searching

I have many friends at different points of a spiritual spectrum. Some say "no thanks- not for me" and they've really thought that through, and continue to think about spirituality while saying that God, or a God-like figure doesn't fit in to their view of the world. And that's okay, because that's where their journey has led them. Others are searching, searching, searching, and feel very unsettled and like they will never find a place in any kind of spiritual practice or religion. I think this is actually a great place to be, because, while it's a struggle, it means a person is really thinking, really assessing their own convictions, and really wondering about an aspect of life that is often ignored. This leads to growth and a more understanding world view. Many are very content with where they are spiritually, with the knowing and the not-knowing, and just sitting with whatever comes.

What I respect the most about people is when they are fluid. When they say "never say never" and have solid ideas about what they believe, but are completely open to learning new things. I think that's beautiful, because there is just no way we can live in a box of "this is right and this is wrong" (I say this in terms of spirituality, not in terms of philosophy where rights and wrongs can be clearly debated and defined, as in "it is right to feed a hungry child" or "it is wrong to murder another person") It's healthiest to stay in a place of openness to what life will teach you, I think. I can have solid convictions of what I believe, and also be excited to learn from others' experiences and paths. I may not change what I believe, but I can certainly be blessed and my views enhanced by what others believe.

One thing that I NEED spiritually is nature. I feel the most content, the most joyful, the most settled, when I'm outside. Hiking a mountain or walking on a beach or running through a park brings me closest to Peace. I do believe in God, and I believe I'm closest to God when I'm outside. I can't remember a time when I haven't felt this way.

This is a no-point post, spurred on by a friend. Here's what she posted. It so perfectly speaks to my heart:

I don't know who God is exactly.
But I'll tell you this.
I was sitting in the river named Clarion, on a
water splashed stone
and all afternoon I listened to the voices
of the river talking....

And slowly, very slowly, it became clear to me
what they were saying.
Said the river I am part of holiness.
And I too, said the stone. And I too, whispered
the moss beneath the water.

{Mary Oliver}

update!

Hello all!

I'm blogging exclusively at Traveling with Mercy now.

Hope to see you there!

real life

due to crazy amounts of work in real life, this sweet little mission is going to take a vacation. Please continue to visit the links throughout this site and give generously to the organizations helping and empowering women around the world.

thanks everyone! hopefully this mission can resume again soon. Cheers to a life full of wonderful opportunities to improve ourselves and to help one another!

confessions: stealing from children

I thought I'd do a little Halloween confessing today :). I confess that I wrote these stealing tips for our local family mag. You might want to learn from my experiences and then you'll have a nice little stash of candy for yourself. Have a festive weekend!

I know a few moms who are very honest and kind to their children. They would never lie to their kids. That means they would never steal from them, either. It really is sad thinking about all the parents who would have the audacity to steal candy from their children on Halloween (or in the days afterwards). I mean, who would be so cruel as to steal candy from innocent children???

Well, send me to parenting jail, but I DO! I steal candy from my kids! I ADMIT IT! And oh, it’s so delicious…

Let’s talk strategy, here, moms and dads. When stealing candy from children, you must be very clever, because those little boogers are wicked smart, and incredibly observant. The minute they return home from trick-or-treating, they sort and count their loot. Your best bet for scoring a large amount of stolen candy is to do it under the cover of darkness and BEFORE they’ve sorted and counted. Distract them with a trip into a haunted house along your route, and offer to hold their bag. Just take a few pieces in order to fly under their radar, and be sure to have a coat with pockets. Otherwise you can reach into their bag as they cry into your shoulder, scared by some insanely dressed teenager. This technique works well if you have quick hands.

Of course bedtime is a good time to steal too, but this is usually after they’ve counted and sorted. So, when they wake up and see some pieces missing, pretend to be on the phone with the Veterinarian, asking if you need to bring the dog in, due to candy consumption. Works every time.

Good luck!

(disclaimer- this is meant to be funny... festive... don't worry, I'm not really supportive of stealing. but accidently reaching in for some candy or having it accidently fall into the pockets of your goddess coat is totally fine :).

goddess:body

taking care of your body means taking care of your spirit... this little nugget has been well established.

taking care of your spirit means being surrounded by loved ones, but also being alone. Being alone is how you reconnect everything... your heart, your mind, your soul, your body. Without distraction/pollution from outside sources. I love being alone. And I love this poem/video by a woman named Tanya Davis. I've seen it over the past few months on my favorite blogs. I think you'll like it too... it teaches well. Enjoy!

Goddess: Help A Mother Out

Today I'm switching around my goddess feature... I'm in the midst of writing about another amazing goddess that I want to share with you... but as you all know, life gets in the way of these fun little endeavors like blogging :). My middle child has a virus, and so it goes... well, everything goes. Life stops while he mends. Oh... and the goal of getting it NOT to spread to the other kids in the house... oh boy.

So, I thought this week I'd link to a GREAT organization and let you explore their site for yourselves! Two women started Help A Mother Out in order to provide diapers for homeless mothers throughout their area. The organization is now spreading to other cities, too.

As a mother myself, I can't imagine not having access to clean diapers when my kids were babies. Many women are forced to use one diaper a day, if they even have that. Shelters want to help, but lack funds to provide diapers, as they have to focus on the even more pressing things like food, water, formula, and medicines.

This is an amazing story of women helping fellow women. What goddesses they are! Using their gifts, time, money, and influence to provide a basic, yet hugely important, need. Be inspired!

It sounds big, and maybe it is, but it’s also very small: It’s one or two people, figuring out how to move beyond rhetoric to action; a handful of people buying cases of diapers off an Amazon wishlist; busy mothers donating their collections of hotel shampoos. It’s finding the time and the means to lend a hand to our community. We may not be changing the world, but changing diapers is pretty important too.-- from the women of Help A Mother Out

sunday stirring

better late than never... :)

We won't always know whose lives we touched and made better for our having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What's important is that you do care and you act. 
-- Charlotte Lunsford