Ever feel your in this alone? Well your not. Pete penned it best. Arlo does a wonderfull cover. "And I was NEVER alone"! And it's a wonderfull feeling knowing your not in this alone. The day WILL come, when long lasting impressions will be meaningless! Friends will turn into butterfly's...Well maybe (it's the peyote) but yu get the drift!

*Even if (my) God is taking a vacation, I think of him often. And wonder if he likes hotdogs? Or Turkeys. That used to (and still is) a put down. Calling someone a Turkey. Funniest thing is. As small as a Turkeys brain is, they are probly one of the 'smartest' birds alive....(myth or factory farms drive them crazy and they commit suicide in the rain...?)

SO what does this have to do about God? Nothing. I'll continue to think of him often, and sure be glad, when the vacation is over. I wouldn't want a God that didn't take a vacation. An overworked God, might have a temper...??? I know I do, when I don't get 'my' vacate....I'm sure he (she) is in the back-drop, waiting to go back to work. But I hope (it) takes it's time. There's a war going on, and I don't mean Afganistan. I'm afraid I might have to take sides!

Like Lee said. Too good for the devil, just not good enough for the Lord!

Favorite Prayer (besides the obvious Serenity Prayer)

*Now I lay me down to sleep
With a pack of peanuts at my feet
If I die, before I wake
Yu'll know I died of a belly ache!!

Author Unknown

Wonderful post rb. I love to hear people personalize their spirituality, because to me that's what it should be-- a personal journey.

I will never understand the concept of choosing one set of beliefs via religion, and becoming fervant over things which can never be known. You may think you're right about who/what God is, but the fact is, NO one knows, sorry. And then there are those who wish to politicize their views, in essence taking faith as fact. Spirituality can be a beautiful thing, when it comes from within, comes through searching, and stays private (IMO).
It breaks my heart that most people come to the spiritual journey the same way, they listen to what their parents tell them God is, and then accept that as fact for the rest of their lives. Parents should never tell their children what God is, and make their decisions for them. Talk about arrogance. Talk about sucking the passion out of the personal spiritual journey. Each child should grow up to find their own faith, their own beliefs, their own idea of what God is, or if God *is* at all.

Remaining ever open-minded about supreme beings, about the universe and the origins of time and space, about life wisdoms, as well as protecting the extremely important separation of church and state would go miles towards securing further human evolution and well-being.

*******Drowning Man**********

I remember when I met you underneath the evening sky.
Now it seems I could forget you, rescue me, I'm bound to die.
All The promises we made there, With no words to understand.
And though I've tried I've come up empty
Heart of stone, drowning man.

I'm going down for the third time, and I need a helping hand.
The rooster crows, and I'm sinking, Heart of stone drowning man.
Where are you, my dear companion, how much longer must you be?
I'm all alone out on this ocean, When will you come and rescue me?

It's too late for new beginnings, in this world I've left behind!
There is NOTHING left worth keeping, not a thing to change my mind!
How far down the road to glory, must we go without a sign?
Caught out on these stormy waters, how can you treat me SO unkind?

Did you know from the beginning, that I'd dig this lousy hole?
Oh, don't leave me here abandoned, in this dark night of the soul.

@words music/ADG/outlasing the blues

********UNDERGROUND************

There's a river running underground, that rolls along the clay
That took my body when I laid it down, And carried it far away

It's too damned dark for you to see'
SO I did not protest!
My soul shook free, you can't have me
But you may keep the rest!

The waters reap, the sickles reap
My hands are cold with sweat.
The eagle screams with frightened wings
The dust does not forget.

There's a river running underground
That rolls along the clay.
That tempts the soul to the ocean cold
To the body lay.

W & M by adg

Yeah he's back. All rested any feeling groovy! (just the way I like him). YESTERDAY was just an untypical day, had I been alone, I might not of saw what I saw...But that's a long story. No need for NTN info....He was there tho. There is no doubt. If you can't dought your God, sometimes, he's not a very understanding one. My God has to have (extra) allot of understanding when it comes to me!!! (I think that's why he needs all these vacations)!...<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/laugh.gif" width=15 height=15>

Anyhow, all is well that ends well!

***THANK-YOU Icj! Always nice to get compliments. I enjoyed your post! Nice to talk about 'god' instead of politics, for a change..lol...Yes, sadly to say, 'Organized Religion' is most likey the 'main' culprit of 'why' we have Wars!? I think 'EVERYBODY' has 'they're' 'OWN' God. Arlo might have penned it best, and brought it to the forefront! NO two people think exactly the same! Sharing interest. Yes. God. Maybe we all share him, but I'm kinda partial to having my own...Can you dig that? I surely can!!!!<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15> .....tx again Icj!

<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/angel.gif" width=25 height=20> . . dancing with the . .<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/reddevil.gif" width=16 height=16>

So, it's the "God" thread. Cool!

Here's a letter that was in our local paper yesterday. While I have a slightly different slant than the letter writer, in that I am pro-spirituality, he does make some good points. We can do much better without the "organized."


"Look elsewhere"

So Pope John Paul has declared that sexual abuse of children is a crime (Star Tribune, April 24). Nice work, but the rest of the civilized world figured that out a long time ago.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This is the same church that took almost 400 years to admit that it was wrong about Galileo.

The real question is, why do so many millions of people still cling to this autocratic, corrupt organization, an organization that cares more for its reputation and its bank accounts than the well-being of the people it is claiming to help?

Catholics, now is a good time to leave. I don't mean switch to another denomination or another religion; you'll find similar problems there.

I mean leave organized religion altogether.

I know you've been told your whole life you need religion. I know you've been led to believe that men with funny collars or big hats know more about the Infinite than you do. I'm sorry to tell you, but you were lied to by people who wanted your obedience and your money.

People all over the world are living fulfilling, loving, happy lives without being members of a religion. Come join us, for your children's sake.


-from the Star Tribune, 4-30-02

Cool post Icj. I'm onto that wave lenth myself. (don't have much patience with hypocrites)...I USED to be into the, well I was born Catholic, and I'll die Catholic...

*MOST EVERY time I ever got busted, the cops ask you these 20 questions.

Ex. #1. Have you had a significant loss in the last month (death in the family ect)
....#2. Age, DOB,
>>>#3. What religion, IF any????

ECT....I used to be proud to say. "Well I was born Catholic. Guess I'll die Catholic!?

Then yrs. ago, I started saying NO to that question. NO RELIGION!!! I'd say...Or better yet, I'd lie and tell em I'm an Athiest!!!

I hate cops, and aint been busted in a long time..But Catholic Priest will forever give me the willies....I DO NOT believe in Celebasy....*Unless your Billy Bob Thorton*...ral...Just kiddin, but is he ugly or what now????...<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/eek.gif" width=15 height=15>

thanks, lcj. as a recovering catholic for the last 35 years, i can agree..there is more..and better. spent long periods of time as a kid thinking i was going to go to hell for eating a bologna sandwich on a friday. hey, if i'm going to hell it has to be for something better than a bologna sandwich!!

There are some who'd say that eating a bologna sandwich IS hell. They're probably just food snobs, though. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

I'm with you on this...
I grew up Lutheran, tried the Pentecostal route, found hypocricy every which way I looked.

Now, I feel that I have a personal relationship with the Goddess (not necessarily wiccan, but closer to that than any organized religion) and I'm finding my way closer as I live my life. If I have to give a name to my religion, I guess I would call it "hippie"

I am using the term "goddess" because, being a woman, I feel the feminine term suits me better, but Goddess, God, Allah, Jah, whatever term one uses for the higher power, I think we are all talking about the same entity (if that's the right word).

On the Path...

Peace, Love, Music & (((HUGS)))
~Wyldflower
<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/tiedye.gif" width=17 height=17>

Deb, i call myself a recovering Catholic too! All of sudden I just saw through it. I realized that not only did I not need to be in "the club" to find god, but that it was actually detrimental to finding truth.

Wlyd, I love that! Hippie. that's wonderful. I love to hike, I'm a nature boy. When I'm out on the perfect hike, and come to the perfectly beautiful spot, the type of place that just knocks the wind out of you, I like to tell people, "now THAT'S....MY church !"

Pat, HOW WAS ARLO??? Did you get to hear any rare stuff that he doesn't usually play??

i read a quote recently, don't remember, by whom, "whom" said..."No, i don't belong to an organized religion, I just love God"
I like that!!
Pantheism always had a ring, for me

Organized religion is the one big evil <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/reddevil.gif" width=16 height=16> throughout history, and as far as we think we've come, it still rocks our world with hatred and darkness. Time to get rid of it! (Fat chance!)

Recovering Southern Baptist, here. I think I'm mostly recovered, then I have to go into one of their churches for a wedding or funeral, and realize I'm not recovered as long as I harbor so much revulsion and disgust. So, still recovering.

My goddess is a god on some days, goddess on others. Multiple personality on still other days. I love reading everybody else's descriptions of their gods here and seeing mine in every single one. Mine is the fabric of the universe and all the other universes. I learn more about her by reading popular (a.k.a. dumbed-down) articles on the latest in physics, and by stopping to look at the clouds or a bumblebee. Also by people-watching and by reading your posts.

Wyld, Hippie -- perfect! Of course, if I want to call my religion Hippie and lcj is a Hippie too, are we organizing? Or is part of the definition being too disorganized to organize? I sure hope so. I'm so uncomfortable around the hyperorganized.