On Finding God

I read recently a quote about people leaving church and finding God.  Now if I had a better memory or a stronger desire to make the effort to find the quote I would tell you who it was who came up with that one.  It is pure genius and certainly speaks of my experience. 

A few months back I was listening to Michael Neill (Intuitive Life Coach) speaking on his show on HayHouseRadio.com.  He was talking about the concept of Buying In to whatever it is we are "supposed" to be doing.  The example he gave was of a teenager not really doing chores, etc until they Buy In to the importance of contributing to family life.  Likewise, regardless of what we read, hear or are being nagged to do, we cannot fully take part until we Buy In to why we benefit.

I think that this is a key concept in faith and a spiritual life.  I have always had the gift of faith---since I could remember anyway.  And I was raised with the ritual and traditions of the Catholic Church.  I quite enjoyed participating in the various ceremonies, the choir, and later youth retreats.  But like so many teenagers I lost my faith in the Church.  I could no longer Buy In to the need for the Bible, confession, some of the rituals of the Mass.  This partly came from reading the Bible.  Most of it.  Sad, but true.  Although I read it, and even got a bit out of it, it didn't speak to me in a way that enhanced my spiritual practice at that time.  I just couldn't accept that it was all that useful if it was written by men, most of whom never met Jesus, and which then went on to cause so much strife in the world.  As I heard Coversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch say on the radio recently---if any of the religious texts and practices we have now were the answer, then why is everyone still searching for God?  I am sure I paraphrased there.

I more or less stopped going to church for many, many years and only attend sporadically now.  I suspect that this is true of so many people nowadays.  And I think it is because we find it difficult to Buy In to religion.  As children we are carted in to church and told to sit still and be quiet.  Rituals which were actually designed to bring us closer to God became chore lists, without meaning.  This has been the case not only for our generation, but for many generations in fact.  This is a shame really.  I am not sure if there is a better way---I certainly hope that I can share with my children a bit of my understanding of Spirit. 

Over the years I have read a lot, about a lot of different things---new age---Buddhism, Shamanism, a bit about Druids....I hung out with Native Americans, Jews, and Muslims....trying to glean some meaning to life.  And I do believe that I have found it.  I don't know everything, but I do have very strong beliefs.  And I became a spiritual healer along the way.  Not only is this one of the greatest gifts, but the ability to connect to Spirit and renew my faith daily is great indeed.  Having found Spirit, it is now much easier to find it wherever I go.  It may be in a church, or the Bible, definitely in other people, and often in other religions too....it has become a cliche for a reason.  Maybe this is just the way we are going.  Because we ARE doing it right.

How to Pray in Earnest

I have joined an evening Bible Study Group partly to Better Myself and mostly to Get Out More.  I have actually found it really inspiring and helpful to my meditation practice.  We are studying the book of Acts, which was written by Luke.  It is nice to have a look at this description of the very early church.  We have discussed quite a few themes, and we keep coming back to prayer.  This week our study questions asked us how do we pray in earnest.

Well, here goes.  A rough guide.

Step 1.  First you need to get yourself a problem.  It can be "small," "big," an illness, a difficult person....anything which makes for a Very Stressful Time.

Step 2.  Now, approach God in a frantic, can't-stand-this-a-minute-longer rant.

Step 3.  Get a bit miffed that a.) you have to go through this and b.) NO ONE IS ANSWERING YOU!

Oddly, this rant will make you feel a teensy bit calmer after a few minutes.  (The old getting it off your chest technique).  Then you will be ready for ....

Step 4.  ...wait for it....you will hear something...

Maybe God, maybe guides, angels....maybe your own inner wisdom.....but in the stillness the answer will come.  Sometimes your answer will be quite direct.  "You need to look after yourself."  Sometimes it is a simple message such as "We are here for you."  And sometimes it is a reminder.  "Try turning this around."  (This is a great technique.  For instance when I was frantically praying I really NEED to know the truth here before I explode with the stress!!!!  Turning it around means stopping and saying I know the truth.  And quite often, you do. )

This is how I do it anyway.  Easy right?  Well there are a few things to keep in mind.  You do not always get the answer you want.  If an answer makes you afraid of taking action then it is most likely your ego, and not from Spirit.  Basically, if you are not feeling absolutely loved and supported, then what you are hearing is not from GOD.  And lastly, as with all relationships, you must remember that you cannot speak and listen at the same time. 

2011

I am always in such a hurry to make plans for the New Year ahead.  I thought it was time to sit down and reflect on my accomplishments from the last year.  We are not always comfortable giving ourselves a pat on the back.  But doing so can be just the boost we need to feel ready to take on a new year, and new goals.

So, in the past year I have done quite a few things, most notably:

1.  Gave birth to my daughter
2.  Gave a fantastic Pirate Party for my son
3.  Embarked on a course
4.  Developed a more regular meditation and prayer practice
5.  Made some significant changes to our diet---for our health
6.  Lost some of the baby weight!
7.  Tried quite a few new foods and recipes (see the rest of this blog!)
8.  Tried out some great new craft projects including nappies, hot water bottle covers and embroidery

As I reflect on each of these in my journal I can pull out how I accomplished it, why I did it, and use these insights in making new goals.  More on those plans later!  But I can also look back to my goals from the last year.  Did I accomplish any of them?  Why or why not?  Did I actually spend time on them or other stuff?  How can I create goals which more accurately reflect me and my needs?  Do I need to change my goals to make them fit into my lifestyle or do I find ways to motivate myself to achieve more?  Lots to think about!

How to use your snow cone maker for good (instead of ...)

I have always wanted a Snoopy Snow Cone machine.  I almost always chose the Snow Cone from the ice cream van.  And I love slushies, slurpees, icees, coollattas, etc.  Except that they are usually so sickeningly sweet.  Even for me.  And believe me I have a sweet tooth.

And so in the intrerests of health I have been avoiding these products for a few years.  My son often asks for these drinks while we are out and I indulge him sometimes with a guilty conscience.  We have been eyeing up snow cone makers for a while and I finally relented when I found a Party Penguin on sale a couple of weeks ago.

They are trickier than they look!  It takes a long while to shave your ice.  Even if you chop it a bit first or leave it out for a few minutes to melt a bit.  When you have a nice little drawer of snow, pop it into your bowl and THEN: 

Now here is where snow cones move into the realm of fantastic.  Delicious.  Healthy. 

Now, you add flavour to your snow with any of the following:

fresh squeezed juice (we chose orange today)

coconut juice

coconut milk mixed with milk

Hindu lemonade

You now have a nice little snack and you have had fun with the kids and you know that you haven't had extra sugar or worse--nasty chemicals, dyes, and artificial flavours. 

The Perfect Christmas?

I think that the Christmases I grew up with were perfect.  Mom made a cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, homemade hash browns, bacon, and she sprinkled cinnamon in the coffee maker.  We would open presents and stockings, taking turns.  Each present in the stocking was wrapped in paper, adding to the anticipation and excitement.  We then went to Mass where I sang in the choir.  Then off to Dad's house where we had mounds of presents and tons of relatives.  Food, the fire, and family games like Trivial Pursuit kept us entertained for hours. 

My family seems so very far away now that I am living in the UK and they are mostly back in the USA.  Sure, I get a phone call or two, but it isn't quite the same.  It does occur to me that even if I was there, I might not experience Christmas in quite the same way as I did back then.  Holiday treveling, especially with small children might not be so appealing anyway.  Being grown up often means a lot more cooking, cleaning, and paying the enormous bills for it all.  Oh, it is all too easy for me to fall  in the trap of negativity. 

So in planning my perfect Chrsitmas this year, I took a look at what we have.  I have me, a five year old, and an 8 month old baby.  (Daddy is working on the 24 and 25th this year).  I have a few things for our stockings, a great Christmas tree.....and two days on our own, with little interruption. (OK, this seemed a tiny bit depressing a week ago, but today it seems like a nice break from the hustle and bustle).

So here is how we are spending it:

We woke at 6.  Well, my son woke earlier and I distracted him in the kitchen with some breakfast until his father got up for work.  Then we opened our stockings.  I then took a hot bath with scented body wash.  Then I got into clean pajamas and my new slipper socks.  (OK, this is partly for the luxury of spending more time in pajamas, but mostly because I am REALLY behind with the laundry.)

We have been playing really.  Yesterday we made gingerbread and a snowflake garland.  We also tried out our new Party Penguin which makes snow cones.  And tucked into our gingerbread.  I was half intending to go to church, but I had to lend my car to the Other Half since his car wouldn't start.

Simple homemade garland is a fun activity and adds the festive touch!



He has been playing for hours---completely ignoring all of the Christmas movies on the television!



Gingerbread barn and animals

I don't have a great big meal planned.  We don't care for turkey, anyway.  And tomorrow we will have some roast lamb (raised here on the farm), with roasted winter veg.

Waffle Irons Aren't Just for Christmas

I finally did it!  I got a waffle iron.  For the last ten years living in the UK I have really missed waffles.  (You can buy some sweetened, Belgian style waffles in the grocery stores here, but they are nothing like American waffles).  So I have been toying with the idea of making my own for a while now and I have been fighting my tendency to avoid having too many appliances in the house.  But along with my breadmaker and ice cream maker, my waffle iron---in the space of a week--has become a valued member of the clan.

I chose an Andrew James waffle iron off of amazon.co.uk both because of the good reviews and the cheap price tag.  I was expecting American style waffles because some reviewers complained they were too thin.  But these waffles are thinner than American ones and thicker than pizelles or waflle cones.  The iron makes two at a time.  Each waffle is made up of six hearts which make a flower shaped waffle.  Fun, really.

My son proclaimed that he likes waffles more than pancakes!  And tonight I have made a double batch to stick in the fridge and freezer so I have them available to heat up for the next few mornings.  I am tired, but glad to know that I have a quick and healthy breakfast for all of us.  Add some more protein and we are away!

Okay, I haven't done the soaked waffles yet.  I looked at the recipe in a sleepy haze last night.  Not that they are really complicated...but the recipe says to separate the eggs and whip some whites separately,and all of that is a weekend kind of job...

I did, however, spice things up a bit.  So, I used light brown flour---this is similar to chapati flour and is a bit lighter than whole wheat.  As it happens this looks a lot like the flour that mamas in Tanzania grind themselves.  After grinding and sieving, they throw much of the bran to the chickens since humans don't digest it well! 

After making up about half of the waffles, I added some freshly ground anise to the batter.  Yum.

Spirit: Reminders

My son is a very early riser. (I too used to be a morning person before I had children).  So, I often find myself stumbling around a chilly house, getting some breakfast and cartoons for my son before crawling back into bed again for a few more minutes under the duvet.  The other morning he woke at 5:30 am.  So I did the usual and I had only been back in bed for a couple of minutes when I heard my son yelling from downstairs.  When I emerged it was into a pitch black house.  It was still so dark outside that opening the curtains did little to help us find each other in the dark.  We started looking (or more like feeling) in the usual places for torches, only to find a few which did not work.  I was about to look for matches when I remembered that my Other Half had left them out after using the BBQ last weekend. 

We were trying to negotiate each room very carefully because I also knew there were toys everywhere.  My son finally grabbed my phone to get a glimmer of light.  And with that I happened upon a working torch.  As I traipsed up and down switching the circuit breaker, and  looking for the offending appliance which caused our power cut, I had to laugh at myself that I was so ill prepared for such an event.  Between the toys everywhere, the dead batteries, and the lack of available slippers I was feeling rather silly.  And I told myself that I must sort this situation out.  These little things can make a difference.  It was then I heard a clear voice tell me: And you need to attend to your daily healing meditation. 

Just the day before I had been toying with the idea of setting aside an evening each week for a healing ritual and asking people via my blog if they would like me to send distant healing.  This voice seemed to say that healing was something I needed to attend to every day for myself and others.  Just as I intend to be ready with torches in an emergency, I dabble with prayer, healing and meditation when I can "find the time."  But busy family life means that I often only take the time when I am desperate.  When I reach a point of need.  But recharging my batteries is really something that needs to be done more often so I am prepared in a crisis. 

Later that day I realised the importance of the message when I found out that a former colleague of mine, Jude Tebbitt was abducted in Kenya.  I had been following the news story a bit anyway, but was shocked to find it was someone I actually knew.  (This type of thing doesn't happen to someone you know).  And right away I felt that I need to change my ways.  She needed help NOW and couldn't wait until next Monday.  I need healing every day and so does everyone else.  It feeds the soul and meditation helps us find ourselves and our purpose.  Prayer helps us achieve our goals and guides us on our path.

And so I am making more of an effort.  The batteries are in the charger.  We aren't that great at picking up the toys yet, but we are working on it.  And our spiritual practices are developing more and more.  It is important to me that the children are able to grow spiritually as well.  And therefore I need to teach by example.  Just the other night as I was tucking a very tired child into bed, I asked "shall we say our prayers?" and the reply was a sleepy, "no, thanks."  I think that too often I use this same excuse.  My quick thanksgiving prayer and then lights out.  Taking the time for Spirit is essential for wellbeing and needs to be done before the lights go out.