Meditate

When not focusing on anything in particular, the mind skitters around mindlessly among whatever thoughts happen to present themselves.  To think is to direct the mind in a more or less systematic way along a specific sequence of thoughts toward a specific end. To meditate is to open the mind to a single thought until it fills the mind so completely that there is no room left for anything else.
(Frederick Buechner, Listening To Your Life, p. 295)
31 January 2014

Denial

Denial is a key survival skill that we learned early in childhood.
It stunted our emotional growth by keeping us in a make-believe world.
We often fantasized that our situation was better than it really was.
Denial protected us from our feelings and helped us repress the pain of ... [our childhood years.]
(The Twelve Steps For Christians, p. 61)
30 January 2014

Down The Road

Most people would be further down the road of growth if they had done one of the following key things.

• Avoided toxic people altogether
• Taken a strong stand against the hurtful things in a toxic relationship, and meant it
• Separated themselves from people who had destructive patterns and yet were unwilling to change despite many loving efforts
• Sought out people who could give them good things and the strength to do the three things above.

(Cloud and Townsend, God Will Make A Way, p. 155)
29 January 2014

Vision Of Hope

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and
every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore to this day.
(Sanskrit Proverb in The Color Of Light by Perry Tilleraas, 13 November)
28 January 2014

Take My Advice

One source of frustration we seldom recognize is in expecting too much of others, or expecting too specifically what we feel they ought to be, say, give or do.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 4 August)
27 January 2014

Ordinary People

Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people.

(The One Year Book Of Bible Readings, 30 June)

26 January 2014

Learning To Live

When my thoughts are centered on learning to live, I will be less tempted to involve my mind with thoughts of how others live. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 2 August)
25 January 2014

The Best Portion

The best portion of a good man's life is his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.
(William Wordsworth in Journey by David Jeremiah, 22 October)
24 January 2014

Walking Consistently

Walking consistently does not mean walking perfectly. It means we may stumble, but we will not fail.
(Beth Moore, Praying God's Word Day By Day, 27 June)
23 January 2014

Everything

You cannot be anything if you want to be everything.

(Solomon Schecter in Night Light by Amy E. Dean, 11 December)

22 January 2014

Rule Of Law

We will survive as a human community only if we can see the needs of others, and only if we keep power -- including our own powerful desires -- under some restraint and under some rule of law: the law of conscience and the law of community.

(British Economist, Barbara Ward in Three Minutes A Day, Volume 41, by The Christophers, 31 December)
21 January 2014

Enjoy The Show

The truth is we can't control other people and we can't control all the events in our lives. Sooner or later, the realization dawns on us -- we are not in charge. So we might as well relax and start enjoying the show.
(Perry Tilleraas, The Color Of Light, 29 December)
20 December 2014

Get On The Right Track

Hoping we are on the right track could result in being run over by a fast moving on-coming train.
(Mr. Dickie after Praying God's Word Day By Day by Beth Moore, 30 December 2013)
19 January 2014

Blind Chance

Which of us can look back at our own lives without seeing in them the role of blind chance or dumb luck.
(Frederick Buechner, Listening To Your Life, 30 July)
18 January 2014

Modes of Thought

No great improvements are possible in the lot of mankind until a change takes place in their modes of thought. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 6 July)
17 January 2014

Money

Money is neutral. Whether it becomes a blessing or curse is a function of how it is used.
(Journey, David Jeremiah, 4 September)
16 January 2014

Fool Me Once

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do.
(Benjamin Franklin in Journey by David Jeremiah, 1 September)
15 January 2014

My Favorite Things

Materialism is turning things into a god, thereby raising anything less than God to the level of God himself.
(Harry & Emily Griffith, This Love We Share, 13 August)
14 January 2014

Once Upon A Time

When we sit still and listen to other people talk about their lives, we begin to have feelings about our own story. We look around and begin to realize that we are not alone ...
(Perry Tilleraas, The Color Of Light, 10 November)
13 January 2014

Matter Of Attitude

Photo: Mr. Dickie

As religious writer Charles Swindoll said, "We have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. Life is 10 per cent what happens to me and 90 per cent how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes."

You can't change everything, but you can always change something for the better including your way of looking at life.
(The Christophers, Three Minutes A Day, Volume 44, 9 January)
12 January 2014

Background & Personality

Photo: Mr. Dickie

Our Higher Power has given each of us a diverse background and personality.

• Some of us have known incredible hardship or handicap.
• Some of us have limited education.
• Some of us live in crowded spaces.
• But some of us have had opportunities.
• Some of us have an educational degree.
• Some of us live in large homes.

Yet is there any one of us who is better than another?
(Amy E. Dean, Night Light, 10 January)

LibraryThing

I added sidebar links to my profile and to my catalog on my LibraryThing account. I use LibraryThing to record the books I've read. There's a switch on each record that allow me to feed the post to my Facebook timeline.  My account currently lists fifty-five books.
11 January 2014

I Don't Believe It

One does not have to believe everything one hears.

(Cicero in Night Light by Amy E. Dean, 28 December)

10 January 2014

An Axe To Grind

... any time a person has an axe to grind, the words of others are drowned out by the sound of the grindstone.
(John C. Maxwell, Leadership, 13 December)
9 January 2014

Detachment

• Let me not take to myself, and suffer over, the actions and reactions of other people.
• Other adult human beings are not my responsibility, no matter how closely their lives may be intertwined with mine.
• I will not allow myself to be troubled by anyone else; my one problem is to improve my own way of living and looking at life.

God teach me to detach my mind from what others say and do, except to draw helpful lessons and guidance from them.

(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 7 January)
8 January 2014

Knowledge

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Proverbs 1:7 in Leadership by John C. Maxwell, 14 November)
7 January 2014

Trouble Ahead

Don't worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will bring its own worries.

Today's trouble is enough for today.

(One Year Book Of Bible Readings, 17 June)

6 January 2014

I Can Fix That

If you cannot make yourself what you would like to be, 

how can you expect to have another person exactly to your wishes? 

We want to see others perfect, 

yet our own faults go unattended.

(Thomas 'a Kempis, paraphrased, found in One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 3 September)
5 January 2014

Making Room

If we try to add in something new while still holding on to our old prejudices, attitudes, and illusions, there just isn't room for the new without affecting the old. Something has to give. The new idea, must be accepted in its entirety, not just tacked or sewn onto the old point of view.
(Harry & Emily Griffith, This Love We Share, 13 September)


Mr. Dickie's Flickr Slideshow
Created with flickr slideshow. 4 January 2014

Bible

It is hard not to connect America's declining moral state with the removal of the Bible from its original central place in our nation's government and schools. The Bible is alive and powerful; remove it, and its life-changing power is negated.
(Hebrews 4:12) in Journey by David Jeremiah, 5 November)
3 January 2014

Reading Is Fundamental

... the possibility of making damned fools of ourselves would appear to be limitless.
(Frederick Buechner, Listening To Your Life, 15 September)

Every one of us has the responsibility to help those in need, no matter our age or the circumstances of our lives. People are counting on us. Let's do the best we can as often as we can. (The Christophers, Three Minutes A Day, Vol. 41, 26 December)

Yesterday I was able to start my 2014 reading in all of the books I selected to read each day.  Now I must resolve to set aside enough time each day to follow my plan to read the entire stack of books during the year. Do you have a plan to turn off the television for a while each day in order to find time for reading some books on your reading list?

Mr. Dickie
2 January 2014

Welcoming The New Year

This year is a book of clean blank pages on which I will write a record of my experiences and my growth through the daily following of my program. ...

I can live my life only one day at a time.

Perhaps my confusion and despair are so great that I will have to take it one hour at a time, or one minute at a time, reminding myself constantly that I have authority over no life but my own.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 1 January)

I know that constant dwelling on my troubles lessens my ability to see them clearly and make wise decisions. I will not complicate the present by reviewing the past; nor will I dread what may happen tomorrow. One way to make detachment easier is to eliminate the past and future from my thoughts.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 16 November)

******

2013 Reading Program

On December 31st, 2013 I completed my 2013 daily reading program when I finished 7 books.  I finished reading only fifteen of the books I selected to read this year.  I used the CSVed program to record and track my reading program. At some point during the year I stopped reading for a while. I don't remember why that happened.  Later, I resumed reading on a daily basis and attempted to catch up.  At the end of the year I was still reading several books. I'll continue to read those books in 2014 until I finish (noted with an asterisk *).

Anonymous - One Day At A Time In Al-Anon *

Buechner, Frederick - Listening To Your Life *

Carrington, Rebecca - Promises of Joy

Casey, Karen - Keepers of the Wisdom

Cloud, Dr. Henry & Dr. John Townsend - Boundaries Face To Face

Dyer, Dr. Wayne W. - The Sky's The Limit *

Dyer, Dr. Wayne W. - The Power Of Intention

Feiler, Bruce - Learning To Bow

Griffith, Harry & Emily - This Love We Share *

Jeremiah, David - Journey - Your Daily Adventure With God *

Jones, Laurie Beth - The Path

Maxwell, John C. - Leadership - Promises For Every Day

Moore, Beth - Praying God's Word Day By Day *

Moore, Thomas - Dark Nights Of The Soul

Pinkney, Maggie (Compiler) - Pocket Positives For Our Times

Sawyer, John F.A. - Isaiah Volume 2

Sheey, Gail - Understanding Men's Passages

Shield, Benjamin and Richard Carlson - For The Love Of God

Smedes, Lewis B. - A Pretty Good Person

Various Authors - The One Year Book Of Bible Readings *

Various Authors - Daily Guideposts - 2012

Virtue, Doreen - I'd Change My Life If I Had Time

2014 Reading Program

I selected thirty books for my 2014 daily reading program.  I've read several of them before.  I'm aware that this is an ambitious goal.  I'm hopeful that my interest will be equal to the task.  New glasses, purchased in 2013, have made it possible to read without so much eye strain.  I still use a magnifying glass when the font is tiny.

Keep a journal of your reading. List the books you read and jot down notes about them -- the characters you found interesting, the images that lingered on in your mind. Copy out your favorite passages and quotations. At a later date you can use your journal to revisit favorite passages or find a passage suited to your particular mood. (1,001 Ways To Relax, Mike George, #848)

For many years I've read from one or more copies of Daily Guideposts.  I never buy a new copy. Last year I bought a large print copy of the 2012 edition.  I don't own a copy of the 2013 edition yet. Rather than order a used copy I plan to find a used copy to purchase locally to avoid paying postage.  I've read all editions of these books through 2012.

On September 1st, 2013 I purchased Volumes 41 & 44 of Three Minutes A Day by The Christophers and Night Light by Amy E. Dean and The Color of Light by Perry Tilleraas. Starting on that day I read a page each day from these books until the end of the year. I plan to continue reading these books starting on the January 1st page today. (Books carried over are marked with an asterisk *)

Al-Anon - Hope For Today
Alcoholics Anonymous - Daily Reflections
Anonymous - One Day At A Time In Al-Anon
Aurelius, Marcus - Meditations
Buechner, Frederick - Listening To Your Life *
Cloud, Henry - The Secret Things Of God
Cloud, Henry & John Townsend, God Will Make A Way
Crowe, Sandra A. - Since Strangling Isn't An Option
Dargatz, Jan - 52 Simple Ways To Give Your Spiritual Life A Lift
Dean, Amy E. - Night Light *
Dyer, Dr. Wayne W. - The Sky's The Limit *
Edwards, Jonathan - Basic Writings
Friends In Recovery - The Twelve Steps For Christians
Glovinsky, Cindy - Making Peace With The Things In Your Life
Griffith, Harry & Emily - This Love We Share *
Hay, Louise L. - Meditations To Heal Your Life
Jeremiah, David - Journey - Your Daily Adventure With God *
Kempis, Thomas 'A - The Imitation Of Christ
Lucado, Max - Grace For The Moment - Volume II
McConville, J.G. - I & II Chronicles
Moore, Beth - Praying God's Word Day By Day *
Moore, Thomas - Care Of The Soul
Osteen, Joel - Become A Better You
Ridenour, Fritz - So What's The Difference?
The Christophers - Three Minutes A Day - Volume 41 *
The Christophers - Three Minutes A Day - Volume 44 *
Tilleraas, Perry - The Color Of Light *
Various Authors - 100 Days Of Prayer For Women
Various Authors - The One Year Book Of Bible Readings *
Various Authors - Whispers Of Blessing 20130131 

Blogging Recap

During 2013 I continued my interest in blogging.  I posted to Mr. Dickie's Blog and Arrow Prayers on 286 of the 365 days in the year.  Here's a recap for each of the four blogs, listing in order: 

• Blog name
• Current Number of Blog Views
• Number of Blog Posts

Mr. Dickie's Blog - 55794 - 1897

Arrow Prayers - 34488 - 2721

Henthorn Genealogy News - 79202 - 848

Henthorn Genealogy Obits - 29931 - 302

HenthornFamily Wiki

During the year, from time to time, I continued to post genealogy information to the HenthornFamily Wiki. Anyone interested in the genealogy of the Henthorn and collateral families is invited to view and contribute to the growth of the Wiki.

Best Wishes for the New Year

Mr. Dickie

1 Jan 2014