Spiritual but not Religious

Why is there so much controversy over the cliché “spiritual but not religious?”

There are wonderful people I admire and respect who aren’t affiliated with a church. It’s not that they don’t believe in God. They simply don’t want to be identified with the term “religious.” Unfortunately, it has left a bad taste in their mouth. Therefore, they have rejected traditional organized religion. They see themselves as being spiritual but not religious.

I understand this cliché “spiritual but not religious.” I’ve walked this road, and it does hold some merit.  

A few years ago, I was at a crossroad. Organized religion had imprisoned me. I felt boxed in: the dos and don’ts, the who’s in and who’s out, what we were against rather than what we were for, it all lead to exclusion. The line in the sand where Jesus was portraying the need for unity had become one of division between “us” and “them,” especially toward the LGBT community. These distractions left me questioning my faith. So, I left the church.

I didn’t, however, leave my faith. I, instead, found spirituality. In others words, I went inward. I returned to the person God created me to be. I went on a mission to discover who I was as a child of the light, not what others thought I should be.

Through this mission of enlightenment, I’ve returned to church, with both spirituality and religion interwoven in my faith. Both have helped me unlock my truest self, to think outside the box unobstructed by the constraints some leaders of organized religion can impose on us.

But, I would have to say, it’s my spirituality that keeps me grounded, that allows me to look at our humanity with an open mind and an open heart.

Because, at the end of the day, we are all flawed human beings, searching for guidance that, in my opinion, can ultimately be found by awakening the divine Spirit, which is planted within all of us.

Be who you were created to be. Seek the Devine within. When you do, you will look beyond the bonds of human limitations and find the beauty of Grace, a place where spirituality and religion are united.

The HeArt of Storytelling

Do you have a burning desire to write, to paint, to play music, to sing…?

Greatness comes from perseverance and passion. It’s two qualities that are within all of us, but we have to capture their essence in order to discover the hidden desires of the heart.

I had a vivid imagination as a young girl. But I never dreamt that one day my heArts desire would be to write. But it is! And it has awakened the creative part of my soul, allowing me to express myself in ways I never thought possible. In essence, writing has been very therapeutic and life-changing for me, not to mention how it has renewed my hunger to learn.

My greatest desire today, however, is to become a better storyteller.

That’s what writing does. It infuses the means to turn us into storytellers. And as we grow as a writer, we grow as a person, and as we grow as a person, we unlock the storyteller that once laid dormant in our mind.

But stories are pieces of art that are waiting to be brought forth by whatever means they are meant to be expressed in.

In our family, I may express myself through writing. But my son expresses himself through musical instruments, and my daughter through abstract art.

What’s your storytelling avenue?

Whatever your heArt form is, remember, greatness comes from perseverance and passion. Yes, there will be times of discouragement, times when you will doubt your abilities, but persevere anyway. Own your story. Express it in the way you desire. Why? Because it creates a connection between the mind, body and soul, making you a unique individual.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” –Mark Twain.

The Blank Sign

During the month of August, Derick and I took a road trip to the east coast of Canada.

Travelling to the East Coast is always an exciting time. We not only get to reunite with family but to also embrace the Maritime spirit of our youth. 

Before we could reach the laid back atmosphere of Atlantic Canada, however, we would have to navigate our way through Montreal, which caused some fear and anxiety because of the heavy city traffic. Then we heard of a new highway (auto-route 30) bypassing the city. So, we ignored the GPS, threw caution to the wind, and ventured into unknown territory.

We were no more than five minutes onto this new auto-route when we came upon a massive, green, blank sign, which spanned all three lanes.

I thought about this blank sign and how it resembles birth, how we are born with a clean slate, innocent to the many treacherous roads we merge on and off as we navigate through life. And what I have learnt through my own experiences, at times, is that these roads have filled my slate with mixed directions. 

But thankfully—twelve years ago—Christ wiped my slate clean again. And through His forgiveness, He has given me a new beginning.

Maybe life hasn’t turn out the way you hoped.

Are you longing for a new beginning?

If so, find the lane that fits God’s plan for you and venture out into unknown territory. You were created for a purpose. And with Christ as your GPS, the map of your life will always be updated for the lane you find yourself in. Even if it’s “a road less travelled.” Christ will bring you to your destination with the beauty of His message still intact, because His message reassures us that we are all loved individuals, with hidden talents, waiting to be explored.