MY SOAP BOX

I am in a contemplative mood today.  I suppose I am an opinionated person always have been but you know how that goes seems you have to keep the totality of your opinions at bay or who would want to be around you. So having a blog I will just say what I like as I am not talking to anyone specific  to offend. So I can say what is on my mind without remorse or feeling guilty. If I get long winded as I usually do I need not apologize it is my blog after all.  
So I am going to tell you about some things that make me tick or not and you can quit reading at any point if you get offended by what I say.


There are a number of things I do not talk about when conversing with people.
The first that comes to my mind is my spirituality.
Now mind you I am not talking religion. I have nothing against the churches I think they are a wonderful venue for folks that feel they need them and they aspire to the dogma that goes along with each particular church. It is a social thing for a lot of folks, the day of the week that they can go and join others of like faith and share in the reading of scriptures and songs and so forth. I grew up going to church. I actually went to many different churches until in my high school years my Mothers decided she wanted us to be Lutherans much to my Grandmothers displeasure as she was a Episcopalian.  So I went to the local Lutheran church became confirmed, sang in the choir, starred in the Christmas plays and was highly involved. I continued to go to church throughout the years though maybe a little more sporadically. When my children were born off we went to Lutheran church with our little ones in tow. They were christened Lutheran's. We continued to be a church family for a number of years. I took bible study courses every week when my children were small and my kids went to vacation bible school etc.
However throughout this whole entire period of my church life something always loomed in the back of my mind. I had questions lots of them.
Why would one church's dogma be right and another's wrong? Why would you go to hell if you were not baptized? So that means all the folks in third world countries that have their own religions if they are not baptized they will spend eternity in hell? Come on? Why tithe ten percent? Sometimes when the kids were small we barely could put groceries on the table, why should I take our grocery money and tithe so the preacher can have food on his table? If you have extra money and want to give it to the church that would a good thing as I am sure it would be appreciated and needed. But to make tithing a rule......hmmm. Why would the pastor come to the door if I missed a Sunday at church? Wasn't it my business and my business alone if I choose to miss a Sunday for whatever reason? I did not liked being looked at as a sinner.  Well anyhow  many many things did not set right with me.
So no more church, but that did not mean no more God. 
In my spirituality I believe in God.  I finally throughout the years of study and workshops, books and other venues found out what I actually was. I am a agnostic christian. That fits me. That is a seeker of the truth who does believe in God. So I have my own beliefs and I am always studying and learning. 
It is always good to talk to folks of like beliefs it energizes you but to debate religion as opposed to spirituality is exhausting and draining and reaps no rewards.
I have had many spiritual experiences that have deeply cemented the way I believe  and so many amazing things have taken place since I took the metaphysical route and starting meditating and going within to find God. I find I like listening to God instead of the other way around.


Next on the agenda if you are still with me is politic's. 
I am a democrat but with that statement I will say I have voted spilt tickets in the past and also have placed my vote for a republican president at one point in time. I am not hooked on a party for the party's sake. If I like a person and believe in their agenda I will vote for them.
I would call myself a conservative liberal. Is there such a thing?  I think so. I do not talk politic's with anyone other than my family who are of like thought.
I will say this and what I am going to say hurts me to core.
I do hate it when folks say mean things about our president because of his race.  The good old boys can sugar coat it anyway they like and have you believe it is not because of color but it is and they are bigoted. Who cares what color a persons skin is? We are all the same we are human beings. No one should ever say some of the things I have read that have been said about President Obama. What has happened to respecting our president? There is no more respect in politic's any longer. 


Thirdly I would like to say that I abhor materialism and technology at this point. When folks have to have more than they could ever possibly use or need it is a shame and more so a waste of precious resources. Just buy and buy and shop and shop. Always something on the horizon something new to want. People the hole will never be filled, never. Be happy with what you have and you do not need much to have a happy content life.
 I love this quote by Theodore Roosevelt. "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Set an example for your children not to be wasteful consumers. Children do not need to be given everything they desire. Limit's should be set.
I see the school kids wandering down the street after school with their thumbs just flying texting on their cell phone and  I-pod earphones stuck in their ears. Then they go home to their computer games, their I-boxes and on and on. They are just lost in a maze of non-reality. It is so sad to me that there is no interaction between anyone anymore. What a laugh the social network is. Young people do not even know how to be social. They never talk to anyone all they do is text or FB or Twitter a few comments that mean nothing. It is all so silly.


So there you have it my three biggest issues that I(mostly) kept to myself when chatting it up with folks. but it is who I am. That is why I feel I can express myself on my blog as you can tune me out or just delete me. Every once in a while I need to get on my soap box.


I suppose the important thing for me is to be content with myself which I am and  really I do not concern myself with others. There is very little I can change in the large scheme of things but I can keep the things that are important to me held fast.


Tomorrow I will be back with my usual cooking blog with a photo.
I am off now to enjoy nature on a walk in the soft fresh rain through the lush green trees that line the road I wander down. 
Till later.