10 Valuable Things I Learned as a Christian

 

201208_Shadows_026-LBlogNWI spent five years in the Fundamental Christian community. I didn’t just visit—I was one of them. I left everything that I once understood as Truth—walked away from it all—and joined them with high hopes. I thought that by embracing a faith I knew nothing about, I might find more answers—deeper enlightenment. The Jesus story was beautiful to my virgin ears, so what did I have to lose? I listened and took to it like a sponge soaks up water, sucking it into every pore of my body. However, it didn’t take long before I felt waterlogged, unable to breathe fresh air, and weighted down by the inability to squeeze myself dry. The Bible says Jesus’s yoke is easy, and truth be known, if I were studying directly under Jesus, I am sure that would be true. But living, breathing, and having my being in the Fundamental Christian community, I can honestly say that I hated being the ox choked by that yoke.

 

I did learn some valuable things as a Christian, though, and I thought I would briefly share them with you: Continue reading »

Posted in Christianity Tagged , , , , |

Alec’s Graduation Day

photo-1It was a hazy, hot, and humid day—unexpectedly warm for June first in the Northeast. I had prepared myself before leaving the house by applying a boatload of suntan lotion to my face, neck, and arms. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Once stepping outside of my air conditioned bungalow, my first reaction was to complain. I mean really, ninety degrees, full-sun overhead, and a five minute walk just to get there. We walked to avoid the traffic.

My husband towed my son’s eighty pound tuba on his back, so that Alec could play when it wasn’t his turn to conduct the band. Every graduating senior got to conduct one final piece on graduation day—it was tradition. Continue reading »

Posted in Family

I am a Witch

Here is a passage from the latest book I am writing: Born Again, Dead Again, and Everything in Between. I haven’t decided yet, whether I will call the book a memior or a fiction novel, since the memories can be so blurred and sometimes unclear. However, whichever I decide it will certainly tell the tale of my spiritual walk just the way I remembered it, and will be filled with the emotions I was feeling at the time. Enjoy the excerpt: Continue reading »

Posted in Book Excerpts Tagged , , , |

Good Versus Evil: There’s No Such Thing

When we learn right from wrong we’re taught a standard that comes mostly from religious teachings. Regardless what religion it is, if it teaches morals, then it clearly separates good from evil. However, the concept of good versus evil has two fundamental problems. The first being that it depends on what religion you are practicing. What’s considered good in one religion might actuality be considered evil in another. Good and evil are simply human ideals adopted in a religion.
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Posted in General Metaphysics

Elephant in the Room

Over the past several years, there has been a lot of discussion on the Internet, in the newspapers, and even among my family and friends as to what religion I am—why I keep moving from one to another. It has been suggested that I am lost and struggling to find my way, and also, that my children must be suffering from all of my indecisiveness. So, I suppose it’s time to address the question.

My whole life I have been a seeker of God. I’ve never questioned that He exists and have called God by many names including Goddess, Universal Spirit, The Divine, Nature, Jesus, and many more. I have sought God out in the least expected of places, and more recently, in the most mainstream of places. One thing I know for sure, though, is that everywhere I have been God has been there with me—front and center. Continue reading »

Posted in General Metaphysics

Our Worldview

Are you a positive and optimistic person or a pessimistic and critical person? It’s really hard to be optimistic in life when you’ve been given a lot of hardships to deal with. And in my own experience, I have found that the burden of religion can be just as much of a hardship in a person’s life as physical or emotional abuse, lack of sufficient income, or inability to maintain a healthy relationship, among many other hardships.
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Posted in Positive Thinking

Changed My Mind

I’d like to take a moment and introduce my new blog — Changed My Mind. For those of you who know me, you already know what a great name it is, solely because I am the epitome of the saying, “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.” I’m just not one to stay stagnant. Where most of us are paralyzed by the fear of change, I thrive in an environment that is changing, growing, and forcing me to look at my life deeply on a regular basis. I love change.
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Posted in General Metaphysics

Pear-ed with Divine Light

 

Pear Light

I took the picture of this pear as an experiment—I was trying out a new lightbox. I really wasn’t expecting this one to emerge from the countless clicks of my shutter and endless bursts of light from my flashes, but it did.
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Posted in Fruit

Thoughts: The Boston Marathon Bombings

The name of this picture is Left Behind. When I took it, I just imagined a young kid leaving his bike, so that he could explore the shops on this busy city street. But today, it has so much more meaning for me. It makes me think of Martin Richard, who’ll never ride his bike again on the city streets of Dorchester, MA. It makes me think of his sister, Jane, who was a dancer, and now has lost a leg. And it makes me think of their mother, Denise, who is suffering head injuries. It makes me think of the two young women who lost their lives––Krystle Campbell and Lu Lingzi. It makes me think of all the people who suffered severe bodily injuries. And it makes me thing of all the people, especially the children, who saw the horror and tragedy at the 2013 Boston Marathon.
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Posted in In the News

Uncommon Grounds’ Blueberry Muffin

There’s a fabulous little hole in the wall, named Uncommon Grounds, right across the end of my street. You would never know the name of the place because the sign hanging outside simply reads “Coffee,” except for the fact that it’s the talk of the town. For those of you who know Duxbury, it’s set right behind Far Far’s (a very popular ice cream shop on St. George Street).
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Posted in Food Tagged , , , , , , , |