Connected Inspiration

Regardless of belief, if we are honest, we have felt the inspiration he is describing. That stirring, those thoughts and feelings that well up from seemingly nowhere, often catching us by surprise. Those AHA! moments when the solution to a problem “pops” into our mind, when we look at something or someone, perhaps for the hundredth, thousandth time, and we see through a different lens, a new truth apparent. The place we go when we just can’t take one more step, and then we do. A piece of music that makes us smile, dance or even brings tears. The compassion for strangers when they are hurt or hurting.Love. All these things, and infinitely more, testify to something greater than ourselves, a connection that cannot be quantified, measured or even really accurately described, though we have been trying too for thousands of years, but is there nonetheless.

We are all connected and receive in all manner of ways from something beyond our human understanding. We are spiritual beings, and when we can salute the connection we share, transcend the bickering, the need to be right, the one-upsmanship, whether we like or approve of someone being immaterial and see all as the Spiritual entities we truly are, the world changes. Remember, avalanches began with the movement of a single rock or the falling of a single snowflake that sets everything into motion, so join me today in asking “let there be peace, and let it begin with me.”  

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Spiritual Pizza

“Opening to the power of intention, you begin knowing that conception, birth and death are all natural aspects of the energy field of creation.” Wayne Dyer

Everything is comprised of energy, everything. When dieting, people will often count calories to manage their weight. But how many know what a “calorie”really is? Well, it is a measurement of energy. A calorie is the amount of heat(energy) released by food as it is digested by the body as needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds) of water by one degree Celsius. See, now that you know, losing weight will be so much easier! OK, maybe not, but that is not the point. The point being energy is all around us, we are comprised of it, it is what propels everything and everyone and takes many forms we often take for granted or never bothered to consider.

The amount of energy required to burn off that pepperoni pizza from last night is one thing, of infinitely more importance is the amount of spiritual energy we will require today to handle the inevitable trials and tribulations of life. The good news is it’s all around us, available, and by opening ourselves to it with prayer, meditation and being of service to others, we tap an unlimited reservoir of intention, remembering this field of energy is the Great Creative Life Force itself, of which we are a part and parcel of.

So, if shedding a few pounds going into the New Year is the goal, maybe skip apiece of pizza or two, but never miss an opportunity to pray, meditate and be of service, for spiritual calories are never a bad thing and they always look good on you.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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From “Who am I” into “I Am Who”

“Faith without works is dead.” There is an eternal question we all must address: are we willing to go to any length for a Spiritual awakening? No one can answer this question for another, and it is only truly answered through our actions and regardless of path of enlightenment chosen, one of the side effects of walking this path is often feeling unworthy, the sense of “who am I” to suggest to others how to grow spiritually. The adversary, Fear, will cajole us into inaction, to downplay the work we have done, to soften the import of the truths we hold in our heart of hearts because we are afraid of looking pompous or self-righteous.

We must turn the “who am I” into “I am who” walks the path that leads to freedom, the freedom from the bondage of self the adversary revels in. Fear will bluff us into inaction, try to convince us the well-earned lessons of our growth into warriors of the light somehow lack value, our demonstrated freedom should be kept secret, lest we appear full of ourselves. As Children Of The Light we must stand ready, available, to testify to the work we have done and be counted, when asked. Will some, still locked in the bondage of self, disparage, perhaps even attack us? Yes, but take heart, for this is just another indication you are on the right path.

By stepping out in faith, trusting in a Power Greater Than Ourselves as we have come to understand it, to use us as instruments of Divine Love and Knowledge at whatever our current level of understanding is, we can alleviate fear, pain and suffering for others and light the way for those still lost in the bondage of self.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Fearless, Just For Today

“One more dance along the razor’s edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.” Robert Jordan

Fear is the mind killer. Fear will attempt to layer us with guilt and shame dredged from the past, while burying us with anxiety about the future. Learning to live, a day at a time, is one of the keys to freedom. To do this we must take the specters from our past and embrace them for the experiences in living they are. All the mistakes, the missteps,the times when we acted in our own self-interest at the expense of others, and yes, all the times when we have been hurt or treated poorly must be dragged from the shadows and brought into the light and allowed to heal. For these scars, well-earned and proudly displayed, are badges of our survival, and we must stand ready to share their story with anyone if it will assist them on their journey.

Our future fears: mere phantoms, insubstantial, attempting to bluff us into retreating from life, to cower, move from the light back into the shadows of morbid reflection, cut off from the truth of being: that we are Spiritual Beings, extensions of the Great Creative Life Force, in fact, children of Creation.

So, smile and dance today in the manner that suits you, and when the adversary Fear whispers a storm is coming and you should be afraid, laugh and plant flowers for the coming rain to nurture for storms are not only part of living, but are necessary as part of our ever-unfolding awakening.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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The Wisdom Of Patience

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” Saint Augustine

Patience.  I recall a student saying to me years ago in all earnestness “I know I need patience, I just need it right now!” Eventually we laughed, but in the moment, he truly couldn’t see the forest for the trees.Today as never before society and our lives move at a breakneck pace. Today I laugh when I realize I’m starting to feel annoyed when downloading something and it takes more than a minute. When the internet was new updates often took hours, sometimes over night to download, or irritated when ordering something online and they don’t offer same day shipping. Most reading this won’t remember the standard tag line when you ordered something pre-internet: “expected delivery time 4 to 6 weeks.”

I grew up in a world of newspapers and magazines and 30-minute daily broadcasts of Walter Cronkite (or Huntley and Brinkley) to report the day’s news. Phones were attached to walls. Portable music was a transistor radio and the playlist consisted of whatever the station chooses to broadcast. For research: hard bound Encyclopedias and trips to the library. Spell check was a dictionary. Coffee was black, though cream and sugar were available, and out in the world if you wanted to grab a quick cup the local donut shop was often the destination, usually poured by someone 40ish who clearly enjoyed doughnuts wearing a stained white all-purpose apron and a hairnet. 

Now don’t misunderstand, I love the technological advances of the last few decades and readily avail myself of them. I don’t want to go back. But we all need to remind ourselves daily to slow down, take a breath and enjoy the day. When we practice this habitually, there is much less chance of becoming impatient when someone has 17 items in the 15-itemmax checkout line, or who takes 5 minutes (at least it feels like it) to order a cup of “coffee.” We slow down by taking a break, a time out from the world. We turn off the phone, Laptop, Tablet, the TV and just enjoy a few quiet minutes of solitude, every day. By doing this we drop our stress levels and become more efficient (clinical studies show this to be true) and instead of being annoyed you will find yourself smiling the next time the person in front of you orders a half caff double pump mocha Frappuccino with a splash of vanilla extra whip with Hazelnut sprinkle’s in a double cup, with a sleeve of course, from that stylish 20 something Barista in the designer bib.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Pomona

One of my early spiritual teachers was often painfully direct, no sugar coatings.Once when I was complaining about some recent misfortune and stated, “It’s not fair” to which he quickly replied, “You want fair, go to Pomona(where the LA county fair is held) once a year.” Now, being the sensitive type,this hurt my delicate feelings. He didn’t much care, or at all, and followed up with “pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self, so be grateful for the lesson.” Geez, what an insensitive lout, but he was right.

Life is not fair. Life is messy, we all make mistakes, regularly. Trouble starts when we take things personally, allowing ourselves to become emotionally attached to the error. So the reality is, money comes and goes, jobs come and go,relationships change or end, people will let us down and we will let people down as well, such is life. We are all in this together, our true job to learn and grow in awareness and understanding and so when(not if) our feelings are hurt, we make a mistake, are let down or offended, because we will be, we embrace the lesson as an opportunity to grow spiritually. Remembering that today is just one day in our long awakening, and nothing is worth losing our peace of mind and serenity in spirit over. Oh, and try not to smile too broadly when it’s your turn to respond when someone states “It’s not fair.”

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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The Right Thing and The Hard Part

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” General Norman Schwarzkopf.

From 25 to 30 years of age I was pretty much lost in self and a haze of intoxication. By 25 I had had a good job, owned a home, drove a nice car, was married and a father. Though my daughter was stuck with me, the rest was gone or going. Now, I am supposedly a pretty smart fellow, if you believe IQ tests, (today I suspect scoring well on an IQ test merely demonstrates an ability to take IQ tests well) but looking at my life, I sure wasn’t acting like a “genius.” There were uncounted times when I knew what I was doing or about to do was a bad idea, but that didn’t stop me. Oh, and I was a time traveler when under the influence. I would start out in one place,blackout and then come too, sometimes the next day, in a different place,sometimes wearing different clothes, invariably broke, often in the company of new “best friends” whom I didn’t recognize. A few times this happened while driving, a truly disconcerting experience.

These time traveling episodes terrified me. I was certain I was going to wake up in jail cell somewhere with no recollection of how I got there or what I had done, or cuffed to a hospital bed, or just dead. But as much as I hated these episodes, I did it regularly. A smart man remarked years ago this type of behavior demonstrates a base form of insanity,and it sure felt like it.

I haven’t lived like that for a very long time. Curiously, to this day, that self-destructive voice that drove me all those years ago, cloaked in all manner of guises (fear), still whispers in my mind’s eye in an attempt to drag me back into that old life and ways of thinking. Such is the profound and deep-rooted nature of addiction thinking. The good news is today I have a Recovery tool kit to rely on so when it starts in,I stop and employ the tools that experience, both mine and others, have shown to be effective, a day at a time. 

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Miracles Of Recovery Blueprint

Miracles Of Recovery Blueprint

To address the increasing overdose death rate as well as the staggering relapse rate for individuals who have “completed” a professional program, I created Miracles Of Recovery. Having over 30 years’ experience down in the mud, the blood and the tears of addiction, both as someone in recovery and a treatment professional, the truth is:
RECOVERY IS NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL
There are many paths to freedom and successful recovery is as much an art as a science. The heartbreaking truth is we have the tools for success, it is the application where we are failing. This 13-page document details a new approach to recovery, building bridges across the spectrum of treatment, utilizing all the current tools and paths of recovery, creating sustainable new platforms for real world and cyber engagement with current recovery communities and treatment professionals as well as creating new sustainable communities for those currently struggling to connect. Creating real long-term affordable aftercare, as well as providing help and support for those who have loved ones in recovery or have tragically lost someone to addiction. While providing new and innovative income streams beyond Healthcare Providers and Government to make it all work. Please click on the link below.

Miracles Of Recovery Blueprint


© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit 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

Courage Birthed

“Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart.

 “We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage.” Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Society often honors those who demonstrate courage, sacrifice and selfless devotion with medals, commendations and public recognition, and this is as it should be. But every day, millions, if not billions, without recognition or fanfare quietly stand and courageously demonstrate over fear. How do I know? Without this courage, this world could not, would not survive.

Living on the Spiritual Basis requires us to stand in the light, exposed, often being targeted by those still in the grip of the darkness of the bondage of self. Courage is birthed and strength in Spirit realized when we have faith in something greater than ourselves, refusing to condemn those who condemn; selfless love quietly on display. This is the fabric which binds us together, holds the center and provides the foundation we all rely and stand on. So, just for today, be of good cheer, raise your head and be counted, for you have chosen to walk the path of a courageous warrior of peace.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Ignoring the Signs

I am a hiker. I live in Southern California which is a wonderful place to live if you love to hike. Mountains, hills, and panoramic views abound. My “playground” is the Laguna Wilderness area. It surrounds the town of Laguna Beach with some 77 miles of hiking trails. Now, Laguna Beach is an artist colony and a beautiful little town. It runs along the coast climbing from the Pacific Ocean to the top of the steep hills that border it and is a destination not only for tourists but locales as well. Now, there are only three ways into Laguna, either by Pacific Coast Highway from the north and south or Laguna Canyon Road from the east.

One of the starting points for my hikes is Coastal Peak Park. The road that leads to it parallels a toll road that intersects Laguna Canyon Road. Now, the road that leads to this park is wide and well maintained, but dead ends at the park, was never connected to Laguna, and is clearly marked as having no outlet. Yet invariably about every five minutes or so a vehicle will come zooming down this road, the driver thinking they have found a “secret” back door into Laguna avoiding the inevitable traffic and/or tolls. They arrive at the turnaround, pause for a moment and then speed back the way they came. Maps clearly show this road ends, has no outlet, yet this continues unabated, something I have observed for years.

We have all done it at times in our lives. We saw the signs that we were headed in the wrong direction, but we sold ourselves on the idea that it would be OK, or worse, we really weren’t seeing what we were seeing, a form of willful blindness. Now, a driving mistake is one thing, the price a little extra burned fuel, some lost time. But what of the signs ignored in the areas of relationships, our children, careers and the like? We must learn to pay attention to the signs, and if heading in the wrong direction or toward a dead end, stop and alter course, to trust our intuition, the voice that speaks the truth, even when we don’t want to hear it. And if we are unsure of what direction to follow, we seek guidance, perhaps secular, perhaps spiritual, hopefully both. Oh, and even if on the wrong road, there is always something to learn and see, the road to Coastal Peak Park provides some wonderful views, both ways.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit 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