today's quotes

In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect, and no more of it than we had earned.

- Jane Haddam

Pursue truth and people will be true to you.

- Arthur Twining Hadley

Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.

- Bishop Joseph Hall

Never 'for the sake of peace and quiet' deny your own experience or convictions.

- Dag Hammarskjold

If you don't have a dream, how are you going to make a dream come true?

- Oscar Hammerstein II

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Life really can be so simple... You create your opportunities by asking for them.

- Patty Hansen

The 3 hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, "I was wrong."

- Sydney J. Harris

Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.

- Vaclav Havel

There is little room left for wisdom when one is full of judgment.

- Malcolm Hein

meditation for today

daily meditation from InTheRooms.com;

December 25

The Light Has Come

Christ’s eyes are open, and He will look on whatever you
see with love if you accept His vision as yours.

— A Course in Miracles

Today is a precious and holy day on Planet Earth. It is a day when the world calls a halt to insanity and acknowledges the presence of divinity It is a day of joy and appreciation and celebration. It is a day to be happy

The birth of the Christ as a human being bears tremendous meta–physical import. It means that humanity is ready to accept its own divin–ity. Jesus brought God to Earth; he discovered his divine identity, he had the courage to live it, and the world has never been the same.

The image of Christ being born in a manger symbolizes that God comes forth in a place of humility. Spirit seeks not fanfare, human riches, or accolades, but the simplicity of an open heart.

The most important message of Christmas is that the Christ is born in you, through you, as you. When interpreting a dream, we must recognize ourselves as all the characters; the same is true for events that occur in the outer dream we call life. The birth of Christ is the emergence of a new con–sciousness of your own holiness.

Today is your birthday, and every day is Christmas. Thank God that you have remembered your divine nature. Throw off the cloak of small-ness, and claim the truth about you: You are an expression of a perfect God, and everything God is, you are. You are the holy one. Jesus seeks not our worship, but our equality. He is our elder brother who came to remind us who we really are. We are one with the son of God.

Thank You for bringing Jesus to life, that I may walk
the path of divinity with him.

Christ is born in me today.

----------

Merry Christmas...

have a happy and safe holiday season!

Christmas humor from Motifake,com;

Monday quotes

A bad day only comes in your own hands.

- Christopher Acedillo

There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.

- Ansel Adams

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

- Joseph Addison

We all live under the same sky, but we do not all have the same horizon.

- Konrad Adenauer

Every truth has two sides. It is well to look at both before we commit ourselves to either side.

- Aesop

There are 40 kinds of lunacy, but only one kind of common sense.

- African Proverb

You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.

- Leo Aikman

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.

- Louisa May Alcott

Four things come not back: the spoken word, the spent arrow, the past, and the neglected opportunity.

- Omar Idn Al-Halif

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

- Muhammad Ali

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.

- James Allen

weekly roundup

recent news from around the country

from About.com/Alcoholism;

Mother Admits to Killing Infant With Methadone

A Tennessee woman is being held without bail after she admitted to killing her 11-month old daughter by giving her methadone pills. Angela Davis Murphree was charged with homicide after she admitted to police that she crushed the methadone pills a put them in the baby's food.

Former NFL Linebacker Busted for Cocaine

Former NFL linebacker Keith McCants is facing cocaine possession charges after being arrested as he left a strip club in St. Petersburg, Florida. His vehicle was searched after police saw a crack pipe in plain view in the center console of his SUV.

Kings Assistant Coach Facing DUI Charge

Maria Elie, assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, was been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after police stopped him for a broken tail light. In a statement, Elie said, "I'm very sorry, embarrassed and disappointed for the position in which I put myself and team. Rest assured, it won't happen again as I take full responsibility for my actions."

School Chief Had Blood-Alchol Level of .316

A State College, Pennsylvania school superintendet has been arrested for drunk driving after recording a blood-alcohol level of 0.316. Police said they followed Richard Mextorf for more than two miles with their lights and sirens on before he pulled his Jeep over.

Drunk Driving Killer Charged Again

An Illinois man who was convicted in 1999 for in a drunk driving case in which a 10-year-old girl was killed has been arrested again with aggravated driving under the influence. Glen Ray Higginbotham was stoppled for drunk driving again just two months after pleading guilty to diving with a revoked license.

5 Columbia U. Students Arrested in Drug Bust

Five students at Columbia University have been arrested for selling cocaine, LSD, marijuana and other drugs on campus and out of a fraternity house. Arrested in early-morning raids were Michael Wymbs, 22, and Chris Coles, Harrison David, Adam Klein and Joseph Stephen Perez, all 20.

Monday quotes

Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late.

- Robert R. Updegraff

Winners have the ability to step back from the canvas of their lives like an artist gaining perspective. They make their lives a work of art - an individual masterpiece.

- Denis Waitley

Flatter me, and I may not believe you.

Criticize me, and I may not like you.

Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.

Encourage me, and I may not forget you.

- William Arthur Ward

Success is not measured by th position one has reached in life, rather by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed.

- Booker T. Washington

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances.

- Martha Washington

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

- John Wesley

You're never too old to become younger.

- Mae West

Two and two continue to make four, in spite of the whine of the amateur for three, or the cry of the critic for five.

- James McNeil Whistler

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

- William Allen White

Not I-nor anyone else-can travel that road for you. You must travel it yourself.

back online

had no net service for a week

here are this week's entries from

About.com/Alcoholism;

Willie Nelson Busted in Texas for Pot

Country music legend Willie Nelson has been arrested once again for marijuana possession after six ounces of pot was found on his tour bus. Because this bust was in Texas and was "felony weight" some observers believe he might actually be facing jail time. One thing is for sure, the 77-year-old singer's mug shot is not getting any better.

Faith Evans Pleads No Contest to Reckless Driving

Grammy-winning singer Faith Evans, widow of Notorious BIG, dodged drunk driving charges when she was allowed to plead no contest to a lesser charge of reckless driving in Los Angeles. Evans, 37, was arrested after being stopped at a Marina del Rey checkpoint.

Ohio Man Arrested For 12th DUI

When 45-year-old Kelly Dorler was arrested on Thanksgiving Day for drunk driving, he was familiar with the process. It was his 12th arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Police say Dorler was stopped after a citizen called police to report his erratic driving.

Georgia Police Seize Meth Worth $45 Million

Police in Norcross, a suburb of Atlanta, are claiming one of the largest meth seizures in history after they found 933 pounds of methamphetamine in the home of Jose Galvez-Vela, 33, of Weslaco, Texas. Investigators are searching for other suspects in the case.

Driver Claims Engine Failure Caused Crash

A New York man facing trial for driving drunk and running down and killing a pregnant woman on a sidewalk told a jury that he lost control of his vehicle because the engine failed just before he killed Ysemny Ramos. It had nothing to do with the three beers and the shot of cognac he had prior to the incident, he said.

Man Gets 12 Years in Fatal DUI Crash

The first time Cesar Acosta-Castillo crashed his car on Sept. 9, 2009, it wasn't enough to get his attention. He kept driving until he collided with another vehicle, killing 45-year-old Leah Miller. Acosta-Castillo was sentenced to 12 years in prison this week for vehicular homicide.

reminiscing

Friday night, it was late I was walking you home We got down to the gate And I was dreaming of the night Would it turn out right Now as the years roll on Each time we hear our favorite song The memories come along Older times we're missing Spending the hours reminiscing

The "little river band" has a song titled reminiscing, and for me, reminiscing and  romanticizing  has always been a 

stumbling block. I wish it didn't have to be  that way and it takes a concerted effort to think it all the way through,

  and also remember the pain, misery and feelings of regret that came along  with my drinking career 

found some good advice on Psychology Today, from Claudine Black PhD;

Practice staying in the present; don't sit in the past or project into the future.

Validate the gifts of recovery for the day - practice gratitude daily.

Identify, build and use a support system - you need to stay connected. History and experience have proven time and time again that recovery is not a solitary process and cannot be sustained in isolation.

Trust your Higher Power is on your side.