A Mothers Day Retreat

Hi. Oh, what a nice day, what a nice time, huh? Been been been a blessing to me. I oh, by the way, somebody the cook handed me this set of Joe and Charlie tapes are CDs that was left in the hallway. If you can tell me the number I've written inside, I'll give them back to you

right here.

I get more sets of CDs that way.

But that the cook found him in the hall wanted me to tell you that. And you know, we're we're going to be talking this morning about step 10

continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it

is that for me.

And a lot of times we struggle for a parameter of what we need and and and and and when do we need to when do we need to make an amends? And there's a wonderful guide to its ten step amends, an inventory, and it's on page 99 of the 12:00 and 12:00

and its Lord make me a channel of thy peace. Where there is hatred, I may bring love,

To where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness. To where there is discord I may bring harmony,

that where there is error I may bring truth,

that where there is doubt I may bring faith, and where there is despair I may bring hope. That where there are shadows I may bring light, that where there is sadness I may bring joy. Lord grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, to understand than to be understood, to love than to be loved. For it is by self forgetting that one finds, and it is by

it is by forgiving that one is forgiving, forgiven, and it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

That's kind of my mode on my 10th step.

When I look at my life and Han behaving today. How does it hold up to that?

Now, is that too much to ask? Actually, no, it's not too much to ask at all. If we're trying, really trying to surrender and live in God's way. I say grace at every meal and people think always that's something, you know why I started say grace in the 10th step, they ask you to take a spot inventory. Remember that? And I thought, man, how am I ever going to remember to do it? Take a spot inventory. I think what do I do a lot?

I eat. So I started saying grace to do my spotting inventories

and just ask myself while I'm saying grace, who's in charge here at your God? Who's in charge here? You were God

and Step 10 is so important in so many ways because and there's so many different aspects of Step 10. Guy I sponsor said my best step 10 work is when I put this in gear before I put this in gear.

That good. My best step can work is when I put this in gear before I put this in gear.

I don't know about you, but for a long time I just had a smart remark for everything

that has nothing to do with what I just read.

That is about as far away from what I just read as possible, but I always had a cute smart remark. Another thing I'd always do is offer unsolicited advice or correction. Thank you very much.

Why? Because you needed it.

I don't do that anymore

because I don't give advice unless it's asked for. Did I run any of you down and come see me so we can talk for 15 minutes?

Those who wanted my input came, and that's just the way I like it. Now, how did I learn? That is because for a long time I would go around giving unsolicited advice. At any given moment, I'd hear somebody in a meeting and maybe right in the meeting I'd say you know you're wrong.

I would.

Step 10 is for me is saying a kind and loving thing

rather than a sarcastic quick witted. Show you how intelligent and alert I am. Comment

because of step 10. You're still all about you. You've missed something in the 1st 9:00.

You know the promise or at the end of step 9 and they're red and they're red and they're red.

And I wonder how often people understand that they're a promise. They're a promise to you if you do what's here. This is what's promised. There was talk about these being the promises. I was in Washington DC about 3 weeks ago and a a a guy came up to me

and he couldn't sleep one night. So we went through the book and counted all the promises. There's 234

and he listed them for me.

But listen to the promises once again and see if maybe you got a taste of him this weekend.

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. Oh, I see that in a lot of eyes. We're going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace

no matter how far down the scale we have gone. We will see how our experience can benefit others.

That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

Suddenly we realize that God is doing for us what we couldn't do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They're being fulfilled among us, sometimes quickly,

sometimes slowly. But listen to this last line. They will always materialize if we work for them.

That would have promised

what a promise.

And that's why I do retreats like this. That's why I do 12 step retreats because in 1988, when I lost everything one more time and I read those promises, I had to tell you that they weren't true in my life.

And I knew that the promises were true, so there had to be something wrong that I was doing. As I stand here today, I can tell you unequivocally that they are true in my life,

as well as that St. Pat's Francis prayer the vast majority of time.

And

that's the way you want to live. It's in your lap. It's in your lap.

Step 10

needs to be worked at your work.

It's not just with people in the Fellowship who can hold you accountable,

it's what those people who don't even know you're in the program

when you're wrong promptly admit it.

Promptly is the keyword. It doesn't say when you feel like it,

when you think they deserve it

doesn't say any of that. It says promptly admitted,

promptly admitted, and I'll tell you what it is for me when I promptly admit it. I don't carry it with me.

Even when I promptly admit it, it's gone. When I don't promptly admit it, it eats away at my very being,

my soul. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, used to have a wonderful greeting. At least I love it. He would greet everyone with How is it with your soul?

Yeah, there you go. Let's talk real, you know, how is it with your soul? God, I love that greeting.

Step 10 is how are we treating other people? Are we being encouraging or discouraging?

I was 2 1/2 years sober. I was in a terrible, deep depression.

I I knew that life just wasn't worth living and a A was nice for you folks and you were a nice bunch of people. But it wasn't working for me.

And my plan was to go to my sponsor's house, turn on all the gas to the big coffee pots he has in his garage where I was living at the time, and just go to sleep. No notes, no dramatics, no nothing.

And I stopped by

a a club in Santa Monica.

There's a guy Jimmy, our Jimmy was from Texas. Jimmy had date southern accent. Jimmy was rapid fire type guy. He'd talk rapid fire. He'd rub his hands together like this. He said one time I asked some psychologists why I rubbed my hands together like this said he told me. He said I smacked him right in the mouth. You know Jimmy was just wrapping fire. He'd give you 3 talks type of what boy, he'd just wrapping fire. You had to hang on to your seat when you listen. Jimmy

and I walked in there that day and I told you my plan, and it was just as sincere as any plan I'd ever made.

And I walked in there and Jimmy was in the club. And I said, Jimmy, how are you? And it was like the world stopped. And he looked me right in my eye. And he said, I'm much better for seeing you, my friend. I'm much better for seeing you.

He saved my life that day. He didn't know it.

I do because I thought, you know, if Jimmy likes me,

maybe I got it all wrong. I'll give it another day and kill me tomorrow

because it's a day at a time.

And I need to tell you true that I no longer have had those depressions for like 25 years. And the only therapy I've had is Alcoholics Anonymous and my faith.

And that's not to say one's right or wrong and the other. I'm just here to share my experience and mine is everlasting and doesn't have to be refilled every 30 days, you know, and, and I encourage you to, to seek those kind of answers as well.

But step 10 is a How are you treating your fellow human beings?

What about if you started honoring everybody who came in contact with

When I go into a restaurant, wherever I go, if someone's waiting on me, I make sure they know I appreciate it.

I have told the cook here that I enjoyed his food immensely and I appreciate the love he puts in it.

Now, why do I do that? Because I want to honor everybody I come in contact with.

Why? Because I've dishonored so many people for so long. It is not a guilt. It is not a payback. This is the way I want to live.

This is the way I want to live when I meet you. I'd rather your day be lifted than detracted from,

you know,

And when you work steps one through 9 and your experience, those promises, it's a lot easier to do that if you're hanging on all dull that rage and resentment and regret about yesterday's and how many times you slept. You know what? Nobody's keeping track except you. It's just not important. Are you sober today? Stay that way one day at a time. That's what's important, you know.

How are you doing at Step 10 with your family?

When was the last time you had random acts of kindness for your spouse or your children?

When was when was the last time you just thought of kind things to do for no particular reason?

My old friend Chuck said to me one time. He said, Ed, you got to be good for nothing. And I said, what do you mean? He said just be good.

What wisdom?

What a way to go.

There's another step 10. If I do something for you, am I expecting something back?

If I am guess what? Don't count?

Chest doesn't count.

Am I living in the example? If someone accused you of being a good member of your 12 step program, is there enough evidence to convict you?

If I went to your Co workers and said you claim to be happy, joyous and free

would they testify? Yay or nay?

Interesting, isn't it?

Because later we're going to be talking about practicing these principles and all our affairs, not just in these rooms for an hour. Anybody can simulate recovery for that long, and a lot of people do.

That's why they never get sober. It's always simulation rather than action on the steps and principles that we've been given.

Step 10 also is the first place in the program where it says, you know,

start looking at your assets too.

Did you know that it's the 1st place that tells you start looking at your assets? You know why?

If you've done these steps, your thinking has been cleared of wrong motives and you got a better idea who you've been than ever before. How many here were told when they were young? You have so much potential.

Oh, you can do anything you want.

I'm here to tell you something. They've always been right and you've always been wrong.

Step 10 is being correct about the gifts God gave me.

Had a wonderful talk about humility yesterday.

And you know, a lot of people would say Lynn Carroll, who, who founded Hazelton, you'll never see his name attached with it because he was just an, a, a guy, but he founded Hazard Clinton and got it gone and then they booted him out. But he, he used to say something

that just touched me. He said, you know, a lot of people would say humility is if you played the piano, if somebody come and ask you, would you play for us? They would think humility would be, oh, oh, I couldn't. Oh, he said. True humility is when you play the piano and someone asked you to play. You say

it would be my privilege.

How's the humility in your life where your worth is concerned?

And if it hasn't changed, why

in that time

isn't it time for you to start treating yourself as if you're actually a human being to instead of some sort of cosmic mistake that just happened

and you're just lucky to be around? And as soon as they figure out you won't be here long anyway?

How about if you started looking at the gifts God gave you and the dreams that you have and start giving them credibility instead of dismissing them?

Because one of my thoughts are whatever dreams you've been given, I don't care when they were. Is God whispering in your ear?

And when they would seem more impossible than ever, that's when he whispers a little louder.

And my job is to follow that dream,

not to follow what you tell me

to follow that dream.

And there's a lot of dreams in this room that are unaccomplished.

There are a lot of dreams in this room that have been forgotten for years. Sometimes over 50, I'll bet.

And step 10 is

correcting that wrong and start listening. But the dreams and the encouragement that God's given you,

that's what step 10 is about. To me,

that's powerful.

I can do anything I want to do.

Month ago God said, you know Ed, you should get your doctorate in psychology. I thought why? And he said, so you can argue with those pukes on an even level.

And I said, you got it. I signed up. I'm starting in July for my doctorate in psychology. That's what I need to do to give what I say more credibility. So be it.

I'm tired of seeing people die right and left

from the experts. Now understand there are some good, wonderful people out there, but they are so far outnumbered by the ignorance

of addiction. That is horrifying. It's horrifying. I have a friend who's she's 16 years sober. She went to a meeting the other day and there were eighteen women and she was the only one not on medication.

The only one. She was horrified

and I said she said what do I do? And I said people like you and I got to hang together because they'll die off and they'll go away eventually.

And then we can read Room with Alcoholics Anonymous is about,

you know,

step 10. How well have you been carrying the message,

if at all? You know what I hear commonly in a anymore? Well, I'm focusing on my recovery first. Oh really?

Thank God Bill and Bob didn't feel that way.

They wouldn't have met on Mother's Day in 1935, because what was Bill doing? Looking for somebody to help?

When was the last time you look for somebody to help?

When was the last time you walked into a meeting and say, who can I help here? Who can I share this gift with?

I'm reading a book upstairs about the equation between the Bible and the Big Book, and there's a statement in there. In the early days, success rate of Alcoholics Anonymous was 70 to 96%,

and that was for some years.

It's probably three to four now,

and you may think that's an exaggeration, but any of you been in treatment? Think of the Click graduating class. How many are still sober? Do your own math.

And I think there's several reasons for that.

One, people are rushed into treatment long before they're ready. Then they're exposed A and they're not ready. And they say that's a load of crap, I don't need that. And then they never come back.

How are you carrying the message that you've been given?

First talking with somebody last night and they said, you know, I got to love myself before I can love somebody else. And I went, that's a load of crap.

Oh, really? Is is popular because it's all about me. Me first. Oh, good idea for addictive people. Oh, I like that. Thank you. Oh yeah, My dreams come true.

I fell in love with you long before I knew how to love me.

In fact, loving you made it easier to love me.

You showed me how,

by the way you treated me,

you know.

How are you doing in the love area? Showing people how to love themselves?

Oh, not just in a a

that kid that you're ready to pull out all your hair. You know,

you can see what's happened to mine. How are you doing there?

And most importantly about step 10 on the top of page 86, it tells you how to end every day. And people dismiss that, but it's one of the most important parts of this step because what you do there is the common term is we have closure of the day.

You look at that day, you ask for clarity, you see what you've been done wrong. And they say, don't beat yourself up,

that ain't gonna help anybody. Ask God for forgiveness and what corrective measures you should take and then go to bed. And then you know what you do? You file that day away.

Don't bring it tomorrow.

You've missed the point if you bring it tomorrow

because we live a day at a time.

How many here are having a bad day because of what's happened today?

Or let's go back to Friday, how many were having a bad day because of what happened Friday? I almost guarantee it was something happened a week ago, a month ago, a year ago, five years ago.

We just bring it on forward. You know, they talk about paying it forward with kindness. Well, we can pay it forward with worry too.

We can really pay it forward with worry and regret and remorse and sadness and unforgiveness. Spirit of unforgiveness,

but on step. Can I mention it a little earlier?

Start treating yourself as if you're an actual human being is if you're one of God's kids too. And people say, how do I do that? And I say, treat yourself with the same understanding and love you would a good friend who's going through the same circumstances. How would you treat them? You'd probably be nurturing and kind and supportive and say, you know, I'll do anything you need me to do to help you through this.

Yet when we make the same mistake, what do we do? How could you? You should know this.

You're just discussing. You're not any better at all. You're just

better do a step 10 on that because that's called child abuse.

Your child of God got to stop abusing you

and it's up to you to stop it. It ain't going to stop by me telling you it's going to stop by you doing it.

Refused to abuse yourself anymore. One day at a time

can learn how to treat yourself as if you actually like you. Treat yourself as the way you would somebody you loved and respected. How to do a good step 10/2 is when you're walking down the street and you want to say something. Just ask yourself, would I be saying or doing the same thing if my sponsor was standing right here?

Would I be doing, saying or doing this if somebody I loved and respected was standing right here?

You'd be amazed how many times you wouldn't come even close to doing what you're about to do.

And that can be your guide for Step 10.

I told Jay was manager, the Harlem Globetrotters from Meadowlark Lemon, who many of you remember, I'm sure he was the clown Prince of basketball for a number of years. And he's just an amazing man, and he is one of my dear, dear friends.

Well, that's an appropriate story for Step 10. I don't share this often because it's usually nobody's business.

When I was with the Globetrotters, I had gotten married and things weren't going the best

and the president of the Globetrotter, said Ed to where we're going to run Meadowlark Lemonade, the Harlem Globetrotters.

We want the team to be a star rather than an individual

and he said if you help us do this, you'll have a job for life.

And I said OK,

and I quit giving my friend his suite that he had had for 27 years.

Quit giving him any extra preferential treatment.

The last day on the bus in France, he tore off his jersey and threw it at me and said I'll never put that uniform on again. And it broke my heart.

And he left.

And you know, on that summer break,

my spirit was broken. I couldn't figure out why. I went back to work and I really didn't care much for it

and

that woman that I was engaged to and I said, you know, I really don't think we should get married, try to commit suicide. And the Atlanta Times read an run an article about the managers of the Harlem Globetrotters wife attempting suicide in a local hotel. So I was dismissed

and I went home and I ate for months. I walked the floor all night for a long time. I was thinking,

you know, the best job I ever had and I blew it somehow. I just blew it. I lost priority. I lost everything. I, I I just blew it somehow. And then one night about 3:00 in the morning, I realized what was bothering me

and I called metal arc at 3:00 in the morning. But I said

I have no defense for what I did.

I betrayed our friendship and I have no defense. I just hope that someday you can forgive me.

And he said yeah, click.

And about 3 weeks later he called me up

and

it's kind of a strange phone call. He was talking to me, yet he wasn't talking to me.

Couple weeks after that he called me up and I knew he had started a new team and he was out.

And about six weeks later after that initial call, he called me up and he said Eddie said I'm in desperate straits. He said somebody stealing all my money out here and I need somebody I can trust. Would you come and help?

I said. Oh yeah, yeah.

And

I've been in love with him ever since.

He showed me kindness,

how can I not reflect the same

that my friends? Just step 10. When I really realized what was wrong, I promptly admitted it.

I was telling you that to tell you this, I was talking to Middle Art one time, and he's a pastor. He's been a minister now for 20 years.

And I said, you know, Meadowlark, I try to live my life as if God's looking over my shoulder every minute. And he said, what do you mean if Ed?

Interesting.

And I said, Oh yeah.

So step 10 is

to keep this temple clean. Step 10 is to keep this temple pure. Step 10 is the maintenance of my spiritual condition,

because you know what happens if you don't keep the temple clean. It gets cluttered, slowly but surely, and before you know it, you've shut yourself off in the sunlight of the Spirit

and it gets dark again.

You keep it clean. Anybody's welcome into your home at anytime.

You are not embarrassed to somebody just knocks on your door and ask for some help.

You know, it's a powerful, powerful step that is often in my estimation overlooked and certainly under practiced

because in my experience it's been a life changing as all the other steps have. And I would suggest you this and just don't reject it out of hand. It's just a thought that if each of them haven't been life changing yet, you need to do them again

because this isn't an intellectual exercise, it's a spiritual way of life.

In the big book several times it says specifically self knowledge is not the answer.

I don't know about you, but for a long time I felt if I know enough, if I study enough, if I read enough, if I search enough, if I seek enough,

there's never enough,

but there's always God, which is more than enough.

And step 10 does something for me. I never thought I'd feel

I am enough today.

I don't want for anything really.

I am enough. I don't want to be anybody else who I am. Oh, there's some wrinkles I want iron out with God's help one day at a time. But I like hanging out with me. My little house is out in the country 3 miles from anybody and they say don't get lonely out there. And I go, Nope,

me and God hang out and giggle.

We do.

I've got a picture of Christ right right above my chair in my living room,

and I spend a lot of time sitting there and praying. When I get a few minutes notice, we're moving into step 11

and I love that picture because some of you may have heard Smitty, Doctor Bob's son, who is a member of Al Anon and good standing, a wonderful guy and a dear, dear friend of mine.

He, he always used to tell me head your tapes. The only tape I ever bought.

And it was true, it was funny. He just, we just hit it off and Smitty had congestive heart failure and passed away. And I was honored to do his funeral. And I went down to do his funeral in Memphis. And afterwards his family came to me and said we'd like you to have this, Ed.

And I opened it up and it was a picture of Christ.

And he said this was Grandpa's Doctor Bob's favorite picture of Christ that hungover the mantle in these living room

at his home in Akron.

And Bill and Bob and Anne would always stand and pray before this picture.

And God, I was moved.

I couldn't believe it. And I thanked him. So much hangs in my living room now and I sit there,

I know that I'm praying, saying God they pray to, whether by name or not, by spirit for sure.

And it's just a complete way of feeling sufficient.

God is sufficient to all my means. So with God in my life, I am sufficient.

And step 11,

if you're not spending time in prayer and meditation, you simply don't want to get better spiritually. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude,

but you have no interest in improving spiritually.

You're still on the intellectual drive.

Oh, I'll figure it out and I'll get this knowledge, and that's fine. For some people, they can stay sober a long time that way,

but look into their eyes and you see nothing's home except a quick answer or another quote from some

obscure writer,

and they're entertaining for themselves. But that's OK. I don't. I don't want to do that.

I have to work each day to ask God to come into my life and more importantly, remind me how to put my will in His hands.

Pages 868788, which were read at the meditation yesterday morning, is fascinating. How many read that?

OK, how many read that before the weekend?

No, the reason I'm saying that is I was 18 years sober and I was amazed that in those three pages tell me specifically how to live every moment of every second of every minute of every day. How to get up, how to go to bed, what you do when you get confused during the day. And it says the strangest thing I've ever heard. When you get confused or frustrated, relaxed, take it easy. Are you kidding?

Relax and take it easy. I gotta figure this out. Don't you know the world revolves around my decisions?

Relax and take it easy. Take a deep breath. Ask God for inspiration,

a thought or an intuitive? Intuitive thought or action.

That's what it says specifically.

If you're not doing that, how can you have a conscious contact with God?

I mean, it's right there at the directions. It blew me over. I'd read that book faithfully for 18 years and all of a sudden I'm going, how's it work, how's it work, how's it work? Duh, right here, 2 1/2 pages. Then in that book, ever since I got it and managed to miss it every single time,

my old friend Chuck used to say you can't see that you can see and you can't hear. You can hear.

And boy, I could see and hear that day. I could see and hear that day.

It also says in there that you might pay for this

act of faith with all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Well, I, I, I want to add this to that. At that time sponsorship wasn't the big deal. It is now. So that's why earlier in the weekend I said sponsorship is good, especially when God's talking to you. Use them kind of as a filter. They can take away the selfish self self obsessed interest out of there and purify what's going on most of the time.

But I also need to tell you that as time goes on, I live an inspired life. I am told to do things daily that I wouldn't do on my own. Thoughts.

And they were all connected. It's amazing how they're all connected. I can't tell you how many times I was headed this way and I was told to head that way. And I said no, I need to go this way. Said no, I need to go that way. And that way was the way I needed to go because I ran into somebody who needed to talk to me desperately.

I'm down in Little Rock, AR, speaking into convention that's 1000 miles from Iowa. And me and a bunch of the guys I sponsor and gals I sponsor walking over to get a sandwich. And all of a sudden I heard behind me Pastor Ed, Pastor Ed. And I thought, well, you know, he's pastor down here. And I turned around and it was a woman that I just done her mother's funeral a week and a half before in Iowa.

And she said, you know, I was praying that I could talk to you, and I lost your car.

And I said, let's talk, Have a seat.

That's the way that's daily occurrences in my life anymore.

And again, it's not because I'm special, it's because I'm trying to follow the directions that have been given me. Same directions that you have,

same relationship you can have.

And I remember I think I told you about Chuck when I asked how to pray, he said your every thoughts or prayer. Didn't I share that with you?

How's that going for you? You know, thinking your every thoughts of prayer, Would you be pleased you've got heard you hear every thought or would you not? And if you're not, don't feel guilty about it. Don't go in all that shame and all that crap that's useless to anybody except to stay more self obsessed for a while. Oh, I have shame. Well, shame on you. You know, just

it's like people saying I have issues, I have issues. Oh, do you have any Good Housekeeping? You know, I don't know,

but it's just all these keywords that makes me more self involved. So I can live anywhere but today,

anywhere but today. Doctor Bob's best talk, I think was his last talk and this is paraphrased, but it's pretty close. 1950 he stood up and he said let's not louse this thing up with Freudian complexities. Let's keep it simple. What may be in of interest to the scientific or medical mind is of little or no use to our actual a a work.

He was prophetic,

little or no use.

Let's not even bring Friday complexities into this deal.

Let's do this deal then if it don't work, go wherever you got to go, it says in the book. It encourages you. If you need outside help, go get it. They don't say make them your God. Make them your answer. Doesn't say that at all. They say God's your answer. God's supposed to be your answer,

but if you're not doing step 11 to improve your answer, you're without an answer. So you'll go anyplace

because there is a desperation among sober people who are full of fear and don't know how to handle that fear

and haven't applied these steps in an effectual manner or a committed manner.

You know, it says in the book law will go to any lengths to stay sober. Well, will you? Still,

that was them. What about now?

Will you change what you've ingrained in your mind for years? Even sober?

Will you still go to any length or are you going to keep saying the same old chapter?

Step 11 is a walk in the sun every single day.

I do my meditations in the morning and I love my meditations in the morning. I have a prayer room in my house, thank you God, where I go and I start every morning, 5:35 somewhere in there

and I just sit and read and I thank God for everything.

A big part of step 11 to me, I've shared this with a few people as I thank God for everything that's ever happened in my life. I thank God even for my father's murder.

Sounds odd, doesn't it?

For those of you at the service yesterday, I've read that place out of Philippians. It says rejoice and thank God for everything in your life. And when I first heard that by two or three different writers, I threw the book at the wall, said I'm not ever going to thank God for my dad's. That's just stupid. Whoever wrote this obviously didn't have anything happen like that. And one day I was driving down the road and I caught myself saying,

God, I want to thank you for my father's murder and all the hurt it caused me and my family

and all the sadness,

and it hasn't owned me since.

Here's what I figured out for me. God didn't 'cause it,

but once I thank God for it and put it in his domain, it's out of my domain.

I don't have to analyze it anymore. I don't have to worry about it anymore. And I thank God for everything that happens to me.

If somebody Rams the side of my car, I'm going to be saying thank you, God.

If my plane is delayed one more time like it is every week,

I'm going to say thank you. God,

one of the times my plane was delayed, I was leaving Washington, DC, and we stood on the runway for five hours, or excuse me, 3 1/2 hours. And then we got wheels up sign and we got taxiing off and the pilot came on saying, you know, we use too much gas. As we were sitting here, we got to go fill up.

OK, Should we go back and fill up? And this new flight attendant who obviously was new said, oh, if you want to get off and check your flights, go ahead. We'll wait for you.

3 1/2 hours later we took off.

I was sitting across from a guy and I I looked him and said are you OK? Said, you know,

it's been tough, he said. My best friend just committed suicide and going out to do his eulogy,

and I should really. And he should, yeah. And he said I just don't know how to do it.

Maybe I can help you.

He's a guy that does some wonderful things with youth on the privileged youth in Miami. Nice Jewish guy, wonderful guy,

and he emails me all the time. The eulogy went well, and strangers who've never heard my name said if you ever get in touch with that guy, telling thank you because he told him the story.

You see, when I thank God for what's ever happening, it keeps me open to the moment.

I'm not thinking what I'd be doing if I'm getting home. How I'm going to get home

doesn't matter. I'm going to be here either way. Might as well be present,

you know, might as well, if I want to be here, might as well be here. But I had to work at that. I had to discipline myself. And what we're talking about again, and I know they're distasteful words. At the end of 868788, if you read that, it says there's this wonderful line said we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined

and that really works well.

But I need to discipline myself to do that meditation. Reinhold Lieber, whom many attribute the serenity prayer to, meditated for an hour every morning, every morning, no less than an hour. He's going to Chicago and he's talking to his traveling secretary and he says, you know, tomorrow looks like a 2022 hour day maybe.

And his assistant said, yeah, He said, you know, I better meditate for two hours.

What would you and I have done?

See your meditation. And yet, what he does makes perfect sense. It's going to be more strenuous. So he's going to need more peace and more serenity.