God, Dogs and Cats

Dogs give birth to puppies. 

Cats give birth to kittens. 

The Christian religion, for decades, have been indoctrinating that, humans are worthless worms. This idea is laced in our messages, songs and prayers.

Without an ounce of respect, and with fervent passion, I disagree with that notion.

God created man in His own image and likeness. We are masterpieces (Ephe 2:10 NLT), whether we believe it or not. 

God created gods (John 10:34). 

Back to the animal analogy. 

Dogs bark. Puppies bark. 

Cats meow. Kittens meow. 

God is a creator. If we are His children, aren't we supposed to do the same too? 

We do. 

We consciously, or unconsciously create, with our intents, beliefs and words. 

The New Age camp recently popularized the Law of Attraction. I learned the heart of that message in a church setting, way before I read one book about LOA. And this is not to say that Christianity owns the patent to this timeless truth. 

But when we realize that our intentions, our core beliefs, are create-ive in nature, that will awaken us to a radically new perspective. 

As much as I value the power of our words, our words are merely thoughts and beliefs, given form. We don't say something that we do not believe. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 

And this is precisely why, what we believe, or how our mindset is programmed, matters. 

I don't know how "free" our will is, but I believe in the power of choices. We can choose to reprogram or renew our mindset - with create-ive belief patters that will free us and help us soar; or debilitating belief patterns that will chain us down, that will make us think we are chickens, when we actually are eagles. 

By the way, there is nothing wrong with chickens; the point is, it would literally be a crippling experience for an eaglet, if it were to be raised around the chicken mindset.

10 Ways to Spot Spiritual Abuse

Guilt and condemnation, regardless of how cleverly it is concealed, is not from God. 

Even though the image of the article that I link below, shows a church building, spiritual abuse is not just limited to the church, which gathers in a building, every Sunday; it happens within home churches and other ministries as well. 

Disclaimer: By sharing this link, I neither say, nor imply, that all organized gatherings are abusive in nature. They are not, and it would be naïve to think so. But if yours is, this is for you. 

Spiritual Abuse: 10 Ways to Spot It, by Mary DeMuth

Love Cannot Be Analyzed

"What I love about spirituality and mysticism (pursuit of God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight), is that it can only be experienced (and tested) subjectively. It requires an engagement of the heart, not just the intellect. We are given a brain, AND we are given a heart for a *reason*. To use only one is to live in a constant state of duality, confusion, and limited understanding. To dismiss the subjective heart experiences of others just because one thinks the other naive or weak, OR just because one doesn't know how to connect one's head to one's heart is not a discussion worth entering. Some things can only be deeply experienced, in a place without words or scientifically measurable evidence and analysis."

- Julie Ferwerda

I agree with this quote. 

While there is a place for hard questions, trying to analytically dissect faith, or spiritual experiences, is like trying to analyze and define love. We know it when we experience it. This is not head-knowledge, but an inner knowing. 

No explanations can satisfy the analyst, and none has to be given either.