The Quest: Week 1

"In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth." Gandhi

Life is a journey, a quest so to speak. We seek meaning, truth, and all matter of other things throughout our life time. I've often pondered that the most important thing we seek during our journey through this world is not truth ...but instead our authentic selves or our soul. For it is in discovering self that we are drawn into a deeper spiritual connection to all that is and will be.

Think of the soul as a fragment of God, created in his image, small but powerful. This fragment is drawn toward the light and in the end becomes one again with the Creator. Yet in the quest, in this human world there are often hardships, temptations, and human folly that inhibit, distract, discolor or taint the soul.

By truly listening to self and acknowledging the most important thing in life, your soul, you will gain insight, satisfaction, contentment, and the ability to maneuver the twists and turns that life inevitably throws in your path.

So step forth on this quest, wander here and there but always with a desire for a deeper connection to life.   Embrace things that create profound joy and contentment, Acknowledge your inner wisdom.


Reflection:
This week reflect on the idea of a quest, a long or arduous search for something. Think about your journey through life. Recognize that sometimes you travel "internal" paths and in doing so reach new destinations as surely as if you moved forward physically. These paths can be more important than the ones under foot. 

Journal this week about an internal path you have traveled. If journaling is not your "thing" how about writing a poem or sketching a picture to represent it? This is also the week to decide how you will document your soul musings journey. Some people like bound journals or sketch books, some people like to use the computer or collect their "work" and store it in a binder. The choice is yours but your quest will be deeper and more meaningful if you explore more and the weekly "assignment" is one way to do so.

Soul Musings-52 Weeks Introduction

Soul Musings is my own attempt to put into words my thoughts and reflections about this journey through life. While we traverse through the landscape of our life we are with family and friends, yet it is really is a solitary quest. Each journey is unique to the individual traveling it with no one's experience quite the same. There are common themes and threads, there are universal "truths" but in the end, my journey is mine and yours is yours. For now though we can travel together for a bit and keep each other company along the paths of life.

Soul Musings, like me, is eclectic. In seeking understanding, in traversing the landscape of life, in connecting with my soul, I refuse to be limited by one philosophy, one religion, or one culture. A strong belief in God is not diminished by reading, listening, and seeking guidance from other belief systems or from my own imagination. No matter what your spirituality is based on, I invite you to broaden it through this experience. As we examine each concept, belief, idea, or thought we will find that many are similar and often provide new insights and a deeper level of "being."

Soul Musings is designed to be used weekly. One topic per week for meditation, reflection, thought, journaling or discussion. Over the course of a year, we will explore beliefs and ideas that highlight the soul, a concept that is elusive and yet interwoven into so many aspects of life. At the end of each topic, you will discover a question or a reflection designed to take you deeper into this journey.

With deepest regard for the human spirit and your own personal knowledge, I invite you to partake of my humble Soul Musings and hope you use them to gain a deeper personal connection to your soul and your spiritual journey.

May Soul Care

So in April I started reading the Book of Acts and I'm about two weeks behind schedule. No problem...I'll finish it up in the coming days but I want to allow myself time for reading so I am going to take a different approach for May. I will do 31 Days of Soul Care. Here's a sneak peek at the beginning of the month in my Faith Planner. It's not finished yet.

I'd like to invite you along for the May Soul Care event. I'll create it as an event over on Facebook and I'd love for you to join in. Obviously our ideas won't all be the same and you don't have to do one a day...you can do one or two a week! The goal is to select some things that make your soul "sing" or perhaps try some new things that you aren't quite sure about!  Expand your spiritual self through these ideas and find joy in life!

I'm currently working on a list of ideas, short simple things or longer projects...anything goes....I'd love for you to share ideas here or over on the Facebook page.

Here are some of my ideas so far....all subject to change once I start putting them on the calendar...

1. Spend some time one day listening and singing along to some favorite songs. Who knows I might even dance along!

2. Paint a picture on canvas. (or in an art journal)

3. Go somewhere in nature. Quiet and alone. Spend 30 minutes just reflecting on the beauty.

4. Take a bubble bath

5. Write some favorite quotes in my common place book

6. Go to a new place

7. Do something unexpected and nice for a friend.

8. Play in the water

Hugs! I hope you will join me for May Soul Care and share your soul inspiring ideas.

Acts, April, and Conversations with God

Acts, which is sometimes called The Acts of the Apostles, tells about the founding of the Christian church after the death of Jesus. It is the fifth book of the new testament and is the focus of my scripture study for April. Some may find it odd timing to study Acts, one might think it more appropriate AFTER Easter, but what can I say?  Where He leads I will follow and something just called for me to read Acts.

I've finished Chapter 4 and so far there are a few things that jumped out at me.

#1 Choosing an apostle to replace Judas. Two men were nominated: Joseph, called Barsabbas and Mathias. Lots were cast by the eleven and Mathias was selected. I wonder what characteristics the eleven were looking for, what called to them from this man? And I wonder what became of Joseph (Barsabbas) Sometimes when we are overlooked for something: a job, a relationship, an opportunity, we wonder why. Did he?  Perhaps upon further reading I will discover the answer.

#2 The Holy Spirit In Acts we read more about the Holy Spirit and how it touched the apostles. This is one of the aspects of God that sometimes we struggle to understand. I sort of visualize it as God's whispers, the messenger that relates to our soul in such a way that we can "feel" God's presence.

#3 The Rejected Stone:  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and explained to the rulers and elders about the healing of the lame man. He emphasized to them that the miracle was preformed not by mere humans but in the name of Jesus Christ. He says, "the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone."  Two things here, whenever you feel rejected muse a bit on the rejection of Jesus, by His own people. AND second when you do this realize the important role this "rejected one" played. What honor to be rejected and go on to be the cornerstone of salvation. EVERY rejection leads us some place else. Find the path.

I hope as Easter approaches you are filled with the light and love of our Savior.  Hugs to all of you.

Hopeless-The Danger of Darkness

The danger of hopelessness is that it threatens our relationship with God. Walking a spiritual path in the midst of darkness is like wandering without a map, in the tangled underbrush of the world. Yet hopelessness can attack us even when we least expect it. Have you ever had this nagging "blah" feeling even when things in your life seem perfectly "ok"? Sometimes I think that is our own self doubt. Perhaps we feel we should be doing more or we feel less than "fulfilled" in the life we are leading. Perhaps it is God whispering to us.

The danger of darkness is that it de-evolves us, making us less than the being that God intended us to be. We all have days when we are "down.", some of us even suffer from clinical depression, some are grieving. It is our response to the darkness, to the hopelessness, that can send us spiraling down or can lift us. It's not easy. There are many very real things to be overwhelmed and discouraged by. The question we must ask, at such times, is whether lingering in the doubt, the grief, the despair, serves a purpose. To me the devil prefers to play there in the darkness, in doubt and despair, and staying there too long, merely increases the power it holds over us.

Can you imagine the hopelessness on the day of Jesus's crucifixion? Can you imagine the darkness the world felt. Alone, after losing the "light of the world.".

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." Matthew 27:45

Yet even in this dark time, the torn curtain portrays the offering of salvation for all through Jesus's death. How is Easter morning portrayed? Through the bright and shining light of morning!

It is against the backdrop of the Easter story that we can best understand the spiritual path we must walk when confronted with darkness and hopelessness in our lives. The torn curtain is hope, an opportunity, a shimmer of light shining in the darkness, although no one at the time recognized it as such. The bright Easter morning suggests that all is not lost, and never had been. After the darkness comes the light.

Hugs to each of you. Walk a path that uplifts you and also others. Let the light shine in you.