. GLOBAL CONFUSION Policymakers around the world are seeking fresh ideas on how to combat drug abuse, opening up a debate on policies on soft drugs. In June, a high-profile group of global leaders declared the "war on drugs" a failure and urged governments to consider decriminalizing drugs in order to cut consumption and weaken the power of organized crime. The Global Commission on Drug Policy -- which includes former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and British billionaire Richard Branson -- said a decades-long strategy of outlawing drugs and jailing users while battling drug cartels had not worked. It recommended that governments experiment with the legal regulation of drugs, especially cannabis, citing the successes in countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland, where drug consumption had been reduced. Portugal, for instance, has gone much further than the Netherlands by decriminalizing all drugs, replacing jail time with counseling and treatment. The Christian Democrats disagree and say the Dutch policy has had a negative effect on public health and crime. "In other countries there is no tolerance. The Dutch coffee shops attract a lot of foreign drug tourists, especially in the border region, causing much nuisance," according to a statement published on the Christian Democrat Party website. The centrist party has cast doubt on the rationale for allowing coffee shops, which was to separate the soft and hard drugs markets, and said that people who smoke cannabis often turned to other drugs. It also argues the active substance in cannabis is much stronger than twenty years ago, putting it on a par with harder drugs -- a reflection of years of cultivation of new varieties by growers. A Dutch commission earlier this year found that hashish and marijuana on sale in the Netherlands contain about 18 percent of THC, the main psychoactive substance, and said a level above 15 percent put the drugs on a par with heroin or cocaine. Maxime Verhagen, a Christian Democrat who is deputy prime minister, said on October 7 the government would ban the sale of cannabis whose concentration of THC exceeds 15 percent. The Christian Democrats also want tougher regulations on the so-called cannabis plantations. In addition to illegally supplying the coffee shops, "much of the illegally cultivated cannabis in the Netherlands is exported abroad. There is an extensive network illegally created in the grip of organized crime," the party said in its statement. Dutch authorities already devote considerable resources to tracking down these large-scale plantations. The police work with the local electricity company to detect unusual consumption patterns, for example round-the-clock usage in sheds and attics, and have used tiny sniffer-helicopters which can detect the smell of pot plants wafting from ventilation shafts and chimneys, according to media reports. Rotterdam city council recently distributed "scratch and sniff cards" to households, hoping that concerned citizens would tip off the police if they recognized the smell of illegal cannabis plantations in the neighborhood. PUSHBACK AT HOME There is plenty of opposition to the crackdown. Dutch smokers do not welcome the idea of having to register for weed passes. "Many of my customers are locals, artists, writers, doctors, lawyers, professionals. They don't want their name on a register -- they don't know who could see it or use it. So they may go to other sources on the street," said Paula Baten, manager of the Siberie coffee shop in central Amsterdam. "This government is more Christian, more right-wing. They don't want drugs but they forget about the effects of alcohol." Already, there's talk of how foreigners can circumvent the new rules, for example by asking Dutch citizens to buy soft drugs on their behalf to take away, and concern that dealing in soft drugs will go onto the street. Some politicians oppose the proposals. Eberhard van der Laan, the mayor of Amsterdam, says restricting the activities of coffee shops would lead to greater health risks, nuisance and drug dealing on the streets. As mayor, he could simply choose not to enforce the weed pass regulations. "At the moment the mayor is in conference with the minister to convince him that the measures regarding coffee shops will be counterproductive for Amsterdam," the mayor's office said in a statement to Reuters. Others cite the likely economic impact. The Netherlands, like other European countries, has had to introduce austerity measures and cut spending in the wake of the credit crisis, when it pumped 40 billion euros into rescuing financial institutions. Tax revenue from the coffee shops is estimated at about 400 million euros a year. Studies by the finance ministry and academics estimated that if the Netherlands legalized the "back-door" supply, bringing it "above board," it could collect as much as an additional 400-850 million euros a year, including savings on the cost of law enforcement. Then there's the tourist revenue. In Maastricht, which gets a lot of day tourists because it is so close to the German and Belgian borders, a study commissioned by an association of coffee shop owners calculated that visitors to the city's coffee shops spent about 119 million euros a year, mostly on shopping and eating out. A study by Professor Korf of the University of Amsterdam found that tourists who visited coffee shops in central Amsterdam had similar spending habits to other tourists, and were just as likely to spend 200 euros or more on a hotel room, or splash out at smart restaurants or nightclubs. The Bulldog and Barney's -- the big names in the industry -- run coffee shop chains, and many coffee shop owners also make money from lodgings and related businesses. Hundreds of tourists attend the annual cannabis cup award for the best new strains, and the local edition of Time Out runs monthly weed reviews. Jackie Woerlee, who runs customized cannabis tours, said that among her recent tour guests were members of one of the Middle East royal families who rented a luxury apartment for several weeks and spent several thousand euros shopping at luxury stores. "Customers might easily spend 100 euros in a coffee shop, but it's not just that, it's the hotels, the eating out, renting apartments," Woerlee said. "These people spend."</p>

The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry

  The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry, with significant implications both for its ec...

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Mum tells of battle to beat a serious addiction to Diet Coke

<p> </p><p>Claire Ayton drank seven pints – or four litres – a day for 10 years in the belief it was “normal”. She only realised she was an addict after seeking help to lose weight and has now ditched the fizzy pop after hypnotherapy. The teaching assistant, 36, drank up to 14 two-litre bottles a week – totalling 7,280 over the decade. Kicking the habit will save her almost £1,000 a year. Advertisement >> “I didn’t think of it as an addiction,” said the married mum-of-two, of Pailton, Warwicks. “But I topped 13st after putting on 3st in 12 years. I was always tired and went to see my GP when I found I couldn’t lose any weight, but I didn’t mention how much Diet Coke I was drinking because I didn’t think it was relevant. “I went to see a hypnotherapist in August and told him. He was surprised and said I needed to cut it out of my diet. Since then I’ve not touched a drop. “There were a few side-effects at first but now my head’s clearer and I have more energy. I’ve lost 5lb and am aiming for more.” Claire’s hypnotherapist Russell Hemmings, of Coventry, said: “Hers was the worst case of fizzy drink addiction I’ve ever treated. I’m glad she kicked the habit.” In June a University of Texas study revealed that regularly guzzling diet sodas actually makes people fatter – by boost-ing a craving for sweet foods.</p>

Mum tells of battle to beat a serious addiction to Diet Coke

  Claire Ayton drank seven pints – or four litres – a day for 10 years in the belief it was “normal”. She only realised she was an addict a...

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age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!</span></b></span>

age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!

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it is a miracle.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">The capacity to give one's attention to a sufferer is a very rare and<br />difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle.</span></b></span>

it is a miracle.

The capacity to give one's attention to a sufferer is a very rare and difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle.

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Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard<br />names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble your-<br />self much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not<br />change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see<br />that you do want society. </span></b></span>

Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society.

However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do n...

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Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be<br />shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given<br />whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for<br />freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves<br />only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are<br />careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a<br />lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.</span></b></span>

Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.

We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be give...

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evoke feelings of happiness

<blockquote>Before standing up, evoke feelings of happiness. Get up feeling confident that you are going to be happy all day long. Smile often during the day. When you experience negative thoughts tell them that they are not welcome. Whatever you experience during the day, remember that happiness is always within you waiting to surface. Your thoughts, feelings and expectations determine whatever you are going let happiness surface or you are going to stay unhappy. Your happiness is not at mercy of outside forces. <br /> The key to happiness is inside, not outside. Develop patience and tolerance and you<br /> will let happiness enter your life</blockquote>

evoke feelings of happiness

Before standing up, evoke feelings of happiness. Get up feeling confident that you are going to be happy all day long. Smile often during th...

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Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

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Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

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Happiness that isn’t shared isn’t big enough to really bring happiness.

Everyone can become a light in the darkness of another. Anselm Grün<br /> <br /> Anselm Grün, the German monk who has written many books trying to give people some insight in the everlasting question mankind has been asking within living memory.<br /> One of his favourite subjects is happiness. Recently he was asked what happiness means to him personally.<br /> His answer: <br /> <br /> “Happiness for me means to be in agreement and harmony with myself. <br /> In short: to be in the present moment and to be myself. Happiness is: wanting to be the person we are. <br /> To be happy I don’t compare myself with others; I don’t judge neither do I make myself dependent of another men’s opinion. It also means to be grateful and to experience joy in life. <br /> <br /> My feelings of happiness aren’t always the same. During a walk in nature or during an intense prayer I experience a deeper feeling of happiness then when I’m simply grateful or content.”<br /> On the question if it is difficult to be happy he says: <br /> <br /> “No. If I sit for a moment quietly and say out loud YES to life, I experience joy. The only thing is that you can’t expect to be happy all the time- that’s an impossible claim. Happiness isn’t something you can own or hold on to. It is an experience an attitude to life, which needs like love, space and freedom to flow. Happiness that isn’t shared isn’t big enough to really bring happiness. For it also means to say ‘Yes’ to those difficult moments in life. Simply accept whatever comes. Today there are many books which promise an easy and cheap form of happiness. They tell you that you can life an incredible life if only you follow a certain stepping plan. That’s totally unrealistic. The best coach cannot offer us a successful formula to become happy. The road to happiness always lies within us.”

Happiness that isn’t shared isn’t big enough to really bring happiness.

Everyone can become a light in the darkness of another. Anselm Grün Anselm Grün, the German monk who has written many books trying to give...

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What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.<br /> -- Richard Bach

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. -- Richard Bach

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remember when father was romantic,

The family of an alcoholic longs for the return of happiness <br /> <br /> <br /> and security. They remember when father was romantic, <br /> <br /> thoughtful and successful. Today's life is measured against <br /> <br /> that of other years and, when it falls short, the family may <br /> <br /> be unhappy.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> -- Alcoholics Anonymous, page 52

remember when father was romantic,

The family of an alcoholic longs for the return of happiness and security. They remember when father was romantic, thoughtful and succe...

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READ THIS IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Today is a new day. Make the best of it. Don´t fill it with complaints or regrets. Break the cycle and use today to accomplish something. <br /><br /><br />There will always be a good excuse not to, but excuses don´t bring any fulfilment to your life. Each moment is an opportunity to live and to give. Make it count. Dream big dreams, and follow your dreams with action and commitment. Appreciate, be thankful for, and make the best use of all that you have. You are a unique expression of life and love and creation. Let your life shine brightly. Delight in the obstacles that give you the gift of challenge. Let the beauty that is around you inspire you. Have faith in the ultimate triumph of truth. Break free from your past limitations and become the person you are to be. Look for ways to provide meaning and value to others, and you will soar ever higher. See every moment for the opportunity that it is. Put your life into action. The world is full of promise, and hope, and beauty when you have the courage to look for it, and to find it. Step confidently forward to greet each new day, secure in the knowledge that it is the best day of your life.

READ THIS IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Today is a new day. Make the best of it. Don´t fill it with complaints or regrets. Break the cycle and use today to accomplish something. Th...

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rocketed into a

We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a <br /><br />fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.

rocketed into a

We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.

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Angels don’t worry about you.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLNTXVK9uhHBkEp_d7PKtcUI_a7xSNOjx2Kz-K56KjNhvohgkWO4yHYoK67Tf96fIr7ypB3zggQihfuE5isFX0dOVgyqNVkRhw7pq6a0EnfDfuJkFosD5Zffrk34vKl1qCR6Px2UO9VL7/s1600-h/image002.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLNTXVK9uhHBkEp_d7PKtcUI_a7xSNOjx2Kz-K56KjNhvohgkWO4yHYoK67Tf96fIr7ypB3zggQihfuE5isFX0dOVgyqNVkRhw7pq6a0EnfDfuJkFosD5Zffrk34vKl1qCR6Px2UO9VL7/s640/image002.gif" width="566" /></a><br /></div>Angels don’t worry about you.<br />They believe in you!<br /><blockquote>People sometimes ask me if I believe in angels. And yes, I certainly do!<br /><br /></blockquote>Sometimes they show themselves, sometimes a little white feather comes to you as an angel’s kiss, always leaving you with a warm feeling. Sometimes angel’s answers come through a song other times it is your best friend who starts to talk about something which is worrying you and at other times it is just the lady in front of you in the queue of the supermarket, who makes a comment.<br /><br />Where to look for angels? How to recognize them?<br /><br />The following poem says it all:<br /><br />What do Angels look like?<br /><br />Like the little old lady who returned<br /><br />Your wallet yesterday.<br /><br />Like the taxi driver who told you that your eyes<br /><br />Light up the world when you smile.<br /><br />Like the small child who showed you<br /><br />The wonder in simple things.<br /><br />Like the poor man who offered to<br /><br />Share his lunch with you.<br /><br />Like the rich man who showed you that it<br /><br />Really is all possible, if only you believe.<br /><br />Like the stranger who just happened to come along<br /><br />When you had lost your way.<br /><br />Like the friend who touched your heart<br /><br />When you didn’t think you had one to touch.<br /><br />Angels come in all sizes and shapes,<br /><br />All ages and skin types and colours.<br /><br />Some with freckles, some with dimples,<br /><br />Some with wrinkles, some without.<br /><br />They come disguised as friends, enemies,<br /><br />Nurses, teachers, students, lovers and fools.<br /><br />They don’t take life too seriously.<br /><br />They travel light.<br /><br />They leave no forwarding address. <br /><br />They ask nothing in return.<br /><br />They wear sneakers with gossamer wings.<br /><br />They get a deal on dry cleaning.<br /><br />They are hard to find when your eyes are closed,<br /><br />But they are everywhere you look,<br /><br />When you choose to open your eyes and see.<br /><br />Earth Angels come in all colour sizes and ages. They do not always arrive with a blast of trumpets, feathered wings or a blinding light, but they are angels just the same.<br /><br />Some mysteriously disappear, others whisper through the door ways of our minds. When this happens we suddenly feel the need to call someone, or do something. We might not always be aware that angels are guiding us, but anyone who raises your spirits and helps you to grow or love is an angel.<br /><br />Fraser sends you love and light to open your eyes to the angels around you, guiding you through your life, those heavenly messengers are a direct link to our heart and a shortcut to living our true purpose. Dare to listen to their whispers!

Angels don’t worry about you.

Angels don’t worry about you. They believe in you! People sometimes ask me if I believe in angels. And yes, I certainly do! Sometimes they s...

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God, help me relax and make myself at home in your bountiful world..

Sometimes, we get so busy and involved creating a "home" for ourselves that we create a structure that's too safe, limiting, and confined. We forget about our real home, the planet earth. It's good to sleep indoors. It's nice to make ourselves comfortable in our home. But don't let your cozy nest become a locked, confining box.Stretch your arms, Push the lid off the box. Get out into the world. Walk around. Move about. See the hills, the lakes, the forests, the mountains peaks, the valleys, the rivers.See how big your world can be. See how connected everything is. See how connected you are, too – to all that is. Make yourself comfortable, wherever you are. Make yourself a home and be at home in the world.God, help me relax and make myself at home in your bountiful world..

God, help me relax and make myself at home in your bountiful world..

Sometimes, we get so busy and involved creating a "home" for ourselves that we create a structure that's too safe, limiting, a...

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urinate-- Ozzy Osbourne

I can honestly say, all the bad things that ever happened to me were <br /> directly attributed to drugs and alcohol. I mean, I would never urinate <br /> at the Alamo at nine o'clock in the morning dressed in a woman's <br /> evening dress sober.

urinate-- Ozzy Osbourne

I can honestly say, all the bad things that ever happened to me were directly attributed to drugs and alcohol. I mean, I would never urinat...

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Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates

Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates. Some might feel <br />this sort of striving to be heresy against "One Day At A Time". But <br />that valuable principle really refers to our mental and emotional lives, <br />and means chiefly that we are not foolishly to repine over the past nor <br />wishfully daydream about the future.

Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates

Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates. Some might feel this sort of striving to be heresy against "One Day At A Time...

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Let Us, Therefore, Live But One Day At A Time

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One of these days is YESTERDAY with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control. <br /><br /><br /><br />All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY, We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. YESTERDAY is gone. <br /><br /><br /><br />The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control. <br /><br /><br /><br />TOMORROW'S sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds - but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW, for it is as yet unborn.<br /><br /><br /><br />This leaves only one day - TODAY. Any man can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities - YESTERDAY and TOMORROW that we break down<br /><br /><br /><br />It is not the experience of TODAY that drives men mad - it is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY and the dread of what TOMORROW may bring.<br /><br /><br /><br />Let Us, Therefore, Live But One Day At A Time

Let Us, Therefore, Live But One Day At A Time

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of thes...

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In loving actual individual beings

In loving actual individual beings one can slip into a fanciful idea about how one thinks or could wish this being should be

In loving actual individual beings

In loving actual individual beings one can slip into a fanciful idea about how one thinks or could wish this being should be

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In loving actual individual beings one can slip into a fanciful idea about how

" In loving actual individual beings one can slip into a fanciful idea about how <br /> <br /> <br /> one thinks or could wish this being should be." -Kierkegaard

In loving actual individual beings one can slip into a fanciful idea about how

" In loving actual individual beings one can slip into a fanciful idea about how one thinks or could wish this being should be....

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"OPENMlNDEDNESS"

In order to understand the multitudes of techniques and approaches we must be open minded. In order to see the techniques objectively, and that it just might be founded on something beyond our own personal skill level we must be open minded. Open mindedness keeps the learning process vital and alive. Open mindedness helps keep us from becoming stagnant and dogmatically stuck in one place. Through open mindedness we can learn more and because of its openness we can enjoy more.

"OPENMlNDEDNESS"

In order to understand the multitudes of techniques and approaches we must be open minded. In order to see the techniques objectively, and t...

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"HONESTY"

In accepting our weaknesses and strengths in practice we must confront honesty. Through our constant battle with discipline and personal capability we become intimate with our strengths and weaknesses and we are forced to face our self honestly in order to make inroads in our practice. Honesty sometimes requires courage and self-compassion. We must learn to accept who and what we are so that we can change and improve. Honesty is a path that can eventually lead to satisfaction, contentment, and serenity , if one is steadfast in its application.

"HONESTY"

In accepting our weaknesses and strengths in practice we must confront honesty. Through our constant battle with discipline and personal cap...

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What Is A Sponsor

What Is A Sponsor ~ A Sponsor is a more experienced member in the program who guides the newcomer through the process of recovery (should have 1 year or more in the program).<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In 12 step circles, it is suggested that a sponsor should be of the same gender. The newcomer to the program is quite vulnerable; for some of us this is the first time we have expressed our true feelings, our secrets or our fears. Experience has shown that this new relationship with a member of the opposite gender could be misinterpreted and if acted upon could reduce chances for sustained recovery for both parties. It also will help to avoid gender based communication problems.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A Good Sponsor ~ should have A working knowledge of the 12 steps and 12 traditions, Personal experiences dealing with life in recovery, A willingness to listen, A willingness to help others by sharing their experiences, strengths and hopes, To guide a newcomer through the 12 steps based on their own experiences, To make suggestions and refrain from giving advice.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> We should contact our sponsor when we need someone to talk to, or are unsure about decisions that have to be made. A sponsor helps with problems and questions not only when times are tough, but in the good times too. Or when something triggers a member to think about using again. A sponsor provides a listening ear and can act as a sounding board for major decisions to be made, but the sponsor does not make that decision, only guides the newcomer into making a sound decision<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Sponsors do not give advice, they only make suggestions and can share what their feelings are and how they handled similar situations using the tools of recovery. If a sponsor cannot help in a particular area, a good sponsor will direct them to another person who can. It is the newcomers choice whether to act upon that decision or not. It is nice to share good news and victories with your sponsor.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Some principles both the sponsor and newcomer practice through developing this relationship are unconditional love, selfless giving, patience, tolerance, honesty and trust. A sponsor is an objective person on the outside looking in. They are able to see problem areas and maybe point them out before a person gets into trouble. Sponsors see how much a person has changed and gives encouragement along the way and a sponsor can help you stay focused on your recovery<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Sponsors are equals on the road to recovery<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Sponsorship is a two-way street.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> You cannot keep what you have unless you give it away.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Sponsorship is like a Beacon in the Night, it is a vital tool to Recovery<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /> <br /> SPONSORSHIP CHECKLIST<br /> <br /> 1. Am I sincerely interested in the suffering alcoholic?<br /> <br /> 2. Am I a good listener?<br /> <br /> 3. Do I look for opportunities to sincerely compliment <br /> <br /> others?<br /> <br /> 4. Is my speech free of sarcasm or prejudice?<br /> <br /> 5. Do I seek the opinions of others?<br /> <br /> 6. Am I earnestly enthusiast in my speech?<br /> <br /> 7. Am I a trustworthy confidant?<br /> <br /> 8. Do I interrupt others when they are talking?<br /> <br /> 9. Do I tend to argue?<br /> <br /> 10. Do I give unsolicited advice?<br /> <br /> 11. Do I criticize others openly?<br /> <br /> 12. Do I attempt to look good by making others look bad?<br /> <br /> 13. Do I have to force myself to appear positive?<br /> <br /> 14. Do I tend to exaggerate?<br /> <br /> 15. Does my voice sound threatening?<br /> <br /> 16. Do I attempt to impress others by using large or <br /> <br /> unusual words?<br /> <br /> 17. Do I use the pronoun I too much?<br /> <br /> 18. Do I tend to brag about my achievements?<br /> <br /> 19. Do I enjoy proving others wrong?

What Is A Sponsor

What Is A Sponsor ~ A Sponsor is a more experienced member in the program who guides the newcomer through the process of recovery (should ha...

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Trust in Miracles

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />2. Frequent attacks of smiling.<br /><br /><br /><br />3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature.<br /><br /><br /><br />4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation. <br /><br /><br /><br />5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience.<br /><br /><br /><br />6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.<br /><br /><br /><br />7. A loss of ability to worry.<br /><br /><br /><br />8. A loss of interest in conflict.<br /><br /><br /><br />9. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.<br /><br /><br /><br />10. A loss of interest in judging others.<br /><br /><br /><br />11. A loss of interest in judging self.<br /><br /><br /><br />12. Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything in return.

Trust in Miracles

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. 2. Frequent attacks of smiling. 3. Feelings of being connected w...

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Remember I am here for you,

Together We Are Strong <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When life becomes a challenge, and each day becomes a chore <br /><br />Remember I am here for you, Like eagles we shall soar. <br /><br />An uphill battle every day, sometimes is how it seems <br /><br />Our hopes are often shattered, out of reach our simple dreams <br /><br />Just watch an eagle as he flies, straight and strong into the wind <br /><br />So take my hand, hold on to me, We'll do the same my friend. <br /><br />The current shall not beat us, for together we are strong, <br /><br />Like eagles coasting on the wind, this battle won't take long.

Remember I am here for you,

Together We Are Strong When life becomes a challenge, and each day becomes a chore Remember I am here for you, Like eagles we shall soar. An...

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