The Secret: Living One Day At A Time

Try to lose weight. Try to get in shape. Try to quit smoking. Trying to get organized. Trying to be on time. Trying isn’t it. We have all done it. We look in the mirror and decide that’s it, we are going to make some changes. Things go well for a time, then we start backsliding. We rationalize it with being too tired, we had a hard day or it’s Friday and we deserve a break, etc. Kinda like the alcoholic rewarding themselves with a drink because they had been sober for a week or two. This kind of thinking is crazy in light of what happens next for the alcoholic, yet to some lesser degree we have all done it. Most of us have or have had a piece of exercise equipment that was “the answer” which is either now gathering dust or has moved on via a garage sale or charitable donation. Yet when an ad announces some new wonder exercise device promising impossible results from just 20 minutes 3 times a week we still perk up.

To be clear: every diet works, working out and exercise will provide positive changes and giving up smoking or addictive behaviors are no brainers, so why do we fail? Into my early 30’s I was a smoker. I “quit” many times and started back up just as many. Why, because I was trying to quit. It was not until I stopped trying that I finally put them down many years ago, but I am not an ex-smoker; I am a smoker who just doesn’t smoke today. The concept of doing anything “for the rest of our life” is daunting, but we can do anything for twenty-four hours and when we rely on Divine Life for direction and strength we cannot fail, but we must ask.

When we “try” we are working from without to change the within, when we let go and let God the change comes from within. So, if the desire is to lose weight, get into shape, stop smoking or change any area of our life, we must stop trying and let go. To begin this new path of action we start by asking in prayer to receive the strength and willingness to follow it. We can slack off, eat a pizza or smoke tomorrow, but just for today we are going to Let Go And Let God. For in Truth: The only time we can be present for God, the only time He can be present in our lives, is in this moment, our lives a series of moments connected in purpose. By staying in the moment, keeping our head where our hands are, ours eyes on God we cannot fail, today.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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Expectations of Perfection

“Living life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning to play the instrument as we go along” naked. No rational person believes they could play a musical instrument perfectly the first time they tried. Yet in our spiritual life we often expect perfection and then become disillusioned when our expectations are not met. The level of our serenity is directly proportional to our expectations of perfection. To be clear: We should expect great, marvelous things to arise in our lives when we Live on the Spiritual Basis, but we must also remember that our lives are works in progress. We seek “spiritual progress, not perfection.”

For my Christian friends this may seem inconsistent with the Great Carpenters’ teaching, but it is not. The perfection He taught on was the perfection of purpose. We are all flawed so we abandon ourselves to God as we understand Him, seeking guidance and strength in every area of life and living. In this we can achieve perfection, but to think that any of us will stand perfect in every thought, word, deed and action is a recipe for irritability, restlessness and deep discontentment. God is perfect, as is our Divine selfhood; but living, being human is messy and a work in progress and to believe we can do this mistake free is a tragic error.

We only see a great artist’s final product, not their preliminary attempts. How many versions of Beethoven’s masterpieces did he discard before the final renditions we know today? How many canvases did Rembrandt paint over? How many failures did Thomas Edison learn from on the way to his great discoveries? The perfection in their lives, and ours, is in being willing, willing to go on in the face of missteps, fear and doubt, choosing to trust the inner voice of inspiration. Conversely, when we stand in front of a mirror naked, we see our imperfections, yet in God’s eyes, we are perfect just as we are.

Living on the Spiritual Basis, we trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We keep our eyes on God and capitalize those seeming missteps in our spiritual evolution as opportunities to demonstrate His omnipotence and when we err, and we all will and do, thank Him for knowing Him better and then take the appropriate indicated action to address the misstep.  If you don’t know what action to take or path to follow, ask in prayer to be shown and the right answer will come. By acting in this way, we own the lesson and possible repetition of the misstep is greatly reduced, achieving perfection of purpose in action. Clothing recommended, but optional, since you are perfect, just as you are.

Miracles Of Recovery


© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

Little Blue Pills, Pit Stops, Hot Dogs and God

The secular world clamors with solutions for all our problems and concerns. Call this number and all your financial difficulties will vanish or take this or that pill for whatever ill, never mind all those pesky side effects. There is even a pill to cut down on bathroom trips and it seems that all middle-aged men need to take a little something in order to be intimate, if the number and frequency of ads is any indication. Do not misunderstand, all these things, probably, have their place, it is the order of approach that is at question. When we began living on the Spiritual Basis, we altered our approach to life. We accomplished this by stepping out in faith; realizing the Presence of God was our first step, in so doing then whatever action we take is embedded with Divine Love.

To Live on the Spiritual Basis means we have turned our will and our lives over to the care of God, it doesn’t mean that we withdraw from life or eschew the secular, since the Miraculous provides answers and solutions in all manner of ways, ordinary and extra ordinary alike. Remember, the power we have tapped into is not limited by human perspectives or understanding; it routinely performs the seemingly impossible, even miraculous if we, though perhaps trembling, remain open and willing. To borrow from an old Hebrew National hotdog commercial: today “We answer to a higher authority” and that authority wants all His children to be at peace; happy, joyous and free. Oh, and your trips to the bathroom will vary.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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Roots of Respiration and Inspiration

In Latin inspiratio means “to breathe in.” From this root many words have bloomed, two of which are respiration and inspiration. Physical respiration is the intake and exhaling of air, spiritual respiration is the intake of guidance and knowledge from the Divine, the exhaling new understanding and purpose, inspiration personified. Our only real job in this life is to realize our hearts desire, to express that which each of us has been Divinely gifted to do for in so doing we are manifesting God’s will at the most basic and profound level. In realizing our heart’s desire we demonstrate over fear and human limitation. By seeking continued guidance through prayer, meditation and selfless service we keep our feet on the one true path, our unique path, living inspired, truly free of the fear driven life and the bondage of self.   
Miracles of Recovery


© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

Please, Help Yourself

As a young man I proudly wore the coat of the agnostic. Having heard so many state that God was love but if you broke a certain rule you would suffer for all eternity, that the Devil battles with God and actually wins from time to time never made any sense to me so I walked the agnostics’ path. I had always believed there was “something,” some power or intelligence, but the idea of a punishing, score keeping, testing God that could lose battles just did not pass muster. As life progressed, the one thing I did right was keep an open mind, continuing to seek and learn. I studied and investigated everything from Catholicism to Islam, Dianetics to the Rosicrucian’s, learning much but never convinced. Finally, I found myself in a position where I had to face the proposition of God not from some supposed intellectual hilltop but from the depths of depression and pain. Nothing sharpens the mind, cutting away the superfluous like pain, for in the dark night of the soul esoteric knowledge and philosophical debating points lose their significance. Lost in pain and doubt I reached out and my plea was answered, lacking any ambiguity and I was convinced.

Today I know we are all connected in Spirit but each of us walks our own path, daily choosing pain or peace. Our path of awakening following the decisions and choices we make, and in ultimate truth: pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self.  I now know in my heart of hearts that God desires all His children to be happy, joyous and free and He guides us through the process of enlightenment, freeing us from the bondage of self; as long as we remain open minded and willing, Forgiveness in Spirit our birth right and though there will be painful lessons along the way, suffering is a choice.

So, if you are struggling with the concept of a punishing score keeping God, please borrow mine. When I make a mistake, a daily occurrence, He directs me with the patience of a loving parent, showing me the correct action to take, if I but ask. The price for this connection: pray regularly in the manner that suits you, meditate daily, smile and treat all in the manner you wish to be treated in. Please no pushing; there is plenty of Him to go around. 
Miracles Of Recovery


© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids