Spiritual Journey Part IV

Good morning, readers... Is it a good morning? I know for several families in Newtown, Connecticut, it isn't a good morning. For those of you who don't already know, there was a horrible shooting in that town and among the dead were 20 little children. They were five- and six-year-old babies, for babies they are at that age still. They're still young enough to cuddle close to you, young enough to see the world with loving eyes and young enough to hope for all.

I'm not going to discuss the "how could this happen" today. It's too soon. But what I will tell you is that I have had a lesson reinforced.  There is, without a doubt in my mind, evil in this world. I needn't write why as we saw it in a school in a small town. We have seen it in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, at a summer camp in Sweden, and in events that stick in our minds and hearts.

For now, that is all I have to say.

The Spiritual Journey Part III

Hello again, readers of Peach Wookiee's Party. I apologize for taking so long in writing a new post, but real life has a nasty tendency of getting in the way. So what is the next thing I've learned in my spiritual journey? Well, the idea of suffering. In many modern Christian churches, it seems like suffering isn't really dealt with. You're supposed to suck it up and deal because there's got to be a reason for it. It seems every world religion has the idea that suffering is going to happen for whatever reason. It can be best summed up in five words: life is going to suck. Sometimes, it just is going to suck. You'll be going along, thinking your life is awesome and everything's going to work out great. And then, something just plain crappy happens. Can you figure out why it's happening? No. Can anyone else? Not really.

So how in the heck are you supposed to deal? Is it okay to cry about it? Ask God, "Why me?" Yeah, it is! Read the book of Job or the book of Psalms. The writers seem to be asking God, "Why in the heck am I getting dumped on?" Sometimes, there is no answer. A relative of mine maintains that suffering is part of human existence, and I agree with him.

What are your thoughts regarding suffering?

The Spiritual Journey Part II

Hello again, everyone! I'm sorry it's taken so long to update this blog, but as most of us know, spiritual journeys take time. I'm not expecting to figure things out overnight, but I hope to sort things out a bit quicker than the day of my death.

And so I come to my first truth regarding spirituality. The human being, in attempting to define his/her spirituality, is in a constant state of searching for what makes sense. A lot of people joined up with the Pentecostal movement because they felt there was something lacking in the churches they attended. They spoke in tongues and couldn't simply dismiss the experience. Their own churches didn't think it made sense, so these people looked for and formed something that did make sense to them.

I know I'm in a state of flux regarding my faith. I don't doubt that God exists and for me, Christianity makes a lot of sense. But I'm not quick to dismiss things that make sense from other faiths. I also happily recognize what Pope John Paul II said regarding Jews. They "are our elder brothers in the Faith."  That simple statement recognizes that without Judaism, Christianity would not exist. The place where Judaism and Christianity diverged was on Jesus' divinity. But does the Christian have things to learn from the Jew? I believe so.

A Quest for Me...

Hello, everyone. It has been some time since I last posted an entry. Since that time, I have dealt with some changes in my life that require an analysis and restructuring of my faith. When you see a family member struggle with issues regarding health and spiritual life, you realize that perhaps there were unintentional gaps in your own religious training. So what does one do in such circumstances? Do you necessarily go to a clergymember or another family member? Do you go to friends? Or do you look completely on your own? I'm still figuring that one out. But today I am reading a book called Restoring the Faith by Edith Blumhofer. It deals with the history of the American Pentecostal movement and as I was raised in a Pentecostal church, it makes sense for me to examine that history. More about my journey will be posted.

Bullying Must End

Hello again, everyone. I come to you after hearing of the tragic death (it could be considered a murder) of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi. His death didn't have to happen. It was all because of two people who thought it would be "sooo funny" to take a picture of him being intimate with his boyfriend. It wasn't. Gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual or transsexual, unless you're in the adult film industry, you don't want to have your intimate moments broadcast. That is not a prank, folks. That's cruel.

The Internet has allowed many wonderful things. However, it has unleashed some terrible things as well. Cyberbullying, also known as cyberharassment, takes many forms. We see it in message board forums, in chats and even in videos posted online. How many more people is it going to take before people ask themselves, "Is this worth a life?" If someone tells you that they're having problems, be understanding. It may not seem like a lot to you, but it may be a lot to them. In the schoolyard, at work, anywhere, if you're doing this, stop.

Gulf Aid Update!

Hello again, everyone. As you have probably heard by now, it appears that the BP oil well has been "killed." So it's appropriate that I bring you a Gulf Aid update, courtesy of Heleentje!



Heleentje states that donors gave $5500 dollars to the cause, and that the Gulf Aid group thanks you all for being so generous. The money has been given to the charity of each bidder's or offerer's choice, and so there are people and many animals that thank you as well. And a big thank you to the estimated 400 people who donated 442 items for the three bidding rounds! Gulf Aid couldn't have done it without any of you. Thank you again!

Another Update on Gulf-Aid!

Hello again, everyone! My apologies to everyone involved in Gulf-Aid for not getting this up faster, but Round Three of bidding is well underway! It started last Sunday. I wish the organizers continued bidding success! Thanks again to Heleen for updating me!