* - Recently Updated Pages

Evening without angels - on spirituality

owens — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:09:33 CST

Evening Without Angels (the voice that is great within us) Wallace Stevens

The great interests of man:

air and light,
the joy of having a body,
the voluptuousness of looking.

Mario Rossi

Why seraphim like lutanists arranged
Above the trees?
And why the poet as
Eternal chef d'orchestre?

Air is air,
Its vacancy glitters round us everywhere.
Its sounds are not angelic syllables
But our unfashioned spirits realized
More sharply in more furious selves.

And light
That fosters seraphim and is to them
Coiffeur of halos, fecund jeweler---
Was the sun concoct for angels or for men?
Sad men made angels of the sun, and of
The moon they made their own attendant ghosts,
Which led them back to angels, after death.

Let this be clear that we are men of sun
And men of day and never of pointed night,
Men that repeat antiquest sounds of air
In an accord of repetitions.

Yet,
If we repeat, it is because the wind
Encircling us, speaks always with our speech.

Light, too, encrusts us making visible
The motions of the mind and giving form
To moodiest nothings, as, desire for day
Accomplished in the immensely flashing East,
Desire for rest, in that descending sea
Of dark, which in its very darkening
Is rest and silence spreading into sleep....

Evening, when the measure skips a beat
And then another, one by one, and all
To a seething minor swiftly modulate.

Bare night is best.
Bare earth is best.
Bare, bare,
Except for our own houses, huddled low
Beneath the arches and their spangled air,
Beneath the rhapsodies of fire and fire,

Where the voice that is in us makes a true response,
Where the voice that is great within us rises up,
As we stand gazing at the rounded moon.

RX from Dr. Bob for sobriety / serenity

owens — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:09:02 CST

How Bill W. "got it" - Spiritual Awakening

owens — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:08:18 CST

"My friend promised when these things were done

I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator; that I would have

the elements of a way of living which answered all my problems.

Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements. Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all. These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but

the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric.

There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never know. There was utter confidence. I felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountain top blew through and through."

From Bill's Story, BB 4th edition, p. 8

Do we want the problems?

We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn't control our emotional natures,
we were a prey to misery and depression,
we couldn't make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness,
we were full of fear,
we were unhappy,
we couldn't seem to be of real help to other people—
was not a basic solution of these bedevilments more important...?

The Big Book, p. 54, 3rd and 2nd and 4th editions

... or do we want the solutions ?
(what practicing the principles of AA promises yields)

We are going to know a new freedom and a new
happiness.

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door
on it.

We will comprehend the word serenity and.

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we
will see how our experience can benefit others.

That feeling of uselessness and self pity will
disappear.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain
interest in our fellows.

Self-seeking will slip away.

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will
change.

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave
us.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations
which used to baffle us.

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us
what we could not do for ourselves.

The Big Book, pp. 83-84, 3rd, 2nd and 4th editions

*

owens — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:10:15 CDT

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."

(For my beloved AAs)

I am a child of a loving God

As such, I deserve all good things.
Not some, not a little bit, but all good things.
In my mind, I have total freedom.
I now move past all negative, restricting thoughts.
I release and let go of the limitations of my parents and family.
I love them, and I go beyond them.
I am not their negative opinions, nor their limiting beliefs.
I am not bound by any of the fears or prejudices of the current society I live in.
I no longer identify with limitations of any kind.
In my mind, I have total freedom.

I now move into a new space of consciousness, where I am willing to see myself differently.
I am willing to create new thoughts about myself and about my life.

My new thinking becomes new experiences.
I now know and affirm that

I am at one with the Prospering Power of the Universe.

As such, I now prosper in a number of ways.

The totality of possibilities lies before me.

I deserve life, a good life.
I deserve love, an abundance of love.

I deserve good health.
I deserve to live well and to prosper.
I deserve joy and happiness.
I deserve freedom to be all that I can be.
I deserve more than that - I deserve all good.
The Universe is more than willing to manifest my new beliefs.
And I accept this abundant life with joy, pleasure, and gratitude.
For I am deserving.
I accept it. I know it to be true.
And so it is.

___________________________________________________________________

This Wikiblog is meant to be a place of creative collaboration, a place to share:

realizations,
interpretations,
methods,
dreams,
step discoveries,
prayersanswered,
affirmations
poems, pictures, sayings
the text of Alcoholics Anonymous in various and sundry ways:

links

suggested links
blogs

images
slides,
tables,
videos...

It is different from a blog because I will not bore you with rehashing my days
every day, just periodically will add content.
And you, please feel free to add too! By definition a wiki is a collaboration.

Those who visit this site have much to share.

So it begins..

Links and quotes:

A great page with lots of info and links

AA Primary Purpose site

AA Speakers free tapes of some of our finest...

Still more of our speakers... Also free!

Reflections and all the other Daily Readings (or most of them!)

It's All In the Journey - great magazine! www.itsallinthejourney.com

Authors of the Big Book stories Whatever happened to them? Good read!

The Grapevine

A Very Easy to Use OnLine Meeting

12 Step Radio - awesome!

Online Men's Group

sobercasts

Everything re: AA at your fingertips...

Dick B.'s site (amazing amount of information!)

Light a candle ~ please~!

http://www.onlinealano.org/

Interesting compilation of spiritual writers/texts

Thich Nhat Hanh writings

Lifetime Experiment

Daily OM If you like meditative music you might want to join

Men's Step Application Group Very dedicated sober men of God (my words not theirs)

An Irish Friend of Bill W.: 20 Years of experiencewith Steps , cogent, insightful - lovely

Recovery Resources

Recovery Music and Musicians

Prayers for 12 Step practioners

owens — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:19:24 CDT

God

Thank You for another day of sobriety. Please keep me sober again today.

God, I offer myself to You, to build with me and do with me as You will.
Relieve me of the bondage of self so I can better do Your will.

Lord, take away my difficulties so that victory over them will bear witness
to those I would help of Your love, Your power, Your way of life.
May I do Your will always.

Lord, I am now ready that You should have all of me, good and bad.

Please remove every single character defect from me, which stands

in the way of my usefulness to You and my fellows.

Please direct my thinking. I ask that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest,

and self-seeking motives.

Give me relief from worry, doubt, resentments and self-serving fears.

Take away my ... anger, anguish, resentments, self-pity, dishonesty,

pessimism and despair!

God, grant me the
Serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage
to change the things I can, and the
Wisdom
to know the difference.

Lord, grant that I may do Your will as I leave this place.
Only grant me knowledge of Your will and the Power to carry it out.

Meditation for today
(a list of meditations followed by today's editions of each)

Lord, make me an channel of thy peace!

That where there is hatred, I may bring love.

That where there is wrong,
I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.

That where there is discord, I may bring harmony.

That where there is error, I may bring truth.

That where there is doubt, I may bring faith.

That where there is despair, I may bring hope.

That where there are shadows, I may bring light.

That where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort,
than to be comforted.

To understand, than to be understood.

To love, than to be loved.

For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

As I think now about the next 24 hours and consider my plans for today, I ask:

Please show me the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.

Your will not mine be done.

During the course of the day, I ask You:

§ for right thought or action
§ for inspiration
§ for intuitive thought
§ for help with decisions
§ to be shown what the next step is to be
§ for freedom from self will
§ for myself only if others will benefit
§ Always, for knowledge of Your will and the Power to carry it out.
§ When selfishness, resentments, dishonesty or fear pop up
I ask You to remove them at once.

Thank You for another day of sobriety!

The 3 A's: Awareness, Acceptance, and Action

"I never saw a grateful recovering alcoholic get drunk."

As I take in a gentle breath, I feel the presence of God surrounding me.

I imagine myself standing strong in this beautiful presence.

I am capable and qualified to meet any challenge or activity.
I know that with God's loving guidance I can do anything at all.
In my mind's eye, I see myself easily and confidently
Making right decisions, speaking right words, and thinking positive thoughts.
Daily I ask God for these things and
They are given to me.

Pictures, art, travels

owens — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:33:07 CDT

Thai beach	St. Augustine
Buddha (Thai)	california ocean sunset
	Southern Thai islands - boat man
San Francisco Wharf	Mendocino

roadside surf

Visit to an Art Exhibit - a Spiritual Experience

owens — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:53:54 CDT

We went to the exhibit of Maharama at Stanford University in Palo Alto I love her collages as they seem to incorporate dream images, archetypes, poetry, certainly beauty, classical forms as well as Eastern. And there is the "God thing" permeating them (to me). Here are some shots ... (keep in mind these are only portions of her works, which are much much larger and contain much more). I don't know which I like best, the exhibit in person or her wonderful website, This experience on-line The site draws you into meditation...

Poetry, writing and music on Spirituality

owens — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:53:03 CDT

Gift from the Sea
by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

In its time, Gift From The Sea remained on the N.Y. Times best-seller list for 80 weeks (1 year 6 months)...

The book has been described as " . . . a spiritual compass guiding us toward inner tranquility in the face of life’s deeper questions."

(She begins...)

"I began these pages for myself, in order to think out my own particular pattern of living, my own individual balance of life, work and human relationships. And since I think best with a pencil in my hand, I started naturally to write...

The Beach

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach -- waiting for a gift from the sea.

Channeled Whelk

But his shell -- it is simple; it is bare, it is beautiful. Small, only the size of my thumb, its architecture is perfect, down to the finest detail. Its shape, swelling like a pear in the center, winds in a gentle spiral to the pointed apex. Its color, dull gold, is whitened by a wash of salt from the sea. Each whorl, each faint knob, each criss-cross vein in its egg-shell texture, is as clearly defined as on the day of creation. My eye follows with delight the outer circumference of that diminutive winding staircase up which this tenant used to travel.

My shell is not like this, I think.

How untidy it has become! Blurred with moss, knobby with barnacles, its shape is hardly recognizable any more. Surely, it had a shape once. It has a shape still in my mind. What is the shape of my life?

I am seeking perhaps what Socrates asked for in the prayer from the Phaedrus when he said,

‘May the outward and inward [hu]man be at one.’

...I have learned by some experience, by many examples, and by writings of countless others before me, also occupied in the search, that:

certain environments,
certain modes of life,
certain rules of conduct are more conducive to inner and outer harmony than others.

There are, in fact, certain roads that one may follow.

Simplification of life is one of them."

- A.M.L.

Spiritual Affirmations and Meditations

owens — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:50:36 CDT

I am a child of a loving God;

as such, I deserve all good things.
Not some, not a little bit, but all good things.

I now move past all negative, restricting thoughts.

I release and let go of the limitations of my parents.
I love them, and I go beyond them.

I am not their negative opinion, nor their limiting beliefs.
I am not bound by any of the fears or prejudices of the current society I live in.
I no longer identify with limitations of any kind.

In my mind, I have total freedom.

I now move into a new space of consciousness, where I am willing to see myself differently.
I am willing to create new thoughts about myself and about my life.

My new thinking becomes new experiences.
I now know and affirm that

I am at one with the Prospering Power of the Universe.

As such, I now prosper in a number of ways.

The totality of possibilities lies before me.

I deserve life, a good life.

I deserve love, an abundance of love.

I deserve good health.

I deserve to live well and to prosper.

I deserve joy and happiness.

I deserve freedom to be all that I can be.

I deserve more than that, I deserve all good.

The Universe is more than willing to manifest my new beliefs. And I accept this abundant life with joy, pleasure, and gratitude. For I am deserving.

I accept it; I know it to be true.

Amen.
-----------------------------------------------

I am capable. I am able to accomplish anything with the help of my higher power.

As I surrender to the will and let go of my old preconceived notions, I feel right purpose and am imbued with a sense of direction.

As I take in a gentle breath, I feel the presence of God surrounding me. I imagine myself standing strong in this beautiful presence. I am capable and qualified to meet any challenge or activity. I know that with God's loving guidance I can do anything at all. In my mind's eye, I see myself easily and confidently making right decisions, speaking right words, and thinking positive thoughts. Daily I ask God for these things and they are given to me.

I give thanks always that God is in all ways with me. I combine these images with the feelings of joy and let them go, knowing that they will create the good things I am visualizing and thinking.

Found this surfing. It is called "I only ask of God..."

Emmett Miller has a nice guided verbal meditation here:

Serenity Prayer meditation

And there are also these:

A Lot of the 12 Step Slogans we have learned

owens — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:49:51 CDT

Slogans

Easy does it.
First things first.
Live and let live.
But for the grace of God.
Think think think.
One day at time.
Let go and let God.
K.I.S.S.—Keep It Simple Stupid.
Act as if.
This, too, shall pass.
Expect miracles.
I can’t, He can, I think I’ll let Him (Steps 1,2,3).
If it works, don’t fix it.
Keep coming back, it works if you work it.
Stick with the winners.
Keep on trudgin.’
Sobriety is a journey, not a destination.
Faith without works is dead.
Poor me, poor me, pour me another drink.
To thine own self be true.
I came; I came to; I came to believe (Steps 1,2,3).
Live in the NOW.
If God seems far away, who moved?
Turn it over.
A.A. = Altered Attitudes
Nothing is so bad, a drink won’t make it worse.
We are only as sick as our secrets.
There are no coincidences in A.A..
Be part of the solution, not the problem.
Sponsors: have one, use one, be one.
I can’t handle it God; you take over.
Keep an open mind.
It works it really does! (page 88 in the Big Book)
Willingness is the key.
More will be revealed.
You will intuitively know.
You will be amazed.
No pain, no gain.
Go for it.
Keep the plug in the jug.
Do it sober.
Let it begin with me.
Just for today.
Sober ‘n‘ crazy.
Pass it on.
It’s in the book.
You either are or you aren’t.
Before you say I can’t, say I’ll try.
Don’t quit before the miracle happens.
Some of us are sicker than others.
We’re all here because we’re not all there.
Alcoholism is an equal opportunity destroyer.
Practice an attitude of gratitude.
The road to sobriety is a simple journey for confused people with a complicated disease.
Another friend of Bill W.’s.
God is never late….always right on time.
Have a good day, unless of course you have made other plans.
Decisions aren’t forever.
It takes time.
90 meetings in 90 days.
You are not alone.
Where you go, there you are.
Don’t drink, read the Big Book, and go to meetings.
Use the 24-hour plan.
Make use of the telephone therapy.
Stay sober for yourself.
Look for the similarities rather than differences.
Remember your last drunk.
Remember that alcoholism is incurable, progressive, and fatal.
Try not to place conditions on your sobriety.
When all else fails, follow directions.
Count your blessings.
Share your happiness.
Respect the anonymity of others.
Share your pain.
Share your gratitude.

Practical experience shows that NOTHING will so much insure immunity fromdrinking as INTENSIVE work with other alcoholics. Big Book, p89
OUR VERY LIVES, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our CONSTANT thoughtof others and how we may help meet their needs. Big Book, p20
DO THE RIGHT THINGS AND THE RIGHT THINGS WILL HAPPEN
For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could NOT survive the CERTAIN trials and low spots ahead. Big Book, p14
Keep on the firing line of life with these MOTIVES and God WILL, (not might) keepyou unharmed. Big Book, p102
Your MOTIVE is your PROTECTION
Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of MAXIMUM helpfulness to others. Big Book, p102 The good is the enemy of the best. Tradition 2
When ALL other measure failed, work with another alcoholic WOULD save us.Big Book, p15
I would be AMAZINGLY lifted up and set on my feet. It is a design for living that works in rough going. Big Book, p15
Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?
Surrender to Win
(On holding back) The more you put in, the more you get out
COMPLETELY give yourself to THIS simple programme
Reliance not defiance
I'm not getting into the lifeboat until I know WHY this ship is sinking!
Bludgeoned into Humility by pain and unremitting suffering
Sick and tired of being sick and tired
If you're spinning your wheels, try getting out of the driver's seat
Change is not painful. It is RESISTANCE to change that is painful
Your Higher Power makes your life uncomfortable when its time for you to change
THERE ARE NO DAYS OFF!
It's alcohol-ism, not -wasm.
Great suffering and great love are A.A.'s disciplinarians; we need no others.
Some of us have taken VERY hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job, wife orno wife, we simply do NOT stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon otherpeople (places and things) ahead of dependence on God
If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to KEEP getting what you’re getting
If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got.
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
On Arrogance: You don't know what you don't know
Take the plank out of your own eye before you take the splinter out of someone else's
You can't bullshit a bullshitter
Let go or be dragged
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result
What makes you think it's going to be different THIS time?
Its better to be in AA pretending to be an alcoholic, than to be 'out there', pretending you're not
Isolation is the dark room where we develop our 'negatives'.
Relapse begins long before you pick up the drink/drug.
SLIP: Sobriety loses it's priority.
EVERY time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with US
Pain is necessary, suffering is optional!
If you hang around a barbershop long enough, eventually you'll get a haircut.
Thoughts Become Things...choose the good ones!
You move towards, and become like, that which you think about, whether it is good for you, or bad for you
"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thought. With our thoughts, we make our world." ~The Buddha
The more you think about the problem, the bigger the problem gets. The more you think about the solution, the bigger the solution gets.
We don't see things as they are, we see them as WE are
What you 'see' is what you 'get'
I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become
What would it look like WITHOUT the problem?
What do you want?
Stick with the winners: Have they got what you want? Do they look as though they areenjoying their sobriety? What are they like in the traffic? Are they comfortable in their ownskin?
Fake it to make it
Act as if
On negative self talk. If a friend spoke to you, the way YOU, spoke to you, would you hang around with them?
Live in the solution
THE NEWCOMER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE ROOM
COMPLETELY give themselves to THIS simple program.
Just do what makes you feel COMFORTABLE
We are SURE God wants us to be happy, joyous and free.
EVERY time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with US
Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our CONSTANT thought of others andhow we may help meet their needs
Wise people learn from their own mistakes. Smart people learn from other people’s
The people that matter don’t mind, and the people that mind, don’t matter
Wear life like a loose garment, not like a hair shirt!
It’s a cinch an inch, but it’s hard by the yard
What would be the LOVING thing to do?
Stick with the winners
Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God WILL, (notmight) keep youunharmed
(On choosing Sponsors) Have they got what you want?
Do they look as though they are enjoying their sobriety?
What are they like in the traffic?
Are they comfortable in their own skin?
The good is the enemy of the best
Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of MAXIMUM helpfulness to others
Sick and tired of being sick and tired
Its better to be in AA pretending to be an alcoholic, than to be 'out there', pretending you'renot
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice
(on talking in meetings) In a 'GENERAL' way. Not a blow by blow account!
Just do your lousy best!

Quotes from AA Recovery

owens — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:30:25 CDT

Switching from one compulsion
to another is like switching seats
on theTitanic.

Only God can turn a mess
into a message.

We aren't bad people trying to get good.
We're sick people trying to get well.

The disease is progressive.
So is recovery.

You don't have a problem.
You have a solution you don't like.

If you want what the winners have,
do what the winners do.

If you feel like taking something to feel better,
take one of the Steps.

I was living in the pollution
instead of the solution.

My life is none of my business.
I just show up every morning
and report for duty.

If you're working your own program properly,
you won't have time to work someone else's!!

My relationship isn't my problem ~ ~
and it isn't my solution.

I'd better be careful when I say I'm grateful.
Gratitude can only be expressed in deeds, not words.

If you want to see how grateful someone is, ask them to help you.
Some folks think God sets up the chairs and cleans up after the meeting.

We get a *daily* reprieve,
based on what we do *today*
for our recovery.

I was sick and tired
of the high cost
of low living.

A smooth sea never made a good sailor.

God loves me where I'm at,
but He loves me too much
to leave me there.

Meetings are an archipelago of sanity
in a lunatic sea.

I've been driven to a good attitude by being hit over the head by self-will.

You can complain about the same problem three times.
Then you'd better be in the solution.
If you have to talk to more than three people
about the same problem,
you don't want help,
you want attention.

I get lots of messages from God,
but most are in my own handwriting.

He gave his almost.

Gratitude is the hinge
upon which an abstinent life swings.

If I'm truly grateful
for today,
I'm ma king a down payment
on tomorrow.

I don't have relationships ~
I have Close Encounters.

Not everything that is supposedly "normal"
is appealing to me.
I'd rather be stung by wasps
than play golf!!

Instead of praying
"God be with me,"
I pray "God bear with me!"

God doesn't close one door
without opening a better one.

(Priceless! What a picture!)
God doesn't close one door
without opening a better one ~ ~
BUT ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
we've got to get our fingers
out of the closing door. The reason you're in
pain is because you have your fingers
in a door God is trying to close.

When in doubt , don't.

I was pole vaulting over mouse turds.

If you don't want to follow time-honored guidance, you're welcome
to shop around for an opinion.

You break bad habits
by breaking bad habits.
You form good habits by
forming good habits.

When you smile,
your brain thinks you're happy!!

If you're going to pray,
don't worry.
If you're going to worry,
don't pray.

PAIN: The effort required to cling
to old ideas and old behaviors.

Don't place a question mark
where God has placed a period.

There are two kinds of people:
those seeking the truth ~
and those afraid of it .

If you don't take a chance,
you don't have one.

Hatred destroys the hater.

Stop watering the weeds!!

It's really hard for God to guide you
if you keep running out ahead of him!!

How about letting three people off the hook today?

Anger may identify a problem,
but it will never solve one.

Gossip and criticism
do not belittle the other person;
they belittle me.

Sometimes we don't get what we want.
Sometimes we don't get what we need.
Sometimes we get what we get.

I was always comparing my insides
to someone else's outsides.

A person singing her own praises
is usually singing solo -- and out of tune.

Luck is living under correct knowledge.

I was giving permanent reality
to temporary things.

I need to stick with the winners,
not with people who co-sign my bullshit.

Any day above ground is a good day.

The MIRACLE happens when we get sober.
The MAGIC happens when we apply
the principles to all our affairs.

Letting go of others
will lift my own spirit high today.

Coincidence is God's way of
remaining anonymous.

My serenity is inversely proportional
to my expectations.

interesting quotation re spirituality

owens — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:16:45 CDT

"I think there's something more, but it requires a little excursion from a usual Cartesian worldview to get at.

Start with the LaoTse premise
that self and other are just two ends of an abstraction -
no more magical than left and right
or after and before.

By combining these abstractions we construe ourselves with respect to the actors and drama of our memories; we make a little story within which to understand what's happening, and we are motivated by the dramatic forces within this story.

WHAT IS THIS SITE ABOUT THE AA PROGRAM?

owens — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:14:33 CDT

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions (and answers)

Q: What on EARTH are you talking about? And why?
A: Keep reading….
Q: What is this?
A: It is a Wiki… actually more of a wikiblog.
Q: But what is a ‘Wiki’?
A: (From Wikipedia)

A definition of ‘Wiki’ is:

A Wiki (WICK-ee or WEE-kee) is a website that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring.

Q: And a blog?
A: A Blog is a type of website, and refers to any number of types of authored regular installments on a particular subject or subjects. Like a journal.

Q: Then a “wikiblog” is …?
A: A combination of the 2 – a collaborative website on a particular theme (like cametobelieve is about recovery and its spiritual aspects). It encourages readers to contribute in any media they choose. Wetpaint was chosen as the host because of ease of use. It’s simple to ramp up and start adding.

To begin with, a dedication quote from c2.com/cgi/wiki (WikiWiki - the mother of all us little Wikis) which explains it all...
"I think there's something more,
but it requires a little excursion from a usual Cartesian worldview to get at.
Start with the LaoTse premise
that self and other are just two ends of an abstraction -
no more magical than left and right
or after and before.
By combining these abstractions
we construe ourselves with respect to the actors and drama of our memories; we make a little story within which to understand what's happening,
and we are motivated by the dramatic forces within this story.”
WikiWiki

This thing we create is ours, spiritual and artistic in nature, grounded in truth and beauty for the common good.