Spirituality

What does spirituality mean to you?--- Is religion and spirituality one and the same?--- I've been wanting to write about this subject and have tried many times. For whatever reason now seems the time, so here goes "my interpretation"! (To those of you who read my blog regularly, you probably know me somewhat and or have made a judgement about me to some extent. That's how I wish for you to get to know me! Understanding me! You probably don't want to! I'm a works in process and will be to the day I die. I search quite simply for inner peace!)

 I grew up going to church and have always associated spirituality with religion. Am I right, or wrong? I'll describe what spirituality means to me! This may be an interesting article if I can do justice and express my innermost thoughts, along with what my heart  & soul, tells me! We are so much more than our mind! Of that, I'm sure! Every day people are more than intellect! I. Q. is simply a measurement. We are so much more! Spirituality goes much deeper. It's the embodiment, of whom we are and what makes us! We are the combination of mind and heart, soul! Why would that not also be intelligence? It is! But of a much higher level of  completeness! How can one be smarter than their I. Q.! That's where it becomes most interesting!!!

My grandparents always took me and my brother to Sunday school as early as I can recall. I learn my letters with the help of learning the books of the bible. I've attended many different types of churches in my lifetime from Pentecost to Catholic. Extremely different in sizes shapes from cathedrals to simplicity, inside and out! From the finest that money can buy to poor in style! I must say, however; I believe they fill the bill as far as spirituality, religion and the church doctrines they incorporate. I have no fault with people attending religious worship! If they believe wholeheartedly in what is being taught! I applaud these people and say amen! Attempting to be a better person and raising your children with structure to be a fine child is admirable and I applaud you for that!

It is my believe, spirituality cannot be taught! In our heart and soul we know what's right and wrong and act accordingly! Children learn this at an early age. Their logic, conscience etc, tells them! My personal thoughts are that say a child of ten may know more about right and wrong than maybe a parent! A parent may have allowed outside influences to cloud their mind! Sadly sometimes the parents create unnatural, improper illusions of right and wrong for the poor children to deal with and that my friends is a crying shame, some of us know that to be a fact!

I think these children learn a deeper spirituality than the close knit Sunday school going ones! These childrem have to, too survive! These poor souls become stronger than their problem parent. Hopefully these children have one parent to cling too, to believe in! Sadly some do not! Raising children even with the best parents does not constitute success! But we can only hope the percentage of fine upstanding adults happen, and I truly believe so!

Spirituality becomes stronger as you age! Why! You have a lifetime of learning on your canvas! The many brushes of life altering moments profoundly give you insight. You look back at this painting of your life as a guidepost to judge against the years of learning. As well as they should be with thousands and thousands of simple occurences, that may have gone overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I assure you, your mind heart and soul has not overlooked them! There imprinted as bits of data, whenever you reflect upon them!

Ah! Meditation, reflection! This is the missing brush strokes of our canvas! Our life portrait is missing many parts! How can that be? That data is within, but we don't have the time to retrieve it and reflect upon the magnitude of all the strokes. For those of you who can and or make the time for this reflection of life's daily meanings, I say, way to go brothers and sisters!!! For mothers there are not enough hours in the day! No time for reflection! For the fathers who must work two jobs to provide for his family, no time! Most certainly problems?

Spirituality gets put on the back burner! There is life to live! Hopefully, enough spriituality has been accumulated to get you through the early years of life! Ah! Now to have time for reflection, comtemplation, understanding! Now, with the majority of brush strokes complete on your canvas of "LIVING LIFE" you can look back and value the guidance from inside your heart, spirit, soul and of course your everyday decisions and actions!

THIS MY FRIENDS IS SPIRITUALITY!!! THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF YOUR LIFE HAS GUIDED YOU IN WAYS NEVER THOUGHT OF! OF THAT YOU CAN BE SURE OF! THE PEACEFULNESS OF REFLECTION AND MEDITATION FILLS YOUR SOUL TO NEW HEIGHTS! USE THIS TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE REST OF YOUR EXISTENCE!  Glen, goodnight my friends!