Decay

Detroit, MI Church

Let us always remember that any society of men and women that cannot freely correct its own faults must surely fall into decay if not into collapse. Such is the universal penalty for the failure to go on growing. ... [Just as each individual] must continue to take his moral inventory and act upon it, so must our whole Society if we are to survive and if we are to serve usefully and well.
(As Bill Sees It, p. 65)
9 February 2016

Defects

Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say, "If it weren't for him (or her), how happy I'd be.
(As Bill Sees It, p. 44)
29 January 2016

Inventory

Photo by National Geographic

How optimistic are you?
Do you see problems as solvable or impossible?
Do you see your abilities as expanding or limited?
Do you set goals for yourself, or do you feel goals are unattainable?
(After, Amy E. Dean, Night Light, 2 November)

A deeply rooted habit of self-justification may tempt us to explain away each fault as we uncover it.
I must go on day after day trying to face myself as I am, and to correct whatever is keeping me from growing into the person I want to be.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 18-19 June)
14 June 2015

Faults

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 in One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 3 September)
4 April 2015

Complacency

Complacency ... is rarely listed among the major human faults, yet it can hinder us in every form of personal growth.
(Hope For Today, 15 February)

If great care is not taken to deal with problems, they can soon throw a monkey wrench into the smooth machinery ... [of life].
(Harry and Emily Griffith, This Love We Share)
23 December 2014

I Yam, What I Yam!

That child who is eternally present in our thoughts and dreams may be full of weakness and faults, but that is who we are. We are who we are as much because of our gaps and failures as because of our strengths.
(Thomas Moore, Care Of The Sould, p. 51)
4 May 2014)

Lifestyle

[There are] ... direct ties between lifestyle and sickness.

(Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul, p. 282)

I must be completely honest with myself in uncovering the faults which hamper my spiritual growth. One by one, watchfully and painstakingly I will replace them with constructive attitudes.

(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 6 October)

A person's good habits as well as their poor choices - the addictions, bad attitudes, and wrong mindsets - are all passed down.

(Joel Osteen, Become A Better You, p. 59)

30 April 2014

Strong Marriages

Rain Barrel Presentation - Mr. Dickie

Spouses in strong marriages do not have a tendency to try to be someone they are not. There is no pretense. Each spouse knows the faults and failings of the other, and offers the other acceptance and forgiveness. Love and the marriage can grow when each spouse has made friends with the reality of who the other truly is.
(Cloud & Townsend, God Will Make A Way, p. 129)
24 March 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

The Perfect Moment

The first three times you came with the same story [they] would listen and try to help. But if you showed up a fourth time and it was the same old tired things, the others in the circle would just get up and move ... it was time you did something about it.
(Amy E. Dean, Night Light, 21 November)

The perfect moment never arrives, there is never a convenient time.
(Promises Of Joy, p. 174)

... you can always make your own choices about how to handle the painful problems that come your way.
(The Christophers, Three Minutes A Day, Vol. 41 or 44, 29 October)

I was struck by how much of this man's inner focus was on dis-order, dis-harmony, and disease ...
(after Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Power Of Intention)

If I'm on the wrong track, I want to know it so I can correct my faults and attitude. Others can often see our problems more clearly than we can, and from that we get our best help.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 20 August)

To overcome my faults, I must first know what they are. Then I must admit to them, and, finally, with patient self-correction, diminish them, even if I cannot set myself wholly free.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 19 June)

Slavery, is anything that keeps you from your God-ordained destiny and the fulfillment of his promises for you.
(Beth Moore, Praying God's Word Day By Day, 8 August)

Whatever course you decide upon; there is always someone to tell you you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires ... courage.
(Amy E. Dean, Night Light, 15 September)

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice.
(Proverbs 12{15 (NRSV), Promises Of Joy, p. 167)

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise.
(Ephesian 5:15, in Promises Of Joy, p. 220)

Make Things Better

It is not my assignment to keep an inventory of ... [other people's] faults and misbehavior.  My task is to watch for my own and root them out, so that what I say and do will help to make things better ... (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 18 August) (24 September 2012)

Grievances And Faults

When we think constantly about our grievances and the "faults" of  ... [others], our minds are too confused to accept new ideas. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 2 April) 19 July 2012

The Source Of The Problem

Have you ever blamed others without even considering that you might be the source of the problem.  Resolve that next time you will examine your own faults first. (after Joshua Sundquist, in Daily Guideposts - 2011, 24 February)

Detachment

Self-importance is our greatest enemy.  Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen.  Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone. (Carlos Castenada, in Touchstones, 4 February)

If you trust in appearances, you will quickly be deceived; if you look for comfort and gain in others, you will often be disappointed. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 2, Chapter 7, p. 71)

You will not depend on someone once they have let you down. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 19 February)

I will not permit myself to become emotionally involved in matters that should not be my concern.  I will not interfere with the working out of another's difficulties, however dear and close we may be to each other.  Detachment is essential to any healthy relationship between people.  Each of us is a free individual, with neither one in control of the other. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 23 February)

Trying to analyze why another person persists in destructive behavior cannot help me out of my own difficulties.  I can overcome them only by turning my thoughts inward, to face my own mistakes and to learn how to improve myself. ... My problem is "me." ... I will not waste time and energy trying ... [to figure out other people.]  I will concentrate on figuring out why I do what I do. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 27 February)

It is not self-loving, nor is it loving to others involved, to allow yourself to be mentally, emotionally, or physically abused in hope that things can, or will, get better. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 8 February)

The simplest and usually the most reasonable way to deal with grumpy people who are not willing to change is to stay away from them. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 110)

My program teaches this about fault finding.  When you think it's not your fault, it probably is. (Richard E. Henthorn, 25 January 2012)

Richard Henthorn's Dewey Decimal Section:
222 Historical books of Old Testament

Class:
200 Religion

Contains:
The Bible and other religious texts, books about the general philosophy and theory of religion.

What it says about you:
You don't mind thinking about the unknown or other very big ideas. You will never feel like your work is finished. The 200-series is dominated by Christian topics, so you may feel like you're constantly surrounded by Christians.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

6 March 2012

Unattended Faults

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 from One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 3 September) 10 September 2011

Thomas a' Kempis

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. (paraphrased, Thomas a' Kempis, One Day At A Time in Al-Anon, 2 September)

Correcting Faults

San Andreas Fault

Let us always remember that any society of men and women that cannot freely correct its own faults must surely fall into decay if not into collapse. Such is the universal penalty for the failure to go on growing. Just as each ... [of us] must continue to take moral inventory and act upon it, so must our whole Society if we are to survive and if we are to serve usefully and well. (As Bill Sees It, p. 65)

******

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning. I was still trying to get my nose open enough to breathe at 7:00 a.m. I used the extra time to write a couple of yellow pages of journal notes, listen to The Pastoral Symphony on WETA-FM and catch up on some of my daily reading. I finished reading, "10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace," by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I posted the "date read" to my 2010 reading database. I plan to post to WeRead when I sign on to Facebook later today.

Every once in a while someone will surprise me when they mention that they noticed I didn't post to one of my blogs or that they read something in one of them. I have some followers of my blogs. "Followers" are people who registered as such. Google notifiers them whenever I post. There's a "followers" box in the blog sidebar. I use the Google Reader to follow serveral blogs, including my own.

Melva asked me if I could remember the author and book title of two quilting books she checked out of the library. I couldn't. It was a good question because it presented an opportunity to test out a new library service. My online library account now offers an option "to save a history" of books I've checked out. I signed on to my account and went to the history display. In a minute I had the information she wanted about the two books by, Jill Reber. Next I checked the library catalog to see how many copies of each book the library owns. At the same time I could check which branches have the books on the shelf.

Melva and I were pleased yesterday that we were able to hire two men to replace the 2' x 8' section of flooring that rotted out in our shed. My idea for waterproofing turned out to be a big mess. The material I bought was too thin, making it difficult to apply. I felt bad about that. Because I didn't have any experience with the product I bought I had no idea how it would work. Of course there were no clerks available at Loew's. You shop in the "big box" hardware stores at your own risk. I have a hunch that the material will work once it has time to dry.

Yesterday I made Facebook friends with Diane, the daughter of one of my cousins. I was already friends with her two children. I'm still hopeful that there will be more interaction among the various family members on Facebook. Only two of my generation are on Facebook.

Mr. Dickie
3/Mar/2010 7:04