My Camino August 2021
Finding My Way (Camino)
The Inspiration and Calling to Walk El Camino de Santiago de Frances
It wasn’t until this year that the urge to do the El Camino de Santiago started to get stronger. I am realizing, that there are times in my life when something starts to call my name.
I first heard about the Camino, several years ago, when two of my close friends, Eileen and Carl, decided to go to Spain and walk on the “El Camino de Santiago. I followed their blog and admired their courage and strength to do that. At that time, I did not foresee myself walking over 500 miles. I have learned to never say never to doing something.
I am learning to pay attention when something or thought or dream or adventure starts to call my name.
Over 10 years ago, after surviving breast cancer and chemo, I got the urge to start over and move over to the island of Kauai, HI to heal and recover. I followed through and I lived over there for over 5 years.
Then I got another Calling:
Then one day, I got the strong sense that I was to move back. I did not know why, I just knew that it was time to move back to the mainland. I am so glad that I did.
I am learning to be sensitive and pay attention, even though I do not totally understand why I am to change direction in my life or pursue a new adventure. I am not only learning to pay attention, but I am learning to trust the life process and follow through, even though, I do not know why?
Many times the reason for the move does not show up until later:
In hindsight, I now know why I was given insights to move back home.
First Reason: The most important reason was to be available for my son as he moved and relocated back to America after living many years abroad. Thank you Joe, for being my son and surviving the good times and the trying times with me. You brought love, meaning and purpose into my life.
Second Reason: to be present for the last few years of life with Sylvia, my AA sponsor for over 30 years.
People who showed up to give my life meaning and purpose
These two individuals: my son and my AA sponsor, are the most important people that showed up in my life. They were consistent in their love and respect. They both were consistent in helping me grow and mature and learn the spiritual life lessons which I believe we are put on this earth to learn. We all need people like that who believe in us and help us grow.
Earth and Spiritual Angels that hear the call and show up in our lives
In my past, others have felt that calling to do something and showed up at the correct timing in my life.
1. Eileen, showed up to be a friend and take me to my first Alonan meeting, which eventually led me
to my first AA meeting. She was a very special person, who I categorize as one of my “earth
angels” who got that strong sense to do something to help another person, me, and she followed
through on it. This started my Spiritual Journey of Healing in Recovery, which totally changed the
direction in my life. We walked side by side spiritually for many years. Thank you Eileen.
2. Sylvia, decided to take on the challenge of being my AA Sponsor. I was angry, rebellious, stubborn
and very unkind and believed to my core that life had been totally unfair to me. I wore being a
victim as a badge of courage and despair.
Thank you Sylvia, who is now one of my heavenly angels,
for not giving up on me, even when there were times when she had to pull away briefly to get
herself back in balance. She became my spiritual mom and mentor. Day by day, brick by brick, that
wall of rebellion and victimhood was taken down and removed.
Many times we need people to role-models behaviors for us. I have come to believe that what
she role-modeled for me, was grace (unmerited favor), love (unconditional) which I never
experienced before and deeply believe that I did not deserve it. I was so emotionally and
spiritually out of balance. She spoke hope, acceptance & love into my life.
I still feel her love and spiritual presence.
3. Barbara, heard that call, and showed up to walk side by side with me, as a friend, spiritual mentor,
and confidant. She feed me, encouraged me and emotionally supported me for many trying years.
She started out as one of my earthly angels and now is one of my spiritual angels. I still feel her
love and presence. Thank you Barb.
4. Connie, heard that call and showed up to walk side by side with me, as a friend, spiritual mentor
and confidant. She also started out as an earthly angel and is now one of my spiritual angels. I
still feel her love and presence. Thank you Connie.
5. Many others: spiritual guides, healers, ministers, counselors, friends, co-workers, members of AA,
Alanon, have showed up for me, to encourage and guide me, sometimes for a short time and
sometimes for a longer time.
6. I believe because others showed up for me, I want to be constantly vigilance and ready to answer
the call to help and encourage those that are divinely put in our path.
My personal thoughts on grace (love and accepted that I had not earned yet):
1. Somehow I got lost in life. I am grateful some people heard the call, followed through, prayed for
me and loved me until I could love myself.
My recovery started when someone, Eileen, heard the call and took action. I started to see and witness the blinding light of God’s Grace, Love and Hope in the eyes of my earth angels and other recovering alcoholics. They worked through the darkness to get to the light. I thank God they stayed in the rooms to shine that light in my direction. I am in tears of gratitude right now as I am writing this. Most of those souls that shined the light of hope to me are now in heaven with our creator in the eternal light of love and happiness.
Words are not sufficient to say thank you to those who prayed for me and loved me and carried me until I could crawl and then walk in the light of love, grace and forgiveness.
I now know that God loved us all so much that (I will address my prodigal daughter return to God later)
· He gave us grace and forgiveness so we could see the light and
· courage to walk towards the light and
· grace (undeserved favor) to heal from the light
· Our rewards from the light are love and forgiveness.
· The miracle today is that I can now accept this grace, love and forgiveness that was available
throughout my life, in the past, I just did not feel worthy
· I have been transformed by the light into a woman of grace, love and acceptance
· My purpose is to pass it forward and
· Shine the light to others, to my family, loved ones, to strangers, to people in AA
· I Allowed the light to heal me and in turn, it will call others to seek the light
· We are all worth it
· We need to practice doing the next right thing
· We need to practice Reaching out
· If you are courageous, connect your love with divine love which is powerful
Love you all, Esther
Having made a decision to Walk El Camino de Santiago this year 2021, I then found out that this is a Holy Year.
Holy Year 2021- What does this mean and how will this impact my spiritual journey
1. Holy Door of Mercy was opened up at Santiago Cathedral, December 2020. Because of
Covid, the Pope decreed that it will stay open another year until 2022, and then close again until
the next holy years which could be another 10 years.
Holy Doors are decorated with symbols of God’s invitation of love to all people, whether they
deserve it or not. Churches are meant to be homes where children of God, which we all are, can
return to, be welcomed, loved, accepted and find the loving embrace of God.
God’s Mercy invites all of us, who have been away, physically and spiritually, from God’s love and
embrace, to come home again and experience the forgiveness, reconciliation and love of Christ,
the way God provided for us to be cleansed of our mistakes and sins.
2. Pilgrims may receive a full plenary indulgence (absolute remission of sin)
a)sacrament of reconciliation
b)attending a mass in Cathedral during this Holy Year
I need to be vigilant and aware of the blockages that can sneak up and separate me from the love of God, such as sin, unworthiness, hurts, wounds and rejection from others.
Plenary Indulgence through sacrament of Reconciliation is theme for Holy Year
Indulgence is a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins
So what is grace and Mercy? Purpose of Mercy Door Symbolism?
Mercy is kindness that isn’t deserved. Mercy is forgiveness unearned
That’s what God’s love is all about. God outlined a plan to receive forgiveness of sins. To clear away the wreckage of your past which is blocking the love God wants us to receive.
Plenary Indulgence or complete forgiveness.
This has been granted to pilgrims going to Santiago on Holy Years since 1211, when Pope Calixtus II gave this privilege to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
Pilgrims enter through Holy Door, attend mass, say prayers for self and others, take Holy Communion. Divine Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness for sins, thus clearing the spiritual path to connect more intimately to God’s Love.
Sacrament is a Christian rite, symbol of the reality of God, as well as a channel of God’s Grace
Outward sign of inward grace…We receive grace from God and Jesus and our goal is to practice grace to others. We receive forgiveness from God and our goal is to forgive others.
Quotes on Grace
Grace
Quote: “If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his/her company.”― Charles H. Spurgeon
Quote:
“Gifts of grace come to all of us.
· But we must be ready to see and
· willing to receive these gifts.
· It will require a kind of sacrifice, the sacrifice of believing that, however painful our losses,
life can still be good —
· good in a different way then before, but nevertheless good.
· I will never recover from my loss and
· I will never got over missing the ones I lost.
· But I still cherish life. . . .
· I will always want the ones I lost back again.
· I long for them with all my soul.
· But I still celebrate the life I have found because they are gone.
· I have lost, but I have also gained.
· I lost the world I loved, but I gained a deeper awareness of grace.
Quote: “That grace has enabled me to clarify my purpose in life and rediscover the wonder of the present moment.”― Jerry Sittser, A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss
Quotes:
1. “there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this [hospital]
corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find
Him… there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have
neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to
turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His
book says He is.”― Khaled Hosseini
2. “By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as
entitled to as we are.”― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
3. “The reality of loving God is loving him like he’s a Superhero who actually saved you from stuff
rather than a Santa Claus who merely gave you some stuff.”― Criss Jami, Killosophy
4. “You must pay for everything in this world one way and another. There is nothing free except
the Grace of God. You cannot earn that or deserve it.”― Charles Portis, True Grit
5. “Legalism says God will love us if we change. The gospel says God will change us because He
loves us.”― Tullian Tchividjian
6. “God’s grace is not defined as God being forgiving to us even though we sin. Grace is when God
is a source of wholeness, which makes up for my failings. My failings hurt me and others and
even the planet, and God’s grace to me is that my brokenness is not the final word … it’s that
God makes beautiful things out of even my own shit. Grace isn’t about God creating humans and
flawed beings and then acting all hurt when we inevitably fail and then stepping in like the
hero to grant us grace – like saying, “Oh, it’s OK, I’ll be the good guy and forgive you.” It’s God
saying, “I love the world too much to let your sin define you and be the final word. I am a God
who makes all things new.” -Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner &
Saint
7. “When grace moves in… guilt moves out”― Max Lucado, Max on Life: Answers and Insights to
Your Most
8. “Women need to remember that if nature has made them plain, grace can make them beautiful,
and if nature has made them beautiful, good deeds can add to their beauty. Grace will make
you beautiful and will attract truly godly men to you. Make godliness and inward beauty your
priority.”― Joshua Harris, Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship
9. “The greatness of the man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”― William Booth
Definition of Grace
1. Set apart
2. Approval and unearned favor from God
3. Mercy -compassion that forbears punishment even though justice demands it
4. Charity – understanding and tolerance of others
5. Grace implies a nonjudgmental attitude
6. Grace implies a willingness to grant favors or make concessions
7. Grace implies lack of severity in punishment
8. State of Grace – asking God for forgiveness
9. Receiving a Pardon from God
10. State of being considerate or thoughtful
11. Unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration of sanctification
a. set apart” for God’s use (God’s Transformation of a believer’s whole being, that is his/her
mind, behaviors and affections through the work of his Holy Spirit
i. To make holy
ii. Set apart as sacred
iii. Consecrate
iv. To purify or free from sin
v. Sanctify our hearts
vi. To entitle reverence or respect
vii. To make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing
b. To Consecrate yourself
i. Is to answer God’s call to the spiritual
ii. Making a decision (Turning your will over to God)
1. Dedicate your heart to God
a. Made a conscious, willing decision to turn your will over to the care of God, as you
understand Him
b. No human power could have relieved my alcoholism, but God could and would if He were
sought.
c. Began to feel gratitude and love in your heart for a God who rescued you from the grips of
the disease of alcoholism
Actions to take to receive and keep it
Ask for Help, God help me
Do the next right thing
· Be Open to hear
Be Willing to Act or change
Interceding for others
· pray for others
walk with those people God puts in your path
My personal thoughts on grace:
1. Somehow I got lost in life. I am grateful some people prayed for me
First of all, in order to receive grace, I needed to surrender my will to God and ask for help
2. Grace is God accepting and loving me (just as I am) in spite of my shortcomings and character flaws
3. I do not need to be perfect to ask God for help
My recovery started when I saw and witnessed the blinding light of God’s Grace, Love and Hope in the eyes of other recovering alcoholics. They worked through the darkness to get to the light. I thank God they stayed in the rooms to shine that light in my direction. I am in tears of gratitude right now as I am writing this. Most of those souls that shined the light of hope to me are now in heaven with our creator in the eternal light of love and happiness.
Words are not sufficient to say thank you to those who prayed for me and loved me and carried me until I could crawl and then walk in the light of love, grace and forgiveness.
I now know that God loved us all so much that
· He gave us grace and forgiveness so we could see the light and
· courage to walk towards the light and
· grace (undeserved favor) to heal from the light
· Our rewards from the light are love and forgiveness.
· The miracle today is that I can now accept this grace, love and forgiveness that was available
throughout my life, in the past, I just did not feel worthy
· I have been transformed by the light into a woman of grace, love and acceptance
· My purpose is to pass it forward and Shine the light to others, to my family, loved ones, to strangers,
to people in AA
· Allow the light to heal you and it turn, it will heal others by your presence and deeds
· You are worth it
· Keep doing the next right thing
· Reach out with your love
· If you are courageous, connect your love with divine love and then love self and others
When you hear that calling, remember to take action
Love you all, Esther
The Inspiration and Calling to Walk El Camino de Santiago de Frances
It wasn’t until this year that the urge to do the El Camino de Santiago started to get stronger. I am realizing, that there are times in my life when something starts to call my name.
I first heard about the Camino, several years ago, when two of my close friends, Eileen and Carl, decided to go to Spain and walk on the “El Camino de Santiago. I followed their blog and admired their courage and strength to do that. At that time, I did not foresee myself walking over 500 miles. I have learned to never say never to doing something.
I am learning to pay attention when something or thought or dream or adventure starts to call my name.
Over 10 years ago, after surviving breast cancer and chemo, I got the urge to start over and move over to the island of Kauai, HI to heal and recover. I followed through and I lived over there for over 5 years.
Then I got another Calling:
Then one day, I got the strong sense that I was to move back. I did not know why, I just knew that it was time to move back to the mainland. I am so glad that I did.
I am learning to be sensitive and pay attention, even though I do not totally understand why I am to change direction in my life or pursue a new adventure. I am not only learning to pay attention, but I am learning to trust the life process and follow through, even though, I do not know why?
Many times the reason for the move does not show up until later:
In hindsight, I now know why I was given insights to move back home.
First Reason: The most important reason was to be available for my son as he moved and relocated back to America after living many years abroad. Thank you Joe, for being my son and surviving the good times and the trying times with me. You brought love, meaning and purpose into my life.
Second Reason: to be present for the last few years of life with Sylvia, my AA sponsor for over 30 years.
People who showed up to give my life meaning and purpose
These two individuals: my son and my AA sponsor, are the most important people that showed up in my life. They were consistent in their love and respect. They both were consistent in helping me grow and mature and learn the spiritual life lessons which I believe we are put on this earth to learn. We all need people like that who believe in us and help us grow.
Earth and Spiritual Angels that hear the call and show up in our lives
In my past, others have felt that calling to do something and showed up at the correct timing in my life.
1. Eileen, showed up to be a friend and take me to my first Alonan meeting, which eventually led me
to my first AA meeting. She was a very special person, who I categorize as one of my “earth
angels” who got that strong sense to do something to help another person, me, and she followed
through on it. This started my Spiritual Journey of Healing in Recovery, which totally changed the
direction in my life. We walked side by side spiritually for many years. Thank you Eileen.
2. Sylvia, decided to take on the challenge of being my AA Sponsor. I was angry, rebellious, stubborn
and very unkind and believed to my core that life had been totally unfair to me. I wore being a
victim as a badge of courage and despair.
Thank you Sylvia, who is now one of my heavenly angels,
for not giving up on me, even when there were times when she had to pull away briefly to get
herself back in balance. She became my spiritual mom and mentor. Day by day, brick by brick, that
wall of rebellion and victimhood was taken down and removed.
Many times we need people to role-models behaviors for us. I have come to believe that what
she role-modeled for me, was grace (unmerited favor), love (unconditional) which I never
experienced before and deeply believe that I did not deserve it. I was so emotionally and
spiritually out of balance. She spoke hope, acceptance & love into my life.
I still feel her love and spiritual presence.
3. Barbara, heard that call, and showed up to walk side by side with me, as a friend, spiritual mentor,
and confidant. She feed me, encouraged me and emotionally supported me for many trying years.
She started out as one of my earthly angels and now is one of my spiritual angels. I still feel her
love and presence. Thank you Barb.
4. Connie, heard that call and showed up to walk side by side with me, as a friend, spiritual mentor
and confidant. She also started out as an earthly angel and is now one of my spiritual angels. I
still feel her love and presence. Thank you Connie.
5. Many others: spiritual guides, healers, ministers, counselors, friends, co-workers, members of AA,
Alanon, have showed up for me, to encourage and guide me, sometimes for a short time and
sometimes for a longer time.
6. I believe because others showed up for me, I want to be constantly vigilance and ready to answer
the call to help and encourage those that are divinely put in our path.
My personal thoughts on grace (love and accepted that I had not earned yet):
1. Somehow I got lost in life. I am grateful some people heard the call, followed through, prayed for
me and loved me until I could love myself.
My recovery started when someone, Eileen, heard the call and took action. I started to see and witness the blinding light of God’s Grace, Love and Hope in the eyes of my earth angels and other recovering alcoholics. They worked through the darkness to get to the light. I thank God they stayed in the rooms to shine that light in my direction. I am in tears of gratitude right now as I am writing this. Most of those souls that shined the light of hope to me are now in heaven with our creator in the eternal light of love and happiness.
Words are not sufficient to say thank you to those who prayed for me and loved me and carried me until I could crawl and then walk in the light of love, grace and forgiveness.
I now know that God loved us all so much that (I will address my prodigal daughter return to God later)
· He gave us grace and forgiveness so we could see the light and
· courage to walk towards the light and
· grace (undeserved favor) to heal from the light
· Our rewards from the light are love and forgiveness.
· The miracle today is that I can now accept this grace, love and forgiveness that was available
throughout my life, in the past, I just did not feel worthy
· I have been transformed by the light into a woman of grace, love and acceptance
· My purpose is to pass it forward and
· Shine the light to others, to my family, loved ones, to strangers, to people in AA
· I Allowed the light to heal me and in turn, it will call others to seek the light
· We are all worth it
· We need to practice doing the next right thing
· We need to practice Reaching out
· If you are courageous, connect your love with divine love which is powerful
Love you all, Esther
Having made a decision to Walk El Camino de Santiago this year 2021, I then found out that this is a Holy Year.
Holy Year 2021- What does this mean and how will this impact my spiritual journey
1. Holy Door of Mercy was opened up at Santiago Cathedral, December 2020. Because of
Covid, the Pope decreed that it will stay open another year until 2022, and then close again until
the next holy years which could be another 10 years.
Holy Doors are decorated with symbols of God’s invitation of love to all people, whether they
deserve it or not. Churches are meant to be homes where children of God, which we all are, can
return to, be welcomed, loved, accepted and find the loving embrace of God.
God’s Mercy invites all of us, who have been away, physically and spiritually, from God’s love and
embrace, to come home again and experience the forgiveness, reconciliation and love of Christ,
the way God provided for us to be cleansed of our mistakes and sins.
2. Pilgrims may receive a full plenary indulgence (absolute remission of sin)
a)sacrament of reconciliation
b)attending a mass in Cathedral during this Holy Year
I need to be vigilant and aware of the blockages that can sneak up and separate me from the love of God, such as sin, unworthiness, hurts, wounds and rejection from others.
Plenary Indulgence through sacrament of Reconciliation is theme for Holy Year
Indulgence is a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins
So what is grace and Mercy? Purpose of Mercy Door Symbolism?
Mercy is kindness that isn’t deserved. Mercy is forgiveness unearned
That’s what God’s love is all about. God outlined a plan to receive forgiveness of sins. To clear away the wreckage of your past which is blocking the love God wants us to receive.
Plenary Indulgence or complete forgiveness.
This has been granted to pilgrims going to Santiago on Holy Years since 1211, when Pope Calixtus II gave this privilege to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
Pilgrims enter through Holy Door, attend mass, say prayers for self and others, take Holy Communion. Divine Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness for sins, thus clearing the spiritual path to connect more intimately to God’s Love.
Sacrament is a Christian rite, symbol of the reality of God, as well as a channel of God’s Grace
Outward sign of inward grace…We receive grace from God and Jesus and our goal is to practice grace to others. We receive forgiveness from God and our goal is to forgive others.
Quotes on Grace
Grace
Quote: “If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his/her company.”― Charles H. Spurgeon
Quote:
“Gifts of grace come to all of us.
· But we must be ready to see and
· willing to receive these gifts.
· It will require a kind of sacrifice, the sacrifice of believing that, however painful our losses,
life can still be good —
· good in a different way then before, but nevertheless good.
· I will never recover from my loss and
· I will never got over missing the ones I lost.
· But I still cherish life. . . .
· I will always want the ones I lost back again.
· I long for them with all my soul.
· But I still celebrate the life I have found because they are gone.
· I have lost, but I have also gained.
· I lost the world I loved, but I gained a deeper awareness of grace.
Quote: “That grace has enabled me to clarify my purpose in life and rediscover the wonder of the present moment.”― Jerry Sittser, A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss
Quotes:
1. “there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this [hospital]
corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find
Him… there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have
neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to
turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His
book says He is.”― Khaled Hosseini
2. “By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as
entitled to as we are.”― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
3. “The reality of loving God is loving him like he’s a Superhero who actually saved you from stuff
rather than a Santa Claus who merely gave you some stuff.”― Criss Jami, Killosophy
4. “You must pay for everything in this world one way and another. There is nothing free except
the Grace of God. You cannot earn that or deserve it.”― Charles Portis, True Grit
5. “Legalism says God will love us if we change. The gospel says God will change us because He
loves us.”― Tullian Tchividjian
6. “God’s grace is not defined as God being forgiving to us even though we sin. Grace is when God
is a source of wholeness, which makes up for my failings. My failings hurt me and others and
even the planet, and God’s grace to me is that my brokenness is not the final word … it’s that
God makes beautiful things out of even my own shit. Grace isn’t about God creating humans and
flawed beings and then acting all hurt when we inevitably fail and then stepping in like the
hero to grant us grace – like saying, “Oh, it’s OK, I’ll be the good guy and forgive you.” It’s God
saying, “I love the world too much to let your sin define you and be the final word. I am a God
who makes all things new.” -Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner &
Saint
7. “When grace moves in… guilt moves out”― Max Lucado, Max on Life: Answers and Insights to
Your Most
8. “Women need to remember that if nature has made them plain, grace can make them beautiful,
and if nature has made them beautiful, good deeds can add to their beauty. Grace will make
you beautiful and will attract truly godly men to you. Make godliness and inward beauty your
priority.”― Joshua Harris, Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship
9. “The greatness of the man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”― William Booth
Definition of Grace
1. Set apart
2. Approval and unearned favor from God
3. Mercy -compassion that forbears punishment even though justice demands it
4. Charity – understanding and tolerance of others
5. Grace implies a nonjudgmental attitude
6. Grace implies a willingness to grant favors or make concessions
7. Grace implies lack of severity in punishment
8. State of Grace – asking God for forgiveness
9. Receiving a Pardon from God
10. State of being considerate or thoughtful
11. Unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration of sanctification
a. set apart” for God’s use (God’s Transformation of a believer’s whole being, that is his/her
mind, behaviors and affections through the work of his Holy Spirit
i. To make holy
ii. Set apart as sacred
iii. Consecrate
iv. To purify or free from sin
v. Sanctify our hearts
vi. To entitle reverence or respect
vii. To make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing
b. To Consecrate yourself
i. Is to answer God’s call to the spiritual
ii. Making a decision (Turning your will over to God)
1. Dedicate your heart to God
a. Made a conscious, willing decision to turn your will over to the care of God, as you
understand Him
b. No human power could have relieved my alcoholism, but God could and would if He were
sought.
c. Began to feel gratitude and love in your heart for a God who rescued you from the grips of
the disease of alcoholism
Actions to take to receive and keep it
Ask for Help, God help me
Do the next right thing
· Be Open to hear
Be Willing to Act or change
Interceding for others
· pray for others
walk with those people God puts in your path
My personal thoughts on grace:
1. Somehow I got lost in life. I am grateful some people prayed for me
First of all, in order to receive grace, I needed to surrender my will to God and ask for help
2. Grace is God accepting and loving me (just as I am) in spite of my shortcomings and character flaws
3. I do not need to be perfect to ask God for help
My recovery started when I saw and witnessed the blinding light of God’s Grace, Love and Hope in the eyes of other recovering alcoholics. They worked through the darkness to get to the light. I thank God they stayed in the rooms to shine that light in my direction. I am in tears of gratitude right now as I am writing this. Most of those souls that shined the light of hope to me are now in heaven with our creator in the eternal light of love and happiness.
Words are not sufficient to say thank you to those who prayed for me and loved me and carried me until I could crawl and then walk in the light of love, grace and forgiveness.
I now know that God loved us all so much that
· He gave us grace and forgiveness so we could see the light and
· courage to walk towards the light and
· grace (undeserved favor) to heal from the light
· Our rewards from the light are love and forgiveness.
· The miracle today is that I can now accept this grace, love and forgiveness that was available
throughout my life, in the past, I just did not feel worthy
· I have been transformed by the light into a woman of grace, love and acceptance
· My purpose is to pass it forward and Shine the light to others, to my family, loved ones, to strangers,
to people in AA
· Allow the light to heal you and it turn, it will heal others by your presence and deeds
· You are worth it
· Keep doing the next right thing
· Reach out with your love
· If you are courageous, connect your love with divine love and then love self and others
When you hear that calling, remember to take action
Love you all, Esther
12 Steps Recovery spiritual principles 
I am feeling so much strength in the walk you, Esther ,will take. Your accomplishments to find yourself and the great people who took you through your steps to do so give me chills. Your story is a sign that we all have questions and directions that are answered and full of love and happiness best doing so with true friends. I wish you the very best in all your endeavors. I’m ecstatic you feel you are worth the best.. you are. Happy trails
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May your light shine upon others
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Can you access the blog
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