God is all around me

[adore79]

I can feel him sitting next to me right now, I feel his presence allways and in everything. It is a loving presence. Everything is love.

Thanks for letting me share.

[citychick]

...and you have the sure feeling that no matter what happens, everything will be alright.

hugs

[Astro]

It's good to know that he's always been there for us Fel....... Footprints

[adore79]

Wow Scott, I loved that story!

I feel closer to God each day as I explore my spirituality and open my heart to love and mind to accepting love.

[adore79]

Amor fati is a Latin phrase that loosely translates to "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good. That is, one feels that everything that happens is destiny's way of reaching its ultimate purpose, and so should be considered good. Moreover, it is characterized by an acceptance of the events that occur in one's life. It is almost identical to the Jewish concept of Gam Zu Letovah (this too is for the best).
-wikipedia

[adore79]

Originally Posted by Phaleron

I'm glad you're finding some spiritual comfort, Fel, wish I could sometimes.

:ghug

Individuation (Latin: principium individuationis) is a concept which appears in numerous fields and may be encountered in work by Gilbert Simondon, Bernard Stiegler, Gilles Deleuze, Henri Bergson, David Bohm, and Manuel De Landa. In very general terms, it is the name given to processes whereby the undifferentiated tends to become individual, or to those processes through which differentiated components tend toward becoming a more indivisible whole. -wikipedia

Ive been on a spiritual/psychology kick tonight. I realize that Ive always been spiritual but ive never used that spiritualness to better myself, or make myself and my life more whole. Ive never asked my spiritual side for help because it has always just been an intellectual curiosity to me, not a tool to be used.

[Dean62]

Originally Posted by adore79

Amor fati is a Latin phrase that loosely translates to "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good. That is, one feels that everything that happens is destiny's way of reaching its ultimate purpose, and so should be considered good. Moreover, it is characterized by an acceptance of the events that occur in one's life. It is almost identical to the Jewish concept of Gam Zu Letovah (this too is for the best).
-wikipedia

If it wasn't for the pain and suffering in my life I wouldn't be where I am now spiritually. This qoute you posted reminded me of a favorite quote of mine:

"Grace is rather an amazing power to look earthy reality full in the face, see its sad an tragic edges, feel its cruel cuts, join in the primeveal chorus against its outrageous unfarness. and yet feel in your deepst being that it is good and right for you to be alive on God's good earth. Grace is power, I say, to seelife very clearly, admit it is sometimes all wrong, and still know that somehow, in the center of your life, "It's all right." This is one reason it is called Amazing Grace." LB Smedes

As hard as it may seem at times, it is good to be alive and feel life on life's terms. To be able see life clearly as it is instead of the way I want to see it is freedom from my own prison.

[IO Storm]

""Grace is rather an amazing power to look earthy reality full in the face, see its sad an tragic edges, feel its cruel cuts, join in the primeveal chorus against its outrageous unfarness. and yet feel in your deepst being that it is good and right for you to be alive on God's good earth. Grace is power, I say, to seelife very clearly, admit it is sometimes all wrong, and still know that somehow, in the center of your life, "It's all right." This is one reason it is called Amazing Grace." LB Smedes"

Thanks Dean62.

God, with His Grace freed me from my prison too.

My chains are gone, I've been set free.

And I know it is still "all right" today,

Not because of my great stuff, but because He loves me

And is so very patient with me..like the Best Father

is to a child.

Better.


And thanks Adore, for the thread.

[Dean62]

Originally Posted by adore79

I can feel him sitting next to me right now, I feel his presence allways and in everything. It is a loving presence. Everything is love.

Fel, I came across this quote under "Staying close to God". No author was listed.

There is one thing we all want, even if we do not realize it yet, and that is to be so close to God that we feel His presence. In God's presence we feel the most awesome pleasure that a person is capable of experiencing. We experience a full amount of joy that fills us to overflowing. It is like being bathed in warm liquid love that fills us from the inside and then overflows and covers our entire being. Nothing on Earth can compare to the joy and pleasure of being in God's presence, once you get a taste nothing else can ever satisfy you.

What we want, what it feels like, what happens when we recieve it....

[adore79]

There has been a couple times in the past when I felt a connection to God. One time when I was about to drive across the state and I was praying for a safe trip, then a feeling of euphoria came over me and I knew I would be safe.

Then another time when I was doing a loving-kindness meditation and I began to feel like I was floating and that same feeling of euphoria came up.

Euphoria is not a natural emotion to have, it is usually only present in people with mental illness. But science has shown that praying and meditation releases endorphins in the brain and if enough of these are released that euphoric feeling can happen.

I wouldnt describe the feeling now as euphoric, but it is comforting and hasnt left me since I began this thread. It is pleasant and safe.

[Dean62]

Originally Posted by IO Storm

Thanks Dean62.

God, with His Grace freed me from my prison too.

My chains are gone, I've been set free.

And I know it is still "all right" today,

Not because of my great stuff, but because He loves me

Thanks IO Storm I'm glad the quote made sense to you, it was borderline "physic change" moment of clarity for me.

Originally Posted by adore79

science has shown that praying and meditation releases endorphins in the brain and if enough of these are released that euphoric feeling can happen.

God Loves science too.

Originally Posted by adore79

I wouldnt describe the feeling now as euphoric, but it is comforting and hasnt left me since I began this thread. It is pleasant and safe.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, happiness, joyous rapture, sanity, excape, freedom from pain?....I was searching for Truth when I turned to God and to my suprise what I found was peace.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Do you have the peace wich passeth all understanding Fel?

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

Rumi

[adore79]

Originally Posted by Dean62

Do you have the peace wich passeth all understanding Fel?
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

No I do not have peace which passeth all understanding. Maybe I've got some more work to do.

[adore79]

It just occured to me that maybe the reason that bad things happen to good people is so that they can build up their sense of compassion. The way to rid oneself of anger is to practice compassion and a good person will do this wherease a bad person might not. A good person will grow spiritually and morally from bad situations/things that happen in their lives. Any thoughts?


Dean, what you said about not trying to look for love for myself by finding God but rather to open myself to allow it in is spot on! The ultimate goal being to then give that love freely to others. Thanks for that

[splendra]

I think the bad times teach us to depend on and trust our HP. Good people take care of themselves first and then when some one in need shows up they can help from a place of strength rather than insecurity or wanting to please.

Sometimes people appear bad when they are confused. Nobody needs compassion like a person trapped in a web of bad choices.

So good to see ya looking at your spirit cause it is a beautiful one(((((adore)))))

[adore79]

"When you begin to see the suffering in the other person, compassion is born, and you no longer consider that person as your enemy. You can love your enemy. The moment you realize that your so-called enemy suffers, and you want to help him stop suffering, he ceases to be your enemy."

"People are very afraid of nothingness. When they hear about emptiness, people are also very afraid, but emptiness just means the extinction of ideas. Emptiness is not the opposite of existence. It is not nothingness or annihilation. The idea of existence has to be removed, and so does the idea of nonexistence."

"If mindfulness is cultivated in our daily life, if concentration and insight are cultivated in our daily life, we become more open, more tolerant, and our love grows stronger within us."

- Taming the Tiger Within: Meditations on transforming difficult emotions Thich Nhat Hanh

[splendra]

"When you begin to see the suffering in the other person, compassion is born, and you no longer consider that person as your enemy. You can love your enemy. The moment you realize that your so-called enemy suffers, and you want to help him stop suffering, he ceases to be your enemy."

After 9-11; I wanted to express something profound for the situation. I made a bumper sticker that said "Love Your Enemy". I was the only words that could express my concern and love of my fellow human being. Many people honked their horns at me and from my rear view mirror I saw people kissing and hugging each other and waving and smiling at me. I even had people follow me and get out of their cars at stop lights and tell me that it was the perfect words for their situation.

[Rusty Zipper]

[Dean62]

Originally Posted by adore79

"People are very afraid of nothingness. When they hear about emptiness, people are also very afraid, but emptiness just means the extinction of ideas. Emptiness is not the opposite of existence. It is not nothingness or annihilation. The idea of existence has to be removed, and so does the idea of nonexistence."

I alone am nothing without Grace. The "extinction of ideas" is the opening in which I find infinit truth. I call the doorway to infinit peace Jesus, the name is not as important as the acceptance that in nothingness there is no longer a speration of I, there is only a part of. Transcendent love is the shedding of the powerlessness of "existance" for the power of Grace.
:ghug