two specific reasons for tonight -
i miss shopping together. we always stayed together, only went separate ways in a store if we were short on time and each took a couple things off the list to get. and we always went together - i would go to auto zone with him, and he would go to victoria's secret with me. we hated when we got separated in a store, like one of us was a little kid "don't walk away from me!" not in a controlling way, but like we were lost without each other.
i miss bike riding together. he got a bike from the city wide put-your-trash-on-the-curb day in st. charles a year or two ago. it is pretty sweet looking. we would bike just for exercise, or we would bike to Mike's (the grocery store) to rent a movie, or The Oasis (like The Lakeview) for an ice cream cone. i remember once we biked out of town until we hit gravel and then decided it would be best if we turned back, because the wheels on joe's bike are really narrow, and he was slipping.
this was the happiest day of my life. (probably his too, if i might say so myself.)
I'm going to leave you today with the eight recovery principles and their beatitudes:
1. Realize I am not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.
"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor." Matthew 5:3
2. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that He has the power to help me recover.
"Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4
3. Consciously commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.
"Happy are the meek." Matthew 5:5
4. Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.
"Happy are the pure in heart." Matthew 5:8
5. Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.
"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires." Matthew 5:6
6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.
"Happy are the merciful." Matthew 5:7
"Happy are the peacemakers." Matthew 5:9
7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.
8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words.
"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires." Matthew 5:10
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