A Moment: All too Soon Lost in Time?

Leap Year Day ... A moment all too soon to be lost in time?  "Time's hands held in perpetual blind" for the next four years ... Hmmm ... What will you do with your 'extra' day, I wonder?  Will you  embrace the everyday and mundane yet again?  Or will you do something wild and crazy ... color outside your lines for a change?

Me?  Well, I am working up the courage to follow through on a wild and crazy idea I had almost a year ago to this day.  So it would seem that perhaps timing is everything.  It has something to do with my own personal religion, in a manner of speaking. It will be slightly painful, but I am tired and numb these days anyway (with extreme, prolonged lack of sleep), so perhaps I shan't really take notice of the pain? Physical pain is fleeting anyway when compared to emotional pain, is it not?  


Here's a clue for my wild and crazy about to do  ...

Well here's to you:  I'm blowing a heartfelt wish your way, for you to find courage to embrace your unknown and color outside the lines.  Have a Happy Leap Year Day whatever you happen to do with this extra day.  Leave me a comment and share your wild and crazy, if you dare. 


Peace & Love. ♥

~Isa



P.S.   I just learned that the Catholic Church is even venturing to color a bit outside its own lines, in a manner of speaking, by announcing today that it will be releasing 100 documents from the Vatican Secret Archives for viewing by the general public starting March 1, 2012 and running through Septemember 2012.  Most intriguing, wouldn't you agree?  The student of history in me thinks it might be time to venture on over to Italy once again. 


[Too bad I am not really in a mood to travel via commercial air anytime soon.  My last experience with TSA security, on my way to Hawaii, was not at all pleasant. It will take quite a bit for me to muster the courage up to go through that anytime again soon. I even have a free airline ticket just waiting to be used too ... Wouldn't be so bad if I actually felt that all of the TSA infringements actually made airline travel truly any safer. Perhaps TSA would do well to heed my advice to Republican Presidential Candidates: "Let's keep our eye on THE ball." ... I think, right now, the TSA is trying to juggle too many balls. One of these days --in the very near future-- I fear that they will drop one. ]

Games People Play ...

"Games People Play"

Wonder if there is some religion to be found in here?

Song:  "Gates of Istanbul", By Loreena McKennit.  Album: "An Ancient Muse."

I found a piece of home ...

This image came up as a search tag for my blog?  Such a beautiful painting, is it not?  Wonderful illuminating vision by the artist, Elizabeth Osborne.  She surely transports me right into the middle of this field of glorious poppies.  I love poppies.  They are so wild and free.  One of my favorite flowers.  I have many wonderful memories of running through fields of these beauties ... barefoot of course ... chasing after ladybugs and butterflies.  This was during my days in northern California at about 9-11 years of age.

Image Source

I saw this painting and instantly felt such an overwhelming sense of peace.  This scene was a piece of home for me, a piece of me ... my own personal religion.  Think, this Spring I will have to drive down to California, kick off my shoes and go running through a field of poppies once again.  Been awhile since I went chasing after butterflies.  This will definitely be a photo capture for inclusion in my "finding my religion" photo series.

I did finally sleep and last night I dreamt of Syria.  I was a young mother, living there with small children ... My dream was so very real:  It was as if I was seeing the nightmare currently unfolding in the real world, in Syria, through the eyes of another.  In my dream it was the French who stepped up to the plate and finally got the ball rolling with respect to actually helping these people by sending in ground troops with NATO backing. We shall see if my 'vision' comes to pass?  In the meantime, I am still diligently and wholeheartedly praying for the women, children and men of Syria.  May God Bless them, each and everyone, and keep them safe until the rest of the world finds the courage to finally take decisive and meaningful action.

Contraception Mandate: "Fear is not an effective choice or method for enlightenment of the soul."

Today, there are no images ... only much soul searching which has evolved into words ...

I know, I said that I would be gone for the rest of this month ... focusing on images rather than words, but the current controversy over the Obama-care "contraception mandate" has been weighing heavily on my mind and my spirit.   Thus, I seem to have been compelled by my spirit to find my words to speak.  If you read nothing else in this post, please read at least the very last paragraph (of the initial post) ... Thank you.

Obama-care rears its ugly head yet again?  This time the controversy stems from a newly unveiled aspect of Obama-care in which government has mandated the requirement that coverage for contraception medications and procedures be provided as standard provisions in healthcare coverage offered by employers.  Exemptions are provided for religious institutions (churches, synagogues, etc.) whose primary function is that of religious worship.  This exemption provision, however, is not extended to secondary institutions run by religious institutions such as hospitals and universities.

Naturally, leaders of religious institutions that are "morally opposed" to contraception in any form immediately took issue to this recent government mandate.  The largest and loudest complainant has come from the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church and other supporters of "religious freedoms" claim  that government is overstepping its constitutional authority by forcing religious institutions --even at the secondary level of religious run hospitals and universities ...many of which receive government funding-- to provide for services which they find "morally reprehensible."   

I suspect that the above religious institutions do indeed have a legal, constitutionally-backed argument to support their claim as outlined above.  While I am opposed to government stepping on an individual's or institution's right to exercise religious freedom in any instance :   I do happen to approve of the government providing for  inclusion of contraception medications and procedures as standard provisions for healthcare coverage.  Contraception coverage, whether religious opponents like it or not, is a vital part of women's health in this day and age.  A woman being able to choose when she will have children and how many children she will have has revolutionized the lives of women and their families for the better.  Women can now have careers, choices and interests beyond bearing and raising children.  Contraception has also helped to greatly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, which has reduced the number of instances where a woman would even want to contemplate abortion.  I do not like that the 'morning-after pill' may be included in this contraception coverage, as I am personally opposed to abortion ... but once again it is an individual decision and also an individual freedom to choose whether or not to use contraception medications and procedures.  The individual will have to weigh the moral implications, if any, of the contraception services that they personally will choose to use for themselves.  I, personally, find the attempt by some on the religious right to lump all forms of contraception into the same category as abortion "morally reprehensible."

[ Side Note:   The argument that women (and men) can simply go elsewhere to get the contraception medications and services that they need is ludicrous.  Costs for medications and services not covered directly by primary healthcare insurance in the United States, in this day and age, are undeniably outrageous.  It makes me a bit angry to hear prominent individuals dismissively claiming that individuals can get contraception medications "for free" elsewhere if these medications are not provided for by their comprehensive healthcare insurance.   The news commentator Bill O'reilly, of FOX News, said on his broadcast just yesterday that birth control pills can be gotten "at any clinic [by anyone] for free."  Mr. O'reilly should verify his facts before he rattles off statements such as this as fact.  I was unable to obtain birth controls for free when I was in college, because I worked my way through college and made "too much money"  to qualify for "free pills."  My HMO insurance did not provide coverage for contraception services at the time.  The $60.00 a month cost for the pills was a heavy burden for me as a struggling college student. Coverage for birth control pills under my health insurance plan would have lowered the price that I had to pay out of my pocket quite considerably. While it is true that some low-income individuals will be able find clinics that will provide birth control pills at little to no costs, this option is not available for most moderate income earners where the cost of about $60.00 per month equates to a daughter being able to take dance lessons, children learning Taekwondo or Karate ... a child learning to play a musical instrument.  These are real choices facing real people.  .  For me, as for many women, becoming pregnant before I finished my degree would have most likely meant that I would not have completed my degree (and yes, I was married in college).  And as for the argument:  "if you don't like the rules, then don't play" (go get a job with another employer or attend another university) ... In this lousy economy of the past four years the ability to "play" somewhere else has been severely limited for many. 

Based on recent comments by Bill O'reilly and his surrogates (specifically, Laura Ingram): It seems to me that the "no-spin zone" of the "O'reilly Factor" has lost some of its credibility lately in neutralizing 'spin'.  Laura Ingram's interview with the Reverend Katherine Ragsdale, President of Episcopal Divinity School of MA, was so blatantly biased and disrespectful.  I have to give Reverend Ragsdale credit for not biting on Ingram's pointed jabs and line of irrelevant questioning in an effort to discredit this guest in the eyes of the viewing audience.  Reverend Ragsdale made some very well articulated and valid points in this interview, despite Ingram's repeated attempts to derail her.   I know that the issues relating to religious freedom can lead to heated discussions, but I found Lauren Ingram's behavior in this interview to be highly unprofessional.  I will be writing a letter to FOX news about this interview.  ]

Today, the Obama administration issued a statement declaring that religious secondary institutions (e.g., Catholic-run hospitals and universities) will no longer be required to provide the mandated "contraception coverage" as a part of their comprehensive healthcare packages.  The contraception coverage will now be offered separately to employees directly from (and exclusively through) the insurance provider itself, with funding for the services coming from the government and/or savings resulting from the issurance companies not having to cover costs associated with unwanted pregnancies and additional dependents. In this way, the individual can choose for themselves whether or not they want to have the contraception coverage without having to involve the perceived sanctioning of contraception services by religious institutions themselves. 

In sum, religious entities such as the Catholic Church now have their "freedom of conscience" and the additional exemption from the mandated compliance for their secondary institutions.  Sadly, I suspect that even this concession will not be sufficient for the Church and other religious opponents to contraception.  Constitutionally and legally --though the courts will likely have the final say on this-- the Catholic Church and other religious entities now effectively have what they wanted:  the right to exercise their "freedom of religion" and "freedom of conscience."  What will they do next?  Will the self-righteousness of religion rear its ugly head by continuing to press for further concessions (i.e., insistance that contraception services will not be made available to the employees at their hospitals and universities under any circumstances)?  Perhaps, Obama-care will wind up being repealed in the near future and all of this will become a mute point?  Though, I do hope that the inclusion of access to contraception medications and services in standard healthcare coverage will remain in place or be addressed through subsequent, separate legislation.  I strongly feel that the availability of contraception coverage in standard healthcare insurance is an important issue facing women and their families.  I applaud the current administration for having the courage to address this need for reform even though their timing may have been politically motivated and the manner of implementation could have been better thought out before its unveiling.

While I do concede that our U.S. Constitution guarantees that our government cannot be allowed to force the Catholic Church, or any other religious institution, to provide* for "contraception services" :  It seems somewhat ironic to me that religious institutions and individuals fail to make the distinction between holding a moral convinction or belief and the infliction of those convinctions upon others (e.g., pharmacists who refuse to dispense prescribed birth control pills to patients).  In my humble opinion, being a former Catholic --baptized, raised and married in the Catholic faith, who had all three of my children baptized in the Catholic Church-- the biggest shortcoming of the Catholic Church, and many other religions, is their ongoing failure to recognize that the role of the Church should be to provide spiritual guidance not to pass judgment or to coerce the behavior of individuals by using fear (of social reprisal or "eternal damnation") or by withholding medical services in order to conform to the Church's standard of a perceived moral code.  Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use contraception should be between the individual ... the conscience of the individual ... and God.  We are each of us on a spiritual journey in this life, here to make our own choices to the best of our individual abilities based upon our own experiences, interpretations, and a relationship with God, our Creator.  The choices that we make directly translate into the ongoing evolution of our spiritual being and ultimately determine the state of our immortal soul. No one can make the choices for us ... Our choices have to be fully processed, embraced in the heart, mind and soul and fear is not an effective choice or method for enlightenment of the soul.

Perhaps, we would all do well to stop for a moment and consider the contraception aspect --the constitutional aspect being momentarily set aside-- of this debate from another perspective:  "What would Jesus do?" Would Jesus pass judgement and condemn?  Is there a single direct Biblical instance of Jesus ever inflicting His personal beliefs or convictions forcefully upon another? 

*[It looks as if it will likely be left to the courts to determine the legal and constitutional definition of "provide".]





1/11/2012   ... I do not deny that the unveiling of this mandate at this point in time and in the fashion in which it was done was a politically motivated tactic by the current administration in a effort to galvanize Obama's voting base (women in particular) for the upcoming November 2012 Presidential Election.  That being said, if the Catholic Church is wise: they will take their first amendment victory that was conceded by the Obama Administration yesterday and let this debate cease right here and now.  The latter will effectively take the wind out the Obama's campaign sails.  Then, if needs be, this issue can be taken up in the courts after the election.  There is also the distinct possibility that Obama-care will end up being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or repealed by a newly elected Republican President.  If either of the latter happens all of the debate with respect to this specific mandate and its method of implementation becomes a mute point.


1/12/2021 ... As I have said before, "It's still not about class warfare.  Just like its not about a perceived moral victory" (re: Republican Presidential Primary). And for the time being, maybe it should not be about a woman's right to "pursue, Life, Liberty and happiness" by being guaranteed unhindered, affordable access to basic contraception medications and services?  The politics of polarization and division have brought this country to its knees. Obama, I think, is hoping to cash in on the ongoing divisions in our country in order to benefit his re-election campaign by using the strategy of "Divide and Conquer." What we've been doing these past 3++ years hasn't been working; It's time to try something NEW!  It's time for us to throw down our sticks and to extend our hands towards one another in an a concerted effort to try to find common ground so that "We the People" can save our country from its final demise.  We have real issues facing our nation (as I've outlined in previous posts) and ... We need real solutions to implement that will unite us as a strong nation in order to get America back up on its feet again and stave off looming disaster.  "United we stand; Divided we [shall innevitably] fall."


1/14/2012 ... While the Catholic Church and others opposed to the "contraception mandate" have argued forcefully, repeatedly, and rather dismissively that this is "not about contraception": IT IS. For the Church and its champions to dismiss the medical aspect of this legislation entirely is rather an arrogant and dangerous posture to assume ... especially in light of the upcoming 2012 Presidential Election.  The contraception mandate legislation, while controversial and inflammatory in its initial wording and method of implementation, does addresses a vital problem facing women (and men) in healthcare today:  unhindered access to affordable contraception medications and procedures as fewer than 28 states have any sort of law requiring inclusion of contraception medications and services in standard healthcare insurance. The Obama-care Contraception Mandate addresses access and affordability requirements across the board for ALL employers in the United States --NOT JUST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND OTHER RELIGIOUS EMPLOYERS-- in an effort to include a vital aspect of healthcare as standard in healthcare insurance packages offered by employers to their employees.

 The "First Amendment" issue, now being rallied around, was a subsequent issue that has evolved from this contraception mandate legislation, but the underlying need and principle healthcare issue still remain.  The Catholic Church, religious right and conservatives news commentators need to show a bit more sensitivity (i.e., acknowledgement for the legitimacy of the underlying healthcare issue) to the principle issue from a healthcare standpoint lest their words, arguments and actions further fuel the stereotype that so many Americans already have of these religious groups and thereby the Republican Party itself by default ... That is to say, that while political posturing around the First Amendment issue may rally the conservative base:  the blatant and arrogant dismissal of the underlying issue (medical need) will simultaneously trumpet a timely reminder to moderates, independents and the rest of the country that they should remain fearful of any leadership (presidential candidates) coming from a political party comprised of persuasive religious factions whose actions and words, now and in the past, have caused the conservative base and its party to be perceived as being the party of  "fiercely rigid inflexibility, narrow-mindedness, intolerance and arrogance [self-righteousness]."

In sum Catholics, religious conservatives and others championing the First Amendment infringement of the Obama-care contraception mandate should tread carefully.  At present, your actions and words are just fanning the Obama re-election campaign momentum.  I'm not saying that you do not have a legitimate First Amendment argument; I am simply pointing out the need to show some genuine sensitivity for the other side of the issue.  Unfortunately, this is not simple mathematics where two negatives multiply for an end positive result. Two infringements ... "two wrongs, do not make a right."  


One last thought:  timing is everything.




Additional Thoughts on the "Contraception Issue" with respect to party politics & losing women voters:

"Where Have All the Good Men Gone?"
"Follow-up: Where Have All the Good Men Gone?"
"Contraception: A Possible Win-Win ..."   (summary and final basic conclusions)

Finding My Religion ...

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence."   ~Ansel Adams

"Mt. McKinley, Wonder Lake", By Ansel Adams

Image Source

The above photograph is one of my favorite Ansel Adams images.  Per the quote:  that is what I am doing these days ... being quiet and focusing on images rather than words.  I am currently focused on taking some photos for my "finding my religion" series ...

Me doing what I LOVE : )

Peace and Love and I'll probably be back next month if all goes well. ♥

These Feet ...

A poem that evolved from yesterday's ponderings.   This is a work in progress, as am I ...

Image Source

"These Feet"

1    Walk, skip, run ...

2    And when I'm lucky, dance with these feet  the Creator,

3    In His infinite wisdom unto me so gifted.

4    I will walk through this journey, my so-called life,

5    Joyful arms out-lifted on a glorious adventure unscripted. 

6    Free-will  our inheritance enlisted,

7    These feet carry a warrior with a gentle heart,

8    Willfully serving His higher purpose.

9     His voice ever near and endlessly heeded,

10   I am an empty vessel waiting  to be filled ...

11   A burning spirit, sealed in fire, watching, waiting,

12   Listening, ready to be used as I am needed.

13   Renouncing Fear , these feet journey ever forward

14   Knowing full well moments there shall call

15   Where these feet shall scarcely find the will to crawl.

16   To my knees then will I swiftly fall, but even then

17   Fear will NOT rule:  my will remains immune to worldly strife.

18   Unyielding Faith in the Creator breathes me Life.

19   My spirit calls unto Him to fill up the

20   Empty wanting that in this darkness is me ...

21   In my Valley of Darkness safe from harm

22   The Creator will me keep.  With His Infinite Love

23   And Merciful Grace, He renews a weary me.

24   Therefore, I shall not with worldly tears weep. 

25   Fortifying my strength, opening eyes, mind, heart and soul:

26   He fills me up and makes me once again whole.

27   Thus renewed, these free-willed feet

28   Choose to resume His Divine Bidding.

29   Joyful steps these feet trace in the sands of a so-called life,

30   Mindfully infused with Heaven's Eternal Pace:

31   The Cosmic Beat set with Supreme Perfection

32   Unto Nature's Rhythmic Feet  ...

33   With Nature, I strive to be One.

34   So move these feet, ever forward in motion,

35   A glorious notion in aid to simple hands;

36   A paired will awaits:  there to do as He insights.

@Copyrighted Poem, 2012.  All Rights Reserved:  Isabelle Black Smith.

“It is the marriage of the soul with Nature that makes the intellect fruitful, and gives birth to imagination.” ~Henry David Thoreau

The Shoes Make the Man?

I seem to be beating this cold.  It doesn't stand a chance.  Doomed to fail ... It picked the wrong host. ; )

Not many images and words flowing from me these days, but I did finally sleep some.  Now, I am feeling restless and need to go for a run.  So that must be a sign that I'm on the mend.

Image Source

Thinking about shoes today and how I'm not a big fan of shoes.  I love being barefoot ... well, when its practical and sometimes even when its not.  Anyhow, I am thinking about feet ... How they carry us where we want to go.  They enable us to 'pursue our dreams' in a manner of speaking.   Then my thoughts skip to the saying "The shoes make the man."  Do people really a judge a man by his shoes?  How shallow ... to my way of thinking anyhow.  Then the image of Jesus washing Peter's feet (I posted a painting of this story image from the Bible a few days back, in my post labeled "Jury Duty") comes to mind.  The latter Bible story really struck a chord with me as a small child and does even now to this day.

I often have dreams where feet are a part of the dream.  What does that mean?  Just a few days back, I wrote a post about reincarnation and a dream I have had of late that revolves around a pair of stolen shoes. I have also had a recurring nightmare for many years where I am running barefoot through the night and my feet are being cut and badly bruised along the way ... then in the middle of the dream my feet are washed just before the real horror of the nightmare unfolds.

I know 'feet' seem an odd thing to ponder, but at times my mind has a will of its own.  Although, I am quite often surprised at some of the profound places my strange pondering ends up leading me.  Where will this pondering of feet ... shoes ... go?  I haven't a clue.  I'm off to go for a run now; I'll let you know if I reach any profound conclusions along the way.



Peace & Love,
~M





Early morning ... It is nearly my magic hour of 3:00 a.m.  I seldom can sleep before this time unless I take sleeping pills which I don't like to do.  Well after my run, my fingers found a movie centering around the dance of Tango.  Very apropos ... Feet dance when the spirit is so moved.  Our feet carry us through life and if we are lucky ... fortunate ... enough we get to dance along the way, right?  It also occured to me while watching this movie, that dance is perhaps something that can bridge cultural and regional lines or differences maybe?  Dance is a language unto itself and a universal language at that?  Throughout the ages, and around the globe, are there not countless instances of man engaged in  dance?  We all share perhaps the inate ability to be moved to motion ... to dance ... when the music moves us.

I have to smile.  The universe moves in mysterious ways does it not?  Tango anyone?

Jury Duty ...

My call to the New Year was ushered in by a summons to jury duty ... which got me to thinking about the word "righteousness."   Righteousness (the act of being righteous ... the act of being righteous is perhaps what bothers me and not so much the notion that something could be righteous?) is a word that I have never really liked or well understood, and sitting here today I am thinking that 'righteousness' is a BIG part of what's wrong with the world today ... what's wrong with America today ... and why so many people in the world today (especially our youth) are offended by religion in general ... why there seems to be a push back against religion in the name of  "separation  of church and state", in the form of so-called "secularism", this past decade especially.

I think often times religious people, people of faith, have a tendency to be perceived as self-righteous and that immediately puts many of those they encounter, in daily life, on the offensive ... even before a general dialogue begins to unfold.  I know many religious texts speak of a 'Righteous' God, but to my way of thinking, Our Creator displays anything but righteousness ... even though He IS by definition righteous. My reading of the Bible shows me numerous instances of God as a loving, forgiving and merciful God.  The very fact that God was willing to humble himself by taking on flesh in order to endure the human experience as Jesus, His Son, speaks to Our Creator's wisdom in His willingness to embrace humility ...

"Jesus Washing Peter's Feet at the Last Supper", By Ford Madox Brown

(Image Courtesy of ArtMagick.com)

I don't know:  I don't have all of the answers sitting here before me at this very moment ... This is just where my thoughts happen to be wondering this day.  I'll have to see where my pondering leads?  Feel free to leave me your thoughts here, in a comment, if you would like.  I welcome additional insights and other points of view.

I do think that all to often one of the most basic flaws of the 'human condition' is our tendency to jump to conclusions and to judge others from a perspective that is anything but Peace & Love so prominently evident in the words and actions of Jesus Christ throughout his life.

A Church, with no walls ... one God and one people.

What I believe ...

"A Church with no walls ..."

@Copyrighted Image 2010, Michelle C. of whatplanetareyoulivingon.blogspot.com.

All Rights Reserved.

I probably shouldn't be writing this when I am tired, but the words are flowing rapidly through my mind so I am hoping that perhaps they are divinely inspired.  Thus, I will try to capture all of these thoughts swirling about in my mind into something a bit more tangible, black and white ('ink').  First, let me start by stating that religion is not a subject I often choose to discuss with others, especially my parents.  For the most part, my philosophy on religion is "live and let live", meaning each person must travel the path they find best suited for the individual journey they find themselves on in this particular lifetime.  As for my parents, they are very old school and  quite frankly --at this point-- rigidly set in their ways. They have a strong belief in a higher power, that is to say they believe in God and as such they have found a way to worship that they are comfortable with in the Catholic faith. Knowing this about them, I feel no need to share my present day --after years of suffering and the subsequent spiritual evolution thereof-- ideas and personal beliefs on the subject of 'religion' with them.  For some reason, of late, they continue to press on this subject matter: religion and faith. So tonight, I shared my thoughts and feelings with them, but perhaps I did not accomplish the task in the most eloquent way? It's hard to keep the emotional element that comes with a deep pondering of the spiritual aspects of ones life, especially when you happen to be talking with your parents and basically saying --to their way of thinking-- that you reject "everything they taught you to believe." With this in mind, here follows the basic gist of the unemotional version of my thoughts on the subject matter of faith and religion, bearing in mind that to my way of thinking two are not mutually exclusive.


My parents wonder:  1) "Why don't you go to church every Sunday?"

2) "Why have you chosen to practice outside of the Catholic faith?"

3) "It says in the Bible that the only way to get to the Father is through the Son. Don't you believe in Jesus? Don't you believe that the Bible is THE Word of God?"


Okay, before I get into the semantics of religion, let me first say that I have come to believe that there is in fact a God, a Creator, and that He is first and foremost a loving and benevolent being. He loves us and He wants us to become the best that we can be in this life, as we continue our journey back to ultimately re-unite with Him, where upon the entire essence of our being will finally be HOME, that place where we belong.  Furthermore, I believe Our Creator is present in our lives.  He is there for us if only we ask for His help, His strength and His guidance. I, personally, believe the Creator does not particularly care which method we choose to utilize in expressing our belief in Him and our need to have Him present in our lives, whether this expression be an organized religion, of any faith (be it Lutheran, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism or ANY other), or be it merely a personal belief and relationship with Him on our own terms, outside the confines of any organized religion. What fundamentally matters is THAT we believe, NOT HOW we believe.

With the above in mind, I don't feel that one has to attend a church, or other religious places of worship, each and every Sunday in order to find our way back to the Creator and have him present in our daily lives. To my way of thinking, the opportunities for spiritual growth are all around us, each and every day ... in almost every moment. I find it rather ludicrous that some ardently believe that weekly attendance at mass, on Sunday, is a prerequisite for returning home to our Creator. I also find it rather hypocritical that some attend mass religiously on Sundays, only then to turn around and forget, by both their words and actions, that there is in fact a God every other day of the week. That being said, I do grant that religious institutions. churches and faith communities, can be useful in providing fellowship, community outreach and spiritual guidance should an individual choose to participate in them.  "If I am willing to admit that not all who attend mass regularly on Sundays are hypocrites, then won't you admit that perhaps many who do not attend church are, in fact, good people who can have a strong relationship with God?"

As for the Catholic Church specifically, for my part, I was personally tired with the ongoing guilt that I felt while attending the Catholic Church. This guilt stemmed from the ongoing issues I had with the Catholic Church on many of the positions they hold.  These issues came to a head when my husband and I decided to send our children to Catholic school. When my kids came home from Catholic school and started asking specific questions, questions that needed specific answers, I finally had to admit the truthful answers:  I don't believe that the Pope is the only person on the planet that has a direct line to God; I don't believe that the Pope is infallible; I don't believe that the Catholic Church is infallible; I don't believe that all birth control is wrong; I do think all priests should be allowed to marry; I do feel that women should be allowed to become priests; I don't think that we have to go to "Confession" in order to address our sins or to be forgiven; I believe that people should be free to love whomever they love, regardless of gender; I personally do believe in Jesus, but I don't believe that everyone has to believe in Jesus in order to be "saved." I believe that the Spirit of God is all around us, each and every moment, and moreover that the Holy Spirit is within all of us, while it has yet to awaken in everyone. I believe that there are many paths that lead to God, our Creator, and in the end that we will be judged by our actions in this life and by what is in our hearts, not by what man-made religious dogma we choose to subscribe to and the rules and consequences thereof. I believe in the resurrection of the body, in the sense that I believe that we are, each of us, reborn into a series of lives during which we hopefully, grow and progress spiritually until we are last worthy of the final journey home to our Creator ... That is to say that I believe in reincarnation.

In some respects, to me, the focus and bickering that goes on amongst individuals within and of various religions over differences in dogma and belief systems makes religion little better than "organized deceit", because this takes away from what should be the focus and the message: That there is a God, a Creator, one God for ALL of humanity. That this the Creator loves us deeply and that He wants us to love one another, to help one another along our journey in this life that we will in turn come to know Him more fully in our daily lives so that we may grow in the ways of spirit and eventually be worthy of completion our final journey back home to Him. It is Faith, in the form of Hope and Love that can move mountains. It is reaching out to the forgotten, the neglected and letting them know that they are not alone, that there is a God and that He is a loving, merciful and forgiving God. It is learning to forgive ourselves, to forgive others and to know that we are forgiven if we but ask and mean it in our hearts. It is not about rules and dogma; for these things are of men and they have led to some pretty horrible things being done in the name of religion, claiming falsely to have been done in the name of God.

I have said it before, and I will say it again:  "I am but an empty vessel waiting to be filled,to be used as I am needed", and while, I may not attend church every Sunday these days: when God calls on me, I answer His call. I have gone head  to head with very intelligent people, brilliant thinkers who claim to be staunch atheists and have over time, with God's guidance and grace, planted the seeds that have led these individuals to a belief in a Creator. I have reached out to those who have felt betrayed by God, because of failure to conform to or to meet the demands of organized religions , and led them back to see God's love for them, to know His forgiveness and to believe in Him once again. I have stood up for injustice when I have seen it (from a very young age), even at times when I knew that it meant that I might be physically hurt myself. I pray earnestly for those who I encounter or come to know directly, or indirectly, who are need of prayer ... most often for physical healing for some illness. I pray for these individuals daily, with formal and informal prayers, throughout the course of a day as they happen to enter my mind, not just on Sundays and not just in a church. When these people are uplifted and often healed, I cannot help but feel that others too see the hand of God and believe.

As for the Bible, I do believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe that Bible was sent to us as a guidebook to help us find our way. I believe that the Bible is God's Living Word, that it is to say that the Bible is there to guide us in our own unique situations, that one passage, read by two different people in two different situations, may have a different meaning for each. I don't think that God intended the Bible to be a black and white set of rules that we would fight and dispute over.  And in absolutely no way does the Bible, or any other inspired Word of God (e.g., Quran) call us to commit violence in His name.  The latter runs so very counter to the nature of God, our Creator!

The Bible is also a rich tapestry of history, containing the story of where we have been as a people of God.  It details our weaknesses and shortcomings, but the Bible also reminds us of our triumphs and provides us evidence of the spiritual growth, we as a people have made thus far.  In sum, I think the Bible helps us to remember our past, such that we may continue to move forward, perhaps a bit more enlightened and hopeful, into our future.

Two of my favorite passages in the Bible are the story of The Prodigal Son, from the NewTestament (Luke 15: 11-32), , and the Story of Martha and Mary, from the New Testament. The story of The Prodigal Son reminds me that God rejoices over all of us choosing to live as His children, but He is overjoyed when a lost child, a sinner ... a non-conformist,finds their way back to Him.  This passage of the Bible reminds me that we should not be so quick to judge one another,to condemn one another. We should, instead, reach out to those who have lost their way in order to share God's gift of forgiveness with them and let them know that God loves them still.

The story of Martha and Mary reminds me that being a child of God is NOT about following the so called rules; it is about paying attention to God and what He is trying to say to each of us in our own lives, to heed God's call when He calls us to do His will here on Earth:  be that to reach out to someone in need, to bear witness to God's love and presence in our own life, or to pray for the needs of others.


As for the Bible "saying that Jesus said,  'No one can enter the kingdom of heaven but through me.' " ... This is the passage in the Bible that I find to be the most revealing:


"The Father Revealed in the Son

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   "

~Matthew 11:25-30


To me this passage says that in order to be worthy of returning to God, our Creator ... that is to reach the final stage of spiritual growth ...  you must be willing to forgo what you think that you know ... and like "little children", you must imitate the examples of Jesus in his life. And when you are at last willing surrender to this idea, you will be at true peace and you will at last find "rest for your souls."

It's not about "knowing Jesus" in the sense of acknowledging him ... believing in him ... it's about understanding what his life and way of living were all about.  Jesus is God saying ... I have tasted of your humanness ... I know your burdens ... follow me and I will show you the way, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

This is God being inclusive: not exclusive.  God is showing us the way (back to him) through Jesus, through his life and examples, in terms that we are capable of understanding.  To my way of thinking, it is possible to understand the ideas behind the life and experiences of Jesus without actually "knowing Jesus."  And that is why I personally believe that everyone does not have "to know" and acknowledge Jesus in order to return to our Creator.



So Mom and Dad, while I no longer choose to worship as you do, please know that I do believe in God and He is a bigger part of my life than you could ever possibly know. And while I no longer feel that weekly attendance at a church service, on Sunday, is necessary in order to be a good person and to have a strong relationship with God, our Creator: I have chosen, for the time being, to belong to a religious community, a Lutheran community, and my family attends mass as often as we can and want. I do the latter in order to help my children build a strong foundation for their relationship with God --as you did for me-- but I will teach my children that in a perfect world there would be a church, with no walls, one God and one people.



"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ...." "


~Matthew 12:24-26

Grandma Jeanne's Sunset with Shooting Star ...

Grandma Jeanne this is your sunset ... 6/12/2010 ... Bethany and I were watching it for you and we even (thanks to Bethany's great eyes) saw a shooting star zip across the horizon. Bethany made a wish for you ...
 
 
 

(Look for the shooting star to the top left of the big tree ...)

I think that just maybe ... that shooting star was you going back home ... Safe journey:  you are loved and you will be greatly missed!  Until we meet again ...


All Our Love,

Michelle & Bethany



P.S.  I've just been in a terrible overwhelming funk ... since my Grandmother's passing.  For some reason ... I just can't seem to shake it.  Vacation coming soon ... maybe that will help?  Until then, I just don't have it in me to write right now ... Until I find the words in me once me ... Peace and Love ... ~M/Isa

The Church of the Future?

O DUOMO MIO

By Thomas Barbey

One of my favorites.  This one hangs in our music room.  Inspirational!

Surreal ...

Perhaps one day, in the near, future: real?

"A church with no walls, one God and one united people."

Now that idea, to me, has infinite appeal ...

God Bless!

M