PoM 121
A month ago we took the Gandhi Offices off the Readings Homepage Menu and put them in a more discrete place, because of some social/politics flack we were experiencing.
Gandhi made some serious mistakes much later in his life.
I took the time to read everyone of them first.
For me, the lessons about chastity and food are impeccable.
But as I read through them, the admonition to “Never eat for pleasure”, stood out.
After meditating on it for a good while I decided to experiment:
I made 4 ounces of organic popcorn with organic virgin olive oil and sea salt for my 2 year old son me and my wife.
We ate and watched the 1946-1966 cartoon series “ Heckle and Jeckle”.
It was fun.
I will keep a close eye on it…cause Gandhi is usually right.
PoM 122
I had an interesting conversation with the Administrative Director of All Addictions Anonymous today, Matt D.
We talked about what we believe to God‘s will was for each of us.
He believes it is God’s will to start a nonprofit in Connecticut from a donation from an 80-year-old woman who has given 275 acres, plus all the equipment, for non-profit use.
I told him I believed it was God’s will for me to write books for 12 steppers and quoted page 167 of the AA 12 and 12:
“Caretakers who swept floors, cooks who fried hamburgers, secretaries in offices, authors writing books- all these we have seen hotly assailed because they were, as their critic’s angrily remarked, “making money out of AA”.
“Ignoring the fact that these labors were not Twelfth Step jobs at all, the critics attacked, as AA professionals, these workers of ours who were often doing thankless tasks that no one else could or would do.”
It was really good to talk to somebody about money, who wasn’t in it for the money, but still had to deal with money…to make God’s will come true.
PoM 123
“Why don’t you choose your own conception of God”
Bill W.
”A man's real teacher is himself.”
Gandhi
“He must learn them again. He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths”.
William Faulkner
What are these truths?
Honesty
Inventory
Prayer
Service to others
Community
Feelings…To connect with myself, others and God.
Because, “Faith without works…is dead”
PoM 124
I ran another half marathon today.
At 9.25 miles my knees began to hurt.
At 11.5 miles my feet began to hurt, so I started chanting “accepting hardship as a pathway to peace” and alternating that with “Je-sus-Christ”
My Christian friends are often upset with me because I confront religious addiction, but I’ve got to be honest…The Jesus chant made the last mile and a half a lot easier.
PoM 125
My wife has started to pray with me, on our knees, holding hands, in the morning.
I always start off my day praying:
Please…I turn my life and will over to you today…I thank God for my life and my wife (and Gummy).
Then she added the Lord’s Prayer and a prayer I don’t know, but have heard many times:
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.