Spiritual Sunday: My Beliefs

I was going to write about my great day with my family yesterday, but then I got to working on schoolwork last night. As well as talking to a friend who inspired today’s column. So you will have to wait till Monday to hear about my day yesterday. Today once more I find myself needing to be serious and say where I stand both spiritually and in some senses politically since the two seem to go hand in hand. Not so much because someone is demanding I do, but because I basically demanded everyone stand up for what they believe in yesterday. And I know I do it a lot, but here I am going to do it even more boldly.

            I don’t think I really fit in with any one religion to be honest. I believe in GOD but I believe he has a wife that is a Goddess. Sun and Moon in a sense as the Wiccans do. I believe in Christ and his teachings as well. I also believe in being at one with nature as well. I believe in using magic for good and to protect people. I also believe in other supernatural being that we just can’t see yet for whatever reason. I also believe that peace is the best path when it can be walked. But I will not turn the other cheek when hit either. I will not stand for abuse of women, children, or elders either. Doing one of those three things is just asking for a beating in my view. I believe in treating even the lowest human being on the totem pole with dignity and respect. I think we all go through our own spiritual journey to the same place we just take different routes to get there.

            And some take easier and harder roads to get there. It all depends on the challenges they have to face as well as the lessons they need to learn. Is how I see it. Life is like a classroom to me. We get sent down here to learn over and over again. And when we finally learn all we need to know we get to stay in Paradise. Though some of us once there want to help those learning so we take on roles to help them. But at the same time our bodies are just temporary structures for our spirit that go back to the Earth when we pass from this life to the next. But we recognize all our families from each life and they recognize us in Heaven.

            And no I don’t know that I am right for sure. I’m just going on faith from what I have learned and studied so far in life. As well as what has come to me in bits and pieces. My ideas will probably change over time as well. But my faith in an afterlife will not. Nor will my wishes for what is to be done with me after I die. I’ve spoken about it to some but yet to do it here I am pretty sure. I want to be cremated and buried as a tree with a headstone to show where I am buried as a tree. For those who want to come visit me. And I don’t want a sad mopey funeral. I want a party thrown with stories of me being shared and everyone having a good time. Since to me life should be celebrated not mourned.

            I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. And I welcome discussion about this. But I’m just saying what I believe and putting it out there. And I probably missed a few things as well. No one is going to hit every little thing in a post like this I know. But I wanted to try and start a civilized discussion to further my exploration as well as others on the spiritual path. So please do feel free leave questions and comments below. And if you want more of my posts to appear in your email enter your email in the box below where it says follow by email. As for me I am going to go do the dishes and get dinner. *Tips his hat and walks out the door heading towards the kitchen. *

Saturday Coffee: It Was Looking Like Such A Good Week Too

I was having a great week up until yesterday when a terrorist walked into Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, CO and shot up the place. As well as shot several officers who responded to the emergency call. And no he is not a terrorist just because it is Planned Parenthood. Every mass shooter we have had has been a terrorist by the definition of the word. It is only the media who refuse to call them that. Sorry I call an apple an apple and an orange an orange. They’ll argue, but we want people to feel safe. And my argument is why make them feel safe when they aren’t truly safe. Domestic Terrorism is a real problem in this country. And we need to address it not shy away from it. Yes, I know international terrorism is so much easier to talk about and abstract. So the people feel safer and just want to go to war to stop it.

            Stop sugar coating the truth about the problems we face. You are supposed to be journalists with ethics. I see extremely little of that now a days. Now a days it is all about ratings and such. How about you try remembering you are journalists with the job of uncovering and reporting the truth no matter how unpleasant it is, that was why the news used to be so high in the ratings. That was why Tom Brockaw and Dan Rather were so respected at the anchor desk as well as being so widely watched. They told the truth no matter how unpleasant it was and acted like true journalists. And we the people respected them for that and watched to be informed. Now you keep trying to entertain us when giving us the news, and it is ridiculous. The news is supposed to be serious with a fluff piece here and there. Not tons of fluff pieces and a serious story here and there. I know you are owned by billionaires who want us all ignorant probably but have some guts and stand up on principle. They can’t silence everyone without looking foolish. Especially those of you with a lot of credibility built up over time.

            I keep hearing everyone telling us the people to stand up and shed our shackles. Well the journalists need to do the same thing, and stand up for the integrity of good old fashioned journalism. It can’t be just one group or the other shouting out for freedom. It has to be everyone. Some will be hurt along the way but will recover when the dust settles. That has always been the way of things. And before people think owe he wants us to buy more guns and revolt against the government stop right there in your tracks. I want this to be a peaceful call for change through the voting booth and petitions. Not the next civil war like some are wanting. I want the country to come together, well at least 90% of it and say we are about the greater good of our nation. It’s been a long time since that was done and we need to do it more often. We need to treat each other more as human beings instead of just a number someplace in a company or government budget.

            Most major religions call for taking care of the poor and the sick, yet we treat them as burdens. They are someone’s family and could be your family someday. And if it was you would want them taken care of right. So why deny it to someone who needs it now. We are constantly going to war yet most religions talk of peace and loving thy neighbor. I know that is hard to do, but there has to be a better way of dealing with deputes than killing thousands of people to decide the fate of a piece of dirt or ideology. Most major religions call for at least one day of rest yet we call for more and more work like we don’t work hard enough. Most major religions also say to take care of nature as well, taking only what we need. Yet we take more than what we need all the time and pollute the Earth. We do so much wrong in the name of religion when we have been told to do the opposite. Just because we want our religion to be superior.

            I’ll step off my soap box now, but I’ll be honest only the first line of this column was even partially planned. The rest just sort of came to me. But as always feel free to leave your questions and comments below. And if you want my posts, which are normally mellower than this to come to your inbox everyday enter your email where it says follow by email. As for me I need some coffee, maybe that is why I am a little crankier than usual. *Tips his hat and walks out the door towards the brewer. *

Rambling Friday: Thanksgiving

             I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday. I know mine was great since I got to spend it with my dad and Pam. I even got to meet some of her family, which was nice. Turns out her granddaughter, Amber, is going into creative writing as well. So I look forward to more talks with her n the subject of writing. As well as reading since the two go hand in hand for every good writer. It was a nice relaxing day and me and my dad chit chatted here and there. Pam was a bit stressed and I understand wanting to make a good first impression as a host. She did a wonderful job and is a fantastic cook.

            I also enjoyed being away from the city noise for a day. Don’t get me wrong I like the city and the ease with which I can get around to everyplace I need or want to. But sometimes it is nice to get away from the noise of it all. Even there can be a bit noisy I am sure. Probably why dad likes his camping trips. That and communing with nature. I do miss those trips to Camp Pymaquid. Granted as a teenager I spend all my time in the arcade or on the deck of the arcade, but it was nice up there. And the hayrides were cool too. As well as the activities they had. I still like arcades, but I think I am more balanced now about how I would enjoy it up there. Made a lot of friends up there as well and wonder if they are still there.

            It was even nice when we got into politics and it didn’t turn into a shouting match. We didn’t completely agree but we did agree for the most part. But we were respectful in our disagreement and I liked that. It was loud and boisterous yes, but that is not a bad thing. We were all having a good time with it. It was a first for me in the family. And my opinion was being respected, which was great as well. It was a blast.

            It was a shame it couldn’t have lasted longer, but I know my dad needs his down time. And I respect that. He is not a night owl like me, but he can’t afford to be with the work he does. Being a truck driver his work starts as soon as the sun is coming up and in some cases before the sun comes up. There are times during the winter that he has to work overnights because of snow removal. He works hard and for the most part I think he enjoys the type of work he is doing. Which is part of the reason he’s such a workaholic. The other part being he likes to keep busy and be doing something. His mind can’t stand being idle. Same as mine.

            Hence me always working on a project of some sort. And I discovered we have a show in common that we like, so I think I will start watching it more on Netflix. It is called Blue Bloods. It’s a good cop show and shows some of the politics behind the scenes of being a cop. And there is good acting on the show. As well as good writing. So I’m not watching it just for him. I’m watching it because I genuinely like it as well. I have to remember to ask him if he wants to watch the new Star Trek show with me. Just looking for things to share with my dad. I know books won’t be one of them, since for whatever reason my dad doesn’t enjoy reading. I figure when he is ready he will tell me why.

            Well I think I have rambled on enough for one day. As always feel free to leave questions and comments below. And if you want my posts in your inbox enter the email in the box below where it says follow by email. As for me I am going to finish my second cup of coffee while doing some reading before jumping into some more writing. Again I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. *Tips his hat and walks out the door heading for the library. *