Having gratitude for the big things in our lives is probably a real easy thing to do. We are thankful for our children, our home, our family, our job, etc., but how about the small blessings in our lives? I think it is probably more important that we practice focusing on the little, sometimes intangible blessings more than the larger, easy to recognize blessings, in order to help us recognize the multitude of miracles that happen in our lives on a daily basis!
My Intangible Blessings
This weekend, my husband and I attended the (Sold Out) San Diego ComicCon. It’s a convention of comic book collectors, artists, cartoons, Sci-Fi, gaming, and the fans. This was the first time we have ever gone, and it was the first time the convention was completely sold out, for all four days. My husband is a big comic book hero fan, and I thought it would be a nice birthday present for him and me to go.
Now, if you’ve read a previous post, you’ll know I prefer to stay away from crowded places. I was absolutely NOT looking forward to going to this, but for my husband, I would do it.
The big blessing that I have gratitude for is that I was able to procure the passes to ComicCon before it completely sold out, and my husband was so excited, and I felt really good about doing something for him.
The smaller blessing I am grateful for is that I actually enjoyed the experience! I feel gratitude because I remained clam and generally relaxed, even when the throngs of people were pushing me into other people, all in an effort to get a free t-shirt, or some other inconsequential freebie.
While we were gone, my mom took care of our two year old daughter, and I am grateful that she behaved herself, and did not jump off any high locations while grammie wasn’t looking.
Need Help?
Jack Canfield, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books, has a couple of wonderful books about gratitude, and a beautiful journal that you can use as a guide for recognizing the positive areas of your life to be grateful for.
I highly recommend spending a few minutes each day, writing about, or thinking about the little blessings in your life! Feel the gratitude, and expect more miracles!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Introducing God to Children
I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately. My daughter is two, and we do not attend any church services, or ascribe to any particular religion. I do believe in God. I think the different religions all know Him, but call Him by different names, and know Him only from a particular persective.
For instance, my maternal grandparents names were Esther and Floyd. I knew them as Grammie and Pop. Growing up, my mom called them Mom and Dad, and later she called them Mom and Pop. Most people outside of the family, would call them Esther and Floyd, and I always understood who they were talking about, and my grandparents always knew when someone was addressing them, verses someone else.
Then came a family reunion, and there were people calling them Toots and Buster (their childhood nicknames.) I had never heard them addressed by these names, and at first, couldn't understand who they were talking to! But my grandparents did, and even though these people used names that I was not familiar with, my grandparents were familiar with these names, and responded joyfully.
I believe that no matter what name we know God by, and no matter if we refer to God as He or She, God knows who we are addressing, and responds joyfully.
It is really important to me that I speak about God and to God with my daughter. Children really understand much more than we can imagine at this point in their lives; their minds are like little sponges, alway thirsty for more information about the world we live in and beyond!
I am really confident that I will be raising a child that, at the very least, understands the concept of God as the infinite, all powerful, being of love, compassion and creation. (No matter what name you know Him by!)
For instance, my maternal grandparents names were Esther and Floyd. I knew them as Grammie and Pop. Growing up, my mom called them Mom and Dad, and later she called them Mom and Pop. Most people outside of the family, would call them Esther and Floyd, and I always understood who they were talking about, and my grandparents always knew when someone was addressing them, verses someone else.
Then came a family reunion, and there were people calling them Toots and Buster (their childhood nicknames.) I had never heard them addressed by these names, and at first, couldn't understand who they were talking to! But my grandparents did, and even though these people used names that I was not familiar with, my grandparents were familiar with these names, and responded joyfully.
I believe that no matter what name we know God by, and no matter if we refer to God as He or She, God knows who we are addressing, and responds joyfully.
It is really important to me that I speak about God and to God with my daughter. Children really understand much more than we can imagine at this point in their lives; their minds are like little sponges, alway thirsty for more information about the world we live in and beyond!
I am really confident that I will be raising a child that, at the very least, understands the concept of God as the infinite, all powerful, being of love, compassion and creation. (No matter what name you know Him by!)
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Magical Mystery Of Numbers
I’ve always had an interest in numbers; not so much numerology, but how they can be seemingly magical. Well, take the number 9 for instance. Anytime you multiply any number by the number 9, the correct answer of the number will ALWAYS add up to 9. Example: 9 x 9 = 81 (8 + 1 = 9), 9 x 632 = 5688 (5 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 27; 2 + 7 = 9). Try it with any number multiplied by 9; the answer will always add up to 9, unless your answer is wrong. This magical trick with 9 is a great way to check to see if the answer is correct!
From what I understand about numerology, its history can be traced back to Greek, Chinese and Egyptian cultures, and has played a role in some Jewish and Christian traditions.
Like astrology, numerology as a practice, has survived quite a while, but astrology seems to have a greater general appeal, so it has been far more popular. I just got an image of a guy from the 70’s, laden with gold jewelry, approaching a woman with the line, “Hey babe, what’s your soul number?” But I digress…
I started thinking about numerology, and thought about getting a book, when I came across, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Numerology. It explains a lot about numerology without getting too complicated. It makes me wonder why astrology became so much more popular than numerology; numerology seems so much easier to figure out on your own!
13 has always been a lucky number for me. My husband and I were in our 13th year of marriage, when our beautiful miracle was born on Friday the 13th of January, 2006. Another cool thing is that when you add up the numbers: 1 (January) + 1 + 3 (for 13) + 2 + 0 + 0 + 6 (for 2006) = 13! My lucky number and my miracle child! When I look-up the number 4 (1+3=4), it has to do with a balance of energies. How cool!
Got a special number? Comments, as always, are welcome!
From what I understand about numerology, its history can be traced back to Greek, Chinese and Egyptian cultures, and has played a role in some Jewish and Christian traditions.
Like astrology, numerology as a practice, has survived quite a while, but astrology seems to have a greater general appeal, so it has been far more popular. I just got an image of a guy from the 70’s, laden with gold jewelry, approaching a woman with the line, “Hey babe, what’s your soul number?” But I digress…
I started thinking about numerology, and thought about getting a book, when I came across, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Numerology. It explains a lot about numerology without getting too complicated. It makes me wonder why astrology became so much more popular than numerology; numerology seems so much easier to figure out on your own!
13 has always been a lucky number for me. My husband and I were in our 13th year of marriage, when our beautiful miracle was born on Friday the 13th of January, 2006. Another cool thing is that when you add up the numbers: 1 (January) + 1 + 3 (for 13) + 2 + 0 + 0 + 6 (for 2006) = 13! My lucky number and my miracle child! When I look-up the number 4 (1+3=4), it has to do with a balance of energies. How cool!
Got a special number? Comments, as always, are welcome!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
My Greatest Miracle Of All
I sure that most parents think of their children as miracles, but there was a time in my life when I thought that I would never experience parenthood.
I was told that I would need fertility treatments in order to get pregnant. After I got married in 1992, I went to a specialist, and it sounded very promising until we got to the financial side of the process. Fertility treatments are not covered by insurance, and at the time, it was estimated that we would need to come-up with about ten thousand dollars for the first treatment. If that treatment did not work, they would talk to us about in vitro. No treatment was guaranteed to help me get pregnant, and I started to learn about the numerous couples who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on fertility treatments.
My husband and I considered getting a loan, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was not the right thing to do. My husband and I were both working at the time, and if we had a baby, I would not, could not leave my child with someone else so that I could continue working. If I stopped working, we would not have the money to pay back the loan.
It’s hard enough when you have a child, and are financially well off. If you’re already in the hole for thousands of dollars (excluding your house and car), what kind of life am I bringing a child into?
We decided to be the best aunt and uncle we could be to our nieces and nephews. I knew in my heart that God must have a plan for me. I can’t even begin to describe the soulful pain I had, because I wanted a child of my own. But I trusted that I would eventually be able to see His plan.
In 2005, my husband and I were approaching 13 years of marriage. I had been so sick for most of the year, and my doctor couldn’t find anything specific wrong with me. She eventually sent me for an ultrasound in October, when I found out why I was so sick; I was about six months pregnant!
My daughter Elisabeth is the greatest miracle I could have ever imagined for myself! (Which is why I have her picture at the top of my blog.) And as I was surfing the internet today, I found two books written by Deepok Chopra’s daughter, Mallika Chopra, titled, 100 Promises To My Baby and 100 Questions From My Child. Seeing these beautifully written books, inspired me to write about my greatest miracle of all, my daughter. Hopefully you will be inspired to leave a comment or two, and let me know about your miracles! I’d love to hear about them!
I was told that I would need fertility treatments in order to get pregnant. After I got married in 1992, I went to a specialist, and it sounded very promising until we got to the financial side of the process. Fertility treatments are not covered by insurance, and at the time, it was estimated that we would need to come-up with about ten thousand dollars for the first treatment. If that treatment did not work, they would talk to us about in vitro. No treatment was guaranteed to help me get pregnant, and I started to learn about the numerous couples who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on fertility treatments.
My husband and I considered getting a loan, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was not the right thing to do. My husband and I were both working at the time, and if we had a baby, I would not, could not leave my child with someone else so that I could continue working. If I stopped working, we would not have the money to pay back the loan.
It’s hard enough when you have a child, and are financially well off. If you’re already in the hole for thousands of dollars (excluding your house and car), what kind of life am I bringing a child into?
We decided to be the best aunt and uncle we could be to our nieces and nephews. I knew in my heart that God must have a plan for me. I can’t even begin to describe the soulful pain I had, because I wanted a child of my own. But I trusted that I would eventually be able to see His plan.
In 2005, my husband and I were approaching 13 years of marriage. I had been so sick for most of the year, and my doctor couldn’t find anything specific wrong with me. She eventually sent me for an ultrasound in October, when I found out why I was so sick; I was about six months pregnant!
My daughter Elisabeth is the greatest miracle I could have ever imagined for myself! (Which is why I have her picture at the top of my blog.) And as I was surfing the internet today, I found two books written by Deepok Chopra’s daughter, Mallika Chopra, titled, 100 Promises To My Baby and 100 Questions From My Child. Seeing these beautifully written books, inspired me to write about my greatest miracle of all, my daughter. Hopefully you will be inspired to leave a comment or two, and let me know about your miracles! I’d love to hear about them!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Manifesting Kindness
I’m a person who, generally, does not like to go out and do things like grocery shopping, going to the mall, etc. I actually LOVE shopping; it’s the people at these places that I can’t stand to be around!
So, what do I do to combat my negative feelings? I actually say to myself, “I am a kind person, who is courteous and friendly. I attract kindness and courtesy.”
Yesterday, I had to go into the store for some bread, and sitting in the magazine rack was a magazine I hadn’t seen before. It’s called, Spirituality & Health. Hmmm, sounds interesting, so I bought it.
After my two year old daughter went to bed, I started to read an article by Rabbi Rami Shapiro titled, Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler. It’s like a “Dear Abby” type of column. His answer to a person wanting to know how to go back to God if you have sinned against Him was so profound; it brought tears to my eyes!
Reading his column inspired me to check out other things that Rabbi Rami Shapiro has written. Oddly enough, his latest book is titled, The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness. I was able to find it at Amazon, and they have an excerpt that you can read. I find his writing to be very touching and profound, and since I try to manifest a positive experience at the store by attracting kindness, it’s very cool that I attracted his writings into my life!
Manifesting positive outcomes in life can be a bit surprising at times, and can happen in the most unexpected of ways! Expect the miracle of kindness!
So, what do I do to combat my negative feelings? I actually say to myself, “I am a kind person, who is courteous and friendly. I attract kindness and courtesy.”
Yesterday, I had to go into the store for some bread, and sitting in the magazine rack was a magazine I hadn’t seen before. It’s called, Spirituality & Health. Hmmm, sounds interesting, so I bought it.
After my two year old daughter went to bed, I started to read an article by Rabbi Rami Shapiro titled, Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler. It’s like a “Dear Abby” type of column. His answer to a person wanting to know how to go back to God if you have sinned against Him was so profound; it brought tears to my eyes!
Reading his column inspired me to check out other things that Rabbi Rami Shapiro has written. Oddly enough, his latest book is titled, The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness. I was able to find it at Amazon, and they have an excerpt that you can read. I find his writing to be very touching and profound, and since I try to manifest a positive experience at the store by attracting kindness, it’s very cool that I attracted his writings into my life!
Manifesting positive outcomes in life can be a bit surprising at times, and can happen in the most unexpected of ways! Expect the miracle of kindness!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
So, What Are You Dreaming About?
Dreams can describe our wants and goals in life, but in this post, I’ll be discussing the kind of dreams that happen when you’re asleep. Dreams are great indicators of where you are in life, where you’re going, and what you need to do. Dreams can also be precognitive, but not very often.
I have read many books about dream interpretation, but I own only one book, The Dream Book: Symbols for Self Understanding, by Betty Bethards. I connected with this book because Betty Bethards first tells you about dreams in general, how to remember them better, and how to interpret the symbols. She has a list of over 1,650 symbols and their meanings, but once you understand the connections, it’s real simple to interpret any dream.
For example, every once in a while, I dream about my teeth falling out. When I look up “teeth” in The Dream Book, I found out it means that things are overwhelming me, or that I feel overwhelmed by something. “Teeth falling out” is symbolic for “too tough to swallow.” Of course, Betty Bethards writes more than that on teeth in the book, but you get the idea.
Understanding our (sleeping) dreams can really help us understand how to achieve our (awake) dreams and goals in our lives. Sometimes they give us insight into how to solve a problem, or help to us see what the problems really are.
I have read many books about dream interpretation, but I own only one book, The Dream Book: Symbols for Self Understanding, by Betty Bethards. I connected with this book because Betty Bethards first tells you about dreams in general, how to remember them better, and how to interpret the symbols. She has a list of over 1,650 symbols and their meanings, but once you understand the connections, it’s real simple to interpret any dream.
For example, every once in a while, I dream about my teeth falling out. When I look up “teeth” in The Dream Book, I found out it means that things are overwhelming me, or that I feel overwhelmed by something. “Teeth falling out” is symbolic for “too tough to swallow.” Of course, Betty Bethards writes more than that on teeth in the book, but you get the idea.
Understanding our (sleeping) dreams can really help us understand how to achieve our (awake) dreams and goals in our lives. Sometimes they give us insight into how to solve a problem, or help to us see what the problems really are.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
You CAN Heal YOUR Life!
I can remember a time in my life when I felt like nothing was good. I felt completely unsuccessful, nobody liked me, I'll never find a man who will love me, you name it. All the negativity that I felt, and lived in, was horrific.
Then one day, I was in a book store with my mom, and she found a book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. She had heard from a friend that it was a good book, and thought I should read it, so she bought it for me.
You Can Heal Your Life was the definitive beginning of my spiritual, emotional and physical transformation. What I mean by this, is Louise Hay was able to speak to me, through her writing, in a way that I could understand. I am responsible for my situation. I am responsible for my poor relationships. I am responsible for my own happiness and well being.
"What!", is exactly what I was thinking at first. I went through the, "Yeah, but you don't know how hard it is for me because..." stage. I think everybody feels like that at one point or another in their life. In You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay loving lets you know how you are creating certain situations and, more importantly, how to stop creating them!
Louise Hay also shares her personal story. Believe me, she did not write You Can Heal Your Life based on theoretical ideas, she wrote it based on how she was able to overcome her battle with cancer, and shares true methods in detail on how to create health and overall wellness in your life.
The first time I read You Can Heal Your Life, I was just getting over a nasty break-up with some jerky guy, and although I didn't exactly realize that I should never have gone out with him back then, I felt as though I would never find a good man, who will love me as much as I love him. So, that was the part of my life that I wanted to heal.
I followed Louise Hay's instructions to the letter. I wrote out my personal affirmations, and I taped them to my bathroom mirror. Every time I went into my bathroom, I looked into the mirror and recited my affirmations. I thought long and hard about the qualities that I wanted for my boyfriend/future husband. I wrote down the qualities, and kept them in my purse.
About two moths after reading You Can Heal Your Life, and doing the things Louise Hay wrote about, I found a great new job. About two months after that, I started dating the man who later became my loving husband. We have been married for 15, going on 16 years!
I love the You Can Heal Your Life book so much, and know how much it can help you to make a better life, that I bought it for a friend, Gina.
Gina always seemed to be one of those people who hardly had anything good happening in her life. Always something or someone who was making her feel miserable. I think we've all had a friend like that at some point in our lives, and we can either choose to commiserate with that person, and feel sorry for ourselves together, or we can choose to give them the tools to help themselves, and create a positive role model for them. I chose to help her find the positive side of her life, and we helped each other out during difficult times, using the methods we learned in You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
I just recently learned that Louise Hay has a movie out also! This is exciting to me, being a fan for so many years. It's called: You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie. So, if you're not interested in reading the book, I would recommend the movie. Now that I know about it, I'm going to go out and buy it for myself. I'll write a review in the future, or if someone has already seen it, and wants to give a shout-out about it, I encourage your comments!
Click here to watch the trailer for You Can Heal Your Life:The Movie!
Then one day, I was in a book store with my mom, and she found a book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. She had heard from a friend that it was a good book, and thought I should read it, so she bought it for me.
You Can Heal Your Life was the definitive beginning of my spiritual, emotional and physical transformation. What I mean by this, is Louise Hay was able to speak to me, through her writing, in a way that I could understand. I am responsible for my situation. I am responsible for my poor relationships. I am responsible for my own happiness and well being.
"What!", is exactly what I was thinking at first. I went through the, "Yeah, but you don't know how hard it is for me because..." stage. I think everybody feels like that at one point or another in their life. In You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay loving lets you know how you are creating certain situations and, more importantly, how to stop creating them!
Louise Hay also shares her personal story. Believe me, she did not write You Can Heal Your Life based on theoretical ideas, she wrote it based on how she was able to overcome her battle with cancer, and shares true methods in detail on how to create health and overall wellness in your life.
The first time I read You Can Heal Your Life, I was just getting over a nasty break-up with some jerky guy, and although I didn't exactly realize that I should never have gone out with him back then, I felt as though I would never find a good man, who will love me as much as I love him. So, that was the part of my life that I wanted to heal.
I followed Louise Hay's instructions to the letter. I wrote out my personal affirmations, and I taped them to my bathroom mirror. Every time I went into my bathroom, I looked into the mirror and recited my affirmations. I thought long and hard about the qualities that I wanted for my boyfriend/future husband. I wrote down the qualities, and kept them in my purse.
About two moths after reading You Can Heal Your Life, and doing the things Louise Hay wrote about, I found a great new job. About two months after that, I started dating the man who later became my loving husband. We have been married for 15, going on 16 years!
I love the You Can Heal Your Life book so much, and know how much it can help you to make a better life, that I bought it for a friend, Gina.
Gina always seemed to be one of those people who hardly had anything good happening in her life. Always something or someone who was making her feel miserable. I think we've all had a friend like that at some point in our lives, and we can either choose to commiserate with that person, and feel sorry for ourselves together, or we can choose to give them the tools to help themselves, and create a positive role model for them. I chose to help her find the positive side of her life, and we helped each other out during difficult times, using the methods we learned in You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
I just recently learned that Louise Hay has a movie out also! This is exciting to me, being a fan for so many years. It's called: You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie. So, if you're not interested in reading the book, I would recommend the movie. Now that I know about it, I'm going to go out and buy it for myself. I'll write a review in the future, or if someone has already seen it, and wants to give a shout-out about it, I encourage your comments!
Click here to watch the trailer for You Can Heal Your Life:The Movie!
Monday, June 30, 2008
What Is The Secret?
So what is all the hub-bub about this movie/book about The Secret? Does it tell people that God is dead? Does it tell people that they have to shun their religious beliefs for a new one in order to create successes in their lives? Is it anti-religious?
The Secret was created by a woman, Rhonda Byrne, who was struggling in her life. Her daughter gave her a book, which lead her on her own spiritual journey to find more information about the successful spiritual and secular leaders throughout history. Once she started to uncover the similarities between them, she came to understand what they all had in common, their secret. No, she does not try to tell people that God is dead. No, she does not tell people they have to shun their own religious beliefs. No, it is not anti-religious.
It is all about the power of positive thinking! Okay, so how many of you just rolled your eyes into the back of your head, because you've heard the "positive thinking" thing about a million times? I know, you think that it just won't work for you because of your unusual circumstances! Well, to that I would say, "You're right!"
Then, I would tell you to read the quote that I have as a subtitle to my blog page. It's a quote from Henry Ford that says, "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." It is a quote that is also used in The Secret. I LOVE that quote! It reminds me that I can choose to think about the good, positive things and people who are a part of my life (and a part of my future), otherwise known as my blessings, OR I can choose to dwell on the negative things, illnesses, people, wrongs that have happened, or could potentially happen.
What The Secret has taught me, which is different from other "positive thinking" stuff I have learned about in the past, is that if I'm given a choice to say, "I can" and attract the things I really want, verses saying, "I can't" and attracting the things I don't want, why not say, "I CAN!"?
For example, instead of thinking about the things you don't want to happen, start thinking about the things you want to happen. An example they use in The Secret
is, if you need to be somewhere on time, and you think, "I don't want to be late", then you will probably be late. You are focusing on being late, instead of focusing on being on-time. For this exanple, you might want to say, "I'm on time."
The Secretis a lot more than what I can fully explain on this blog. personally, I have the set of The SecretCD's in my car, and I listen to it whenever I drive somewhere. It's especially great listening on long trips! It seems I always learn something else, or remember something I listened to on another occasion, but didn't actually hear.
The Secret was created by a woman, Rhonda Byrne, who was struggling in her life. Her daughter gave her a book, which lead her on her own spiritual journey to find more information about the successful spiritual and secular leaders throughout history. Once she started to uncover the similarities between them, she came to understand what they all had in common, their secret. No, she does not try to tell people that God is dead. No, she does not tell people they have to shun their own religious beliefs. No, it is not anti-religious.
It is all about the power of positive thinking! Okay, so how many of you just rolled your eyes into the back of your head, because you've heard the "positive thinking" thing about a million times? I know, you think that it just won't work for you because of your unusual circumstances! Well, to that I would say, "You're right!"
Then, I would tell you to read the quote that I have as a subtitle to my blog page. It's a quote from Henry Ford that says, "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." It is a quote that is also used in The Secret. I LOVE that quote! It reminds me that I can choose to think about the good, positive things and people who are a part of my life (and a part of my future), otherwise known as my blessings, OR I can choose to dwell on the negative things, illnesses, people, wrongs that have happened, or could potentially happen.
What The Secret has taught me, which is different from other "positive thinking" stuff I have learned about in the past, is that if I'm given a choice to say, "I can" and attract the things I really want, verses saying, "I can't" and attracting the things I don't want, why not say, "I CAN!"?
For example, instead of thinking about the things you don't want to happen, start thinking about the things you want to happen. An example they use in The Secret
is, if you need to be somewhere on time, and you think, "I don't want to be late", then you will probably be late. You are focusing on being late, instead of focusing on being on-time. For this exanple, you might want to say, "I'm on time."The Secret
is a lot more than what I can fully explain on this blog. personally, I have the set of The SecretCD's in my car, and I listen to it whenever I drive somewhere. It's especially great listening on long trips! It seems I always learn something else, or remember something I listened to on another occasion, but didn't actually hear.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Spirituality Versus Religion
What does it mean to be "spiritual" versus being "religious"?
To me, being religious means that you follow a leader who has probably had specific training to be in the position of leadership. It is important that a follower believes the leader will teach them how to better people in this life, in order to make it to an even better life after they die. I know that as someone reads my definition, that there will be all kinds of other specifics, and those depend on which religion you affiliate yourself with, or have knowledge of. But in the broad sense, that is my definition, and I mean only to define it, and not pass judgement on any religion.
Being spiritual on the other hand, means a person has a personal relationship, apart from teachings or someone in a leadership position, with a higher power. The higher power could be known as God, Jesus, Jehovah, Buddha, etc.
Most people, especially my grandmothers, were both; spiritual and religious. I have such a great love and admiration of them both, but for me, following a person (or any leader for that matter) without question is very uncomfortable. I know there are other levels of following, and it doesn't mean that good, quality, religious leadership isn't out there.
For me, I don't consider myself to be religious, but I do consider myself to be spiritual. I don't knock any religion, or religious person; it's just not for me. I enjoy learning about different religious and spiritual beliefs, and the more I learn on my own, the stronger I am in my relationship with God.
To me, being religious means that you follow a leader who has probably had specific training to be in the position of leadership. It is important that a follower believes the leader will teach them how to better people in this life, in order to make it to an even better life after they die. I know that as someone reads my definition, that there will be all kinds of other specifics, and those depend on which religion you affiliate yourself with, or have knowledge of. But in the broad sense, that is my definition, and I mean only to define it, and not pass judgement on any religion.
Being spiritual on the other hand, means a person has a personal relationship, apart from teachings or someone in a leadership position, with a higher power. The higher power could be known as God, Jesus, Jehovah, Buddha, etc.
Most people, especially my grandmothers, were both; spiritual and religious. I have such a great love and admiration of them both, but for me, following a person (or any leader for that matter) without question is very uncomfortable. I know there are other levels of following, and it doesn't mean that good, quality, religious leadership isn't out there.
For me, I don't consider myself to be religious, but I do consider myself to be spiritual. I don't knock any religion, or religious person; it's just not for me. I enjoy learning about different religious and spiritual beliefs, and the more I learn on my own, the stronger I am in my relationship with God.
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