Almost Disqualified

"What is the meaning of human life, or of organic life altogether? To answer this question at all implies a religion. Is there any sense then, you ask, in putting it? I answer, the man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost disqualified for life." - Albert Einstein

If you're anything like me, you're going to need to give that quote another go. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Isn't my baby cute, by the way? I think so.

No matter who we are, no matter where we come from, all of us at one point or another in our life have to answer for ourselves the question Albert Einstein asked. "What is the meaning of life?"

There are many answers. The hard part is choosing which one is true. Some go so far as to say that there is no meaning to life. We just happened here and we make the best of it and we happen out. Some say that we are put here as a test. If we do everything right, or at least enough right, we go to heaven. If we blow it, we go to hell. Or we get another chance.

This is probably the hardest of my five categories to write about, which is ironic, considering I grew up in a pastor's home and went to 13 years of Christian school and then took off for Bible college. I guess that's WHY it's so hard. In this blog I'm not just trying to relate to all my friends who think the same way I do. I want anyone to come in, pull up a chair and feel comfortable conversing. And I mean ANYONE. I know there's many, many people who have been seriously wounded by religion. I know that even those of us who grew up in the middle of it can come out scarred by some of the ideas that came to us by mostly well-intentioned individuals. I'm one of them. But I am here to tell you that I'm very proud of those scars, because in the end the doubts, the questions, and the search for the truth is what brought me to the place I am now.

I am not saying I've got it all figured out by any stretch. I'm just saying that the most important thing I've discovered about God is that when you honestly look for him, and ask Him to reveal Himself, He does. Little by little, step by step.

I guess it's the same as the whole "healthy living." There are a lot of people close to me who are really skeptical that my health journey means anything. In the end, no amount of preaching on my part will convince anyone. My changed health, body and outlook will. The results will.

So I'm going to let you decide for yourself. My goal this year in the area of my spiritual journey is to stop acting like I have all the answers, that you must believe what I believe and do what I do to find out who God is. I'll let you look at the results of my 33 years of a journey and decide for yourself. If you hear my story, and see why I believe what I believe and don't buy that it makes any difference, I'm not going to come after you screaming and trying to hit you over the head with my overly large Bible. I know a lot of people do that. Trust me, there are quite a few of them who do it because they were always told that it was the way to show people you care about them. But I understand quite clearly that people are really tired of being hit over the head. I get that it's a little hard to see the love in that. It's something that needs to change, and I regret any amount of Bible-thumping I've done in my day.

So watch me. Hear my story. If anything sounds familiar, if you see yourself in my journey, maybe it's time to think about starting your own.

Because it Matters

Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. - Sportscaster Jack Buck

A good blogger has all the answers. Right? If blogging is supposed to be done by brilliant philosophers who have figured everything out, I guess I should erase this attempt at a blog and keep dreaming. But if there's a chance someone with weeds in her lawn, messes in her closets and kids who didn't get their hair brushed today could offer anything of value, it can't hurt to give it a try.

The above quote intrigues me, because I want to know if it's really true. It sounds good, right? In fact, it's the way I've been trying to live for the past few years. It's easy to see the problems in a home, especially when you started out with such grand expectations of perfection. I would become the model wife - able to keep up with her looks even while giving birth to four children in six years, able to be a cheerful and happy spouse even while hormones swirl out of control within on a regular basis... yes, you get the picture. Probably because you've been there too. I'm sure I'm not the only less-than-perfect-looking, exceptionally hormonal wife and mother on the planet. But is there any way to improve every aspect of you and your family's life in a deliberate way? Can any family with so much to do and so many people and events to keep track of really make a positive change with lasting effects? Can I really make the best of it? Can you?

The Project begins. The categories of improvement will be finances, (you know, the never ending battle to decide what's more important - gas or food, vacation or charity, etc.) going green, (the what and why of things such as recycling, organics, and the almost insurmountable mountain of trying to live all-naturally... is it really worth it?) social lives, (all inclusive how can we improve every relationship in our life?) health, (is there any alternative to conventional medicine? is there any hope for true healthy living in this culture?) and finally, the spiritual. (Does it really make a difference to find faith and live it? Where does a family look for God? What does real faith look like and is it an impossible dream?)

I'll try to post once in each category a week for the next year. I shouldn't say try. As Jillian Michaels says "Trying is just planning to fail." Alright, Jillian, let me rephrase (she can't see my eyes rolling) (Please excuse my hostility as I started "30 Day Shred, Level 1" yesterday and I can't move without groaning in pain...) ... ANYWAY, I commit to post one time a week in each category for a total of 5 posts a week, and if I fail, if my hormones are swirling I may cry a little and then I will apologize and attempt to catch up despite the fact that I have FOUR CHILDREN...

Enough said. Now for your commitment. Become a follower, read my quandaries and decide what you'd like to try yourself. Let me know with your comments what you're working on and what you've found works great.

So don't make me feel like I'm the only one. Please post what you are thinking. Please let me know you're reading.

Back to a ridiculously busy life. We'll get started on those pesky economical problems tomorrow.