Heidi Ryder’s Post

Day 380 – The Cycles and Seasons of Life (5) – The Awakening of Spring https://lnkd.in/gU8MmiC5

Grow in your pace. The world is moving fast and we are pushed to move fast with it at the cost of our serenity, peace, healing and recovery. We put the work on ourselves on hold to move fast with the world losing both ultimately. Growing in your pace means learning to say no to what does not serve you and saying yes fully to what serves you. #SobrietyTips

July 23 Surrendering self-will We want and demand that things always go our way. We should know from our past experience that our way of doing things did not work. Basic Text, p. 93 = All of us have ideas, plans, goals for our lives. Theres nothing in the NA program that says we shouldnt think for ourselves, take initiative, and put responsible plans into action. Its when our lives are driven by self-will that we run into problems. When we are living willfully, we go beyond thinking for ourselveswe think only of ourselves. We forget that we are but a part of the world and that whatever personal strength we have is drawn from a Higher Power. We might even go so far as to imagine that other people exist solely to do our bidding. Quickly, we find ourselves at odds with everyone and everything around us. At this point, we have two choices. We can continue in our slavery to self-will, making unreasonable demands and becoming frustrated because the planet doesnt spin our way. Or we can surrender, relax, seek knowledge of Gods will and the power to carry that out, and find our way back to a condition of peace with the world. Thinking, taking initiative, making responsible planstheres nothing wrong with these things, so long as they serve Gods will, not merely our own. = Just for today: I will plan to do Gods will, not mine. If I find myself at odds with everything around me, I will surrender self-will.

Optimism, especially in dark times, is a moral choice. Without it, we diminish our own power to shape the world around us, and condemn ourselves to acquiesce to evil. By choice, I try to be an optimist - though not a blind one. Yet on days of anguish, like today, making that choice can feel impossible. The months to come will reveal just how many good and important things have just been harmed, and how many terrible things have just been borne. It is unbearable to contemplate, and impossible not to. So what to do? It is late fall here in Minnesota, and to self-soothe, I spent part of the day planting garlic bulbs in my garden, with the help of my friend Dina. To put the promise of future life into the ground before it freezes is to defy the coming winter, and to invest hope for the returning spring. Years ago, I wrote a short piece about the concept of “urgent biophilia” - the idea that, in moments of crisis, human beings subconsciously seek connection with the rest of life. (You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/dsrDzWZ6.) My garden sits just outside the penumbra of two monumental, 200-year-old Bur oaks. They have stood witness to civil strife, civil war and civil rights, and much else spanning the American centuries. They will bear silent witness to this chapter too, and, with care, to the ones that follow. The promise that together we might see a new season is a comfort. So this is my encouragement to you. Turn everything off and go be with living things, human and otherwise. Yes, there is reason for anguish, but if you are anguished, do not be anguished alone. Give comfort to and be comforted by the great web of life, and interbeing, which is your birthright. Keep hold of your optimism and the possibility of renewal, however counterintuitive. Plant these like bulbs in the soil -- we will all need them when the winter is past.

It’s easy to say that our faith won’t falter when life is going smoothly, but it’s harder to say so when you’re in the midst of a storm. Sometimes all you can do is stand tall and push straight through. This is something that I teach from a business perspective to my employees. The best thing to do to overcome a difficult time is to keep on pushing through. There is a difference between standing still and staying stagnant. Choosing to stand firm against your opposition is still a decision. Staying the course is a choice. Standing is a move! You can always give up. You can always quit. You can always turn your back on what you’re doing. Standing firm in your faith is often the most difficult decision that there is. It is also often the best decision there is. There was an old phrase used among sailors back when most ships relied on sails; hold fast. This phrase would be shouted over the sound of thunder or of a battle from one sailor to the other. When this phrase was used, it meant to stay at your position. To remain tightly secured in the face of adversity. When a storm is going over your boat, and the going gets tough, stand firm, and hold fast! Life is full of waves. Sometimes you emerge unscathed, and other times you aren’t as lucky. The way I see it is that you are a survivor of every single storm so far. You have emerged victorious in every single hardship that you have been through up until this point. When God is on your side, you’ll always have a winning record.

Embrace resilience: Let your faith be stronger than your fears.

Let’s get this clear: we should accept the taxes life imposes without complaint, recognizing them as part of our human existence. Just as winter brings cold, summer brings heat, and bad weather tests our health, so too will we face challenges like wild animals—or worse, other humans. Floods may take one thing, fire another. These are facts of life we cannot change. But what we can control is our attitude. With a noble and virtuous spirit, we can endure whatever life throws at us, bringing our will into harmony with God. Setbacks, after all, are nature’s way of maintaining balance: after clouds, we get clear skies; after calm, a storm; the winds shift; night follows day; as one star rises, another sets. It’s through these opposites that the world keeps turning.

Have you ever experienced the joy of kicking your faith into a higher gear? It's amazing how, as you focus more on your God-given mission, the volume of your old habits starts to decrease. It's truly a wonderful feeling to be living a life that aligns with your values and purpose

Happy Faithfull Friday! 🙌🏾 Today’s belief statement is: I believe that a strong foundation will help me survive the storm. Before a skyscraper can be built, construction must first be on establishing a foundation that can support it. This requires a lot of time and a lot of digging. The higher the structure, the deeper and stronger the foundation must be. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus is teaching us the importance of building our life on a solid foundation. Jesus compares this with building our life on sand. When the storms come, only the house that is built on a solid foundation will remain. The house built on sand will be destroyed. Building our life on a solid foundation means that we are obedient to God’s word. One of the reasons that this is difficult for us because the world looks attractive and the influence from the culture is strong. Just as sure as we will die one day, there will be storms in our lives. Will your life be able to withstand the rain, the wind, and the attacks of the enemy? The way that we respond is based on our foundation. God already knows that you’re going through the storm. The key is to remember that God is so much greater than the storms that we experience in this life. Share this with someone who may need this encouragement today. Let them know that life’s issues are no match for God’s unwavering love and power. Have a blessed weekend! 🙏🏾 — #FaithfullFridays #Obedience #ThroughTheStorm #Foundation #PrayerWorks #Believe #spreadpositivity

Let’s be honest—sometimes life feels like hell. Everything seems to be going wrong, and the problems just keep piling up. It's easy to get distracted by the chaos, to let the weight of it all blur our vision of the blessings and abundance around us. But here’s the truth: the more we focus on the problem, the more we miss what God is already doing. The abundance is still there. The blessings are still flowing. It’s just that we’re too caught up in the storm to notice them. This is your reminder to shift your focus. It’s time to stop letting distractions pull you away from what’s truly important. At The Pouring, we’re going to dig deep into how we can stay grounded and focused on God’s promises, even when life feels overwhelming. Join us on October 5th in Fort Worth, Texas, and let’s pour out those distractions and step into the abundance that’s waiting for us. 👉 Click the link to secure your spot today! https://lnkd.in/gRBbXF_2 #ThePouring #ShiftYourFocus #AbundanceIsHere #TrustGod #StayGrounded #FortWorthEvent #BreakthroughIsComing