Choice

  In my self development process I have focused on developing what I call my God seed, the part of me that feels connected to God, love, compassion and eternity.  In order to develop that part I have found it best to de-emphasize my aggressive/violent, materialistic and self-centered tendencies in favor of things like being of service or relationships.  It’s a simple choice of which wolf I want to feed.  I also need to do a lot of self-care in order to be available.  I make my choice because it feels best and more fulfilling.  “To become a person one must both affirm and deny himself.  One involves the other.” (Rufus Jones)

Spiritual Experiences

  I have been reading The Varieties of Spiritual of Spiritual Experience, 21st Century Research and Perspectives by Yaden and Newberg and found it very thorough in terms of the varieties of experience and attempts at elucidating them   I have also had numerous spiritual experiences of my own and had my life changed accordingly.  In my reading, I am reminded that “No process of analysis, no piling up of descriptive accounts, no reversion to antecedent causes, brings us any nearer to what we mean by beauty, goodness or love.” (Rufus Jones).  I also recall that Margaret Mead once wrote that “As I understand contemporary trends of physical science, there is increasing recognition of vast unknown areas which science may explore and assist in ordering, but to which it may never provide anything like complete answers.”

God/love

  I do not personify God since I find no reason to do so.  I experience God as love and have integrated that feeling into all; of my beliefs and activities.  I practice formal sitting prayer and meditation for at least an hour a day and, less formally, walking around meditatively for another hour or so.  I generally feel connected to God/love and grateful for the rest of the day.  So I know and experience God/love much of the time, but I wish to also clarify that I do not understand God/love.  It is a wonderful way of life and I depend on that connection.  I use that power for my own health and healing as well as other activities, but I do not understand its full extent,  "That God is both utterly beyond me and yet totally within me at the same time is the exquisite balance that most religion seldom achieves..." (from “Immortal Diamond”, by R. Rohr)