Religion and spirituality have always interested me. Growing up I went to church with Mom on Sundays, said a quick, perfunctory grace over meals and before bed, and that was about it. Not to say that we were immoral, we just didn't bother God with much outside of those times.
When we moved to Georgia I was exposed to daily, sometimes hourly, religion. People would pray at the drop of a hat about almost everything: classmates prayed about which classes to take, prayed instead of studying, prayed about conversations. It was really interesting to me, this concept of God being a very constant companion. It reminded me of my best friend, Jen, and how we took the same classes, ate in the same lunch block, then went home and talked on the phone all night. I liked the idea of a God who was that available and that comfortable.
I "found Jesus," as they say, while I was at Piedmont. But really, it was more of a catch-and-release encounter. I had some great experiences with some of the Christians on campus, but I also had some really negative ones. I found it hard to buy into the hypocrisy that so many exhibited. It made me question what it really meant to be a Christian, which lead to me question my own beliefs.
When I moved back to Connecticut, I started doing a lot of reading on different religions and spiritual paths. Long story short: I am comfortable with my belief in a higher power (call it God, Goddess, the Divine Spirit, or whatever) but don't ascribe to the human-defined dogma of most major religions. As such, I have been finding my own ways to worship: I create a home that is clean of anger, fear or pain; I give thanks for food and other blessings in my life; I allow myself to be awed by nature and all living things; and I accept the different paths others choose to walk. This allows me to be worshipful whether I am meditating in my living room, walking my dog, or going to a church.
So, I now come to what prompted this posting. Maybe it's because Easter season is coming up and it's a pretty big deal in many religions. Maybe it's because I moved back to Georgia and feel the sway of the church again. But whatever it is, I've been feeling a very strong to desire to find ways to solidify my worship. I don't know exactly what I mean by that, but I guess it means I want to be even more mindful and purposeful about how I give thanks and commune with the Divine. I thought maybe that might mean going back to church.
I know it does not mean going to Dad's church, because I disagree so strongly with many of their tenets. But I thought, maybe another church that is more closely aligned with the things I hold true. On Palm Sunday night I went to Christ Church on Bay Street for their Compline service with Gregorian Chanting. It was a beautiful, candlelight service and I really liked the idea of "singing goodnight to God." While I did find a sense of peace and community, I didn't feel the connection, the awe that I used to feel in a church. And, to be completely honest, they totally lost me with the "I am a poor, pitiful sinner and deserve your eternal wrath" part of the prayer. I just don't believe that we are innately sinful and therefore deserving of wrath and suffering, so it turns me off to be prompted to "confess" this.
But the chanting was lovely and it did bring back sweet memories of leaning against Mom's shoulder during a sermon and smelling her lipstick and perfume. Maybe it's not so much a solidification of worship that I'm looking for. Maybe I'm greiving for the comfort and familiarity that was lost with Mom and Jen. Maybe the best way to honor and worship the Divine is to be whole and present in our loving of others. I will continue to explore ways to worship, and might even end up finding religion again. But I know that whatever spiritual path I find myself on will be right for me, and right where I am supposed to be.
A walking recycle bin. Savannah just recently began curbside recycling within the city limits (yippie!). Now we're working to extend the program to the rural areas.
I'm not quite sure if "Mr. Nas T Butts" is supposed to discourage people from smoking or just from throwing their butts on the ground... There was also a walking toilet, I think to encourage folks to check for leaky faucets...
It's not as charming as the labyrinth on Block Island, but it was still heartening to see this children's labyrinth on the lawn. On my way home I stopped by Brighter Day to pick up some Quorn for lunch this week. Yum!
No busy day would be complete without some relaxing time spent in the garden. It's not much to look at (yet) but this little patch will hopefully fill out as the weather warms. Most of the various items that create the border were unearthed while I was turning over the soil: I found whole glass bottles, metal pipes, iron stakes, bricks and stones and lots of broken glass. I planted two types of tomatoes (sweet 100 cherry hybrids and some type of larger, sandwich sized ones), red peppers, green squash, basil, parsley, and chives. Behind the garden, close to the fence, I planted 5 different types of sunflowers in the hopes of having a wall of flowers to attract butterflies and humming birds. 
The weather has been so beautiful lately that I've been reading in the park after work instead of sitting in my comfy-chair. It's a great chance to be outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. 
Harley tends to get bored and want to play while I'm reading. When I tried to explain that I was reading for work, she gave me a raspberry...then proceeded to lay on my book.
Success at the dog park! I took Harley to Beasley Dog Park on Sunday and she had a wonderful time! She got along great with all the dogs and didn't act aggressive at all! It felt so good to see her running and playing with other dogs and relieved a lot of my anxiety about her behavior in Forsyth. I'm going to make it a point to take her to the dog park a few times a week so she can socialize. Hopefully she will get to the point where she can meet and greet new dogs on the leash without being defensive.
