Spiritual Leanings ... From all faiths.

[citybutch]

Indeed

Originally Posted by Sachita

I find stillness and truly being in the moment the most connected I can feel. I've walked so many paths and tried so many things that have names and labels. Being one with all, still, in the moment does it for me.

I also have a spiritual experience every time I sit on my porch with a glass a wine, looking over my farm and listening to the waterfall in my fountain.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Today I was thinking of the hymn we sing in Mass "The Charity of Christ".

[citybutch]

Empowered

I am energized and empowered as I rest in an awareness of God.

At times I may not feel empowered to do anything at all. Rather, I may feel emotionally drained or unsure of myself. To remind myself of God's power within me, I stop and pray.

Releasing the burden of worry or self-criticism, I allow myself to feel the presence of God. As I pray, I realize that I am a spiritual being. I have powerful and unique gifts to give to the world. I have divine strength and energy to do what is mine to do.

Prayer empowers me. Moments of silence--spontaneous or planned--allow me to reaffirm my oneness with God. I emerge energized and enlivened, ready to face my responsibilities with renewed joy and confidence.

For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you.--1 Thessalonians 1:4

http://www.dailyword.com/

[Luv]

Someone asked me once why I love my Faith..and I answered it this way..
My Faith makes life a little easier,when I have sorrow it gives me comfort and hope, when I think there is nothing left of me and I am devastated, my Faith hold me and will show me the littlest thing to show me that my God cares for me,,like a butterfly landing on my hand and just looking right at me. Its makes it easier to live..gives me hope so its not so scarey to die. Everyone believes on something,,even some believe there is nothing..for me..I would rather believe and be wrong,than not to believe and be wrong. There is always hope..and my hope lies in my faith.

these are the words to my favorite Hymn..its called Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.


Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.


How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.


Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.


And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.


Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

Words: Bill & Gloria Gaither

[Andrew, Jr.]

I wanted to post about the blessings of laughter. Karl Barth once stated "Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God." How true it is! Joy, hope, humor, and laughter - they are all God's tender blessings.

Peace be with you all.

[Andrew, Jr.]

P - Pray

U - Until

S - Suffering

H - Help and Blessings Pour Down Upon You

[citybutch]

Acceptance

Freely and with love, I accept myself and others.

Great freedom comes from accepting people and circumstances as they are. Through acceptance, I release my need to control or change people or situations that are not mine to control. Peace comes from allowing things to unfold as they will. Through acceptance, I am free to embrace every situation and every person in a spirit of love.

The most important person for me to accept is me. I see myself as a child of God following a divinely inspired path to spiritual unfoldment. I let go of self-criticism and trust God. With a renewed sense of freedom and peace, I accept the people and circumstances in my life with love. I give thanks for the blessings they bring.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.--John 13:35

http://www.dailyword.com/

[Andrew, Jr.]

Citybutch,

I was thinking of the horrible aftermath of the storms down south (tornados). People who have lost everything and yet have the strength to help others. That is what life is about in my mind and soul. Life is about giving the other person a helping hand up, instead of finding ways to defeat them for self-serving purposes. You can see this happen in Japan, in Haiti, and now in America. Love is what life is all about.

Andrew

[Andrew, Jr.]

I hope everyone is doing well.

Andrew

[citybutch]

Flexible

I experience the fullness of life.

Because I am flexible, I never give up on myself or my dreams. When a change seems to alter my plans, I don't give in to feelings of helplessness or hopelessness. My divine purpose is to be creative and to find fulfillment in whatever I am doing.

Any tendency to be rigid in my thinking falls away as I welcome divine ideas into my awareness. There is more than one way to the fulfillment of my heart's desires. A whole new world of possibilities is open to me.

Pressures or fears may threaten to derail my dreams; however, I am a spiritual being and I do not veer off the course on which Spirit is leading me. I eagerly move forward and experience the fullness of life with flexibility and the expectancy of good.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.--Philippians 4:13

http://www.dailyword.com/dailyword/51964

[citybutch]

Simplicity

With childlike simplicity, I am carefree and at ease.

At times it may seem as if my life has become too busy or complicated. My obligations feel overwhelming, and I desire a simpler life. How can I recapture the joyful feeling of childhood, living in the moment, carefree and at ease?

I seek simplicity by remembering what is most important to me. I purposefully set aside a few moments each day for playful activities. Perhaps I drink in the delicate beauty of a flower, watch the clouds pass by, or appreciate the feel of sunshine on my face. I seek simplicity by balancing busyness with a renewed awareness of beauty. I am refreshed as I become like a child, seeing the world with a sense of awe and wonder.

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.--Matthew 18:3

http://www.dailyword.com/dailyword/51963

[Andrew, Jr.]

I hope everyone here is doing well. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Peace be with you.

Andrew

[citybutch]

Time Enough

This is a day of accomplishment and fulfillment.

Whenever I seem to be running out of time to do what I need to do, I take a reality check. Starting with this simple observation: There is the same amount of minutes and hours in each day. Check! I am the "master" of my time because I can make choices. Check! I have no reason to feel out of control as I look forward to the next few hours or days. Check!

I gain confidence about being the authority over my time by first starting my day with prayer. Centered and relaxed, I don't fight time; I go with the flow. I think with clarity and act efficiently. I know when to say yes and when to say no. I feel composed, and my day flows smoothly.

But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing."--Luke10:41-42

http://www.dailyword.com/dailyword/51992

[Glenn]

Oh Birther! Mother-Father of this cosmos,
Focus Your light within us-
make it useful.
Create Your reign of unity now through our fiery hearts and willing hands.
Help us love beyond our ideals,
and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures.
Animate the Earth within us,
and feel the Wisdom underneath supporting all.
Untangle the knots within, so that we can mind our heart's simple ties to each other.
Don't let surface things delude us,
But free us from what holds us back from our true purpose.
Out of You, the astonishing fire,
Returning light and sound to the cosmos. Amen/Aum

[Glenn]

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth where moth and rust decay and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for for yourselves your treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal..For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

"No one can serve two masters, for either she/he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about what you will eat and drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is life not more than food and the body more than clothes?"

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet God feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

"Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to your stature? So why worry about clothing? Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as fine as one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will not God much more clothe you, oh you of little faith?

"Therefore, do not worry, saying: "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the gentiles seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about it's own things. Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble."

[LeftWriteFemme]

Alysa Stanton poses in front of an ark in the synagogue at Hebrew Union College, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Cincinnati.Stanton is to be ordained June 6, as mainstream Judaism's first black woman rabbi. She will become the rabbi at Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville , N.C. , on Aug. 1.(From Time magazine; also featured on ABC news
Alysa Stanton, of Lakewood , Colorado , will
soon be the first female African-American rabbi anywhere.


Cleveland Heights native Alysa Stanton, an African-American woman who
converted from Christianity to Judaism two decades ago, is about to
change the course of world history.


The 45-year-old single mother of an adopted teenage daughter recently
completed rabbinical school and is about to become the first ever black
female rabbi, experts say.


Alysa Stanton
• Age: 45
• Born: Cleveland , lived in Cleveland Heights
• Achievement: First black women to be ordained a rabbi.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology; master's in counseling
and multiculturalism; and a master's in Hebrew letters.
• On God: "I don't believe one has to warm a pew to be religious or
spiritual. I can find God in the mountains, in the trees, in the smile
of a baby. My God is too big to be boxed in."


Stanton will be ordained June 6 in Cincinnati where she graduated from
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She has already
secured a position at a synagogue in North Carolina .

Scholars believe Stanton will be the first black clergy woman in the
history of a religion that traces its roots back thousands of years to
Old Testament patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Reform and Conservative movements of Judaism first began ordaining
women in the 1970s and 1980s. But no black woman has been ordained
until now.

"I try not to think about it," Stanton said in a telephone interview
from Cincinnati this week. "It's daunting. I'm taking it with a sense
of awe and reverence. And a healthy dose of fear.

"I try not to focus on being the first. I focus on being the best --
the best human being, the best rabbi I can be."

Stanton was born in Cleveland and lived in Cleveland Heights, attending
Boulevard Elementary School , until she was 11 when her family,
Pentecostal Christians, moved to Denver .

It was in Cleveland Heights , she said, where she began a spiritual
quest, sampling various Christian denominations, but eventually coming
to Judaism.

"I believe I was born Jewish, but not of a Jewish womb," she said. "I
had to make it legal."

Stanton said she was attracted to the culture, creed and social justice
work of Judaism. "It involves more than worship," she said. "It's a way
of life."

In 1987, she converted, becoming one of the few black members of
Denver 's largest synagogue, Temple Emanuel , where she taught religion
and was a cantor.

With academic degrees in psychology and counseling from Colorado State
University in Denver , Stanton worked as a psychotherapist before
enrolling in Hebrew Union College in 2002. She studied in Israel her
first year.

"It's been quite a journey," she said, noting that along the way she
amassed $250,000 in student loan debt.

Asked whether she still carries remnants of Christianity, she quickly
responded: "I'm a Jew. But the fabric of our lives -- each thread --
hones us into who we are.

"My mom, for example, gave me the undeniable, unshakable faith in God.
That didn't change by my becoming a Jew. My history makes me therabbi
that I am. I want to help people in their spiritual journey whatever
that may be."

Joking, she added, "Some of my best friends are Christians."

Stanton is one of 43 rabbinical students who graduated this year from
the three campuses -- New York , Los Angeles and Cincinnati -- ofHebrew
Union .

Only about half of them have found work. Because of tough economic
times, school officials say, congregations are contributing less money,
forcing synagogues to tighten budgets.

Large congregations are going without assistant rabbis. Small
congregations are merging. And shrinking retirement funds are forcing
veteran and retired rabbis to keep working, crimping the job market.

"I am blessed," said Stanton, who, on August 1, will become rabbi of
Bayt Shalom in Greenville , N.C. , a 53-family congregation affiliated
with both the Conservative and Reform movements.

"I was their first choice," she said. "They were my first choice."

The irony of a black woman presiding over a white congregation in the
deep south is not lost on Stanton .

"God has a sense of humor," she said.

Rabbi David Weisberg, who taught Stanton Biblical studies at Hebrew
Union , said he was confident his student will do well wherever she goes.

"She's a good teacher and she brings lots of faith," he said. "I hope
some day we won't be concerned whether people are black or white, but
what they contribute to the community. Alysa makes a big contribution
to the community of humanity."

Stanton 's ordination has drawn widespread media attention from dozens
of news outlets as far away as England and Israel . And the buzz is
traveling quickly throughout the Jewish community worldwide.

Jewish scholars Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University and Ori Z.Soltes
of Georgetown University , both told The Plain Dealer they know of no
evidence of a black female ever being ordained a rabbi.

"It's very exiting," said Soltes.

Rabbi Joshua Caruso of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple inBeachwood said
Stanton was treated like a celebrity when she came to his temple in
January last year for a Martin Luther King Day service.

"People were fascinated," he said. "She is a special lady. She's very
charismatic. As a preacher, she has some wonderful stylistic skills and
deliveries that will grab people."

More than 50 friends and relatives from 12 states and Canada are going
to Cincinnati to celebrate Stanton 's ordination. Her mother, Anne
Harrison, 79, and daughter, Shana Michaela Stanton, 14, will be there.

So will the press.

"I'm living in a fishbowl," said Stanton , longing to be out of the
limelight. "But that comes with the honor I've been given.

"Up until now I've avoided interviews. But now it's celebratory time
and it's nice to be able to spread a little hope, inspiration and joy."

[LeftWriteFemme]

[Kenna]

Originally Posted by citybutch

I am a Christian...

But I am one of those Christians who finds wisdom, faith, understanding, and guidance from many sources... not just Christ.

The word Christianity has, in my very humble opinion, been co-opted by a radical right.

I thought I would start a thread where we can post quotes, sayings, words of wisdom, whatever... from various sources.... that may help us as we navigate life's challenges...

Just a thought... that perhaps in our differences we can find our commonality... even on a spiritual level.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.


I had forgotten about that verse, to quote it word for word... being raised in the Dunkard Brethren Church, I should have had this committed to memory...I remembered the concept, but not the words... I am recently reminded, in a good way, how much I have lived my life by those words, and how my life was shaped by it's teachings...

[mariamma]

Originally Posted by citybutch

Pray for Others

I am unified in Spirit with God and with all humanity.

It is impossible to pray for one person without praying for all persons. We are all one in God. Every time one heart is lifted, all hearts are lifted. Every time one life is blessed, all lives are blessed. Entering into the presence of God in the silence, I realize this truth about myself and those I hold in prayer. At the same time, I am reinforcing this truth for all humanity.

As I pray for the protection of a loved one, all persons in danger are enfolded in love and faith. As I affirm the love of God in my heart and rid my mind of all that is unloving, the heart of the world is more loving too. When I feel in tune with life, at peace with myself and the world, I help every confused or restless soul find peace and faith again.And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.--John 12:32

http://www.dailyword.com/dailyword/51874

I am a Pagan, on the Shamanic path and feel very much as you do. I see in others this practice, of accepting others where they are and I see the other behaviors. Where people have to convert others to their view in order to feel validated?? feel like they're right???
I don't get that need. I do talk too much at events and people don't get that behavior trait. Point it, we're all where we are in life. We are all on a path in life whether we like it or not. It's nice to see others who feel similarly. The honest thing to do in these cases is to reach for what we have in common and all the big religions have the same things in common (one Unifying God/Creator/Source, good actors, bad actors, spirits, people, animals, upper world and lower world, the major point....be a good human, etc.)
Thanks for the thread

[mariamma]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Why must Goddess/God be called Allah, a king, prince, father, etc.? The answer is that it is impossible for words to define or explain God/Goddess. All that man can do is use the best words he knows for the greatest BEING, the SUPREME BEING, and uses these words because he can't find any other or a better one. "The difference between human words and Divine words is this: a human word is merely a pebble, it exists, and that's all, it's nothing else. The Divine word is a Living word like a grain of corn, one grain is not just one grain, it is hundreds of thousands of grains. In this grain, or Divine word is an essence, which is always multiplying and Showing the perfection in itself."-Hazrat Khan

Thank you for the quote. I usually say The Source because the term does not imply status on a power level. The Creator also works. The Great Spirit also works.
I do energy work. I have learned from my spirit guide that estrogen is the hormone you use to connect to the Source. Serotonin is another psychic hormone and it puts spirit energy into matter. I tend to piss people off a lot when I say this (especially spiritual men). I had a very hard time believing this and yet, all we do/think/feel is because of a hormone, neurotransmitter or other trace protein structure. Estrogen is the hormone that engenders grace, beauty, patience, respect, change, acceptance, etc. all the great traits of The Source.
We do get all this thru our perception, it's all filtered thru our personality type (for example, alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and all expressed thru the action or inaction of our hormones and neurotransmitters. The concept of God is so profoundly deep and beyond me at many moments during the day. It's good to get reminders that we're all in this together, we're all seeking, exploring and making sense of this path and we all are specks of light in the sparkling , dazzling eye of the Source.