How it all started
Back in July 2007 I was lying around after cancer surgery trying to get a grip on where life or death was taking me. With time on my hands I decided to start writing. I had a few people that would email me questions about faith or religion. At times our discussions would dive deep into the unknown and other times it would hang close to the surface with the usual questions everyone tosses around. I always had my little spins or thoughts that increased the thought process. As strange as it was looking back the number of people emailing me increased. After about five weeks I was writing a daily spiritual journal that I was sending out to a few friends. Others started emailing asking me to include them. Next thing you know it grew into thousands of people from all over the world.
The fact that people read what I write was not near as interesting as the twist and turns my writing style took. At first I wrote with a religious mind trying to adhere to the truths of the church as they were taught. I did not need to believe what I was writing I just had to write it that way. As time and circumstances changed and evolved I slowly gained the courage to write from the heart. Trust me at first that was not easy because I felt I was moving away from my religious core BUT the more I wrote the better I felt. It was like the elephant was leaving the room.
There have been so many wonderful people that have influenced what I write over the years. People that struggled to find the courage to openly explore their own questions of faith and spirituality. I have received so many emails over the last year from folks thanking me for writing about things they thought about but felt they had to keep silent.
Over the last year as my religious circumstances changed or evolved my writing style took on an even more honest look. Finally I felt as though I had arrived at a place to where I could write exactly what I was thinking or exploring the questions I had. At times I feel, in a good way, as if I am the voice of many. A silent voice mind you because most for the sake of family, jobs, sphere of influence, religious affiliation, etc feel as though their thoughts cannot be expressed.
I hope as the winds of time keep blowing along we too can keep gaining the power in the present by exploring those deep seeded spiritual thoughts. That exploration will give you the hope for the future. It is time we unlock the chains of spiritual oppression that has forced us to believe that which does not make sense. The list of "Cast out Christians" is growing at a rapid pace. The cast out may not be in the physical sense as much as it is emotional. When we are not free to examine our own spirituality then we find ourselves locked in a religious prison. Let me make it clear that I am absolutely not stereotyping nor calling all of the world churches and religions bad. Where I am going is on a very personal level. This has nothing to do with the institutions that claim to guide our faith. If you feel as though your spiritual voice cannot be spoken then you are bound to that which you struggle to believe. That is not a good place to be and even worse it causes you to constantly question whether you are good or bad.
In life we are all sinners, that is based on the words of Christ. If in fact we are all sinners why do we go to such lengths to expose the shortcomings of everyone around us? As my writing continues to mature I do hope that I can somehow give people the courage to discover their spiritual self. It has to start with love and acceptance of who you are. Once you get that little tidbit down then you can truly see the beauty and love of the world in which you live. As your love for self, life, and others grow it will push hate and bigotry completely out. There will be no room nor time for condemnation of others because you will be to busy seeking out the good in everyone.
Well now you know how it started and hopefully you have an idea of where my writings are going. I am always questioning the religious tone I hear and feel. Those questions lead me to explore in myself what my beliefs are. In those questions comes writings and hopefully in those writings come wisdom. Regardless the journey has given me a freedom I never expected. I hope you can set yourself free to find the real love of God that awaits. When that relationship between you and God becomes personal, not religious, your life will blossom.
peace to you
Dale
The fact that people read what I write was not near as interesting as the twist and turns my writing style took. At first I wrote with a religious mind trying to adhere to the truths of the church as they were taught. I did not need to believe what I was writing I just had to write it that way. As time and circumstances changed and evolved I slowly gained the courage to write from the heart. Trust me at first that was not easy because I felt I was moving away from my religious core BUT the more I wrote the better I felt. It was like the elephant was leaving the room.
There have been so many wonderful people that have influenced what I write over the years. People that struggled to find the courage to openly explore their own questions of faith and spirituality. I have received so many emails over the last year from folks thanking me for writing about things they thought about but felt they had to keep silent.
Over the last year as my religious circumstances changed or evolved my writing style took on an even more honest look. Finally I felt as though I had arrived at a place to where I could write exactly what I was thinking or exploring the questions I had. At times I feel, in a good way, as if I am the voice of many. A silent voice mind you because most for the sake of family, jobs, sphere of influence, religious affiliation, etc feel as though their thoughts cannot be expressed.
I hope as the winds of time keep blowing along we too can keep gaining the power in the present by exploring those deep seeded spiritual thoughts. That exploration will give you the hope for the future. It is time we unlock the chains of spiritual oppression that has forced us to believe that which does not make sense. The list of "Cast out Christians" is growing at a rapid pace. The cast out may not be in the physical sense as much as it is emotional. When we are not free to examine our own spirituality then we find ourselves locked in a religious prison. Let me make it clear that I am absolutely not stereotyping nor calling all of the world churches and religions bad. Where I am going is on a very personal level. This has nothing to do with the institutions that claim to guide our faith. If you feel as though your spiritual voice cannot be spoken then you are bound to that which you struggle to believe. That is not a good place to be and even worse it causes you to constantly question whether you are good or bad.
In life we are all sinners, that is based on the words of Christ. If in fact we are all sinners why do we go to such lengths to expose the shortcomings of everyone around us? As my writing continues to mature I do hope that I can somehow give people the courage to discover their spiritual self. It has to start with love and acceptance of who you are. Once you get that little tidbit down then you can truly see the beauty and love of the world in which you live. As your love for self, life, and others grow it will push hate and bigotry completely out. There will be no room nor time for condemnation of others because you will be to busy seeking out the good in everyone.
Well now you know how it started and hopefully you have an idea of where my writings are going. I am always questioning the religious tone I hear and feel. Those questions lead me to explore in myself what my beliefs are. In those questions comes writings and hopefully in those writings come wisdom. Regardless the journey has given me a freedom I never expected. I hope you can set yourself free to find the real love of God that awaits. When that relationship between you and God becomes personal, not religious, your life will blossom.
peace to you
Dale
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