Brrrrrrrr PLUS (YEAH!) LOVE

COLD FUSION by GUSTI BOUCHER

COLD: A PERSPECTIVE
IT IS ONLY WIND-CHILL

BRRRRrrrrr! Friday morning it was cccCOLD!  Well, in South Florida--for me--"cold" is
below 16 C  (60 F).  It DID reach 27 C (80F) later.  But I wish to say, that on a scooter in the early morning traveling at a speed of ***/kph (***/mph) I was REALLY cold. I DO have a pickup truck sitting in the driveway, but it has FOUR wheels. I like TWO wheels. I am Happy on two wheels. I can express myself without blowing a horn.

With four tires on the road I cannot lean my body to make turns, or swing myself a little to avoid a pickup truck (like mine!) when it is in my space. Driving a truck, I do not have that freedom of motion, to pass whoever is in front.  I cannot squeeze between the rows of vehicles stopped for a light or an accident, nor decide to change direction at the last minute.

Sounds rash and reckless?  It is being ready for whatever comes my way.  With Flex guiding me ("Flex" is Flexible, my Guardian Angel) and a modicum of common sense--that's all I can muster--I'll probably ride a HARLEY into heaven when I'm 100....

Enough of that--you "Peeps up Noath" please don't laugh too loudly when you read I am cold at 60 degrees.  Don't forget there IS a wind-chill factor! And I am sober. No brandy to warm the body--we do have a big dog now, but he sleeps alone--so far--grin!

YEAH, I KNOW...
MORE ABOUT  L O V E

Well, it had to be soon again...what can one NOT say about love? That it is unnecessary? That it was contrived by humans to "make us feel good"? That it is simply a feeling, an expression of affection? Well, maybe those last three words fit closer to the truth.

I am reading a book THE SHACK by Wm. Paul Young! (I know--everyone is saying, "Oh! THAT old book?"  I will not delve into the story, but a man (Mack) finds himself back in the shack of his past--with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are girls, beautiful girls. They are three persons, yet they are One in thought, behavior, and in their LOVE for all creatures and things, and one another.

Our hero is watching as the Holy Spirit is cooking, stirring a huge pot of batter or something. The pot falls to the floor, breaking, and batter (or something) flies EVERYWHERE!.  It gets all over "God and everything"! Our hero observes the cleaning process.  Jesus wipes the food from Poppa's dress, then bathes her feet, as she (God) continues to cook something else. The Spirit is in cleaning also, and she also is behaving with such love.

(Mack) leaned against the door. His mind was full of thoughts. So THIS was God in a relationship? It was beautiful and so appealing. He knew that it did not matter whose fault it was--the mess from some bowl which had been broken, that a dinner which had been planned would not be shared. Obviously, what was truly important here was the love they had for one another and the fullness it brought them.  He shook his head. How different this was from the way he treated the ones he loved!

--Taken from page 105, THE SHACK, Wm. Paul Young

Peeps THIS is the brand of love I've been thinking about, writing about. Where mistakes are not even considered, only "what may I do for and with you".  SO much time I waste pondering who, what, when, where and why. And all I need do is simply focus on what only matters. Love. Love for you ALL and for the God within you. It IS that simple!

So love IS an expression of affection, a feeling, an intense desire and attraction for another--or ALL others. It is an emotional attachment, an enthusiasm for someone or something outside of myself. Love is an emptying of myself, so that there is room for the other. It is filling and fulfilling. As with my love for God, it is a strong desire to simply be with God, or another, or others, to share feelings, to care for needs, to desire  peace and happiness for others.

This all seems so clear to me (at times, like right now!)  Yet it is difficult to verbalize.  Love IS the bottom line.  And as I wrote a few days ago, LOVE never had a beginning, nor will have ever an ending. Love is infinite, forever. The only true love is that of my God for me--and YOU, Peeps! God IS love. Love IS God. Who is to reason otherwise?

PEACE

Some of this and that

It's no fun pumping up these tires on
a 31 degree morning in Naples, FL

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS,

A LITTLE BIT OF THAT

For two mornings it has been too damn cold to ride the Suzuki 650 to my morning meetings. So I had to get out there in the dark night--4:30 AM--and pump up the "tawers on the dump truck" so's ah could git to mah meetin's. Kidding aside--it was 31 degrees at our house two mornings in a row.

My "New Dawn Group" A.A. friends decided they finally found a limit to my craziness...it's called "freezing".

Driving my '99 Mazda pickup to a meeting is not nearly as fun as careening through the 7-mile, 6-lane pathways from our house to the 24-Hour Club on the bike. Shame to write this--but if I had to drive a 4-wheeled "box" vehicle to meetings, I'd probably attend no more than one a day. (That is not a truthful statement!) But I sure L.O.V.E. my bike. -grin! Thank you, Prayer-Girl.

Speaking of cold temperatures, I DO realize that for some reading this, 31 F. would be considered a "beach day". But my ideal day runs 80-85 F. degrees, that's just how it is. When I was very young, and hell was described to me as a very hot place, I remember thinking to myself that it must not be a real bad place--at least it's warm there.

By the time I reached grade school (First grade is where I was aptly nicknamed "Alkie", which name is with me still) I had figured out--I knew it--that hell is a very VERY cold place. As far as I know, I'm the only one who ever 'knew' that fact.

And, fellow bloggers, I am just SO grateful, that:

...I am writing a gratitude list tonight instead of a SEVENTH TRADITION discussion

...I have a truck to drive, when it's too cold to ride

...I live where daily there are many excellent AA meetings

...NMW--our house is paid for

...I get to play a wedding Saturday, on the beach

...the wedding is for daughter of an AA member

...it is pleasure for me to participate in this wedding

...it WILL get warmer!--beginning Saturday

...winter is over--for us???

...For Prayer-Girl's Friday blog, Re: steve-a-roni

...a beautiful violin, which sounds better and better

...is my hearing getting worse? -grin

...a wonderful AA family who loves me--NMW

...wonderful bloggers, the same as above--NMW

...that I can still learn so much from so many

...mostly from you, my blog family (thank you ALL!)

...I could write a hundred gratitude items right now

...I will not!

That is enough for today. I am grateful to God for giving me you bloggers, recovering people, with your experiences, strengths, and hopes, of which you eloquently write.

I'm so inadequate with my computer and my simple thoughts and words. At the same time I feel a power surging through me, aware that God is now directing this show, of which I am but a small bit player. At this moment I am in such a state of LOVE for everything created, that my whole body is warm, even in this coolness of the night. (Have to check MY temperature? -grin!)

Back on Tuesday with Tradition SEVEN

And....let's stay sober together today. OK? NMW! (No Matter What!)