Building a Good life ..releasing the idea of struggle

When I entered AA in 1986 and read the statement, "Let Go and Let God", my first thought was, "You will never get anything done that way. You cannot just sit back and expect 'God' (what ever that is!) to take care of you". I feared that I had entered some sort of cult of…

Gratitude and a give-away

When I'm having trouble feeling grateful, one thing that I do (to help myself break out of my self-imposed suffering) is to sit down, look around me, and notice all of the gifts that have come to me in unexpected and delightful ways. Sometimes my eye will fall on a cute vase that I just…

Expect the best

Many years ago, when I believed that spiritual people should not care about (or want) wealth, I was invited by  some friends to a dinner before I left to work at a mission in West Virginia. As we were saying goodbye, a man whom I'd known for years (and who was always a crusty kind…

I know!

A few weeks ago, I was having a difficult time trying to find a gift for someone close to me, and I was saying to Jack (with a little distress in my voice), "I just don't have any idea what to buy ....!" Suddenly, I realized the error of my thinking, and started saying (out…