New Years Eve

The primary spiritual weakness of human beings is
their lack of gratitude, heartfelt gratitude directed
toward the Source and Goal of the universe.  The
history of humanity testifies clearly to this fundamental
thanklessness.  Persons commit vast amounts of energy
to acquiring and enjoying the abundant goods of
earthly life, without making serious efforts to know and
consciously praise the Source of Life.
At the end of time, those asleep in death will
suddenly awaken, and the secrets of every heart and
mind will shine forth, illuminated by the Source of
Light who is intimately acquainted with all souls.
On that infinate day, humanity will recognize its own
extreme ingratitude, and will humbly know true
gratitude at last.
                   -  Holy Quaran  100:6-11 Rendered
                       By Lex Hixon


Let us be still an instant and forget all things we ever
learned, all thoughts we had and every preconception
that we hold of what things mean and what their purpose
is.  Let us remember not our own ideas of what
the world is for - we do not know.  Let every image held
of everyone be loosened from our minds and swept
away.   
          - A Course in Miracles

Give thy blessing, we pray Thee, to our daily
work, that we may do it in faith, and heartily.
            - Thomas Arnold

I am finally caught up on the missing prayers and can share only
one per day forward from here...and what a nice combination of thoughts
to carry with me at the conclusion of this year ~ reminders of Gratitude,
Open Mindedness and a prayer for blessing in all that  we may do! 

These are such great thoughts to carry into the New Year....
so, welcome 2012!!  And, thank you 2011 for the many gifts
seen and unseen! 

I bid 2011 goodbye with a final word of gratitude for my dearest Patt ...
who left the planet in body this year, but lives forever more in the hearts of
so many ... ... ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtMN3mXmvqU

Love, Cate

Traditions of Gratitude

O Mother of the Universe, glorious in all your forms
and as the formless clear light of nondual awareness!
You alone are projecting various images of self and
world for the evolution of consciousnes, and you
alone dissolve these images for the liberation of
consciousness.  You are mother and father, wife and
husband, sister, brother, child, teacher, friend, and
beloved.  You are the single essesnce of all God's and
Goddesses, the single core of all religions.  You are my
True Self. You.  You. Only You. 
                               ~ Lex Hixon, From the  Hindu Tradition
Infinate mind-streams flowing throughout beginningless
time have been my mothers and have thus
poured forth inconceivable tenderness and loving sacrifice
for me.  To all these beloved, intimately connected
living beings, who are manifesting as animals, humans,
gods, and demons, I now offer profound gratitude.  I
vow to liberate all of them from their complex
and painful emotional and conceptual bondage.  I vow to
struggle for their physial and spiritual well-being
throughout all my future lifetimes.  I vow to bring them
all, through the powerful teaching of the Buddahs,
into the final Nirvana of nondual emptiness and bliss.
                                   ~ Lex Hixon, From the  Buddhist Tradition


Last night I fell aleep as I was beginning to post this ... oopsie!  I will catch up and continue today ... these is a lot said in these two prayers of gratitude.  I love the ONENESS that shines through the prayer from the Hindu tradition.  When I remember to live the truth of oneness, I live so much better!  I realize that God is closer than my very breath ... part of the oneness ... i remember to take better loving care of myself as I would for you ...both parts of the oneness ... i give and receive freely, delighted to be another bozo on the bus ... all together in the Oneness!!

The Buddhist tradition also speaks of the duality that makes us think we are separate ... thank God for the walls that can fall down, opening me to the grace and gratitude and connection in life! 

Thank you for the 12 steps ... that cut through the complictions ... and keep it simple!

Cleanse me, a conditioned one

Lord Jesus Christ, beloved Son, Wisdom, Word, and
Light of Light from the all merciful Abba, the hidden
Father.  Cleanse me, a conditioned one, a sinner,
enlighten and deify me, through the descent of the
Holy Spirit, on behalf of all and as all in all.  All-holy
ever-virgin Mary, bride and mother of God, illumine
this body, mind, will, heart, soul, spirit, the universe
and all humanity. 
                     ~ Lex Hixon, From the Christian Tea
I never realized how conditoned I was in my old thinking,
it is no wonder my brain kept me trapped for so many years.
For example, imagine all those years where I thought I had
to earn God's love and approval ... and, being a perfectionist,
it was never quite good enough!  Dang, what an endless trap
I lived in.  What a gift these 12 steps have brought me, the realization
that God loves me, approves of me, and is there for me ~ no matter what!!
The freedom that brings to me is the greatest gift of all!!

LET GO OF THOSE OLD IDEAS TODAY!!! :)

Cate

The Candles

I will light candles this Chrismas
Candles of Joy, despite all sadness,
Candles of courage where fear is ever present,
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,
Candles of love to inspire my living,
Candles that will burn all year long.
~ Howard Thruman
Candles of Joy ... courage...peace...grace...and love ... that sounds like recovery to me! 
I so love the prayer of St. Francis, and this breathes a bit of that same air. 
And YES, these candles can burn each and every day!!!
I found myself struggling today, the voice of our disease was biting at my heals ...
and I found myself rescued simply by reaching out and being touched by the
Spirit of us on the journey, all in ONENESS with the ONE who has ALL POWER!!!

What a loving reminder ... when I am discouraged, I have forgotten that there is ONE
who has ALL POWER ... and therefore nothing is impossible :) 

Recovery ... what a great way to live!!!

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   "Christmas Bells"

 YES!!!  It IS here for all of us ... dance to the music :)
Love, Cate

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
     To find the lost,
     To heal the broken,
     To feed the hungry,
     To release the prisoner,
     To rebuild the nations,
     To bring peace among the brothers,
     To make music in the heart.
            ~ Howard Thurman  "The Work of Christmas"

I really like this ... what a reminder that life goes on, and we are all called to be present for humanity in all ways on ALL days.  Whether you hate the holiday season or love the holiday season, its really just another day ...the real work of living the embodiement of love is my call each and every day.

Of course, I can only do this if I am living my program ... living  God's will instead of my own....and for this I pray.

Round the table,
Peace and Joy prevail.
May all who share
this season's delight
enjoy countless more.
            ~ Chinese Blessing

So Much Happiness

It is difficult to know what to do ,
     with so much happiness.
With sadness there is something to rub against,
a wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
something to hold in your hands,
     like ticket stubs and change.

But happiness floats.
It doesn't need you to hold it down.
It doesn't need anything.
Happiness lands  on the roof of the
     next house, singing,
and dissapears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in
     a peaceful tree house
and now live in a quarry of noise and dust
cannot make yu unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
it too could wake up with possibilities
of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
and love even the floor that needs to be swept,
the soiled linens and scratched records...

Since there is no place large enough
to contain so much happiness,
you shrug, you raise your hands,
and it flows out of you
into everything you touch.  You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,
and in that way, be known.
                                  -NAOMI SHIHAB NYE


There is such a wealth of imagery to fill my Spirit within this wonderful reading.  Ah yes, i can even love the floor that needs to be swept ... and true happiness can flow from within me without any effort at all ... if I am centered, if I am working my program, if I am living God's will instead of tripping over my own. 

Merry Merry Christmas to ONE and all!!! 
May your 12 step journey bring you HOME to your own happiness!!
Love, Cate

Winter Prayers

I have a new book: 
 A Grateful Heart ~ 365 ways to give thanks at mealtime:edited by MJ Ryan

The Winter Prayers  began on the first day of winter ~ so I have a little catching up to do.  Perhaps a couple of posts a day until I am on track with the daily prayers.


The winter prayers begin with this thought:


A Thankful person is thankful
     under all circumstances.
A complaining soul complains even if
     he lives in paradise.   BAHA'U'LLAH


Doesn't that really say it all so clearly ... i DO get to choose how I live, how i respond to life and life's circumstances ... i can be grate-filled and believe in the greater love that fills us alll and leads our journeying   ~  or, I can live in the world of never enough, waiting flor the next shoe to drop, trusting instead in fear.  For this day, what is your choice? 
This simple reading makes it all so simple and clear ...
 I  know mine!!!!


 ~  Cate   12/24/11