fluffy
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Any cool spiritual material...
Ok, here I go.
I believe in God for the simple reason that I've finally reached the age that I can look back on my life and the unbelievable tragedies and traumas that happened and put together the puzzle of why I've made the choices I did. Some of those choices were wrong. Some were stupid. But I need to forgive myself....because while God has had a hand in my life, I've always tried to be a fair, good and honest person. Sometimes I've failed. I loved my dad, but I had three older brothers and, when none of them went to college, I became the target of my father's pressure to succeed. I am 7 years younger than my youngest brother. I've been going through the boxes that hold mementos of my life. I saved everything. I've had moments of sheer agony when I backread some of the letters my mom and dad wrote to me. Who would've ever guessed that I'd be parentless by 30. But the reading was sort of sustaining, too. I found old awards, programs from musicals I had the lead in...the personal honor of being picked by my graduating class at the International School of Brussels to speak at graduation... ...but there's a shadowed side.... When I was selected to speak it was for me, a total shock. I had NO idea that I was popular. I knew I was kind of funny sometimes and that I liked to learn about all kinds of people. I got home and told my mom, when Dad arrived I told him. We went out to my favorite restaurant to celebrate. All evening long my father tried to tell me that I should speak French for the graduation speech. I didn't want to...and in the end, I didn't. So...my father was kind of disappointed in my speech. Now I think...can you imagine? Someone has something so special happen and winds up feeling like a disappointment anyway??? It happened so many times. I give props to dad. He made it without a college degree. He was interesting and challenging and even lovable...but I would never marry anyone like him. When I think about spirituality, I know that it must come mainly from the self. If we don't think we're "good enough"...we're destined to fail while also putting up a front and a fight. It takes a lot to excise the critic in us. Right now, I feel like a failure...by all appearances...I am a failure. I have difficulty pulling myself up because there is NO ONE to help me. No unconditional love...no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But I have to hope God is there. I need to believe I AM being loved from above. And I've begun to see all the little things that indicate that. "When in doubt, tell the truth."
Mark Twain
...........but what about your mum and grandma???........and i know your cousin thinks very highly of you................ fluffy Fluffy
My mom has pretty considerable brain damage. Yes, there are family members that I'm close to. But it's different than having a parent.
"When in doubt, tell the truth."
Mark Twain
CRITICISM AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
We all face criticism in our lives, how we deal with it effects our spiritual progress. Someone criticises you, most people react in the following ways : a) get offended and start criticising them back, shouting, even fighting b) get offended and try and defend yourself by denying what they say b) get offended, say nothing but feel the anger brewing up inside d) become devastated, as you believe what they are saying is true e) become devastated as even though what they say isnt true, but your upset they think badly about you. When someone criticises you : a) in your mind keep saying thankyou to them for pointing out your weaknesses. Listen carefully for any truth they maybe telling in between the lies. b) stay silent and keep washing their feet in your mind, or even touch their feet c) dont see them as your enemy, only your own ego and anger are the enemies. d) keep listening to their words and if there words prick you, then that means you still have ego that gets offended. And if it makes your blood boil, that means anger is still strong in you. e) listen to them as a service. Be like a counsellor letting them unwind all their stress and anger onto you. Keep thanking God that this body was of use to someone so they could calm down.  
God's Existence
A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things and various subjects. Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said: "Look man, I don't believe that God exists as you say so." "Why do you say that?" - asked the client. "Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?" If God existed, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can't think of a God who permits all of these things." The client stopped for a moment thinking, but he didn't want to respond so as to prevent an argument. The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop. Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seemed that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he looked so untidy). Then the client again entered the barber shop and he said to the barber: "Know what? Barbers do not exist." "How come they don't exist?"- asked the barber. "Well, I am here and I am a barber." "No!" - the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who walks in the street." "Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me." "Exactly!"- affirmed the client. "That's the point. God does exist, what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him; that's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
Oh wow Priya!.........you have such awesome spiritual stories .......i know India is a very special, spiritual place but you are a very special spiritual lassie.........
fluffy  Fluffy
It is indeed a sad day when you fail.
Tks FLuffy  I will keep them giving
Are Your Potatos Heavy ? A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school. For every person they refuse to forgive in their life's experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of their bags were quite heavy. They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, putting it beside their bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to their desk at work. The hassle of lugging this around with them made it clear what a weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty smelly slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and it clearly is for ourselves!
GOD'S EMBROIDERY
When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was, the underside. I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side." I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did, only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing." Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father (GOD) and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?" The Father seems to tell me, "My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
Happiness Is The Way
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one. So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching. God has given each of us a "gift" that we are to use to glorify His name! Do you know yours???
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