BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Spirituality The Conversation Topic

Hi Everyone! Michelle, I love this topic, and YES, there are days that I don't feel very spiritual at all.

One day I got so angry a stream of cuss words just flew out of my mouth

My husband said "Ladies and Gentlemen, my wife, the interfaith minister" and he bowed to me LOL! (Luckily it was just a couple of friends).

I was so embarrassed, but it was a good reminder to me that sometimes things just happen. If I loose it, I loose it, and I shouldn't beat myself up about it.

I never went to any of my class reunions. My "best" friend through high school and I lost touch right after high school, and I didn't keep in touch with anyone else.

Only recently an old friend found me on facebook. In high school we'd actually been good friends, and when he found me on facebook he sent me a virtual rose telling me he was glad we reconnected, but now he never interacts on facebook LOL!

Life is funny.

Cheryl, I really like your perspective.

I used to love riding around on that spiritual "high." I'm okay with not having the high all the time now (though it's still fun )

Your post was very insightful! Thanks!

I agree Deanna! Cheryl that is very helpful.

One of the things that I am learning the most doing these articles is how nature and man relate to each other. (I used to really dismiss the "flower child" mentality, it is not a popular topic in the Southern Baptist church.) But I am coming to realize that my God is in nature - and so there is no better place to worship (yeah - you are seeing previews of a feature artcle.)

But the way this ties in is - nature is fairly consistent, beautiful but consistent. Yes, you do have the occasional freak storm that causes ball lightning or a meteor shower or somethinng else that makes you go "ooooo, ahhhh", but if you look closely when you are walking in the woods or a flower garden or a beach you can find something that will make you go, "ooooo, ahhhh".

One of my first articles when I took on the site was sort of on this theme:
Have You Seen a Miracle Today?

The fact that it took you guys to remind me of an article I wrote myself just shows how interconnected we are meant to be!

I have found that a small piece of nature can reach you anywhere, even in the biggest city. Charleston isn't huge by any means, but it's a bustling place that's full of chaos around every corner like any other city. But tucked into corners there are signs of life to offer a sense of fulfillment through a patch of wildflowers or animals allowing a momentary glimpse of themselves before disappearing into the brush. Even a refreshing burst of rain, a brief rainbow, or a light, cool breeze in the summer sun gives me just enough of a recharge to go through the rest of my chaotic day. That is to say when it is a 'normal' day and not one of the days where every little thing grates on my nerves! Either I'm hormonal, sleep deprived, or a combination thereof, but those are the days when it's best I stay under wraps away from others. Even on bad days, though, one thing that makes me feel happy is my ride home from work. There is a beautiful view from a bridge of a river, marsh, boats, and the city that is beautiful and it makes me feel at peace, even if for only a moment.

Before I moved to Nevada I thought I could never find any beauty in Nature here. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where Nature is lush and inviting. Nevada is just a dry desert - or so I thought. Having come to know the desert in the last 12 years, I find so much beauty and peace here. There are colors, wild flowers, birds, animals that I never thought possible to be in the desert. It is awesome! Standing out, far out away from towns, in the middle of the desert, it is so quiet one can hear the past. Profound feeling!

The Southwest has some of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen. The skyline just seems to go on for forever - and the colors are so amazing!

I've always found the desert so peaceful - all those warm colors just blending in. It is very hard to be real excitable about anything when watching one of those.

When I see Eagles and Hawks soaring over the desert it is as though my spirit is soaring with them and I feel so inspired to write or just float in meditation.

I traveled much of the US Southwest, either driving between SoCal & Denver or piloting in military helicopters. I've seen/been into area inaccessible to most. There is a truly hidden beauty to what one can find & the awe-inspired spirituality of what nature can unfold before you abounds beyond imagination.
It was the sight of a Bald Eagle flapping majestically away from a recent roadkill near Green River, Utah in the early 1990's, that called me back 16 months ago to support the US Forest Service in the eradication of non-native plants. Tamarisk trees are ornamental, yet have taken over the water sources of the remote desert draws of Butch Cassidy (yup, he's a true legend) where cottonwood & willows once florished.
I am grateful for what was accomplished and my contributions; to have taken the time to 'solo-drive' from DC to Utah for the effort; & to find a way to stop in Denver to visit mom. All these contributed to my perpetual quest for serenity.

Every time I read your post, Beetlemess - I keep coming back to this statement. I think because it shows how beauty and majesty can even be found in something that we typically go "ewwww" about.

I just attended yet another funeral for another 18 yr old boy. It is heartbreaking and tragic for this community around here that we have lost 2 young men in less than 2 months (about 45 days between the 2 deaths). Both were drug related. The first was an accidental overdose, the 2nd a suicide.

To make things hit even closer to home, we had a very close call with my own 18 yr od son not 2 weeks ago. He has Asperger's and takes medication for it. Long story short, because of an infection he had the doc put him on Prednisone. Prednisone (a steroid) did not mix well with his other meds. He went from trying to hurt me one minute to wanting to kill himself the next. We were luckily able to get hold of his psychiatrist and get him settled down. All the bad meds are out of his system and he is fine now.

But the death of this last young man was such a tragedy, it seemed there was absolutely nothing good that could be brought from it. But is parents asked that the pastor give a sermons to the kids that something must change. In all their pain and grief they were thinking about all the other children and wanting to make sure no other parent went through what they were.

2 deaths in 45 days - it was a wakeup call to the partying kids of our local high school. That was our eagle soaring away.

Michelle, I am glad your son is better and that you are ok - I send prayers for continued strength and healing to you and your family.

That is so sad about the loss of those young people. For the grieving parents to reach out to others in their time of sorrow is beautiful - it shows how much spirituality and courage they have.